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APPLYING for a job? The weight of the clipboard to which your CV is attached may influence your chances of getting it. Negotiating a deal? Sitting in a hard chair may lead you to drive a harder bargain. Those are two of the surprising conclusions of a study published in today's issue of Science, which shows that the physical properties of objects we touch can unconsciously influence our first impressions of other people and the decisions we make about them.
Josh Ackerman of the Sloan School of Management at MIT, and psychologists Chris Nocera and John Bargh of Harvard and Yale Universities, respectively, performed a series of six experiments designed to investigate whether or not the weight, texture and hardness of objects can influence our judgements of, and decisions about, unrelated events and situations. Their findings provide yet more evidence for the embodied cognition hypothesis, which states that bodily perceptions can exert a strong influence on the way we think.
In the first experiment, 54 passersby were asked to evaluate a job candidate on the basis of a CV attached to either a light (0.34 kg) or a heavy (2 kg) clipboard. Those given the CV on the heavier clipboard generally rated the candidate as being better and having a more serious interest in the position than those given the lighter clipboard, even though the CVs used in both cases were identical. Those given the heavy clipboard also rated their accuracy on the task as more important than those given the lighter one, but did not report putting more effort into it. They did not, however, rate the candidate as more likely to get along with co-workers. This suggests that the weight cue affected their impressions of the candidate's performance and seriousness, but not the irrelevant trait of social likeability, and that the observed effects were not due their perception of their own actions.
The effect of an object's weight on decision-making was explored in a second, smiilarly designed experiment. Again, 43 passersby were asked to complete a "social action survey", asking whether various public issues should receive more or less government funding. And again, the weight of the clipboard was found to affect the participants' responses, although an interesting sex difference was observed: men allocated more money when given the survey on the heavier clipboard than when handed the lighter one, whereas women chose to allocate as much funding as possible in both the "heavy" and "light" conditions.
Next, the researchers looked at the effects of an object's texture on participants' perceptions of a social interaction. Participants read a passage describing an ambiguous interaction between two people, and were then asked about their impressions of the situation – whether it was confrontational or friendly, competitve or co-operative, a discussion or an argument. Beforehand, they were asked to complete a five-piece jigsaw puzzle; in one version of the puzzle, the pieces were covered in rough sandpaper, and in the other, they were smooth. Those who completed the rough puzzle perceived the situation as being confrontational and more competitive than those who completed the smooth puzzle.
Texture was also found to affect the decisions made in a social situation. Participants completed either the rough or the smooth puzzle before playing a version of the Ultimatum game. They were given 10 tickets for a $50 lottery, and made to give any number of them to a second anonymous participant. If the second participant rejected the offer, all the tickets are forfeited. Those who had first completed the rough puzzle offered more tickets to the second participant than those who did the smmoth puzzle. The roughness of the puzzle pieces apparently made them perceive the situation as being more difficult and consequently caused them to behave in a compensatory way – they offered more tickets to increase the chances that their offer would be accepted.
The researchers then investigated the effects of an object's hardness. Another group of participants was asked to watch a magic trick, and to try to figure out how it was done. Beforehand, they were asked to examine the object to be used in the trick – either a soft pice of blanket or a hard wooden block. They were then told that the trick was to be postponed, and asked to give their impressions of two individuals (an "employee" and the "boss") involved in an hypothetical interaction. Those previously given the blanket evaluated the employee as being kinder than those given the wooden block.
Finally, texture was also found to affect peoples' behaviour in a bargaining situation. But whereas the other five experiments examined the effects of actively touching an object, this one investigated passive touch. The participants were seated in either a hard wooden chair or a soft cushioned chair, and asked to perform two tasks. In one, they gave their impression of an hypothetical employee. In the second they were required to imagine shopping for a new car priced $16,500 and to negotiate a lower price. In this bargaining task, they were allowed to make two offers on the car, the assumption being that their first offer would be rejected. The participants who sat in the hard chair judged the employee to be more stable and less emotional than those seated in the soft chair. They also deviated less from their first rejected offer.
These experiments show that touch sensations have a strong influence on our impressions of people and the decisions we make about them, even when the people and events are completely unrelated to the objects being touched. Thus, hardness is associated with rigidity, roughness with difficulty, and heavy objects with seriousness. Our metaphors reflect these associations: we sometimes describe people as having a "hard hearted", "rough day", and serious matters are often said to be "weighty". The weight, texture and hardness of touched objects evidently has a strong priming effect on the thought processes that immediately follow, and can trigger the associated concepts. These findings suggest various "tactile tactics" that could be very useful to job seekers, marketers and negotiators.
- How we feel affects what we see
- Botox may diminsh the experience of emotion
- Bodily motions influence memory & emotions
- Temerapture affects how we perceive relationships
Ackerman, J., et al. (2010). Incidental Haptic Sensations Influence Social Judgments and Decisions. Science 328: 1712-1715. DOI: 10.1126/science.1189993.


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Adaptive equipment and training are expensive! Lucky for us, there are organizations who want to help! Please take a look at the criteria and funding requirements prior to applying.
Kelly Brush Foundation
The Kelly Brush Foundation has two passions: helping people thrive by incorporating sports and recreation into their lifestyle and preventing injuries in the sport of ski racing.
WHO: This grant is open for those with Spinal cord injuries (caused by traumatic injury or medical cause), spina bifida & transverse myelitis.
WHAT: Any piece of adaptive sports equipment that allows an applicant to be active and participate in a sport or recreational activity will be considered
GUIDELINES: Download Guidelines & Requirements
APPLICATION: Fall application NOW OPEN
DUE: September 30
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Established in 1997, the Challenged Athletes Foundation recognizes the athletic greatness inherent in all people with physical challenges and supports their athletic endeavors by providing unparalleled sports opportunities that lead to success in sports — and in life.
WHO: Athlete who has physical disability that is recognized within the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) classifications
WHAT: Coaching/training fees, like a gym membership and coaching fees; Competition expenses, like entry fees, flights and lodging for an event; Equipment
APPLICATION: OPENS SEPTEMBER 2017, Check back then.
Handcycling Funding OptionWhile ReActive Adaptations is not affiliated with the foundations listed on this page, there are some good resources listed on their website: Handcycle Funding SourcesRoad Runner Sports
Our goal is giving as many children as possible a fun way to learn how to ride, gain strength and participate in great events!
WHO: Grant recipients must be 18 years of age or younger and have a permanent physical disability
WHAT: Adaptive Cycle
APPLICATION: ALWAYS OPEN... Download Application
Disabled Athlete Sports Association
1236 Jungermann Rd., Suite ASt. Peters, Missouri 63376
Phone: 636-477-0716
Email: [email protected]

subset: commoncrawl


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Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This classic layer cake recipe is a great way to reap the healthy benefits of carrots. If you prefer, ease preparation and bake this dessert in a single layer and simply frost the top.
Heat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans.Advertisement
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly to combine, and then whisk in the oil. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the carrots and pecans, and the raisins, if using.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 5 minutes. Remove cakes directly to rack to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, butter and vanilla. Spread the frosting between the layers and on the sides and the top of the cake. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
For an even simpler presentation, bake the batter in a 9 X 13-inch pan for 45 minutes and simply frost the top.


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Hospitality employers adapt to a changing workforce-Caterer.com People Awards 2017
With some of the best restaurants and hotels in the world, the UK Hospitality sector boasts amazing standards and quality of service. The industry is one of the UK's biggest employers, providing jobs to seven percent of the working population and – despite an approaching Brexit – business continues to be strong.
It's a fast paced, ever-changing business with candidates becoming more decisive in what they want from their employers. Applicants are negotiating their own salaries, selecting their benefits and shaping the career path that's right for them. In addition, the well-documented skills shortage is still being felt across the country and, when Brexit is factored in, hospitality companies have work doubly hard to stay connected and relevant to this new brand of candidate whist still being able to recruit the right people for the job, develop their skills and retain valuable experience. Employers need to utilise inventive methods to attract the talent they so desperately need amidst high competition.
The finest of these initiatives in hospitality recruitment, retention and development were celebrated on October 5th, at the glittering Caterer.com People Awards. Comedienne, Katherine Ryan hosted the ceremony at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge which was attended by 500 industry professionals.
Best practice by employers garners best results: the winners of these prestigious awards demonstrated determination and an unrivalled understanding of their industry and their workforce.
After its success last year with In-House Recruitment, this year the National Theatre won the Candidate Experience award. Considering that 55% of The National Theatre's commercial workforce is casual, their current retention rate of 70% is quite an accomplishment. National Theatre has taken a creative and innovative approach to recruitment in recent years and they pride themselves on an open and inclusive policy. They have achieved much success with their focus on 'Audience Experience'. Their candidate training programme allows staff to engage in several roles across the commercial department making for a more varied and exciting working environment and the National Theatre's internal promotion rate is an inspiring 75%.
Living by their watchword, 'Seva', Indian street food restaurant, Dishoom won two awards, Rewards & Benefits and Launch Campaign. Leaving London for the first time, Dishoom opened their new restaurant in Edinburgh this year. It was a massive gamble for this young company to venture to what could have been a difficult location in a much smaller market. They designed a PR campaign announcing new jobs for the city, they also reviewed all recruitment adverts to ensure the pitch was exactly right for Scotland. They also set up dedicated Edinburgh recruitment channels and hired a local marketing manager. In a wonderful move, unsuccessful applicants were invited back for breakfast on the company, reinforcing their employer brand. Dishoom received 1,200 applications and hired 100 new team members. Their employee turnover this year has been an amazing 30%. Dishoom's Rewards & Benefits entry also impressed the judges. Dishoom are delighted to offer their team members £150 a month to spend on food and drink with family and friends at their restaurants. There are frequent team days out, lunches, theatre trips and parties. Dishoom has introduced healthcare benefits which covers day-to-day healthcare costs. In team surveys, 90% of management teams said that they were proud to work for the company and management turnover has fallen to below 15%.
Totally revolutionising their recruitment strategy, YO! Sushi now puts brand values and its candidates at the centre of their processes. In doing so, it walked away last night with the award for Leadership in Recruitment, Retention and Development. In an extremely strong showing, YO! developed a brand new candidate platform which showcases just what it's like to work at YO! Its website now features live career opportunities and stories from YO! Icons, giving a real taste of the company. Their Brand values, Respectful, Unconventional, Colourful and Confident have been brought to the digital fore and are front and centre in online applications. Time to hire management roles has fallen from eight to just five weeks and the volume of live opportunities has fallen from a monthly average of 15 to under 10.
This year saw the introduction of a new award focusing on Diversity, which was won by Compass Group. Compass Group launched the 'Women in Food' programme in 2016 to enable women not just to secure jobs within hospitality, but to thrive and succeed in leadership team positions with a goal of equal numbers of male and female chefs within the organisation. 'Women in Food' concentrates on three areas of development: focus on female chefs; developing women in leadership positions; and a strong emphasis on supporting Mums returning to work. Within the first year of the programme, Compass Group has achieved a result of 36% female chefs, 49% attending talent development programmes and 42% of women on the company's chef apprenticeship programme versus a target of 50%. A hugely impressive result.
The climax of the 2017 Caterer.com People Awards ceremony was certainly the presentation of the very special Ambassador to the Industry Award to Philip Atkinson, Senior Community Food Service Manager at Durham University Catering Department. With a distinguished 30 year career in hospitality, Philip invigorated his brand in what could traditionally be seen as an "unglamorous" career choice. He has completely re-imagined his department to attract, engage and excite candidates from all backgrounds. He has achieved impressive results across retention and development as well as fantastic outreach and sustainability programmes. Philip is undoubtedly a much loved and respected leader, a true Ambassador to the industry, fully deserving this award in recognition for his achievements.
These and many other amazing initiatives are testament to the dedication that hospitality employers have to their businesses and importantly, their employees. Over the coming months, we'll be talking to each of our amazing winners and taking a close look at their work. Caterer.com People Awards are the perfect opportunity for employers to not only celebrate their teams and their hard work but to share with each other what they have learned, enabling this amazing industry to grow.
The 2017 Caterer.com People Awards wouldn't have been possible without the invaluable help of its sponsors, Headline Sponsor, Octane HR Solutions, Hotelympia 2018, Admiral Recruitment, Core Recruitment, Off to Work, Detail 2 Leisure Recruitment, People Bank, Talent Hive and Good & Co.
Caterer.com People Awards 2017
Winners in full
Ambassador to the Industry sponsored by Octane HR Solutions
Philip Atkinson – Durham University Catering Department
Candidate Experience sponsored by Off to Work
National Theatre
Diversity sponsored by Admiral Recruitment
Compass Group
Emerging Talent Initiative sponsored by Fresh Montgomery, producers of Hotelympia 2018
Q Hotels
Employee Engagement Programme sponsored by Good & Co.
LEON Restaurants Ltd.
Employer Brand Campaign sponsored Catering Scotland
Devonshire Hotels and Restaurants
HR Team sponsored by Talent Hive
Dorchester Hotel Ltd.
In-House Recruitment Team sponsored by Admiral Recruitment
Learning & Development Initiative sponsored by The Springboard Charity
Brewhouse and Kitchen
Launch Campaign sponsored by Detail 2 Leisure
Leadership in Recruitment, Retention & Development sponsored by COREcruitment
YO! Sushi
On-Boarding Programme sponsored by Peoplebank
LEON Restaurants Ltd.
Rewards & Benefits sponsored by James Hallam


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Though we've discussed it amongst ourselves for much of the past year, my good friend and colleague Blake Howard and I have long been planning to collaborate on a project where we could really delve into a subject of mutual interest – honest, diverse and memorable representations of masculinity on the screen.
By doing so, the hope was to at least partially explain why the subject fascinates us. Why a film, a performance, a theme, or an artistic choice relating to masculinity was so resonant on a deeply personal level for two men who are very similar in personality, tastes, humour and backgrounds, and yet are distinctly different in their temperaments, desires, fears and life experiences.
With this series, those divergent perspectives will approach the same topic from different angles. Ultimately we're hoping to offer potential insight into the way contemporary masculinity continually reinvents and redefines itself across the cinematic medium, and how that in turn impacts individual understanding of this social construct that is 'manhood'.
My own obsession with screen masculinity mostly revolves around the subversion of it. My favourite works with those themes, which run the gamut from "Aliens" to "Deadwood" to "Full Metal Jacket" to "Y Tu Mama Tambien," all involve the dismantling or deconstruction of pre-built archetypes. These works deliberately showcase a fuller spectrum of man – one of more nuance and dimension that feels truer to life even if it's in material that could often be described as heightened genre fare.
It's an interest that ties back to my upbringing. I thought I had figured out who I was from a young age and so tried to explore my limits and test boundaries wherever possible as I had little patience for acquiescing to the established order. This put me at odds with male peers – especially in the surf culture I grew up in which was an Aryan brotherhood of conformity and castigation. Being a gay man in this culture meant I was constantly forced to walk a tightrope – rebelling against downright parochial notions of masculinity, yet indulging in its pleasures and always aware that the wrong gesture or lingering stare could be met with lethal reprisal.
Inner city gay enclaves offered little solace either, places only for the Peter Pans and Dorian Grays of this world – ethereal beauties in an opiate haze of grinding bodies, illicit substances and arrested development. All men of a young age enjoy the vices of the flesh and the bottle, whole film genres are built on celebrating that time in one's life to varying degrees of success. With a binge-inclined personality, but one saddled with adult responsibility from early on, I indulged heavily but always maintained a level of control – an inability to completely relax that has become both a reflex and a torment in later life.
That constant drive from within saved me though, kept me from falling like some less fortunate friends who were consumed by their vices and paid the ultimate price. Trying to understand the nuances of that masculine drive in both myself and others has always been a primary interest of mine, and a topic cinema rarely tackles with the right amount of nuance and emotional intelligence that it deserves. It's seductive and dangerous, makes men adventurous pioneers in one aspect of their lives but reduces them to timid wallflowers in others. It is both self-empowering and self-destructive, and always all-consuming.
Young gay Quebecios filmmaker Xavier Dolan is someone who very much understands this bipolar nature, and no film of his better encapsulates it than "Tom at the Farm". A story of two men's shared anguish over the surrogate lover and brother respectively that they lost, this masterful psychological thriller owes obvious deference to Hitchcock and the great Gothic melodramas of the 1940s-60s. Yet the repressed desire and simmering sexuality only inferred in those classics is made overt here – a horror film where grief, desire, and self-deceit are the tempting and terrifying monsters in the shadows.
Masculinity and male sexuality is made palpably manifest – like the most intense male relationships it is one driven by an inevitable power struggle, fuelled by uncontainable desire and occasionally bordering on violence. 'Tom' beautifully captures the allure of masculine desire for itself – its intense physicality, its palpable yet enticing danger, and its unapologetic and pure carnality. From a drunken nighttime choking to a barnyard tango dance sequence, it's a sex-free film that bristles with more eroticism than a dozen Hollywood 'erotic' thrillers, and defies cliche at every turn.
In one way though 'Tom' does conform – like so many films about masculinity it shows you there's punishment for those whose lives don't run along conventional lines. In my case that punishment came in the form of a now decade-long case of tinnitus which brought me the edge of the abyss. To this day it can still render me into a small child, sitting in a corner as tears trickle down my face and the roaring buzz threatens to consume my soul. For a while my life was effectively shattered, and it took many months for me to slowly pick myself up and glue myself back together.
True depression isn't wallowing in despair, it's accepting a lack of hope. A cold, emotionless, endless fog where one faces insanity or death which manifest themselves as circling predators just beyond your field of vision. For me it was a burning crucible, even stuck in neutral that constant drive of mine along with the help of my family somehow kept me going, and I emerged slowly and painfully from the ashes with a hardened resolve to rid myself of the last of my bulls–t.
These days I'm not quite the same man I was before, that cocky little prick who thought he figured out the world and his place in it came to realise he knew nothing at the end of the day. I came to understand that I will never be rid of my worst qualities – my stubbornness, indecisiveness, dismissiveness, and futility – but could acknowledge and move past them. Instead I channel my energies towards the better aspects of my nature, and in doing so have found a new level of self-acceptance I had never reached before. There's still a long journey ahead, but it's one where the path is now much clearer.
A film that speaks wonders to me on that front, and indulges my love of clever evisceration of male insecurity, is Joe Carnahan's unrelentingly bleak Alaskan survival drama "The Grey". Pitched and sold on its action premise, instead we were given a mature, earnest, unapologetic and contemplative deconstruction of the 'men in peril' genre. Tenderness, sentimentality, self-doubt, and fear – qualities often portrayed as weaknesses in many male-targeted films but are more accurately shown here as signs of strength and wisdom.
Liam Neeson's character is a sensitive and haunted man, both a part and apart from the rest of this group of pipeline workers stranded in the wilderness – macho men brimming with arrogant pride and insecurity. "The Grey" smartly embraces the lazy stereotype of strong, angry, white hetero "men's men" at first before quickly turning that on its head. It begins with a beautiful scene in which Neeson's character talks a dying man into quietly accepting the inevitable. Offering only compassion and honesty, in doing so he allows the terrified man to slip away with dignity.
There's also a wonderful subplot given to Frank Grillo's machismo-fuelled prick who, over the course of the film, is forced to overcome his own fear and insecurities. One key scene sees Neeson wrestling Grillo to the ground, yelling at him "enough of this" – physically shaking him in an effort to shake off the emotional armor Grillo has built around himself because that bravado and posturing is going to get them all killed. I've never really possessed the inner rage and sense of entitlement so many men seem to have, but witnessing its wonderfully acted dissipation over the course of Grillo's arc I feel like I can nearly grasp why some men do. "The Grey" offers insight into masculinity at its most noble and seemingly truthful at least to me, something of a rarity in recent years as films targeted at men have begun playing to the darkest and most degenerate aspects of the masculine ideal.
Amongst the most extreme in the opposite direction is Timur Bekmambetov's "Wanted," an inventively shot but tedious action thriller which isn't about self-contemplation but rather a celebration of a type of masculinity that I find abhorrent to my very core. Mistaking anger for passion, brutality for self-actualization, and cruelty for charm, this ultra-violent and morally bankrupt work goes beyond mere machismo fantasy with its misguided ideals and its unapologetic condemnation of everyone who doesn't conform to its sadistic doctrine.
James McAvoy's character changes from being a meek man so pathetically underfoot he could only be a caricature, to a self-deluded, self-centered, incredibly cocky and abrasively arrogant prick whose attitude adjustment is regularly rewarded. Self-empowerment is a good message to share, and assertiveness is always a tricky thing to convey because the right balance is key, but saying it can only be achieved through consequence-free random violence goes beyond the pale. There's a whole generation of frustrated middle management guys out there suffering from white-collar malaise, and the easy escape of a good bit of anti-establishmentarianism is understandable, but films like "Fight Club" or games like "Grand Theft Auto" offer the same thrill in far more subversive, well-made and compelling ways.
"Wanted" scares me because it's a kind of masculinity I not only don't understand but don't think I ever could. It's one in which a man finally finds his drive, only for it to pervert his soul. My drive IS me, in my darkest hours at the bottom of a (metaphorical) deep pit, it was all I had left. It keeps me going, it powers my curiosity, my refusal to conform, and has allowed me to pursue my passion as my occupation – a pursuit that has ultimately been rewarding in ways I couldn't have imagined, even if it has come at personal costs to my relationships, my health, my self-identity and self-value.
I can't live without it, it's why regular beers and routine relationships can never quite compare to all-night benders and torrid affairs. I truly wish I could enjoy the simple pleasures, but deep satisfaction was never easy for me. Understanding that drive better, both in myself and others is always what I look for in male roles on screen. Others look for things much more basic – aspirational role models, men who reinforce their own ideals, or avatars exploring lives they could never have due to fear or circumstance.
A wealth of diverse masculine portrayals on screen can only be a good thing, one that can make men consider themselves and their place in life. In the case of that very young kid on Sydney's northern beaches who never quite fit the profile, witnessing more varied portrayals might have given him the confidence to go even further than he did. It's an important topic and in coming months we're going to go deeper and further into it than you might expect. Hold onto your hats.
Others In This Series:
Blake's Introduction
The Beating of His Heart
I'll Never Doubt You


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Piping hot pizza is always the best and as far as we know, undebatable. Biting into a cheese-bubbling piece of pizza is one of the best things that anyone can experience. It's not just the flavors that are overpowering, it's the sensations. There's just a psychological sensation to eating pizza that can't be explained in words. There's a reason why America is so addicted to pizza and the things it makes our minds do. It's not that it's just filling or flavorful, it's an appeal, an attraction that makes synapses in the brain fire off explosively. It's through this affinity and attraction in which we find ourselves to be one of the best providers of these sensations.
Not only will you find or create the exact pizza you want, but you'll get it affordably. Our Loveland pizza specials are some of the best around. You can get everything you need and then some, and for a far less price than you'd expect. We make sure that we use only high quality ingredients, sauces, and dough. It's this triple-action combination that makes our pizza so special.
Other Loveland Pizza Specials have got nothing on ours. You can feed a family of 4 for nearly $20, now beat that! Plus, fast delivery is one of our key concerns. The only way to get you a pizza that's piping hot is to make sure it reaches you in an expedited fashion. The delicious gooeyness of our pizza is even more appreciated if it is melting off the pizza. By just talking about this, we are becoming hungry ourselves.


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In one of my previous blog posts, I had mentioned about me being one of the participants for the Best WordPress Design competetion, organized by WPWebHost. I am really glad to let you know that I won the Best WordPress design award under the Best Grunge category. This was the first time I participated in a design contest and I'd like to thank you for all your support and love!
This blog is nothing without its readers. I would also like to thank my twitter followers who were helping to spread the word.
Update: Wow! I won another Contest! The GrandZine Contest! I am really excited since I was not even aware of this contest


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ASOS X Hello Kitty Sells Out in 1st Weekend
by November 3, 2017 13:520
The first drop from the Asos x Hello Kitty collaboration launched last Friday to unprecedented success, selling out in the first weekend!
It is the first time ASOS have joined forces with the iconic character Hello Kitty to create a 40-piece clothing and gifting range.
ASOS and Hello Kitty worked together to create the collection that ranges from streetwear inspired pieces and preppy, classic items to cool, kitsch gifting ideas. Teddy fur hoodies, classic shirting and festive jumpers have been given a Hello Kitty makeover just in time for Christmas, alongside super cute phone cases, socks, best friend's jewellery, pyjamas, bags and hosiery. As if that wasn't enough, ASOS and Hello Kitty also created an exclusive, dabbing Hello Kitty logo that can be found throughout the collection!
The success of the range comes off the back of the global social media campaign 'Hello Kitty Gang' which has seen social influencers across Australia, Europe and the UK join forces with the iconic character sharing product with their online followers and attending Hello Kitty themed events.
The second drop from the Asos collection will be available online from November 9th and is sure to be another sell out!
For licensing enquiries on Hello Kitty in Australia and New Zealand please contact Diana Markezic at Haven Global on +61 (3) 9015 6688


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SUDEP is now recognized as the leading cause of mortality associated with epilepsy, excluding status epilepticus and underlying etiologies. Despite the importance of the problem and the implications for intervention, SUDEP had not received widespread professional attention in the United States prior to the mid-2000s. Awareness and interest in SUDEP has increased and so has the demand for information about cutting-edge research, effective patient-provider communication, and opportunities for multi-stakeholder collaboration.
The PAME conference was created to fill that need and to provide a unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders to come together to better understand, address, and ultimately reduce mortality in epilepsy.
Practice Guideline: Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Incidence Rates and Risk Factors (2017) - Co-developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society
2018 Meeting Materials
Program Book [PDF]
2016 Meeting Materials
Program Book [PDF]
Session Videos
*returning users will need to login to the site, new users will need to create a login
Stakeholder Objectives
- Strengthen the capacity of health care providers to discuss epilepsy-mortality broadly and SUDEP specifically, identify risk factors, communicate prevention strategies
- Address gaps in care for people with epilepsy and provide strategies for improvement
- Identify progress made in epilepsy mortality and SUDEP research and direction for future research as well as funding and collaboration opportunities
- Build collaborations across medical disciplines and among families/advocates to bolster research opportunities and participation
Families/Advocates/Lay Organizations
- Provide a forum for people with epilepsy and their families to learn about the latest in epilepsy mortality, especially SUDEP research.
- Enable people with epilepsy, families and lay organizations to advance SUDEP awareness and education by facilitating collaborations between support groups, funding sources, health care professionals, and others, both nationally and internationally.
- Allow opportunity for families living with and bereaved by epilepsy to share their stories and support one another.
2018 PAME Steering Committee
The 2018 Steering Committee includes representatives from varying organizations and perspectives (clinical, research, patient, and family advocate) who are working together to create dynamic and inclusive meeting content.
Elizabeth Donner, M.D., Hospital for Sick Children – Co-chair,
George Richerson, M.D., Ph.D., University of Iowa – Co-chair
Tom Stanton, MPP, Danny Did Foundation – Co-chair
Brandy Fureman, Ph.D., Epilepsy Foundation
Liz Higgins, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy
Eileen Murray, MM, American Epilepsy Society
Steve Owens, M.D., MPH, MA, Epilepsy Foundation
Sally Schaeffer, Epilepsy Foundation SUDEP Institute
PAME 2018 Conference Objectives
- Critically evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and prevention strategies for mortality in epilepsy
- Describe the progress made and future directions for research regarding mortality in epilepsy
- Provide opportunities for collaborations among stakeholders, including people with epilepsy, researchers, families, clinicians, and advocates
- Gain skills in advocacy to build public awareness and impact public policy regarding epilepsy mortality


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Thank you for helping me through my surgery and radiation and for helping me with the bladder and bowel, rectal bleeding and spitting of blood and other vaginal and bleeding issues and thank you for the good vaginal ultrasound and please help the pap to be okay and thank you for helping me through two tests for my stomach and throat and please help me to not have any problems because of all the radiation and thank you for the good echo, stress and blood work and please help my heart to be okay and thank you for the good mammogram report and please help it to continue I am scared and nervous for my health and when I was told I had cancer I was really scared and I know I say I am scared all the time and I really am and please help me to be a better person wife mother, friend, etc and change my ways and realize how lucky I am and be healthy and please help me to be the best person I can be and be worthy of all you do and all I ask for and I know I ask for a lot and I am sure you are tired of hearing from me and I know you hear me. Thank you for all you do have done and hopefully will continue to do for me and my family I am truly grateful. Thank you for the gift of Diane and Ken and Ginni and John and especially Diane and Ken and please help us to not do anything to hurt this relationship it is really important to us. Thank you for the gift of things being easier financially these last few years it has been nice to pay the bills and do some things but the most important thing is the love of God, family, friends, and good health without good health, love of God,lots of faith and being a good person nothing else matters, and I know I want it all good health and money to pay the bills but I want my health and the health of my family over everything. Please help Sue to rest in peace and know she is loved and please help her family and Staci and God Bless Sue. Please help everyone who has lost a loved one and please help everyone who has, will have and has had to have surgery, radiation and or chemo. Thank you Dear God, Mary and St. Anthony for listening to me and hearing me everyday and hearing me and answering my prayers it is so comforting to be able to write and talk to you everyday and know you hear me and I am grateful that I found my way to write and talk to you everyday and know you hear me
and I am so grateful that you listen to me and hear me and I know that you must get so tired of hearing from me and I am so grateful. God Bless, you Dear, God, Mary, St. Anthony, all the saints, priests, nuns, the Pope and all who do good and please watch over our service men and women, and police men and women and fire men and women and all who serve us. Please help all the sick and suffering animals in this world there are so many and they are helpless and they all need your help and please help all the people who have died and suffered at the hands of these evil violent sick people and please help all their family and friends. God Bless our whole family and friends and all the people I love and support me and all the people I love and I know, don't know, and have heard about who are sick and suffering either mentally and physically there are so many and the list gets bigger everyday and I don't want to forget anyone there is just so much suffering and sickness in this world and please help everyone and please help there to be peace in this world and less suffering there is just so much suffering in this world please help everyone. Thank you for all you do for me and my family I am so grateful please watch over our whole family and friends and extended family and help us all to stay cancer free and healthy and safe and please help me to be worthy of all you do and all I ask for and guide me to not fail you and please watch over Marc, Adam, Sara, Jason, Carina, Tyler, Christian, Irene, Bob and Maria and please help Irene to stay stable with her heart and kidney's and please help Maria be okay and not have anything bad and please watch over me and help me to stay cancer free and healthy and safe and thank you for being able to come home before Christmas and thank you for helping us be with some of our family for Christmas and please help him to be okay with this thing on his back and thank you for everything and God Bless everyone and please help this thing on my nose to be okay and God Bless everyone and please help everyone and please help there to be less suffering and sickness and please help people to be good and be worthy of all you do and all we ask for and thank you again for everything and please help Marc and I to have 10 to 15 healthy years left and please help me to handle my stress better and be a good person. Thank you.
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Fall Home Maintenance
Now is the best time to do your fall maintenance, when temperatures are milder and outdoor tasks are easier to accomplish. TotalProtect® Home Warranty shares a few top tips, as well as those from CBS News, MSN's real estate experts and Consumer Reports researchers, to help save you from major home disasters this winter!
1. Seal Doors, Windows and Exterior Gaps
If you live in a cold weather climate, you already know the impact of high winter heating bills. TotalProtect Home Warranty recommends installing a programmable thermostat, if you do not yet have one, to help keep costs in check. The experts at MSN reinforce the importance of weather stripping on doors and older windows to reduce drafts coming in and costly heat going out. They also suggest that you check the exterior of your home for any gaps you can caulk. Caulking is much harder once the temperature drops, so fall is the optimal time to do it.
As part of your fall maintenance checklist, look for trouble spots on your roof like broken or missing shingles. MSN experts advise to closely check valleys and flashings in particular, and patch them immediately. They explain that these are the areas where leaks often start; by fixing them now, you can save thousands of dollars in potential water damage during winter. If you have storm windows, this is the time to clean them, as well as check for any cracks or other damage.
Since rain, leaves and other debris tend to accumulate in fall, it is especially important to keep gutters clear. When gutters back up, they cannot drain. That standing water can create big problems. In one CBS News website interview, an national insurance representative explained that many water damage claims are a result of stagnant water that seeped into homes. Often, there are no visible signs until it is too late. Consumer Reports 2010 testing revealed that the low-cost, do-it-yourself screens commonly sold at leading home improvement retailers work quite well at keeping gutters clearer.
TotalProtect recommends that you have a professional thoroughly inspect your furnace or central heat system now, before the winter chill sets in. Ensuring a properly-working heating system is not only very important to the safety of your family, but saves you money too. Systems that work properly are almost always more energy-efficient.
They guarantee expert repair or replacement whenever a covered item breaks due to mechanical failure. TotalProtect Home Warranty coverage gets you through fall…with more peace of mind during winter, spring and summer too!
For more home maintenance tips, visit http://www.totalprotect.com/tips-to-keep-your-home-in-top-shape.
The information in this article is intended for the proper maintenance and care of systems and appliances in the home. Not all of the topics mentioned are intended to indicate coverage by our home warranty or service plans. Please review your contract carefully to understand what your product coverage entails.
Fall preparation tips shared in this article are published by MSN (realestate.msn.com), FEMA (fema.gov) and Consumer Reports (consumerreports.org).


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The Georgian village of Bowmore is located on the eastern shore of Loch Indaal, in a central position on the island. Bowmore is an ideal place to stay while visiting Islay's many fine attractions, the eight whisky distilleries and stunning unspoilt landscapes.
Bowmore village was founded in 1768. It was the first planned village in Scotland, and is contemporary with Edinburgh's New Town. The village is laid out in a grid, with Main Street as the central axis. Main Street runs from the Round Church, Bowmore's architectural gem, down to the pier.
An Cuan Bed and Breakfast is located on Jamieson Street, which branches off from Main Street, and is close to both the Round Church and to the world-famous Bowmore Distillery. Our central location both in Bowmore village and on the Isle of Islay makes An Cuan the ideal base for exploring the whole island and for visiting all eight famous whisky distilleries.


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Puerto Rico Federal District Court Judge gets it right on MarriageI will applaud a judge when he gets it right. This judge got it right. Read this cogent reasoned opinion by a federal district court judge declaring Puerto Rico's laws on marriage valid and dismissing the complaint by same sex marriage advocates.
Ryan Anderson does an excellent job of summarizing the matter. Read about it here.
For my part I read the Opinion by Judge Juan Pérez-Giménez . I encourage anyone who wants to examine a well articulated defense of law, precedent, stare decisis and logic to read the opinion.
Finally he chides his fellow judges for failing to act as judges by asking some very interesting questions. Again nothing can substitute for reading the actual opinion.


text: Hello! WOW, so the past 6 months have been a whirlwind and, I can not believe I haven't posted anything. (I've barely had time to breath!) I'm picking things up right where I left off. It might be August but a fall chill is in the air and I think that TODAY is a great day to share this fall wedding from last year. M&M got hitched at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore on a WARM November day. The foliage was peak of the peak and the whole event was down right stunning! Here are some of my most favorite moments from the day….


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Introducing Adelynn Grace
Sweet baby girl Adelynn Grace made her debut on October 10th weighing 7lbs 14oz and measuring 20 inches long. She was 6 days late but I will take that over the 10 days her brother made us wait! Labor started light at 9 pm on the 9th and ramped up around 3am. We headed to…… Continue reading Introducing Adelynn Grace


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The Weekly Pulse – Power Girl Corrupts
With the Avengers movie set to premiere in a mere two days, it's mighty hard to concentrate on anything else! But concentrate we must, as there's all manner of exciting things in the store this week! Minimates of Iron Man, Cap, etc, new #1s from DC's second wave of New 52, plus some cool indie books like Henry and Glenn Forever and Ever!


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French Connection
Earning kudos for lodging nearly
every year in SKI's resort survey is hard work. But Tremblant takes the accolades seriously, continuing to shape and refine a village that melds old-world ambience with the best of new-world amenities-from spot-on service to kid-oriented extras. Tremblant won't disappoint, if you know where to look.
Luxe/Slopeside >Le Westin Tremblant Resort & Spa
Sophisticates who want to be steps away from morning coffee at Au Grain de Café or a dinner of steak grilled over maplewood at La Forge will appreciate Le Westin's central location. This ski-in/ski-out property delivers all the perks of a full-service hotel (room service, concierge, valet) plus a choice of one- or two-bedroom condos with kitchens-all of which peer out over the slopes or Lac Tremblant. Not that views matter too much inside Le Westin's new Amerispa, where you'll focus instead on such north-of-the-border treatments as maple-sugar exfoliation. $150-$960 per night; 819-681-8000; westin.com/tremblant
B&B >Le Pimbina
Tremblant's bed-and-breakfasts (called gites) are simple, yet charming, and offer a more authentic glimpse into Quebecois culture. You will, however, need a car to get to the slopes-most B&Bs are a five- to 10-minute drive away. At Le Pimbina, a five-room log lodge, you can curl up après-ski in front of the stone fireplace or collapse in a comfy queen-size bed. Room 2 is so especially seductive, with its antiques, white oak floors and queen-size bed, but eventually the scent of fresh pastries from the dining room will lure you out. $55-$70; 819-681-0746; mt-tremblant.com/pimbina
Family >Club Tremblant
This lakefront resort four minutes from the base has something crucial for the family: space. Centered around a lodge that began life as a hunting camp, the hotel comprises 122 one- and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens, patios, TVs and fireplaces. The ski packages for kids are great: Five-day deals includes four hours of instruction per day at the hotel's own ski school, lift tickets, lunch and video taping. Later, while Generation Z zigs to kid's camp for movie night or Go-Karts, parents can zag over to the spa for a massage. Is that enough space for you? Five-day packages, including meals, $1,095-$1,895 per couple, $100-$575 per child; 800-567-8341; clubtremblant.com
Romance >Hotel Quintessence Upping Tremblant's elegance quotient, Hotel Quintessence debuted last season with looks that impress-from the limestone lobby to the local artwork throughout. Measuring at least 700 square feet each, the 30 rooms feel like private retreats, and all boast lake views. Extras include heated bathroom tiles, clawfoot tubs and a "wood concierge," who stokes a blaze in your room's fireplace each night. The private Sans Sabots Spa and gourmet Restaurant Q add their very own brand of aphrodisiac (yes, oysters are on the menu). $285-$1,127 per night; 866-425-3400; hotelquintessence.com
Also Consider
Luxe Le Grand Lodge, three miles to the slopes. Rates: $95-$470 per room. 800-567-6763; legrandelodge.com
Luxe/Slopeside Fairmont Mont Tremblant, ski-in/ski-out. Rates: $242-$775 per room. 800-441-1414; fairmont.com
Family La Tour des Voyageurs, in the village. Rates: $109-$198 per condo unit. 888-857-8043; tremblant.ca
Romance La Petite Cachée, one mile to Tremblant. Rates: $65-$95 per room. 866-425-2654; petitecachee.com
Hotel, La Belle Clockwise from top left: Le Westin Tremblant; Le Pimbina's enormous fireplace; Hotel Quintessence, the village's newest; Club Tremblant, a bright light on the family lodging scene.


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Of the many features and accessories touted as highlights that make the HTC One special, the Media Link HD adapter is not often among them. If you've been looking for a real AirPlay competitor, look no further than what HTC has accomplished here.
Apple has maintained a dominance over all the other with AirPlay. Despite many attempts that offer similar features, nothing manages to match what Apple has accomplished feature for feature with AirPlay. It's a service that, at its core, allows for quick sharing of whatever is on your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook with the television.
This simple mirroring tool is an invaluable addition to the Apple lineup for some, and there has yet to be a platform-wide equivalent anywhere else. Google has tried by adding Miracast support into Android, but has yet to be able to deliver the same seamless and mostly lag-free experience. HTC seems to have picked up this dropped ball with their Media Link HD adapter and, combined with the One, offers an experience that easily beats AirPlay.
HTC's Media Link adapter allows for screen mirroring over WiFi between a compatible HTC phone and a TV through the HDMI connected dongle. The adapter itself has been around for a little while now, but previous HTC hardware wasn't quite powerful enough to drive content to the TV without lag or terrible battery drain. The HTC One is more than enough phone for the job, and is capable of streaming movies, music, and games in HD. I have found that simple games like Angry Birds Space stream with close to zero lag, while more complex games, like Qualcomm's Reign of Amira, occasionally stutter during demanding combat areas.
Pushing content to the adapter is as simple as a three finger gesture. No matter what you are doing on the One, the phone will automatically format the UI to fill the screen. This is a vast improvement over Apple's AirPlay mirroring. Additionally, the IR blaster and remote control app on the HTC One guarantee that you can quickly switch to the adapter from your phone and push your content immediately after. The experience is effortless, and outside of the initial pin-based pairing process the setup is nonexistent. You can have multiple phones paired with no issues, and Media Link will give priority to whichever phone pushed content last.
Obviously Media Link isn't as widely available as Apple's AirPlay, but it is hard to argue with the results offered by combining Android, the HTC One and Media Link HD. If you've already purchased a One, or are considering one in the future, the $90 adapter from HTC is a great addition.


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Fans of the sci-fi series can fully catch up ahead of Jodie Whittaker's first full appearance as The Doctor
Doctor Who fans will be able to take a trip back in time through the BBC sci-fi drama's recent history, as every single episode since its 2005 relaunch has been made available on iPlayer.
Jodie Whittaker will play the 13th incarnation of the Time Lord in the new series later this year. She will be the first woman to take on the role.
In preparation, viewers can watch all 10 series and special episodes that have aired since the programme's return to the BBC.
Controller of programming for the BBC Dan McGolpin said: "We're reinventing the BBC for a new generation and BBC iPlayer is key to that.
"Bringing back these series of Doctor Who is just part of our offer this summer, giving viewers the chance to uncover or rediscover the Doctor's previous adventures."
Christopher Eccleston was the first actor to play the show's revived titular character, with his sidekick Rose being portrayed by Billie Piper.
Following his departure after one series, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi have all gone on to star as the Doctor.
The revamped show has also attracted high-profile stars to make appearances, including Simon Pegg, Sir Derek Jacobi, Kylie Minogue, Andrew Garfield, Felicity Jones and Bill Nighy.
Doctor Who has been one of the BBC's biggest successes in recent years. Ratings for every series from 2005 to 2014 averaged between seven and eight million viewers.
However, figures were down to 5.5 million for Peter's last full series in 2017.
Jodie made her first appearance as the new Doctor in last year's special transformation episode on Christmas Day.
Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall will preside as the new series' showrunner, taking on the mantle from Steven Moffat who was in the role for eight years.
The new series of Doctor Who will air on the BBC in the autumn.


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Top 10 Echinacea Benefits
Echinacea flowering plant belong to daisy family and is native to North America. Acknowledging Echinacea benefits Native Indians have been using the herb as a medicine for more than 400 years. The herb can also be taken as tea or applied topically on the skin.
Although no significant Echinacea side effects were found, in rare cases Echinacea taken orally can cause allergic reactions, especially in people allergic to certain flowering plants in daisy family. Other effects can include nausea, vomiting, abdomen pain etc.
Here are the top 10 Echinacea benefits :
1. Reduce upper respiratory infections – One of the Echinacea benefits include treating infectious conditions such as cold, sore throat, flu and cough.
2. Fight cancer – The anti-oxidants present in the herb, can fight cancer by scavenging cancer causing free radicals.
3. Heal wounds – Echinacea benefits, when applied topically, are stimulating new skin tissue production and healing slow-healing wounds.
4. Reduce acne – Echinacea ointments can shown to reduce inflammation and treat acne.
5. Reduce urinary tract infection – Appropriate Echinacea dosage is often prescribed for urinary tract infection as studies show that the herb can stimulate the body's immunity and its ability to fight infection.
6. Reduce Arthritis – Several clinical studies have shown that the herb can reduce inflammation that causes arthritis.
7. Treat skin – The herb is shown to reduce inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis by limiting the microbial activity.
8. For headache – Echinacea tea benefits the body by providing anti-oxidants, relaxing the mind and reducing headaches.
9. Anxiety relief – According to a research study, Echinacea extract regulated the signal transmission in the brain causing researched to believe that the herb can reduce anxiety.
10. Anti-aging – Echinacea cream or gel applied on the skin, can effectively provide hydration and reduce wrinkles.
Due to the lack of substantial clinical evidence that links Echinacea and pregnancy, it is unclear as to what affect the herb will have on fetus growth. However, a research study did find that high doses of certain herb supplements containing alcohol can affect a child's development.


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PhD Programs
Bocconi offers a wide range of 3- or 4-year PhD programs are offered in English (one program has a curriculum that includes Italian teaching).
All programs part of the PhD School, which acts as a point of reference for PhD candidates during their academic careers. Programs are interconnected, allowing students to choose courses that focus on interdisciplinary topics.
Throughout their research and studies, students are strongly encouraged to participate in cultural exchanges, including workshops, seminars and events organized in collaboration with other universities in Europe and the United States.


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Despite efforts to delay or completely scrap the ELD mandate altogether, it remains intact. That means major changes are coming to the trucking industry as truckers all across the nation will have to comply with the mandate.
As these major changes go into effect you may wonder how big of an effect the ELD mandate will actually have on the trucking industry. Also, you may wonder how it will affect IFTA. While we can't say how much the trucking industry will change with ELDs, we do know it will simplify IFTA reporting.
As these major changes go into effect you may wonder how big of an effect the ELD mandate will actually have on the trucking industry. Also, you may wonder how it will affect IFTA. While we can't say how much the trucking industry will change with ELDs, we do know it will simplify IFTA reporting.
How The ELD Mandate Will Simplify IFTA
Fist all, the ELD mandate was published by the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) and requires all drivers to use an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) to record their hours of service. The device will plug directly into the truck's engine to record these hours. Also, drivers have until December 18, 2017, to comply with the mandate.
The benefits of the ELD mandate for IFTA reporting include less paperwork. Instead of using a paper log the ELD in your vehicle will automatically record the distance traveled per jurisdiction. This will save you time by eliminating the need to manually record your information.
By automatically recording your mileage, inconsistencies will be reduced. Simple mistakes like reporting that you traveled between two nonadjacent states will be eliminated. Also, mathematical errors and mileage gaps will be reduced.
When basic human errors are eliminated then the risk of being audited is also lowered. Plus, if you are audited the entire process will go much more quickly and smoothly because your information will be stored on your device to be easily accessed. You can also check to see if your system saves your information for four years, which is required in the event of an IFTA audit.
Depending on your type of ELD your IFTA reporting per trip could become a lot easier. Some have the ability to record the trip's beginning and ending locations, as well as the total trip distance, and distance traveled per jurisdiction. Also, make sure that they will inform you if they go down so you can switch back to manually recording your data.
ExpressIFTA Simplifies IFTA Too
Remember that before and after the ELD mandate goes into effect, that ExpressIFTA is here for you as the market-leading online IFTA reporting program. Not only will all of your information be saved online in one convenient location for your business records, but we will automatically calculate all of your IFTA calculations with 100% accuracy.
Plus, you can record your information the way you want to. For example, you can record detailed trip sheets, record your information on a monthly basis, or even upload all of your information at once with the bulk upload feature. You can also import your mileage records directly from your GPS.
Also, it's finally time to stop having to keep up with tons of receipts in your truck or back at the office. Every time you purchase fuel simply take a photo of your receipt and upload it directly to your account to store for your records.
Best of all, ExpressIFTA offers outstanding, US-based customer support. If you need any assistance please don't hesitate to give us a call Monday - Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM at 704.234.6005. We also offer live chat and 24/7 email support at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: So my girlfriend has been asking that I organize my video game collection a little more neatly for a while and I finally gave in and realized I should organize my stuff better. Currently it is taking up the majority of the second bedroom in our apartment which we'd like to make a guest room. As it stands now most the stuff is organized half assed in cardboard boxes. I'm thinking I should switch to rubbermaid containers or some sort of plastic containers. I'm wondering though should I just bunch everything based on Nintendo, Sega, etc into containers or should I break it up even more and get containers for each system? Any recommendations or opinions would be helpful. Thanks.


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This Pencil shaped applicator brush has a hard plastic handle and nylon bristles. The NAD brushes are epoxy set with high temperature adhesive that is autoclavable. For use in situations where you need a round brush to clean fine areas. Works well for applying liquids or fluids
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Beautiful urban plus sized clothing has never been easier to find or more affordable! This silk kaftan top is a great piece for anyone looking for plus sized trendy tops. They are light weight and cool yet also perfect for any event you may have planned. Light and cool, it is great for warm weather wear that calls for a stylish design and bold pattern, and it is also a great top for dinner out with friends or any social event you have planned. You do not have to sacrifice style in order to get comfort and it no longer has to be a struggle to find urban designs in a plus size that fit your wants and need. Get yours today and see the difference urban plus size clothing can make for yourself!
length: 90 cm
outer width 120 cm (seam to seam)
inner width 100 cm (stitch to stitch) or 200 cm circumference
Please note that listing price is for the described item only and does not include any accessories that may be shown in the photos. Additional items are available on our site for an additional price.


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Hollywood is a town that operates on nepotism, where powerful operatives in the industry often give jobs, opportunities, and favors to friends and family. Sometimes, though, people in the same family just feel the same calling to be involved in the creative field of filmmaking.
In the days of old Hollywood, families would be dynasties, the closest that the US had to royal families. From the Barrymores to the Carradines, Hollywood acting families have been living out familial drama in the public spotlight for years.
Often, when multiple members of the same family are famous actors, one of them tends to be more famous or successful than the others.
Whether it's acting skill, choosing the right projects, or simply the pure luck of finding a supportive audience, it tends to work out that one of the siblings finds wild success while the other(s) will have a recognizable and excellent career.
However, they somehow always end up being measured by comparison to their more famous sibling. This is a list of actors whose output is steady, but who are often eclipsed by their more famous family member.
Here are the 20 Actors With Siblings Who Are Even More Famous.
20 Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal
Given that her parents are producer/writer Naomi Foner and director Stephen Gyllenhaal, it should come as no surprise that Maggie Gyllenhaal eventually found her way into the family business.
Her first film appearance was in her father's 1992 film Waterland, and she worked occasionally in film through her teenage years.
The film that brought her acclaim and attention was the erotic dramedy Secretary, co-starring with James Spader. This led to dramatic roles in Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Sherrybaby. Her most prominent performance to date is as Rachel in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.
She appeared in Donnie Darko alongside brother Jake, whose career trajectory was fast and impressive.
His performance in Nightcrawler was nominated for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Prisoners and Enemy showed his excellent natural skills, and high-profile roles in Southpaw, Life, and Nocturnal Animals have helped him secure a place as a Hollywood A-lister.
19 Eric and Julia Roberts
The son of two actors, Eric Roberts began his acting career in his teens and early twenties on television with shows like Another World and American Playhouse.
He cemented big-screen popularity in the 1980s, turning in powerful performances in Star 80, The Pope of Greenwich Village, and Runaway Train. He continued to make fun appearances in indie films like The Grave and Heaven's Prisoners.
Throughout the 1990s, his filmic output was relegated primarily to direct-to-video action and crime films. After his appearance in The Dark Knight, he had a late-career resurgence on TV, appearing on Suits and Lost Girl.
The only film he ever made with sister Julia Roberts was 1989's Blood Red. The same year, Julia had her big breakthrough in Steel Magnolias, and then her career was on fire.
The next year was the one-two punch of Pretty Woman and Flatliners. From My Best Friend's Wedding to Erin Brockovich to Ocean's Eleven, Julia has been an enduring star whose work is beloved worldwide.
18 Peter and Jane Fonda
Though Peter Fonda had been acting since 1962, he was mostly known as actor Henry Fonda's son until he produced, co-write, and starred in the counter-culture phenomenon Easy Rider.
The 1970s gave him his most memorable roles in the car chase action film Dirty Mary Crazy Larry and the horror road picture Race with the Devil. He even revisited and lampooned his Easy Rider persona twice in The Cannonball Run and Wild Hogs.
The 1980s and 1990s were more sporadic for Fonda's performances, alternating between indies like Love & a .45 and the big-budget flop Escape from LA. He had a nostalgic resurgence in the late 1990s with the Steven Soderbergh film The Limey and an Oscar-nominated performance in Ulee's Gold.
He appeared with sister Jane Fonda in 1968's Spirits of the Dead, the same year she starred in the cult hit Barbarella. Her roles in Klute, Coming Home, and The China Syndrome cemented her as a star. She has retained her marquee status on TV in recent years, appearing in HBO's The Newsroom and Netflix's Grace and Frankie.
17 Virginia and Michael Madsen
Virginia Madsen first came to the attention of viewers in 1984, appearing in both Dune and Electric Dreams. Her early career was heavy on genre material, from Zombie High and Highlander II: The Quickening to The Prophecy and her lead role in the horror classic Candyman.
After some prestige drams in the 1990s including Ghosts of Mississippi and The Rainmaker, much of the rest of her work was television guest appearances and voice performances in series like Justice League.
She was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Sideways, which led to a renaissance on her career with roles on TV series like Monk, The Event, and Hell on Wheels. She recently appeared on the thriller series American Gothic and the political thriller Designated Survivor.
Virginia played herself in a fake documentary called Being Michael Madsen, about her actor brother. Though Michael Madsen has never been nominated for an Oscar, his relationship with director Quentin Tarantino has led him to wide recognition in films like Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and The Hateful Eight.
16 Rosanna and Patricia Arquette
Though Rosanna Arquette did many film and television appearances in the late 1970s, it was in the 1980s with Baby It's You, Desperately Seeking Susan, and After Hours that made her quirky presence a positive box-office influence.
She appeared in daring indie films throughout the 1990s from Pulp Fiction to Search and Destroy to David Cronenberg's Crash.
The new millennium brought her to television with The L Word and What About Brian. Most recently, Rosanna can be seen as Linda on the Showtime series Ray Donovan. In 2002, she made a documentary about women in the entertainment industry called Searching for Debra Fisher which featured her sister, Patricia.
Rosanna was Golden Globe-nominated for Desperately Seeking Susan, and her sister Patricia won an Oscar for Boyhood.
Patricia was in the third Nightmare on Elm Street film, the cult crime hit True Romance, David Lynch's Lost Highway, the hit series Medium, the biopic Ed Wood, Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead, and HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Patricia is arguably the most famous of the entire Arquette acting family.
15 Joan and John Cusack
Joan Cusack had a few small roles in the early 1980s, but her big break came appearing in a season of Saturday Night Live in 1985.
This led to memorable comedic performances in Broadcast News, Married to the Mob, and Working Girl. The early 1990s brought high-concept comedies like Toys and Addams Family Values.
An Oscar nomination for In & Out in 1997 led to other excellent dramatic performances in Arlington Road and Cradle Will Rock. She had a short-lived TV series, What About Joan, in the early 2000s, and returned to TV for Shameless and A Series of Unfortunate Events.
She starred alongside brother John Cusack in 1997's Grosse Point Blank. Brother John's career blew up early, from Better Off Dead to Say Anything.
He matured into roles in The Grifters and Bullets Over Broadway. He retained his popularity with audiences with roles in Con Air, Being John Malkovich, 1408, and High Fidelity. Though never nominated for an Oscar, John has retained immense popularity over his entire career.
14 Justine and Jason Bateman
Justine Bateman's career began on the hit TV series Family Ties in 1982. It ended after a seven-year run, and Justine moved into features and TV movies before returning to TV for Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
She worked consistently in TV, from Men Behaving Badly to Men in Trees to Californication. Recently, she appeared in Desperate Housewives and played a humorously fictionalized version of herself in the IKEA-set sitcom Easy to Assemble.
In 2006, Justine Bateman appeared on Arrested Development with her brother Jason. Jason's career began in TV as well, with appearances on Little House on the Prairie, Silver Spoons, and his breakout series Valerie.
He appeared in the sequel Teen Wolf Too, and he had a career resurgence in 2003 with Arrested Development. Since then, he has been in huge comedy hits like Dodge Ball and Horrible Bosses and dramatic roles in Up in the Air and The Gift. Most recently, he is the producer/director/star of Netflix's crime series Ozark.
13 Chris and Sean Penn
Chris Penn's early film career was promising, with appearances in classic 1980s films like Rumble Fish, All the Right Moves, and Footloose.
His intense presence and skill with dialogue landed him coveted roles in two Tarantino-scripted movies, Reservoir Dogs and True Romance. His ability to play explosive anger and introspection came in handy in the roles for The Funeral and Mulholland Falls.
He popped up in Rush Hour and even had fun with his intense presence in the comedy Corky Romano and by playing himself in Entourage. He sadly passed away in early 2006, leaving fans heartbroken.
He played brothers with real-life brother Sean Penn in 1986's At Close Range. Sean was already a star after Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and the rest of his career would be rocky but popular.
From Colors to Casualties of War, Carlito's Way, to The Game, Sean has cultivated a career of unique, compelling characters that makes him one of Hollywood's key modern figures.
12 Spencer and Abigail Breslin
After a small but memorable performance in Stephen King's TV mini-series Storm of the Century, young Spencer Breslin burst onto screens with a hilarious, chaotic performance alongside Bruce Willis in The Kid.
The same year, he had a small role in Meet the Parents, and then he followed those films up with the fantasy films The Santa Clause 2 and The Cat in the Hat.
He continued his appearances in Disney films with The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and The Shaggy Dog, and joined Tim Allen in the superhero family adventure Zoom.
In recent years, he has appeared in horror films like Some Kind of Hate and M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening.
Spencer and his sister Abigail Breslin both appear in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, which came out the same year as her breakout hit Little Miss Sunshine.
Her biggest hits have been in the horror/sci-fi arena, from Zombieland and Haunter to Scream Queens and Maggie. She also appeared in the award-winning drama August: Osage County.
11 Emily and Haley Joel Osment
Emily Osment first appeared on fan radar in Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids film series. She followed that up with a run on Hannah Montana before lending her voice to Kendall in Kick Buttowski.
She broke out of her child star status with a recurring role on the dark sitcom Mom, and she voiced multiple characters on Fox's Family Guy.
Recently, she played Gabi Diamond, the food blogger turned personal chef on the Freeform series Young & Hungry.
Though both Emily and her brother Haley Joel Osment have appeared on Touched by an Angel, it was not in the same episode, and the only film appearance they share is voice work on the short animated film Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big.
Haley Joel is most well-known for his Oscar-nominated performance in The Sixth Sense. He appeared in the big-budget Spielberg film AI and the drama Pay It Forward. More recently, he can be seen in HBO's Silicon Valley, IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang!, and Hulu's Future Man.
10 Kevin and Matt Dillon
Premiering on the big screen in 1985's Heaven Help Us, Kevin Dillon made a quick and indelible impression. A year later, he returned to screens in Oliver Stone's Platoon. He was one of the heroic teens in the remake of The Blob, and he returned to work with Stone again in The Doors.
He had short runs on NYPD Blue and 24, and in 2004, he received the role for which he is most well-known: Johnny 'Drama' on the HBO series Entourage.
He has had trouble finding another role after Entourage (and its feature film), though, appearing in the quickly cancelled How to Be a Gentleman.
Before Kevin's 1985 debut, older brother Matt Dillon was already known for Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders and Rumble Fish, as well as the nostalgia comedy The Flamingo Kid.
He cultivated a collection of impressive indies in the 1980s and 1990s, including Drugstore Cowboy, Singles, and The Saint of Fort Washington. Even up to 2015's Wayward Pines, Matt Dillon has consistently been a popular presence in film and television.
9 Joseph and Ralph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes was only three years into his acting career when he appeared in two Oscar-winning films in 1998: Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth. He followed those up with more period pieces like Enemy at the Gates, Merchant of Venice, and Luther.
From film, he journeyed to event television, taking the lead role in ABC's mystery series Flashforward. He followed the cancelled series a year later with Starz's Camelot, playing young Merlin.
He did a season-long arc on American Horror Story, and is currently appearing on Hulu's dystopian thriller The Handmaid's Tale.
Joseph Fiennes' older brother has his share of Oscar-nominated films as well, including Schindler's List, Quiz Show, The English Patient, and The End of the Affair. Though he is great in Shakespearean work like Coriolanus, Ralph Fiennes also does well in popular films like Red Dragon and Clash of the Titans.
He replaced Dame Judy Dench in the James Bond series and will forever be remembered as the ultimate villain, Voldemort, in the Harry Potter movie franchise.
8 Lars and Mads Mikkelsen
Though Lars Mikkelsen appeared in many Danish TV series and movies, it was 2004's Better Times and the original Danish version of The Killing that brought him to international attention.
He followed that crimes series up with another one, Those Who Kill, in 2011. He played the villain in season three of BBC's Sherlock, then appeared in the horror mystery When Animals Dream.
He made the jump to American television in 2015, playing the Russian president Viktor Petrov in House of Cards and voicing the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn in the animated Star Wars: Rebels series.
Lars appeared in the fact-based World War II drama Flame and Citron with his brother Mads Mikkelsen in 2008.
By that point, Mads was internationally known for his performances in the Pusher film series, Casino Royale, and the Susanne Bier's film After the Wedding. He would go on to appear in Doctor Strange, the Star Wars franchise, and in NBC's Hannibal, playing the memorable title role.
7 Jon and Ben Foster
Jon Foster's acting career began with small TV roles and as Kevin Costner's son in the film Thirteen Days.
He was a recurring performer on the TV series Danny and Life As We Know It, and acted alongside Jeff Bridges in Door in the Floor. He had a small role in Terminator 3 and headlined the horror thriller Stay Alive.
He returned to TV with Windfall and Accidentally On Purpose, and appeared in the adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel The Informers. Recently, he appeared in the lead role in the hybrid narrative/found footage horror thriller film Mr. Jones.
He has appeared on-screen twice with his brother Ben Foster, in the science fiction thriller Pandorum and the crime drama Rampart.
Ben already had an impressive resume at the time, from Freaks and Geeks to Six Feet Under to 30 Days of Night. He has appeared in two Oscar-nominated films, The Messenger and Hell or High Water, and appeared in the third film in the popular Marvel series X-Men: The Last Stand.
6 Donnie and Mark Wahlberg
Donnie Wahlberg's career began not as an actor, but as a singer in the New Kids on the Block. He ventured into film in Ron Howard's kidnap thriller Ransom, and had a small but pivotal role in M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense.
His TV credits, from Band of Brothers to Boomtown, kept him in the public eye for much of the early 2000s.
He entertained horror audiences with roles in the Saw franchise and Dead Silence. He is known for playing police officers, from appearances on Rizzoli & Isles to the film Righteous Kill to his current role on the hit series Blue Bloods.
Donnie has appeared with his brother Mark Wahlberg on the reality series Wahlburgers, and Mark Wahlberg also started his career as a musician, Marky Mark.
However, his film career grew quickly. From his star-making performance in Boogie Nights, he went on to big-budget films like Planet of the Apes, The Departed, and The Other Guys. Currently, he can be seen in three franchises: Transformers, Daddy's Home, and Ted.
5 Joel and Bill Murray
Joel Murray's career began with an appearance in the 1980s cult comedy One Crazy Summer. He had a small role in Bobcat Goldthwait's film Shakes the Clown and was the voice of the dog Beethoven (?!) in the animated series based on the film.
He had recurring roles in both Dharma & Greg and Still Standing, and later appeared in the Showtime series Shameless. He's had a renaissance of late, appearing in Peak TV series like Mad Men, The Leftovers, and American Gods.
Joel Murray popped up in a small role in his brother Bill Murray's film Scrooged. By then, Bill Murray had already seen the success of Meatballs and Ghostbusters.
He went on to make a sequel to Ghostbusters, the classic comedy Groundhog Day, and Wes Anderson's Rushmore.
Murray continued a successful series of collaborations with Anderson including Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel and starred in St. Vincent, as well as a brilliantly funny cameo in the horror-comedy Zombieland.
4 Beau and Jeff Bridges
As the son of famed actor Lloyd Bridges, Beau Bridges' career began young, appearing on his Dad's series Sea Hunt. He made many TV appearances early on in shows like Ben Casey and My Three Sons.
He appeared in the classic drama Norma Rae, and has had a nearly constant presence on television in one series or another for most of the past thirty years.
From Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color to Harts of the West to the relaunch of the classic courtroom series The Defenders, Beau was a staple of family-friendly TV shows.
He joined the cast of the Stargate series and popped up on My Name Is Earl and Masters of Sex. Recently, he had a two-season run on Netflix's Bloodline.
Beau appeared with his brother Jeff Bridges-- playing brothers-- in The Fabulous Baker Boys. Jeff Bridges was already remembered for iconic roles in TRON and two Oscar nominated turns in The Last Picture Show and Starman.
From The Big Lebowski to Crazy Heart to Hell or High Water, Jeff is a sure sign of quality filmmaking.
3 Stephen and Alec Baldwin
With small roles under his belt, Stephen Baldwin made his acting presence known in 1989's Last Exit to Brooklyn.
From there, Crossing the Bridge and Threesome raised his profile. In 1995, however, he appeared in his most well-known and well-received film, The Usual Suspects. He squandered the good will of that film, appearing in questionable comedies like Bio-Dome and Half Baked.
After appearing in sequels no one asked for like The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas and Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice, Baldwin converted to Christianity and appeared in a series of faith-based films.
Starting with Six: The Mark Unleashed, he also made Midnight Clear and The Genius Club. He also appeared as himself in Fred Claus.
Stephen is one of many Baldwin brothers who act, but the other most famous is undoubtedly Alec Baldwin. From his multiple appearances on Saturday Night Live to his run on 30 Rock to his appearances in The Departed and the Mission: Impossible franchise, Alec is a popular presence in film and on TV.
2 Elle and Dakota Fanning
After a small but memorable role in the family film Because of Winn-Dixie, Elle Fanning's career blew up with roles in Deja Vu, Babel, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Then, after the science fiction of Super 8, Elle moved into fantasy with Maleficent and The Boxtrolls and biographical drama in Trumbo.
Recently, she starred in a set of moody, darkly tinged films from arthouse directors that both discuss female roles and empowerment: Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon and Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled. She is currently filming a biopic of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley.
Elle played a younger version of the character her sister, Dakota Fanning, played in 2001's I Am Sam, which was Dakota's breakout role.
Dakota followed it up with parts in Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web. She played more adult roles in The Runaways and Every Secret Thing, and is remembered for her recurring role as the villainous Jane in the popular Twilight movie franchise.
1 Luke and Chris Hemsworth
Luke Hemsworth started acting in Australia in the early 2000s, appearing on the series Last Man Standing and the long-running series Neighbours. Moving into film from television, he appeared in the crime films The Reckoning and Kill Me Three Times.
With two science fiction films under his belt, 2014's The Anomaly and 2015's Infini, Luke Hemsworth was cast in a recurring role on HBO's Westworld as Ashley Stubbs, the head of security in the futuristic theme park. He can also be seen as Wild Bill Hickok in this year's western film Hickok.
Luke appeared in an uncredited cameo with his brother Chris Hemsworth on a 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live.
By that point, Chris had already played Thor and Captain Kirk's father in Star Trek. He went on to appear in The Cabin in the Woods, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Ghostbusters, and his run as Thor stretched to a full franchise and spilled over into The Avengers and other Marvel cinematic films.
Can you think of any other actors with famous siblings? Let us know in the comments!


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Oakland hills residents fight crime with cameras
OAKLAND Police pitch surveillance to residents in hills
Growing concern about crime in the Oakland hills, and a withered Police Department's apparent inability to do anything about it, has given rise to a new neighborhood strategy embraced by both residents and police: Buy surveillance cameras.
Lots of them.
Since November, Oakland police have attended at least a dozen neighborhood meetings in Montclair and other hillside areas where they preach the benefits of wiring residential streets with security cameras, then make way for salesmen to pitch surveillance products to residents.
For police, residents' cameras are a new way to collect evidence at a time when depleted staffing levels have led to hours-long response times to burglaries. For residents, they offer new hope of catching criminals, even if they hint at a self-inflicted Big Brother state and threaten to change the tone of life in the hills.
"There's not enough police resources to protect you anymore," said Tony Morosini, who, along with his neighbors near Sibley Park, agreed to purchase cameras and point them at the street. "People are starting to take matters into their own hands."
Snapping car plates
At a workshop on video surveillance systems attended by police on Saturday, no one received more applause than Jesper "J.J." Jurcenoks, a self-described security activist whose cameras snap pictures of every license plate that enters his street near Redwood Regional Park.
"This is Neighborhood Watch 3.0," Jurcenoks told the standing-room-only crowd of 125 people at a church on Thornhill Drive. "You just don't want a picture of the criminal as he kicks down the door. You want the license plate as he leaves your neighborhood."
Last fall, after Montclair residents complained about a rash of break-ins and slow police response times, City Councilwoman Libby Schaaf's office organized the first video surveillance meeting and invited a few retailers to present their wares.
Salesman's dream
Since then, it's been a boom market for surveillance-camera sellers such as Logitech, an electronics company that makes camera systems that connect to a user's laptop. One Logitech salesman estimated he's sold hundreds of cameras to Oakland hills residents in recent months, sometimes at a discount for neighborhood-wide purchases.
"You dream of being able to sit in front of hundreds of target customers every couple of weeks," said Alex Zaliauskas, a senior global product manager at Logitech. "It's had a cascading effect. One meeting has spawned into nearly 20. And I don't know where 20 will grow into."
For all of the interest in high-definition screens and wide-lens camera angles, only a few residents raised privacy concerns.
Schaaf said residents' overriding worry was escalating crime. Violent crime in Oakland is up 20 percent from last year, even as crime rates in neighboring cities have dropped.
"Having eyes everywhere - a critical mass of cameras in our neighborhoods - could make a difference," Schaaf said. "This is one way citizens could help fill that gap while the city is rebuilding its Police Department."
Officer Eddie Simlin, a police services technician who spoke at Saturday's meeting, assured residents they were within the law if they avoided pointing the lens into a neighbor's house or car.
"Remember," Simlin said, "if they're out in public and on your street, there's no expectation of privacy."
Confined to hills
In an interview, Simlin said the demand for residential cameras in Oakland has been almost exclusive to the hills. He said he attended camera-sales sessions because the neighborhood associations involved invite him, and that the residents were the ones who invited salesmen.
Ultimately, residents at Saturday's session wanted to know if the cameras worked - if they captured usable images that led to prosecutions and deterred crime.
Simlin offered anecdotal evidence of video footage that led to arrests but was unaware of solid numbers.
"But I hear it all the time," Simlin said. "Once you get a good picture of someone committing a criminal act, they can't really say anything. You got 'em."
Morosini, who first installed cameras on his street three years ago, said neighbors had missed their best chance to catch a criminal in April.
One of Morosini's neighbors was walking his dog when two men approached, chased him into his home and shot him in the arm during a robbery attempt. A camera hidden on a mailbox should have recorded the men's faces, but it malfunctioned, Morosini said.
"So now we're in the process of upgrading our cameras," he said.
Cameras in bushes
Jurcenoks, whose neighborhood agreed to hide cameras in foliage along the street five months ago, said footage recorded of a hit-and-run accident had supplied an image of the car's license plate that led to an arrest.
Jurcenoks said his association had taken several steps to keep the $2,400 surveillance camera system, which snaps license plates day and night, from intruding on people's privacy.
Residents voted to give three people access to the license plate images. They agreed to release the plate numbers to police only if a resident had a criminal case number connected to a crime.
"We didn't want anybody asking us, 'What time did my son Johnny come home last night?' " Jurcenoks said.
He added that his association had peppered the street with visible decoy cameras and posted large signs at the neighborhood's entrance that warn visitors they are under surveillance. He heard a few complaints the signs and cameras were altering the landscape of the once-bucolic neighborhood.
"You can either pretend there's no crime and people will move in and be terribly disappointed," Jurcenoks said, "or you can acknowledge the crime is there and send a signal that says, 'Here's a neighborhood that cares and does something about it.' "
Justin Berton is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: email@example.com. Twitter: @justinberton


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The seven-party opposition alliance said it had called off its weeks of demonstrations and a nationwide strike.
It has chosen former Prime Minister GP Koirala to head a new government.
But Maoist rebels behind a 10-year insurgency rejected King Gyanendra's deal with the opposition, and vowed to continue blockading the capital.
People gathered for the victory rally, waving party and national flags, and shouting slogans against the king from the roofs of vehicles.
"Gyanendra, thief, leave the country," shouted some protesters who had gathered near the royal palace, saying they would not stop demonstrating until the king was stripped of his powers.
Meanwhile the city began to return to normal, after a crippling strike. Taxis were back on the streets, shops were reopened, and mobile phone connections were restored. Riot police were still in evidence, though.
"It is only a small sacrifice for the good of the country," said Sabita Tamang, who has earned nothing from her grocery store for three weeks.
"The prices of food went up so high I had to cut down on what I eat," said Rajendra Sahi, a college student.
He added: "The people have done their part. Now it is the leaders who need to do theirs."
The king assumed direct powers in February 2005, saying opposition parties were failing to manage the Maoist insurgency.
Communist Party (UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal told the BBC the formation of a new government would be "the first step towards a constituent assembly", which would be tasked with redrawing the constitution.
Maoists' next move
But the Maoists said in agreeing the deal with the king, the opposition had betrayed an agreement it made with them in November, which called for fresh elections and an end to an "autocratic monarchy".
The king's concession was "a new ploy to break the Nepali people and save his autocratic monarchy", said Maoist leader Prachanda in a statement.
Until the November agreement was implemented in full, they would blockade Kathmandu and all district capitals, the statement added.
Another senior rebel, Baburam Bhattarai, told the BBC: "The minimum demand is a free election to a constituent assembly."
King's address
During the recent protests, the demonstrators had repeatedly defied shoot-on-sight curfews despite the deaths of 14 people.
He added: "We are confident that the nation will forge ahead towards sustainable peace, progress, full-fledged democracy and national unity."
He said the lower house of parliament would reconvene on Friday.
The US welcomed the king's announcement and said he should now consider assuming a "ceremonial role".
More than 13,000 people have died in the Maoist insurgency.
Violence has escalated since the rebels ended a truce in January - although they declared a ceasefire in Kathmandu this month as the street protests began.


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The Real Deal: Four nights' accommodations and round-trip international airfare for $469 per person—plus taxes and fees of about $144.
When: Departures Feb. 1 to Mar. 1; add $130 for a five-night stay Dec. 6-20, 2007.
Gateways: Fort Lauderdale; add $20 for Miami; $130 for New York City; $150 for Atlanta; $170 for Chicago; $200 for Minneapolis; $210 for Denver; $240 for San Francisco; additional airports available.
The fine print: Taxes and service fees are about $144. Meals with soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are included. Resort taxes and fees are included, but not gratuities at the on-site restaurant. Round-trip airport–resort transfers are an additional $31 per person. There is an additional cost for children, starting at $269 per child. The government of the Bahamas charges foreign departure taxes up to $45. Based on double occupancy; single supplement is $90. Read our guidelines before booking any Real Deal.
Book by: Dec. 10, 2007; based on availability.
Contact CheapCaribbean.com, 800/915-2322, cheapcaribbean.com.
Why it's a deal: CheapCaribbean is more flexible in its pricing than many tour packagers, ensuring that you won't be caught at a disadvantage if a major airline has a fare sale that lowers prices on a route that you're booking. To illustrate, let's use Fort Lauderdale as a gateway.
The lowest round-trip fares we recently found on Kayak for travel in mid-February to Freeport, Bahamas, was $188 on Spirit Airways. Given that the list price quoted above for the CheapCaribbean package is $613 per person after taxes, that means a lodging cost of about $106 per person per night at the all-inclusive resort. In comparison, booking directly with wyndham.com would recently have netted lodging at $125 per person per night—a costlier rate.
Even better, CheapCaribbean says that when lower fares are available, as with this Spirit fare sale that we found on Kayak, its Web site usually accounts for this by automatically charging a lower price than its list price. Sure enough, when we attempted to book this package through cheapcaribbean.com, it recognized the Spirit fare sale and adjusted its price accordingly, effectively charging $100 per person per night, plus airfare. Plus, repeat bookers will save money. For example, when you make a vacation package reservation with CheapCaribbean, you'll receive a personal promo code in your confirmation documents. The next time you make a reservation with CheapCaribbean, you can save $50 by entering the promo code at the Web site.
Trip details: The Grand Bahama Island package offers four nights of lodging in one of 276 rooms at the Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, an all-inclusive resort near Port Lucaya and 13 miles from Freeport airport. The package includes a standard, 288-square-foot-room with a garden view, two queen beds, air-conditioning, a private bath, and other amenities.
The Bahamas offer popular diving sites because of the gorgeous coral reefs. Bring your own snorkeling or scuba-diving gear, or rent gear from a local supplier.
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CheapCaribbean tends to focus on packages with very short booking windows, so early booking is a good idea.
Passports are necessary for visiting the Bahamas. ("What are the passport rules again?")
During this time of year, bring a jacket or sweater for cooler evenings. Culturally, beach clothing is inappropriate in the streets and restaurants. Pack causal pants and shirts.
Before you go, check the weather forecast, the exchange rate, and the local time at BudgetTravel.com.
For more tips on what to do in the area, visit the official tourism Web site of Grand Bahama Island.
Copyright © 2012 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.