text:
VCU Wins 68-52 as Havoc Defense Befuddles URI
Friday, February 07, 2014
Football fans witnessed a stinker of a Super Bowl last Sunday when the Seahawks used their unorthodox, aggressive defensive scheme to thwart Peyton Manning and the Broncos' historic offense.
After Thursday night's game at Virginia Commonwealth, URI basketball fans can relate, aside from having a record breaking offense.
Using their trademark "Havoc" pressure defense, VCU frustrated a depleted Rhody roster all night to the tune of 35% shooting and an offensive performance that resulted in more turnovers (20) than made shots (18).
VCU was just as inept shooting the basketball, converting just 34% of their field goal chances Thursday. The home team won in convincing fashion due to their defensive advantage, winning the steals battle 13 to 6 and turning the ball over just 11 times compared to URI's 20.
Due to the lack of shooting touch displayed by both teams, there were 84 rebounds between the two squads Thurday, with VCU earning a narrow 44-40 edge. VCU was led by Juvonte Reddic's 14 points and 11 rebounds.
For URI, Jarelle Reischel scored a team-high 11 points off the bench and Gilvydas Biruta ripped down a game-high 14 rebounds. URI's inability to develop an offensive rhythm was evidenced by the struggles of their top 3 scorers- Xavier Munford, E.C. Matthews, and Biruta. The trio combined to shoot 9-33 (27%) from the floor.
VCU improves to 19-4 overall and 7-1 in the Atlantic 10. It's looking more and more like Shaka Smart's team will be heading back to the NCAA Tournament this season.
URI drops to 11-12 overall and 2-6 in the A-10. Rhody's next game is Sunday at the Ryan Center against UMass. That game tips at 4 p.m.
--This is the first time this season that URI's overall record has sagged below .500. A big part of the recent struggles for URI has been their inability to win road games in conference play (they're currently 0-5 in that department). Head Coach Dan Hurley spoke Monday on the Atlantic 10 Coaches' Conference Call about his team's struggles away from home as well as the overall depth of the A-10 playing a role in URI's recent skid.
"Road games in conference are just so difficult to win, and home games aren't much easier," said Hurley. "There's nowhere you can look on your schedule and find an easy one."
--Hurley also elaborated Monday on the difficulty his players are facing given the shortened rotation (URI is down to 8 available scholarship players).
"Every time we step on the floor in this conference, If we're not at our best we have no chance to win," he said.
--One bright spot of late for URI has been the resurgence of Reischel, the sophomore transfer from Rice. Reischel lost his spot in the starting lineup early in the season and hadn't been performing up to expectations off the bench, but he's turned in back to back solid efforts for URI and is quickly becoming an "X-Factor" for the team off the bench. Hurley said Monday that he never lost faith in Resichel as a player and that he expects him to produce the way he has been of late.
"We believe in his talent," Hurley said. "It's our job as coaches to get that out of him."
--Looking ahead to UMass, the Minutemen have been in a bit of a slump lately and fell out of the Top 25 polls this week as a result. URI is still in for a tough game Sunday and Hurley is especially worried about containing star point guard Chaz Williams, a Conference Player of the Year candidate.
"Dealing with a point guard like Chaz Williams is going to be a great challenge," said Hurley, referencing the fact that URI has lost their two point guards in Mike Powell (transfer) and Biggie Minnis (injury) from the start of the season.


text:
ANTIQUE CHINESE DRAGON ROBE EMBROIDERED SILK DRAGON by toottootsie
Here is an antique Chinese silk embroidered dragon robe.The robe is very large and it may have been a robe that went over a statueit is so large.The
Embroidery, Textiles, Linens at Antique Online Auctions
Embroidery, Textiles, Linens. Antique Online Auctions features antiques, art, antique furniture, antique map, lamp and more at cheap prices.
Embroidery Textiles, Linens Antiques For Sale | Wholesale
Bargains on New and Used Embroidery Textiles, Linens Antiques for sale cheap, buy Embroidery Textiles, Linens Antiques at discount
eBay – CHINESE EMBROIDERY ANTIQUE EMBROIDERY CHINESE EMBROIDERED
Antique Chinese Silk Embroidery Civil Rank Badge Set · ANTIQUE CHINESE SILK EMBROIDERY RANK BADGE W FLOWERS · Antique Chinese Forbidden Stitch Embroidery Rank Badge
Stitches Used in Antique Chinese Embroidery: Cloths, Threads and
Stitches Used in Antique Chinese Embroidery Cloths, Threads and Designs in China's Old Embroideries
Lot:AN ANTIQUE CHINESE SILK EMBROIDERED DRAGON KIMONO, Lot Number:143, Starting Bid:$500, Auctioneer:Simpson Galleries, Auction:Simpson Galleries Fine Art Auction, Date
Collecting Antique Chinese Embroidery: Oriental Embroideries To
Ever since dragon robes and bound feet shoes were brought out of China at the beginning of the twentieth century, Asian embroidery has fascinated westerners.
Chinese antique furniture, Asian furniture exporter,antiques
Chinese Furniture,Chinese antique furniture,oriental antiques, Antique Asian Furniture,Classical Chinese Furniture,Tibetan, Japanese, Korean homedeco, eastern home
Chinese furniture, antique furniture, Asian antiques, China
folkartcn Chinese antique furniture, Tibetan furniture, handbags, cushions,table runners, Asian , household supply,Porcelain, handmade crafts, ceramics, China
CHINESE SILK EMBROIDERY Framed Antique Art Work
Antique Chinese Silk Embroidery Several stains on the silk embroidery Double Matted ivory & sage beautifully complements the work. Gold Bamboo frame with high quality
Interact China items – Get great deals on Antique Embroidery
13 results found: Antique Embroidery Textile Art Miao Hmong Costume #165 · Antique Embroidery Textile Art Miao Hmong Costume #139 · Antique Embroidery Textile Art
Antique Chinese silk robe with exquisite hand embroidery featuring
Antique Chinese silk robe with exquisite hand embroidery featuring bird flowers butterflies dragon Tapestry – Textile by Chinese embroidery master, Antique Chinese silk
Antique Embroidery – Old And Sold Antiques Auction
Although the art of embroidery was practised very many centuries ago, the collector is unlikely to be able to acquire much that was made prior to about 1650.
Hand drawing white furniture, Chinese antique furniture, silk
Feature Products. folkartcn Chinese antique furniture, silk embroidery, cushion, handbags, Asian antiques, Asian old . Product Description
antique chinese silk embroidered wall hanging birds 58 this is a really beautiful pearl colored silk embroidered wall hanging featuring large white birds on and around
Chinese silk handbags, cushion, table runners, gift, embroidery
Manufacturer and exporter of Chinese antique furniture, reproduction furniture, Asian antiques, and oriental. Shanghai.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Public Group
active 2 days, 5 hours ago
Group for fans going to the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
More comments from F1 Fanatics on Spa
This topic contains 0 replies, has 1 voice, and was last updated by Keith Collantine 5 years, 8 months ago.
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


text:
Suit over bed taxes may go to high court
Published: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 7:03 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 7:03 p.m.
The Florida Supreme Court may take up an ongoing legal case that pits Alachua County and other counties throughout the state against online travel companies like Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz in a bed-tax dispute.
This week, the 1st District Court of Appeal denied a request for a hearing in front of the full court and instead asked the state Supreme Court to resolve the dispute, which hinges on whether the companies are properly paying tourist-development taxes, also known as bed taxes, to counties. The Supreme Court could refuse the request.
A three-judge panel for the appeals court favored the companies in a 2-1 decision in February, according to The News Service of Florida. The appeals court's request is also known as certifying a question of "great public importance" to the Florida Supreme Court.
The crux of the dispute centers on how the businesses should apply bed taxes to their transactions. They charge customers a total price for a room rental in addition to service fees, but the companies only apply the bed tax to the room rate they pay hotels.
The 17 counties involved in this case, including Alachua County, argue the companies should pay the tax on the total amount they charge. The businesses disagree.
Before the appeals court panel ruled in favor of the companies, the counties lost an earlier round of this lengthy fight when a state Circuit Court judge in Tallahassee ruled against them last year.
Alachua County loses about $100,000 a year because of the way online travel companies pay bed taxes. The county levies a bed tax of 5 cents per dollar and uses the money to promote local tourism. It collected $3.5 million in bed-tax revenue for fiscal year 2012.
John Pricher, assistant director of Visit Gainesville, which handles tourism sales and marketing for the county, said he considers the case a matter of public importance because it could change the online travel companies' industry as a whole if the counties prevail.
Tourism is the No. 1 industry in Florida, he said, making this issue important not just for the theme-park hub of Central Florida or beach towns along the coast, but also for cities throughout the state.
"There's so many different facets to Florida tourism," he said. "It's not only theme parks. It's not only a beach."
This case's resolution will impact the counties and companies more than the consumers, he said. People reserving a hotel room are driven by price, not by how the tax money they pay is split up.
If the counties win the case, Alachua County could recoup about $600,000 in uncollected tax revenue from the last 10 years.
But Pricher doubts the counties will recoup past money they lost out on even if they prevail in court. The most important thing, he said, is to ensure the bed taxes are applied properly in the future.
Contact Morgan Watkins at 338-3104 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Club History
It all started with three small notices put in the local paper late in 2007 and a get together of interested folk was held on 16th Dec 2007. About 22 people attended and decided to form a photographic club.
Our Official Formation Meeting was held on 16th Feb 2008, and the East Gippsland Photographic Society was born.
Our Vision: To foster the growth and development of photography in East Gippsland.
Our Mission: East Gippsland Photographic Society is committed to improving the opportunities available to the East Gippsland community to develop their photographic skills and techniques, by learning to make interesting images, entering competitions, National and International exhibitions and attending conventions. It will provide access for all whenever it can, encompassing a variety of skill levels, ages, gender, socio-economic backgrounds and geographical locations.


text:
(Adds Mallinckrodt response; updates shares)
Nov 10 (Reuters) - Influential short-seller Citron Research's Andrew Left, who accused Mallinckrodt Plc of being an offender of the reimbursement system, told CNBC on Tuesday that he has a short position on the company's stock.
Mallinckrodt's stock plunged 26 percent on Monday after Left's tweet on the drugmaker.
However, the stock recovered on Tuesday and were up 8.11 percent at $62.71 in late afternoon trading as Left did not lay out specific accusations against the company.
Left, in the interview to CNBC, accused Mallinckrodt's Chief Executive Mark Trudeau of misrepresenting the efficacy of the drugmaker's biggest product, Acthar.
Acthar, which has been in the U.S. market for the past 65 years, accounted for about 28 percent of Mallinckrodt's latest quarterly revenue of $965.1 million.
Mallinckrodt gained rights to Acthar Gel through its acquisition of Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc for about $5.6 billion in 2014.
Trudeau called the short-seller's accusations "completely false" in an interview with CNBC.
Citron published a scathing report on Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc late October, accusing the Canadian drugmaker of using specialty pharmacies to inflate revenue. Shares plunged 40 percent on the day.
"My short on Valeant has been significantly scaled down from where it was earlier," Left told CNBC on Tuesday. (Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Sriraj Kalluvila)


text: A scan of the daily price charts for several raw commodity markets (grains, cotton, gold, livestock, sugar and natural gas) shows that fledgling uptrends are occurring, or at least those markets have rebounded well up from their recent lows.While the raw commodity bulls have more work to do to make a convincing case that the sector is in a fresh bull run, the rebounds in market price are a significant early clue that the entire raw commodity sector has hit or is close to a major bottom. There still may be some rocky times ahead for the major commodity-consuming world economies -- they must endure the European Union sovereign debt and financial crisis that continues to play out. However, markets tend to factor in expected events well before they actually occur. In other words, recent price action in the commodity markets suggests that the market senses that the worst of the E.U. debt crisis and world economic stagnation is behind us and that better times are in the not-too-distant future. Now is the time for commercial end-users of raw commodities to consider locking in prices for as far out into the future as possible. In the opinion of this veteran commodity market watcher, most raw commodity market prices have bottomed out or are close to doing so. Importantly, any experienced commodity hedger in any major commodity market will also profess that trying to correctly time and pick precise market bottoms (or tops) is a futile endeavor. It's generally agreed that a commodity market hedger who can get a price locked in at the lower one-third of its recent historical trading range for buyers, or the top one-third of that range for sellers, is a good move. And if the notion that the raw commodity sector is close to bottoming is way off the mark and if commodity market prices in general still have significantly farther to fall, this would suggest that the world's major economies have slipped back into recession and that a prolonged period of world economic stagnation is possible.


text:
Here's an up-to-date release schedule for Infogrames North America's current software line-up for the Sony PlayStation. As always, these dates are subject to change.
Eagle One - February 2000
Striker Pro 2000 - March 2000
Test Drive Le Mans - March 2000
Test Drive Cycles - Summer 2000
Test Drive Rally - Summer 2000
Wacky Races - Summer 2000
IGNPSX will have more information on these hot titles from Infogrames, as it becomes available. Stay tuned.


text:
Founded in 1836, Cherokee County lies in the north-east corner of Alabama and was originally Cherokee territory before becoming a state county.
When doing research for Cherokee County public records, you will likely find what you are looking for at the health department office in Centre. That is where you can order certified copies of most vital records for the county, and for any other county in Alabama.
At the office, you can fill out an application form and make your request. You will have to provide ID when you do so as well as pay the current search fee. If they can't find the Cherokee County public record you are looking for, you will not get a refund because you are paying for the search not the document.
The state Vital Records Department also accepts requests, and you can send your application and fee by mail to Montgomery. It's usually a 7 to 10 day wait to get your ordered documents back to you. A visit to the health office in Centre usually means while-you-wait service.
Cherokee County Birth Records
Cherokee County birth records are the hardest to access unless you are looking for your own or an immediate family member's records. In that case, you just need to fill out the forms and make the request. The cost for each certified copy is $15 USD. For other records, you can only access them if they are more than 125 years old (based on the date of birth). They are considered confidential until that time.
Cherokee County Death Records
The privacy time-frame for Cherokee County death records is only 25 years. For any deaths within that time, you can only get a copy of the record if you are the parent, child, spouse or sibling of the deceased. Copies are $15 USD each, but you can usually get free access through the State Archive or even through an online genealogy search since the records are publicly available (provided they are older than 25 years). You can also find death record information through old newspaper archives and church records.
Cherokee County Marriage Records
Marriage records have only been kept by the state since 1936, but any Cherokee County marriage record from after that date will be freely accessible to the public. There are no relationship or time restrictions. A marriage record will cost you $15 USD, just like the other types of vital records. Since 1950, divorce records have also been kept by the state and are open to the public.
Cherokee County Criminal Records
Unlike the vital records listed above, Cherokee County criminal records are not open to requests by the public. You also do not order these from the county, but rather then Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center in Montgomery. Employers have limited access for background checks and individuals are allowed to get copies of their own Cherokee County criminal records if they wish. The cost for the documents is $25 USD and you will need to include your fingerprints along with the forms (available from the ACJIC website).


text:
The Big Bang Theory Bazinga! Ladies T-Shirt
Official Merch
(approx. $21.74 or €18.86)
- Out of Stock - Product Discontinued
- Official Merchandise
Product Info
Any aspiring scientific genius will be familiar with the catchphrase of geeky Dr Sheldon Cooper from the comedy TV show The Big Bang Theory. Display the slogan Bazinga! with pride with this vibrant red ladies tee. 100% Official.
- Product Type: Ladies T-shirt
- Product Code: 48560


text:
Nokia Lumia 2520: all the new features roundup
0. phoneArena posted on 22 Oct 2013, 06:08
Microsoft might have its Surface 2 tablet to show for Windows RT, but Nokia seems to have just one-upped it with its first contemporary tablet effort, the Lumia 2520. The slate offers plenty of boutique features, tailoring the design to the way people usually hold and use tablets, and giving it something no other slate can boast - the highest tablet screen brightness of 650 nits, coupled with the record sub-6% light reflectance, making it the best slab to use outdoors, even under direct sunlight. That doesn't exhaust the list of notable feature coming with the $499 Nokia Lumia 2520, so check them out in our slideshow...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. bbblader (Posts: 590; Member since: 24 Oct 2011)
this kills!
2. rodkurt (Posts: 128; Member since: 29 Nov 2012)
Been waiting for a good Windows tab and I guess I found it :D
3. -box- (Posts: 3991; Member since: 04 Jan 2012)
Good stuff, even though it's RT 8.1.
That cyan is sexy. Wish they still offered it on the phones. My Lumia 900 got more attention than my Lumia 925 (white, T-Mobile US).
4. naveenstuns (Posts: 177; Member since: 19 Feb 2012)
This thing is gorgeous
5. power_x (Posts: 264; Member since: 28 Aug 2013)
This thing is a win
6. sonisoe (Posts: 435; Member since: 06 May 2009)
windows rt ? forget it, no matter how beautiful it is.... i wonder why not just windows....
7. mousesports (Posts: 279; Member since: 28 Feb 2013)
Go next door .. try android or IOS , we dont care .... Trolls like you are NOTHING ! just noobs looking around and post + 1
8. InspectorGadget80 (unregistered)
Love to buy the red one. But need a price tag for wifi


text:
If the engine cranks but does not start, and diagnosis shows no fuel pressure, the fuel pump relay is frequently the problem. If the fuel pump relay is defective, the fuel pump will not energize and therefore, not generate fuel pressure so the engine can run.
Problem Description and Possible Solution
Problem Data
RepairPal Verified
Average mileage: (–)
5 people reported this problem


text:
Obama outlines his vision for US
President Barack Obama surprised observers with the unprecedented liberal and progressive tone of his second inaugural address yesterday, calling for "our gay brothers and sisters" to be given the right to marry, and making his strongest pitch in years for action to slow climate change.
The president also signalled that he will be more combative in dealing with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. "We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate," he said.
Despite the more confrontational tone, the address was positive about prospects for his second term. "A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun," Mr Obama said. "America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands . . . We are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together."
The ceremony was steeped in the legacies of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King jnr; the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement – Mr Obama took the oath of office on Bibles that belonged to Lincoln and King.
Up to 700,000 people, compared to close to two million who attended Mr Obama's first inauguration four years ago, began converging on the Mall before dawn. The crowd was nonetheless the largest recorded for a second inauguration. Mr Obama is the 17th US president to serve a second term.
Mr Obama said the ceremony bore witness to "the enduring strength of our Constitution". Speakers boasted that the US holds an unparalleled 224-year record for the uninterrupted, peaceful transition of power.
James Taylor sang America the Beautiful, while Beyoncé closed the ceremony with The Star Spangled Banner.
After the address, Mr and Mrs Obama, vice president Joe Biden and Mrs Biden, feasted on steamed lobster, hickory-grilled bison and apple pie with lawmakers. They then drove and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where they watched the parade from a viewing stand. Eight official floats, more than 8,800 people — 2,100 of them military — and some 200 animals took part.
It was in fact Mr Obama's fourth swearing in. He took the oath twice in 2009 because the Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts fumbled his lines the first time. This year, he took the oath in private on January 20th, as the Constitution requires, and again yesterday on the Capitol steps.
Yesterday's celebrations were more subdued than in 2009. "This entire event is taking place in the shadow of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School," explained Michael Cornfield, a political scientist from George Washington University, referring to the massacre of 20 children and six adults in Connecticut last month. "It would almost be unseemly to be too exuberant."
Forty thousand people attended two official inaugural balls last night, compared to 10 in 2009. Four days of celebration, which began on Saturday and will culminate this morning with a prayer service in the National Cathedral, are expected to cost $100 million.


text:
OPI Gets Creative in the Inspiration Department
Most Popular
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Last week, the world issued a collective, "Huh?" when OPI announced they'd made nail polish with Justin Bieber.
Most Popular
This week, they're talking about their Burlesque collaboration.
Both sources of inspiration are colorful, and shiny, and new, and most definitely glossy — but neither brings to mind something we'd want to wear seven days in a row. Because even though the Bieber color's fun and the Burlesque colors are perfectly on trend for fall, there's one huge problem. Anytime you wear a polish that pretty you're peppered with, "Oooh what nail polish is that?"
Is this the kind of time you boast about it's Bieber-meets-Cher origins like it's the new vintage? Or do you lie and say, "Oh, it's an unreleased Chanel?"
More from ELLE:


text:
Picking up a political issue, the film highlights a CIA Agent who must save her reputation, her career and her family as her covert status is revealed.
The first clip for "Fair Game" has been made available for viewing pleasure. Featuring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, the video follows the lead actor as he comes toward the female lead and confronts her but she keeps defending herself.
Based on a true story, the film focuses on CIA Agent Valerie Plame who leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Her diplomat husband Joe Wilson writes an article that ignites a firestorm of controversy after alleging the administration for manipulating intelligence about the weapons to justify the invasion of Iraq.
Soon after, Plame's covert status is reported by a high-profile Washington journalist. With her cover blown and her overseas contacts placed in mortal danger, Plame is pushed to the breaking point as her career and private life collapse. She now struggles to save her reputation, her career and her family.
Directed by Doug Liman, the film has Naomi Watts playing Valerie Plame and Sean Penn starring as her husband. This drama biography is competing for Palme d'Or at 2010 Cannes Film Festival which is kicked off on May 12 and will run until date 23 of the same month. "Fair Game" is scheduled to be released later this year.


text:
Mystic Out-Bop Review Album Music Players
click on the album title to launch its music player.
formed in the spring of 2000. Drummer, Chico, and bassist Kit had been performing together for several years beforehand and through a Captain Beefheart connection Chico, sensing a good fit asked saxophonist Alonzo to come rehearse with them. In a free improv session out in Kit's barn the chemistry clicked, and they never looked back.
With a common interest in free improv jazz, obscure world music, 1960's Italian soundtracks, outsider music and fellow new music performers we have developed, between the three of us, a common musical base. A fluent lingua-musica that allows us to create performances by conversing in this language. Because of this intuited communication our spontaneous compositions often come off sounding like rehearsed written pieces, when in fact they are made up on the spot. The sounds in our performances range from quiet textural sonic atmospheres to fiery aggressive free-jazz.
Out-bop is a coined term meant to point in two directions. One to the past and to bebop and one to the future and out/outside-beyond music. Bebop is the resurgent modern jazz movement of the late 40's early 50s that was active among a small cadre of musician who longed to make music that was vital and new. They felt no urge to appease popular sentiment, actually quite the opposite, as they purposefully made music to challenge their audience. Bebop was urban and gritty and streetwise. It was also technical and difficult to play but for the initiated. It's a curious historical note that jazz critics of the time maligned these innovators who are now lionized by the current jazz establishment. You won't find the technical musical notation of bebop in our music (except in occasional quotations or in mutant form) but we very much aspire to the energy that inspired that original art form. They created because they were driven by their artistry and kinship and commitment to a new musical form. The " out" of out-bop can be taken as a variety of flavors. It can be Outrageous or Outsider. But mostly it refers to the avant-garde which by definition is always ahead of the mainstream and hence outside of it. Out-Bop, put together is music that reflects on jazz improvisation roots,not in an academic-repertory way, but in an artist-energy way and throws it into the flames of the future where it is incenderized in an air of mystery and awe. In the 60's it was The New Thing or Fire music today it is Out-Bop.
aka Frank Turek (Saxophones, wind synthesizer) has been active in the Portland music scene for the past fifteen years; co-founder and artistic director to Portland's original surf instrumental band Shutdown 66, originator of the circus jazz, avant schmaltz sax and drum duo The Clown School Dropouts as well as a four year tenure as organ player for the sixties garage sound band Lady Kensington and the Beatlords. Currently he spends much time working on his art assemblage pieces at his studio space in Portland: ubu studio. He can also be seen on the street in the guise of Cranky, the Clown School Dropout playing his signature straight alto saxophone. Cranky on Facebook.
aka Francesco Sanfilippo (percussion,drums) has played in Portland, ME with avant-rock groups black tara, Chiasso, the trees, and The Mandrill Pedestrian Expedition and more recently a part of the free jazz Bright Light Group. He also plays with the standards-based jazz group Bright Lights (no relation to the aforementioned, Bright Light Group), and Ocean Sol Jazz. Chico gives drum lessons and presentations on the the history of drums and produced. He's released two CDs, maestro Toto', involving various local musicians, and Hipstrumental. He also teaches and practices Nonviolent Communication as developed by Marshall Rosenberg. Chico's side-projects can be heard at his Myspace page, hipstrumental .
(upright bass) has studied physics, jazz, and classical music performance privately and in college, and played bouzouki in the Greek band Opa Opa. He has been performing and recording with free jazz/free improv guitarist Jeff Platz in the northeast USA and Europe. Outside of performing, he currently teaches high school chemistry and physics, tutors math, and has been swallowed whole by a passion for analog music synthesis which he incorporates in Mystic Out-bop Review performances.


text:
INSIDE DETAILS: Amanda Bynes Checks In to Fitness Retreat to Lose 5 Pounds and Get Healthy
Amanda Bynes is determined to start the New Year working on the new her.
The recently-rehabbed star checked into Miracles Fitness Retreat in Sandy, Utah for a week-long intensive workout therapy, and CB! has all the inside details.
"She wanted to work out and get in better shape," owner Austan Torson told Celebuzz, adding that the actress researched the resort on her own to partake in the jumpstart fitness program. And she was willing to pay big bucks to see results — to the tune of $3,250 for seven days.
"Obviously, after everything she's been through, she wanted to tone up, get in better shape and revitalize her health."
And that meant shedding some weight. But for the 27-year-old who has admitted to battling anorexia and body image issues and completed treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, that meant taking it step by step.
"She wanted to lose five pounds," Torson said, adding that she followed a strict plan complete with private chefs, healthy cuisine, personal trainers, and medically supervised programs.
"We had some pretty deep discussions and I had a lot of one-on-one time with her and from my perspective I got to know her pretty well," he said.
"We worked with her on her conditions and she's altered a lot of that and recognized that wasn't helping her."
The Hairpsray star also took part in plenty of activities, including Zoomba, yoga, pilates and racketball – for not one, not two… but six hours a day!
"She is at her peek condition right now. And she met her goal," said Torson.
"She loved training with our fitness director. It's called 'hit training', high intensity interval training and our most intensive workout."
But Bynes' live-in stay didn't come without some apprehension.
"I was a little bit concerned in the beginning, I have to admit. And I told her that," Torson confessed. "We're working out six hours a day and for most of our clients it's hard to get up in the morning. And I was concerned she wouldn't get up, but she came to every workout class, every lecture and every meal.
"She was very interactive with people, friendly and super nice," he added.
"She's over come a lot of challenges. To me, she didn't seen to have that many issues. She had a good head on her shoulders."
And her comeback year didn't end when she checked out Jan. 12. Bynes has also just started fashion school classes at FIDM in Los Angeles.
"She said she wanted to come back after her first semester of school."


text:
Smiley Eau de Toilette
- 1 reviews See the Breakdown
- Product Info | Add Your Review
Smiley Eau de Toilette Reviews
The best parfum !This is my Favourite parfum, simply delicious. Is very expensive but I have find an ebay seller whit a very low price. I use every day at the morning and I'm so very happy :) This is a parfum by Ora Itto a famous french designer. This parfum is very popular on USA, Australia and North of Europe, here in England is very very expensive, so there is un popular by price. 100ml EDT bottle cost in Lond...read moreon 250€ prox in Germany arround 100€ and I have bouhgt in ebay at 19€!! Is the original parfum. I have bouth 14 bottles http://stores . ebay . es /BilmaChic/Smiley-/_i.html?_fsub=2999153016&_sid=370301826&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 — 5 years, 2 months agoelvira_granja | 2 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 2 people said helpful
to top
My Reasons for Reporting This


text:
The RGM-79G GM Command is a mass-produced general purpose mobile suit and variant of the RGM-79 GM, built by the Earth Federation Forces. The unit is featured in the anime mini-series Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket.
Technology & Combat Characteristics
Built along the same frame of the RGM-79SP GM Sniper II, the GM Command was intended to be a high performance mobile suit for commanders of MS squadrons. It featured more thrusters to make it more agile to the standard GM. There was also a space version made of the GM Command, the RGM-79GS GM Command Space Type, which was essentially the same as the ground type, but removed the equipment needed to work on Earth and in space colonies. Both versions of the GM Command were too expensive to mass-produce in great numbers so limited numbers were fielded during the final weeks of the One Year War.
- 60mm Vulcan Gun
- A standard armament of the mobile suits that are descended from the Earth Federation Forces's RX series is a pair of head mounted 60mm vulcan guns. These shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire but have little power and can't damage the thick armor of a mobile suit, though it can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. The weapons are ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles, small land vehicles, and attack helicopters.
- Beam Saber
- The standard close range armament for most Federation mobile suits. The beam saber is a small cylindrical device held in the mobile suit's hands when operated and is powered by an energy capacitor that is recharged from special racks. The beam saber is capable of cutting through any metal that has not been treated with anti-beam coating. Unlike the standard GM, which has only 1 beam saber stored on its backpack, the GM Command has 2 beam sabers stored on the back of its skirt armor.
- NFHI RGM-M-Sh-AGD Shield
- Shields are simple in their design, being essentially thick slabs of metal that the equipped mobile suit can use to absorb the impact from attacks that, for whatever reason, cannot be dodged. However shields can only withstand so much pressure before becoming damaged themselves. As technology progressed it became necessary for shields to be treated with an anti-beam coating as a measure of defense against beam weapons which can normally penetrate any physical barrier, however the coating gets gradually burned away each time a beam strikes it until it is rendered useless.
- Typically shields used by GM series mobile suits are almost the length of the mobile suit's height and are carried in the left hand.
- HWF GMG·MG79-90mm Bullpup Machine Gun
- The bullpup machine gun is an open-bolt, gas-operated, magazine-fed, mobile suit handheld sub-machine gun. It does not require energy to be used, however it is ineffective against heavy armor. When the magazine is empty, it can be discarded and replaced with a new one.
- NF·GMG-Type.37/100mm Machine Gun
- The standard armament for Federation mobile suit ground forces, the Type 37 is an open-bolt, gas-operated, magazine-fed, mobile suit handheld machine gun. It fires a 100x450 millimeter round at a rate of 500 rounds per minute and is loaded with a 20-round box magazine. Features include a folding stock and swivel forward hand grip. Maximum effective range of 1.5 kilometers.
- BOWA BG-M-79F-3A Beam Gun
- A standard hand carried ranged beam weapon for the RGM-79G is a beam gun, which is powered by a rechargeable energy cap. Capable of firing concentrated mega particles, attacks from the beam gun can damage any ordinary armor that has not been specially treated to resist it.
- BLASH HB-L-03/N-STD Hyper Bazooka
- Technically a large rocket launcher it could fire several 380mm missiles to attack targets at long range. No mass-production MS's armor is able to stop this weapon. While very powerful, it has a slow rate of fire and a fairly little amount of ammunition. Most oftenly used to take out slow, heavily armored targets.
- NFHI·GMCa-type.09/180mm Cannon
- The Type 09 artillery cannon fires a 180x800 millimeter HE round and is loaded with an eight (8) round box magazine. Maximum effective range 3.0 kilometers. Features include a swivel-out forward hand grip and top carrying handle.
- NFHI*EPHB-type.Doc-04/380mm Hyper Bazooka
- The ground-type hyper bazooka fires a 380x1900 millimeter HEDP rocket at ranges up to 2.5 kilometers. It is loaded with a 5-round box magazine with one round pre-loaded into the chamber.
Special Equipment & Features
- Parachute Pack
- An optional backpack equipment created by the Federation for use by their Mobile Suits for paradrop missions from the Medea Transport Plane. The backpack contains three parachutes and four thrusters to help in making a safe descent to the ground, once touchdown had been accomplished the backpack would be ejected as to not hinder the Mobile Suits performance in ground combat.
The GM Command was built in the last weeks of the One Year War, however they were never produced in the numbers to make a difference to the Federation's war effort. Those that were built typically did not see front-line action, instead being regulated to colony and base defense. A number of these machines were assigned to the Federation forces stationed at the Neutral Side 6 Libot Colony, at least three of which were assigned to Gray Phantom's Scarlet Team. There these mobile suits would battle with the Zeon forces' mobile suits that had infiltrated the colony in search of Federation activity. Initially while the Federation was hesitant to aid the colony in their defense they had no choice when the Zeon's MS-18E Kämpfer appeared to be too much for the Colony defense forces. However despite being superior to the standard GM and had already defeated several MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai several days earlier, the Kämpfer was too much and wiped out all of Scarlet team's mobile suits, as well as anything else that stood in its way until it reached the Gundam. During U.C. 0081 some GM Command units were assigned to the Phantom Sweep Corps for their battles against Zeon Remnants, these units featured the team emblem on their shields.
- RGM-79G GM Command Early Type
- The initial production version of the GM Command. Some units would be used by the Guinea Pig Team, one of the Federation's experimental corps. This model used the same backpack as the RGM-79D GM Cold Climate Type.
Picture Gallery
External links
|Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 Mechanics
|Earth Federation Forces
|Mobile Weapon
|Mobile Suit
RGM-79D GM Cold Climate Type | RGM-79G GM Command | RGM-79GS GM Command Space Type | RGM-79SP GM Sniper II | RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type | RX-78NT-1 Gundam "Alex"
|Mobile Pod
|Land Vehicle
Cold District Use APC
|Transporter / Supply Ship
63 STS "Ginga" | C-88 Medea
|Cruiser / Mother Ship
LMSD-76 Gray Phantom
|Principality of Zeon
|Mobile Weapon
| Mobile Suit
MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai | MS-09R-2 Rick Dom II | MS-14Jg Gelgoog Jäger | MS-18E Kämpfer | MSM-03C Hygogg | MSM-07E Z'Gok-E
|Ship / Submarine
|Transporter / Supply Ship
Camouflaged Freighter
|Cruiser / Mother Ship
Musai-class Final Production Type | Tivvay-class
|Riah Republic
|Mobile Weapon
|Mobile Suit
RH-35E Riah 35 Draken-E
|Land Vehicle
Missile Car


text:
An Early Signal for a Rally
That looks more like what we wanted to see. Maybe we are getting a sign of an upturn developing, but if so, it is still far from clear-cut. I was unhappy that we were seeing no fear in spite of the slide.
But on Tuesday, in response to international tensions, the volume came in decidedly on the declining issue, as the markets again broke a support level. The Arms index for the day was 2.65, meaning that the declining stocks were getting nearly three times their fair share of the volume. That looked like fearful selling....374 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
Already a Subscriber? Please login.


text:
Tea Party Patriots rolled out twenty ideas for its Contract From America on Monday, culled from over a thousand suggestions. Their plan is to collect votes and produce a statement of ten principles, similar in structure to the Contract With America, which helped drive the Republican congressional gains of 1994.
This is an important step for the Tea Party movement to take. I don't believe there has ever been a true grassroots movement of this size, energy, and endurance within my lifetime. It began with the arrogance of the Democrats' performance at town hall meetings for health care reform. Even the most moderate voter doesn't like being told he needs to shut up and accept a government takeover of his health insurance, through legislation written behind closed doors and left half-complete at best, voted into law by representatives who would never read it.
This blossomed into a more comprehensive rejection of the entire direction our government is taking, along with a mature understanding that Barack Obama didn't so much change our course, as radically increase our velocity. The madness of a bankrupt government itching to spend even more money, and incompetent central planners unveiling even more complex and doomed designs, has produced an energetic and determined resistance. Contrary to its media caricature, it's not an angry resistance – any Tea Party veteran can testify to the level of optimism and determination. Resistance and dissent are not the same as vandalism.
One way or the other, through renewal or systemic failure, the New Deal ends with Barack Obama. If the architects of the New Deal could have reviewed the first year of the Obama presidency, the whole misbegotten affair would have died stillborn… but history has unfolded behind us, and the challenge facing everyone, other than the socialist dead-enders, is what to do next.
It is a formidable challenge. I'm optimistic that we'll get it done, because America has a long track record of overcoming formidable challenges. Success is not a foregone conclusion, and it will not be delivered to those who "hope" for "change." Hope is passive. The future demands Courage and Industry, not Hope and Change. To appreciate the magnitude of the challenge ahead, consider that merely trimming our government back to bloated George Bush levels would require the most spectacular reductions in spending and regulation we've seen in the modern era… and we have to do much better than just limping back to Day 1 of the Obama Error.
Turning from a critique of failure to positive action for success requires a statement of principle, and a distinct plan of action. These are two different things, something the authors of the Mount Vernon Statement appear to have forgotten. It's useful as a broad statement of principle, but we must also develop a strategy that supports our philosophy. Perhaps the Mount Vernon group is working on that – I certainly don't want to discourage their efforts. It seems like the Tea Party is a little ahead of them when it comes to an action plan. Will the two groups compete for the allegiance of conservatives and reform-minded moderates? I hope so. We'd all benefit from watching such a competition unfold.
This is a unique moment in history. I don't like the rancid "never waste a crisis" rhetoric of Rahm Emmanuel, because the crisis is awful, and we'd have been better off without it. Teachable moments are not a bargain when they cost thousands of jobs, and trillions of dollars stolen from our children. Nevertheless, here were are, facing the abject failure of a governing philosophy that has been more or less dominant throughout our lives.
I believe we can remain true to our ideals without "frightening independents away." We should relish the opportunity to persuade them. They've seen where misdirection and arrogance lead. Offer them passion and reason instead. The ideas contemplated for the Tea Party's Contract From America are a great start, provided we fit them into a coherent narrative about the power of individuals, the moral imperative of liberty, and the ultimate truth about caring for the poor and downtrodden: wealth is the only solution for poverty. The notion that governments can redistribute wealth stands revealed as a ridiculous lie. Poverty is the only thing that can be redistributed through the power of the State.
Of the twenty ideas under consideration by the Tea Party, some are simple reforms with immediate practical benefit, such as permitting health insurance to be sold across state lines, or exploiting our energy reserves. A few are reforms that we never should have needed, such as abolishing the "czars." (How did we ever let it come to that?) I've long been a proponent of term limits, which I see as a precursor to more significant reforms… and the only inescapable limit we can place on Congressional power, since it hits them before climb into their seats, and gain the power to squirm around it.
A few of the proposals seem a little small and finicky to me, such as prohibiting the FCC from reimposing the Fairness Doctrine. I think the Fairness Doctrine is an appalling idea, but is that really something that should form one of the ten planks in a grand design for American renewal? Likewise, the requirement to specify the article of the Constitution that justifies each bill is a noble idea in principle, and it would be amusing to see an endless stream of bills with "interstate commerce clause" scrawled in the margins, but it seems a bit cosmetic to me. Constitutional fidelity is not a homework assignment, to be scrawled on the blackboard during detention.
I believe the crucial reforms will be those which compel the federal government to begin devolving power to the states, returning financial independence to the private sector, and balancing the budget through spending cuts. It's clear that only legal compulsion will force Washington to understand that its supply of money is not unlimited. The Tea Party proposals for statutory spending caps would help limit further bloat, but their flat tax idea looks like the most potent weapon for burning down wasteful government agencies, removing social engineering from the tax code, and giving the private sector an immediate, meaningful boost. Restricting the length of the tax code to the length of the Constitution is cute, if a bit garish. In the end, that might be more space than we really need… more space than we ever needed.
There are plenty of other ideas to be considered. We should not hesitate to present these ideas to the electorate. The other side has only three ideas: give us money, do as you are told, and don't ask questions. The time to demand better from our political class has arrived.
Cross-posted at www.doczero.org.
This post was promoted from GreenRoom to HotAir.com.
To see the comments on the original post, look here.


text:
Larry Mitnick is the former chairman of the department of Architectural Studies at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia College of Art and Design. Lecturer, Department of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania. Visiting critic at Harvard University, Lehigh University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Internationale Somerakademie Fur Bildende Kunst Salzburg, Austria, and Ecole Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne, Switzerland.
He has exhibited architectural projects, paintings, graphic work as well as published his poetry. Publications: Progressive Architecture; Boulevard, a literary journal; articles sponsored by the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University; student work featured in a publication sponsored by the EPFL of Lausanne Switzerland; article in Journal of Architectural Historians; co-authored a project funded by NEA grant: John Hejduk: Riga Project and article in accompanying publication. Continues in private architectural practice.
Class Schedule, Fall 2017


text:
As China embarks on its once-in-a-decade leadership transition, many onlookers are concerned that the country's fledgling economic recovery could be jeopardised by Beijing's failure to introduce significant political reforms.
The world's second-largest economy now appears to be picking up pace after nearly two years of slowing growth. Figures released on Friday show industrial production in October increased 9.6 per cent from a year ago, an increase from September's 9.2 per cent gain.
Spending also picked up, with October's retail sales up 14.5 per cent from a year earlier, compared with September's 14.2 per cent rise. At the same time, robust export sales helped push China's trade surplus to $US32.0 billion in October from $27.7 billion in September.
In his opening speech at the Communist Party Congress last Thursday, China's outgoing president
But many economists warn that China will not be able to sustain a 7 per cent growth rate unless it takes bold steps to rebalance its economy – boosting domestic consumption, and reducing its reliance on investment and infrastructure spending to drive growth. They also argue that China needs to drive economic growth by allowing dynamic private businesses more scope to compete with state-owned enterprises that presently dominate key industries such as energy, resources, banking, transport and telecommunications.
But change is difficult, because it involves challenging vested interests that are extremely wealthy and politically well-connected. It involves cutting the power and privileges of oligopolistic state-owned firms, and clamping down on corrupt and unaccountable government officials, both at the local and central government level.
And it requires the party to relinquish some of its control and introduce political reforms.
It's an idea with huge popular appeal. According to Chinese daily Global Times (an arm of the People's Daily, the Communist Party's mouthpiece newspaper), a survey of people on the eve of the congress found that 81.4 per cent of respondents were in favour of political reform.
When asked which reforms they thought were most important, more than 70 per cent said the Chinese government should accept further supervision from the public and the media, while 69.3 per cent believed the fight against corruption should be stepped up, and 66.5 per cent were in favour of increased government transparency.
But those hoping that this congress might set the stage for political and economic reforms were deeply disappointed by Mr Hu's opening speech, which emphasised the party's continued dominance and the central role of state-owned enterprises.
The speech, they noted, was littered with stilted, formulaic expressions– tired references to "Deng Xiaoping theory", "scientific development" and "socialism with Chinese characteristics" – suggesting the party's thinking remained trapped in the past, and that anti-reform forces were still extremely powerful.
The 18th Communist Party Congress is the first to take place in the era of Weibo – the Chinese version of Twitter, which has an estimated 300 million users.
While the 2270 delegates assembled inside Beijing's Great Hall of the People listen to plodding official speeches, it's an entirely different story outside the citadel. There, millions of Chinese are using the internet to engage in lively political debates, while protests against chemical factories, land seizures and corrupt local officials are becoming increasingly frequent.
The risk is that the highly choreographed congress is only highlighting the huge gulf that now separates the political elite from mainstream Chinese society.
The Australian Financial Review


text:
BWW Interviews: Two-Time Tony Nominee Laura Osnes Talks Masterclasses in Texas
Laura Osnes is bringing her beauty, brains and talent to Texas - Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth respectively. In each city, she will teach a masterclass drawing on her wealth of experience as a Broadway actress and Tony Award Nominee. In this interview, she talks about what she's been taught and what she plans to teach. If she approaches this class with the same charming mixture of pragmatism and idealism that she approaches her career, you'd better sign up fast.
BWW: You're pairing with Straight From New York for a masterclass. What can students expect?
Laura Osnes: I am going to be coaching them on the pieces they have prepared, offering advice on auditioning and learning how to act your song. We'll probably do a Q&A where I can give them industry tips and answer any questions they may have.
BWW: The Straight From New York website mentions you will be instructing students on connecting through song, as well as audition techniques and how to determine your "type." I'm interested specifically in type. It's a controversial concept to actors. What is type? What is your "type?"
Laura Osnes: Oh, gosh! I think it's important to know where you naturally fit, but, especially in the beginning, you should audition for everything. I still get brought in for things I don't feel that I'm right for. Sometimes, you can even book those things. I think knowing where you can generally fit is important, but the fun thing about being an actor is sometimes stretching beyond that stereotype and stretching beyond the box that people put you in. As important as types are, I would urge the kids to think outside the box as well and try not to pigeonhole themselves into being one type of person.
I had a masterclass and this sweet, pretty girl came in and totally became the comedic sidekick. She even had the voice of ingenue. Kudos to her for going outside the box. But, it depends on what you're going in for. You really have to take it on a case by case basis. It depends on what show you're going in for and what roles are available. Cater your talent to that.
As far as my type, I'm obviously the ingenue type as well, but I've gotten to play roles like Bonnie Parker in BONNIE AND CLYDE and Polly Peachum in THE THREEPENNY OPERA. I get to be the darker bad girl too, to show the Rodgers and Hammerstein side of my voice and be more legit, and also be belty and country with BONNIE AND CLYDE. It's important to be versatile. That's why it's kind of cool working with these kids. In their life, at this point, at such a young age, they're still figuring out who they are and what type they are.
BWW: That's really good to hear. A lot of actors are afraid of types. So, it's good to know that there is some flexibility there. What is a mini-concert and what will you be performing at the mini-concert?
Laura Osnes: I haven't even really decided yet! I literally think they'll all sing for me and I'll go off in my own little corner. I'll just sing at the piano. It's not going to be anything too fancy. It'll be very informal - a personal, acoustic concert of probably just a song or two from a show that I've done.
BWW: A lot artists say that each project teaches them something about their craft. I want to know about your most famous shows - BONNIE AND CLYDE, CINDERELLA, SOUTH PACIFIC, ANYTHING GOES. What did each production teach you?
Laura Osnes: I could go down the line. GREASE was my broadway debut. That was eye opening. At the same time, it was very familiar. It was a Broadway show, but it's kind of the same as doing a show in Minnesota. It's the same type of rehearsal process. You are doing 8 shows a week, but I worked at a theatre in Minnesota that did 11 shows a week. Broadway is a piece of cake. [Laughs] Just kidding! It's just that everything is done to a grander scale. GREASE was neat. It was just so rewarding and magical because it was my very first Broadway show.
SOUTH PACIFIC - I really learned a lot. I swear I like to say that during SOUTH PACIFIC, I went from being a girl to being a woman. Bart Sher is an amazing director. I went through a series of four auditions to get that role. That taught me perseverance - if nothing else did. [Laughs] I was 23 years old, and I was still very green and very young. I definitely felt that I had to grow up a little bit playing opposite a 40 year old man and having to have a mature love relationship. Yes, Nellie is very naive in some ways, but she's also facing war in the South Pacific, dealing with all that brings, and being a nurse during that time. I feel like I really did have to grow up for that role.
ANYTHING GOES was just a ball. I loved learning from Sutton Foster and Joel Grey, who led our company so beautifully. That was just fun to get to watch them be leaders and learn from their ethics in rehearsals. Their humor and all of that was really great.
BONNIE AND CLYDE was the first show and the first role that I got to originate. Being part of that from the ground up and investing three years of my life into seeing that show come to Broadway was really rigorous but also so exciting. And, it was really rewarding to feel that a show was being created around me, who I was, and what I brought to the table. Dealing with two different leading men along the way - it started with Stark Sands and then Jeremy Jordan - and seeing what a different person and their strengths can bring to a role was cool.
CINDERELLA! That was magical. I learned stamina through that show, I think. I was running around a lot. I hardly ever left the stage. Once the show started, I never went back to my dressing room. [Laughs] It was really a marathon in that sense. It's all taught me something special. I've had the opportunity to work with such wonderful actors and actresses - Victoria Clark, Santino Fontana, Ann Harada. Learning from them, just sitting back and watching, and having conversations with them about their experiences, I felt, really, really lucky.
BWW: Do you have any transformative roles that are, perhaps, less well known?
Laura Osnes: I had a really wonderful experience my senior year of high school. I played Dorothy in THE WIZARD OF OZ in a children's theatre company in Minneapolis. The director of that, Matthew Howe, is one of the most incredible directors I've worked with. Again, it's all about reaching people in their high school years, when they're still figuring out who they are and they're still being shaped as artists and as people. He was so good at working with young people. I do remember that experience very well.
BWW: Last question, a silly question, How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Laura Osnes: [Laughs] Talk to Steve Reineke. Become friends with Steve Reineke [Laughs] or Rob Fischer. Both of whom are the conductors that have invited me to sing there.
BWW: That's not the answer the students are looking for.
Laura Osnes: [Laughs] I know! Keep working hard. Keep singing. The first time we met I sang there. It was during the run of GREASE. Steve Reineke was conducting. I don't know how he knew me or how they asked me to be a part of their performance, but I felt so lucky. And, I got to sing with an orchestra at Carnegie Hall, which was fantastic. I've gotten to sing there four times since. Once you get your foot in the door, then you're on the list, which is great. [We Both Laugh]
BWW: Talent and luck is what you're saying.
Laura Osnes: Yeah! Exactly. [Laughs]
Two-time Tony Award nominee and Broadway's own Cinderella Laura Osnes, will lead Straight From New York's upcoming masterclasses in Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, TX on September 22-24, 2014. ALL ages are welcome to participate. Participants should prepare one 32-bar cut of a musical theatre or pop song. Bring sheet music marked and in the appropriate key. An accompanist will be provided. No CDs or A Capella. To register, visit www.StraightFromNewYork.com.
Houston, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas


text:
Hi All
I am building a website for my wedding.
I am using the Ambiru theme as a base and have purchased custom CSS.
However recently my header image has disappeared and even when I reset my custom header I can't get the image to return.
When I inspect the element (using Chrome, though I have tested in Ffox and IE7) the link to the header image says the file can't be found?
Can anyone take a look and see what the problem is?
The topic of the website means that, for me, this an urgent request for help.
Thanks to anyone who can help
The blog I need help with is larrysbrainweddinglist.wordpress.com.


text:
Benjamin Dobler is a 27-year-old freelance Flex/AIR developer living in Berlin, Germany.
(Jun 10, 2010)
Learn to use the new NativeProcess API to launch and communicate with native applications.
(Mar 31, 2008)
Meet Benjamin Dobler, picked for his knowledge of Flex and AIR and contributions to the RIA developer community.
Expertise: Flex and Adobe AIR. Project: RichFLV. Country: Germany.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Asia Pacific
Commonwealth of Independent States
Copyright © 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy | Cookies


text:
Melbourne Airport Successfully Prices A$225 Million 7-Year Domestic Medium Term Notes
May 29, 2013
Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne) Pty Limited ("APAM" or "Melbourne Airport") (A-/A3) today announced the successful pricing of A$225 million, senior secured, seven year fixed rate Medium Term Notes (A$MTN). The issue was heavily oversubscribed with interest in excess of A$600 million from both Australian and Asian investors.
The notes were issued at a spread of swap +150bps.
Mr Adam Watson, Melbourne Airport's Chief Financial Officer said that this was an outstanding result for Melbourne Airport and the domestic A$MTN market. "We are delighted with the success of our debt raising and the overwhelming support from A$ bond investors. The proceeds will be used to refinance existing debt and fund capital expenditure to support the ongoing development of Melbourne Airport. The transaction is consistent with our stated strategy of diversifying and extending the average maturity profile of our funding sources".
APAM owns and operates Melbourne Airport and is the only Australian airport group to hold A-/A3 ratings.
APAM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Ltd ("APAC"). APAC owns and operates both Melbourne Airport and Launceston Airport.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ("ANZ") and Westpac Banking Corporation ("Westpac") were Joint Lead Managers on the transaction.
For further information contact:
Melbourne Airport Media
Phone: +61 3 9335 3666
Edwin Waters
Director, Debt Capital Markets
Phone: +61 2 9227 1582
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Gary Blix
Director, Debt Securities
Phone: +61 2 8253 4560Email: email@example.com


text:
Opened 10 years ago
Closed 10 years ago
Last modified 10 years ago
#47 closed Defect (fixed)
Browsing certain folder crashes Finder, everytime. 4.2
|Reported by:
|Owned by:
|Beta 5
I have a folder called "Movies". When I try to open it to browse, at first it doesn't does anything. I click again, nothing. I can still move around the menu and go into other folders. If I keep clicking, it eventually restarts Finder.
There is only about 20 files in there. They are big files though. I have another folder called "TV" and it has tons of files and folders and it opens fine.
Any ideas?
Attachments (1)
Change History (14)
comment:1 Changed 10 years ago by gbooker
- Milestone set to Awaiting User Feedback
Could you please post the information mentioned in BugReporting?
comment:3 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
wow, didn't realize it was so big. I can upload so you can download it if you want.
Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
crash log
comment:4 Changed 10 years ago by gbooker
Since you uploaded the identical log, I deleted the one in the comments here.
You say it only crashes on the Movies directory? Can you list the names of the files in there? Also, did you recently remove a directory or something?
comment:5 follow-up: ↓ 6 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/300.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Armageddon?.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/bladesofglory.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Bourne?-Identity.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Cars?..jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/dejavu.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/disturbia.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Fargo?.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/kingkong.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Lord?-Of-War.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Oceans?.Thirteen.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Reign?.Over.Me.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/rocky.5.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/sicko.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/supersizeme.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/the.bourne.supremacy.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/the.butterfly.effect.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/Transformers?.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Cover Art/V.for.Vendetta.jpg
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/boundin.2003.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/for.the.birds.2000.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/geris.game.1997.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/jack-jack.attack.2005.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/knick.knack.1989.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/lifted.2006.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/luxo.jr.1986.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/mater.and.the.ghostlight.2006.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/mikes.new.car.2002.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/one.man.band.2005.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/reds.dream.1987.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/the.adventures.of.andre.and.wally.b.1984.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
/Volumes/500atv/Movies/Pixar Shorts/tin.toy.1988.720p.bluray.x264-sinners.mp4
comment:6 in reply to: ↑ 5 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
wow - sorry. didnt know I needed to format it.
comment:7 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
and no, I have moved/deleted anything after I installed Sapphire....
comment:8 Changed 10 years ago by gbooker
Could you check the console to make sure there weren't any exceptions logged? #48 has the same crash log, and in both your case and that one, I suspect that an exception is thrown first, and this crash is a result of that exception leaving things in an unstable state.
comment:9 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
yea #47 is me also.
And you mean the console on the appletv right? What exactly would I be looking for. just search for the word "exception"?
comment:10 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
i mean #48 :)
comment:11 Changed 10 years ago by gbooker
I closed #48 as a duplicate then.
Yes, the console on the ATV. BugReporting has the location of the file. The best thing to search for is where it says it wrote the crash log, and examine what precedes it.
comment:12 Changed 10 years ago by anonymous
Finder[533] *** -[NSCFString invalidate]: selector not recognized [self = 0xd708ef0] Dec 19 23:09:10 AppleTV FrontRow[533]: *** NSEXCEPTION RAISED ***\n NSInvalidArgumentException: *** -[NSCFString invalidate]: selector not recognized [self = 0xd708ef0]\n 0x925d1b06: -[NSObject doesNotRecognizeSelector:] (in Foundation)\n 0x925249a3: -[NSObject(NSForwardInvocation) forward::] (in Foundation)\0x90ac6c01: _objc_msgForward (in libobjc.A.dylib)\n 0x06e75496: -[SapphireDirectoryMetaData dealloc] (in Sapphire)\n 0x9087b6dd: CFRelease (in CoreFoundation)\n 0x908b7b92: CFDictionaryRemoveValue (in CoreFoundation)\n 0x06e76b2f: -[SapphireDirectoryMetaData pruneMetaData] (in Sapphire)\n 0x06e75b90: -[SapphireDirectoryMetaData reloadDirectoryContents] (in Sapphire)\n 0x06e771ad: -[SapphireDirectoryMetaData getSubFileMetasWithDelegate:skipDirectories:] (in Sapphire)\n 0x06e839bd: -[SapphireImporterDataMenu getItems] (in Sapphire)\n 0x924ece9b: __NSFireDelayedPerform (in Foundation)\n 0x908c0609: CFRunLoopRunSpecific (in CoreFoundation)\n 0x9e9593e1: -[BRAppManager run] (in BackRow)\n 0x00005b1f (in Finder)\n 0x001e5c32 (in Finder)\n ...more... 2007-12-19 23:09:10.323 Finder[533] *** NSRunLoop ignoring exception '*** -[NSCFString invalidate]: selector not recognized [self = 0xd708ef0]' that raised during posting of delayed perform with target d969e10 and selector 'gotSubFiles:'
comment:12 Changed 10 years ago by gbooker
- Resolution set to fixed
- Status changed from new to closed
comment:13 Changed 10 years ago by gbooker
- Milestone changed from Awaiting User Feedback to Beta 5


text:
Women in financial services: fiction and more fiction
At the peak of the "new economy", the Swedish newspapers were reporting an interesting fact: women were entering financial services, joining not the old-fashioned occupational groups such as bank clerks, but the avant-garde: traders and analysts. This is accompanied by a growing interest of popular culture media in the phenomenon of women in finances. This paper analyzes their approach, beginning with a Swedish detective story "Star Crash", whose theme is a crash of the stock exchange and its impact on Stockholm world of finances. One of the main characters in the novel is a young woman analyst.A genre of detective story has its rules, and a dramatization of events and a demonization of characters belong to most prominent. Nevertheless the character thus created deserves attention, as its construction makes (often unintentional) use of the accessible cultural material. "The construction of the character" can be seen as highly significant as it reflects the received image of today's finances (inside and outside the finance circles). While there is no doubt of the fictitiousness of this character, the message (perhaps subliminal) is heavy: the world of finances is no place for women. Those who made it there, are "unnatural" – twice everything else the men are, especially the vice. While the novel contains many reflexive men, acutely aware of traps and dangers connected to this world, women, it seems, can only be the victims – and the perpetrators – in it. This view is further confirmed by ethnographic studies of women in finances and mass media reporting.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
|26 pages
|Date of creation:
|28 Jan 2004
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: Gothenburg Research Institute, Box 600, SE 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
Web page: http://www.handels.gu.se/gri/
More information through EDIRC
No references listed on IDEAS
You can help add them by filling out this form.
This item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hhb:gungri:2004_003. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Lise-Lotte Walter)
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.


text:
I had a very productive week last week and am planning plenty more this week, so let's get straight to it!
Welcome to this week's linky party. A place where you can link up your posts and creations, and be inspired by others.
Tuits are very hard to come by, especially the round ones. For years people have been saying, "I'll do it as soon as I get a round tuit". Well now you can have one of your very own, and all those jobs that have needed doing will finally get done!
Messenger Bag Tutorial from Tea and a Sewing Machine:
Man's shirt to a cute pair of kid's shorts from See Me Sew:


text:
My colleague Jim Cramer is a master stock-picker. That's not news to any informed stock market investor. I am also a stock-picker. My picks are based on computerized investment strategies that I modeled on the techniques of some of Wall Street's most successful investors.
The market offers many successful ways to invest, including the approaches of Jim and of each of my guru strategies. Because Jim's strategies and mine differ in their analyses, overlapping recommendations are unusual.
Right now, though, we are in one of those unusual periods when Jim's recommendations and those of one of my strategies, in this case the one based on the work of James P. O'Shaughnessy, largely overlap. Recommendations from both Jim and my O'Shaughnessy-based strategy make compelling cases for you to consider buying these stocks.
Last week, Jim wrote about several companies whose stock prices are up sharply since the Dow hit 16,000. He said that a sharp price rise does not preclude further price increases. He then gave plenty of compelling reasons why the stocks he wrote about may well go higher.
My O'Shaughnessy strategy also indicates that some of these stocks are destined to continue to go heavenward. Of those Jim mentioned, the O'Shaughnessy strategy shows further upside for Cisco Systems (CSCO), the giant maker of routers, switches and other Internet infrastructure; Merck (MRK), one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies; and Intel (INTC), the huge designer and manufacturer of computer chips.
One thing you need to know about the O'Shaughnessy strategy is its emphasis on holding a portfolio of stocks that you have picked on the basis of the same strategy. You generally shouldn't cherry-pick one stock that you prefer. Even the best guru strategy (and I've studied quite a few) is right no more than 60% of the time in its picks over the long term. The success in the strategy comes because the stocks that are winners show average gains that far outperform the ones that are losers.
In this regard, the O'Shaughnessy strategy is no different from many other strategies. But if you are going to invest in one of these picks because it passes both the O'Shaughnessy strategy and the judgment of Jim Cramer, you should divide your new investment dollars equally across all three.
Also, the O'Shaughnessy strategy comes in two flavors: growth and value. The three companies just mentioned are favored by the value-oriented strategy, which is a bit of a surprise, since two of the stocks are tech companies, which are generally thought of as growth opportunities. But the two tech companies in question, Cisco and Intel, are huge, well-established market leaders, and the expectations for growth from these companies are seen as muted. That creates the value opportunity as these companies continue to rack up profits.
Here are the variables employed by the O'Shaughnessy strategy:
- Market cap must be over $1 billion.
- Cash flow per share must be greater than the mean of the market cash flow per share ($1.72).
- Shares outstanding must exceed the market's average number of outstanding shares (628 million shares).
- Trailing 12-month sales must be at least 1.5x greater than the mean of the market's trailing 12-month sales per share ($21.1 billion).
The strategy's final step is to select the 50 companies that have passed the above tests and have the highest dividend yield.
The market caps of all three companies are well over $100 billion, cash flow per share easily exceeds the strategy's minimum, as do the number of outstanding shares. Plus, each company's trailing 12-month sales is more than double the strategy's minimum. Each of these companies easily beats the strategy's requirements. They all also have decent dividend yields: Cisco 3.02%, Merck 2.97% and Intel 2.89%.
These three companies are market leaders with enviable track records. And since they earn accolades from both Jim Cramer and my O'Shaughnessy strategy, finding companies with stronger recommendations will be very tough.


text:
Non-subsidised training (Fee for Service)
All courses
at Journey Management Group are available to all interested parties, however some courses have prerequisites for entry (ie. you must be 18yrs of age, you must have held a licence for over 1 year etc.). Such prerequisites can be seen under course information or provided by Journey Management Group.
Victorian Training Guarantee
fees for the following qualifications:
TLI21210 Certificate II Driving Operations (General)
TLI31210 Certificate III Driving Operations (Heavy General Freight)
TLI42111 Certificate IV Driving Operations (Heavy Recover)
TLI21610 Certificate II Warehouse Operations
TLI31610 Certificate III Warehouse Operations
TLI48810 Certificate IV Warehouse Operations
RII20113 Certificate II Resources & Infrastructure Work Preparation
RII30813 Certificate III Civil Construction Plant Operations
RII30113 Certificate III Surface Extraction Operations
RII40113 Certificate IV Surface Extraction Operations
Price Guide 2017
Click here to download Price Guide 2017
*For enrolments in courses at the Certificate IV level and below, the RTO must charge the concession fee to an individual who, prior to the commencement of training, holds a current and valid:
a) Health Care Card issued by the Commonwealth;
b) Pensioner Concession Card; or
c) Veterans gold Card; or
d) An alternative card or concession eligibility criterion approved by the minister for the
purposes of the guidelines (Victorian Training Guarantee 2014 Guidelines about fees).
The concession provided for in a) and b) also apply to a dependant spouse or dependant child of a card holder.
The student tuition fees as published are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment.
Journey Management Group do not charge any other associated fees for student services, amenities, goods or materials.
Learner course cancellation or Failure to attend
If a student cancels or fails to attend training or licensing courses run by Journey Management Group, then a refund, partial or whole may be considered (provided that specified conditions are met).
For further details refer to the Learner course cancellation or Failure to attend section of the Learner Information Guide.


text:
7 comments.
* Update: I found out after writing this blog that the tulips I like is called "Triumph." So, basically I bought the wrong kind of tulip bulbs. But, my review stays the same. The bulbs I bought from Costco didn't bring me much joy and satisfacion.
* This is my personal opinion. Some (a lot of) people may not agree with me. Additionally, I still have a faith in Costco, because the flowers did look like the picture on the package. I didn't know there were differnt breeds of tulips. Costco was selling less expensive kind.
Last year, I bought some tulip bulbs from Costco, but they were disappointing. Flowers bloomed OK, but I was not satisfied with the quality and performance of them.
These Costco Tulips were not the kind of tulips that most people desire. These were "K-Mart versions" of tulips. Flower were small and "ugly". They bloomed for only a few days. It was cute, I did it once, but I shall not repeat it this year. I will buy more expensive tulip bulbs from local garden center.
Below picture is tulips I brought from Costco (2015). All 50 bulbs produced flowers similar to this.
At the same time last year, I bought a few tulip bulbs from local garden center. They were much more expensive. But they brought me more joy and satisfaction. Flowers stayed bloomed for much longer time. I am looking forward to grow these tulips again this Spring.
Below is images of a tulip I bought from local garden center.
I bought Costco bulbs for the
I bought Costco bulbs for the first time this year and I was ecstatic with the results!!! They are stunning!!
I find costco tulips do not
I find costco tulips do not bloom at a high rate. Maybe 70% of the bulbs will actually produce flowers. I am in so cal so i have to refrigerate tulip bulbs a couple of months to get them to bloom. I find bulbs bought at Home Depot or Lowes to be of higher quality. Same goes for costco combo bulb packages where you get 3 flower types in one package. some don't even emerge from the ground.
I wish you better luck with
I wish you better luck with them next year. The double tulips look beautiful and I have given in and tried them a few times but I always find that those blooms disintegrate. Triumph, Single Late and Darwin have good strong blooms.
Is the darker tulip a double
Is the darker tulip a double tulip, with many smaller petals? If so it might explain a bloom not holding up well to the weather. The lighter tulip appears to be a triumph or single late variety- and those in my experience have stronger petals and the blooms do not blow as easily making for a longer lasting flower and display, at least in my area.
They do carry triumph/single late varieties at Costco and I would recommend those. They aren't any more expensive. Love your blog!


text: Introduced earlier this month, iOS 7.1 appears to be causing issues with personal hotspots for quite a few iPhone users around the world. Following the update, some users appear to be unable to save APN settings for personal hotspots, which have vanished following the update from iOS 7.0.6 to iOS 7.1. While information can be entered into the APN fields of the Cellular Data Settings menu, the values do not save, and attempting to establish a tethered connection results in an error message. Apple's Support Communities currently features a 15-page thread on the issue that was started shortly after iOS 7.1 was released, with many users reporting the same problems with tethering. Apple's support staff appears to be confused by the root cause of the issue, with several customer service representatives suggesting the problem lies with carriers. Carriers that have been contacted have indicated that it is an issue with Apple, however. Other users have heard that it is a problem limited to carriers that do not currently have a contract with Apple. The iPhone 4, 4s, 5, and 5s all appear to be affected by the issue, and there is currently no available fix. Users in Germany, India, Austria, Spain, Serbia, Thailand, Estonia, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Brazil, and more have reported issues with hotspots. Article Link: iOS 7.1 Causing Issues With Personal Hotspots


text:
Posing your pregnant model
Last time I showed you my basic lighting setup for maternity photography. Today I am going to add my best tips and tricks for perfect posing. With all of that you will be able to produce wonderful photos of your pregnant model or client.
Would you like to be fully prepared for your maternity photo shoot?
Check out my
==> baby belly photography eBook.
You gonna love it!
I wish you good light!
-- Michael


text:
Waconia Lakettes head coach Amy Segner called last weekend's competition at Lakeville North "fabulous."
Competing as one of only three Class AA teams in a sea of Class AAA competitors, the Lakettes fared well. Finishing ninth of 17 teams in the high kick division, Segner said recent tweaks to the choreography helped the team to place well.
"We were all jumping for joy since we were being placed with much larger teams," she said.
As the jazz routine also undergoes changes and modifications, the Lakettes were ranked tenth of 16 teams at the competition, and Segner was thrilled.
"[We're] starting to modify the choreography and improve this routine by leaps and bounds," she said.
The Lakettes are at the Academy of Holy Angels this Saturday, Dec. 15, and Segner said she hopes the scores will continue to climb. Holy Angels will be the last competition before the new year for the Lakettes.
They will next perform at Belle Plaine on Jan. 5. Waconia's home invitational will be the following Saturday, Jan. 12, with the conference championships on Jan. 19 at Mound-Westonka.


text:
Choking back tears and in voices edged with rage, two women and a man who served in the US military told a Senate panel on Wednesday how they were raped by superiors and then ridiculed or ignored by military officials from whom they sought help.
The three former service members - the first military sexual assault victims to testify before a Senate panel - described a pervasive culture of harassment and danger in which victims had little or no redress.
One spoke of a rape she endured during her first months of service, and another told of a sergeant who stripped naked and danced on a table during an official sexual harassment training session.
After spending a year being repeatedly harassed, Rebekah Havrilla, a former army sergeant deployed to Afghanistan from 2006 to 2007, was raped by a superior a week before returning home.
''I chose not to do a report of any kind because I had no faith in my chain of command,'' Ms Havrilla said. When she sought help from an army chaplain, she said, he told her ''the rape was God's will'' and urged her to go to church.
''I no longer have any hope that the military chain of command will consistently prosecute, convict, sentence and carry out the sentencing of sexual predators in uniform,'' said BriGette McCoy, who was raped in 1988 when she was aged 18 and stationed in Germany.
The hearing, the first the Senate has held in nearly a decade on sexual assault in the military, reflects the increasing attention to the issue because of revelations about pervasive sexual harassment at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and throughout the military.
The Pentagon estimates about 19,000 service members are assaulted annually.
A fraction of the incidents are reported because most victims fear retaliation or ruined careers, and only about 10 per cent of those cases go trial. One in three convicted sex offenders remain in the military, something that many policymakers want immediately corrected.
''The issue of sexual violence in the military is not new, and it has been allowed to go on in the shadows for far too long,'' said Democrat senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who convened the hearing as chairwoman of the Senate armed services personnel subcommittee.
The focus on the topic also demonstrates the tenacity of the women on the committee, now at a record seven.
''One reason it has been so difficult to move forward against sexual assault in spite of commitments in the Senate is because we've not put a human face on this,'' Republican senator Susan Collins said. ''The victims make the violence very real and compel you to act.''
Many committee members said they would like to see all sex offenders in the military discharged from service and would like to replace the current system of adjudicating sexual assault by taking it outside a victim's chain of command.
The senators focused in particular on a recent decision by an air force general to reverse a guilty verdict in a sexual assault case.
Military officials who testified appeared both chastened and defensive. ''The air force has zero tolerance for this offence,'' said Lieutenant-General Richard Harding, the judge advocate-general of the air force.
General Harding declined to address whether justice had been served in certain cases brought to his attention by Senator Gillibrand. She then told the military officials that she was ''extremely disturbed that each of you believes that the convening authority is what maintains discipline and order within your ranks''.
In the military, a ''convening authority'' is a commander in charge of the military justice system within his or her own ranks.
''I appreciate the work you are doing, I honestly do, but it's not enough,'' Senator Gillibrand said. ''And if you think you are achieving discipline and order with your current convening authority framework I am sorry to say you are wrong.''
One victim, Brian Lewis, a former petty officer in the navy, said he wanted to bring attention to male victims of sexual assault, who he said were often overlooked. Mr Lewis testified that he was raped in 2000 by a superior and, when his command learnt of the crime, ''I was misdiagnosed as having a personality disorder''.
The New York Times


text:
Green hair, tiny kitty, delicious pizza
Though I can't say I was a big fan of Code Geass (despite being a huge CLAMP fan), I can't deny I've always loved the character designs. C.C. is definitely one of the cuter figure girls I've had the pleasure of playing with, and it's easy to see why. She was translated rather well into chibi form!
This figure is going to be given away for this month's contest, so if you're interested, hit the jump and check out my full review.
Figure Name: Chibi-Arts Code Geass C.C.
Figure Maker: Bandai
Retail: ¥3,300
Available at: HobbyLink Japan
C.C.'s box is just about the same as all the other Chibi-Arts and S.H.Figuarts boxes that Bandai packages figures in. You've got the big window and some pictures of the figure. It's pretty straight-forward.
Once she's out of the box, her default expression and position is smiling with one arm over her knee and the other down towards the ground. Her lower body doesn't get any swaps, so she'll always be in this seated position. Since this is the case, she doesn't really need her base, either, though I've included a picture of it in the gallery.
C.C. has her long green hair cut in a V in the back. It ends up resting on the ground so posing can be a little tricky (it gets in the way). Since there's also some hair in the front, her movement is a bit limited, but you can still get creative.
Here I've got her with both arms swapped. The left hand there has a piece of the helmet attached, so you do have to remove an ear from it to have it in C.C.'s grip. Otherwise, the mask can be swapped with the kitty's head, here. Easy peasy.
By far one of the more amusing types of super-deformed figure faces is the sly, "joke's on you" face that a lot of them come with. C.C.'s is no exception here: she looks mischievous! As for her hand, I just re-posed the one that is meant to be resting on her knee. It makes for a good, "o-ho-ho-ho!" accessory, I think.
Besides the extra arms and the kitty and helmet, C.C. comes with a delicious (sadly, plastic) box of pizza and a third expression with pizza hand for the occasion. I like the look of pure enjoyment on her face, and the pizza hand is a half-arm swap that is compatible with the standard arm piece. It's the only one that is swapped from the elbow rather than the shoulder. Actually, it took me a minute to figure that one out. At first, I thought I was missing a part!
Alright, so you've seen all the good stuff — all of C.C.'s expressions and some standard posing. Now let's check out the details on her outfit.
The front is molded nicely and is appropriately ruffled up like it would be on anyone who is sitting down. It's plain white with some purple straps and such, which are cleanly detailed. There's also some silver paint on the buckles, down the front of the pant legs and along the side of the shirt which also are nice and clean.
The back is about the same, with just a tiny bit of sloppiness with the paint there on her collar. This isn't too much of an issue though, considering her hair pretty much blocks her entire behind. I can appreciate the detail work wasn't left out here.
Finally, here's a look at the various written-down expressions she comes with, as per usual with the Chibi-Arts line. There's a little stand for these, too, and you can have them up next to her with the appropriate pose for the quotation. As usual, I should mention that these speech bubbles are a nice touch.
And... there you have it! Nice and easy, because C.C. is a solid entry to the Chibi-Arts line by Bandai. If you're a fan of the character, it'd make an adorable addition to your collection, but otherwise she doesn't necessarily call enough attention to herself to be purchased unless you're really into girls with green hair. The one big drawback is her limited poseability because of her hair, but she is otherwise charming and fun to play with.
Thanks to HobbyLink Japan for providing us with this sample, and be sure to enter our month of October contest for a chance to win this figure for yourself!Photo Gallery: (23 images)


text: The company closed the fourth quarter, achieving sales of $949 million, and EPS, excluding onetime items of $0.73, beating the high end of the company's guidance. On an as-reported basis, EPS was $0.69, and included an $8.6 million or $0.03 charge relating to the impact of the previously reported flood, and a charge of $2 million or $0.01 relating to acquisition transaction expenses for the acquisition of FEP, closed in the quarter.Sales were flat in U.S. dollars and local currencies compared to Q4 of 2010. From an organic standpoint excluding both acquisitions and foreign exchange, sales in Q4 2011 were down 3% from last year. Sequentially, sales were down 8% in both U.S. dollars and organically from Q3. For the full year 2011, sales grew 11% over 2010. Breaking down sales into our 2 major components, our Cable business, which comprise 6% of our sales, was up 4% from last year and down 19% from last quarter. The Interconnect business, which comprise 94% of our sales, was flat with last year and down 7% sequentially. Adam will comment further on trends by market in a few minutes. Operating income for the quarter, excluding onetime items, was $175 million compared to $191 million last year. Operating margin was 8.5%, a little better than our expectations, reflecting a negative conversion margin of approximately 28% from Q3, on an 8% sequential sales decline. The Q4 2011 ROS of 18.5% compared to a record Q4 2010 ROS of 20.1%, and a Q3 2011 ROS of 19.3%. For the full year, ROS, excluding onetime items, is 19.2% compared to 19.7% for the full year 2010. The year-over-year margin reduction in Q4 of 1.6% is mainly attributable to lower margins in the Interconnect business, which were 20.8% in the quarter compared to 22.4% last year, and 21.5% last quarter. In addition, stock option expense is higher in the quarter on flat sales, reducing overall ROS by 10 basis points or 0.1%.


text:
The Tillman Story (2010)
Mary Tillman: He was a human being. And by putting this kind of heroic, saintly quality on him, you're taking away the struggle of being a human being.
Mary Tillman: We have been asked over and over again, 'What can we do for your family?' And it makes me sick. It's not about our family. Our family will never be satisfied. We'll never have Pat back. But what is so outrageous is that this isn't about Pat. This is about what they did to a nation.
Pat Tillman: I'm Pat-fucking-Tillman.