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When World War II began, only two nations had a coherent and committed strategic bombing program: Great Britain and the United States. Although most states with advanced militaries had interest in powerful airpower, continental concerns, resource limitations, or misguided procurement policies hindered most aspirants to powerful long-range bombing forces. Only relatively protected naval powers such as the United States and Britain could afford to focus so much attention on strategic bombing, lured by the strong political appeal of its promise of quick victory at relatively low cost. Both efforts had roots in the experience of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in World War I, when Sir Hugh Trenchard developed tactics and policies for the world's first independent air service and when talented subordinates such as Hardinge Goulburn Giffard, 1st Viscount Tiverton (subsequently 2nd Earl of Halsbury) pioneered target analysis for morale and material effects to assault the foundations of the German war economy. Although airmen in both countries became aware of the ideas of Giulio Douhet during the interwar years and used them to support arguments for strategic airpower, Douhet had little impact on the evolution of the RAF or the U.S. Army Air Corps.
The RAF continued to pursue Trenchard's ideal of a massive aerial offensive, assisted by politicians who were willing to fund an aerial deterrent instead of large expensive land armies that could become involved in more bloody continental wars. However, targeting priorities remained vague, and the war would soon reveal the large gap between claims and capabilities.
The Americans took a different approach that can be traced back to Tiverton's precedents. Although the subordinate army air service's primary mission remained ground support, a group of smart young officers at the Air Corps Tactical School (ACTS) developed a theory of precision daylight bombing of carefully selected targets in the industrial and service systems of enemy economies. Pinning their hopes on the capabilities of new aircraft such as the B-17 Flying Fortress, these airmen expected unescorted self-defending bombers to destroy vital nodes of the enemy's war economy that would grind it to a halt.
Bombing examples before and during the early days of World War II—in Spain and China and even the German Blitz on London—appeared to demonstrate the ineffectiveness and drawbacks of indiscriminate attacks on cities and to support the superiority of precision tactics. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked the army and navy for munitions estimates for a potential war in 1941, many of those ACTS instructors had joined the Air Staff in Washington. They soon developed a plan called AWPD/1 that envisioned a precision bombing campaign as a key component of the American war effort. When a larger plan that included AWPD/1 was accepted, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) finally had a justification for pursuing its own independent strategic bombing. They also found it difficult to put theory into practice.
Early British attacks moved from a Tivertonian focus on key systems like power plants or oil to a more Trenchardian reliance on widespread morale effects. Daylight raids proved deadly for RAF Bomber Command, revealing critical deficiencies in the number and quality of their bombers. Operations shifted to the nighttime, but the August 1941 Butt Report concluded that only about one in five aircrews were bombing within five miles of their intended targets. Adapting to the reality of their capabilities, in February 1942 Bomber Command was directed to attack area targets—that is, cities—with the objective of undermining German civilian morale, particularly that of industrial workers. Under the direction of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Bomber Command built up its strength and obtained better aircraft, especially Halifax and Lancaster four-engine bombers. On 30 May 1942, Bomber Command mounted the first "thousand bomber raid" on Cologne, and in July 1943 it achieved the first bombing-induced firestorm against Hamburg, killing about 45,000 people. However German night defenses also adapted. When Harris decided to mount a full-scale assault on Berlin in late 1943, the Luftwaffe shot down so many British aircraft, and bombing results were so disappointing, that the utility of the whole night area campaign was brought into question.
Meanwhile, the Americans had also encountered difficulties. At Casablanca in January 1943, Allied leaders had agreed to a Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) of round-the-clock attacks. It was rather poorly coordinated, but it did allow each air force to pursue its preferred approach. The most significant USAAF strategic attack of that year was General James Doolittle's July 1943 attack on Rome from North Africa, which heavily damaged the marshaling yards, limited collateral damage with impressive accuracy, and contributed to the fall of Benito Mussolini's government. Elements of the Eighth Air Force began bombing the continent from England in August 1942, although they did not fly deep penetration raids into central and eastern Germany until a year later. Losses among unescorted B-17 and B-24 "Liberator" bombers were horrendous, especially during attacks against ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt in August and October 1943. Although the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy joined the daylight campaign in November 1943, the Americans were unable to sustain such attrition. By the end of the year, such deep attacks on Germany were suspended, and it appeared that the Luftwaffe was on the verge of winning the strategic air war in Europe.
Everything changed, however, with the advent of the Allied long-range escort fighter, most notably the P-51 "Mustang." In mid-February 1944, the U.S. Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) began their "Big Week" attacks against German aircraft factories. The air battles that ensued decimated the Luftwaffe, and by the time of the D-day landings in June, the Allies achieved air supremacy over France and air superiority over Germany. The escort fighters began by sticking close to their bombers, but they proved most effective when they were released to sweep against enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground. Because of the American adoption of radar-directed bombing methods through overcast skies, the Germans had little respite even in poor weather, and their losses were increased by many accidents. Although the strategic bombers had an initial priority to operations in support of the coming invasion, Allied airpower had built up to the point that USSTAF commander General Carl Spaatz could begin sustained attacks against oil targets in May. By the fall of 1944, Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht operations were severely crippled by fuel shortages, and concentrated attacks against transportation networks further limited German mobility and economic activity.
During this period, Harris resisted diversions against "panacea targets" such as oil and remained committed to "dehousing" German workers. However, British bombers did sometimes assist with attacks on oil and transportation targets, and their larger loads of bombs could cause considerable damage. The RAF greatly improved its ability to navigate and bomb at night or in bad weather, and it usually achieved greater accuracy than the Americans under such conditions. Even in clear weather, precision bombing did not approach the image often portrayed in the press of bombs dropping down smokestacks. Usually, all aircraft in the B-17 and B-24 formations dropped their loads together, with intervals set between bombs so they would fall a few hundred feet apart. The pattern therefore covered a wide area. As USSTAF strength increased and targets became scarcer, planners became more tolerant of civilian casualties, adopting less accurate radar-directed bombardment methods in bad weather and hitting transportation objectives in city centers.
At least in Europe, American air leaders remained committed to attacks aimed primarily at economic and military targets instead of at civilian morale, a policy that sometimes caused friction with their British allies. There were also differences over bombing in occupied countries, where the British were particularly sensitive to political repercussions. The Americans were willing to bomb any Axis factory regardless of the nationality of the workers, whereas the British preferred to strike any German anywhere. The British also favored heavy attacks on the capitals of Axis allies in the Balkans, although the Americans successfully blocked what they saw as an inefficient and ineffective diversion of valuable airpower. Debates about the relative success and morality of RAF and USAAF bombing have continued to the present day.
The differing national approaches also played a role as the war in Europe approached its end, and both air forces sought an aerial death blow to finish the war. The British plan, code-named thunderclap, was based on shattering morale by destroying Berlin. That major assault was conducted by the Eighth Air Force on 3 February 1945. Allied concerns about assisting the Soviet advance helped produce the firestorm that devastated Dresden 10 days later. The corresponding American plan, code-named clarion, aimed to awe the German populace with widespread attacks on targets in every village. It was eventually changed into primarily a transportation assault because of concerns for efficiency, public image, and even morality. The controversy in Great Britain over the Dresden attack was one factor in the suspension of the strategic air war against Germany in April, although it was not as important as the simple fact that Allied bombing forces were running out of suitable targets.
American air leaders such as USAAF commanding General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, who had hoped to build support for service independence by demonstrating the ability of air forces to win wars on their own, still had a chance against Japan. The USAAF referred to the B-29 Superfortress either as a very heavy bomber or a very long range bomber, and by World War II standards it was assuredly both. Every theater wanted to receive the B-29s, but the aircraft's impressive capabilities and late availability destined it for the Pacific. The Joint Chiefs of Staff established the Twentieth Air Force and named Arnold its "executive agent" to command the B-29s. Although operational control of the aircraft supposedly remained in Washington, in practice the commanders of the subordinate XX and XXI Bomber Commands enjoyed a great deal of independence.
The XX Bomber Command, based in India and China, mounted its first raid against Japan in June 1944. Operation matterhorn had little success, even after Arnold assigned his leading troubleshooter, Curtis LeMay, to command it. Bases were too far from key Japanese targets, difficult to supply, and hard to protect from Japanese ground attacks. Additionally the B-29s had been deployed a year early, and testing had to be completed in combat.
More was expected from the XXI Bomber Command based in the Mariana Islands, which was within range of the most important enemy industrial complexes in Honshu. Initial attacks were launched from Saipan in November 1944, but again results were disappointing. Besides technical and logistical problems, the command faced severe weather over target areas that made normal high-altitude precision bombing impossible. Although the vulnerability of Japanese cities to fires was well known and had inspired some USAAF planning for incendiary bombing, there was no meaningful pressure from Washington for such tactics. Impatient, however, for a better payoff on a huge investment, Arnold decided in January 1945 to concentrate all the B-29s in the Marianas under LeMay. Although the feisty and innovative air commander received little specific guidance from Washington, LeMay knew that he, too, could be relieved if he proved ineffective.
After trying to make daylight precision bombing work, on his own initiative LeMay adopted a new approach to destroy key industrial targets. His first low-level night area incendiary raid in March 1945 was a spectacular military success, incinerating 16 square miles of Tokyo and killing 90,000 people. Although he would mount some periodic day and night precision attacks, the fire raids dominated LeMay's air campaign against Japan. Eventually, he burned 178 square miles of some 66 Japanese cities, killing hundreds of thousands of people and causing millions to flee to the countryside. B-29s also dropped the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. MacArthur's Far East Air Forces contributed three attacks against Kyushu before the Japanese surrender, but the last American bombs that fell on Japan came from the Twentieth Air Force. More than 1,000 planes hit Japan on 14 August, some even after the Japanese radio had announced acceptance of the terms of surrender.
Both the British and Americans conducted postwar assessments of the strategic bombing campaign. The massive U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey compiled an impressive collection of data, although differing personalities and agendas within the survey committees produced several conflicting conclusions. They agreed, however, that the American approach to targeting was superior to RAF area bombing. The British Bombing Survey Unit relied on the American data along with some of its own, but overall it was not as thorough or comprehensive. It was also critical of the city attacks, but it gave much credit to the RAF-USAAF campaign against transportation.
In retrospect, the most important contribution strategic bombing made in Europe was to defeat the Luftwaffe and ensure that when Allied troops driving across northwestern Europe saw aircraft, they could be certain the planes were friendly. The CBO did not prevent the late-mobilizing German economy from peaking in 1944, but the oil and transportation campaigns had a major impact on degrading it thereafter. Civilian morale did not break, but some British observers have noted that the city bombing motivated German industry to disperse, thus making it more vulnerable to transportation interdiction. More than 700,000 German civilians died from Allied bombing, about the same number who succumbed to the effects of the British naval blockade in World War I. The cost of the CBO was also high for the air forces involved. The USSTAF lost 9,949 bombers, 8,500 fighters, and 64,000 airmen killed. RAF Bomber Command lost 57,000 killed or missing from all causes. In the Pacific, the incendiary attacks and atomic bombs were an important component of the series of shocks that produced the Japanese surrender, although the significance of other factors such as the submarine and naval blockade, as well as Soviet entry into the war, cannot be underestimated.
The World War II strategic bombing experience had several legacies. In the United States, the new U.S. Air Force was born in 1947, espousing a doctrine of air warfare based on the perceived lessons of their air campaigns against Germany and Japan along with the awesome power of nuclear weapons. "Vertical" targeting approaches against key Soviet industries resembled the German oil and transportation attacks, whereas "horizontal" methods based on LeMay's incendiary campaign were aimed at Soviet industrial concentrations in cities. One planner described the Strategic Air Command's early war plans as "precision attacks with area weapons." Since that time, the U.S. Air Force has dedicated itself to the pursuit of real precision, and the extreme accuracy of its contemporary munitions as well as current targeting doctrines have roots in the ideas developed at ACTS in the 1930s. However, while Americans trumpet their ongoing commitment to the principles of precision bombing, the rest of the world also remembers the images of Tokyo, Hamburg, and Dresden. Conrad C. Crane
Further Reading
Biddle, Tami Davis. Rhetoric and Reality in Air Warfare: The Evolution of British and American Ideas about Strategic Bombing, 1914–1945. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002.; British Bombing Survey Unit. The Strategic Air War against Germany, 1939–1945: The Official Report of the British Bombing Survey Unit. London: Frank Cass, 1998.; Crane, Conrad C. Bombs, Cities, and Civilians: American Airpower Strategy in World War II. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1993.; Craven, Wesley Frank, and James Lea Cate, eds. The Army Air Forces in World War II. Vol. 4, The Pacific: Guadalcanal to Saipan, August 1942 to July 1944. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1983.; Gentile, Gian P. How Effective Is Strategic Bombing: Lessons Learned from World War II to Kosovo. New York: New York University Press, 2001.; MacIsaac, David, general ed. The United States Strategic Bombing Survey. 10 vols. New York: Garland, 1976.; Overy, Richard. Why the Allies Won. New York: W. W. Norton, 1995.; Sherry, Michael S. The Rise of American Airpower: The Creation of Armageddon. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1987.; Webster, Charles, and Noble Frankland. The Strategic Air Offensive against Germany. 4 vols. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1961.
Conrad C. Crane


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This guys is simply amazing and I am amazing too so we are perfect. We hang out a lot, like every couple of days I spend the night over there. I don't want a relationship outside of our friends with benefits thing, but I do want him to have feelings for me if he doesn't already. If he does, how... Show More
I like this guy and I want him to like me back.. I don't want to mess up..
What Guys Said
"I don't want a relationship outside of our friends with benefits thing, but I do want him to have feelings for me if he doesn't already."
Well, you're contradicting yourself here. You want it to be the same friends with benefits relationship but you're more or less wanting him to 'want you' or you're wanting him to fall for you in some way.
This is deceitful, at best.
The sex is the relationship and ultimately, you DO want to change the relationship although you're telling yourself that you don't.
This is called the bait-and-switch tactic. You give him a relationship that involves your mutual understanding that you're both in this for mutual satisfaction, you tell people on this website that the relationship is friends w/benefits and you're happy with it yet you want to make him somehow more affectionate and you're asking a question that would lead to your holding out on the sex in order to get something that you want more now.
This is what upsets all people involved in friends with benefits situations. One party will inevitably want something more even if both understood going into the situation that it was only going to be sex. Just because you're unable to control your feelings doesn't mean he should be subject to your manipulation tactics. ie; your holding out sex in order to gain a different type of relationship than currently agreed upon.
Whenever I see this situation come up, I cringe.
I'm not ready for a relationship, but I really like him. I'm not being deceitful. Is it so wrong? I would never "hold out on him" that's why I don't know what to do. I wouldn't do him wrong because he is my friend first and he's been good to me as a friend as well as a lover.
But I want him to like me and enjoy the sex. Is it wrong that I don't want to be just a piece of ass? Is it wrong that I want him to feel just a little emotional connection with me?
I'm not baiting and switching anything.
- Show Older Hide Older
And I know exactly what I want. I'm not being irrational. I'm not ready for the situation to change I just want him to like me. I don't need him to treat me any different, I just want him to like me and I actually think he might already, but besides asking him I don't know how to find out. He just sent me a random text. He does this all the time. I know he doesn't want to date me right now either. We're both weird about commitment.
And didn't anyone ever tell you that alls fair in love and war? All you've really managed to do is make me feel guilty for having feelings for him and for wanting him to feel the same way. And I know what I've said, but you are interpreting it wrong. Like when I say, "Is the sex hindering my chances," I'm not saying I'll stop if it is, I'm trying to get opinions on the sitch.
And you did give me a very detailed opinion and even though I don't agree with it I do appreciate the time.
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|Men's Soccer » Schedule » Roster » News » Coaches » 2015 Stats » Honors » Archives
2006: Played in 14 games for the Bisons this season...Recorded one assist and one point last season...Credited with 11 shots last year.
High School: Graduate of Lincoln County High School. ...Team MVP in 2005. ...All-District selection in 2005. ...Broke the school record for most goals in a season his junior year with 28 in 14 games.
Personal: Parents are Belinda and Bob Lance.
2007-08 Men's Soccer


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Pest Control Service
Wolf Pest Control provides its customers state-of-the-art pest control service that is designed to bring you maximum, yet safe and environmentally responsible, results.
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Ants are a real problem and Wolf Pest Control is the solution! We will tailor our service to eliminate the ant populations in and around your home.
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|State of Utah Spent Quarter Million in Futile Fight Against Gay Student Groups
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The positioning of growth as a defined objective of your vision must be both strategic and intentional. It has significant consequences on your organization model, personnel, and tactics. At SGI, we help position growth around specific and realistic outcomes that reflect our understanding that even in a slow economy it is essential for leadership to develop and implement initiatives to grow market share, top line revenue, and gross margins.
There are different types of growth. Not all growth is good. Unmitigated growth without an understanding of the consequence can soon feel like a cancer eating away at the soul of your company. Without a comprehensive, replicable and scalable strategic growth initiatives around a market-centric approach, growth can exasperate pre-existing organizational and market challenges and result in an untimely contraction of a company.
We believe you must seize each opportunity as it presents itself. Then, with proper business systems and alignment in place, growth is inevitable and your vision will become a reality.
Growing a company is inherently creating an environment of change. No matter how prepared mentally individuals and a company are for change – there are always implications, impacts and unintended consequences.
The process of embarking on an intentional effort to change an organization through growth must be entertained with thought and reflection. A commitment to embark on a strategic growth initiative must be fully engaged to ensure success.
This consideration and commitment process reflect authentic reflection on your unique and personal reasons to desire the growth of your company. It is essential for success to ask the hard questions:
To increase the likelihood of success, SGI starts every initiative with a visioning process which works with you to clarification of your unique goals for growth.
Friday, March 2, 2012 - CommunityLeader Inc. announced today their partnership with Strategic Growth Initiative (SGI). Board chair, Jennifer Amys said, "I have known the SGI team for over five years. Their business development experience in working with syndicated alternative...
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Tres Childs
Tell AMP about your vehicles, bikes, karts and collection?
2008 Porsche 911 turbo cab, 2005 C6 corvette, 1999 C5 Mallett corvette, and a 2005 GTA Chevy Monte Carlo tube frame ASA car – the C6 and GTA are true race cars, the C5 is a nice street legal track day car.
Tell AMP about your driving experience, ok to have none!
I started driving with the Petty experience at Talladega then moved on to the Porsche school at Barber for basic and Masters levels. Then I started with PCA and BMW clubs with track days. Moved on into HPDE with NASA and then time trials. Have driven with Matt Thorton several times. Lastly, took my competition school with SCCA last Feb and have been racing ever since. Average about 12 races a year – mainly at Rd Atlanta, Barber and Roebling as they are the closest tracks. One time at Nashville super speedway.
What do you do for a living? Title? Company?
I am the President and CEO of large radiation oncology practice in Huntsville AL called The Center for Cancer Care.
Where do I live?
Huntsville, Al.
How will you use this membership? Business? Pleasure?
Why did you join the club?
AMP seems to have a great track layout with the ability to drive multiple times a year.
What do you like most about AMP?
Ability to practice high performance driving and track techniques relatively close to home on a convenient time schedule (i.e. When I have time off)
For more Featured Members Click Here


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Portal Home > Knowledgebase > Battlefield 3 > How to setup the FREE Procon Layer
With the rental of any Battlefield server, we also include a free Procon Layer hosted at no additional cost. This service is not automatically setup with the server, and must be manually created and configured after the Battlefield server has been setup and put online. Following the steps below, you will have a Procon Layer available at all times in the same location as your server, offering the absolute minimal latency possible.
1) From the Game Panel, go to the server page for your Battlefield 3 service instance.
2) Select the Joystick icon for Other Gaming Services and select ProCon Layer from the Gaming Service to Install box. Once you have created the ProCon Layer, it will now appear in the Game Panel as a second Game Server instance.
3) From the ProCon Layer service, select the Default Config Files option, and then use the Config Editor to edit the procon.cfg file.
4) Take the Admin RCON (Remote Console) Password from your BF3 server and place it in the box marked as Your BF3 admin password.
5) Save this file and then restart the ProCon Layer service for the connection to be established between your layer and the BF3 server.
NOTE: You can find the existing default ProCon Layer account and/or add new accounts to the layer via the accounts.cfg in the Default Config Files section of the Game Panel. Any changes to these configuration files will require a restart of the layer service to take effect.


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I don't get it.
I guess that's how I could describe, in four words, how I feel about OM and really this band as a whole, after several abandoned-partway-through attempts to get into them. In this case, "I don't get it" doesn't mean I'm just scratching my head in confusion at the forward-thinking modern art put in front of me, uninformed and unenlightened at the marvels presented in front of me, though; no pearls have been cast before a swine here, and that's sort of the issue. I get what Negura Bunget are trying to do with their music and this huge, conceptual piece and I understand why it has been lauded the way it has, and because of that I also understand exactly what they did to fuck it up and why it sucks a mean one. What I don't get is how they managed to do it so horribly when everything else seemed right in place! This must be what normal people feel like when they listen to Agalloch.
This really is just a fucking huge monster of an album. The track divisions seem completely irrelevant at times, because this is clearly meant to be listened to as one big piece; songs tend to neglect introducing or concluding themselves and instead blend into the greater fabric of the album. This is a daring move on the part of any artist; in a way, it completely alters the format of an album itself for the listener, as instead of listening to it as a collection of individual songs one instead solely remembers the moments; the slow disassembling and reassembling of the music and the energy within, the climaxes, the explosions of riffs...much more difficult to pull off, and it's definitely a music fan's sort of album but the result is much, much more worth it in the end. The difficulty is increased tenfold when doing it under the guise of one of the most musically minimal genres in metal, folk black. Pagan black metal was always more of a genre that works better when the core ideas of the genre are refined; because the music is so minimal the riffs have to be the driving force of the song. As a result you'd think that prog folk metal would be an abomination, but hey; Tyr's pretty cool and Enslaved actually have some worthwhile material in their later career so it's obviously possible. There is, however, one key difference between those two bands and Negura Bunget. For all of Enslaved and Tyr's experimental dabbles, unconventional structuring and meandering diversions, there was never any point in time while listening to them that I wasn't 100% sure I was listening to metal. With OM, that feeling crept up on me several times. I mean, it takes what seems like forever before any actual metal even kicks in and several-minutes-long orchestral ambient sections are often jammed in between bundles of riffs, interjecting before you ever have a chance to start enjoying the metal. It's not that they're different, it's not that they're long, it's not that they're a major element of the music (if anything, I'm actually kind of happy someone chose to nurture that side of the music more- in theory, anyways), it's that more often than not they DON'T DO ANYTHING. Sometimes it's because they're nothing but ominous chords drenched in reverb, sometimes it's just because the melodies are way too simple and boring but the frequent exploration and bridge-building this band does kills all and any momentum. It is wayyyy too easy for one's mind to wander away and lose interest due to the length and sparsity, and it's supposed to be this slow, gradual buildup into powerful, surging riffs, but Negura Bunget missed the mark and when the "big moments" do hit, they're extremely cheapened because there is no tension built in the song. How they'll build it up makes no sense at all, either; they don't really build into it, they'll start off with a simple ambient passage, add bit by bit to it to make it bigger, but there's rarely an actual transition into the massive metal sections; they simply appear in fits and starts- the structuring is fine, but nothing ties together the way it should. It's either that or the music is put together too well, which is not as far off from being sloppily put together as you may think. Sometimes the music doesn't stop adding on to itself. It builds and builds, even as the metal riffs pass through you spend the entirety of the time listening to the music waiting for THAT riff, the one that makes it all make sense but it never comes. The intensity of the music waxes and wanes, peaks up and down but never takes you along for the ride. It's a caveat of the conceptual nature the album takes. I can only imagine what the reactions of the crowd must be like listening to this live; does everybody just kind of stand around inspecting the ceiling during the ambient parts, wondering whether or not they're playing the song or just having technical difficulties? Nobody would be able to tell until the guitars came back in.
To me it seems like people are so initially fascinated with the approach and overarching concept and how "adventurous" and "epic" it is that the actual music within the concept becomes secondary to the enjoyment of the album; yes, the path they took certainly is an interesting approach to an album, but really, the best thing I can say about the metal riffs is that...well, they're genuine, I guess. They are black metal riffs. These guys listen to black metal and have done well at creating riffs authentic to the genre. The folk metal influence that dots the riffs and sometimes takes center stage is better done than most, too, I'll give them that; they do their best to shy away from the horribly cliched tropes that often kill that genre and the more pagan-black oriented parts are the most enjoyable on the album for that reason. Still, though...nothing memorable in the slightest to be found among any of them. Maybe it's partially because these guys are Romanian, and as there isn't much of a defined scene there the same way there is in Sweden or Norway or Germany they don't really have much in the way of their own sort of style; the only thing truly unique about this music is the way they present it, and while it could be argued that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts the parts themselves are completely barebones and dull. Heaviness is actually one of this band's greatest enemies; the more I listen to this the more I wish they just dropped all pretenses of being metal because any attempt this band makes to sound abrasive and crushing just rolls off your back, hilariously weak. "Dedsuptul" is a great example of this. Dear lord, I've never found myself so unamusedly repulsed and bored by metal riffs. The parts more rich in higher-register melody and uplifting atmosphere are much more tolerable, but they fail to invoke any sort of feeling in me regardless. Even the inherent metallic nature there feels like a drawback. Shit's been done before, of much higher quality and by better bands both metal and non-metal.
Nothing ties together and counts for anything, so the more adventurous forays of the music (example: the "tribal war call" thing going on at the beginning of Inaborat) seem cheap and tacky. There's potential here; perhaps the most potential I've ever seen out of a metal album, but ultimately it's one of those concept albums that doesn't fill the shoes of the concept. Negura Bunget are a band heavily immersed in Romanian folklore and the natural and spiritual world, so perhaps it's fitting to end with a metaphor demonstrating that. OM intends to paint a soundscape; a crystalline capturing of the images of vast Romanian landscapes and forests in the artists' head, synthesized into a huge, symbolic piece. Though OM is not an album structured around the track divisions, the album is very much a series of half-painted landscapes; clearly all a part of the same region, but never seeming connected in that sense. Nature is not but a series of flashes of instant beauty; nature represents new life created through the old, and should be marveled at not for the picturesque scenes it displays but simply for how massive and singular it is, and for the work put behind it that it took to make it grow from nothing. What I'm trying to say with this pretentious shit is that this is the type of music that should intrinsically be organic, and this sounds anything but that to my ears. Negura Bunget wrote a masterpiece with OM, they just need to fill it with melodies that make me feel something.
Widely considered to be the holy grail of Romanian black metal, Negura Bunget's 'Om' has a reputation that precedes it. Although widely unknown to those outside of black metal circles, the band's brand of 'spiritual metal' leaves an impression, and I would go on record saying that this is the best album the band ever made. Although somewhat more challenging to appreciate than much of the atmospheric black metal out there, Negura Bunget's 'Om' does reveal its grandeur over time, and while still not amounting to the genre's crowning achievements, 'Om' delivers on all counts.
The band is sure to face some debate as to what particular style of music they play here is, but it can be held to reason that Negura Bunget do not ever stray far from the sound of black metal. As one might tend to expect then, the heavier aspect of this music is dominated by higher register growls, atmospheric guitar riffs, and the abrasive drum techniques that define the genre. Negura does this style with some great skill, always sounding professional and letting the dynamic ebb and flow naturally. What makes 'Om' an excellent album though is the fact that there is a wealth of changes in the sound here; there is more than black metal at work here. A listener would be hard-pressed to find a segment of heavy riffing and metallic darkness that lasts more than a few minutes without the more mellow and introspective side of the band coming into play. It is in fact the mellow, ambient side of Negura Bunget that I prefer, as they seem to paint a vaster sound with it.
Long sections of ambiance and mellow interlude tend to drag on for a while, but they do sound incredibly beautiful. Every now and then, some pleasant folk instrumentation will pop up, giving a more authentic feel, but much of the 'pretty' side of Negura Bunget is left up to a keyboard, which is commonly heard as well during the heavy moments of the album. The band plays their compositions very well, and are clever to make added nuances over the abrasive guitar textures. Whether its the quiet sound of a bell harmonizing with the melody or changing keyboard chord, Negura Bunget has left plenty of easter eggs to hunt for on this dark, spiritual journey.
Negura Bunget have found an excellent album here with 'Om', although it does feel a little longer than it should have been. Nonetheless, a wholeheartedly recommended album for the more atmospheric and introspective side of black metal.
Does the world exist the way we perceive it or do we simplify things for the sake of our sanity. When two people communicate, be it with words or music, they do not use a shared language, but interpret what the other says according to their particular syntax. So the question of what the other person means can only be addressed by using our own system and style of interpretation. A piece of music can be interpreted in many ways. Each listener has his or her own point of reference from which to begin contemplation. Perception changes with each listen. There are many valid perspectives. Everyone's experiences of reality are real and each is colored by previous experience. Om is a gestalt, something like a pattern that holds together as a whole, that makes a kind of unified sense, more than just the parts of experience. The parts are more than the whole because the parts add layers upon layers of understanding. The whole is more than the sum of its parts. This album has so many moods and textures swirling around that combine in amazing ways to lead you on your journey that it is difficult to absorb the atmosphere on first listen. The more you listen the more you hear, the more you hear the more you want to listen. Each note, each scream or roar, the majestic horns, the oppressively harsh guitars, or the ornate drumming, all adds to the impact that is Om.
Norwegian philosopher and mountaineer Arne Naess described the journey to spiritual enlightenment and a greater understanding of your personal oneness with nature, which he called Ecosophy. He referred to rethinking with closer attention, going deeper. There is shallow thinking and there is deep thinking. Shallow is superficial, deep is reconstructing your worldview. Deep thinking is long range. The nature-based spirituality of Negura Bunget is deep thinking. In terms of black metal, shallow would be Christian Satanism, deeper would be occult, then paganism, and truly deep thinking would be the spiritual transcendence of the dense fog of the forest of the high mountains of Romania. Black metal is more than a musical style, it is a worldview. Some bands are still wading in the shallow end of the pool some 30 years later, while others are treading water while learning to swim. A pioneering few are diving in the deep end.
Based upon the last album, Om was the most highly anticipated release of the year for me. I had very high expectations for this disc, which is usually a recipe for disappointment. Inarborat Kosmos did more than whet my appetite, it reaffirmed my expectations were legitimate. If you do not think this is the album of the year cut your flesh and worship Satan until you realize the truth. Om is a true equivalent.
Originally written for http://teethofthedivine.com
What dark splendor! "Om" is one of those incredibly thought provoking and atmospherically brilliant albums that can continually captivate the mind on every listen.
So how to describe the atmosphere? It is certainly dark, but very spiritual and often melancholy, though sometimes brutal. It is very diverse, but I believe the most appropriate description would be something along the lines of the world's creation or universal flow. The variety of folk instruments further stabilize this rather incredible feeling present throughout most of the album. It is of course, brought out by the keyboards and guitarwork, and perfected by the oddly crisp and unique production job.
The riffs are numerous and amazing, being memorable and provoking tons of emotion, all with a completely unique guitar tone. Keyboards are frequently used, but incredibly tastefully, evoking no sense of cheesiness whatsoever. These are accompanied by some very technical drumming and great vocals that show elements of black and death metal and often transcend to a very mysterious and melancholy clean singing style.
The album is best listened in one go as it is best absorbed this way. It really needs to sink in and fully surround you for the full sixty-seven minutes to have its strongest and most overwhelming effect, which is needless to say, incredible.
One band this album really reminds me of is Blut aus Nord, one of my all time favorites. Think Ultima Thulee or Fathers of the Icy Age. Those albums are really good examples of the type of stuff Negura Bunget does on "Om". Dark, though-provoking, melodic, and beautiful, but often terrifying and aggressive at the same time.
"Om" is definitely one of the best black metal albums ever, and is essential for both fans and non-fans alike. If you can't get into much black metal, try giving this a go, as it was one of the first black metal albums that I could appreciate back when I was first getting into metal. Check it out!
Where does one begin describing this? It is the most adventurous, epic album I have ever heard and is the pinnacle of aural perfection. This is more than just music, it is a spiritual adventure in sound. If you don't sit down with the whole thing and give it the attention it needs you might miss what makes this so special. I also believe that it takes a few listens to fully grasp. I'm still listening and discovering new things.
OM is based on the principle of five and also tells the tale of the first human in Transylvanian mythology. The lyrics are in Romanian so I cannot understand them and I do not really desire to find translations. Knowing the ideas behind this was enough for me. This is also quite a long album clocking in at 67 minutes.
The production here is top notch. Everything is equalized very well so it's clear and everything is mixed to let all the instruments have room. This is not over-compressed and you can actually hear the bass lines which are fantastic. All in all, very tasteful production of the highest quality.
The drumming is superb and uses a hefty amount of cymbals and toms. There is still quite a good bit of straightforward blasting on the snare and bass drums (great snare sound by the way). The guitar players complement each other very well and play winding riffs that morph and change frequently. The guitar tones themselves are excellent, very rough sounding and saturated enough to give texture but not so much so that they aren't clear.
There is not a single song on this album with verse/chorus structure either. All of the songs have very fluid pacing. There are frequent transitions both jarring and gradual. The band exhibits a mastery of building and releasing tension which adds a very epic and dramatic feel to the music. There's even ambient, keyboard driven sections and OM has the best synths I have ever heard -- they are truly beautiful.
A lot of Romanian folk instruments are used (of the wind and percussion variety). I'm not sure what they all are, but they sound great and the band actually plays them...they're not synths! There is a very strong jazz feel to many parts of this album, too. This along with the unconventional song structures, unique instruments, and ambient sections makes OM very progressive.
All in all, this album in perfect. A must have. Will there ever be anything to top this? Guess I'll have to wait for the next Negura Bunget album...
While the first track of 'Om' is a very stereotypical and unimpressive ambient black metal album intro, that is as far as the black metal clichés go on this album. From the moment the second track starts you know what you're listening to is very special.
Complex, melodic and atmospheric are the best words to describe 'Om'. While many black metal bands feel the need to create simple riffs and repeat them hundreds of times, the riffs here are all very complex and progressive. Negură Bunget manage to add progressive influences to their black metal sound without sounding at all gimmicky or cheesy. The two styles compliment each other perfectly, complex yet managing to retain a very hypnotic black metal atmosphere.
And atmosphere is something 'Om' has plenty of. The production is perfect, which is very impressive as the band did it all themselves. It gives a distant but not too quiet sound as if it was recorded in a giant cavern. The production stops it from getting past a certain heaviness so despite the complexity of the music it is still quite accessible for a non-black metal fan.
Keyboards back the guitars, but mostly stay in the background so never overpower the music, instead just adding to the atmosphere. Often the black metal stops for lengthy keyboard led ambient sections. Some of the shorter songs are completely ambient led by keyboards with just vocals or chimes over them.
Flutes, pipes and traditional Romanian instruments also appear occasionally and give a nice folky feel to the album, but again stay more in the background so they never sound cheesy like a lot of folk metal does. The section near the end of 'Cunoaşterea Tăcută' which has a flute playing a melody over an otherwise ordinary black metal base is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric moments of any black metal song I've ever heard.
'Om' isn't repetitive like a lot of black metal either. Before a riff becomes even slightly boring, it will be changed for something else or the song will suddenly change direction completely. 'Om' is full of inventive twists and turns like this so you never know which direction a song will go in. At one moment it may be in the middle of a pure black metal section complete with blast beats and tremolo picked riffs, the next in an ambient section with an odd twisted guitar melody over it. Despite the constant changing, none of the songs here seem at all rushed.
The drumming plays a big part in allowing the abrupt changes in sound to run smoothly. Although there are some standard black metal blast beats in places the drumming is often just as inventive as the weird melodies, and is never at all boring. Sometimes the percussion becomes almost tribal, played on what sounds like bongos.
The vocals are also very good. While it's mostly in a typical black metal style, it's more varied than most. Sometimes the vocals change almost into a death metal growl and clean vocals are also often used. Occasional chants are also used in a way slightly similar to early Ulver or Agalloch. While I'm not sure exactly what's being sung as it's all in Romanian, from what I've gathered it avoids the cheesy Satanism and is mainly about nature, forests and other such Black Metal topics.
There's not a lot to criticise here, but there is definitely some filler and parts do drag on slightly. However, the rest of the album is so great you probably won't even notice.
Negurã Bunget's fourth and latest opus entitled "Om" is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is not simply music, but an epic and grand journey, a spiritual journey that is breathtaking. This recording should be listened to in full to truly enjoy it, it cannot just be sampled. Every second of this journey is as good as any before it, not one moment should be skipped.
Untainted by simplicity, it is packed with emotion, full of raw power, and amazing beauty. Variety is alive and well throughout and never does a dull moment rise. You won't find mindless brutality or a collage of the same riffage and percussion.
The guitar tone is low and heavy, creating that raw power. Excellent percussion is evident and has the largest variety. Every instrument flows with one another and is not overdone. They are played with skill and each one has a very important role.
Both clean and harsh vocal styles are strong and give a lot to the present emotion. All vocals are in their (Negurã Bunget's) native tongue and it shouldn't be any other way. The language really gives it a lot of beauty, emotion, and that strong power.
The atmosphere is like nothing else, painting a picture that is soaked in awe. It gives an impression that will keep you listening, keeping you eager to find out what lies next. Exciting you every single moment every instance that is Om.
Not a single track is less significant than another, all eleven tracks make up one piece of work, it is one, not a collection of tracks like so many other albums are.
Videos were made for the tracks "Cunoaºterea Tãcutã" and "Norilor" (possibly more, these are the only two to my knowledge (there was also a promo video for the album)) and they can give an idea on the theme throughout the album. Nature's relationship with spirituality is what really comes to my mind from the music and the videos, maybe even mankind's relationship with these as well.
Om is truly an amazing experience, an experience that is mind-blowing. This one soars above the rest, going where no other album has gone before. Negurã Bunget has created one of the greatest recordings my ears have ever witnessed. A 100% rating doesn't come close to how good this release is, words can never describe it how it truly should be described. It is something that has to be experienced.
It is with "struggling perception" that I write these words in the context of this latest Negură Bunget release - "OM" is a complex and layered piece of work and I feel reviewing it would serve an injustice. Music reviews tend to "trap" music by defining it, and I feel this conflicts with "OM" because it's a piece of work which I consider one of the most "vast" I have ever heard.
"OM" can not be approached from a typical Black Metal perspective. To do so would completely ridicule the amount of work that has gone into this new release and pigeonhole it.
This is not an "album": after listening to it countless times, watching the DVD which accompanies the music, accounting for the bands spirituality, combined with the complete visual presentation, I will say that "OM" is "a document", but I use this term as "vastly" as I can. Perhaps saying it's an "experience" is a better portrayal.
"OM" indirectly extends from the treat we got with the Inarborat Kosmos EP, but does so on a truly epic scale. One could almost say that Negură Bunget's entire existence has built up to this release: it combines their journey so far, but then leaps above to a new, almost unfathomable level.
This release is almost "sacred", it is highly conceptualised. Every note played or sung, every drum beat every growl or shriek and every ambient interlude seems to have a clear metaphysical and natural expressive purpose. The album seems to be written and performed in such a way that it is like air: everywhere, flowing through everything, almost physically touchable, having colour and yet having none.
Without being able to decipher the lyrics, I can only draw upon my feelings: this music is about cosmic life. It is about existence on a spiritually vast, yet physically small level. Our physically minute place in the universe, and the vast size of our metaphysical selves. This is what the music, using Black Metal (as a foundation only) speaks to me.
I say Black Metal is used as a foundation because this is where Negură Bunget's path has logically led to. Black Metal influences are still there as they were on "'N Crugu Bradului", but now the music has grown into something with more breath, and funnily enough, I think we first got hint of this higher maturity on "'N Crugu Bradului".
There are more sweeping (note, NOT melodic) elements to the music, we are treated to more ambient soundscapes, sounds of nature itself and excellent use of folk instruments as Negură Bunget have never shown us before. For those seeking the Negură Bunget Black Metal elements, fear not, they are still present, but now balanced with a majestic element to the music, a strikingly obvious and higher maturity delivered via exceptional musical execution.
"OM" can not just be listened to, it must be experienced via multiple senses: emotion, visual and aural in order to make complete sense. I found I came to this realisation more so when I had watched the DVD (more about this realisation in a moment).
The DVD component of "OM" (and I do consider it to be part of "OM" as much as the audio CD is) is jawdropping, the work that has gone into it is truly impressive: the band interview is fascinating and a must-see in order to gain more insight into the music. Every pixel of the artwork, every audible sound and spoken sentence has been paid attention, and despite some material on the DVD being pre-OM, it is VERY relevant to this release.
I highly suggest that people watch the DVD first, and THEN listen to "OM" itself. Because of the spiritual nature of this release, it is a necessity to comprehend and understand what their expression is about. It will make "OM" much more logical to take in.
It has been a long wait, but a wait that has been worth it like few albums have. This is not for the faint of heart, nor for the those seeking mindless aggression from their music.
"OM" is pure expression, done in ways that Metal has not seen the likes of before. In my opinion, it is a landmark release: Negură Bunget have finally achieved their higher level of expression. For what I believe in the first time of the history of Black Metal, taken us on a true journey of transcendence.
An outstanding piece of work.
Official Website http://www.negurabunget.com/
Webstore for purchase http://www.auralmusic.com/


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Training Therapists to Administer Contingency Management-Patient Phase - 3
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The purpose of this study is to train therapists to administer contingency management (CM). This project will train up to 42 community-based treatment providers about the rationale for and the specifics of administering CM. Initial training will occur in 2-day workshops, followed by weekly supervision in delivery of CM with test cases. We expect that the majority of therapists will achieve high levels of competence and adherence in administering CM treatment within 3-5 test cases, as measured by ratings of audiotapes. To examine the efficacy of CM, each therapist who achieves adherence and competence in delivering CM will administer standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus CM to substance-abusing outpatients. In the CM condition, patients will have the opportunity to win prizes for submission of negative samples, and the treatment will be in effect for 12 weeks. In total, up to 200 patients will be randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. A research evaluator will conduct follow-up assessments, scheduled for 3, 6 and 9 months after treatment initiation.
Substance Abuse
Behavioral: Contingency management
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Training Therapists to Administer Contingency Management-Patient Phase
- Drug use [ Time Frame: baseline and each follow-up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Retention [ Time Frame: each follow-up ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
|Study Start Date:
|January 2004
|Study Completion Date:
|September 2009
|Primary Completion Date:
|September 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Behavioral: Contingency management
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older
|Genders Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion criteria:
- age 18 years or older
- meets DSM-IV criteria for cocaine abuse or dependence
- English speaking (est. >90% of patients)
For those in drug-free programs, they must have initiated treatment within the past week. For methadone patients, they must be stabilized on a dose of methadone, defined as being on the same dose for at least 30 days and not currently requesting or being considered for a dose modification. Methadone patients must also have submitted at least 30% cocaine positive urine samples in the past 3 months.
Exclusion criteria:
- acute uncontrolled psychiatric disorder (psychosis, suicidality) as determined by the SCID
- dementia (<23 on the Mini Mental State Exam; Folstein & Folstein, 1975)
- in recovery for pathological gambling
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00249418
|United States, Connecticut
|University of Connecticut Health Center
|Farmington, Connecticut, United States, 06030
|Principal Investigator:
|Nancy Petry, Ph.D.
|University of Connecticut Health Center
No publications provided
|Responsible Party:
|University of Connecticut Health Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00249418 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|November 3, 2005
|Last Updated:
|November 17, 2011
|Health Authority:
|United States: Federal Government
United States: Institutional Review Board
Keywords provided by University of Connecticut Health Center:
Contingency Management
Substance Abuse Treatment
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on October 02, 2015


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Organization Assists Impoverished Families Living On Mexican Landfill
Siblings Mirna Guadelupe and Carlos Roman play with toys found at the... News PhotoFinding,Horizontal,Human Interest,Latin America,Mexico,People,Rubbish,Rubbish Dump,Sibling,Social Issues,ToyPhotographer John MooreCollection: Getty Images News 2013 Getty ImagesNOGALES, MEXICO - MARCH 05: Siblings Mirna Guadelupe, 4, and Carlos Roman, 9, play with toys found at the Tirabichi garbage dump on March 5, 2013 in Nogales, Mexico. About 30 families live at the landfill, searching for recyclables to sell for a living. Many have received protective gloves from the nearby non-profit Home of Hope and Peace, which plans to expand its assistance to Tirabichi residents. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)


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I hate two weeks, always have. Two weeks and no football and then just one glorious game left. Two weeks becomes seven months. But for now it's week two of the two weeks.
Two weeks of hearing every single "I'm an expert, listen to me pontificate on the Super Bowl." And they all do it with the same authority that President Bush uses when declaring more troops are headed to Iraq. ...


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The Draeger Bio-Agent test is a series of immunological rapid tests to detect biological agents and toxins. This fast, portable, easy-to-use kit will rapidly detect Anthrax, Yersinia pestis, Botulinum Toxin, Ricin, and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB). You'll get results in 10 to 15 minutes, or in just three minutes for high concentrations. The Draeger Bio-Agent Test contains a swab to take the test sample, a dropper top bottle of buffer solution, and test strips. All components have a two-year shelf life at room temperature.
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The year 2009 was a grim one for many Americans, but there was one pleasant surprise amid all the drear: Citizens, though ground down and nerve-racked by the recession, still somehow resisted the urge to rob and kill one another, and they resisted in impressive numbers. Across the country, FBI data show that crime last year fell to lows unseen since the 1960s - part of a long trend that has seen crime fall steeply in the United States since the mid-1990s.
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text:
- Learning at Yale
- Living at Yale
- Student Pursuits
- Virtual Tour, Blogs & Video
Are international students eligible for financial aid? If so, how do I apply?
Yes, international students are eligible. Yale's financial aid policies for foreign citizens are similar to those for U.S. citizens: need-blind admissions and need-based aid. "Need-blind" means that Yale College admits students on the basis of academic and personal promise, without regard to their ability to pay. "Need-based" means that financial aid packages are based on individual needs assessments, not based on merit awards. International students are evaluated using a needs analysis that takes into account the relative differences between the US economy and the economy of students' home countries.
You can find international financial aid forms on the Financial Aid website. If you have any questions or if your family has special circumstances or expenses, we encourage you to send Student Financial Services an email or letter with details to help them understand your financial situation more completely.


text:
Dear Rachael,
Thank you for the information,
What is your age/sex?
How long are you having this bump with white material?
Any associated fever, tenderness, redness?
What is the exact location and number?
What are the drugs you are taking?
Did you consult a doctor yet?
I have two at this time and each has been there for about 2 to 4 years. I squeeze it out and a 6 months to a year they get big enoth to squeeze again.
I am 55 years old
I am a male to female transsexual
nofever or redness or tenderness
one behind my ear right side and one on my back upper shoulder area
estroil (sp) water pill and lisinopril 20 mg
and no I have not contacted my doctor about it
As per the symptoms you have described, the white discharge after squeezing the bump is likely to be the pus discharge from the bump which can be due to the infectious cause.
The antibiotics are needed to control the bacterial infection causing such bumps.The commonly used antibiotics are amoxycillin, ofloxacin, metronidazole, etc.The analgesics like diclofenac, motrin will help in the control of pain and swelling.
The local application of antibiotics ointment like soframycin, betadiene , etc. will help in the control of infection.
You should consult a dermatologist for the more physical examination and start the treatment according.
Let me know if you have any doubt.
Thank you!
no pain and no swelling and I am sure its not puss. I had 5 kids so I know puss.
at one time I had one on my back the size of a 50 cent pice but did not know it and while in the shower it came off my back and hit the floor and it was hard like a hunk of hard fat on beef.


text:
MUSKEGON, Mich.-On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Baker College of Muskegon is welcoming a new exhibit focused on racism.
"Hateful Things" is a traveling exhibit of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia from Ferris State University. Using materials from the late 19th century to present, the display is meant to illustrate how images can promote racism.
"Hateful Things" officially opened at Baker College of Muskegon Monday at noon. It will be free and open to the public through Thursday, Jan. 23.


text:
3rd Annual KYVE 47 Golf Classic
Tuesday, 19 June 2012 - 9:30am
Admission:RSVP Required
Join us for the 3rd Annual KYVE 47 Golf Classic, June 19th at the Westwood West Golf Course, 6408 Tieton Dr, Yakima, WA 98908. Snacks and beverages will be provided by Pepsi Cola at the event.
An Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Kana Winery, will follow at KYVE 47 and Kana Winery, 12 South 2nd Street. Wine, hors d'oeuvres, prizes, and beverages will be provided.
Deadline to sign up was June 8th at 5:00 p.m.


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16 OctoberFinal Report published online
22 July 2013Final Report published online
10 JuneDraft Final Report Executive Summary published online
17 AprilTSIA workshop in Yerevan was held
11 AprilSecond Newsletter sent out
27 MarchDraft Interim Technical Report published online
11 FebruaryFinal Inception Report published online
12 December Public meeting EU
12 DecemberFirst Newsletter sent out
7 DecemberDraft Inception Report published online
The European Union and Armenia are in the process of negotiating a new Association Agreement replacing the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. In July 2010 the European Commission launched negotiations with Armenia on the non-trade parts of the Association Agreement. In February 2012, the first round of negotiations took place on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), underpinned by regulatory approximation leading to convergence with EU laws and standards. In order to assess the economic, social and environmental impacts of this DCFTA, a consortium of Ecorys and CASE was asked to carry out a Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment. This study will be implemented over the course of 2012-2013 and completed in the summer of 2013.
Final report published16 October
Draft Final report published22 July
TSIA Workshop in Yerevan17 April
Publication of Draft Interim Technical Report27 March
Publication of Final Inception Report11 February
Publication of Draft Inception Report7 December
Kick-off Meeting8 November
Contract for TSIA signed7 November


text:
Time change issue seems to have bitten the US this weekend?
When Todoist recognized that the US changed from DST to Standard Time this morning, it correctly asked if I'd like to change my time settings (on the PC only, not on my Android phone), I accepted the prompt.
*ALL* tasks (and all tasks were recurring tasks) which should have been due today are now shown as being due tomorrow. The recurrence pattern does show as 'ev sunday' or 'ev first sunday'.
I trust that all of these tasks will 'self-correct' and be due on Sunday next week (or Dec 1)?
Best regards,
Randy Miller
All responses
Hello Randy,
Please make sure that all devices you're using Todoist on have also been correctly adjusted, that is - their time zones remained the same, but the time changed accordingly.
Also, please try to log out and back in, clear your browser's cache, check if Todoist also adjusted the time zone on Android, reinstall our Android app and see if it helps.
This is very unusual because based on other reports - such inconsistencies have been observed for the past few days and were supposed to (and did in some cases) correct themselves today after the time change.
Best regards,
Logged out, logged back in, cleared all Todoist items from Chrome (on PC), uninstalled Todoist from phone, reinstalled Todoist on phone.
Both phone and PC are set to EST time (UTC -05:00).
Still no Tasks due today on either device; all recurring Tasks that should be due today are shown as due tomorrow; all recurring Tasks that should be due tomorrow are shown as being due tomorrow.
Best regards,
Randy Miller
I have this same problem; all of my tasks have been shifted one day ahead no matter which time zone I select. This is not ok as I have hundreds of Todoist items set for the next year which have all been moved one day ahead of when I actually need to do them.
We'll look into this now, sorry for the inconvenience.
Best regards,
I am having the same problem.
I'm having the same problems, but it's not just recurring tasks. All of my tasks are showing a day off. I have so many tasks I'm going to be really upset if I have to rest them all manually.
I've completed a few of the Tasks that had their due date changed to today (that were Recurring Tasks that were scheduled 'ev first sunday'), and the next due dates of these tasks are now 02 Dec (the first *Monday* of December).
Strangely, a few Recurring Tasks WITH Times associated with the Task have *not* been pushed to the next day ...
Best regards,
Randy Miller
We're looking into this now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
@Christy - please confirm, did Todoist ask you to adjust the time zone, you've agreed, have the correct time on all devices and the issue still persists?
Best regards,
Yes. As I complete recurring tasks, they are moving to the correct dates, but all my devices are set to the correct time zone, I've logged out, cleared cookies, uninstalled and reinstalled, and the tasks are still not moving to the correct dates until I complete them once.
Same for me; as I complete recurring tasks they are moved to the correct day but all other - once only - tasks are one day off.
And yes, Todoist asked me to adjust the time zone - which I did - and the issue is still there. The problem now is I am still using todoist so my tasks from today and yesterday are correct but if all of my other tasks are corrected I would imagine it will move my tasks from today and yesterday to the wrong day. You can log into my account or I can send you screenshots if you would like; for example, some of my repeating tasks will say "every tues, thurs" but they are showing on wednesday and friday etc.
Is there anything that can be done or do I need to manually go in and re-set up all of my tasks?
Hi Trevor,
We are still looking into this issue and we hope we have a better solution, but manually editing older tasks might need to be done.
We will update when we know more.
Ok. I will manually change them; I am ok with doing this this time but could you please have this fixed by the next DST change? Thank you.
FYI I didn't have the day change issue but had the time listed on tasks be an hour off.
due 14:00 -> 1pm instead of 2pm
Removing the due date and readding it made it display correctly for the one I tested it on. Not sure if this is related or should be it's own issue
David / Brendon,
Four days into EST here in the Eastern US and Todist (web) is still on v180. It appears that Tasks with a Weekly recurrence pattern *may* have returned to normal, but Tasks with a Monthly recurrence recurrence pattern is still 'pushed' by a day (the Task is due one day later than when the Task was originally scheduled).
Any updates on this issue? Have the users been 'officially' advised to manually change the due dates of their Tasks ("manually editing older tasks might need to be done"), or is there a chance that the issue will be resolved soon (much sooner than the next time change)?
Best regards,
Randy Miller
Hello Randy,
We're very sorry for the inconvenience, we're still looking into a permanent fix for this issue and we'll let you know as soon as we have a solution.
Best regards,
Thanks for the feedback; just wanted to see if a solution might still be possible before changing a LOT of recurrences.
Best regards,
Randy Miller
When I forced an update on the web-based Todoist this morning to v185, I was asked if I'd like to update my Time Zone (twice!), and I accepted the change (both times!).
So I thought I was finally going to see the end of my monthly recurring Tasks being one day off.
Unfortunately, not only have the recurring 'every first Sunday' Tasks not been rescheduled to Sunday from Monday (where they've been since the time change), but all 'every x day' Task in the month of December has been rescheduled to January 2014! Yes, every recurring Task that had been shown as being due in December is now being shown as being due in January. Not good.
I'l be sending screen shots in the next few minutes.
Best regards,
Randy Miller
Hello Randy,
We're very sorry to hear that, I'll pass this information along with your screenshots to the developers right away. In the meantime, please try to log out, clear the cache and log back in to exclude the possibility of corrupted cache causing this.
Best regards,
I've logged out, cleared the Chrome cache and removed all Todoist 'components' and logged back in.
The 'every first sunday' Recurring Tasks are still shown in the Date Selector as being due on 'every first sunday', but when the date selector is closed the next due date for such Tasks is Monday, 02 Dec 2013.
All 'ev x [date]' (i.e. same date every month) Recurring Tasks that *should* be due in December are shown as being due in January 2014.
(in other words, the screenshots sent earlier still apply; no change after log out, clear cache, log in)
Best regards,
Randy Miller
Todoist on web, accessed by Chrome 31.0.1650.57 m, still shows 02 Dec 2013 as next Due Date for Tasks originally created as Due "ev first sun'. Obviously, 02 Dec 2013 is Monday, not Sunday.
The monthly Recurring Tasks that should be Due in December are still 'pushed' to January 2014.
Has no progress been made on this issue this month?
Shall I delete and recreate all Recurring Tasks?
Your guidance would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Randy Miller
This issue should be fixed by now. It may not work retrospectively and some tasks, if they were added, edited or completed during a certain period of time when the issue persisted, may need to be adjusted. We're very sorry for the inconvenience.
Best regards,


text:
Range Announces First Quarter Production Results
Production Grows 34% Quarter Over Quarter
FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION (NYSE: RRC ) today announced that its first quarter 2013 production volumes reached a record high of 876 Mmcfe per day, a 34% increase over the prior-year quarter. Production was 79% natural gas, 14% natural gas liquids ("NGLs") and 7% crude oil and condensate. Year-over-year oil and condensate production increased 52%, NGL production rose 22%, while natural gas production increased 34%. The record production was driven by the continued success of the Company's drilling program primarily in the Marcellus Shale. First quarter production of 876 Mmcfe per day exceeded the high end of guidance of 845 – 850 Mmcfe per day due to the timing of turning wells to production.
The Company also announced its preliminary first quarter 2013 natural gas, NGLs and oil price realizations (including the impact of cash-settled hedges and derivative settlements which would correspond to analysts' estimates) averaged $5.06 per mcfe, a 3% decrease from the prior-year period. Production and preliminary realized prices by each commodity for the first quarter were: natural gas – 689 Mmcf per day ($4.09 per mcf), NGLs – 20,994 barrels per day ($35.29 per barrel) and crude oil and condensate – 10,141 barrels per day ($85.46 per barrel). Third-party transportation, gathering and compression fees are expected to average approximately $0.80 per mcfe for the first quarter due to added transportation costs applicable to higher than expected production volumes from the Marcellus Shale.
Commenting on the announcement, Jeff Ventura, Range's President and CEO, said, "We are off to a terrific start with our first quarter production results. We are well on track to achieve our production growth target of 20% to 25% for 2013. More importantly, we believe that we have line-of-sight production growth of 20% to 25% for many years. This growth will be led by our approximately one million net acre leasehold position in Pennsylvania. The strong growth, coupled with high returns, low cost and low reinvestment risk will drive substantial per share value for years to come."
The information in this release is unaudited. Final results, including final first quarter 2013 product price realizations (including the impact of cash-settled hedges and derivative settlements) and costs will be provided in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 currently planned to be filed with Securities and Exchange Commission by the end of April 2013.
RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION (NYSE: RRC ) is a leading independent oil and natural gas producer with operations focused in Appalachia and the southwest region of the United States. The Company pursues an organic growth strategy targeting high return, low-cost projects within its large inventory of low risk, development drilling opportunities. The Company is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. More information about Range can be found at www.rangeresources.com and www.myrangeresources.com.
Except for historical information, statements made in this release such as expected increasing liquids production, expected high rates of return, expected future cash flow growth, expected future low cost structure, expected high-return drilling inventory and expected future production growth are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on assumptions and estimates that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information; however, management's assumptions and Range's future performance are subject to a wide range of business risks and uncertainties and there is no assurance that these goals and projections can or will be met. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the volatility of oil and gas prices, the results of hedging transactions, the costs and results of drilling and operations, the timing of production, mechanical and other inherent risks associated with oil and gas production, weather, the availability of drilling equipment, changes in interest rates, litigation, uncertainties about reserve estimates and environmental risks. Range undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Further information on risks and uncertainties is available in Range's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which are incorporated by reference. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, available from our website at www.rangeresources.com or by written request to 100 Throckmorton Street, Suite 1200, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. You can also obtain this Form 10-K by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Range Resources Corporation
Investor Contacts:
Rodney Waller, 817-869-4258
Senior Vice President
David Amend, 817-869-4266
Investor Relations Manager
Laith Sando, 817-869-4267
Research Manager
Michael Freeman, 817-869-4264
Financial Analyst
Media Contact:
Matt Pitzarella, 724-873-3224
Director of Corporate Communications
KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas


text: Be wary of cooperative social network Zurker Ideas Bank 02 May 12 by Lea Simpson Shutterstock This is a guest post by Lea Simpson, Strategy Director at strategic digital agency TH_NK.So, Zurker. Heard about it yet? A few early adopters were all abuzz about it last week. "Finally",they said,"a socially aware competitor to Zuckerberg's Facebook, with an uncannily similar sounding name".Zurker has made a big play of it being a cooperative, owned by the community on its platform. In their own words: "There are dozens if not hundreds of social applications on the web. All of them want your time, and most of them want you to help them grow by referring your friends. But why should you? The only people who benefit when those apps grow are the founders and their investors. They stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars each if their product takes off, so it's no wonder they keep pressuring you to help them grow.""At Zurker, you are a co-owner and an investor." Investigating further I found that users are rewarded with "vShares" simply for signing up, inviting friends etc. A vShare is a "virtual share", which you can monitor in your portfolio on your profile page and you can buy additional vShares if you like that are currently priced at $1.00 (£0.62), and one vShare is equivalent to ownership of 1/1,000,000th of Zurker.The plan is to grow the site and then float it, with everyone enjoying a big payday.Ask not what you can do for your social network, but what your social network can do for you On paper I must admit I found the proposition quite compelling, disruptive even. Zurker appeared to be flipping the status quo on its head. I enjoyed the notion of being rewarded for investment in time and engagement that could translate into cash -- and I wondered if there was also an opportunity for brands and whether they too could be part of this co-operative.So I signed up. If you did too, you'll know how clunky the UX is. Just coming out of alpha, it could almost be forgiven. Almost, but not quite. With Facebook reaching 900m users this week, a competitor surely needs more than a model to differentiate it. But unfortunately for Zurker, its UX is small part of its much bigger problems.The thing about people in glass houses throwing stones A bit of digging reveals a murkier side to its apparently ethically-driven founder. Enter Nick Oba, the brains behind Zurker. If this was a political race and Oba was challenging Zuckerberg, we'd agree that Oba was ahead on ideals, but little else. You see, this isn't Oba's first startup and it would appear from a quick Google search that there may be a few skeletons in his startup closet.Oba's previous ventures include Ah Yer: a real estate listing site, Qirina: a keyword comparison site and Qondio: a social network for "netrepreneurs".Finally, there's Fortitude: a magazine Oba founded that appeared to be owned by its writers too. It doesn't take a lot of rummaging to find people who were allegedly left out of pocket, and there are many forum threads containing emails allegedly written by Oba, in which he offers shares in Zurker by way of compensation.So who is Nick Oba? A try-hard serial entrepreneur who's made some mistakes but is now trying to make a real difference and do something powerful and culturally-relevant? Or a bit of a chancer who is not to be trusted? We'll all have to watch this space.Ideas Bank is a new section on Wired.co.uk that houses opinionated guest posts on any "Wired" topic. Check out the guidelines here and send your ideas for guest posts to email@example.com, FAO Olivia Solon Edited by Olivia Solon Comments I don't usually comment on such articles, but here I must say, and after reading a few articles and digging in a bit:Zurker is most likely to be a scam at best, a big fat failure. Just look at all the comments here, evangelical and insanely insistent. If it's not a pyramid it's very similar.Other thing, Zurker is NOT part of any social networking revolution, it is simply trying to profit from a trend already in motion since at least 2 years. Oba sees other projects that are truly solving problems and has figure out a way to profit from the trend.However instead of solving the issues that people see with Facebook and other current centralised networks Zurker simply brings in more of the same with a twist of a misleading sense of democracy and user ownership.Lastly, I looked at the markup on Zurker's homepage, I have never seen such disgusting HTML. I cannot believe that anything of quality could come from such poorly written markup on such a simple web page. Manu Jun 18th 2012 when i opened webpage there is is a requirement of an invitation to signup how can i get an invitation please send ua answer to my mail harish Jul 17th 2012 excellent concept....good going zurker. amolika Jul 20th 2012 I think Zurker concept is a great idea!. However i used the site it's quite undeveloped. There are sites like Meelyoo.com already developed and doing quite well in this same arena. Mykos Inglewood Jul 26th 2012 Interesting concept. I joined and issued an invite to my partner. She joined on a different computer. I should have been granted two Vshares, but was not because of some reason that is not entirely clear. I will not invite anyone else, because I cannot promote on the basis of the Vshares, when it clearly...odd, shall we say Mark Jul 30th 2012 In reply to Mark Mark,If your friend joined Zurker on a different computer but was in the same house or from the same internet access point as yourself then the vshare won't count, i invited a friend and my son but they joined from the same access point as me and i was not given any vshares for either, but is that all you were inviting friends for, vshares, why not invite as many friends as you can and have fun Zurking??I am a Zurktastic Zurker fan, although only been with them for a couple of days now but i find the concept and the fact that it's NOT facebook very fresh, i like it. Paul Aug 17th 2012 Here is a link to join zurker. First Zurker address then /i-297582-llczpuwnhl lahiru Aug 26th 2012 So many bot posts! So many zurkers zurking! Makes me wonder whats is Zurker upto.This is my one time random visit to a page like this, will read wired, but will not bother checking this page ever again. FTR, I am a zurker, who is just waiting to see its epic fail. Ash Sep 16th 2012 Late to the party, but I followed the link and went to Mr. Oba's personal website. I read his "about me," and whether for good or ill, it is clearly a crafted, rhetorical argument seemingly designed to promote him as a somewhat benevolent and innocuous entrepreneur. I am not a trained rhetorician, but I can easily recognize the basic rhetorical elements of ethos, logos, and pathos embedded in the argument he presents on his website. Oh yes, it is an argument ... one attempting to convince an audience of Mr. Oba's upstanding nature. As I previously noted, I cannot say for certain whether Mr. Oba is in this social media venture for good or ill. I will just close with a question. How many men of French nationality have you met that did not like women or wine? vagabond Dec 14th 2012 Exactly how much do you know about Zurker, you are digging up Nick Oba's past perhaps in an attempt to dissuade potential newcomers from joining our great community. We the members of Zurker have contributed to it's growing greatness, and if critics such the likes of you actually stuck around for a while and got to know what really makes Zurker tick, then your review here would be one of much greater support to the cause. I've invested time and money into Zurker, I don't care one damn if I never see a penny back, why because I feel that in my time at Zurker, I have learned, gained and appreciated so much, an experience I am forever grateful of.... Now stick that in your pipe and smoke it! Zurkster Jan 1st 2013 Reply to a comment Name Email Comment Submit » Prev Next Page 4 of 4 1 2 3 4 Latest on wired.co.uk


text:
Developed in 2010, the USTA national volunteer competencies are focused on developing skills and talents in the USTA volunteer corps. The competencies are one of many factors considered in the Committee Appointment Process (CAP).
Competencies provide an objective set of behavioral characteristics - skills, experiences and attitudes - that help volunteers serve and develop themselves for a national leadership role.
Further descriptions of the competencies identified for national volunteers, as well as examples of how competencies are part of the national volunteer application, are available on SharePoint, no login required.
Copyright 2015 by United States Tennis Association. All Rights Reserved.
Online Advertising | Site Map | About Us | Careers | Internships | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Umpire Policy | Privacy Policy


text:
Program Details
Sandra McKenzie-Schmitt - Sculptor
Program Video
Sandra McKenzie Schmitt
Sculptor - Washington, IL
With a focus on ceramics, Sandra specializes in whimsical pieces that are both artistic and utilitarian. She is a working sculptor with pieces for sale across the country, a gallery owner, and active in art outreach in the community.
Biographical Information
Sandra McKenzie Schmitt,
Sandra McKenzie Schmitt originally earned a Masters Degree in intaglio printmaking, but she soon switched to clay when, having moved to New York with her printmaker husband, it became clear that "it wasn't good for both of us to work in the same studio." She took to it immediately and, beginning with a figurative sculpture show at Gallery 10 in New York City in 1973, she's been a working artist ever since. She later earned an M.F.A. from Bradley University with an emphasis on ceramic sculpture with additional work in bronze, stone carving, and metal fabrication. Sandra's sculptures are represented in more than twenty galleries across the United States, and she travels to art shows across the country. She currently owns McKenzie River Pottery in Washington, Illinois, where she creates her own work and represents other clay artists from central Illinois and across the United States. She is also active in arts outreach, working with kids from Taft Homes, teaching them how to create their own master works.
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WTVP 47 · 101 State Street, Peoria, Illinois 61602-1547 (309)677-4747WTVP & WTVP.org, Public Media for Central Illinois© 1995-2015 Illinois Valley Public Telecommunications Corporation


text:
- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com -
Sheriff Calls For An Educated Armed Public
Posted By yihan On February 19, 2013 @ 5:34 am In constitution,Featured Stories,Old Infowars Posts Style,Tile | Comments Disabled
Feb 19, 2013
Alex welcomes Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke who recently urged the citizens he serves to consider learning firearm safety because of "a duty to protect yourself and your family."
Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com
URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/sheriff-calls-for-an-educated-armed-public/
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