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Quantum mechanics (QM) is the foundation of modern physics and has seen unparalleled success in predicting probabilities for observations. But while QM can be used operationally, we don"t have a unique prescription for mapping the features of an evolving quantum state onto the observed world. That is, we do not know if/how the quantum state and its dynamics (e.g. for the Standard Model with semiclassical gravity) uniquely determine which conditional probabilities describe the stochastic dynamics of the world (both observed, as in lab experiments, and unobserved, as in the stochastic initial conditions for cosmological perturbations). In Everettian terminology, is there a preferred decomposition of a many-body wavefunction into branches?
The early universe is a unique and realistic setting (with relativistic quantum fields in curved spacetime) in which branching of the wavefunction occurs, and can be studied quantitatively. The accelerated expansion of an inflationary or de Sitter phase causes light or massless fields to decohere, and generates a growing number of redundant records of classical field configurations -- an essential feature of wavefunction branching. I have focused on understanding the important role in this process played by gravitational nonlinearities, which are universally present and couple degrees of freedom on different scales, allowing short-wavelength modes to act as a decohering environment or "measuring device" for long-wavelength modes.
I have also helped to develop a numerical pipeline for accurately simulating primordial non-Gaussianity from inflation in the formation of large-scale cosmological structures, and studied potentially observable effects in astrophysics (pulsar timing) and cosmology (CMB power spectra) due to vacuum fluctuations of the energy-momentum tensor from heavy (TeV scale) fields.
Previously, my PhD thesis focused on primordial non-Gaussianity of the local type, and in particular the resulting spatial variation of locally measured statistics (such as the primordial power spectrum or spectral index) due to modulation from density fluctuations on very large scales.


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European folk music from yesterday and today : from field recordings to modern rearrangings, discover the variety of folk music.
Toutes les couleurs du trad
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subset: commoncrawl


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Anyway - you should most definitely head over to the page to find some more blogs that you like the look of - I will be!
While you are there, you can give me a cheeky vote if you like! (I'm number 286)
Just click on the blog(s) you would like to give your vote to and then fill in the captcha at the bottom of the page!
If you liked what you read & want to keep up to date with future posts... You can do so here:


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With Cruz to O's, Moreland in line to DH for Rangers
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Mitch Moreland can relax. Nelson Cruz is not returning to the Rangers and taking his spot at designated hitter.
Instead, Cruz has agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with the Orioles. The Rangers had been keeping in touch with Cruz's agent, Adam Katz, but were already stretching the limits of their payroll after adding Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo this offseason.
"We viewed him as a fit, but we couldn't pull off the deal," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "They're getting a power bat and a guy who drives in big runs. They're getting a guy who loves to play baseball. They're getting his power in that small ballpark. He's a tremendous teammate. All the qualities you want in a winner, that's Nelson."
Moreland has been the Rangers' first baseman the past three years but lost that job when they acquired Fielder from the Tigers. Right now he is the primary candidate to be the designated hitter. He might have lost that job as well if the Rangers had landed Cruz.
"I'm hoping for the best for Nellie," Moreland said. "I don't know anything about it. I'm just going out and playing today and trying to get better. Nellie is a great teammate. Every team out there would like to have a guy like that in their clubhouse or in the middle of the lineup."
While Moreland could get most of the at-bats at designated hitter, Washington will also use the position to rotate some of his veterans like Fielder, Choo, Adrian Beltre and Alex Rios. Washington will also look for a right-handed hitter who can DH. Michael Choice is one possibility, although Washington is reluctant to use a young player in that position.
Kevin Kouzmanoff is in camp as a non-roster invitee. Kouzmanoff, 32, was the starting third baseman for the Padres from 2007-09 and the Athletics in 2010. During that four-year period, he hit .259 with 75 home runs and 317 RBIs. But his career has dropped off the past three years due to injuries and lack of production.
"He's a veteran who has been through the wars," Washington said. "We'll see what kind of game he has."


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Thursday, December 27, 2007
Micah Claire's First Christmas!!!
Posted by The Cowart Family at 6:12 PM 0 comments
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Getting Better
Posted by The Cowart Family at 4:59 PM 0 comments
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Sick Little Girl
Well, Micah has had her first cold. On Tuesday we had to take her to the doctor. He said she has a small cold, nothing too serious. Of course mom, dad and Nana have done nothing but spoil her this week. Her daddy (the one who said she didn't need toys yet) went and bought her a baby doll to make her feel better. Can you say whipped!!!! She is finally starting to feel better today. So, hopefully she will all better by the weekend. Life use to be so calm and peaceful.
Posted by The Cowart Family at 2:36 PM 0 comments
Friday, December 7, 2007
Posted by The Cowart Family at 7:12 AM 0 comments


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Location: Northern Europe, between Finland and Norway
Government type: constitutional monarchy.
Head of government: prime-minister John Fredrik Reinfeldt
Population: 9 million
Capital: Stockholm
GDP (purchasing power parity): $354.7 billion
GDP - per capita (PPP): $39,100
Swedish globally known businesses:
Ericsson, Electrolux, and IKEA, Volvo, Scania, Tetra Pak, H&M.
Ukraine-Sweden bilateral relations:
Yaroslav the Wise, a prominent Kyivan Rus prince in 11th century, married Ingegerd, a Swedish princess, whose relics are kept today in St. Sofia's Cathedral in Kyiv.
Ukraine has a small community of ethnic Swedes that live in a village in Kherson oblast since the 18th century.
Kyiv is just a two-hour flight from Stockholm.
Over 100 companies with Swedish capital are registered in Ukraine.
Most known Swedish businesses in Ukraine: Ericsson, Chumak, Oriflame, SEB Bank, Swedbank, Tetra Pak, Skania, SKF.
IKEA, world's biggest furniture retailer, abandoned investment plans in Ukraine in 2011, allegedly due to unfriendly business environment.
Swedish investment: $1.8 billion
Investment areas: financial sector, manufacture of home appliances, processing of food and agricultural products, packaging, metalworking and engineering goods.
Bilateral trade: $560 million in 2010, Swedish exports comprise 80 percent.
Swedish exports to Ukraine: telecommunications equipment, medical instruments, passenger cars, trucks and buses, manufacturing machinery, heating & cooling, paper and board semi-manufactures.
(Sources: CIS World Fact book, Swedish Trade Council, embassy of Sweden in Ukraine)


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Savannakhet, LaosKirsty Turner
Another way to reach the town is by boat from northern Lao areas such as Vientiane and Tha Khaek or from Pakse in the south. Travelling through Laos by boat can be very relaxing and a great way to see the countryside at a leisurely pace.
The name Savannakhet means 'city of paradise' in the Laos language and this is Laos' second-largest city. This is a good place to pause for a while as the town has a lot to offer tourists and there are a good number of guesthouses, hotels and restaurants serving international food. You will also find plenty of Asian delights such as curries and spicy salads from Thailand and Vietnamese noodles.
Savannakhet's close proximity to Thailand and Vietnam means that you will discover a number of different styles as you explore. Take a look around the city's old Vietnamese temples, French colonial quarters and Buddhists temples. Among the most popular temples are Wat Inghang and Wat Xayaphoum, while the large Catholic church provides an interesting contrast.
If you are interested in the history of this unique area, take a day trip to Heuanehine or Stone House. This rocky house was designed by the Kham people and is thought by many to be one of the most important and interesting sites in the province. The house was built somewhere between 553 and 700 AD and contains a collection of Khmer artwork.er important site is the That Phon stupa, which was built around the same time as the Stone House. Unlike most of the religious shrines and temples in Laos, this stupa is Hindu in origin and dedicated to Phra Shiva and other Hindu deities.
Before you leave Savannakhet, drop by the Dinosaur Exhibition Hall in the town of Khanthabouly at the heart of the province. Here you will find a collection of dinosaur remains that were discovered by an intrepid French scientist in the 1930s. This is one of the few collections of dinosaur remains in Laos and they make an interesting break from exploring the country's temples and jungles.


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News related to 'Biwater lands Chino desalination concentrate reduction'
California | California | Concentrate Disposal | Desalination | Desalination | Pretreatment | Reverse Osmosis | Reverse Osmosis | USA | Water Treatment
You can also click on a keyword to see more stories on that particular topic
Related News
UK/Saudi initiative targets low-cost carbon neutral desalination using solar dome
NEOM has signed an agreement with UK-based Solar Water Plc to build the first ever "solar dome" desalination plants in NEOM, northwest Saudi Arabia. The pilot project claims it will revolutionise the water desalination process.
US/China researchers develop ultra-efficient multi-stage solar desal
Scientists funded by US and Chinese bodies have published details of a multi-stage solar desalination process, claiming a record-high solar-to-vapor conversion efficiency of 385% under one-sun illumination, where more than 75% of the total production was collected through condensation.


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Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Sho, Oct 2, 2012.
No response after nearly a week?
Makes you wonder whether this renewed ebook experiment worked out financially, I guess.
I didn't remember any "loose ends" left in Vanguard and I don't remember any loose ends that were tied up in In Tempest's Wake.
So I'm still left with the question of why this e-novella exists as a VAN story..
No offense meant to Dayton Ward, as his Trek novels are some of my favorites (especially the VAN novels), but I can't understand why this is a story in its own right rather than a subplot / scenes in a TOS novel.
I think Dayton already kind of answered this -- he was approached by Pocket Books to write this particular e-book-only novella. That was the request from the publisher; it wasn't as if DW wrote the novella and then submitted it.
It appears that Pocket is testing the waters of e-book-only content, so they're starting off with new stories spinning off recent, well-received series, such as Typhon Pact and Vanguard. The series connections are marketing, not authorial whim.
I think it's a marketing misstep myself. I'd rather see SCE/CoE stories.
It reminds me a little of when the Gateways MMPBs were published and then the "finale" was a hardbound. IIRC, that was a bit of a misstep as well.
I'd rather have new SCE/CoE stories too - I'd probably buy them in printed versions, though
Any idea if SCE will be revived in the near future?
What they said about new current SCE stories.
I bought and read my first eBook.. and I have to say, even though I came into this with a negative POV, I was very pleasently surprised.
Yes, this story didn't cover new ground, but it gave another perspective on the series finale, and its aftermath.
Just as VAN was "previewed" in an eBook (in SCE), perhaps it's fitting to have the last story (more of an epilogue, or a special after-credirs scene IMO) appear in an eBook as well...
..I voted Outstanding, just to be clear
Distant Early Warning came out between the first two Vanguard books, so technically it wasn't a preview.
I stand corrected, though I have a vague memory of DEW being set before the series proper..
^It was set before the series proper, but came out after the first book. It was a prequel in the strict sense, coming out later but set earlier.
I think the post-Destiny landscape is perfect for a renewed SCE series. Instead of having to invent new problems and crises on planets-of-the-week, we could have the SCE troubleshoot and repair against a backdrop already familiar to readers, tying the series more notably to the "mainstream" (though hopefully without losing its distinctiveness). SCE often seems an overlooked series (unfortunately), and while I did enjoy the sense that these were "side stories", that interesting things were happening in forgotten or otherwise inconsequential corners of the Trek verse, it would also be nice to see the same winning concept applied in a new way. Picking up the pieces on Vulcan, Qo'noS, etc, building on minor plot points and throwaway details in the post-Destiny books...it would be quite rewarding.
It could also be an uplifting series about the shared effort of rebuilding, to offset the more "troubling" political stories and cold war scenarios. If the big picture looks a bit bleak, it's often time to focus on the smaller things - and show that it's not just the exploration stories leaving the Federation behind that can be uplifting. A "rebuilding the Federation" series might be just what some of the fans displeased with the Typhon Pact need to keep them interested.
^Well said. Rebuilding after the Borg invasion could provide a slew of side stories from all over the federation.
Well, personally, I enjoyed this coda to the Vanguard series. I kind of liken it to the bonus features on a DVD or blu-ray. It's not strictly necessary for the rest of the narrative, but I like getting extra insights or perspectives on the story. Here's my review!
Very nice review, which sums up the consensus regarding this story
The cover is awful. It looks like it's cut off.
Separate names with a comma.


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by Darnell
Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skulls Costume Photo 5 of 7
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This homemade costume for families entered our 2014 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Irlanda, the 'Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skulls' costume creator:
Our costumes were inspired by the movie The Book of Life. I made my baby's top hat and added flowers and hot glued it to a red head band. Her costume consists of a store... Read more »
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Lexington and Concord
by Rachel Horn
In the book, Paul Revere's Ride, the author, David Hackett Fischer, gives a detailed account of the battle of Lexington and Concord, including the events leading up to and following the battle. The British were tyrannizing over the Americans, and the Americans were getting angry, so when General Gage sends his men out to take away the Americans' weapons of war in Concord, the Americans prepared to fight them. This battle was a very important battle, so we should know who really got the victory at this battlefield, because both sides said they did.
One would first start with who won the first part of the battle, which is the battle of Lexington. The British were ordered to start marching on the evening of April 18, 1775, but they were not told where they were going, or why. They reached Lexington early in the morning of the nineteenth, with about 250 men, who were commanded by Major John Pitcairn. The Americans who were gathered at Lexington had between 60 and 70 men, commanded by Captain Parker. Both sides were told by their commanders not to fire unless they were fired upon, so after the first shot was fired, the British infantry just started firing without orders. They did not fire for very long however, before they recklessly charged the Americans. Most of the Americans did not fire, because they did not have orders, and because things were happening very quickly. The Americans were told by their commander to disperse, but many did not hear, and some of those who did were shot. The British had conquered the Americans, because the Americans had retreated out of the city. The Americans had lost more men than the British also, and they knew they were defeated. They were not totally discouraged however, and they started marching to Concord to fight the British again.
The Americans were preparing for the British to arrive. The Americans withdrew out of the city to wait for more men, who were quickly arriving. They now had about 500 men, and the British had about 115. The British followed the Americans, and did pretty much no harm to the undefended city. The Americans had crossed the North Bridge, just outside of Concord, and when the British crossed it the British started to destroy it. The Americans marched down to stop the destruction, and the British fired a couple times, then fled into the city. The Americans were surprised at how quickly they fled. During this battle, Colonel Smith was sent to for reinforcements. While his men were marching, they met the rest of their soldiers running down the road, away from the Americans. The Americans then marched toward the town, and took a defensive position behind a stone wall, and waited for the British to come up. The British came up, but they did not get very close until they halted, and stayed where they were for a few minutes, and then marched back to the town. While marching back, the british went under the fire of the Americans, and lost some more men. The Americans began to move over the hills, threatening to cut off the road from Concord to Boston. Colonel Smith sent some men to keep the line of retreat open. The Americans were on the hills surrounding the road, and they were ready to shoot at the British. The Americans made a circle around the British column, and kept shooting until the British made a camp to stop in for the night. The British had sent for more troops, and those started marching from Boston on the morning of the twentieth, and they reached the battle too late to be of much help. The Americans soon made them retreat with the other British. The British were under incessant fire, and by the time they reached the safety of Charlestown, they had lost most of their men.
We now see how the British won the battle of Lexington, and how the Americans won the battle of Concord. The Americans forced the British to retreat into safety, and they lost most of their men at Concord, so we say they won. So, even though the British had won Lexington, and both sides said they won the battle, the Americans really won because they had the final victory.
Click Here to Buy the Book: Paul Revere's Ride


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Due to the current situation, governments, airports and airlines around the world have taken proactive measures to ensure safe and healthy travel. On this page we have gathered important information about all that they are doing so that you can book and travel in full confidence. We care about you and want you to know as much as possible to be on the safe side.
We also have information about the most common customer service requests during the season of the virus, as well as what applies now that countries are opening up for travel again and loosening their restrictions. Use the search bar above to find what you are looking for.
On the customer service side we are still under a heavy pressure, but the waiting times are going down and we are handling all cases in the order that we receive them. If you have a case with us we will inform you as soon as we have an update.
Stay safe.


text: Help your students maximize learning time by using iPad to boost their productivity. This book shows educators how to use iPad and multiple apps in connected workflows to help students streamline learning processes, organize assignments, and save time so they can be engaged in more meaningful learning tasks. No matter what grade level or content area you teach, you'll find versatile learning activities throughout the book that use iPad to enhance student productivity habits.


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Somerset Collision is a full service body shop employing experienced technicians. We do very little outsourcing to maintain the highest quality. Read more...
Customize your truck with Rhino Lined rocker panels, bumpers, and brush guards. Read more...
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Monday - Friday: 8 - 5
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*After hours appointments may be scheduled to better serve you.


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Bank of America Corp.'s Countrywide unit should pay the maximum of $2.1 billion in penalties for selling defective mortgage loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. said.
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan is considering how much to penalize the bank following months of arguments over the size of the civil fine that Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bank of America should pay in the first mortgage-fraud case brought by the U.S. to go trial. The bank has claimed it should have to pay $1.1 million at most.
"To punish defendants for their culpability and bad faith, and to deter financial institutions and their executives who would engage in similar fraudulent mortgage schemes, the court should impose the maximum penalty," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a court filing yesterday.
Countrywide is still a defendant in a securities fraud case brought by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, over billions of dollars in residential mortgage-based securities. Bank of America and Countrywide also face $10 billion in claims by American International Group Inc. over mortgage securities.
'Pecuniary Gain'
Rakoff on Dec. 5 asked for a supplemental briefing to determine Countrywide's "pecuniary gain" from a "scheme to defraud," according to court papers.
Bharara's lawyers asked the court to use "gross gain, rather than net gain" as the penalty benchmark, and to define "gain" as "all revenue or proceeds derived from the wrongdoing" rather than "net profit," as the bank suggested.
"This claim bears no relation to a limited Countrywide program that lasted several months and ended before Bank of America's acquisition of the company," Lawrence Grayson, a spokesman for the bank, said today in a phone interview. "We will present the relevant facts in a detailed response soon."
Countrywide and Rebecca Mairone, a former executive with the mortgage lender, were found liable in October for selling thousands of bad loans to the two government-sponsored enterprises.
Rakoff should impose a penalty on Mairone "commensurate with her ability to pay," government lawyers said in yesterday's filing.
Investor Accord
Bank of America has agreed to pay $500 million to settle securities law claims by investors who said they were misled into buying Countrywide's mortgage-backed securities. An $8.5 billion settlement with investors who claim Countrywide failed to repurchase defective mortgages pooled is waiting to be approved by a New York state judge.
Countrywide Financial Corp., based in Calabasas, California, was the biggest U.S. residential home lender before the collapse of the housing market, originating or purchasing about $1.4 trillion in mortgages from 2005 to 2007. The bulk of them were sold to investors as mortgage-backed securities. Bank of America acquired Countrywide in 2008.
Countrywide committed a "simple but brazen" fraud by misrepresenting risky loans processed in 2007 and 2008 through its "High Speed Swim Lane," or HSSL, program as being of investment quality, the U.S. has said.
The case was brought under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, or FIRREA. That statute and another law have been used by federal prosecutors in New York at least six times to obtain almost $500 million in mortgage fraud recoveries.
Under the statute, the penalty can't exceed the amount of gain or loss from a violation.
Fannie Losses
Bank of America argued that the U.S. couldn't prove that the scheme to misrepresent the quality of its HSSL loans caused losses to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
"The government cannot show that any loss suffered by Fannie and Freddie in connection with the HSSL loans proximately resulted from a misrepresentation by Countrywide about the loans, as opposed to other factors such as the worldwide mortgage crisis," the bank said in court papers.
Bank of America also claimed that the government's calculated number of faulty loans, more than 28,882, was incorrect.
Countrywide earned at least $165 million using HSSL, allowing the company to maintain revenue in a "cratering" market for subprime mortgages, prosecutors told the jury in closing arguments.
The U.S. in 2012 joined the whistle-blower action against Bank of America filed by former Countrywide executive Edward O'Donnell.
The U.S. case is U.S. v. Countrywide Financial Corp., 12-cv-01422, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
The FHFA case is Federal Housing Finance Agency v. Countrywide Financial Corp., 12-cv-01059; and the AIG case is American International Group Inc. v. Bank of America Corp (BAC), 11-cv-10549, both U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).


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Alternative therapy (or alternative medicine) is a nonconventional approach to healing. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are usually discussed together, but are actually two different therapy approaches:
Complementary medicine. This is any form of therapy used in combination with standard or conventional medicine. Complementary therapy usually serves to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Alternative medicine. Alternative medicine is used alone instead of proven standard medical treatment.
Some people use complementary treatments to relieve symptoms or side effects while getting standard or conventional treatment (such as guided imagery for pain relief during cancer treatment). Standard or conventional medicine refers to medical treatments that have been scientifically tested and found to be safe and effective. The standard or conventional treatments have been approved by the FDA.
Other people may decide to pursue alternative therapy. It's highly recommended that you talk with your healthcare provider before beginning any alternative treatment, as these treatments are not scientifically tested or proven.
They can delay the use of proven methods or actually be harmful.
Many different fields make up the practice of complementary and alternative medicine. In addition, many components of one field may overlap with the components of another field. Examples of CAM include:
This field includes the more mainstream and widely accepted forms of therapy. Traditional alternative medicine has been practiced for centuries worldwide. Some examples are:
Ayurveda. A medical practice from India consisting of herbal compounds and special diets.
Homeopathy. A medical practice from Germany consisting of individualized remedies derived from plants, minerals, and animals.
Naturopathy. A practice that takes a combination of traditional practices.
Chinese or Oriental medicine
Touch has been used in medicine since the early days of medical care. Healing by touch is based on the idea that illness or injury located in one area of the body can affect all parts of the body. If, with manual manipulation, the other parts can be brought back to optimum health, the body can focus on healing at the site of injury or illness without distraction. Examples of body therapies include:
Body movement
Tai chi
Over the centuries, man has gone from a simple diet of meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains, to a diet that often consists of foods rich in fats, oils, and complex carbohydrates. Nutritional excess and nutritional deficiency have become problems in today's society, both leading to certain chronic diseases. Many dietary and herbal approaches attempt to balance the body's nutritional well-being. Dietary and herbal approaches include:
Dietary supplements, minerals, and vitamins
Herbal medicine
Some people believe external forces (energies) from objects or other sources directly affect a person's health. An example of external energy therapy is electromagnetic therapy.
Standard or conventional medicine recognizes the power of the connection between mind and body. Studies have found that people heal better if they have good emotional and mental health. Therapies using the mind include:
Some people believe the senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste) can affect overall health. Therapies using senses include:
Art, dance, and music
Guided imagery
Most complementary and alternative medicine fields aren't standardized or controlled by any Western medical guidelines. Always talk with your healthcare provider before beginning any complementary or alternative medicine therapy. Some therapies may interfere with standard treatment.
Being an informed healthcare consumer when considering complementary or alternative medicine is important. Ways to gather information before starting any therapy include:
Talking with your healthcare provider
Researching on the Internet
Researching in the library (books, articles, and scientific journals)
Speaking with others who have tried the therapy
Looking for controlled, scientific studies about the therapy, whenever possible
According to the American Cancer Society, if a treatment has the following warning signs, it's better to avoid:
Treatment based on unproven theories
Treatment that promises a cure
Treatment that offers benefits but claims to have no side effects
Patient is told not to use standard or conventional medicine
Treatment is a secret and can only be given by certain providers
Treatment requires travel to another country
Treatment providers discourage the use of standard or conventional medicine
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KC emergency teams prepared, supplied for major events
While there was no credible threat to the Kansas City area, police and firefighters said they were prepared and working to increase their presence.
For the Kansas City Fire Department, the emergency response is based out of the dispatch center off Eastwood Trafficway. Fire commanders said there's no such thing as being too prepared for something like this and they always look at a worst-case scenario.
Firefighters said the command at an emergency could change as it plays out. In an explosion like the blast that rocked JJ's restaurant on the Country Club Plaza in February, the Kansas City Fire Department remained in charge the entire time. If a bomb was involved, the command could change to police or a federal partner like the FBI.
Commanders for the city's emergency plan meet once a month. They said Boston's response to Monday's bombings will be a topic in the future.
"We can look at them and see what mistakes they made or what things that they did that were really good that we can incorporate into ours to make sure that the system runs as smooth as it possibly can," said Kansas City Deputy Fire Chief Tom Collins.
"Ultimately, our mission is to protect and save life. That's our first mission and then our second mission is to protect property, so we have to make sure we know what we're doing to make sure that that happens."
The Kansas City Fire Department has one of three trailers equipped with gear for a major emergency, including 100 back boards, a tent, lights, oxygen supplies. The trailer is ready to go to an emergency scene at a moment's notice.
Officials said the protocol for a large-scale emergency in the Kansas City area is the same for every agency.


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This episode included a scene wherein our hero, Jaime Lannister (oh, he's not your hero? just because he almost killed a child in order to protect the sister he was fucking? good for you that your morals are so on point—feel proud), rescues Brienne from A BEAR in a heart-stopping scene that had me feeling actively nervous for their safety and their lives, but still that wasn't even close to being the most traumatic part of the episode, because, you know what? THEON GOT CASTRATED. A lot of other stuff also happened. But castration? That's a pretty big deal. Bigger than a bear? Maybe, yeah.
But, we'll start at the beginning, I guess. Here we are with the wildlings and Jon Snow. They've safely made their way down the wall, which couldn't have been easy, but they did it. Now they just have to get to Castle Black, which, Jon believes will take about a week via the roads.
Ygritte basically snorts in his face and says, "You and your roads. That's how you fight? You march down the roads, banging drums and waving banners?"
"Mostly, yes," says Jon. He realizes it sounds kind of stupid. But it's honest. And he's basically always honest when he's not totally lying about where his loyalties lie.
"How do the men with banners fight?" asks Ygritte.
"They don't really. It's a great honor to carry your house sigil." Luckily, Jon doesn't need to explain what a sigil is to Ygritte. The point of this whole conversation is: war is stupid. Ceremony is stupid. All of it is stupid when it is in the service of rich men who want to get richer and more powerful and don't care how many of the little men die. Honor means nothing—sigils mean nothing—when you're dead.
Ah, and speaking of honor meaning nothing. Here's Robb, the wedding oathbreaker, delayed on the way to the Frey castle for Edmure Tully's wedding. Catelyn is worried that this additional delay will upset Walder Frey even further, but Robb only seems to care about boning his wife. Which he then proceeds to do. And while he nominally seems to want to think about the war he's still fighting, he really just wants to get back into bed with Talisa for a little more boning. And guess what else? She's pregnant. With a little prince or princess of the North. A new heir! This could be interesting.
And now it's time for a little girl talk. Sansa and Margery are discussing Sansa's impending nuptials. Sansa feels pretty down about the whole thing. Partly because Tyrion is a Lannister and she would never want to marry a Lannister, but mostly because Tyrion is a dwarf. Margaery, being awesome, points out that, "Women in our position must make the best of our circumstances." And also that Tyrion really is, "rather good-looking even with the scar. Especially with the scar."
Sansa doesn't seem convinced, but Margaery also tries to persuade her by reminding Sansa that any son she has with Tyrion will be the Lord of Casterly Rock and heir to the North. Also, Margaery has heard that Tyrion is quite the lay. Not, I guess, at the level of recently devirginized Pod, but not far off. Sansa seems quite scandalized and we are once again reminded that Tyrell women are the absolute best.
Tyrion has his own fears about marrying Sansa, telling Bronn, "She's a child. A tall child."
Bronn will have none of it, pointing out to Tyrion that girls not much older than Sansa have warmed his bed before and that Tyrion can still sleep with Shae and marry Sansa and retain a good deal of power. It all sounds pretty convincing, but later, when Tyrion tries to explain everything to Shae, she flips out. Shae does not really feel like being relegated to whore-status once again.
Tyrion tries to explain, "I did not have a choice…my father…"
Shae finishes his sentence: "Does not rule the world."
Well, except that Tywin Lannister kind of does rule the world. We see Tywin talking to that little piece of shit Joffrey, and he basically schools that little piece of shit Joffrey in everything from the fact that if Joffrey wants to attend small council meetings he can, but he will have to go to Tywin's turf to do so, to the fact that they have enough problems at home to start worrying about the Targaryen girl and her dragons.


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Animal Alliteration (Create some animal themed tongue twisters)
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Text Detectives (Learn more about Chester Zoo from their Information Leaflet)
Zoologist (Design an enclosure in a Zoo for an African animal)
Batik Designers (Make your own Maasai fabric using non-wax Batik)
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Text Detectives (Find out more about the costumes made for the Lion King West End shows)
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Freeze Frames (What has caused Sokai to freeze still? What will he do next?)
Maasai Poem (Write an African Inspired version of Benjamin Zephaniah's Nature Trail)
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Water on Tap (Build a traditional African Tippy Tap in your garden)
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Footprints in the Ground (Track the footprints of animals near you)
In the Hot Seat (Infer what Sokai might be thinking and feeling)
Storymap (Create an overview of the main events in the story)
Text Detectives (Can you find the answers to the questions in the text?)
Could you join the Maasai? (create a job description for a Maasai moran)
Grand Designs (make your own model Maasai house or village)
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Eco Conservationists (Make a Bird Bath for your Garden)
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If the World were a village.....(learn more about people all over the World through turning statistics in graphs).
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text:
The fisherman was jolted awake by the powerful earthquake and ran with his screaming neighbors to high ground. He said they watched as the sea first receded and then came roaring back "like a big wall" that swept away their entire village.
"Suddenly trees, houses and all things in the village were sucked into the sea and nothing was left," Joni Sageru recalled Thursday in one of the first survivor accounts of this week's tsunami that slammed into islands off western Indonesia.
The death toll rose to 370 as officials found more bodies, although hundreds of people remained missing. Harmensyah, head of the West Sumatra provincial disaster management center, said rescue teams "believe many, many of the bodies were swept to sea."
Along with the 33 people killed by a volcano that erupted Tuesday more than 800 miles to the east in central Java, the number of dead from the twin disasters has now topped 400. Mount Merapi began rumbling again Thursday after a lull that allowed mourners to hold a mass burial for its victims. There were no reports of new injuries or damage.
The catastrophes struck within 24 hours in different parts of the seismically active country, severely testing Indonesia's emergency response network.
Aid workers trickling into the remote region found giant chunks of coral and rocks in places where homes once stood. Huge swaths of land were submerged. Swollen corpses dotted roads and beaches.
In a rare bright spot, an 18-month-old baby was found alive Wednesday in a clump of trees on Pagai Selatan — the same island where the 30-year-old Sageru lived. Relief coordinator Harmensyah said a 10-year-old boy found the toddler whose parents are both dead.
More than 100 survivors crowded a makeshift medical center in the main town of Sikakap on Pagai Utara — one of the four main islands in the Mentawai chain located between Sumatra and the Indian Ocean.
Some still wept for lost loved ones as they lay on straw mats or sat on the floor, waiting for medics to treat injuries such as cuts and broken limbs. Outside, some rescuers wore face masks as they wrapped corpses in black body bags.
A young woman named Adek sobbed uncontrollably as she tried to talk about her year-old baby who was washed away. "Oh, don't ask me again," she said, wiping her tears and turning away.
One of the hardest hit areas with 65 dead was the village of Pro Rogat, on Pagai Seatandug island.
Villagers there huddled under tarps in the rain and told how many people who had fled to the hills were now too afraid to return home.
Mud and palm fronds covered the body of the village's 60-year-old pastor, Simorangkir. He lay on the ground, partially zipped into a body bag. Police and relatives took turns pushing a shovel into the sodden dirt next to him for his grave.
His 28-year-old grandson, Rio, traveled by boat to Pro Rogat from his home on a nearby island to check on his relatives after the quake and tsunami. He said he was picking through the wreckage when someone cried out that he had found a body.
Rio walked over and saw his dead grandfather partially buried under several toppled palm trees.
"Everybody here is so sad," Rio said, as relatives prepared to lay his grandfather in the grave.
Officials say a multimillion-dollar tsunami warning system that uses buoys to detect sudden changes in water levels broke down a month ago because it was not being properly maintained. The system was installed after a monster 2004 quake and tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
A German official at the project disputed there was a breakdown, saying Monday's 7.7-magnitude quake's epicenter was too close to the Mentawai islands for residents to get the warning before the killer wave hit.
"The early warning system worked very well — it can be verified," said Joern Lauterjung, head of the German-Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning Project for the Potsdam-based GeoForschungs Zentrum. He added that only one sensor of 300 had not been working and said that had no effect on the system's operation.
At the Mount Merapi volcano, hot clouds of ash spewed from the mountain around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Indonesian volcanology agency Subandriyo.
It was unclear whether the new activity was a sign of another major blast to come.
Residents from Kinahrejo, Ngrangkah and Kaliadem — villages that were devastated in Tuesday's blast — crammed into refugee camps. Officials brought cows, buffalo and goats down the mountain so that villagers wouldn't try to go home to check on their livestock.
Thousands attended a mass burial for 26 of the victims six miles from the base of the volcano. Family and friends wept and hugged one another as the bodies were lowered into the grave in rows.


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Crime Prevention:
Teenage Victims of Crime
Did you know that teens are twice as likely as any other age group to be victims of violent and property crime? Girls are more likely to be victims of sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking, while boys are more likely to be victims of assault, robbery, and homicide.
Given the high victimization rate for teens, chances are that you've either been a victim of a crime yourself, or you know someone who has been. Experiencing a crime can be traumatic, whether it involves a stolen wallet or a physical assault. All victims need help.
If You Are a Victim of Crime
You might feel
- embarrassed or foolish that someone took advantage of you.
- guilty because you could not prevent the crime, or because your circumstances allowed it to happen.
- anger and a desire for revenge.
- fear that the perpetrator or someone else may stalk, rob, or attack you again.
- shock that something so unexpected has happened to you.
- sadness about the loss of property or feelings of safety you had before the crime.
- hopelessness that anything can be done about the crime.
- reluctance to talk about the crime, or a need to tell your story over and over.
- a sense that things will never be the same.
What you might do
- Call 911 immediately to report the crime and get any needed emergency medical treatment.
- Talk to the police. Talk to your parents, or other trusted adult.
- Do not blame yourself for the crime. Tell yourself that you did not cause it to happen.
- Try to remember details of the perpetrator's appearance and the events to help the police solve the crime. Make notes as soon as you can so you don't forget.
- Accept that strong feelings of anger, fear, embarrassment, shock, and sadness are normal after experiencing a traumatic event. If these feelings last for a long time or interfere with your daily life, see a victim assistance counselor or other professional.
- Do not try to seek revenge or solve the crime, even if you know who is responsible.
- Don't be embarrassed to talk to your friends about the event and your feelings. You may need their support for a while.
- Ask about a victim assistance program in your school or community or call the National Crime Victim Information and Referral Hotline operated by the National Organization for Victim Assistance (the toll-free number is 800- 879-6682).
- Work with your parents or other trusted adult to come up with a safety plan for protecting yourself from future crime.
Your Legal Rights as a Victim
Police and courts realize that victims need help. Most states have passed laws to protect victims. Here are the rights that most victims can expect:
- The right to privacy.
- The right to be treated with dignity and compassion.
- The right to protection from intimidation and further harm.
- The right to be informed about the case's progress and outcome through the criminal justice system.
- The right to receive compensation for damages.
- The right to equal treatment in court.
- The right to have property returned promptly if found by the police.
If a Friend Is a Victim of Crime
- Listen sympathetically and reassure your friend that you believe him.
- Don't blame your friend even if her actions put her in harm's way.
- Because victims often blame themselves, tell your friend repeatedly that it is not his fault.
- Discourage your friend from seeking revenge.
- Encourage your friend to tell a supportive adult, such as a parent, teacher, or coach.
- If you think your friend needs help but won't tell anyone, find an adult you trust and tell what happened.
- In an emergency, call the police and report the crime, even if your friend asks you not to. This may save your friend's life, or someone else's.
- If possible, encourage your friend to recall specific details of the event. Your friend may be able to provide the police with information that will lead to the criminal's arrest.
If You Are the Parent of a Teen Crime Victim
How you and other adults respond to a teen who has experienced a crime can make a difference in how the teen copes with and recovers from the event. Remember that witnessing a violent crime can be as traumatic as experiencing it directly.
The National Center for Victims of Crime recommends that you watch your teenager for these common reactions to a traumatic event:
- change in eating or sleeping habits,
- acting out in an aggressive or inappropriate manner,
- attention-seeking behavior,
- increased risk-taking,
- deteriorating school performance or fear of attending school,
- withdrawal from peer relationships,
- physical signs of stress such as headaches or stomachaches,
- nightmares and other sleep problems,
- difficulty concentrating, and
- feelings of anger, hopelessness, anxiety, and depression.
While it is normal for a victim to move through different stages of feelings in order to recover from a painful experience, sometimes victims get stuck in one stage for an unusually long time. If this happens, you may want to seek professional help for your teen.
Take a Stand for Victims' Rights
- Make sure your Neighborhood Watch group looks out for victims of crime by offering practical help and accompanying victims to court.
- Celebrate National Crime Victim Rights Week in April of each year. Pass out fliers, talk to your school about marking the event, send a letter to local media asking them to feature victims' rights.
- Find out what laws your state has passed to address victims' rights. Write to your state senator or representative if you think more needs to be done.
For More Information
National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA)
1730 Park Road, NW
Washington DC 20010
800-TRY-NOVA (information and referral)
202-232-6682 (crisis counseling)
National Center for Victims of Crime
2000 M Street NW, Suite 480
Washington, DC 20036


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Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. 'Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old,' I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.
But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet, his voice was pleasant as he said, 'Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'till morning.'
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success; no one seemed to have a room. 'I guess it's my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…'
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me, 'I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.' I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. 'No thank you. I have plenty' and he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an over-sized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He was thankful for the strength to keep going.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded, and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, 'Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair.' He paused a moment and then added, 'Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind.' I told him he was welcome to come again.
And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4 a.m., and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. 'Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!'
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice, but, oh if only they could have known him, perhaps their illness would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude…
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, 'If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!'
My friend changed my mind. 'I ran short of pots,' she explained, 'and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden.'
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. There's an especially beautiful one,' God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. 'He won't mind starting in this small body.'
All this happened long ago — and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand…
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'
Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care.
Tags: Baltimore, beautiful, blessing, blessings, children, chrysanthemum, clinic, complaint, disease, doctor, faith, friends, garden, gift, God, grateful, gratitude, greenhouse, healthcare, heart, hearts, illness, Inspirational, inspire, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Lord, love, man, neighbor, pain, skin cancer, thankful, treatment


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Gift incentives increase blood donations, study in Science shows
24 May 2013
A series of studies by University of Sydney Professor Robert Slonim debunks the long-held notion that offering economic incentives to blood donors is risky, finding that virtually all economic rewards have a positive effect on donations without compromising the safety of blood.
The findings have implications for the low-rate of blood donations globally.
The results, to be published in the journal Science on Friday, 24 May, have shown that decades of evidence supporting opposition by policymakers to economic incentives for donations of blood is outdated.
Institutions such as the World Health Organisation and national blood agencies have for 40 years promoted policy guidelines stating that blood should be collected from unpaid volunteers.
The research paper, "Economic Rewards to Motivate Blood Donations", states that such long-standing opposition to compensating blood donors has been in part based on outdated evidence indicating economic incentives could reduce the number of donors and attract "worse" donors.
"These studies typically suggested economic incentives can decrease people's altruistic motivations to donate, and may also attract donors who have greater risks such as viruses and infectious diseases," said Professor Slonim from the School of Economics at the University of Sydney.
"However, these findings are questionable as they did not examine actual incentives for actual blood donations, and often relied on study participants who were aware they were being observed by researchers.
"Our results clearly find that economic rewards have a positive effect on donations without negative consequences to the safety of the blood."
In the Science paper, Slonim and his co-authors Nicola Lacetera of the University of Toronto and Mario Macis of Johns Hopkins University cite their own extensive studies and those of others who have studied the behaviour of actual blood donors in the United States, Argentina, Switzerland and Italy.
One of their studies examined individual data from nearly 100,000 donors at 72 American Red Cross blood drives in northern Ohio from September 2009 through August 2010. Gift cards were offered at half of the blood-drive sites; no incentives were provided at the other sites, which served as controls.
They found that an advertised offer of a $5 gift card increased the likelihood of donating among people with a history of giving by 26 per cent; and a $10 gift card produced a 52 per cent rise. Moreover, the gift card offers caused others to donate, including people who previously had never given blood. The incentives also induced regular donors to switch from their usual donation sites to locations where rewards would be available.
"The risks of economic incentives producing an unsafe blood supply have diminished dramatically due to advances in screening technology and changes to the donation guidelines by WHO and many blood collection organisations," Professor Slonim said.
Slonim suggests incentives could be used to attract blood donations at times when blood supplies are particularly low. Although many individuals are eligible to donate blood, only a small percentage of eligible individuals, less than 10 percent, donate blood in the wealthiest countries, and even fewer donate in low-income countries.
The researchers warn that the evidence does not promote a cash-for-blood policy. The studies they analysed offered non-cash items.
Professor Slonim argues that economic incentives are not the only possible means to address blood shortages: "As social scientists, we recognise there is a large gulf between a pure volunteer supply and a market-based system.
"Our work in Science demonstrates that even small gifts are a powerful tool to address shortages."
|Follow University of Sydney Media on Twitter
Interview contact: Professor Robert Slonim, 0466 837 732, firstname.lastname@example.com
Media enquiries: Rachel Gleeson, 02 9351 4630, 0481 004 782, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Oh, the Italians. They could sell anything back in the day! The Yugo? Fiat 127. The original Lada? Fiat 124. The Turkish Tofaş Murat? Fiat 131. But the most desirable of them all were the FNM Alfa Romeos in Brazil. Being stylish on a budget has never been easier.
Fábrica Nacional de Motores operated near Rio de Janeiro between 1942 and 1988. After getting tired of building American airplane engines and refrigerators, they signed a deal with the Italian manufacturer Isotta Fraschini to produce the Milanese company's heavy trucks under license. Things were looking good, but in 1951, Isotta went bankrupt despite all that Brazilian capital.
FNM quickly became friends with another state-owned company, Alfa Romeo. They started their affair with only commercial vehicles. Between 1956 and 1960, FNM built more than 15,000 heavy trucks of Alfa Romeo design, and also manufactured the chassis for buses and coaches.
At the same time, a new company was founded by the Italians and Brazilian investor Matarazzo for the production of the Alfa Romeo 2000 (tipo 102/B, "B" for Brazil). Matarazzo backed out soon after realizing European luxury cars weren't what poor Brazil needed the most, so Alfa took over completely. They launched the FNM 2000 sedan in 1960 with the same twin cam 2-liter as back at home, detuned to 95 horsepower. The coupe version followed in 1966 called the Onça (Jaguar). 130 horsepower and basically a Ford Mustang body instead of all those fancy Italian shapes.
But the best was yet to come. In 1971, another coupé called the Furia GT 2150 was presented. Based on the upgraded 2150 sedan, only a few examples were made by hand, making these the most collectable FNMs out there.
Two years later, Alfa Romeo sold the commercial business to Fiat, who later merged it into their Brazilian Iveco subsidiary. The Milanese company kept the automotive division.
Their last car was an interesting one. Meet the 2300! Wearing Alfa Romeo badges instead of FMN's, this 1974 car might look like Alfa Romeo's sporty Alfetta, but don't let that fool you.
The 2300 was 6 inches longer and 2.8 inches wider than the Alfetta. That's because under the skin, it was based on the 1900, a car Alfa Romeo produced back in the fifties. With a 2310 cc engine producing about 130 horsepower, this recycled sedan stayed in production until 1986. In 1981, things got even weirder for a second when Alfa tried to sell this recycled wonder in Germany and the Netherlands. That might have been the year when the Triumph Acclaim was introduced, but so was the BMW E28.
FNM was finished when Fiat took over Alfa Romeo in 1986, and the Brazilian car business was integrated into Fiat's own local operation.
If you're looking for a 2300, get the 1985 ti4. That came with disc brakes all around...


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Reviewed By Christopher D (Orange, CA) Reviewed for a 1960 Chevy Corvette —6/27/2006 4:03 PM
Great services. I am very pleased with the product. The order arrived in a very short time. I shop at other site and they took for ever to ship the product. Covercraft should offer more color choices than just the plain tan. However, the car cover fit extremely well on my 1960 Corvette.


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For anyone who thought that Q1's winter months may have had a cooling effect on housing prices in the Bay Area, now is the time to think again. The average sales price rose year-over-year in all seven counties this quarter — with the Mid-Peninsula, San Francisco, and North Bay posting 10-year record highs in terms of price point. At $1.074 million, the Bay Area's overall regional average sales price was a 10 percent gain over last year's first quarter average.
The narrative hasn't changed all that much from last year as continued high demand, low inventory levels, and strong economic conditions for the region continues to push prices up in several markets. Furthermore, the uncertainty we saw last year prior to the new tax plan being passed started to lessen as 2018 got underway, with sellers having a better understanding of what to expect under the current tax scenario and feeling more confident in the market. In March the Mercury News published an article with the headline, "Bay Area job market 'defies gravity,' economists say," in response to a presentation given by William Yu and Jerry Nickelsburg of the UCLA Anderson Forecast. "The Bay Area job market will outperform the nation during 2018, but skyrocketing housing prices might imperil the region's economy," said Yu and Nickelsburg.
A total of 6,466 homes sold in the Bay Area during Q1 2018, up 3 percent from Q1 2017 and down 30 percent from Q4 2017. Seeing such a large drop in quarter-over-quarter sales volume between the end of one year and the start of the next however isn't all that uncommon in the Bay Area given that Q1 tends to be reflective of what went into contract in November and December.
As we move into Q2's busier spring selling season, we anticipate more activity in the upper-end of the luxury market for San Francisco and the Mid-Peninsula. In San Francisco for example, where the luxury floor is at $5 million, there's very little inventory available in the $5-8 million range and therefore may entice buyers in that category to consider properties at the $10-15 million mark if it means finding a home that offers everything they're looking for. The economic growth of the Bay Area is expected to remain on course with current trends as we get closer to the halfway mark of 2018 — and in turn will likely continue to drive high buyer demand, absorption rates, and prices for a very active spring market.
Best Regards,


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A newly Derek Dooley-free Tennessee had its way with Kentucky in today's Battle for the Barrel, and even Volunteers mascot Smokey got into the game. UT's bluetick coonhound made a run for Kentucky kicker Craig McIntosh, nipping at his leg but not causing any damage—indeed, McIntosh would go on to kick a field goal a few minutes later. It turned out to be one that would only make a small dent in in a large Tennessee advantage. [SECN]
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Let the games begin.
You couldn't blame the Broncos for being eager to start the 2013 season. They are heavy division favorites, strong conference contenders and legitimate Super Bowl challengers, and they have one of the NFL's best quarterbacks.
Hey, it's good to be the Broncos, even with the news of a potential four-game suspension for Pro Bowl outside linebacker Von Miller surfacing earlier this week.
The Broncos would be weakened without Miller, but they would still be dangerous. After all, they have Manning, still sharp at 37 years old.
But it won't always be like this for the Broncos and their quarterback.
So forgive the Broncos if they feel a little urgency as they try to better last season's disappointing one-and-done postseason experience.
Manning added to his already vast legacy with his remarkable comeback season of 2012. In his first year in Denver – with mostly new skill-position players around him, no less – Manning threw for 4,659 yards with 37 TDs and just 11 picks. Moreover, he set a career-high in completion percentage (68.6).
Now, the focus to turns to what Manning and the offense are capable of in Year Two.
The addition of slot receiver Wes Welker further strengthens an already potent passing game. He caught more than two-thirds of the passes thrown his way in each of his six seasons in New England. Opposing secondaries also have the difficult task of matching up with wideout Demaryius Thomas, who hauled in 94 receptions for 1,434 yards and 10 scores in 2012. The Broncos' other outside receiver, Eric Decker, is quite skilled, too. He comes off an 85-catch, 13-TD campaign.
Manning, a master at dealing with the pass rush and defensive-pressure looks over the years, operates behind a solid Denver line. Left tackle Ryan Clady is one of the game's best at his position. New right guard Louis Vasquez (ex-San Diego) bolsters the interior.
Indeed, this is an outstanding offense.
And Denver's defense pulls its weight, too.
Should the Broncos sputter in a key spot, their defense is capable of keeping them in the game. Such flexibility can take a team a long way. The Broncos excelled vs. the run and the pass in 2012 and allowed fewer yards per play than any other team.
Miller, who recorded 18.5 sacks last year, is the standout of this stout defense – already one of the game's top pass rushers. If Miller is suspended, the Broncos will likely turn to ex-Chargers outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, still a capable rusher in his own right (team-high 9.5 sacks for San Diego in 2012). The April signing of Phillips could prove a very valuable investment for Denver whether Miller misses any time or not; the more pass rushers a club has, the better.
The same can be said for cornerbacks, and the Broncos have four capable ones in Champ Bailey, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Chris Harris and Tony Carter.
To review, the Broncos have a Hall of Fame quarterback, a top-caliber passing game, a blue-chip pass rusher and deep, skilled cornerback corps.
There are worse ways to enter a season.
The Broncos' tailback position could prove a strength if rookie Montee Ball or second-year pro Ronnie Hillman emerges as a dependable and playmaking featured runner. However, until that happens, this is an area of concern. Denver was just 25th in yards per rush last season.
Center, where Dan Koppen again gets the call with J.D. Walton out with a persistent ankle injury, is another position to monitor. So is linebacker, where the overall depth has been thinned after the release of veteran middle linebacker Joe Mays.
The Broncos' defensive end play also needs to be watched. While left end Derek Wolfe showed promise as a rookie, notching a half-dozen sacks, new right end Robert Ayers has never had more than three sacks in an NFL season.
All things considered, though, the Broncos have considerably less to worry about than any other club in the AFC West.
In 2012, the Broncos got 16 games apiece and 29.5 combined sacks from Miller and Dumervil. Now, Miller could miss a quarter of the Broncos' regular-season games, and Dumervil is in Baltimore after "Faxgate." Make no mistake: the Broncos' pass rush is still to be respected, especially when Miller is in the lineup. But if Miller misses any games and the rush suffers, it could have a trickle-down effect on the defense, with the pass defense suffering most.
And if the Broncos don't muster the pass rush they did in 2012, when Dumervil and Miller combined for more than half of the club's sacks, the inability to keep Dumervil will look all the worse.
The Dumervil episode aside, however, the Broncos had a very good offseason from a roster-building standpoint. Adding Welker was a coup, and Rodgers-Cromartie has the ability to prove a home-run signing, too, especially on a one-year deal. Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton (ex-Jacksonville) was a nice under-the-radar pickup.
In addition to bringing in Phillips, Denver did well to bring in ex-Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer late in the offseason. Jammer will be tried at safety, a position where the Broncos perhaps needed another option.
Other than Dumervil and Mays, notable Denver departures included tailback Willis McGahee, linebacker D.J. Williams and cornerback Tracy Porter. McGahee's release signaled the Broncos would be going young at running back.
Finally, the club begins training camp short-handed in the front office – not an ideal situation, given all the roster movement late in the summer — after the suspensions of director of player personnel Matt Russell and director of pro personnel Tom Heckert due to offseason DUI arrests. Heckert's suspension is a month, while Russell's suspension is indefinite.
Position battles.
Hillman and Ball would each figure to have roles in the Broncos' backfield, with fifth-year pro Knowshon Moreno also in the mix. A second-round pick in April, Ball's draft status would suggest the Broncos believe he can play right off the bat. That said, Hillman has a year in the offense to his credit, which cannot hurt his cause. No matter who wins the job, the Broncos need some stability to develop at this position for the stretch run, when passing can become trickier in the elements.
Other positions where there could be competition are defensive tackle, where Knighton, first-round pick Sylvester Williams and veteran Kevin Vickerson are the top options; and safety, where Mike Adams (strong) and Rahim Moore (free) are the incumbents.
The Broncos face five 2012 playoff teams (Baltimore, Indianapolis, Washington, New England, Houston) in a schedule not without its potential challenges. For instance, five of Denver's final eight games are on the road. Moreover, any stretch without Miller would add to the degree of difficulty.
However, let's be clear: This is one of the NFL's most talented teams. They should win the West and host at least one playoff game.
The goals are bigger for Denver, of course, and they are within reach. If it were Denver's year to win a third Super Bowl title, it would hardly be a surprise.
It would also be the sort of thing celebrated by anyone who's ever faced a tough deadline with a lot at stake and gotten the job done. That's what the Broncos are staring at entering 2013. They have the pieces to win, but they aren't all going to be assembled this way for all that long.


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3 West Scott Street Vincennes, IN 47591 812-882-2096 Copyright © 2013 Grouseland Foundation. All rights reserved. Visit Grouseland | Contact Us | Events Calendar
Grouseland is currently closed due to the pandemic and restoration on the site. Please call the Visitor's Bureau at 812-886-0400 to arrange a scheduled tour at this time until further notice.
Grouseland is the elegant Georgian/Federal home completed in 1804, which served as the home of William Henry Harrison and his family when he was Governor of the Indiana Territory (1800-1812). The first brick home in Indiana and a National Historic Landmark, the house was more than a residence. This magnificent building was the center of government for the Indiana Territory and also served as a fortress in times of unrest.
Harrison was elected ninth President of the United States in 1840, so the home is a presidential site and exhibits contain colorful artifacts from the first modern presidential campaign and the Battle of Tippecanoe.
The house is open year-round. For more information, please contact us at 812-882-2096 or e-mail us at email@example.com.
Grouseland is a great place to spend time during a stop in Vincennes. A tour inside includes an interpretation of life on the frontier and the family, military and political life of the 9th President of the United States.
So remarkable is this old landmark....it should be kept as a lasting monument to the memory of those who built so well, and as a reminder that this was the birthplace of Government, Religion, Education and where the foundations of this great country were laid...... (excerpt from the Princeton Clarion News, Friday, Jan. 11, 1907)
Grouseland, one of the 50 most Historic Homes in America -
Read the article here
Also, Grouseland was labeled by USA Today as one of 25 must-see buildings in Indiana - Read the article here


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US 192 and I-4
Celebration is a town created by Disney. It has dog-friendly walking trails, outdoor cafes, and stores. Also check for events at Celebration.
DogFriendly.com, with tens of thousands of places listed to take your dog to, will be releasing on it's Dog News blog, Facebook page and on Twitter a list of 200 Top Places that you can take your dog in the U.S. and Canada. This list, while intended to highlight top places that are especially pet-friendly, is not designed to be the absolutely top 200 places that we could find, but a sampling of the top places so that all regions, types of attractions, hotels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, parks, beaches, shopping and more can be considered. No doubt each of you will find many other places not on this list or our full list of dog-friendly places at https://www.dogfriendly.com. Please let us know about them by commenting on the blog or emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also let us and our readers know if you agree or disagree with the selections, or your experiences there. Please keep in mind that places often change their policies regarding dogs and thus may have different policies at any time in the future.
The blog entries can be found at https://dogfriendly.com/dognews/?cat=243, our Facebook page, or Twitter.
Tags: disney, outdoor cafe, patio dining, pet friendly


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Space Janitors: Episode 6
Pages 1 2 3 NEXT
Don't mess around in Dark Lord's holochamber.
Ye gods I love this show. This one had that wonderful sitcom feeling of "Oh Christ, this is not going to go well."
This is the best episode so far. Keep at it, great stuff.
Agreed. The lightning gag crask me out and the trooper armour are not that flexible at all!
Such fun :)
So that's why the teddy bears won!
"Hunt them down... MOST of them!"
That line had me rolling on the floor... :D
I love the episode, but is this going to be one of those things where the clonetrooper will just show up next time fine?
Yes, but the first expanded universe novelization will be about Dennis 4862's miraculous escape from Tarvus 7.
You know, hearing the clone's incoherent explanation about how he got back would be worth the cop out.
And great episode, guys.
Best so far, by a mile. Excellent end scene and a great premise.
This show is freaking brilliant.
The writing, the characters, the actors, the whole production, I love it.
Just when I think I can't like an episode more, another tops it.
Hunt them down, most of them... that was hilarious.
This is the best show to hit the Escapists. It's overthrown my previous favorite, Doloreous and Associates. I hope this show is getting the PR it deserves.
ORDER! AND POWER! YAY! freedom? BOOOOO! lol haven't laughed so hard in a while
I like to think that the shower door is secretly a Jedi and that it used force lightning on Darby's hands in an elaborate plot to kill Dennis.
Is it weird that I feel a little sorry for the empire as a whole? It may act evil, but that's only because it's run by people who could cut themselves on warm jell-o.
Sweet Zombie Jesus, I have fallen in love with you guys.
I must say this was a top notch episode. Of all the funny parts throughout, the clone celebrating after blowing out the torch was my favorite.
Freedom sucks.
This show is fucking awesome. Keep up the good work guys.
This episode was aweeeeeeeeeeesome. Best one yet. Please Escapist, plese keep it here, pwetty please?
captcha: have fun
Yes!! I am!! thanks to these guys.
How do you know the Tarvus 7 planetside footage was of Dennis 4862? Knowing that a 50 man invasion was likely to be a suicide mission, Dennis 4862 likely found a replacement. Eat it Dennis 13372!
Brilliant episode.
Literally had me rolling on the floor laughing. Fantastic episode!
I did not know anyone actually rolled on the floor in amusement. How did you watch the video from down there?
this show is gettimg much better keep it up guys good work!
I want this show to go on forever.
This was a great episode and I to believe the best one so far.
So thanks for some great laughs!
Best episode yet. Worth the wait, for sure. :)
This was awesome
Hilarious--thank you!
By far the best episode of the series.
Keep up the awesome work!
Hilarious stuff, starting to like this show more and more with each episode. But this one truly was the best so far. Some awesomely hilarious jokes were in there... brilliant.
I loved it, the characters are just great. The universe makes sense,
Best one yet guys, keep up the fantastic work!
Definitely my favourite episode yet, I'l really starting to look forward to the show each week, keep it coming!
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Often, people ask what makes members cancel their memberships. A more important question would be what keeps members coming back to their gym week after week? People are more likely to keep going to their gym if they are getting the results they seek. So what can you do to ensure your members get great results from attending your gym? Here are three simple tips to put into practice:
Help members create better habits. To get results, people need to exercise regularly and develop healthier habits. Habits truly run our whole life and form the basis of all our behaviors. Helping members create the habit of exercising may help ensure they attend your gym regularly and strengthen their loyalty to your gym as they see results from their efforts.
To ensure that your members form the exercise habit at your club, you first need to work on their mindset. People have good intentions to get to the gym and work out, eat healthy, stress less and be more active, but few actually do so with consistency.
Action Steps:
- Ask emotional-based questions when new members join so you can determine their goals and what will encourage them to stick to their gym workout. A goal of wanting to lose weight won't drive them to come to your gym week in and week out. Establish a strong 'why' with them on how they will personally and emotionally benefit from joining your gym.
- After establishing why they want to exercise, work with them to establish a realistic timetable for achieving those goals. This timetable should list in specific detail the times and days they intend to get to the gym and the specific action steps they will take each day to help accelerate their results.
Create accountability. As the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." It is important to be top of mind for your members so that they keep coming back to your gym, working out and ultimately getting results. We all dislike letting other people down. Create an accountability system where you call members who haven't been in for some time. Literally ask them when you can expect them to come in next and subtly create a sense of accountability.
Action Step:
- If you don't already, have some sort of feedback system where you keep in touch with members that have not been in for some time. This is best done by phone. Create small booklets or reports that you can offer them for free as a gift if they pop in that week. Use subtle rewards to encourage them to come in and make them feel accountable to the fact that you are expecting them to come in that week.
Create a strategy vs. theory or education. Most people know that exercise is important, and they know they should work out regularly. A new study by the University of Missouri found that people who received help that focused on behavior-changing strategies significantly increased their physical activity levels more than people who received interventions based on cognitive approaches, which try to change knowledge and attitudes.
What this means is that you should focus more on the strategies to help your members change their habits and increase gym attendance rather than purely focusing on the benefits of exercise or the theory behind why they should exercise. This does not mean you should not first establish the emotional reason members want to get results, but you just need to also establish a set of practical steps with them to help support their goals.
Action Steps:
- Set specific goals with members (new and existing) to encourage them to stay focused on achieving certain behaviors or results.
- Use a habit tracker (contact me for a copy of one) to help members track their workouts and healthy habits and to visually see their progress.
- Encourage members to use a pedometer and come to your gym to increase steps taken per day.
Any steps you can take to improve the results members get from using your gym will help you increase member retention. Actively work on helping your members reach their goals at various points throughout their membership so they can keep reaping the benefits of coming to your gym. Increased results for members equals increased revenue for your gym.
Nalisha Patel is an industry consultant helping clubs increase member retention and boost gym results for members. She has a bachelor of science degree in exercise science and psychology and uses psychology and persuasion to decrease membership attrition and boost actual results attained by members, resulting in substantial profit increases for clubs. Patel can be reached at [email protected]. She has written a free white paper, "Seven Wickedly Effective Ways to Get and Keep Members."


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Feb. 1, 2011 — A new set of genetic variants has been implicated in the search for genetic risk factors that could lead to the development of Parkinson's disease.
Researchers say six genetic factors that apparently affect the neurological disease have been previously identified. But in a new study, the researchers say they have now identified five more of the variants.
The research, a collaboration of investigators in the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Iceland, is published online in the Feb. 2 issue of The Lancet.
Researchers say the study is the product of the largest genetic analysis of Parkinson's disease ever done and that about 7.7 million possible variants were examined.
Genetic Roots of Parkinson's
The researchers found that 20% of patients with the highest number of risk variants were 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than the 20% of patients with the fewest genetic risk factors. The study results could point to new genes that need to be studied as scientists focus on genetic roots of Parkinson's. The new findings have not been validated for clinical use.
The researchers say their study could be a starting point into further investigations of the causes of Parkinson's.
"This study provides evidence that common genetic variation plays an important part in the cause of Parkinson's disease," the researchers write. "We have confirmed a strong genetic component to Parkinson's disease which, until recently, was thought to be completely caused by environmental factors."
The study concludes that the findings "provide an insight into the genetics of Parkinson's disease" and its molecular cause and "could provide future targets for therapies."
source: webMD


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Conservation Storage Hat/Headgear Mount
Preserve the shape of your hats while in storage
This mount features a crown of conservation quality Ethafoam™ covered with one layer of polyester stockinette. No adhesives or resins are used. The oval crown measures 19 ½" around x 3 ½" high and is mounted on a powder-coated steel base (6 3/4" dia.) with an anodized aluminum pole that is available in three heights. Pin or stitch directly into crown for secure positioning.
Color: White
**Additional Shipping Charges May Apply**
Hollinger Metal Edge Inc
9401 Northeast Dr.
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Phone: 800-634-0491
Phone: 540-898-7300
Fax: 800-947-8814