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My apologies for this delayed blog entry. I already wrote it once and it simply disappeared on me. From now on, I'll do my write-ups in Word and then paste them in my blog.
I didn't get up quite as early this morning as I had planned. It was kind of a rainy morning so it was hard to get motivated. I ended up partaking of the continental breakfast offered by my hotel. They have cereal, yogurt, fruit, toast, boiled eggs, mini croissants, cheese & deli ham. There is also fruit juice and a machine that makes coffee, tea, cappuccino, café mocha and the like. And, there is butter, jellies and honey for the breads. I don't really think it was worth £6, though.
After breakfast I was able to get online briefly but just to check e-mail. The hotel's free wi-fi is still out. Last night they started offering their paid wi-fi to guests for one free hour. That was still in effect as of this morning but was soon changed to one hour for £1.
After bundling up as best I could, I set out for the Bayswater tube station which is a short 3 blocks or so away. This station is on what is called the Circle Line, which basically makes a loop around the city, hitting some of the major tourist attractions. I didn't know if I should take the one going north or south as they would both go east to Tower Hill. I ended up taking the northbound tube but didn't realize there was a terminus a couple stops away. I had to get off the train and transfer to another. No big deal. Still got to where I was going.
Upon arriving at Tower Hill station, you walk outside and are greeted by a view of the Tower of London. I took a couple pictures from the hill then made my way down to the ticket area. After buying my ticket & tour book, I decided to use the restroom before going in. Well, it was a pay toilet. It cost 50p to get in. It was a pretty nice toilet, though!
I then went inside the gate where a guided tour had just finished their intro segment and were about to move on. I decided to wait for the next guided tour which started at noon. So, I had about 20 minutes to kill. I took some pictures and did some people-watching. At noon, a Yeoman Warder, also known as a Beefeater, began the tour introduction. He was very informative and entertaining. It took about 10 minutes and I was able to capture most of it on video. Uploading it may be a different matter, though, as video seems to take forever to upload.
He guided us through the gates and pointed out what each building was used for. He also gave us some history lessons. We also learned that Yeoman Warders have to have at least 22 years' service in the British Armed Forces and have to have achieved a certain rank. They also must have spotless records. They all live within the Tower grounds with their families.
We also learned that private beheadings took place on the Tower Green, whereas public beheadings took place on Tower Hill.
If you're part of a guided tour, you get to go inside the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures inside. It was beautiful. Also, unfortunately, the altar area was roped off. That is where Anne Boleyn is buried beneath the floor. Actually, there are many bodies buried beneath the floor.
The chapel was the last part of the guided tour and we were on our own to explore the buildings and grounds after that. As I was making my way to the Crown Jewels, I realized I had left my tour book in the chapel. I turned around to go back and had to ask one of the Beefeaters if I could go back in. Once inside, however, I found that someone had swiped my tour book. Not happy. I also didn't think to take advantage of the opportunity to snap a few pictures when no one was watching!
Anyway, I went on to view the Crown Jewels. Before seeing them there is a short, looping video of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. So, it was interesting to see the actual pieces in the jewel room and to realize she will be celebrating her Diamond Jubilee (with much fanfare) the week after next. There were several crowns on display in addition to the orb, scepters, rings, the coronation robe and other Royal regalia. There was also on display an assortment of gold pieces used for Royal functions. I think my favorite of these pieces was the Exeter Salt. It was a tall, ornate, gold salt holder but also had secret compartments containing spices. You can Google it for a pic and more info. Yes, once again, we were not allowed to take pictures in there.
I picked up a couple of souvies for my mom & sister in the gift shop then made my way to the White Tower where it felt like I spent hours.
There was so much to see. There was a great deal of armor on display—even that belonging to Henry VIII. There was armor for adults and armor made for children and horses. It was very interesting to see it up close. There was also weaponry on display. It was interesting to see some of the architectural features inside the building. There were toilets, accessed via short, narrow, winding staircases then just a wooden slab with a hole in the middle. These were called garderobes. There were also primitive fireplaces before chimneys were even invented. Smoke simply escaped through holes in the wall.
Then there were some hands-on exhibits where you could feel the weight of some weaponry, try your skill at archery & firing a virtual cannon. There were also examples of primitively minted coins and displays on how they were made.
All these rooms and displays covered four floors and there were very narrow winding staircases throughout. Lots of stairs to climb!
Over the centuries, the Tower complex has served many purposes—royal residence, prison, menagerie, mint, arsenal, record storage and more.
I was ready to leave at 5:00 and as I was walking outside it started to pour down rain. The wind caught my umbrella and blew it inside out but I got it corrected. It was so cold! It even began to hail a little. There was thunder & lightning, too. I made my way back to the front gate where I was sheltered from the rain until it let up a bit. I took a couple more pictures of Tower Bridge since I was right there on the Thames River. I started to make my way back to the subway station but stopped instead in a little tourist mall to get out of the rain. I was hungry and I found a place that had chicken pot pie soup. I ordered a small cup but it was too hot to eat. I had to let it cool down for quite awhile. I eventually got back to the tube station and made my way back to Bayswater.
Most stations are below ground and some are above ground. At one station, the sun was shining. When I exited Bayswater station, it was pouring rain again and very windy. I was shivering & wet when I got back to the hotel. I packed up my computer and headed for the nearest Starbucks and ordered a nice, hot café mocha. Spent the rest of the evening there until my computer battery ran down.
Some observations for today:
· Not all tube stations are created equal—some are really nice and some are rather dank
· Apparently, the Tower of London is a popular field trip idea for hordes of schoolchildren—some of whom must have come over from France for the day?
· Most people on the tube, especially during rush hour, are looking at their phones, their iPads, their Kindles or a newspaper. They don't really pay attention to anyone else.
Not sure yet what I'll do tomorrow (Wednesday). The current plan is to try to go to Windsor Castle. I'll need to brush up on all the details from the brochure before I go to bed. It's supposed to be clear in the morning (after being frosty) but might cloud up later in the day. I may have to try to find gloves and a hoodie somewhere! Scarves, on the other hand, are everywhere!
When I got back to room tonight, I pulled my sweatpants out of the wardrobe since I was so cold. The refrigerator in the wardrobe gives off a lot of heat, so they were nice and warm! I don't know if Londoners wear sweatpants. I haven't seen any. I saw several women today walking around in short skirts and tights or leggings. I know they must have been freezing. If it's still this cold tomorrow I might wear them anyway!
I hope you are all well. I'm enjoying your comments & messages!
- comments
Lisa Hi Lori, thank you for such a wonderful description... I feel like I am almost there with you! Years ago, we took a trip there and one thing that stands out in my mind was the Crown Jewels - I kind of felt they needed cleaning! Did they strike you as a bit dirty? Of course, now that the big Jubilee is coming up, they are probably spotless. :)
Rose You're certainly getting around Lori, and I'm ashamed to say you know more about our history than we do!! It's a shame about the weather, I was really hoping it would be better than here, today I was wearing heavy jacket, scarf and gloves, it's hard to believe it's almost June. Keep up the good work, I love reading about your travels and your take on London.
erin wow i looked up that salt cellar....amazing! I think most natives there hate the weather also. :)
Nancy Null sounds like you are making the most of every day. You wont be able to see it all I dont believe. But you certainly have seen alot already. I am really enjoying your blog. Glad you are taking time to fill us all in. Very interesting. Wish I was there if someone were pushing me. Ha.


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e-commerce lite plugin won't clear settings after it's removed
I installed the e-commerce lite shopping cart plugin, added some products and categories, and then deleted them. However, one category will not seem to go away. I have uninstalled the plugin and reinstalled it, but it still remains.
If you look at http://www.maryoverley.com/?page_id=23 you will see the word Publications. This is a category I set up and then removed. There are no products in this category, and the category is deleted, yet it still remains on the page. Can you tell me how I can get rid of it?
I'm also not sure why the following happens: When I uninstall the plugin (delete the plugin's files), and then reinstall the plugin, it totally remembers every setting I previously entered. How does it have that memory? There must a cache somewhere I can clear.
- The topic 'e-commerce lite plugin won't clear settings after it's removed' is closed to new replies.

subset: commoncrawl


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Occipital artery
occipital artery n.
Tagged: o
Read Also:
- Occipital-bone
noun, Anatomy. 1. a curved, compound bone forming the back and part of the base of the skull. noun 1. the saucer-shaped bone that forms the back part of the skull and part of its base occipital bone n. A bone at the lower and posterior part of the skull, consisting of basilar, condylar, and […]
- Occipital-condyle
noun, Anatomy. 1. a protrusion on the occipital bone of the skull that forms a joint with the first cervical vertebra, enabling the head to move relative to the neck.
- Occipitalization
occipitalization oc·cip·i·tal·i·za·tion (ŏk-sĭp'ĭ-tl-ĭ-zā'shən) n. Bony ankylosis between the atlas and the occipital bone.
- Occipital-lobe
noun, Anatomy. 1. the most posterior lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, behind the parietal and temporal lobes. noun 1. the posterior portion of each cerebral hemisphere, concerned with the interpretation of visual sensory impulses occipital lobe n. The posterior lobe of each cerebral hemisphere, having the shape of a three-sided pyramid and containing the visual […]


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Andrews and Parton to receive lifetime achievement Grammy honors
Veteran entertainers Dame Julie Andrews and Dolly Parton are set to be honored with lifetime achievement Grammy awards by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
RELATED: Find out what fashion lessons celebs have learned from the Grammys
The icons will be hailed for their contributions to music, alongside punk rockers The Ramones, The Julliard String Quartet, folk group The Kingston Trio, jazz drummer Roy Haynes and gospel star George Beverly Shea.
Neil Portnow, president of The Recording Academy, says, "It is a great honor to recognize and celebrate such a distinguished and dynamic group of honorees. Their legendary work has left a lasting impression and will continue to influence generations to come."
RELATED: The 2011 Grammy Awards on MSN
The lifetime achievement titles will be presented in a special ceremony on Feb. 12, and they will be formally acknowledged at the 2011 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.
The news will be a welcome distraction for Andrews as she continues to mourn the loss of her husband, comic genius Blake Edwards, who died in December at the age of 88.
RELATED: Check out Glo's latest girl crushes


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Cast Your Vote:
- no cry -- Votes: 26
- cio -- Votes: 4
- controlled cry -- Votes: 8
- i just wanna see the damn poll -- Votes: 4
- other explain -- Votes: 1
user banned Due April 2; Georgia 7200 postsDec 31st '12
When the boys would wake up and cry at night (if they weren't hungry, wet, etc), I would just rub their backs and calm them down. They started sleeping through the night at 3 weeks old, so since then I haven't done anything.
justanothamotha Due January 20; 130 kids; Climax, Michigan 5120 postsJan 1st '13
Quoting KNZ.:" That's what i did with my first. He didn't start co-sleeping til later on, and he did it...'just cos' ... [snip!] ... Co-sleeping is great, and not saying that co-sleeping = no schedule, but my daughter is definitely not on a schedule :( "
No worries momma, you'll get there. My 2nd had a crazy schedule & he is right as rain now.....he straightened out between 18-24 months & has been golden ever since (assuming I stay on track).


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A Hard Break Up
I had been dating this one guy for 4 years, everything was great until a couple months ago. He always told me he wasn't happy with his life but it also had nothing to do with me, he was happy with me. Or so he said. He decided to break up with me the day before our 4 year anniversary. He tells me he doesn't want me out of his life. Since the day he broke up with me, I haven't been sleeping, I haven't eaten. The break up has put me in physical pain. During the relationship, he knew I was struggling with depression, and now I feel like it's only gotten worse. I don't know what to do anymore, and I don't know if he actually wants me in his life or if I'm just there in case he changes his mind and wants to get back together.
A: I appreciate you asking us this question. At 18 you have been with him for a significant portion of your life so it makes sense that you would feel this so deeply. But this is more than trying to figure out if he wants to be with you. This is a time for you to reappraise whether or not this is the right relationship for you to be in.
I would never push this. I would not try to make something happen. The essence of a good relationship is to be able to celebrate each other and share your mutual vulnerabilities. Neither of these things are happening with the two of you now.
I would grieve this loss. Grieving is not easy but is an essential part of life. And while it may seem overwhelming at the moment — giving yourself a chance to heal from this may help you see that you deserve to be in a relationship with somebody that is in as much love with you as you are with them.
I would give this some time for you to heal. But I would also rely heavily on your friends now to help you through this and give yourself a chance to let them help you recover and find some new interests.
Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral
Tomasulo, D. (2014). A Hard Break Up. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 21, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2014/05/01/a-hard-break-up/


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The lowdown
Developed by our innovative MtnHaus® team, the Women's Vapour Storm Jacket is the world's first waterproof venting jacket, designed specifically for the serious multisport athlete.The lightweight GORE-TEX® Active jacket offers the highest degree of protection and comfort whilst still allowing you to move quickly and easily. With the world's first waterproof fully open vents, the jacket has been designed and tested for the world's toughest mountain race 'The Dragon's Back'.
Weight (approx.): 301gExtremely comfortable, ideal for trail running, fell running or an ultra run up an Alp- The GuardianGold - Men's Running - Heavyweight Jacket Category - Men's Running 2013 Product Awards
Our model is wearing a UK 12 and is 6' (182.9cm) tall
- Features & Benefits
- Fixed hood with stiffened peak, tested in the wildest conditions. An active cut allows unobscured peripheral vision
- A single cord system offers super quick 3D hood adjustment. Internal adjustment eliminates falpping or snagging cords
- Waterproof storm vents allow active venting in the wettest conditions
- Side and yoke venting promote a chimney effect, allowing cool air in and humidity out
- Outstanding breathability and comfort through convective heat loss, even when worn with the Vapour Light pack range
- Back yoke venting
- 360 reflectivity adds safety and visibility in low light conditions
- Asymetric cuffs with internal thumb loops for improved protection in the worst conditions
- Drop tail hem with single pull rear adjustment
- 3 Layer GORE-TEX® Active
- 100% nylon face, 100% polyester back, PTFE membrane
- Lightweight double ripstop
- Durable water repelent finish
- Developed by MtnHaus
The Brief
The MtnHaus® team were tasked with designing a lightweight and extremely breathable jacket which would keep our athletes cool and dry during fast paced activities in rainy climates.
The team designed a lightweight jacket with waterproof storm vents which allow airflow to circulate but prevent water getting in.
The perfect testing ground for the newly developed Vapour Storm Jacket was a five day, 200 mile mountain marathon across Wales' most brutal terrain. With two of our athletes entered into The Dragon's Back Race™ - Steve Birkenshaw and Helene Whitaker - it was a great chance for us to test the Vapour Storm to ensure the jacket would perform in the toughest of environments.
Design & Development
The Vapour Storm Jacket has been designed to help adventurers tackle the world's most challenging expeditions and adventure races.
Tested in eight different countries on treacherous climbs, brutal treks and punishing mountain marathons the Vapour Storm Jacket has been put through an extended MtnHaus® development process.
Combining GORE-TEX® Active with front, side and rear vents this lightweight jacket offers the highest degree of protection and comfort.
Patent pending waterproof storm vents allow active venting even in the wettest conditions
Side, front and back yoke vents create a chimney effect that allows cool air in and humid air to escape.
Testing & Challenge
Put through its paces by the world's toughest critics
The Vapour Storm jacket has been through years of testing in over 8 different countries during various demanding athlete expeditions and races.
Our athletes Helene Whitaker and Steve Birkinshaw tested it during the Dragon's Back Race™, a challenging 200 mile long trail race across Wales' most brutal terrain, which Steve won.
Adventure racers and Berghaus athletes Philippe and Anna Gatta have also provided input and tested the jacket in various other adventure races.
As well as our athletes testing the Vapour Storm Jacket in tough adventure races Leo Houlding and his team also used it during his expedition to the depths of the Amazonian jungle in Venezuela. During their adventure they experienced temperatures in excess of 35 degrees and monsoon-like conditions – the perfect testing ground for the Vapour Storm.
- Delivery
- Product Lifetime Guarantee
A lifetime of adventure. Guaranteed. Berghaus products can do (almost) anything
For 50 years, Berghaus has been committed to endless innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence. We believe passionately that our products make a real difference to the people who use them – and we guarantee our gear will stand up to the task it's intended for (yes, that does rule out using your jacket as a paragliding sail).
What people say


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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Cambridge, MA, United States, 2015/04/13 - Charles River Analytics, a developer of intelligent systems solutions, announces a follow-on contract to develop behavior modeling capabilities for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) - CRA.com.
The Modeling Operator Reasoning and Performance for Human-in-Control Simulation, or MORPHIC, effort provides tools for missile defense operators to create models of human behavior. The two-year contract is valued over $875,000.
The missile defense community relies on using models and simulations for a variety of applications such as testing, training, exercises, wargaming, and future concept analysis, explained Brad Rosenberg, Principal Scientist at Charles River and the Principal Investigator for the MORPHIC effort. However, there is a huge gap when it comes to modeling human behavior in those systems. Human operators are core to the integrated ballistic missile defense system, so it is vital to understand the impact of differences in human operator behavior in various situations. Under the MORPHIC effort, we are providing tools to construct, adapt, and execute human behavior models within simulations.
Charles River is incorporating AgentWorks into its approach in the MORPHIC effort. AgentWorks is a graphical development and run-time environment that enables non-technical experts to rapidly develop and execute interactive behaviors for intelligent entities in simulated environments. AgentWorks has been successfully applied to other efforts for the DoD. In the Culturally Aware Agents for Training Environments (CAATE) effort, it was used to develop tools to rapidly and cost-effectively create training applications for Soldiers that teach them mission-critical social and cultural skills.
AgentWorks extensible, component-based modeling paradigm enables us to represent a breadth of operator decision-making behavior, scale to deliver models at appropriate levels of fidelity, and be extensible to future operator needs, Mr. Rosenberg added. By providing tools for non-technical experts to build and adapt new models of human behavior, the missile defense community benefits by reducing the time and cost typically needed for these tasks.
MORPHIC is one of many efforts Charles River has developed for the MDA; other efforts include:
Sensor Network Optimization using Multi-Agent Negotiation (SNOMAN) - an approach that improves sensor performance for missile defense by treating sensors like buyers and sellers in a virtual market.
Simulation Optimization Engine (SIMON) - a strategic planning decision-support tool that automates the exploration of numerous possible decision options through a combination of simulation and optimization.
Fusion of IR and Radar for Enhanced Threat Recognition and Interception (FIRE-TRAIN) methods to improve Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense by identifying and intercepting valid targets while providing a framework to assess and improve system performance.
Intelligent Simulation Techniques for a Realistic, Unified Command and Control Training System (INSTRUCTS) an open, flexible training simulation system to enhance training for missile defense operators.
The MDA has featured Charles Rivers efforts in their publications, including "Optimizing Networks and Resources" in the report Building on Our Strengths, and "The Optimization Game" in the technology transfer newsletter TechUpdate.
About Charles River Analytics
Since 1983, Charles River Analytics (cra.com) has been applying computational intelligence technologies to develop mission-relevant tools and solutions to transform our customers' data into knowledge that drives accurate assessment and robust decision-making. Charles River continues to grow its technology, customer base, and strategic alliances through research and development programs for the DoD and the Intelligence Community, addressing a broad spectrum of mission areas and functional domains, including: sensor and image processing, situation assessment and decision aiding, human systems integration, and cyber analytics. These efforts have resulted in a series of successful products that support continued growth in our core R&D contracting business, as well as the commercial sector. Charles River became an employee-owned company in 2012, to set the stage for the next-generation of innovation, service, and growth.
This material is based upon work supported by the Missile Defense Agency under Contract No. HQ0147-14-C-7714.
Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missile Defense Agency.
Approved for Public Release
15-MDA-8141 (26 February 15)
Agency / Source: Charles River Analytics, Inc.
Availability: All Regions (Including Int'l)
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This post was written and contributed by Gary Tyreman, SVP of Product & Alliances of Univa, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner.
Thank you to Rackspace and your many users who attended our webcast and demo last week on hybrid cloud computing. We had a great time demonstrating how easy it is to virtualize computing premises using Univa to, in this case, extend your internal computing infrastructure to The Rackspace Cloud.
I began the webcast with an introduction to Univa's view of the next generation data center, where "On-premise" is a relative term. The reality is that large organizations and service providers need to get much more efficient to be able to compete – they can't be constrained by physical or political boundaries that keep resources from being used to their maximum efficiency level. In the next generation data center you need to be able to run any application anywhere (internally or externally) without worrying about compliance constraints, data requirements, costs, or performance.
I then discussed how Univa makes this possible with our cloud management solutions. Our approach uses 'premise virtualization' to provide common management for the control and federation of multiple hybrid clouds. Basically, premise virtualization takes server virtualization plus a form of application virtualization and extends this environment with provisioning virtualization. The result is a new sense of location independence, where applications run on the optimal available resource. I went into some detail about how we make this possible via 4 key solution factors:
- Application Virtualization
- Enables a new sense of location independence
- Encapsulates organizational know-how
- Premise-Specific Systems Provisioning
- Common management of any resource in any premise
- Automation
- Enables wider use of higher order policy management
- Control Policies
- Control, reducing risk
- Policy management: What goes where, if, when
- Rapidly exploit price and functionality fluctuations in any cloud
I talked about how Univa does this by packaging the application, and everything it needs to run, into 'Kits' which combine with native packages to assemble the software stack on a Software Profile. This combined with the Hardware Profile is shipped to the computing premise – in-house or public, physical or virtual – depending on where it makes the most "sense" for the job to run based on what the user cares about (as encapsulated by policies, requirements, compliance constraints, or economics).
Next, my colleague Bill Bryce showed participants a live demo of our UniCloud product creating a hybrid compute environment extended from his laptop to The Rackspace Cloud. Bill showed how you can burst capacity into Rackspace easily and can track jobs from submission to completion and node tear-down via our management GUI.
Here are some highlights from the Q&A session:
Q: Describe how we set up and use policies.
A: The Univa policy engine works on either a polling or event basis. It reviews rules based on where metrics data is coming from and determines what action to call based on that data. For example, the system can look at the number of nodes running in one cloud provider and, if this is too many, move nodes to another provider. Or, one can configure the system to (for example) always try to provision VMs internally before moving workload to a public cloud. In short, any rule that can be dreamed up can be put into engine.
Q: Does Univa provide a billing infrastructure?
A: What Univa does is consolidate bills so the customer gets only a bill from Univa rather than Univa plus a number of cloud providers. This makes things easier for the end user. We can also work with the enterprise to bill based on departmental use.
Q: How does this work with central application licensing?
A: The nodes in (for example) Rackspace's cloud can access the license server in the private internal environment – should show up as nodes with IPs in the network environment. [Bill showed this in the demo GUI.] Essentially, the Rackspace compute infrastructure is extended into the on-premise environment – Univa makes it look like they are part of your network.
Q: Where is the software available?
A: The base framework software can be downloaded at http://www.unicluster.org/download. The value added kits that allow you to create a hybrid cloud (such as the Rackspace adapter) can be acquired from Univa – contact us at http://www.univaud.com/about/contact/request-info.php
Click below to watch the entire webinar.
We'd be happy to set up a private demo for you – contact us at http://www.univaud.com/about/contact/request-info.php.


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Racing Green are proud to offer on consignment this stunning XKR Convertible finished in Grey Metallic with Black full leather interior. With all the usual refinements these cars are fast becoming future classics. From the push button start to the intoxicating exhaust note and whine from the supercharger she is an utter joy to drive. She has covered a mere 33800 miles and will be supplied fully prepared with a fresh MOT certificate and a Racing green 12 month Warranty. PRICE NOW REDUCED BY £3000 To book your test drive please call 01252 894795 / 01252 544888
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Supercharged 4.2-litre V8 banging out 420bhp – Jaguar ushered in its new...
Jaguar will be launching its first all-electric model – called I-Pace – ...


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Hackers, While playing with the init code I noticed traces of Hellerstein's "expensive function optimization". It is completely disabled, uses functions nowhere to be defined, and is out of date. So I removed it. Here is the patch. Note that it takes out the "pruneable" field from struct RelOptInfo, since it's not used. Tom Lane has said a couple of times that he thinks this maybe can be resurrected; but even if it is, most likely it won't use this code (what code? These are only hooks.) (To the patcher: the file src/backend/lib/lispsort.c can also be removed after this change) -- Alvaro Herrera (<alvherre[a]dcc.uchile.cl>) "Hoy es el primer día del resto de mi vida"
Next: From: Neil Conway Date: 2004-04-25 04:15:16 Subject: width_bucket() per SQL2003 (WIP) Previous: From: Bruce Momjian Date: 2004-04-23 13:14:12 Subject: Re: patches in the pipe?


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Summer Studio
A studio designed for transfer students
In some cases, completion of the Summer Studio program is best for transfer students. Prior to application, students must have a transcript analysis done by the School of Architecture to determine if the Summer Studio is best for their situation.
Summer Studio Course Descriptions
ART104 Introduction to Drawing
Drawing the human figure, still-life objects, and architecture to facilitate the development of observational and expressive skills. Basic drawing approaches, methods, tools, media, and systems of perspectives are explored.
ARCH126--Drawing and Graphics Studio
Introduction to freehand drawing and architectural drawing graphic conventions. Exercises include freehand and drafted drawings of building plans, sections, and elevations, and an introduction to three-dimensional representation.
Application to Summer Studio: A $300 (U.S.) non-refundable deposit is necessary to facilitate this process. The deposit will be applied to the summer tuition. Payment should be made out to Andrews University, The School of Architecture.
Contact the School of Architecture for schedule dates and times.


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Treasurer charged with theft from Springhead Elementary PTA
TAMPA - When Lisa Shirah became treasurer of the PTA at Springhead Elementary School near Plant City, there was more than $25,000 in the group's bank account. A few months later, authorities said, the total was less than $600. Police say the 34-year-old dental assistant and former PTA mom altered and forged checks and stole more than $16,000 from the fund that was supposed to pay for a variety of things to help students at the school that serves a lot of poor families. Shirah was arrested by Lakeland police Friday and charged with 16 counts in relation to the missing funds. She faces single charges of grand theft and scheming to defraud, six charges of both forgery and uttering a forged instrument and two counts of theft of personal identification information.There was the $3,500 check written to herself in March for a spring fling event that never occurred, police said. There was a $2,500 check made out to herself for a barbecue dinner that didn't happen. Then there was the $35 check for stamps that was altered into a $3,500 check for stamps, spring fling money and reimbursement. Altogether, police said that nine fraudulent checks were written between January and June. Six of them were cashed and three of them were deposited in the joint account for her and her husband at MidFlorida Credit Union in Lakeland. "What did she do with all of that money?" asked Katrina Yale, who described herself as a former friend of Shirah. "We're talking thousands of dollars here. I don't know what her deal is. "She needs to go to prison," Yale added. "Stealing from the PTA? Come on. That's the lowest of the lows." Shirah returned a reporter's phone call Monday afternoon, but said she didn't have time to talk because she was too busy at work. Lakeland police say they don't know what happened to the money, and may never know. The PTA's financial troubles came to light when second notice and late bills were mailed to the school, at 3208 Nesmith Road, for items that already should have been paid, an arrest affidavit said. Principal Ann Rushing and the school's secretary asked Shirah several times to bring in PTA books to help figure out what bills had or had not been paid, police said. Shirah declined, and only brought in the books after being told that police were getting involved. To write or cash a check, Lakeland police said, two other authorized PTA representatives must also sign the check. Shirah is accused of signing the name of Liberty Libretti, a former PTA board member, on multiple checks. Emma Angeles, another former board member, said she signed eight of the nine checks. "Victim/Witness Angeles explained that Defendant usually approached her when she was in a rush and asked her to sign checks that were not yet made out," the affidavit said. "Victim/Witness Angeles advised that she trusted Defendant Shirah and signed eight of the nine checks without question." Three of the checks were made out to her husband, John, records show. Shirah's troubles with PTA funding didn't come as a surprise to Yale. She said she once gave Shirah $850 to pay for a cruise to the Bahamas that never happened. Shirah had collected as much as $10,000 to $15,000 from friends and family members, Yale said. "The next thing you know, there was no cruise," Yale said. "I called the police and they said all I could do was take her to small-claims court." The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office also is investigating Shirah, but its investigation focuses on much smaller dollar amounts and likely will be referred to the State Attorney's Office for potential prosecution.
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Overcrowding hits Heartland jails
Wed, 18 Jun 2014 22:03:31 GMT —
Overcrowding has become a growing problem in jails over the last few years.
This past May, the Adair County Jail received a total of 90 inmates. Many of those inmates are not first time offenders. The biggest offense that the jail has seen in recent years is drug usage. Sheriff Hardwick says that he has seen an increase of offenders that use drugs commit other crimes such as burglary. However, due to overcrowding, those criminals are soon back out on the streets and committing the same crimes.
"Those individuals that broke into those places have long criminal records and they are out here in our community. Out here in our community. 97 percent of the 30,000 people that are in the Department of Corrections will come back to your community," said Sheriff Robert Hardwick of the Adair County Sheriff's Office.
The Adair County Sheriff's Office is working hard to keep the community safe. If you have any tips, or suspect suspicious activity, please contact the Sheriff's Office at (660) 665-4644


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Chemotherapy is a type of treatment that uses a drug or combination of drugs to treat cancer. The goal of chemotherapy is to stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. These medications may be used in conjunction with other therapies to treat breast cancer. Not all breast cancers will be treated with chemotherapy. A medical oncologist works closely with each patient to determine the best treatment, according to the patient's specific cancer type.
Hormonal Therapy
The hormone estrogen and progesterone can stimulate the growth of some breast cancers – these are called hormone-sensitive or hormone-dependent breast cancers. Hormone therapy is used to stop or slow the growth of these tumors. A medical oncologist may prescribe this type of treatment based on the type of cancer diagnosed.
Biological Therapy/Immunotherapy
Biological therapy/immunotherapy are man-made proteins that alter the growth and replication of a cancer cell by interfering with its specific biological pathways. Biological agents find chemical or genetic processes, which are present in the cancer cell, but not in normal cells.


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02-05-2005, 22:04
Shaun Murphy Rules! What a guy! Well Done!!!!
View Full Version : Embassy World Snooker Champion - Shaun Murphy!
02-05-2005, 22:04
Shaun Murphy Rules! What a guy! Well Done!!!!
02-05-2005, 22:15
What a brilliant final, both players did supremly well but Murphy was on another level. A succesor to Ronnie O'Sullivan is born I think. :thumbsup: :clap:
02-05-2005, 22:21
What did they mean by - the end of an era??? is this the end of the road for snooker in Sheffield?:confused:
I thought it had been saved - at least till next year.
p.s. - Well done Shauny!:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
02-05-2005, 22:24
The snooker is staying in Sheffield for the next 5 years. However, Embassy cannot sponsor it anymore due to tobacco advertising laws so there will be a new sponsor next year. One of the bookies or a bank are the likely candidates to take it over.
02-05-2005, 22:54
Congrats to young 22 year old Rotherham lad Shaun Murphy for beating Matt Stevens in the World Embassy Snooker Championships.
A well deserved win, the lad played his heart out. you wouldnt have thought he was a newbie by the way he played.
02-05-2005, 22:55
well done :clap: :clap: :clap:
Many Congratulations!!
:clap: :clap: :clap:
Dya think he will ever read this though.....:confused:
02-05-2005, 23:35
No, but here's hoping that the forum is as popular as we would like it to be.
Well done to the lad, kept flipping back and forth and then got hooked on the last few frames, brilliant game of snooker :clap:
03-05-2005, 00:16
I was there!!!! and i shook Shauns hand!!, tense final but brilliant and saw all the old world champs as well!! GREAT NIGHT!! even tough it was bloody hot in there!
03-05-2005, 00:31
Originally posted by npatchett
What a brilliant final, both players did supremly well but Murphy was on another level. A succesor to Ronnie O'Sullivan is born I think. :thumbsup: :clap:
I wouldn't go as far as that but Shaun did extremely well. I take my hat off to the lad.......Well done Shaun! :clap: :clap: :clap:
03-05-2005, 07:48
He did well the lad :) He is every bit good as Ronnie, if not more consistent. To come in to the Crucible for the first time, and take home 1st prize is something big in the snooker world.
Imagine winning the final and getting a 147 - a grand...no a GRAND payout of £411,000 - he could buy most of Rotherham with that :) Mind you, he could buy most of it with the £250k he is taking home! ;) j/k
03-05-2005, 08:27
For his first time there he showed nerves of steel - and it was a nice touch when they said that as a kid he has chased Steve Davies down the road for his autograph, then Davies piped up and said he was going to go and ask for his autograph.
03-05-2005, 09:43
Great World Championships that is why Sheffield deserves to keep it because there is no where else in the country that could provide such an atmosphere.Murphy has been fantastic all the way through & deserves to be World Champion not like that whinging southerner O'Sullivan such a great talent like the Gazza's ,Best etc & what do they do waste it.Well we have a Yorkshire Champ first time since Joe Johnson,Well Done Shaun Murphy.
03-05-2005, 12:12
I was just pleased that he beat Ebdon.
I like Mathew Stevens, so unlucky for him IMO.
Either player could have won really.
Very well done Murphy.
The first player since 1979 to win the tournament from qualifying.
He was fantastic :clap: :clap: :clap:
03-05-2005, 12:24
Still think he looks like Archie from Balamory.
03-05-2005, 12:32
He played a blinder all tournament and deserved to win it.
What happens next year? As he is not in the top 16 will he have to go through the qualifiers again or does the winner get a automatic entry?
03-05-2005, 18:04
Huge well done to Shaun!! Another Terry Griffiths (all be it faster!!). He's a very focussed and commited young lad. Commiserations to Mathew Stevens.. such a good player.. just not his year.. again! And yes i do believe he will have to qualify again.. but it might just be one round.. think the provisional rankings are already out.. although there are two sets of rankings and Im not sure whether the Embassy ones will apply?! anybody know?
In defence of Ronnie O'Sullivan 'wasting' his talent.. thats not entirely true! He has won the championship twice, has a record of two 147 breaks at the crucible (the second of which i saw).. the first one being a record 5mins 20 secs!! he's also the youngest winner of the Uk championship, a record which is still held.. Ok it took him a little longer to win the championship than most pundits thought but that shouldn't take away the fact he is an incredible natural snooker player. As I'm sure is the case for Gazza and Best , when god gives you a talent that makes you popular, rich, famous and a celebrity.. tied in with the fact that you have an unstable private life and mental state, you are going to go of the rails! (just IMO of course)
04-05-2005, 14:32
Yes - Well done to him
Although it was not his first time to the crucible - been twice before and lost both first round matches.
04-05-2005, 18:54
Originally posted by Lickszz
He played a blinder all tournament and deserved to win it.
What happens next year? As he is not in the top 16 will he have to go through the qualifiers again or does the winner get a automatic entry?
He might be a top 16 ranking player by the next championship ?
04-05-2005, 20:04
Wooooohoooooo go on son!
Riz :)
05-05-2005, 09:09
Originally posted by venger
He might be a top 16 ranking player by the next championship ?
I've just been reading about it.
He will only be ranked in the twenties somewhere, but because he is world champion he is automatically seeded 2 in all competitions next season.
05-05-2005, 14:09
An old lady in a cafe asked me for my autograph the other day, I was quite shocked and said "why? who do you think I am?" to which she replied "that nice young snooker champion". I found this quite funny until I saw a picture of him and I am now on a strict diet.
05-05-2005, 19:25
LOL hillarious Adlinds!!!... the last time he was at the crucible he was a lot thinner.. perhaps she had that occasion in mind!


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Wanna see a kick ass movie about a homeless guy who does porn? Local filmaker, Ryan Rundle, will have a sneak peak of his independent short film "The Life And Times Of An American Playboy" August 26th at the Wilma.
"The Life and Times of an American Playboy is an independent short film, produced in Missoula, MT. It is the collaborative effort by a select group of filmmakers and artists who share a unique vision. The project champions the spirit of indie filmmaking, while challenging societal norms."
"Teddy Lancaster is homeless. Seeking bliss at the bottom of a bottle, Teddy finds a new way to support his habit: starring in Marv Barsky's Hoboho 5. But as the production unravels, so too does its distasteful nature. Now, Teddy must face the inequities of his once-glamorous past and the prospect of his potentially short future."
The Life and Times of an American Playboy OFFICIAL TRAILER from Marv Barsky on Vimeo.


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It is important to remember when running a tattoo or piercing studio that you not only have the essential tools but you have consumables too. These are important for protecting yourself, keeping the studio clean and for assisting with aftercare. At Barber DTS we supply a range of tattoo supplies including gloves used to protect the artists from blood and ink. Protective aprons are also available to keep clothes clean whereas hand towels are great for cleaning up mess and wiping ink from the skin. Tapes and dressings are used to secure the likes of cling film to apparatus and even the client for aftercare measures.
Protective WearBarber take hygiene matters very seriously and therefore provide everything you ... readmore
Hand Towels/Couch RollsAt Barber DTS we don't just supply the more obvious tattoo supplies, but the s... readmore
Tapes and DressingThe Barber DTS product range isn't limited to just tattoo machines and needles... readmore


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What Are The Top 10 Funniest Movies Ever?
A website called LoveFilm.com has devised a way to determine the funniest films of all-time. They have calculated the top ten based on laughs per minute.
Obviously this list, much like other top ten lists, is completely subjective. Check out what they came up with after the jump.


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Why I Prefer Oblivion Over Skyrim
Skyrim is bland and shallow. That may seem a very odd statement to a lot of people, but I'll stand by it. Games as a medium are constantly evolving yet, in another fashion, devolving. The sense that 'bigger is always better' is one that has always been in the gaming psyche; even when games just became longer, contained more levels, hundreds of collectables etc, there was always a want for more. This to me, is where Skyrim falls down.
The game is huge and there is a lot to do, but at no point do you have to delve very deep to do any of it. It actively throws activities at you. In Oblivion, when you found something new it felt like you'd walked miles and talked to hundreds of people before getting to this point. It wasn't a case of going from point to point, but a great sense of discovery. With the latest entry to the series Bethesda managed to make one of its most interesting franchises bland and highly repetitive.
There is something to uncover every two feet in Skyrim. Sure that's fantastic for anyone who wants bang for their buck, but for me it made the idea of spending hours exploring the landscape extremely unattractive. Half the wonder of finding something undiscovered, is just that: it's undiscovered. When you walk two seconds, in any direction, from a town and are met with five or six different 'exciting explorative options' it's hard to suspend your disbelief that no one else within the world has been here or seen it.
With Oblivion the world felt less lived in and nature seemed to be as big a character as any Daedric prince or Dark Brotherhood assassin, which lent a more organic feel to the world. Unfortunately, Bethesda's latest effort feels cold and bland. Maybe this is exactly what they were going for when choosing the territory of Skyrim, but the constant grey and white landscape that a lot of the game is set in, gets old very quickly. A game you're supposed to be spending countless hours in cannot be unexciting to simply look at.
Besides art direction, the world of The Elder Scrolls has always felt very alive due to its characters. Cyrodiil was somewhere I wanted to get to know people, the characters were larger than life and all, while a little stale at times, well voice acted. This is a remarkable feat considering the small number of voice actors (fourteen in total) that the main game used. I don't know if it was the constant familiarity of the voices that made the game so entertaining or if it was the actual writing, but I enjoyed conversing with the inhabitants of Cyrodiil a lot more than those of Skyrim.
I'm by no means a 'hardcore' Elder Scrolls player, but I still feel like some of the magic was lost with the higher production values. I would be foolish to argue that Skyrim had a worse control-scheme than its predecessor, as it's something that really needed changing. But for all of its improvements, all I was left with was the sense that I wished Oblivion could have this control scheme and not how good Skyrim was because of it.
I feel both games will be remembered fondly, but for myself, dragons, snow, civil war and even an arrow to the knee couldn't make me play Skyrim any longer than I already have. And when it really comes down to it, I would much rather fight alongside Sean Bean to avenge Patrick Stewart, by going through portals to an ungodly plain, than flailing around trying to kill a dragon every two feet.


text: On Aug 23, 2010, at 10:50 AM, Emma Willemsma wrote: > I have attached a short script and sample text file that demonstrate the problem. The dtype I'm using in the example is: > > dtype2 = numpy.dtype([(("Amps","Current"),"f8"),(("Volts","Voltage"),"f8"),(("Watts","Power"),"f8")]) > > When I run the code as-is, I get the ValueError. If I run it with the monkey patch, it runs as I would expect. > > On the other hand, if I remove the titles from the dtype, the code works with or without the monkey patch. Without the titles, the dtype looks like: > > dtype1 = numpy.dtype([("Current","f8"),("Voltage","f8"),("Power","f8")]) > > Thanks very much for your help with this issue. > > Emma Emma, Please open a ticket. That's a bug in flatten_dtype, which cannot handle titles in the dtype (as I never used titles, I forgot they were there...). I'll try to take care of that ASAP.


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SUNDAY MONEY: INVESTING; At Harvard, the Trust Is Yours Till Death Do You Part
By GERALDINE FABRIKANT
Published: May 22, 2005
HARVARD UNIVERSITY has been generating more than its share of headlines lately. President Lawrence H. Summers's comments on gender differences -- he said in January that ''intrinsic aptitude'' might explain the scarcity of women in science and engineering -- set off an uproar that shows no signs of being quelled. And an announcement that Jack R. Meyer, who supervises the Harvard endowment's investments, will leave later this year along with two of his top traders started endless speculation about the identity of his eventual successor.
But another, less heralded development at the Harvard endowment is quietly attracting attention in academic and investing circles. Thanks to a special ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, Harvard has begun to offer the university's donors a chance to invest alongside Harvard in all of the hedge funds, real estate and private equity deals chosen for the endowment itself.
For investors able to get in the door, the I.R.S. ruling grants full access to the strategies and tactics that have given Harvard exceptional results -- achieved, in large measure, by emphasizing alternative investments and reducing allocations to mainline asset classes like the United States stock market.
But there is a catch, and it's a big one. The I.R.S. ruling applies to all charitable trusts set up at Harvard. The most popular version is a ''charitable remainder trust'' where the principal goes to Harvard upon the donor's death. During his or her lifetime, however, about 5 percent of the principal each year is paid out to the donor.
The minimum investment to set up such a trust at Harvard is $100,000, said David W. Scudder, the vice president of trusts at the Harvard Management Company, which runs the endowment's portfolio.
Whatever is left of the principal at the end of the donor's life goes to the endowment.
Still, for those able and ready to give that kind of money to Harvard, the I.R.S. ruling may have considerable appeal. Harvard's returns have been stellar -- a 15.9 percent average over the last decade, and 21.1 percent last year alone, Mr. Scudder said.
Much of these returns can be credited to alternative assets, in fields requiring expertise, connections or both. Private equity, for example, produced a 31.5 percent average annual return for Harvard over the last decade. And last year, the private equity sector accounted for 13 percent of the endowment's assets, compared with 15 percent for domestic stocks -- an allocation that apparently demonstrates Harvard's own skepticism about the prospects for the stock market.
Harvard's investment strategy is closely monitored by other schools and charitable institutions. Yale, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yeshiva University have applied to the I.R.S. for the same tax ruling that Harvard received in December 2003, officials at those institutions said.
Many endowments are closely watching donor reaction at Harvard. ''Contributors want to know that their funds will not only do good, they will do well,'' said J. Ezra Merkin, a money manager who heads Gabriel Capital and is the chairman of the investment committee of Yeshiva University and of UJA-Federation of New York. He added that Harvard and Yale are ''the belles of the ball.'' In fiscal 2004, the Harvard endowment's investments gained 21.1 percent. Yale's jumped 19.4 percent.
''People who manage endowment money benchmark their returns against Harvard and Yale,'' Mr. Merkin said. Harvard's performance is tracked by wealthy investors who believe that Harvard's strategy of diversifying beyond domestic stocks is a savvy approach.
Diversify it has. At the end of the endowment's last fiscal year on June 30, its assets stood at $22.6 billion. In addition to private equity and domestic stocks, its asset allocation included 12 percent in hedge funds, 11 percent in domestic bonds, 10 percent in commodities like oil and timber, 10 percent in foreign equities and 10 percent in real estate. About half of the funds are managed in-house; the remainder are split up among various investment managers.
Donors who set up a charitable remainder trust at Harvard can have the assets invested in a portfolio that mirrors the endowment's, or, if they choose, Harvard will put the assets into a basket of tax-efficient Vanguard funds. There are important reasons to consider this alternative, because Harvard, which relies heavily on short-term trading, does not pay taxes on the gains in its endowment. An individual, however, would have to pay taxes on the annual payouts received from a charitable remainder trust based on the endowment's investments. The I.R.S. stipulates that a trust must pay out at least 5 percent annually, and the portion of the payout resulting from short-term capital gains is taxable at a maximum rate of 35 percent.
The tax rate on tax-efficient mutual funds is much lower -- about 15 percent, Mr. Scudder said. That's because these payouts will be generated largely by dividends, which are taxed at a maximum rate of 15 percent; tax-efficient funds minimize short-term capital gains. Mr. Scudder said that if an investor had been in a portfolio of tax-efficient funds chosen by Harvard over the last 10 years, the returns would have been 7.8 percent annually. ''You get indexlike results,'' he said, adding that the taxes are lower, but so are the returns.
There is risk involved in both portfolios. If markets decline, indexes based on them will drop as well. And sectors with big weightings in the endowment portfolio -- like commodities, private equity, hedge funds and real estate -- can be volatile, raising the possibility of declines in value.
Still, there is some evidence that access to the endowment portfolio may have attracted new donors. ''The concept is doing well and has attracted a great deal of attention from alumni and other endowments,'' Mr. Scudder said.
In 2002, he said, donors gave Harvard eight new trusts that totaled $9 million. A year later the number rose to 30 new trusts representing more than $24 million, roughly half of them donated after the new ruling. Last year, there were 74 new trusts valued at $61 million. Since the I.R.S. ruling, he said, about 70 percent of all new trusts have been invested in the endowment portfolio.
OF course, with the departure of Mr. Meyer later this year, the endowment's performance may falter. After more than a decade as chief executive of Harvard Management, Mr. Meyer said he would start his own hedge fund and would probably be gone by the end of September. He is taking several managers with him, including two bond managers, David R. Mittelman and Maurice Samuels. Mr. Mittelman and Mr. Samuels each earned about $25 million in salary and incentive bonus last year. Mr. Meyer earned $7.5 million.
Harvard University hasn't said if its investment strategy will change as those managers leave.
''People are thinking about Mr. Meyer's departure,'' said Byron Wein, a Harvard alumnus, fund-raiser and senior investment strategist at Morgan Stanley. But he said that evidence of continuing donations showed that ''right now they are willing to give Harvard the benefit of the doubt.''
Photo: Jack R. Meyer, who has supervised the Harvard endowment's investments for more than a decade, is leaving this year. The university hasn't said if its strategy will change. (Photo by Jodi Hilton for The New York Times)
Chart: ''A More Diverse Portfolio''
Investment allocations of Harvard University's endowment
Domestic equities
2000: 36%
2004: 15
Foreign equities
2000: 6
2004: 10
Emerging markets
2000: 0
2004: 5
Private equities
2000: 16
2004: 13
Hedge funds
2000: 0
2004: 12
Junk bonds
2000: 1
2004: 5
2000: 4
2004: 13
Real estate
2000: 5
2004: 10
Domestic bonds
2000: 29
2004: 11
Foreign bonds
2000: 1
2004: 5
Inflation-indexed bonds
2000: 0
2004: 6
2000: 2
2004: -5
Fiscal years ended in June
(Source by Harvard University)


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Why Would I?I don't know him personally. I don't understand why people care about that kind of stuff. I think the only people that really have any business caring who people sleep with is their immediate family, spouse, or girlfriend/boyfriend if they have one.
katnipkitkat 41-45, F 0 Jul 21, 2012


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Somerset softball produces in clutch situations
After waiting all season for clutch hits, the Spartans produced in clutch situations time after time in their 15-1 win at St. Croix Central last Friday.
The game started with the Spartans scoring three runs in the first inning, all with two outs. It was a pattern they'd continue throughout the game. Singles by Rachel Cloutier and Meghan Wolner drove in runs during that burst.
The Spartans broke the game open with an eight-run charge in the second inning, their largest run total of the season. Jocelyn Rivard, Wolner, Autumn Wilson and Ally Wittstock all singled in runs during the inning, with Wolner's hit sending home two runs and Wilson's hit chasing home three runs. The Spartans added two more runs in the third inning and three in the fifth inning.
"We had five hits with two outs and runners in scoring position," Spartan coach Cory Lindenberg said. "They did a good job of never letting up on the gas pedal."
Megan Starry led the Spartan attack with three hits. She and Cloutier each scored three runs. Cloutier was also dominating as the Spartan pitcher, holding Central to three hits.
This win was vitally important for the Spartans' chances in the WIAA Division 2 regional tournament seeding that is scheduled for completion this Wednesday. The Spartans now have wins over Central and Amery, meaning Somerset will likely get the fifth seed in the seven-team bracket. That would likely put them against Ellsworth in the opening round of the WIAA regionals that start on Thursday, May 22.
The Spartans know they can play on even ground with Ellsworth. They did so last Tuesday, losing 6-2 to the Panthers.
Somerset led the game after three innings. The Spartans had chances to produce more runs, putting runners in scoring position with less than two outs in every inning except the seventh.
The first Somerset run was scored in the first inning. Starry walked, moved to second on Wittstock's sacrifice bunt and scored on Racheal Russell's groundout.
The Spartans scored again in the third inning. This time Starry started the inning with a double. A bunt moved her to third base and she scored on Jocelyn Rivard's sacrifice fly.
There was plenty of reason for optimism after this game. The Spartans had 10 hits, including two each from Starry, Wittstock and Abbie Rivard.
Somerset's home game with Durand on Monday was postponed due to wet grounds. A makeup date hasn't been set.
The Spartans are scheduled to play Middle Border Conference leader Baldwin-Woodville twice this Thursday. The two five-inning games will be played at Somerset's Larry Forrest Park, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Another double-header is scheduled for the Spartans next Monday, this time at New Richmond, making up the games that were rained out last Thursday.


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Monday, 29 October 2012
Ashes to Ashes?
I spent a huge chunk of the weekend peering up at the ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) at the side of our house. They're always one of the last trees to decide it's autumn and last week they finally donned their seasonal clothes of buttery yellow. Saturday's blue sky and slanting sunshine made for perfect viewing. It's something I always do at this time of year, but this time was a poignant one because of the recent news about ash dieback fungus (aka Chalara fraxinea).
This fungus has attacked ash trees across Europe the past few years, for example decimating around 90% of those found in Denmark. Cases have been reported recently in East Anglia and Kent and many concerned groups - especially The Woodland Trust - have been actively lobbying the government to act swiftly to prevent the disease from spreading.
Today, a ban on the import of ash trees comes into force and a number of civil servants have been redeployed to cope with the extra work anticipated over the coming months. Only time will tell if the government has acted quickly enough. Around 5% of our trees are ash and whilst that might not sound a lot, in some places their presence accounts for much more.
One of those places is the area next to our house. We have three ash trees next to our garden fence, two at the back and one at the front. In addition ash trees line the banks of Hardenhuish Brook close by. Along with the leaf miner ridden horse chestnuts I've written about previously, ash trees shape our immediate and local landscape.
Whilst they're not actually in the garden, the trees do much to give it its sense of place. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves helps to drown nearby traffic noise and their shading of half the garden informs my plant choices. We often watch the daily soap opera of the local wildlife taking place within their branches, which on one memorable occasion was a sparrowhawk sitting within a few feet of the house. The trees also shape some of my regular gardening tasks: there's plenty of leaves to be collected from the back lawn at the moment and I'm forever pulling up ash seedlings during the summer months.
Whilst their lofty presence is both a blessing and a curse, I know I'd miss them if they became infected and had to go. It's a notifiable disease, so I'll be keeping an eye on the trees and any of their twigs and branches which drop into the garden in future.
The Forestry Commission's website provides lots of information about the disease, its known whereabouts in the UK and provides links to various agencies should you need to report an outbreak. It also links to Forest Research's very good pdf format pictorial identification guide and video. It's a website worth keeping an eye on, if like me ash trees form part of your local landscape too.
I also made a couple of short videos on Saturday to try and capture some of the huge presence these trees have for us. The one below shows the way the shadows of the leaves in the breeze affects the light in our kitchen at this time of the year.
If the video won't play from the picture, try this link instead. The second video attempts to capture the sound of the trees whilst out in the garden.
Update: There's an android App launched today to help identify and track the disease across the UK. Take a look at the Ash Tag website. Update 30/10: App also available on Apple..
9 comments:
Yon kit does not appear impressed with the lovely patterns on the wall ;) My camera battery is fully charged, so I shall attempt to capture the sounds of the trees & winds a little later, when our bit of Sandy blows through. Thinking of those trees being felled causes pain.ReplyDelete
Petoskystone - no, he was more concerned with polishing off his breakfast. Hope you and yours keep safe whilst hurricane Sandy rages.ReplyDelete
I am surprised the government didn't act sooner given that the problem has been apparent in Europe for years. Let's hope it is not too late to save the trees but I am not optimistic - it is rare for some pest, plant or disease not to spread once it has gained a toehold.ReplyDelete
EG - me too. I would have thought that Sudden Oak Death etc would have concentrated their minds a bit, but sadly not.ReplyDelete
Will be peering along intently with you VP, as we have an large inherited ash in the back garden. We live in a hollow and it provides a great privacy screen, sheltering us from the neighbours above. I would not even begrudge the pesky squirrels one of their favourite playgrounds,should it continue to flourish. I have a sinking feeling about the fate of our ashes but let's hope for the best.ReplyDelete
It's bizarre, how slow the response to this has been. Caroline Lucas in parliament today, berating both Conservatives and Labour for being so slow off the mark.ReplyDelete
Anna - our ash trees are a great privacy screen too. We have a public footpath at the side of the house, so don't want to lose their shelter from that. I'm hoping the doom and gloom of the past few weeks doesn't become the reality like we had for our elm trees in the 70s.ReplyDelete
Lucy - I'm very surprised too. After Leaf miner moth/bleeding canker in horse chestnuts and the culls owing to sudden oak death, you'd think we'd have been much more prepared for this, especially as it's been a known disease marching ever closer for a number of years now.
Now my ash trees leaf out last and lose leaves first...and how sad your ash trees are in trouble too as ours are being decimated by an Asian beetle the Emerald Ash Borer.ReplyDelete
Hi Donna - there seems to be a whole raft of new and exotic pests & diseases threatening our trees at the moment :(ReplyDelete
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UB's Lester has caught on at cornerback
Before Cortney Lester takes the field for practice, some of his secondary teammates catch passes with the University at Buffalo wide receivers. Wide receiver Fred Lee, one of the Bulls' leaders, is there to greet them.
"They catch passes and I tell them, 'Don't drop the ball, you gotta catch the pick,' " Lee said.
One of Lee's daily rituals is taking jabs at Lester, his roommate, who converted to corner from wide receiver two years ago.
"I see why they moved you to DB," Lee said.
Lester denies he has a case of the dropsies and finds Lee's quips humorous. His play proves he's succeeded in making the move to corner.
The 6-foot, 182-pound junior from Miramar, Fla., tied linebacker Khalil Mack for team-high honors with six tackles in the Bulls' victory over Western Michigan last Saturday, and he added a pass breakup. His two interceptions tie him for fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Senior Najja Johnson is tied with four others for second in the MAC with three.
Lester, Johnson, senior strong safety Okoye Houston and free safety Derek Brim (Canisius) are part of an ever-improving secondary.
"The biggest thing is film study," Lester said. "I watch before practice, after practice just watching film on our opponent and knowing what they do even before they do it. Know their playbook better than them, that's really the key."
The disaster at Baylor was the early-season wake-up call the secondary needed. Defensive backs are measured by passing yards yielded and the Bulls allowed 452 and three touchdowns against the Bears.
"Any loss hurts and after that loss we got the group together and we said, 'That's enough,' " Lester said. "Every catch, a hitch, a screen, anything, everything, that's too much."
Since playing Baylor, the Bulls have allowed an average of 209.7 yards a game and just three touchdown passes in wins over Stony Brook, Connecticut, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. The last time the secondary allowed a touchdown pass was six quarters ago against Eastern Michigan. The transformation started in practice.
"We pride ourselves in competing in practice with one-on-ones with Alex Neutz and Fred Lee, great receivers, but we compete against each other on the field," Lester said. "Off the field, we're best friends."
Said Lee: "In practice, we go at it every day. Honestly, our defense is the toughest defense I've ever played against. I look at the games and I don't know if I would want to play against our defense. Cortney is really aggressive. He's making plays on the ball and we talk all the time."
Lester was recruited to UB as a wideout and was redshirted his first season in 2010.
"I thought I was going to play right away just like any freshman would but they redshirted me and I accepted the role," Lester said. "I gave a good look and the coaches saw that I was an athlete so they asked me to move positions to help the team out and I said I would."
He's been a starter since. Lester led the team in interceptions as a redshirt freshman (two) and was second in the MAC and on the team behind Johnson with five a year ago.
"One thing about Cortney, he's excited about playing football," UB coach Jeff Quinn said. "He lives it, he practices that way, he's in tune to what Coach (Maurice) Linguist and our defense needs and he's in the right place at the right time.
"You look at the quality play of Najja and the quality play of Marqus Baker, it's about coaches, it's about players, it's about having the right scheme and they believe in it," Quinn added. Cortney has a tremendous amount of skill to continue to develop and be a great corner."
Or another position.
"He's starting to show now he could come back and play a little receiver for us," Lee said.
UB backup quarterback Alex Zordich did not participate in Tuesday's practice as he recovers from a concussion suffered two weeks ago against Eastern Michigan.
Zordich did not play at Western Michigan but he is listed as the backup to Joe Licata for Saturday's game against Massachusetts. Junior inside linebacker Blake Bean is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury as is backup inside linebacker Nick Gilbo, a sophomore.
Bean, who missed last Saturday's game at Western Michigan, is not listed on this week's depth chart for the game Saturday at UMass but Gilbo will back up junior Lee Skinner. Junior Jake Stockman is listed as the starter at inside linebacker in place of Bean.
Stockman, who tied for third on the team in tackles last Saturday against Western Michigan with five, will be backed up by sophomore Travis Pitzonka, the Lancaster product. Pitzonka has appeared in all six games and has assisted on two tackles.
On offense, redshirt freshman Dan Collura will back up senior Jasen Carlson (Southwestern) at left guard in place of redshirt freshman Todd Therrien (Williamsville East), who has been moved to center.
Therrien, a former defensive lineman who was converted to the offensive line in training camp, is now ahead of redshirt freshman Andrew Borruso as the backup to Trevor Sales at center.
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text:
PHOTO GALLEY: Teams battle it out at raft race and tug of war competition at Cromer
PUBLISHED: 18:11 15 July 2012 | UPDATED: 18:19 15 July 2012
image copyright of Adrian Judd Photography © 2012 No use without permission. Contact 07979 334 732 email email@example.com
A crowd of amused on-lookers watched teams battle it out today (Sunday) in a race to build and sail a raft at Cromer's seafront.
Organised by the town's carnival committee, the raft race is one of the many exciting events taking place to get tourists and residents into the festival spirit.
Organiser Phillip "biscuit" Overall said this was the fourth year the event had run.
"It's all about being able to make something and try it out at the sea - and that's half the fun," he said.
"We try and incorporate everyone's interests all the way through the carnival and make sure there is something for everyone."
Teams of no more than four had to build a raft, paddle it around two buoys and make their way back to shore in the quickest time possible to win.
Mr Overall added: "We all work as a team to put these events together."
As well as raft racing, teams of eight were also asked to take part in a tug of war competition at the bottom of the gangway on the east beach.
West Runton Brownies supplied the materials for the raft construction and the event was sponsored by Victoria Marquees.
Image copyright of Adrian Judd Photography © 2012.


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Distressed-Asset Vultures Watch—and Wait—Over Europe
Banco Espírito Santo put €2.5 billion ($3.6 billion) of loans on sale in January, hoping for bids from hedge funds. Seven months later, the Portuguese lender has sold only half the loans, which funded the construction of roads, airports, and sports stadiums. Money managers who balked say the assets were offered for just 5 percent less than face value, making it difficult for them to earn a profit. "We passed on that trade," says Galia Velimukhametova, manager of GLG Partners' European Distressed Fund. "We are waiting for a situation where price expectations are much lower."
Hedge funds and private equity firms that have raised money to buy assets from European sellers crushed by the sovereign debt crisis may have to wait awhile. Banks have little incentive to offload bad loans because selling them at a discount would trigger losses. Meanwhile, low interest rates imposed by the European Central Bank help indebted companies meet their payments, keeping the default rate in Europe at an historic low. "There's a level of frustration among investors," says Robert Boulding, a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London. "They expected a tsunami of deals from European banks, and the reality has been very different."
Private equity firms raised $5 billion in 2010 for funds targeting European distressed assets and corporate turnarounds, compared with about $400 million during the 2002 recession, according to researcher Preqin. Apollo Global Management, Leon Black's private equity firm, is seeking to raise $2.8 billion for a fund that will aim to buy European loans in, or near, default, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Oaktree Capital Management, the Los Angeles-based private equity firm led by Howard Marks, is seeking as much as $3 billion for a fund that will buy assets in Europe, say people with knowledge of the plans. Officials at the two firms declined to comment.
Hedge funds are also zeroing in on Europe. New York-based Marathon Asset Management started a Europe Credit Opportunities fund in July. It plans to buy real estate and corporate loans with a face value of at least $1 billion from banks in Portugal, Ireland, Spain, the U.K., and Italy, according to a presentation to potential clients.
Vulture investors are circling the Continent because fewer opportunities for profit exist in the U.S. Hedge funds that targeted distressed assets in North America reaped gains of 46 percent on average in 2009 and 29 percent in 2010, according to data provider Eurekahedge. Returns have plunged this year to 4.7 percent through July, as the number of large asset sales dries up. In Europe, hedge funds buying distressed assets gained 7.1 percent on average through July, according to Eurekahedge.
For investors, the opportunities are potentially huge. European banks may sell as much as €1.3 trillion of assets as they shrink their balance sheets and seek to raise capital, according to an April report by PwC. More than $2 trillion of European, Middle Eastern, and African corporate and commercial real-estate loans will also mature in the next five years, according to KPMG.
Nonetheless, deals have been slow to materialize because European banks have had their capital levels bolstered with government injections of cash, allowing them to avoid selling loans at distressed prices. Lenders are required to take a loss when they sell loans for less than book value. By selling performing loans that haven't been marked down, like Espírito Santo is doing, firms can raise capital without incurring significant losses. "Why would the banks sell those loans so that investors can make 50 percent returns," says Christophe Evain, chief executive officer of Intermediate Capital Group. Evain's London-based investment firm bought a package of leveraged loans with a face value of €1.4 billion from Royal Bank of Scotland Group in August 2010. He declined to disclose the price paid.
Hedge funds and private equity firms expect the pace of transactions to pick up once interest rates begin to rise. Low rates have allowed struggling companies to refinance loans and meet debt repayments. Defaults on speculative-grade loans in Europe fell to 1.4 percent in the second quarter from 5.6 percent a year earlier, according to Moody's Investors Service. "When interest rates start to rise, as expected, over the next few years, these problems are going to emerge," says Gareth Davies, the London-based managing director responsible for corporate restructurings at Greenhill, a boutique advisory firm headquartered in New York. "The challenge for investors will be to be patient, not to rush into things because currently things are very expensive."
GLG's Velimukhametova isn't waiting for a European yard sale. Her $200 million fund was up 10 percent this year through June, mostly on bearish bets made against the stocks and bonds of companies she says are likely to be restructured. These include telecommunications firms in Portugal and steel, cement, and chemical companies throughout Europe. GLG is owned by London-based Man Group, the world's biggest hedge fund, with assets of $71 billion. Default rates will "undoubtedly" increase within the next 18 months, and banks will have to start selling loan books because they have few other options for raising capital, says Velimukhametova. "It's a good time to be ready and raising capital."
The bottom line: Investors with an appetite for distressed debt have built up resources to deploy in Europe. But they're holding out for fire-sale prices.


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Winner, 2017 APA Audie Awards - Erotica
Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
New York Times best seller
Thirty days. That's all Adam Steinbeck demands of his wife. Thirty days in a remote cottage, doing everything he demands. After that, he'll sign her divorce papers and give her their company.
That's how long he has to rediscover the man he once was. The dominant master he hid when he fell in love with her five years before.
She wants their production company badly enough to go to the cottage for a month. Cut off ties to the world and do his bidding. She can submit to him with her body, but her heart will never yield.
She thinks this is his pathetic attempt to repair their marriage.
She's wrong.
©2016 Flip City Media Inc. (P)2016 Flip City Media Inc.
Addicted to any type of Romance/Erotica audio books.
"I think i'm in Love"
WOW!!! I loved this book! I really liked how it goes back and forth between "then and now", it helped me get a better understanding of the characters. Adam might be my new favorite Dom, He is so calm even when things are freaking him out, that makes him super sexy to me because I love a Dom that is always in control (even of himself). From the beginning this book grabbed me and now I can't stop thinking about it! And it was hot hot hot!!
I love that they are married when the story starts, that is huge for me because I felt their connection from page 1. The author does an awesome job writing these characters and their story, you will love them both even if you try not too. I wanted to dislike Diana in the beginning because of "the note", I wanted to dislike Adam because he hid who he was from his wife which to me is lying but I didn't stand a chance against either of them. I am so sad that I have to wait until January 3rd for the next book :'( Yes this book has a cliffhanger but it's not a mid sentence cliffy at least.
The narration was perfect!!!
Audible Addict!!! My Favorite books have change since joining Audible and my taste for erotic has enhanced! Follow me to the dark side. ;)
This was an excellent story and a even better listen. I normally don't enjoy the duet style of narration because it normally sounds like one person reading over a tape not this book it was like real conversations. I loved every minute of it. These narrators are excellent alone but as a duet it's masterful . NOTE TO AUDIO CASTING AGENTS AND AUTHORS!!! WHEN NARRATORS ARE THIS GREAT IT CAN MAKES YOUR BOOK A MASTERPIECE. I LOVED IT👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
"Long Live the Queen-Move Over Jonathan! 5 Stars!"
I first met CD Reiss through the Songs of Submission audios narrated by the incredible Jo Raylan and Christian Fox and I was blown away, luckily able to buy the whole series one after another. I devoured them even though they weren't in my regular wheelhouse for romance audio (with BDSM and intense emotions (eek)). I listened to most of CD's other audios and they were very good, but none had the impact of Songs of Submission...until now.
Marriage Games hits all the notes. A marriage in trouble, not due to unfaithfulness to their marriage but to themselves. The struggle between Adam and Diana is palpable and relatable. There are moments you want them together and apart, the pain and past between them sometime seeming insurmountable.Yes, this book contains BDSM but as usual with CD, it's not the entire story. Many stories about the "lifestyle" are about the shock value and primarily porn, which is fine if that's what you like. CD makes it a very relatable human issue about consenting adults finding what fulfills them from their very core without judgment.
The narration? Absolutely perfect. Two of my favorite narrators performing duet (or conversational) narration. Elena Wolfe's performance is flawless as usual and she makes Diana relatable, fragile and sympathetic as well as strong and fearless. You feel her struggle in every word. Sebastian York, my favorite alpha male narrator, has cornered the market on loving dominants with this book. When he says "get on your hands and knees" you want to just do it, thankfully. But the softness and love he brings to Adam just sends this performance over the top.
Is it a cliffhanger? Yes. Does that usually stop me? Yes. Adam and Diana's story is complicated and this cliffhanger is mild and worth every moment of it. I can't wait for Separation Games and to relisten to Marriage Games as well. Give them the Audie now!!
"C. D. Reiss is the Queen of Smart Hot Sexy Kink!!"
Adam Steinbeck fell in love with Diana Barnes over a conference table when he
Bought controlling interest in her family's floundering publishing company. He
Married her all the while he kept a very dominant part of his personality hidden.
Side by side they brought the company back till the day he got a "Dear Adam"
Letter that Diana left him requesting a divorce. His proposal to her – 30 days in a
Private house on Montauk where she will submit to him and he will sign over the
Company to her. What occurs when Adam reacquaints himself to his dominant
Side and awakens a side of Diana she had always stifled? A lot can happen to a couple
In 30 days… The Audible version is narrated by the always extraordinary Elena Wolfe and I
Believe this is with no qualification one of Sebastian York's best performances EVER. A MUST read book and an Absolutely even better one to listen to. Can't wait for Book 2.
"Confusing quality, concluded with a rip-off"
As I listened to this book I experienced a range of reactions.
As it began, the plot was engaging and seemed to be well-developed and well-delivered. I found both Adam and Dianna to be interesting characters and, from the beginning I cared about what happened to them.
York and Wolfe did an outstanding job with narration. I can't find any fault with their performances.
Unfortunately, Ms. Reiss apparently needed to milk two books out of a one-book plot so what eventually happened was that the otherwise engaging characters and a nuanced plot in this book became tedious and plodding. And considering the amount of sex involved, that's actually quite a feat!
Huge amounts of time are spent listening to internal monologues - mostly Dianna's, but not exclusively - wherein Adam and Dianna analyze nearly every aspect of everything they are thinking or feeling.
And then, by about chapter 83, cue the dramatic arc ... and it's over. Not concluded. Not summed up and ended. Just a full stop half way through the story, with a blatant invitation for the reader to buy the next book to see what happens.
This is not a stand-alone novel; it's a one-book-for-the-price-of-two rip-off. And in making the one book into two, the padding destroys the first.
I am not buying the second book.
"Not What I Expected!"
I must be a very naive 60 year old. I found this book overall disgusting and full of pain. Never knew a world like this existed. However, I start what I finish but I cannot bring myself to read the next one in the series. I am very disappointed and will ask to return the book.
I get the push to cash in on Fifty Shades of Gray (s/m). The premise here is promising, but the author seems to think that one of the ways to torture your estranged spouse is to make her wait, and wait. Well, that's what the reader does. Ultimately, I wound up not liking anyone in the story. They were all self-posessed and selfish to a fault.
No real satisfaction as the story turned toward the end.
They were the reason I stuck with it. Both were great, but they can't change the book.
No way. Way too boring.
Another case where two strong actors make a story more interesting than it really is. PS....enough with the S/M.
Check out Ana's Attic Book blog for discount and free romance books and audiobooks
"Best Narration Ever!"
Full Review at Ana's Attic Book Blog
Since I have been married for a long, long time, I love reading about married couples. Obviously, when reading romance, stories about already married couples are few and far between, because we want to see them fall in love. But I have wanted to read more C.D. Reiss, so I got the audiobook without ever really reading the full blurb. I don't normally like books that can't stand alone because I have a terrible memory. But let me tell you, Marriage Games is totally worth it.
I need to first start out by talking about the audiobook. First of all, it is two of the best narrators in the business. But even more special is the fact that it is told duet style, meaning the narrators interact with each other, more like a play. They take out all the "he said, she said" and actually say it! It's surprisingly subtle, at first I didn't even notice it. It just felt so natural. But I must say, this may spoil me for other audiobooks.
Now for the story itself. Wow. C.D. Reiss can write! Marriage Games was sexy, emotional, thought-provoking, and completely compelling. Don't even think to lump it in with other BDSM books, because this is so much more, it's more of a psychological story with hot sex. But it's real. It's different. It makes you think. It makes you examine yourself and your own relationship. And it's completely addicting.
"I wanted her to go. I wanted her to stay. I wanted her on my terms. I wanted her on any terms. I wanted to be cured of the disease of love. I wanted to be cured of want."
Adam Steinbeck is shocked and devastated. His wife is leaving him, and he had no idea it was coming. He is thrown for a loop and doesn't want to lose her; she is not only the love of his life, but his business partner too. Adam gave up a big part of himself to be with her, but she never knew it. He was a Dom before meeting her, but locked that part of himself away when he met and fell for Diana.
"You can't just decide to be vanilla the rest of your life. It's not a choice."
"It's all a choice. And I choose her."
Diana knew there was something missing in their marriage. He was there, but part of him just wasn't fully present. Enough so that she finally just fell out of love. All she wants is her family's publishing company (that he saved) back in the divorce. But Adam isn't ready to give up so fast. He can't lose her. So he asks her for 30 days. One month of them at his secret kinky house he shares with other Doms but hasn't visited in 5 years, to show her what he has been hiding all along.
"My answer to that is, by the end of our time here, you may not submit in your heart, but you'll understand what it means. And you'll understand me."
He has hints that she might be submissive, but she is a strong, independent businesswoman. And while he is a sadist at heart, and needs the lifestyle sexually, he doesn't think he can love a sub.
"I loved her. Wanted to love her. Needed to love her, and the second she kneeled, she'd be nothing to me."
But this is his wife, who he loves above all else. He needs to find a way to keep her.
Told in a combination of points of views and past and present tense, I never lost my way at all. It was a great way for the story to progress and bring in all the emotions from the past and present.
"He moved around me, stood in front of me and over me. His silence was predatory. His posture was feral, yet completely in control.
I'd had no idea who I'd married. Had I been stupid and naïve, or shrewd?"
Marriage Games threw me for a loop. I don't know which way was up. I will definitely need to re-listen to this before Separation Games comes out so it's all fresh in my mind. I can't freaking wait.
"Do you hate your husband?
"I never hated him."
"You're about to."
•Completely unique.
•The narration was the best ever.
•CD Reiss can really write beautifully.
•Written so you actually feel the story as it unfolds. I'm not sure how she does that, but she does.
•Very hot sex.
•So many different layers to be uncovered.
•Told in an almost chaotic way, it only enhanced and never confused me.
•How the flashbacks were worked into the story to create a mood and evoke feelings.
•The writing is very intelligent and assumes the reader is too. I love that she never dumbs it down, but it's never smart just to be smart (I have no idea if that makes sense but it does in my head).
•I actually liked the cliffy. The book needs a pause right where it is.
•The characters were mature professionals, not virginal college kids.
•I didn't fall in love with either character, something I usually need to fall in total love with a book.
•Diana was so judgmental.
•The lack of communication seems so unrealistic. Why didn't he introduce a little play into their vanilla sex life in 5 years? Why is it all or nothing? How had that sexy dominant side never shown up?
The Down & Dirty:
Marriage Games was a completely addictive story that you truly feel as you are reading it. It is different from any other BDSM book I have read, so don't lump it in and say "not another BDSM book!" Thought provoking and compelling, this very sexy story will have you examining yourself, your relationship and your feelings as you identify with both of them. While I usually hate cliffhangers, I found this is more of a turn the story needed to take, and a pause is needed. The cliffy just works. Though I didn't totally fall for the characters the way I like to, I fell for the story, and the way the story unfolded. As far as the audio goes, this was the best narration I have experienced. With my two favorite narrators acting it out like a play instead of reading "he said, she said". This style is ruining me for other audiobooks.
I absolutely cannot wait for Separation Games in January.
Rating: 4.5 Stars, 4.75 Heat, 5 Narration
"An amazing story that will consume you!"
Yes! I loved this audio. Truly brought the story to life for me.
The narrators. They did an amazing job bringing Adam and Diana to life.
The library scene where they both put it all on the table.
I loved it! Absolutely loved it! The story pulled me in.
Loved how the POV were handled by the author. A great story!
"It had its moments..."
The story was good but not as steamy as I would have liked. Just ok.
"major cliff hanger"
Good book, liked the characters and how mixed up they both were.
Did not like the cliff hanger and having to wait for the book to be released!!
"This is the most amazing Performance!"
Sizzling, sexy, heartbreaking
I think the way the performers interacted within different chapters. It was like you was in the room with them. Very intimate/.
I can't praise Sebastian York's high enough, as he did the bulk of the work.This is the first time I've listened to Elena Wolfe, and I enjoyed her performance.
I had it on all day with earphones, it made the performance very intimate.
This was an amazing and intimate performance, and I have to wait until Jan for the 2nd half.
"Couldn't put it down Cried like a baby"
I couldn't put the books down, I wanted to see what was going to happen I felt very attached to Adam and I actually felt a NEED to follow his as much as a want.
I have to say initially I was very surprised at the change in point of view so as I hadn't read the book hearing the change in narration was quite surprising. I worried it would change my feelings towards the story. It did - I felt more involved in the characters and found myself talking to them, telling them off, advising them... Was very strange, I've never done it before.
Finally and another first for me at the end I cried like a baby it was so credible and believable I felt as though I was inside with them. I can't wait for the sequel.
The narrators voices suited both the book and the characters. I recommend this to anyone and everyone if you love CD Reiss or just think you might like to try the books seriously do it.
"very different"
i was a bit unsure but once i started tge reading i couldn't stop give you a different view on past books.. really love it can't wait fir the next one.
"Loved this one!"
An unusual take on the typical DS novel. Well constructed characters for the genre.
Excellent narrators which bring the book to life.
Can't wait for the second part!
Wow what a well written and exceptionally well narrated story. Went through so many emotions while listening, shock, anger and sadness. Great cliff hanger, can't wait to see what happens next.
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Tuesday 08.16 — Sunday 08.28
Tony musical favorite 'Gentleman's Guide' opens at Winspear
In 2014, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder beat the odds, winning the Tony for best musical against heavy-hitters like Aladdin and Beautiful. Certainly it won over voters with its plot, taken from the old Ealing Studios comedy Kind Hearts & Coronets, but also a jaunty score, lush sets and a showcase for versatile actors, including one who plays eight characters — all the intended victims of a social-climbing killer. But it's all in good fun. The national tour debuts in Dallas this week, kicking off ATTPAC's Broadway Series season.
Winspear Opera House
2403 Flora St.
Friday 08.19
Texas Theatre screens restoration of John Waters' classic 'Multiple Maniacs'
Many people know John Waters from his popular successes like Hairspray and Cry-Baby (and their musical adaptations), but he really put cult camp filmmaking on the map with micro-budget counterculture films including the rarely-seen Multiple Maniacs. Now, a restored version of this gloriously grotesque 1972 vehicle for Divine gets a proper theatrical showing. Prepare to be hilariously appalled.
The Texas Theatre
231 W. Jefferson Blvd.
10 p.m. $10.
Sunday 08.14
AIN marks 30 years of service with music and cupcakes
The AIDS Interfaith Network has been serving the HIV community for decades — 30 years to be exact. And this weekend, they will mark that anniversary with a little party, featuring snacks from the Original Cupcakery, champagne and live music courtesy of Denise Lee, above. Stop in and say "congrats!" … and also "thank you."
Interfaith Peace Chapel
5910 Cedar Springs Road
4–7 p.m.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 12, 2016.


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SHERIDAN – Gayle Kenneth Springer, 74 of Sheridan, Ark. died Wednesday.
SHERIDAN – Gayle Kenneth Springer, 74 of Sheridan, Ark. died Wednesday.
Survivors; sons, Kenny and wife Janet Springer of Poyen; Randy Springer of Sheridan; daughters, B. J. and husband Thomas Jenkins of Wickes, Cindy Springer of Sheridan; sisters, Laverne Davis of Sheridan and Barbara Ann Fleming of East End; grandchildren, Wendy and husband Eric Lites, Kacey and husband Jeff Murray, Kenneth and wife Haley Springer, Britttany Jenkins and Alex Jenkins; great grandchildren, Keeton and Keller Lites.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday, February 14, 2014 at the Chapel. Visitation: 1 p.m. until service time. Arrangements by Memorial Gardens Funeral Home of Sheridan (870)942-1306.www.memorialgardenssheridan.com