text:
I've been working as a cameraman, video editor, colorist and graphic illustrator for over 10 years and
have collaborated with many people in a variety of fields. My clients range from, human rights organizations,
corporate businesses, the entertainment industry, artists, musicians, etc.
What I do:
Pre-production - Concept development, Storyboards, Location scouting, Scriptwriting.
Production - Directing, Camerawork, Lighting, Photography, Archiving & Backup management.
Post-production - Editing, Colour grading, VFX, Motion graphics, Sound design, Titles, Voice-overs.
Distribution - Mastering, DVD encoding, Web publication, Packaging design, Print.
Thank you for visiting.


text:
Your cart is currently empty.
You can choose and change the shipping method when you PROCEED CHECKOUT
Shipments to addresses within the State of Tennessee are subject to a 9.25% sales tax.
The Shipping & Handling options are as follows:
Standard (2-5 business days): $6.26
Expedited (1-2 business days): $19.75
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Expedited (2-4 business days): $44.95

subset: commoncrawl


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U.S. Bank ATMs Accepting Donations for American Red Cross Disaster Relief in Light of Oklahoma Torna
U.S. Bank ATMs Accepting Donations for American Red Cross Disaster Relief in Light of Oklahoma Tornado
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- U.S. Bank customers can make donations to the American Red Cross at more than 2,000 U.S. Bank ATMs in 25 states to support relief efforts across the country like the devastating tornadoes that hit Oklahoma and the Midwest this week. The funds will help the Red Cross meet the needs of those affected by the tornadoes and other disasters.
U.S. Bank ATMs will accept contributions through Thursday, June 6, 2013. In addition, the U.S. Bank Foundation will match donations made by its employees to the Red Cross through the company's matching gift fund, doubling the impact of their donations.
"The impact of the tornadoes in Oklahoma and the Midwest was devastating and the road to recovery will be long for many families. Through the generosity of its partners such as U.S. Bank and its customers and employees, the American Red Cross can quickly respond with shelter, food and comfort now, and lasting support as residents move toward recovery," said Neal Litvack, chief development officer for the Red Cross.
In addition, the public can make $10 donations to American Red Cross Disaster Relief by texting REDCROSS to: 90999.
U.S. Bank and the Red Cross recently established a partnership that includes an annual commitment of $250,000 from U.S. Bank that will help the Red Cross prepare for vital disaster services. The partnership also established U.S. Bank Employee Awareness and Preparedness Fairs for the company's 65,000 employees. U.S. Bank will continue to work closely with the Red Cross throughout the year to provide opportunities for employees to donate blood and volunteer time to the charity.
About American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
About U.S. Bank
U.S. Bancorp (NYS: USB) , with $355 billion in assets as of March 31, 2013, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the 5th largest commercial bank in the United States. The Company operates 3,080 banking offices in 25 states and 5,056 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at http://www.usbank.com.
Note to editors: video of donations being made at a U.S. Bank ATM is available at http://mediamojo.com/usbank/atm/
Amy Frantti, U.S. Bank Public Relations
(612) 303-0733, email@example.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America Minnesota Oklahoma
The article U.S. Bank ATMs Accepting Donations for American Red Cross Disaster Relief in Light of Oklahoma Tornado originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Married, beautiful house, dog, and a heart's desire for a child. That's where we found ourselves. The doctor's office became normalcy in our lives. Two or three visits each week … pills, procedures, and no answers left us with broken hearts, uncertainty, and questions.
Would we ever become parents? Why us? Will our marriage be the same if we can't have a family? Will we be lonely when we are old and gray? Is it something we have done to deserve this punishment?
At times that's exactly what it felt like … punishment … torture … pure agony! Our friends were pregnant or already had families …. A simple trip to Wal-Mart could be so tough when you saw a complete stranger pushing a baby in their cart!
My husband and I hit our knees daily begging for God's peace and direction. This "valley" became our best time together. It drew us together as we recklessly abandoned ourselves to His will. Our hearts were soft, and God was ever so present. Even in the most difficult time, there was a peace I can never describe. At my very last visit when the doctor sat me down in her office and looked me in the eye to say, "This is the end of the road" … There was peace!
God used this time to help us find something we only thought we had … Focus. True surrender.
Proverbs 19:21 ~ "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
James 1:27 ~ "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
The LORD developed our home into a mission field. Our desire was no longer about what WE wanted; our desire was to serve God and love the children he brought into our home through foster care or adoption. The truth in God's Word about being adopted into God's kingdom became personal to us as our hearts desire to adopt grew and grew.
Our first two foster sons returned home after seven months of loving them and trying our best to bring healing and Jesus into their lives. The boys returned home new … They both received Jesus into their hearts before leaving our home.
Only SEVEN days later, we were chosen! Chosen to be parents to the child a seventeen-year-old girl was carrying. God's timing was perfect!
A short SEVEN months later, we discovered that I was carrying a baby girl! One journal entry read, "Sitting here being poked and kicked by baby girl … and watching my baby boy sleep. Overwhelmed by God's mercy, unexpected blessings, and the gift of life eternal. God is good."
I experienced a healthy pregnancy and we soon welcomed our second child. God heard our prayers and he is allowing us to parent these two blessings. We thank Him for hearing our prayers and completing our family.
"And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2
"For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10


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Nice argument style.Joseph D. L. wrote: ↑Fri Feb 23, 2018 11:02 pmThat's not true. That's New Age pig swill.In a nutshell, a Gnostic Christian is a free thinker who is an esoteric ecumenist and naturalist and defines the word God the way the ancients did, as the best rules and laws they could come up with in man, as nothing could be known of the supernatural.
You call my description a lie yet do not correct it by showing your description of what Gnostic Christian beliefs are.
Ok. You win this debate.
Oh wait, you did not put an argument or view. You cannot lose in your own pathetic mind even as you did not do anything to win.


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Cheat Sheet
iPhone Application Development For Dummies Cheat Sheet
To develop iPhone apps, you have to be able to navigate the tricky Xcode Workspace window, and you'll find a guide here. This cheat sheet also helps you cut through some common confusion over what iPhone view controller method to use.
Navigating the Xcode Workspace Window for iPhone App Development
Xcode is essential for iPhone app development. And command central for Xcode is the Workspace window, where you perform all the tasks you need to do to develop your iPhone app. The Workspace window consists of the following:
The toolbar
An optional tab bar
The Workspace is divided into the following four areas (outlined in blue and identified in blue text in the figure):
Editor area (always shown)
Navigator area
Utility area
Debug area
Areas are toggled on and off by using the View selector (outlined in blue in the top right of the figure). Xcode also has three editor panes: the Standard editor pane, the Assistant editor pane, and a Version editor pane. These are selected in the Editor selector (outlined in green to the left of the View selector).
iPhone App Development: Understanding View Controller Methods
iPhone Application Developers struggle with knowing what view controller methods to use, and when. Picking the wrong method to refresh your user interface can result in an iPhone app that disappoints the users.
To understand when to do something in the UIKit framework, you need to know when messages are sent, especially to view controllers. View controllers have a life cycle just as applications do, and certain messages are sent as views that are displayed and hidden.
The two methods you need to know about in order to work with views are
The following table summarizes what you should do in which method:
|When to Send It
|What to Use It For
|After the view controller has loaded its associated views into
|Perform additional view initialization on views loaded
from the storyboard or nib file. For example, if you are displaying
some static text, load that text here.
|When the view is about to become visible
|Do the things that are necessary to present the view.
For example, if you are displaying the location of the nearest book
store that carries iPhone Application Development For
Dummies, update that information in this method.
The viewDidLoad message is sent to the view controller after the view controller has loaded its associated views into memory. This method is used to perform view initialization and is not necessarily called every time the view appears. If, for example, the user makes a selection in the view that causes a new view controller to load and slide its view into place, and the user then taps the Back button, this message is not sent when the originating view reappears. That is the job of viewWillAppear:.
The viewWillAppear: message is sent when the view is about to become visible. The first time it is sent is after the viewDidLoad message and then whenever the view reappears, such as when you tap the Back button, for example. You use this method to refresh your user interface, if needed, but not for initialization.


text: Fred Hassan is based in New York and joined Warburg Pincus in 2011. Mr. Hassan was Chairman of Bausch & Lomb, until its sale in 2013, and serves on the board of Time Warner, Amgen and Intrexon. Mr. Hassan is the former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Schering-Plough Corporation. Prior to joining Schering-Plough in April 2003, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacia Corporation, a company that was formed in March 2000 as a result of the merger of Monsanto and Pharmacia and Upjohn. Mr. Hassan joined Pharmacia & Upjohn as Chief Executive Officer in 1997. Previously, he was Executive Vice President of Wyeth with responsibility for its pharmaceutical and medical products businesses, and was elected to Wyeth's board in 1995. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hassan spent 17 years with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals (now Novartis) and headed its U.S. pharmaceuticals business. He received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the Imperial College at the University of London and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Mr. Hassan has chaired significant pharmaceutical industry organizations including The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA). He is also a member of The Business Council. Mr. Hassan's book, "Reinvent, A Leader's Playbook for Serial Success," was published by Wiley in February 2013.


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About NovaBACKUP PC
NovaBACKUP PC is a backup software for your PCs, laptops, and workstations developed by NovaStor, and supports Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10. You can backup the individual files or entire PC hard drive to local hard drives, USB flash drive, CD/DVD drives, or clouds such as Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and so on.
The backup process of NovaBACKUP PC is quite faster than other backup software, and it offers a disaster recovery function which means you can recover the entire system after the hard drive crashed. Besides, you can schedule/incremental/full backup for your crucial data and encrypt for your backups. Furthermore, NovaBACKUP PC includes unlimited phone in and email support that makes you unlimited access to the tech support. Nevertheless, some users are looking for NovaBACKUP PC alternative, why?
The Shortcomings of NovaBACKUP PC
As the best Windows backup software, it should owns these features: reliable, easy-to-use and comprehensive function. However, NovaBACKUP PC has some shortcomings below.
- Does not support system, partition, disk clone.
- Command line is not provided.
- Can't merge backup images.
It's a pity that NovaBACKUP PC doesn't support these useful features which is the users truly need. So you might look for NovaBACKUP alternative.
Best Alternative to NovaBACKUP PC
Fortunately, AOMEI Backupper Professional developed by AOMEI Technology is the best NovaBACKUP PC alternative. AOMEI Backupper is highly recommended by Windows users due to its friendly interface and the comprehensive functions. It allows you backup, restore, and clone disk, partition and system to external hard drive, NAS devices, USB flash drive, Network share, etc. even you can create a file sync for your data, and restore image file to a different hardware computer. Why AOMEI Backupper is the best NovaBACKUP PC alternative? We can have a comparison for both of them.
NovaBACKUP PC
AOMEI Backupper Professional
|Supported OS
Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10
Windows Vista/XP/7/8/8.1/10
|Files, Folders, System, Partition, Disk Backup
|File Sync
|System, Partition, Disk Clone
|Dissimilar Hardware Restore
|Create Bootable Media
|Incremental/Differential/Full Backup
|Command Line Backup/Restore/Clone
|Merge Backup Images
|Destination Locations
|Disk/Removable Disk/Cloud Drive/NAS
According to the comparison table, AOMEI Backupper Professional is more flexible and reliable to use than NovaBACKUP PC while they cost the same. Last but not least, AOMEI Backupper Professional supports lifetime free upgrades to the latest version.
Migrate OS to HDD/SSD with AOMEI Backupper
Below, we are going to describe one of the main functions of AOMEI Backupper - system clone with details.
1. Download, install and launch the best NovaBACKUP PC alternative-AOMEI Backupper. On the main console, select "Clone">"System Clone" to migrate OS.
2. Select a HDD or SSD to save the system files, and then hit "Next".
Tips: The program will prompt you that the destination partition will be wiped out, make sure you have backed up the crucial files in advance.
3. On the "Operation Summary" window, preview the result of the OS clone, then click "Start Clone" to clone Windows OS.
- If your destination disk is an SSD drive, you have to check "Align partition to optimize for SSD".
- Ensure the destination partition is larger than the system partition if you have ticked the "Sector by sector clone" option.
After compared, it's no doubt that AOMEI Backup is the best NovaBACKUP PC alternative. Moreover, you can also realize dissimilar hardware restore with no issues. If you're a server user, try AOMEI Backupper Server to protect your valuable content.


text: Hart King partner, Andrew Kienle, recently prevailed at trial in a probate matter in Orange County Superior Court. In the case, we represented a trustee/beneficiary seeking to confirm his right to inherit a specific asset of his mother's estate valued at more than $500,000. In the case, after hearing all evidence presented by both sides, the Court found that Hart King's client was entitled to receive 50% of the asset value and denied the opposing party's claim to 100% ownership. The client was extremely pleased with Andrew's expertise and the outcome of his case before the Probate Court.


text:
Mark McDowell was a career diplomat for 20 years with the Canadian Foreign Service, where he made a name for himself as a pioneer in e-diplomacy. Defying the strictures of government bureaucracy, he pushed use of the internet and social media to engage with foreign publics and bring about cultural exchange.
Mark brought his web-savvy and unconventional approach to public diplomacy to Myanmar, where he was installed in 2013 as Canada's first resident ambassador. As Facebook "likes" on the embassy's Facebook page soared into the lakhs, Mark helped put on a Canada-Myanmar chinlone (caneball) festival in Mandalay in 2014 and starred in a longyi-tying tutorial on Youtube.
Mark's engagement with Myanmar goes back to his time as head of the political section at the Canadian embassy in Bangkok, making frequent trips to Myanmar from 2003-7.
In September of last year, Mark took extended leave from the diplomatic corps and took up the job hunt, eventually landing the role of country director for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), an international organization known for its support for the electoral process in Myanmar.
Mizzima talks with Mark about life after diplomacy,the benefits of wearing the Burmese longyi, the upcoming by-elections, and why he remains an optimist about Myanmar.
Q: As Canada's first resident ambassador, you were at the frontline of the West's re-engagement with a previously sanctioned country. What were the highs and lows of diplomatic life in transition-era Myanmar?
A:I spent most of my career in Asia, and I always dreamed of being posted in Myanmar. It came a lot sooner than I thought. Canada opening a new embassy anywhere is very rare.
Canada used to pride itself on having the toughest sanctions in the world in Myanmar. Before, there were no relations at all—no trade, no development cooperation, and few people-to-people ties. We had no network here. The challenge was starting absolutely from scratch, although in many ways that was fun.
I've always been an optimist about Myanmar, even in times when I was wrong, like in 2007, but it was a surprise to all of us how fast the democratization process moved. The embassies were always struggling to adjust their policies.The elections came off relatively clean and efficient, delivering a decisive result and a clean transition of power.
The highs were being able to participate in these dramatic events, supporting grassroots organizations. Being an election observer was probably the highlight. The lows were the problems dealing with headquarters. People would ask, what's it like dealing with this military government? Actually, my relations with the former government were good, as with the new government. They were flexible and open to advice and foreign contact.
In Ottawa, some people didn't realize how fast things were moving. They were still thinking of Myanmar ten years ago. The desk officers in Canada were up to date, but it was hard to convince other people higher up.
Then there were the typical problems of dealing with a huge bureaucracy that had no idea what things were like on the ground. In Yangon in 2013, there were electricity shortages, no wifi, and the banking system didn't work. Our headquarters seemed to expect things to be like Switzerland, or Canada.
Q: What makes you an optimist here?
A:People are by nature optimistic or pessimistic. But, my formative experiences in Myanmar were during visits in 2005-6, when there was a mini thaw. I was lucky to meet certain people recently released from prison, like Ma Thida and Ko KoGyi. I found them very inspiring.
While I was here in 2009 doing a research project, the growth of civil society in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis [in 2008]—in spite of the crackdown following the Saffron Revolution—made me more optimistic in the long-term, as I recognized the resilience of civil society here.
When the opening came in 2010-11, it came as a surprise to everyone. We'd be lying if we said that we saw it coming. But, at least by 2012, I was quite confident that the government was sincere about this process of opening.
Q: It's now almost a year into the term of the National Lead for Democracy-led government. Are you still as optimistic as you were after the 2015 general election?
A:Yes, I would say so. There was such euphoria in 2015 around the election. It's natural that there's a sense of anticlimax, as the government gets down to the messy business of running the country. We knew that was coming.
The last few months have not been very good, but I've seen much worse setbacks in my 15 years [living and visiting] here. We said in 2013 that the path ahead was going to be a bumpy one—two steps forward, one step back—but the longer term trajectory of the country is still a good one. If you look at five or ten years ago, this place has been absolutely transformed. We shouldn't be overwhelmed by setbacks.
Q: You're known as a pioneer in e-diplomacy. The Canadian embassy's Facebook page now has more than 360,000 page likes. What prompted such strategies?
A:We were starting late, and from scratch, with small budgets. The only way we could compete with other embassies for the attention of the Myanmar people was through cyberspace. We spent a lot of our time in having an interesting presence on social media, and learning more about what our audience was interested in.
We had more than 300,000 Facebook followers by the time I left the embassy, which made us easily number two among embassies here, after the United States, when we're by no means the second biggest or richest embassy. Engagement from our followers was very enthusiastic. The strategy was really vindicated.
Q: While ambassador, you helped organise achinlone festival and conducted a Youtube longyi-tying tutorial. Elevating such everyday staples of Burmese culture is an unconventional approach to public diplomacy. What motivated it?
A:We were well known at the embassy for having "longyi Fridays" [staff were encouraged to wear the Burmese traditional sarong, or longyi]. We now have it at IDEA. Although it's fantastic that Myanmar is democratizing and opening economically to the world, the thing that makes Myanmar so fascinating and unique is that it has preserved its unusual traditional culture. Part of that is, unfortunately, because it was so cut off.
My worry is that, in the rush towards modernization, Myanmar may lose some of the things that make it so beautiful. I personally wanted to show that Westerners valued such traditional culture. Longyi Fridays became a symbol online [via Facebook] of how the Canadian embassy was closer to the ground. This was easier to achieve as a smaller embassy.
Apart from the tremendous practical benefits of wearing a longyi, it's also a way to interact and start chatting with people. My wife became famous for always taking the bus in Yangon, which she enjoyed because it was a way for her to meet ordinary people, and understand their interest and worries, and to not live an isolated diplomatic life.
Q: You'd been in the Canadian foreign service for 20 years. What made you leave and enter an international organization like IDEA? How has the transition been?
A:I am by nature someone who likes to try different things, and age 50 is maybe the last time in which to try something new. It was interesting to job hunt after 25 years. It's not good to get too comfortable in what you're doing—that's a sign to push yourself and move onto something else.
I also wanted to stay on in Myanmar. It's like I've been watching a soap opera or sitcom for many years; I want to watch another year or two of this show. Leaving in 2016 would not have been good timing. There's more opportunity to contribute to change here in Myanmar, than if I'd gone back to headquarters in Ottawa.
I chose IDEA because I liked the size of the organization. It's more flexible and nimble than the Canadian department of foreign affairs. In a lot of ways, I can see results much more quickly. I really enjoy spending 90 percent of my time on work, rather than negotiating with a complicated bureaucracy.
When you work at an embassy, it's like you're crew on an enormous ship. It's hard to change direction. But working for an international organization like ours, with a total of 200 staff around the world, we can respond much more quickly to requests, and have a lot more autonomy. I feel quite at home in this world.
Also, I think I've been an ambassador in the most interesting country. So,going on to a job at headquarters would have been a terrible anticlimax.
A lot of people think that diplomats live a very different life to everyone else, wearing nice clothes, going to cocktail parties, and moving only in high circles. For some people, that's true, and some ambassadors around the world are addicted to that status: having a driver and staff, and being called "your excellency." I don't particularly miss that. I still see my old ambassador friends—I haven't been cut off at all.
Q: What do you hope to achieve in your work with IDEA in Myanmar?
A:One thing I miss about being ambassador is the wide scope of the job, but the part that I was always most interested in was democratic transition. IDEA is really focused on supporting this.
The organization is best known here for its support to the Union Election Commission (UEC). It was a key player in helping the UEC deliver free and fair elections in 2015. We keep an office in Nay Pyi Taw, providing technical office to the UEC. Our focus now is on the by-elections [scheduled for 1 April]. Our staff will be conducting training alongside the UEC over the next two weeks in 22 townships [where the by-elections will be held]. We'll also continue to work with the UEC on electoral reform in the lead up to the next general election in 2020.
Later on this year, we'll be working directly with parliament—particularly the parliamentary accounts committee—delivering technical assistance. We also plan to work on constitution-building. Although most people think the subject is very sensitive here, there's actually a great appetite, not only in civil society but also in government and among actors in the peace process, to learn more about constitution-building. We're responding to requests for workshops on the subject.
Q: How significant do you consider the upcoming by-elections to be?
A:They won't change the balance of power, with only 19 parliamentary seats to be contested. By-elections are always an interesting way to take the temperature of the electorate, but, from our point of view, they are interesting as a test of the quality of the elections that the UEC is able to deliver, with an eye towards 2020. The by-elections represent a valuable experiment, to see what still needs fixing and improving.
We are working closely with the UEC on issues like voter education, and with political parties on matters such as clean election campaigning. The 2015 elections were well received by international observers, but the UEC has made a commitment to making them even cleaner and better in 2020.
Q: What is your favourite place in Myanmar?
A:I do really love the Shwedagon, especially at nighttime. I live very close to it. Every time a visitor comes to town, you've got to take them to the Shwedagon—but I never tire of it. There's something new to see every time.
Q: Do you still consider Toronto home?
A:Yes. I'm a loyal Torontonian. But, I've been posted in Bangkok, Taiwan, and Beijing, and my kids are equally at home in Asia as they are in Toronto. They're halfway.
You can follow Mark McDowell on [email protected]
Mark McDowell was a career diplomat for 20 years with the Canadian Foreign Service, where he made a name for himself as a pioneer in e-diplomacy. Defying the strictures of government bureaucracy, he pushed use of the internet and social media to engage with foreign publics and bring about cultural exchange.


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Image © 2009 Liv Gluten-Free
I couldn't resist posting a couple more of my favorite cookie recipes. Leave a few out for Santa- if you can find it in your heart to share!
A double dose of peanut butter! Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.
Get your chocolate fix with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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text:
Northern's Bachelor of General Studies degree is an option for you if you've earned a significant number of credits toward a degree, but wish to change your program of study.
Explore More Degrees
Join the Pack
Academics at Northern
The College of Arts and Sciences prepares students for the global workplace or further study in graduate and professional programs.
The School of Business will help students meet the challenges of the changing world of business, which is becoming more global and data-driven.
The Millicent Atkins School of Education is known for preparing extraordinary teachers, as well as counselors, psychologists, and human performance and fitness professionals.
The School of Fine Arts students and faculty are some of the most talented musicians, artists and performers in the region.


text:
This event has passed.
"Reflections" Sharing Group
May 9 @ 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
| Free
|Recurring Event (See all)
"Reflections" Sharing Group
This grief sharing group meets for six weeks. No cost and open to anyone who has lost a loved one.
If you plan to attend one of our groups, please make every effort to attend all six sessions.Registration forms are available at HCC Administrative Office or by calling 704-487-4677.
Thursdays: May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and June 6, 2019
11:30am – 1:00pm
Hospice Administration Building


text:
1. Pre-listening
What makes a successful meeting? Write one or two more ideas for each of the two categories below.
The meeting went well
People contributed with ideas. Everyone listened to other people. The chairperson seemed to be in control.
The meeting went badly
Not many people contributed. Participants weren't paying attention. Everyone seemed pleased that the meeting was over.
2 Listening I


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Frostbites is the perfect spot to enjoy a cool summer treat. A student-run business, we serve hard and soft ice cream, as well as milkshakes, sundaes, and specialty creations (ask about our "He Shoots He Skors!"). Our beautiful location overlooking the Bay of Chaleur allows you to revel in the natural beauty of our city while savouring delicious desserts with family and friends at our outdoor picnic tables. We are committed to providing you with quality products, superior service, and good value. We look forward to seeing you on your next visit!
Monday to Friday 11:30 pm to 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday 11:30 pm to 9 pm
Closing Tuesday, September 9, 2018


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Search content
It's easy to search the Posen Digital Library once you've registered. Start by clicking the "search" tab on the upper left-hand side of the homepage. Enter your search term(s) into the empty bar beneath the words "advanced search." Then hit return, or click the blue "search" button to the right of the screen. Within a few seconds, you should see a list of results. Once you're ready for a new search, simply click "search" again and enter another term.
You can also refine your search. First, return to the original search box. After entering a search term, click the word "all" (to the right of the search box) and then select authors, titles, text, or another option. This will narrow your results. You can also search by subject—literature, for instance. After typing your search term, just click "literature" in the column below the word "subject."
You can also search multiple terms at once. Just type your second term in the white box with the words "Add another search term," and you will see works in which both search terms appear.
Browse content
You can explore literature, visual culture, and popular culture by clicking the "browse" tab on the homepage and selecting the genre/category that interests you. You can also browse chronologically. Just click "browse," and locate the long row of images towards the bottom of the page. Select the period (1973–1980, for instance) you would like to explore.
You can also browse from the home page, by clicking a genre or time period below the image carousel.
View documents
Once you select a document, you can expand it, shrink it, bookmark it, or highlight a word or paragraph. Use the toolbar—the row of icons above, and to the right of, the document. To enlarge the text, click the larger "a" in the toolbar. The small "a" will shrink the text. The other items in the toolbar perform the other functions: tagging, bookmarking, and annotating. To bookmark a passage, first highlight it, then click the "bookmark" icon in the toolbar. Tagging and annotating work the same way: Highlight a passage, click the appropriate icon, then follow the instructions. (Your tags and annotations will appear in your "My Library" page. To edit an annotation or delete a tag, click "my annotations" or "my tags" and click the appropriate word: edit, delete, etc. NB: once an annotation has been made public, it cannot be changed, so annotate wisely.)
The "I" icon provides information about the document being viewed, including what other users think about it.
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General Information About Newport Business Institute
The Newport Business Institute was founded in 1895 by Professor Harry Sayre and was then known as "Sayre Business College." The name was later changed to "New Kensington Commercial School" to more properly identify the school with the geographic area it served. The name was registered in Westmoreland County and in Harrisburg, the state capital. Since acquiring an additional school in Williamsport, the names of the two schools were combined to create our new name, "Newport Business Institute." Subsequent administrators of the school were Miss Rosetta Turner, Professor Dinninger, Mr. Harry Gould, Mrs. Bertha Kile, Dr. Joseph J. Pallone, and Dr. Harry E. Ryan. In 1973 New Kensington Commmercial School was purchased and formed into the Mullen Corporation under the laws of Pennsylvania. The school was administered by Robert J. Mullen. On January 2, 1990, J. Bryant Mullen and Michelle L. Mullen purchased the Mullen Corporation and the Newport Business Institute. J. Bryant Mullen, the president of Newport Business Institute, brought many years of experience in education and business to the institution. Neither subsidized nor endowed, the two-year business training institution is entirely dependent for its continuance and success upon the quality of its training as evidenced by the achievement of its graduates. Newport Business Institute is located at 945 Greensburg Road. It moved to its present location in September 1975. It serves the research and industrially oriented Allegheny-Kiski Valley, which borders Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Institutional statistical data was gathered from the U.S. Department of Education - Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2009-2010.
Institution Type
- 2-year, Private for-profit
Special Learning Opportunities
- Distance learning opportunities
Student Services
- Placement services for completers
Credit Accepted
- Institution does not accept dual, credit for life, or AP credits
Religious Affiliation
- Not applicable
Federal Aid
- Eligible students may receive Pell Grants and other federal aid (e.g. Direct Loans).
Degrees/Certificates offered
- Associate's degree
Campus Setting
- City: Small
Disability Services Student
- 3% or Less
Admission Total Applicants Full Time Retention Rate 59%
Student Demographics Total Enrolled 167 Native American 0.0 Asian 0.0 African American 42.0 Hispanic 2.0 Enrolled FullTime Undergraduates 112 Enrolled FullTime Graduates


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So my Acura apparently has 4 oxygen sensors. Sensor 1 = upstream, Sensor 2 = Downstream. Only thing I need help figuring out is which side of the engine is considered front/rear being that most forums I've read were unsure, some are saying front is the side facing the driver, others say the obvious when your viewing it from opening the hood. After figuring that out, I need help figuring out if Bank 1/2 is in the front/rear of the engine. Perhaps a live picture would help because all I'm finding are drawings
My car has 167000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
The passenger side of the engine is bank one sensor one and bank one sensor two. The driver's side of the engine is bank two sensor one and bank two sensor two. This is the standard for all vehicles with a six cylinder motor. Here is another diagram but it should show the locations more clearly.
Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


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Thursday, 31 July 2014
3 comments:
- Anonymous31 July 2014 at 10:18
The Water Management issue, which will determine whether the project can deliver power when needed or only as HQ needs the Upper Churchill, won't be heard by the Quebec Courts until after the next election here. The schedule for production of documents etc. shows that being completed August 2015. That "fact" is of course known to the Premier and cabinet, who are pressing ahead blindly indifferent to the folly of this multi-billion dollar photo op.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1 August 2014 at 00:03
Very good analysis with relevant historical context. The Statoil model worked for Norway because the government guys didn't operate or influence it.ReplyDelete
Nalcor has bulked up on a lot of people and is pushing through an uneconomic project. They have a cost structure like Eastern Health which loses $250 K per year on a Tim Horton's with a large captive market and always lined up around the corner selling 10 cent coffee for $1.50. Nalcor spent $30 M drilling a well in Western NL when the cost range for a similar well in Alberta is between $1 M and $7 M. Granted the people and infrastructure are not yet here but a partnership for a small percentage to one of the juniors in this province could have done about three wells for the same investment and require a lot less people back at the mother corp.
Perhaps future administrations will change how Nalcor operates and help dig us out of Muskrat. The 77% rate increase announced by Ed Martin in the Telegram (17.4 cents in 2020 from 9.8 cents when most of the analysis was done in 2011-12) will not pay for it if we lose the WMA. Also according to Mr Martin the rate will increase thereafter between 1 and 2% per year or in other words inflation. That is a remarkable achievement to be able to increase the rate 77% in less than ten years increasing with inflation thereafter when it was only designed to replace 12% of the previous power (Holyrood) and pick up load increases. The only known load increases will come from the Vale smelter which is an industrial load and easy to supply from less expensive options.Replies
There is only one way out of this mess…NALCOR and its incompetent head honchos have to go! Their inability to properly manage energy resources was made painfully obvious during Dark NL but their predictable shifting of blame was their trademark response.Delete
An entity that touts its own expertise and greatness…particularly a politically-created entity…is not one to be trusted and NALCOR has given us ample reason to be distrustful. Their singular determination to plunge ahead with a clearly unviable and uneconomic project like Muskrat Falls….despite major cost overruns, changing market dynamics, reliance on in-house expertise, hiding behind a wall of government protection from any real scrutiny….all of these traits are the hallmark of an organization that is more successful at navel gazing than they are at developing a successful business model.
This entity was born out of the grandiose and pompous arrogance of a PC administration that was lucky in the extreme…. but one whose level of competence was never high. They exploited the generous goodwill of the ordinary people of the province and continue to create a province of haves and have nots. Ironic, isn't it, considering our poor cousin status within Confederation for so many decades!!


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Subhash and Udayan Mitra, in their younger years, could pass as twins. Inseparable and mischievous, their boyhood in Calcutta is the essence of nostalgia. But as a political schism shakes India, the boys find themselves drifting apart. Despite the space and time between them, life's cruelties ensure that they remain hopelessly entangled - haunted by one another.
Listening to this in the confines of my car ensured that I made it through those slower scenes, the long stretches of time in which no one really did anything. There was a lot of exposition in this book and I feel like I zoned out for long periods of time, forgetting to listen, but came back in time for some poignant, reverberating scene.
At times, I felt overwhelmed. This book spans decades and continents. There are political movements I've never heard of (and still don't really understand, despite being pivotal to the plot). There are complicated names and foreign holidays. However, when I think about it all now, from the ending, I feel somewhat underwhelmed; Despite all of these ranges and places, this book said something very small, though I'm not sure I could define it for you.
I've read a lot of reviews from people who weren't happy with the progression of the characters - who felt like no one evolved. I agree, it does seem like everyone fell into stasis after Udayan's death, but I liked this. I think this was the point. Like the Lowland, they were stagnant, resistant, unchanging until the world slowly overtook them.
I was feeling unsatisfied toward the end of the book, though I think we were meant to feel that way, but the last page brought me back, made me content.
Buy The Lowland today in a multitude of formats.


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At the main intersection in Hammond (diagonally across from the mini-mart and laundromat) is the Lighthouse Museum, and on its west side is this harpoon gun with two heavy metal harpoons. I truly feel sorry for the whales on the end of that thing, but history and culture are always interesting to me.
The connection to my family is that during the rescue in Alaska, the King and Winge struggled with packed ice and bad weather along with the Revenue Cutter (later Coast Guard Cutter) Bear to effect a rescue of survivors of the then-famous Stafansson expedition. This took place in 1914, two years before grandfather, Clement Joseph Todd, was assigned as Executive Officer to the Bear in 1916 for two trips to Alaska and Siberia. The link to his name gives a taste of his experience, which was posted by The Bancroft Library from a booklet my grandmother typed up from letters and photos that he sent home. Just because I was on the track and doing research, I thought I'd post several pictures of the Bear that I found online.


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About - Law Office of Channe G. Coles
Family Law Attorney - Channe Gallagher Coles
Experience, Knowledge, Compassion and Skill.
Channe Gallagher Coles is the founder and primary attorney of the Law Office of Channe G. Coles. Born in Newport Beach, California in 1978, Ms. Coles lived briefly in Mississippi and Arizona before returning to Southern California (Orange County) as a young child. Because her parents divorced when she was 3-years old, Ms. Coles spent her early years growing up in a single-family home with her mother and four sisters. Following the lead of strong female role models in her family, Ms. Coles has strived to embody the American ethic that through hard work, determination, and initiative, you can accomplish all you set your mind to.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Coles obtained two separate undergraduate degrees from California State University, Northridge, including a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration: Business Law in 2002, and a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy in 2004. She obtained several academic awards during her tenure at CSUN for her performance in Symbolic Logic and Economics, and spent several semesters on the Dean's List.
Following undergraduate school, Ms. Coles embarked on her childhood dream of joining the legal profession. While attending the University of West Los Angeles, College of Law, Ms. Coles was employed by an experienced general practitioner in West Los Angeles, where she gained immediate hands-on experience in all aspects of a general practice. During her legal internship and while under the supervision of a senior partner, Ms. Coles grasped the importance of concepts such as client satisfaction, excellence in legal service, commitment to promises, and ethical representation.
Ms. Coles graduated Cume Lade from law school in 2008. After passing the July 2008 California State Bar Exam she was sworn in to the legal profession in December that same year. Ms. Coles quickly started work as a junior associate in a downtown Los Angeles law firm, L.A. Law Group, Inc.; a general practice with a primary focus in family law. While at L.A. Law Group, Ms. Coles gained invaluable litigation and in-court experience, including conducting both short and long-cause trials in family law, probate, and various civil matters, all within her first year of practice. More importantly, Ms. Coles gained a wealth of knowledge, information and experience in all areas of family law practice, including high conflict litigation, custody and support disputes, complex estate division, contempt orders, post-judgment enforcement, settlement, and mediation.
In 2010, Ms. Coles joined the Law Office of Gregory L. Johnson, located in Ventura, California, where she shifted focus into the arena of elder law, medical malpractice, and catastrophic personal injury for the plaintiff. During her tenure at the Law Office of Gregory L. Johnson, Ms. Coles gained a wealth of litigation knowledge, strategy and trial skills practicum, especially in litigating against much larger defense firms. Because elder law cases are litigation intensive, Ms. Coles honed her skills in legal research and writing in both complex pleadings, motions, and pre-trial filings. Ms. Coles brings these invaluable skills to bear in her family law practice, where knowledge of the law and the technical details of discovery, evidence, and civil procedure can give you that needed edge over your client from your first pendent lite hearing to the last day of trial.
Drawing on her own experience, Ms. Coles understands first-hand the struggles which face divorced parents, especially those confronted with the challenge of raising a child on their own while struggling financially. This is especially true when living in Santa Barbara, where the cost of living is particularly high. Ms. Coles understands the toll custody battles can take on you physically and emotionally, having witnessed this first hand with her own parents.
Ms. Coles is a sole practitioner. 99% of her practice is devoted to the area of family law. Having practiced law since 2008, she brings a wealth of litigation experience to cases and is competent in handling both diverse highly contested, big income and asset cases as well as the far less complex issues of a "friendly" divorce.
Memberships: Ms. Coles is a member of the Family Law section of the State Bar of California. Ms. Coles is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, and Santa Barbara Women Lawyers organization.


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The tracks: our pick of the best songs
The War on Drugs: Red Eyes
Adam Granduciel apparently wasn't a happy bunny when he and his fellow Philadelphians made their superb new album, Lost in the Dream, but rock songs like this overflow with an open-road joie de vivre.
Sky Ferreira: I Blame Myself
From the LA wild child's excellent album Night Time, My Time comes one of the pop songs of the year, combining massive melancholic melodies with lyrics about the abuse she suffered as an adolescent.
Pharrell Williams: Marilyn Monroe
Gust of Wind is the song everyone's talking about from G I R L but this urgent, string-wrapped electro-soul beauty isn't far behind.
Tune-Yards: Water Fountain
First fruits of Nikki Nack, the brilliant third album from Connecticut's Merrill Garbus (due in May),…


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If you are an avid gamer you might already know the importance of DirectX. With every new version of Windows Microsoft tends to release a newer version of DirectX. For example Windows XP had DirectX 9, Windows Vista came out with DirectX 10 and now Windows 7 has DirectX 11.
Though there was no official support for DirectX 10 on Windows XP, you could still download and install DirectX 10 on XP, but that is going to change with Windows 7. Microsoft is planning to backport features from Windows 7 to Windows Vista.
One of the features they are planning to backport is to allow Windows Vista users to download and install DirectX 11. Windows Vista users with service pack 2 installed will be able to use the superior features in DirectX 11 for graphics and gaming.
Microsoft is planning to release this update as a Platform update which will be available through Windows Update.
There are no direct downloads available right now so you will have to wait till Microsoft officially makes them available, we will update the post with download links whenever we come across them.
[via Softpedia]


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Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Quest for the Voice Schedule Announced
If you don't know, Quest for the Voice is an annual youth poetry slam series organizing by the Minnesota Spoken-Word Association and its partners and allies. This slam series will decide which teens get to rep MN at Brave New Voices, the national youth poetry slam festival. If you are a young poet, or you know some young poets, spread the word!
Rules: youth 13-19 can compete. Most preliminaries are one round only, but come with two poems just in case. Semifinals and Finals are 2 rounds so come with two dynamic/original pieces. Any style/any topic is cool, as long as it's three minutes or less. The top 5-7 poems from each slam (based on sign up percentage) will advance to semifinals. Top poets at semis will advance to Finals.
Quest for the Voice Preliminary Slams
Edison High School - Northeast Minneapolis
700 22nd Avenue Northeast, room 225
March 9, 3-5pm
Washburn High School - South Minneapolis
201 West 49th Street
March 10th, 6-8pm
The Canvas - St. Paul
1610 West Hubbard Ave
March 10th, 6-8pm
Perpich Center for Arts Education - Golden Valley
6125 Olson Memorial Highway
March Date/ During School
St. Paul Conservatory - St. Paul
Partnering with Golden Deli @ Golden's
Located on the first floor of the historic Northwestern Building
275 East 4th Street Suite 102
March 15, 6-8pmFree
Oak Park Neighborhood Community Center - North Minneapolis
1701 Oak Park Avenue North
March 17, 6pm
South High School - South Minneapolis
3131 19th Avenue South
March Date/ During School
Writing Circle/Prep for Semis
March 18 at the 42nd Avenue Station Coffee Shop
4171 Lyndale Ave North in Minneapolis
4:30-6pm; Free
Monday March 21 at the U of M - Moos Tower
515 Delaware Street Southeast, Minneapolis
Hosted by Voices Merging
6:30pm ($3 students/ $5 adults)
Late May at the U of M; details TBA.
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FAQ's for Educators
Is Individual U. a school?
Individual U. is not a school. It is a totally individualized, highly collaborative program for helping students of all abilities and talents acquire the knowledge, insight, organization, skills and self-awareness needed for lifetime success. Individual U frequently provides support for students who are being homeschooled. It also sometimes serves as a specialized school-type environment for students who are attempting to transition from alternative or special education schools into more mainstream schools.


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My second day in a row with the intention of visiting Harry's. The wankers close on Sundays! Here is Linus expressing his outrage.
The view from the street is spectacular. This is what Linus is looking at in the above photo.
UPDATE: I visited Harry's on September 6th, 2012. I drank a pint of Belhaven Best and listened to a live set by an acoustic MOR duo. The place is popular with well-dressed folks about my age. Here is what the interior of this West End basement bar looks like.


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Jessica Jones, the Return of Mr. Show, Spider-Man and More Coming to Netflix This November
The end of the month is nearly upon us, which means that Netflix is about to dump a bunch of new stuff for us to watch. Fortunately, we've scoured their release catalog and picked out all the best and nerdyist stuff, worthy of your eyes time.
By now most of you probably have November 20th marked as the release day for Marvel's Jessica Jones as you well should. This show looks great so far and now we also know that Matt Cox's, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, will be making a cameo in the show. We're super excited for this and we've got a few days booked to give it a solid binging.
In addition to comic book related viewing material, the third season of Ultimate Spider-Man will be released on November 23rd.
There are a lot of new interesting titles in the way of comedies including the return of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross with their new revamped version of Mr. Show which is now just called w/Bob and David. The show will release with 4 half hour episodes and an hour long 'making of' video, but Mr. Odenkirk is quick to tell fans that, while the show has a lot of the original writers from Mr. Show, the show will in fact be "lighter", "less complex" and "faster". That will release on November 13th.
Other comedies worth keeping your eyes out for would include the new Aziz Ansari show, Master of None, which releases on November 6th and there will also be a new John Mulaney stand-up special called, The Comeback Kid, which also comes out on November 13th.
If you're into the Care Bears, the first season of Care Bears & Cousins will release on November 6th and the SpongeBob movie will come out right away on November 1st.
So, aside from Jessica Jones, is there anything else that you're really excited for? The not-Mr. Show should be fun and you'll probably find me plowing through Ultimate Spider-Man at some point, but what about you? What will you be watching this month. As always, let us know in the comments section below!Follow Us:


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D.H. Brown gives nod to Compaq on network management
A report on enterprise SAN management gives Compaq high marks on completeness, services, and ROI.
By Alan Earls
A new report on enterprise storage area network (SAN) management solutions conducted by D.H. Brown Associates, Port Chester, NY, concludes that Compaq Computer Corporation offers the best all-around approach to network storage management, ranking number one in study criteria, which included program completeness, services and return on investment.
The report focused only on SAN management offerings of Compaq, IBM/Tivoli and Sun Microsystems in the context of how SAN fits into wider enterprise issues. It is written from the point-of-view of IT managers.
D.H. Brown concluded that Compaq's ENSA architecture is the most well-defined and comprehensive as both a technical and business-oriented architecture. It describes Compaq's SANworks product suite as the most complete and its solutions as well-integrated. Compaq has most clearly defined its intent with its SAN management program and its customer objectives, say the report authors.
The study notes that Compaq has clearly identified ROI as an objective. Compaq's SAN Business Value Tool provides methodology for combining cost, technology, and business modeling to predict value of infrastructure change to business results.
The D.H. Brown analysis found that IT managers are focused on supporting business growth within the broader context of fitting IT into the corporate structure. This encompasses such demands as speeding time-to-market, consistently delivering high quality, lowering the cost of production, enhancing productivity, reducing complexity, supporting high-speed Web services and competing in a global market.
"While SAN management is still in its formative stage, Compaq already has integrated its elements to an impressive extent," said John Young, chief analyst for D.H. Brown Associates. "The criteria that define excellence in this important storage arena are coming into sharp focus. Improving SAN manageability is one of the most critical of these emerging criteria," he said.
However, Young, cautioned that the study was narrow -- something he plans to expand in the first half of 2002 in its area of coverage and in the number of vendors examined. Young said that in the rankings he devised, Compaq came out ahead with IBM/Tivoli in second place followed by Sun. However, he added, "the goal was not to determine a ranking but simply to establish how complete their solutions were." And, he added, "Tivoli, for instance, did some other things very well that we didn't look at directly with this study."
As HP and Compaq continue their move toward a merge, it should be interesting to see where Compaq's ENSA architecture could fit into the HP paradigm. According to Nick Allen, Gartner, Inc.'s research director and vice president, who spoke recently at Storage Decisions 2001, HP's FSAM architecture has a high probability of prevailing over Compaq's current ENSA architecture once the merge occurs.
About the author: Alan Earls is a freelance writer residing in Franklin,, Ma.
Additional Resources:
1. HP/Compaq: What has the industry been saying about it?
Do you want to read more about the implications of the proposed merger between HP and Compaq? Try our Featured Topic on the subject.
2. What is the future of Compaq's ENSA and other storage vendors?
Hear directly from Nick Allen about what he thinks on the future of Compaq, HP and a host of other storage vendors. This Featured Topic contains a Webcast of Nick Allen with highlights from his Storage Decisions 2001 presentation, and his presentation slides. These both describe the likelihood of certain Compaq products and features remaining once the HP/Compaq merge occurs.
3. What's the payback on SAN investments?
According to a recent analysis conducted by KPMG on behalf of Brocade, money spent on SANs is money well spent. The mini-study, heralded in a press release over the summer from Brocade, attempts to identify Return on Investment (ROI) and quantifiable benefits yielded from SANs in enterprise-class storage environments.


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You don't have to travel very far to get some of the country's best Buffalo wings.
Three of the top 25 wings are right here in New England, according to The Daily Meal, a national food website.
Gritty McDuff's, with brew pubs in Portland, Freeport and Auburn, Maine, came in at No. 10 on The Daily Meal's "America's 25 Best Buffalo Wings" list. The food website says the wings are available in a handful of sauces and dry rubs "but these guys know that you don't need to rely on crazy sauces to let the wings shine."
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
Delaney's Hole in the Wall in North Conway, New Hampshire, sits at No. 5. The Daily Meal said its wings are "Crispy and tossed in a perfectly balanced sauce," and have consistently been rated among New England's best.
The highest ranked New England location is J. Timothy's Taverne in Plainville, Connecticut, at No. 2. The restaurant serves more than 200 tons of wings per year, and invented the so-called "Dirt Style" wing, where the sauce is added before and after the wings are fried.
Upstate New York's Duff's Famous Wings ranks as the best in the nation. Even former President Barack Obama has paid this eatery a visit.


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Tagged: Cincinnati Reds
8-3-10 PNC Park
There was a threat of rain throughout batting practice today.
In fact, it rained lightly for at least 15 minutes, usually a death sentence for batting practice at PNC Park. The groundscrew was certainly ready to pull the plug.
But we made it through and got a full BP today.
Upon entering, I found ball #1 laying in the front row near the foul pole.
Throughout the rest of the game, I split time between left and right field, but Lastings Milledge was being inconsistent with his mid inning
toss ups. Sometimes he would throw the ball to the crowd, other times he was content to let the bullpen pitcher take it.
I decided to try Tabata one more time in the 8th inning. I took my hat off to alter my appearance, hoping he wouldn't remember me from four innings early.
It worked. Tabata fired another ball right to me for ball #10 in the 8th. Thanks Jose.
The Pirates would go on to win the game as Joel Hanrahan earned his first save as a Pirate.
Here are today's baseballs:
Sweet spots:
Game: 10 balls (5 hit, 4 thrown, 1 found)
Season: 374 balls (192 hit, 84 thrown, 43 device, 46 found)
Games: 57 games
Average: 6.56 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 952 balls
Streak: 153 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 13,623
8-2-10 PNC Park
With chief competitor Nick Pelescak out of action for the next two weeks, and my favorite BP team, the Cincinnati Reds in town, I was hoping I would have a big day.
I would – setting a personal 2010 high for balls snagged.
The day would get off to a great start. When I ran in, I spotted a ball in the front row.
Before I could grab it, Andy LaRoche hit a home run into the front row. I tried to make the basket catch leaning forward over two rows, but just missed it. My glove killed the balls' momentum and I just needed to pick it up in the front row for ball #1. Seconds later, I grabbed that easter egg for ball #2 in this area:
Sweet spots: (1 was given away)
Game: 13 balls (9 hit, 2 thrown, 1 device, 1 found)
Season: 364 balls (187 hit, 80 thrown, 43 device, 45 found)
Games: 56 games
Average: 6.50 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 942 balls
Streak: 152 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 15,172


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Would anyone mind if I changed our email address from "ffcar-running-group" to "blazingsoles". it would mean updating your contact list as the old address would not work anymore. No rush!
An early happy birthday to Kim!
Tomorrow: Rock'n'Roll birthday fiesta run. Details TBA!
Saturday: 8:45 @ Duke Forest, running by 9 (lift from FF for yoda @ 8:45 anyone?) – 7 miles for any blazing roosters, but other distances easily done.
Sign up for the Kidney Kare 5K on 3/17. Register here (https://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1992298&action=ct) and don't forget to select the Blazing Soles team.
HAC is closed through Friday so swimming will be crowded at CC!
Upcoming Runs:
Monday: Soggy Sole Swim @ CC ~ 5 (beware HAC attack)
Tuesday: Rock'n'Roll Run! @?
Wednesday: Soggy Sole Swim @ CC ~ 5
Thursday: Stadium Steps (30 min.) + Hill repeats (30 min.) @ Kenan ~ 6
Friday: Soggy Sole Swim @ CC ~ 5
Saturday: 7 Trail Miles @ Duke Forest Korstian Div on Whitfield ~ 8:45
Sunday: Soggy Sole Swim @ HAC? ~ 5:30
Monday: Soggy Sole Swim @ CC ~ 5
What did I forget?


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The horror, right. I don't track days sober. I have been seeing all over instagram, people holding up signs and celebrating and getting hundreds of likes. I am also in a couple of Facebook Sobriety Groups and a few months ago one woman posted she was celebrating she will have 500 days sober. I thought do I have 500 Days Sober? I don't know. I had made a conscious decision last time I got sober not to track how many days I had sober.
10 Reasons Why I Don't Track How Many Days I Have Sober
- I used to track how many days I had sober, like every minute of it. There are even apps to do so, right down to the seconds you have sober. It would leave me defeated I was always resetting the clock.
- I would yell at the app, are you kidding me it can't be 11, 2 hours, 36 mins and 6 seconds, this fucking this is lying.
- I felt like a failure every time I reset the clock. Not looking at it like it was a life lesson, or what I had learned, or what I needed to look in my life. I would just have self hatred.
- I felt like I was whiteknuckling it. I didn't feel like the numbers were ever big enough, nothing was enough and I had felt like I wasn't enough long enough.
- I didn't count my drinking days.
- I'd heard so many people in AA laugh about how many 24 hour chips they had .
- I don't want to be seen as the person who had 46,000 days without a drink a drug or a cigarette when I die. I want to be remembered for a lot more than that.
- My days were being measured against a liquid instead of quality, productivity, kindness, compassion and what type of person I was. There is no measurement for that it's about being a better person than you were yesterday.
- It felt like sobriety had an end date like "The Whole 21" or the "21 Day Fix "Diets, just like my fitness, my eating healthy, there is not expiration date.
- Sobriety is NOT a competition.
Ok now you know Why I Don't Track How Many Days I Have Sober. My sobriety date is the first Saturday in August of 2017 I do know that much. If you are feeling any of the feelings up top, I'm telling you it's time to start creating a life you love. Here's what I did at first, instead of tracking every single day, hour, minute second. I bought a planner just a cheap weekly one, and I'd write my gratitude in it daily 3 things I was grateful for . Then I would mark off by the week, I started this planner at approximately 4 weeks sober, and I marked it off by the week and at 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks I would reward myself. With experiences, I did a sensory deprivation float, went to baby goat yoga, and booked a yoga retreat. I looked back at my planner and around week 22 I had stopped writing in the weeks, faithfully but not intentionally did I quit writing and I see I wrote week 25, 29 and 30 and that was the end of counting. It just petered out.
Today I count today as sober, I write daily my gratitudes (3 at then end of every day and that includes: grateful I am sober today. We all have just 24 hours including Beyonce, no more no less. So enjoy today with gratitude, be happy to be sober, just for today, and know that life is more than just about being sober, it's about creating a life of happiness, gratitude, goals, family, love, kindness, memories, activities and health and my sobriety roles into all of that. Instead of counting the days behind or counting the hours ahead, try and be present for now.
Have a fit and sober day
xoxox Christina


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S.F. same-sex couple ready to be first again
When same-sex marriages start at 5 p.m. June 16, San Francisco will stage a repeat of the ceremony that started the 2004 Winter of Love, when thousands of gay and lesbian couples married at City Hall.
This time, though, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon's wedding will be legal.
Mayor Gavin Newsom said Monday that the ceremony, which he will officiate, will be the only one held in City Hall that day. Martin and Lyon have been together more than five decades, and they were the first couple to marry four years ago.
Marriages will begin en masse the next morning. So far, 128 same-sex couples have made appointments to obtain marriage license on Tuesday, June 17.
"What we want, the narrative coming out of it, is about them and what they represent - their story, their history. This is really where it all started," Newsom said of the couple.
After the private ceremony, a reception will be held at City Hall for the couple's friends and family, and members of the media.
The couple's first wedding ceremony was very much a below-the-radar affair. City officials rushed to marry them - and eventually, thousands of other same-sex couples - before the courts could order the city to stop.
The photograph of Lyon and Martin's wedding, at which Newsom officiated at City Hall, has been credited by some as being an iconic image that has influenced how people across the country perceive same-sex marriage. The two also were plaintiffs in the recent case in which the state Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal.
Officials have amassed a host of volunteers and city workers from other departments to enable the county clerk to issue 250 licenses per day and conduct up to 500 wedding ceremonies, according to a spokeswoman for the mayor. The office will have expanded hours, opening at 8 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m.
City Hall also will be open for marriages on June 28, the Saturday of the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Parade and Celebration.
Lyon, 83, said it was "heartwarming" that the city wants her and Martin, 87, to be the first couple to marry, but she said they are just a small part of what will happen as same-sex marriage begins in California.
"Hundreds of thousands of couples will be getting married this time, and that's the important thing," Lyon said. "It's something that has been due for a long time, and thank god, it's here."
Lyon and Martin first met in Seattle in 1950 and moved in together in a Castro Street apartment on Valentine's Day 1953. Two years later, Lyon and Martin, and three other lesbian couples founded the Daughters of Bilitis, which historians call the first lesbian organization in the United States. Lyon and Martin have been leaders of the lesbian community ever since.
Their organization's monthly magazine, the Ladder, was an influential publication in the LGBT rights movement and began publication in 1956. Both women were inducted into the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Hall of Fame.
A San Francisco medical organization founded in 1979 as a clinic for lesbians - Lyon Martin Health Services - was named for them.
Lyon said she and Martin "hoped we would see this day" of equal recognition of marriages for same-sex couples.
"It means a great deal that we can get (a license) like anyone else," Lyon said.
Newsom said the couple provided him with much of the inspiration to order the county clerk to issue licenses to same-sex couples in 2004.
"This is why I did it four years ago. It's personal as much as anything else," Newsom said.
After Lyon and Martin were married Feb. 12, 2004, more than 4,000 same-sex couples flocked to San Francisco to marry before a court order ended the ceremonies on March 11, 2004.
Those marriages were subsequently invalidated by the California Supreme Court. City Attorney Dennis Herrera then filed a lawsuit against the state, along with several civil rights organizations, that won marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Kate Kendell, executive director of one of those organizations - the National Center for Lesbian Rights - credited Lyon and Martin's lifetimes of activism with bringing the LGBT rights movement to this point.
"At a time when being openly gay cost you everything you cared about, they were. And they took risks and spoke out from the 1950s on in a way that I certainly do not believe I would have nor would most of us," Kendell said.
She said the couple being the first to marry "is the absolute least we can do to acknowledge how critical their legacy is to the lives of all of us."


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Molina Healthcare Inc.MOH reported fourth-quarter 2017 adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 23 cents. The bottom line, however, declined 46% from the year-ago quarter.
The company's fourth-quarter results include $356 million of impairment loss, restructuring and separation costs plus loss on debt extinguishment. The numbers also comprise $53 million of increased medical care costs for termination of cost sharing reduction subsidy payments (effective October 1, 2017) and other Marketplace reserve adjustments.
Including asset impairment costs and restructuring costs, net loss came in at $4.59 per share in the reported quarter, wider than the net loss of 85 cents incurred in the prior-year quarter.
Despite the loss suffered in the fourth quarter, the company states that the performance of core operations and overall administrative cost efficiency improved in the period, sequentially.
In the quarter under review, total revenues of $4.9 billion rose 9.1% year over year, primarily driven by an increase in premium revenues and investment income. The top line, however, slightly missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.2%.
Full-Year Update
For 2017, the company reported net loss of $9.07 per share, comparing unfavorably with the net income of 92 cents in 2016.
For the full year, total revenues came in at $19.9 billion, up 11.8% year over year on the back of higher premium revenues and investment income.
Quarterly Operational Update
For the fourth quarter, total operating expenses rose about 15% year over year to $5.2 billion. This deterioration was due to higher medical care costs, rise in general and administrative expenses, higher restructuring costs and impairment loss.
For the quarter, medical care cost increased 10.6% year over year to $4.2 billion.
Continuously rising debt burden resulted in Molina Healthcare's interest expenses, surging 32% year over year to $33 million.
Molina Healthcare Inc Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Molina Healthcare Inc Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Molina Healthcare Inc Quote
Financial Update
As of Dec 31, 2017, Molina Healthcare's cash and cash equivalents increased 13% from year-end 2016 to $3.2 billion.
Total assets grew nearly 14% from the end of 2016 to $8.5 billion.
The company's shareholder equity declined 19% from year-end 2016 to $1.3 billion.
Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $804 million for 2017, up 19% from $673 million in 2016.
2018 Preliminary Guidance
Adjusted net income per share is expected within the band of $3.23-$3.73
Molina Healthcare is likely to generate total revenues of $18.8 billion in 2018.
Medical Care Costs of $15.6 billion are projected to be incurred in 2018.
The company estimates to incur General and administrative expenses of $1.4 billion in 2018.
Net income is anticipated to be within $202-$236 million.
The company forecasts EBITDA to range between $632 million and $676 million.
Zacks Rank
Molina Healthcare carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here .
Performance of Other Insurers
Among other medical sector firms having reported fourth-quarter earnings so far, the bottom line of Anthem Inc. ANTM , Aetna Inc. AET and UnitedHealth Group Inc. UNH beat the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate .
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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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...Because I just finished ordering the Lady Grey pattern from Colette Patterns. That's right, peeps, I too, will be (attempting) participating in the Lady Grey sew-along that super cool sewing blogger Gertie is hosting. I'm pretty nervous to say the least. I have a few concerns.
1) I've never payed more than 3.99 for a pattern (Thank you Joann pattern sales), so twenty bucks for a pattern that might be too difficult for me is a little daunting.
2) As my husband lovingly puts it, I'm a "noob" (newbie, you all ya'll non geeky gamers). I have doubts that I can even complete this coat. However, Sarai did an interview with Gertie where she explained that the Advanced label on the pattern refers more to the abundance of pieces and the length of time it takes to sew it all, rather than the difficulty of sewing it. This makes me feel a little better. However, I've never done any tailoring. This makes me more nervous.
3) 5 plus yards of coat appropriate fabric is probably going to be expensive. I like to justify my fabric purchases by saying, "Oh, this is 15 dollars of fabric to make a skirt that would probably cost 90 bucks in the stores. I'm saving money!" I know coats are expensive, but I've never paid more than 70 bucks for one, so the idea of paying about that much for fabric that might not even get turned into a coat...madness! For now, I just won't think about that part. :)
However, I am not a logical creature all of the time, and even with those 3 pretty solid arguments against participating, I am indeed going to try. Madness, I say. 100 plus people are also in this crazy boat with me, so I figure what is the worst that can happen? :)
P.S. Polka Dot skirt of Fantastic-ness is near completion. :) :) :) It is coming together much better than the stupid Leopard Print Skirt of DOOM! Which I still have not completed. We've broken up for now.
ALSO: Joann's has 1.99 McCalls and 3.99 Vogues this Labor Day weekend. Woot!


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Signature for package leads to drug arrest for Groves man
Jan. 10, 2018, the Jefferson County Narcotics Task Force developed information that a package of narcotics was being delivered to 3152 Main, Groves. A search warrant was signed for the package and it was discovered to hold approximately 50 grams of THC base in assorted packages. Some of the packages contained the THC in the form of "Butter" (in white jar), "Shatter" (brown flat substance), Vape sprays and thick liquid in syringes.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., an undercover Deputy posed as a delivery driver and delivered the package. The suspect met the deputy outside and received the package. He was later identified as the resident, 38-year-old Chad Perron of Groves. Perron took the package inside the home.
Deputies then approached the home with a search warrant. Perron looked out the window and saw them approaching. He ran through the house and when deputies entered, they saw him trying to hide the packages that had been inside the original box. He had already opened and consumed approximately 1/2 of one of the syringes.
Perron was arrested and booked into the Jefferson County Jail on the charge of possession of a controlled substance with the bond set at $20,000 bond.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychotropic cannabinoid and is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. THC is an illegal substance in the state of Texas.
— Captain Crystal Holmes, JCSO


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Sometime last year I came across an article aptly titled 'Mind Your own Womb' by Nadirah Angail. In the article Nadirah describes the relationship between society and the woman who is of a child bearing age. She speaks of different scenarios where people make assumptions or ask questions about when a woman will decide to have children or why a woman hasn't had children. She also delves into the criticisms that society bestow upon women who decide to have more than the national average of two children. In both cases Nadirah beautifully describes the feelings of these women, their emotions, their tears and their heartache behind the reasons why they've had children so late or why they've still not been able to biologically birth a child. The article is beautiful and extremely moving.
The article got me thinking alot! It got me thinking about my cultural background and the insensitivity of some African mothers, aunties, grandmothers, sisters, cousins and dare I say it mother-in-laws.
Personally, I didn't leave it long enough to experience such insensitivity and abuse because I became pregnant five months after my husband and I got married. I can actually only remember one time that my mother-in-law mentioned having children (besides the standard grandchildren prayers) she asked me to 'go home and convince my husband'. Ironically I had done my 4th positive pregnancy test that morning so I was 100% up the duff by then. In actual fact our (my husband and I) plan was to wait two years before we had a baby, however Dr. Google convinced me that it'll take six to nine months before the contraceptive I was using at the time left my system. So, not being sure how long and kind of hoping that it'll take a year to conceive, I came off my contraceptive and fast forward exactly a month after my last period two blue lines appeared on that white stick. The tears flowed as I wasn't mentally prepared for a baby. My husband on the hand was ecstatic and excited to become a father. So there I was pregnant with only five months of marriage under my belt! The comments that came after I kind of expected…I mean I surround myself with Africans I didn't expect anything less from them. "Wait you're pregnant? Didn't you just get married yesterday?" No actually we got married five months, ten days and nineteen hours ago but anywhooo (my mental response). "Oh Congratulations, you guys didn't waste anytime boi". Errrrmmmm we're married, married people have sex, it was going to happen eventually….congratulations on its own would have sufficed (I'm screwing my face at this point and rolling my eyes). I soon realised that people always had something to say regardless. Mind Your own Womb or you wife's Womb! Leave mine alone!
I've often heard stories of mother-in-laws or family members who insensitively pressure their daughters/daughter-in-laws to get pregnant immediately after getting married and for some odd reason will place the inability of conception as the woman's fault and not the man's. News Flash!! Men can also have fertility issues!
For the Africans reading this post, we have all seen the Nollywood films where the man and woman have been married for years and yet they have no children. Conception seems to be difficult for them and hence the strain of such pressures can be seen in their marriage. Then along comes mama Ade who makes things worse by abusing her daughter-in-law by professing that she is barren and insists on calling her 'Barren Woman' instead of her first name. Mama Ade doesn't stop there though..she takes it a step further and encourages her son to find another woman and impregnate her, which foolish Ade does. Ade then finds a young little miss and does exactly what his mama advised him to do (at this point I'll like to encourage all single ladies NEVER marry a mummy's boy! You'll thank me later) and Little Miss is pregnant. The day Ade tells his wife about little Miss and her pregnancy…his wife tells him that she too is three months pregnant! Chineke! That's some real life stuffs.
Although I've made light of this issue the truth is many women go through this torrent of abuse daily, monthly, yearly. Their pain is so real, so raw, so deep. The feeling of being made to feel inadequate because of no fault of your own. Being made to feel less of a woman because you may have chosen not to have children. Being made to feel less of a wife because your body cannot physically cope with carrying a child. Even being made to feel like some sort of irresponsible sex addict because you chose to have more than two children. The thing is it's your womb, your business! Not any one else's.
So to finish this post of I'd like to say…
To the women who are waiting to have children…take your time and have children when you're ready. It doesn't make you any less of a woman because you chose to have a child at 38 instead of 28. Remember you're the one that has to do the nightly feeds and the nappy changes….no one else.
To the women who have more than two children..there's a reason why you have the amount of children you do. They all have a purpose in life. Remember that. God will give you the grace and the tools to raise the amount of children he blesses you with.
Finally to the women who are trying for a baby to no avail, or who have been told not to have children due to health issues or even that they can't have children…DON'T LOSE HOPE! A very close friend of mine was told (when she was 15) that she couldn't have any children. Fast forward twelve years later at twenty six years old and two months before her twenty seventh birthday..she defied doctors as she gave birth to her first born…a bouncing baby boy! Then there was another friend who was told that pregnancy would kill her, her local hospital refused to treat her because they had advised her against the pregnancy. Fast forward nine months…then along came that baby boy who doctors thought wouldn't survive, healthy and very much alive! Oh and the mother who doctors thought would die during pregnancy is also very much alive and is probably changing nappies as you read this post. You don't have to believe in God to believe in miracles because miracles really do happen to any one! Keep believing and one day you too will be holding your bouncing baby boy or your graceful gorgeous girl.
I apologise because this may not be your conventional Mother's Day blog post but I thought it was a message that needed to be passed on. Let's be sensitive and loving this Mother's Day because we never know what other women are going through when it comes to their womb.
Happy Mother's day to every single woman out there!
As Always….
Be Happy, Be Bright, Be You


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