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Aquent Sponsors American Marketing Association Webcast on Global Marketing and Brand Management With Author, Consultant Donald A. DePalma
BOSTON, MA (NOVEMBER 13, 2007)—Aquent, the world's largest staffing firm specializing in solutions for creative and marketing organizations, invites marketing leaders, marketing communications professionals, product managers, and their teams to attend "Global vs. Local: Seven Key Insights for Global Marketing and Brand Management," a free webcast featuring business globalizationanalyst and author, Donald A. DePalma.
In this Aquent-Sponsored webcast, Don DePalma, President and Chief Research Officer at Common Sense Advisory and author of "Business Without Borders: A Strategic Guide to Global Marketing" will outline seven key considerations for marketers charged with managing and maintaining their brands across borders. From the best practices to the pitfalls, Don will provide insights on taking a website, sales and marketing promotions, and documentation abroad.
Don is an industry analyst, author, and corporate strategist with expertise in business- and marketing-focused application of technology. He lectures, writes, and is frequently quoted on the topics of online marketing, content management, multicultural marketing, localization, return on investment, and website globalization. His book, "Business Without Borders: A Strategic Guide to Global Marketing," is widely used in universities and in business training courses. Since 2002, he has led Common Sense Advisory's research into the best practices, technology, and professional services that support business globalization.
"Entering and expanding into new global markets and growing your company's reach are daunting tasks," said Nina Eigerman, President of Aquent Consulting. "Not only do marketing departments have more to do locally, but they also have several other countries to market in. In this Aquent/AMA webcast with Don DePalma, attendees will get actionable advice on how to create locally appealing brands, what to do centrally vs. locally, and how to increase productivity, efficiency and reduce spend within their departments."
The free webcast will be broadcast on November 29, 2007, at 1:00 p.m. E.S.T. Details and registration information can be found on the American Marketing Association's website. The presentation will also be archived for future on-demand viewing.
Following DePalma's presentation, Aquent will also be offering free, downloadable podcast interviews on the topic of globalization where interviewees will share their personal perspectives on the subject. More information will be available shortly on Aquent's website.
About Aquent
For over twenty years Aquent has led the way in transforming how companies find and utilize marketing and creative talent to execute their brand strategies. Aquent's pioneering approach to staffing and services has helped thousands of companies - including two-thirds of the Fortune 500 and 90 of the Fortune 100 - build their internal marketing and communications capabilities. Last year we placed over 11,000 Aquent talent at more 3,000 companies. Aquent, online at www.aquent.com, is headquartered in Boston, MA.
About Common Sense Advisory
Common Sense Advisory, Inc. is an independent research and analysis firm specializing in the on- and offline operations driving business globalization, internationalization, translation, and localization . Its research, consulting, and training help organizations improve the quality of global business. For more information about Common Sense Advisory's research, reports, and globalization and localization consulting services visit: http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com


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Maximize Payout on Cityville Concentrated Decoration Strategy
One common strategy in planning Cityville City is to concentrate the decoration radius on one spot. The detail is expained here in this post. Once you have optimized one spot to receive maximum amount of payout, you could use this tip to maximize your investment.
A design weakness exists in Cityville such that you can move the payout collectible buildings. By exploiting this weakness and switch business buildings in and out of the concentrated decoration bonus spot, you can profit from it. This method manually give the maximized bonuses to all of your buildings.
However, it is a time consuming task, yet if you are powerleveling your Cityville character or trying to get as much money as possible within a short amount of time. This is the strategy to go.
If you are not in a hurry, save yourself some time and just use my spreaded decoration Cityville strategy where you let one major decoration boost multiple buildings.
To View More of My Cityville for Facebook guides, Visit:
Cityville Facebook Guide Collection

subset: commoncrawl


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Terrarium TV is a recent app that excels in providing quality prints of movies and TV episodes to watch and download for free. There is no dearth of apps in the market for this purpose, but Terrarium TV excels due to its subtitles in multiple languages, bookmarking and expansive library.
To get Terrarium TV on Android, however, requires a file called Terrarium TV APK. To know more about it, read our page on Terrarium TV APK here.
Terrarium TV For Android: Installation Procedure
Terrarium TV takes zero effort to install. Follow the steps given below to install the app on your Android Smartphone:
- Download Terrarium TV APK online for free
- Go to Settings, Security and then enable Unknown Sources. This will let apk files from outside the Play Store install apps on your device.
- Tap the file to run the APK file you downloaded.
- Go through the permissions required by the app thoroughly.
- If you accept, click "Install". Terrarium TV should be ready on your Android in no time.
How to use Terrarium TV on Android: User Guide
The Terrarium TV app is relatively easy to follow along compared with most other apps of its genre. Still, there might be those who face occasional difficulty figuring out certain parts of the app. So here is a short user guide to accessing the various features of the app.
How to Stream Movies
Streaming movies is fairly simple. Here's how to go about it.
- Launch Terrarium TV app.
- Scroll to find a movie you want to watch. Or Search for one you like through the search bar.
- Tap to open it. Click the Play button on the bottom right.
- Choose a print or resolution from the multiple servers available. Tap it
- Click "Play". You can choose to play without subtitles if text is a bother to you. Have fun
How to download a movie you like
Downloading is an easy task as well. It is quite similar to Streaming movies.
- Find a movie you like on Terrarium and tap to open it.
- Click the Play button at the bottom and let the server links load.
- Choose a print you like. Tap to open the options menu
- Click "Download" and the movie will be queued. You can also download it with subtitles according to your requirements.
Bookmarking and favoriting your movie
Bookmarking is helpful because it helps you find your favorite content later on, if watching or downloading it at the moment is not feasible. Here's how to bookmark content you like.
- Open Terrarium and look for your movie.
- When you find one you like, Tap to open its page.
- There will be a small star outlined at the top right. Tap it to light it up.
This will favorite your movie and it will show up in your "Bookmark" list which you can access through the hamburger menu on the top left of the app's home screen.
Access subtitles on the content
This can be a bit hard to find. Follow these steps.
- Go to the top right of the app's home screen to the menu.
- Enter "Settings".
- Scroll down to "Choose subtitles language(s)".
- You can tap it to select as many languages as you want. Subtitles for whichever language are provided and selected by you will be downloaded when you choose to get subtitles.
- Just below, you can choose your subtitle preferences for services like SubHD, Makedie and Zimuku as well.
You can choose to download or watch your content with or without subtitles, as per your preference each time.
How to chromecast your content to a larger screen
Chromecasting is the latest fad among smartphone users. To cast your content onto a big screen, you need an app like LocalCast or AllCast, and a casting enabled media player like GrowBox along with WiFi connectivity. If your TV is not Chromecast enabled, you can buy a Chromecast device and plug it into your TV's HDMI port. Here's what to do next:
- Open your favorite movie on Terrarium TV.
- Tap to Play, select your preferred resolution and click "Play" or "Play without Subtitles", as per your choice.
- GrowBox should automatically pick up the video link. If not, use the "Open With" option and then choose "GrowBox".
- Go to the three buttons on the top right of Growbox's screen and click "Tools" and then "Cast".
- Use the casting app you have and connect with your TV as you normally do.
Your content should begin playing on your TV normally. You can seek the movie as you would on MX Player and the changes will be replicated on the big screen as well. It's pretty cool!
Hopefully this helps some of you get what you need with Terrarium TV. Write to us if you'd like us to talk about something we missed out here.


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I had left over Focaccia Bread. Cut it diagonally.
Put butter on the side down towards grill.
Layers Turkey, then cheese (used cheddar), with a tomato on top.
Then put Gray Po-pon or however you spell it.
Then butter on the top.
Grilled....in my awesome new panini maker.
WOW - yummy - that mustard gave it the right amount of tang.


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Matt and Angela Noble
Matt became the pastor of TBC in 2006. Matt is married to Angela and they have three children, Ben, Jamie and Hollie. Matt's heart is for the church to increasingly become that which God created it to be, a community of people bound together by Christ, loving one another, and seeking to see lives, communities and nations impacted by the Kingdom of God, and believes everyone has a part to play in that!
Jem Mackay
Assistant Pastor (Youth)
Jem joined the staff in 2014. Jem is married to Anne and they have teenaged children. Jem passionately believes that God is good; and it is with this belief, as Martin Luther King said, that: "we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that one day we will be free." King was specifically talking about racial oppression, but Jem is certain that God will bring about freedom from every form of oppression.
Lynda Sanders
Assistant Pastor (Children)
Lynda has been on the staff of the church since 2013, although prior to that she had been heading up the TBC children's work for the past 5 years in a voluntary capacity. Lynda is married to Tony and they have four children. Lynda's heart is for children and young people to know, experience and be empowered by God in a real and personal way.
Hannah Harris
Church Secretary & Elder
Hannah works part time and has a key role in the management and oversight of the church. She serves on the eldership, leads services and co-ordinates many aspects of church life. Hannah is married to Mark and they have two children; Nathan and Luke. Hannah's heart is for everyone to be equipped to live life fully the way that God made them to live.
Chris Cascarina
Pastoral Assistant
Chris has been helping with the Pastoral Care role since March 2015, and has been a member of staff since June 2016. Chris is married to Suzi, and he has four children; Daniel, Jade, Phoebe and Molly.
Chris believes that at the heart of the Christian message is the belief that people are special, and God puts a seed of greatness in everyone. He passionately believes that God's love comes when we fulfil the needs of others, and speak the truth in love.
CLICK HERE to see Chris's newsletters and more about his pastoral work
If you would like to support Chris financially either regularly or a one-off gift CLICK HERE
Anna Chellamuthu
Pastoral Assistant
Anna works part time and has been serving in a Pastoral Care role at TBC since September 2017. She is married to Chells and they have two children.
Anna's heart is especially to help, encourage and equip those struggling with mental health issues to live and walk in the freedom that has been won for them in Christ
Deacons / Trustees
In addition to the Pastor, Treasurer (Ian Pearce) and elders, the Deacons have the main responsibility for carrying out the duties of the Trustees at TBC. Much of the work of the deacons is carried out behind the scenes but it is underpinned by prayer and always with the vision to release God given potential in mind. At TBC the deacons are responsible for: Financial management and giving; Management & development of buildings; Meeting our legal requirements (e.g. Equality Act, Child protection, Health and Safety); Oversight of the church's activities (linking with the ministry team leaders and eldership); Oversight of administration; Welcome and assimilation of new people to the church; Oversight of fellowship fund; Seek to maintain unity in the Church.
The current deacons are: Rosie Gordon, Helen Lewis, Malcolm Salmon and Sam Cascarina.
The elders together with the Pastor, take the roles of; Establishing and encouraging the implementation of the overall vision for TBC; Spiritual discernment and oversight; Overseeing significant pastoral issues; Supporting the minister in the development and delivery of the preaching programme; Consideration of mission and outreach opportunities; Praying for the church and community; Providing support to the minister.
The current elders are: Barney Trevivian, Hannah Harris and Donna Bryant.
Area Ministry Teams
The aspects of work of the church are divided into six different areas. Each area has a coordinator or coordinators who organise team meetings and act as a link with the wider leadership and church. The six areas are:
- Youth and Children's
- People – Including welcome, small group leaders, mentoring and pastoral care
- Services & Worship – Including all the bands, worship leaders and AV
- Community Transformation – Prayer on the streets, Trelander, Dads and Kids, CAP etc;
- Supporting Missions – both overseas and local
- Prayer – co-ordinating the prayer life of the church.


text: "Roberto C. Sanchez" <email@example.com> writes: >> Also, there's some tools from ltsp-utils that might be good to have in >> but then would be good if you join pkg-ltsp project and coordenate >> with the rest of people what to get in. >> >> See you there ;-) >> > OK. If that is the case, please feel free to take the ltsp-utils > package. I only expressed an interest in it since it was orphaned and I > am using LTSP at my church. I am rather busy with some of the other > packaging efforts I have joined. So please, feel free. If you would > still like my help, I will let you know when I am ready to join in a few > weeks. Of course we're interested in your help. If you have a partial package of it, provide it somewhere so anyone can check it and try to improve it while you're busy. About your church, you should try the new LTSP version NOW ;-) GO! hehe -- O T A V I O S A L V A D O R --------------------------------------------- E-mail: email@example.com UIN: 5906116 GNU/Linux User: 239058 GPG ID: 49A5F855 Home Page: http://www.freedom.ind.br/otavio --------------------------------------------- "Microsoft gives you Windows ... Linux gives you the whole house."


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This article was initially published as a letter to subscribers of The Upshot's newsletter. You can sign up for the email here to get this and all of the best of The Upshot.
Many economists have pointed out that simplicity or little nudges can go a long way in bettering people's lives.
Last week, Susan Dynarski wrote an article endorsing an effort by lawmakers to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the Fafsa, so that more lower-income students could go to college. Then she went one step further. She made the case that we'd be better off on balance without the Fafsa at all.
A large number of readers disagreed strongly. As one reader put it: "Why should we dumb down the first hurdle to make college easier? You don't deserve a high school diploma if you can't fill out the Fafsa."
That led to a discussion that touched on empathy, coddling and fraud.
Rhea Wong, Executive Director, Breakthrough New York (btny.org)
When it comes to narrowing the gap in college attendance between rich and poor students, advocates and policy makers often propose large-scale solutions that never get implemented due to politics, lack of funding, or both. Susan Dynarski's proposal to simplify the financial aid process would be not only quick and painless, but also effective. My organization, Breakthrough New York, successfully shepherds 100 percent of our low-income students to college, but each year we have to devote hours — including an annual daylong workshop — to helping students and parents navigate the Fafsa and other financial aid forms. Unfortunately, most low-income families don't have the benefit of such programs. Any step we can take to eliminate small obstacles that keep our kids from being successful is a step worth taking.
The C.S.S. is the form used by the most competitive colleges for financial aid. And yes, they want to know what brand/model/year car each family member drives and how much they give to their church. Getting rid of Fafsa will do little to help students applying to schools that require C.S.S.
Matthew M, Chicago
As a somewhat recent college graduate, I am pretty familiar with the Fafsa. It's not that complicated. If potential students are unable to complete this basic form, are they really college material? All too often, we hear of the dumbing down of American students, yet we insist on holding their hands as they complete a multipage form.
Blue State
Most of the reasons not to move to a tiny or nonexistent Fafsa involve preventing fraud. Having worked in a state financial aid office, I know the people who tried to make their children emancipated to avoid paying for college, who tried to get state scholarships based on need so that they could buy their kid an SUV for their occasional trip back home instead of paying tuition. If there's free money for poor people, rich people will work the angles. Every rich kid who gets need-based scholarships instead of paying tuition not only steals from taxpayers, but they also encourage tuition inflation as schools chase that scholarship money.
Syoh, Chapel Hill, N.C.
After reading this article, ask yourself this simple question: From whose perspective did you consider the difficultly of completing the Fafsa? In other words, were you thinking from the point of view of someone who regularly files their taxes, owns assets, has a checkings/savings account, and even has a retirement plan? Were you thinking from the point of view of someone who is financially literate? Did you ever consider the families who do not file taxes regularly because of reasons like unemployment or homelessness, or the families who do not have checkings and savings accounts? Before you criticize this article and say, "Well, if you can't fill out the Fafsa, then you shouldn't go to college," ask yourself another question: What kind of student do you think has the right to attend college? A student from a family who knows it all or a student from a family who's trying to figure it out?
Dr. Meh
Fafsa requires students to track down the financial records of their parents. If there is an absentee parent, the student must prove it. If there is an abusive parent or the parents refuse to help pay for college, the student must prove it. Can you imagine that? A hopeful student who is able to flee abusive parents needs to demonstrate that he filed police reports and pursued legal action. That's a tall order for the average adult, yet alone the average 18 year old!
An angry, resentful, mentally ill, abusive, etc. parent can easily derail Fafsa by refusing to provide info, leaving the student to flounder and hope. If lucky, the student will get help from a financial aid officer. More likely, an overwhelmed counseling staff will be unable to spend the required time to help the student. He leaves the college path and wastes talent.
Jim Davis, St. Louis
Thank you for this article. I hate filling out the Fafsa. It's especially irritating if you have more than one student in school. While we're in the cutting mode, why don't we take a look at those bloated administrations at our colleges and universities that are making it necessary to have a Fafsa in the first place? We could kill two birds with one stone!
Concerned, Chatham, N.J.
What about people who do not need to file an income tax form?
Susan Dynarski replied: One option is for the I.R.S. to use nonfilers' W2s to determine eligibility. A second option is to have nonfilers become filers by completing a 1040EZ. Either of these approaches reduces paperwork for these nonfilers, since the 1040EZ has about 35 questions and the FAFSA about 115.


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WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is sending mixed signals about its intentions for space.
President Donald Trump's budget would slash NASA funding dramatically. But last month he revived the long-dormant National Space Council.
Trump wants to cut NASA by $4.5 billion over the next four years, though he continues to claim his presidency "will once again make America first again" in space. Trump's proposed NASA budget for fiscal year 2018, which begins October 1, is $19.1 billion – a 2.9 percent reduction from its present funding. It would force the agency to eliminate its Office of Education.
Given the consistent bipartisan support for NASA, it is likely that the agency will receive closer to its current $19.6 billion from Congress.
John Logsdon, a former NASA Advisory Council member, said in an email that he doesn't think re-vitalizing the (Space) Council "sends a signal about science one way or the other."
His colleague at the Space Policy Institute, Scott Pace, was recently announced as Trump's appointee to head the National Space Council. Logsdon said reviving the council was not "cosmetic," but that "the issue is whether Trump and (Vice President Mike) Pence will/can provide the political support needed." The institute focuses on research and education around domestic and international space policies.
Congress will, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., appropriations committee chairman, explained why.
"I believe we must have an accurate budget to reflect these launch decisions and to meet our nation's exploration goals," Shelby said. "For human exploration, the current administration picks up where the previous administration left off, by projecting a lofty vision for space while providing a budget that keeps that vision from leaving Earth."
While Sandra Magnus, executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said that scientists should take Trump's interest in space as "a good sign," she described herself as "cautiously optimistic" at a recent AIAA forum in Atlanta.
After Trump announced the revival of the National Space Council in late June, NASA's official statement said the council would "ensure that all aspects of the nation's space power — national security, commerce, international relations, exploration, and science, are coordinated and aligned."
Magnus, a former astronaut and mission specialist with over 157 days in space, was blunt in opposing any attempt at combining national security and aerospace science.
"NASA's role is civil and it needs to stay that way," she said.
Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, chairman of the House space subcommittee and representative of the district home to the Johnson Space Center, echoed that position while noting that Congress doesn't quite agree with Trump's budget cuts to American science.
"We should continue to keep our civil and national security space programs separate," Babin said, though he added: "As budgets shrink and costs rise, we should identify opportunities where both sectors have shared goals."
He also said that if elected officials "retreat to an overly conservative posture and shy away from calculated risk we could end up ceding our leadership to those who are willing to be bold."
The Space Council is the centerpiece of Trump's strategy to re-emphasize space. Founded in 1958 during President Dwight Eisenhower's administration, the council began as a group that brought together officials from the executive branch, NASA and outside government.
President John F. Kennedy re-established the group in 1961 but ended the practice of naming private sector appointees. Apart from a brief period under President George H.W. Bush, the council was left vacant in recent years.
According to James A. Vedda, a space policy analyst at the Aerospace Corporation, an independent research and development group, the council "has the potential to make a real difference."
"Some of the toughest issues we're dealing with today have impacts on multiple federal agencies, as well as implications in economics and foreign policy," Vedda said in an email. "These are best addressed by a high-level body."
Logsdon was less certain. In an essay for The Space Review, he said, "a separate White House Space Council has not been successful in demonstrating its superiority as an organizational approach to developing a space strategy or coordinating the space activities of executive agencies."
The National Security Council, Logsdon wrote, had a far better success rate of dealing with "scientific, economic, and national security interests."
Now that the Council has been revived, Logsdon said, it "should not be a board of directors for NASA, but should exert influence over the overall national space effort" and help link NASA's programs to our "broader national interests."


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Seven Keys To Abundance (Money Formula)
1. Appreciate the miracles that are sleeping in the void.
2. Invite allow the unseen abundance into the manifest realm which is seen.
3. When abundance seems small let your gratitude soar maximize the minimum.
4. When you see others prospering jump for joy like it was you, because it is.
5. Measure your worth by virtue of your being, not by your doing, achieving, or creating you are a trillionaire of being.
6. Share your abundance inwardly and outwardly with everyone.
7. Scan the universe and eternity for everywhere and every when that you flourish and own all the abundance that is, was and ever will be.
Money Money Crystallize
Stream right now into my hands
Golden Sun within me rise
Let Abundance take a stand
Let there be the transmutation
Of financial constipation
Great Success now come along
Sing with me Prosperity's Song
Doubt and fear to cancellation
Gold now fills my situation
With my Heart I thank you Lord
All I want I can afford
Let it not only be for me
Let All the World be Rich and Free
Let Love and Peace and Truth Abound
Within my Life, the World around
Within my hands be Ceaseless Action
Bringing Wealth and Satisfaction
With God Vision and reflection
See my Money's Resurrection
No more to be without
No more worry fear or doubt
Gold for me is Everywhere
And with All I ever Share
Let Good Fortune go before Me
Right beside me and behind Me
All with Money now Adore Me
With Gold and Emeralds They Adorn Me
Here's the Vision I now See
My Love has brought Reality
Oh yes it does exist for Me
The Angels have now set Me Free
Copyright 2009 Astarius Miraculii
From the book Miraculii Song of Ascension
Gratitude for all the EYE that seen and hears that listen ONENESS IN ABUNDANCE, Etantric Justize Bisummba
PS: For those whom will be interesting in earn$$$$$ on the internet using simple 3 step formula check it…http://prosperityvideos.net/3daves.php?id=justize


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Little Wood Loaf Pans
I have a little package of these wooden bread loaf pans that you can actually bake in. I bought them at Tortoise a while ago and plan to make a little Nigella's Madeira Cake along with a little bit of jam and give them as gifts.
The same Japanese store also sells these great natural fiber products. Such nice photos!
2 comments:
- Victoria said...
- 12/12/2008
- Geri said...
Love the bread pans. Great gift idea.
- 12/12/2008
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Miami's Best Source for
Concealed Weapons License Training
We focus on teaching
concealed weapons classes in a safe and constructive environment and offer the most comprehensive
and best CCW class in Miami & the South Florida
In light of our complex and changing society, more and more citizens
of Florida feel the need to be able to protect
themselves, their loved ones and their property from the bad guys whose
numbers increase everyday. This law is not about being an expert with a handgun, but understanding how to act
with intelligence and common sense. A Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearms License holder must have a basic
understanding of the Florida Concealed Handgun (Concealed Carry) Law, as well as Chapter 790 of the Florida
Statutes, and for this reason, our class instructors are all highly experienced and certified NRA Law
Enforcement Instructors as well as Class "K" Firearms
Instructors. We know the law and this is what we
We Specialize in New Shooters & Ladies Only
We are not interested in teaching
someone how to "pack" a tactical weapon or how to act as a "SWAT" officer. That is not the intent of this
law. There are too many possible liabilities associated with this law to place your training in the hands of
amateurs instead of professional instructors who share a wealth of experience in the field and deal with
teach these concepts on a daily basis.
- John Doe, US -


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« Is that an elected state judge in your pocket? | Main | Getting to "cross-culture consensus" in international disputes. »
February 24, 2009
If you believe in Ed., maybe he won't die.
See Blawg Review #200, in which Ed. meditates on, well, his demise, and the death of Blawg Review. He and his Sherpas have been the idea, force, class and hard work behind the best trading in the global marketplace of legal ideas that anyone has ever seen. He wouldn't up and die on us, like that wonderful demented old hound dog I once had in Ohio, would he? Ed's human, mainly, and therefore a bit cagey and manipulative, too. But so was that dog. Look, just in case, everyone should close their eyes, and with feeling say together "I believe in Ed." or whatever--and maybe he and it will live on. Okay? Or you can host Blawg Review. Do something. He owes WAC? about $20 USD.
Above: Disney's Tinkerbell, who started out pretend life as J.M. Barrie's fairy in 1904.
Posted by JD Hull at February 24, 2009 06:47 PM
Posted by: raven givens at March 30, 2009 09:02 AM
Thanks for sharing, Rave. Uh, what are you doing later on?
Posted by: Holden Oliver at March 30, 2009 03:48 PM
Post a comment
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Filed under: tests | Tags: cogat test, HISD gifted talented, HISD vanguard program, houston vanguard test, OLSAT test
Well, New York City is not alone when it comes to scoring errors. Thousands of talented tots along with their parents have fallen victim to scoring errors on the gifted and talented test for entry in the Vanguard Program in Houston. HISD reports test errors on the gifted and talented exam were reported by the test publishers of the ITBS test (also known as the Iowa Test) which is quite surprising since this test has been around for decades. Although the ITBS test is only one of several factors for admissions into this competitive program there are other factors that include teacher recommendations, report cards and the CogAT test.
If you happen to live live in a suburb near Houston, there are different tests given throughout the Houston metro area. For example,
- Katy Independent School District uses the Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT test).
- Spring Independent School District uses the Kingore Screener for Grades K – 3 and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT test) for grades 4 – 5.
- Pasadena Independent School district uses multiple measures of qualification during the admissions process including achievement test scores, the CogAT test, Raven's Progressive Matrices and other IQ or ability tests that have been approved by the Gifted and Talented Instructional Specialist
IF you need practice questions for any of the tests mentioned above go to our friends at Testing Mom to start with 100 free questions.
Filed under: tests | Tags: common core test, ela test, new york ela test, new york math test
Well, it's that time of year with the New York ELA test coming up in April! There are many types of questions on the ELA test according to Testing Mom. There is so much controversy surrounding these tests since it's based upon the common core standards that are sweeping across the nation. According to a recent article from NY Mag we're testing children on the wrong things. There's so much information out there about the ELA and math test and much of it is not accurate. Theses tests are given to students in third grade through eighth grade. The twist on these tests compared to previous tests is they include open ended questions instead of multiple choice. In places like New York City, the results of the ELA and math tests in fourth grade impact the middle school admissions even though middle school starts in 6th grade. The overall results from last year's ELA and math tests only 27% of the kids actually passed the test so that means that 63% of the kids aren't even performing at grade level…at least according to these particular tests. There's so much pressure on these kids starting at the age of 9 to perform well on these tests if they expect a chance to get into one of the top middle schools in the city. At this age, the kids can sense the pressure not only from their parents but also from their fellow classmates.
Filed under: tests | Tags: naglieri non-verbal abilities test, nnat test, nnat2 test
So, is the NNAT test going away? Rumors have been flying around all five boroughs asking this question about next year's test for entry into the NYC gifted and talented program. When they introduced the NNAT2 test a few years ago the purpose was to make it harder to prep for the test although it seems that even more kids score in the 99th percentile on the NNAT2 test versus the OLSAT test. Pearson, the publisher of both the OLSAT test and NNAT test, screwed up the scoring a couple of years ago that left parents in a panic when they found out their talented tot didn't make the cut (or so they initially thought). Luckily, thousands of parents were notified after their initial shock that there was a scoring error and their child was at least eligible for a seat into the G&T program. Although, there is no guarantee of getting a seat even with the highest score of the 99th percentile. The dept of ed has continuously tried to make it more difficult for the parent "preppers" but the parents always seem to find a way out how to prepare for these tests. After all, there is so much riding on the results of these tests that any parent with half a brain wouldn't send their kids into these testing situations and leave it all up to chance. I know I wouldn't. How about you?
Want to know the types of questions they ask these kids? Well, you can find out on Testing Mom along with tons of other questions for other tests out there.


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Let's look at roots today. This post is chock full of mathematical symbols, so we've posted this week's installment as a PDF, accessible via the link below. Click on it to read today's post:
We've also posted an excerpt here, in this post. Enjoy!
First of all, understand that roots are a subset of exponents i.e. any number with any root can be converted to an exponent. Every rule of exponent that we have learned until now will then be applicable.
The rules for exponents are the same whether we have an integer as the exponent or a fraction. Therefore, if you think that roots are a nightmare but exponents are fine, just convert the roots to exponents form and the question becomes utterly do-able. But, when you take that route, it takes far too much extra time. So, it makes sense to review the rules of roots (which are very similar to the rules of exponents).
Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep in Detroit, and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog!


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Published by Berkley on August 2nd 2016
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo
Anna Bradley, author of A Wicked Way to Win an Earl, continues her Sutherland Scandals series with a tantalizing new Regency romance filled with opulence, elegance, and forbidden desire... Lily Somerset's plan for the London season is simple: courtship, marriage to a respectable gentleman, then the comfortable existence of a proper Lady. That is, until one tiny misstep leaves Lily on the edge of social ruin, forcing her to depend on a wicked rogue to save her reputation. Robyn Sutherland doesn't save reputations—he sullies them. He'd rather be drawn and quartered than find himself spending the season as Lily's escort. But he has no choice but to stay until her tattered standing is mended. What begins as a ruse to deceive London soon flames into an uncontrollable passion. Robyn calls to the wild spirit that lurks beneath Lily's prim exterior, and Lily awakens the hero's heart within Robyn. But can these unlikely lovers trust themselves enough to let desire overrule reason?
Top Ten Truths and Tweaks in "A Season of Ruin"
One thing I love most about writing Regency romance is digging into different aspects of the era with each new novel I write. Like most historical romance writers, I love the period and do a tremendous amount of research to ensure historical accuracy, but every now and then I will intentionally take a liberty with the time period in order to exaggerate the drama of a scene and create a compelling, romantic story for the reader. Here are few of my favorite truths and tweaks from "A Season of Ruin."
"Charlotte's fingers edged toward the scandal sheet during this exchange and closed on the corner of the paper. She was about to whisk Mrs. Tittleton and her damning account out of Lily's sight when Robyn slammed his hand down on the paper to stop her."
- Truth: The ton (and the middle and working classes) did love their gossip and scandal, and satirical (and often vulgar and salacious!) prints featuring well-known political and aristocratic people were extremely popular at the time, but . . .
- Tweak: The term "scandal sheets" didn't come into common use until after the Regency. Now, that's not to say that one couldn't find shocking tidbits among the many newspapers and magazines printed in England at the time, but alas, Mrs. Tittleton and her scurrilous scandal sheet would likely not have been in common circulation in 1814, the year in which "A Season of Ruin," is set.
"It happened Robyn could get the elusive Almack's voucher with very little inconvenience to himself, as he knew just the scoundrel who could lay his hands on one."
- True: Almack's, "London's great monument to vanity and social ambition," as Robyn calls it, was as exclusive as 19th century rumor implies. The seven patronesses who guarded those hallowed halls were notoriously selective about which members of society would be gifted with admittance. A young lady of spotless character and breeding could obtain a "stranger's ticket," as Lily does, but . . .
- Tweak: As much as I adore the idea that at least one of the seven lady patronesses of Almack's had wicked secrets to hide, the idea that a scoundrel like Robyn's friend Lord Pelkey could extort a voucher is pure (albeit delicious!) speculation.
"Lord Archibald and Lord Pelkey followed on Robyn's heels. Lily was happy to see Archie, but how in the name of heaven had Lord Pelkey managed to cross Almack's sacred threshold without a cravat?"
- Tweak: Under no circumstances would Lord Pelkey have been permitted entrance to Almack's without a cravat. Almack's rules regarding punctuality and dress were sacrosanct. Eleanor's comment that "The Duke of Wellington himself would not be permitted to cross Almack's threshold should he arrive later than 11 p.m." is a reference to Lady Jersey's rumored refusal to admit the Duke to Almack's because he arrived late and was dressed in modern trousers (long pants) rather than the required breeches. If the Duke couldn't gain admittance without the proper dress, it's unlikely a rake like Lord Pelkey could!
"London during the season is a marriage mart, and gentlemen who wish to secure a wife shop for her at Almack's."
- True: Contracting an advantageous match was a serious business during the Regency, and though Robyn takes care to be as impolite as possible, there's more than a grain of truth to his claim (or rather Lord Byron's claim, as he coined the term "marriage mart"). The purpose of the London season was to provide young ladies and gentlemen with an opportunity to make advantageous matches, and since Almack's was closed to all but the most exclusive members of society, eligible gentlemen did search for potential wives among the young ladies there. The ladies did not, however, wear placards listing their flaws and attractions, as Robyn so crassly suggests!
"Lily folded the paper into neat thirds and balanced it carefully on the side of her dressing table. 'Waltzing without express permission from our esteemed hostesses?' Young ladies need permission to waltz at Almack's?"
- True: Young ladies could not waltz at Almack's without the patronesses' permission. Public dances prior to the waltz were conducted in "sets," where a group of dancers promenaded through a series of steps without much sustained physical contact, but the waltz paired a single gentleman with a single lady (scandalous!), and though the gentleman did not in fact wrap his arm around a lady's waist during a Regency-era waltz, the dance was racy enough to require the patronesses' stern attention.
- Tweak: To dance the waltz at Almack's without the hostesses' permission was a grave social offense—so grave even a naïve young lady from the country just arrived in London would likely know of it, or have been informed before she appeared at an assembly. After her gaffe, Lily retains a respectable place in society with the help of the Sutherlands and Lady Anne Chase, but alas, this is the stuff of delightful romance rather than reality. Publicly dancing a waltz under such circumstances would likely have resulted in a permanent stain upon a young lady's reputation, one from which she would not have recovered.
"Atherton's a wreck. I think he's still half-sotted from last night. Stafford wants to step in for him, but Atherton won't have it. Truthfully, Atherton was nearly incoherent, and Robyn didn't care to fire on a man who looked as if he could barely hold a pistol."
- True: Dueling was illegal in England during the Regency, but gentlemen still met in secret in remote locations in London to "gain satisfaction" for an offense to their honor, or the honor of a loved one, so Robyn could indeed have fought a duel over Atherton's ugly slur against Lily's reputation, but . . .
- Tweak: Duels were a matter of a gentleman's honor, and truly an issue of life and death. Robyn, despite his rakish ways, is a man of honor, and as such may have balked at firing upon a gentleman still suffering the effects of too much drink, no matter how richly that gentleman deserved it. It also would have been foolhardy in the extreme for Lord Atherton to appear as a duel half-sotted, unless he fancied the idea of Robyn's bullet between his eyes!
You can follow the Sutherland Scandal series on Goodreads.
Robyn's hands clenched into fists as Atherton's lips met Lily's. It was quick—blessedly so. So quick Robyn couldn't decide whether to be outraged Atherton had kissed her at all, or offended the man had taken such poor advantage of such a promising opportunity.
Men like Atherton were a disgrace to the entire gender.
Alone with Lily, her luscious pink lips at his disposal, and the best Atherton could offer was a stiff little peck on her mouth, leaving all her eager passions untapped to thrash and squirm in that delicious body. That she'd be wasted on a man who couldn't appreciate her sensuality made Robyn want to rip his hair still bloody from the roots.
Atherton didn't deserve her.
Neither do you.
Robyn backed away from the railing and retreated into the darkness of the hallway. No, he didn't deserve her, but then he'd made a life's habit of taking things he didn't deserve, and he didn't intend to change that habit tonight. Not when the woman he didn't deserve had mounted the staircase, was even now only steps from the second-floor landing.
The woman he wanted above all others.
"You call that a kiss?"
"Oh!" Lily whirled around at the sound of his voice. Her hand flew to her chest and patted it as if to calm her heart. "Robyn! What in the world are you doing, skulking back there like some common criminal?"
"You call that a kiss?" Robyn repeated. He leaned one hip against the railing.
This time the question registered. Incredulity slid over Lily's face, then she drew herself up with dignity. "Were you spying on me?"
"Yes." What point was there in denial? Spying would be the least of his sins tonight.
She sputtered for a moment in outrage, but managed to spit out a sentence at last. "Why, how dare you?"
"You didn't answer my question. You call that a kiss?" He narrowed his eyes on her face. "You look just the same as ever. You're not flushed with passion, nor are you panting for breath."
"I—that's nothing to do with you."
Robyn straightened and moved toward her. "Your lips aren't even pink. Not more so than usual, that is."
Something in his expression made her eyes go wide. "Don't come near me."
He ignored her words, cupped her face in one hand, and brushed the tip of his bare thumb softly against her lower lip, as if testing its plumpness. "Not swollen, either. Atherton should be horsewhipped."
"He's—he's a gentleman."
A dark chuckle escaped Robyn's lips. "He's a bloody fool. It's as if he didn't kiss you at all. If I put my mouth on you, you'd damn well know it, and for days afterward. If I had such an opportunity, you'd not walk away from me until my tongue touched every inch of your mouth, inside and out."
Lily's mouth went soft and her lips opened, as if she imagined his tongue against her there.
Robyn suppressed a harsh groan and kept his voice soft and low. "I may not be a gentleman, but I'm no fool, either, to let such a chance escape me."
He stood so close to her, he could see her throat work as she swallowed. "I don't understand you, Robyn. I thought we were friends."
Friends? Did she think to convince him, or herself? Or did she think she could reason him into releasing her? How like Lily not to see they'd gone far, far beyond reason.
His breath stirred the hair at her temple and he felt a shiver pass through her. "Oh, no. I don't kiss my friends, and I'd very much like to kiss you right now."
~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~
A Season of Ruin is the second book in the 'Sutherland Scandals' series by Anna Bradley. I haven't read the first in the series, but it in no way makes this book less enjoyable. As with most series though, I think it's nice to read the previous books if you can because it is always great to catch up on characters you undoubtedly will have loved in those books.
This is the story of Lily Somerset, and Robyn Sutherland. Lily is a woman who although has a passionate nature, will never let it show. Everything must be in order, safe, not even a hair must be out of place, or a ribbon twisted. Robyn on the other hand has never been made to feel that anything he does is good enough, so in the end he stopped trying. Instead he focuses on what scandals he can get into and which woman he will take to his bed next. He has a well earned reputation of a wicked rogue. Definitely not a man Lily could ever have a relationship with. Or is he?
The man she has set her sights on is Lord Atherton, a nice, stable, respectable gentleman who is good looking as well. She hasn't been introduced to him, but hopes to remedy that at one of the balls of the London Season. Before she has a chance at that introduction she ends up in a scandalous situation with none other than Robyn Sutherland. A misunderstanding, and Lily finds herself out of favour with the very people she had hoped to impress.
The family gather around and decide that the only way Lily's reputation can be rescued is for Robyn to escort her to all the routs and balls until Lily is accepted among the ton again. The last thing she wants is Robyn's help, but without it she will never be able to get the introduction she needs to Lord Atherton, and her dreams of a stable marriage will be doomed. The last thing Robyn wants is to help Lily, not only because balls etc aren't his cup of tea, but also because after his scandalous moment with Lily, he can't stand the thought of her with another man, especially boring Atherton. He has to help her though, and so begins their ruse amongst the aristocracy.
Spending time together is bound to affect them both, Lily with unwanted feelings of desire where Robyn is concerned. He makes her feel off balance, but he also makes her question her goal of becoming Atherton's wife. Robyn is used to only caring about himself, but the more time he spends with Lily, the more he begins to realise that although he could happily seduce her into bed, he can't ruin her. For once in his life he is considering somebody else's happiness above his own. What is happening to him? Will Lily realise just what she is going to lose if she does marry Atherton. Is staid, secure and boring a life that she really wants. She is convinced it is, and poor Robyn will just have to stand by and let it happen. Or will he?
What a great story this was. The author really builds up the passion between Lily and Robyn, it's like a dam ready to overflow. Yet all the time Lily is adding sand bags. We want Robyn to break through them, and knowing that Lily is fighting the urge to stop adding those bags just builds the suspense so much that you know if it gets past breaking point there are going to be fireworks. I really loved Lily's character, and the way that the author makes you feel a deep understanding about why she needs such security in her life. There wasn't once where I wanted to shake her and make her see sense about possibly marrying the wrong man for the wrong reasons. Then there is Robyn, watching him learn that perhaps he isn't the waste of space he has always felt he is, is such a wonderful thing. The story is such an emotional one, but filled with passionate, happy moments. It's a book that I can definitely recommend. Now this reviewer has to buy the first book in the series and any future ones too. I am definitely hooked on the Sutherland family.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


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■ Rates
Women's dormitory room: 2800 yen/night
Co-ed dormitory: 2800 yen/night
Private Room: Sakura – 7000 yen/night up to 2 people
Private Room: Fuji – 10000 yen/night up to 3 people
※Discounts for long term guests – from 2nd night to 7th night, 100 yen discount for each night (i.e. 7th night rate is 2200 yen/person).
■ Our Cancellation Policy
Cancellations made the day before are 50% the rate of the room. Same-day cancellations are 100% the rate of the room.
■ Facilities
Air conditioning, refrigerator, shared kitchen, laundry/dryer (400yen/use), shared bath rooms, shared shower with shampoo, conditioner and body soap, hangers/drying pole to hang your clothes, free wifi, free drinks in the fridge (tea, coffee, etc.),
■ Sell or Rent
Sell ・・・・ Face towels with original logo (350 yen), Toothbrushes, Razors, Earplugs (100 yen)
Rent ・・・Bath towels(200 yen)
■ A Few Things For Guests To Know
Miharashi-tei is a registered cultural property. Your cooperation with its preservation and maintenance is much appreciated.
The shikkui-plastered walls are easily damaged. Please avoid leaning against them or striking them.
Many original materials nearly 100 years in age are still in use here. So, please:
" Do not jump or run on the stairs or in the hallways.
" Be gentle with fittings such as shoji sliding doors.
" Please carry bags with wheels with your hands to avoid damaging hallways and tatami mattress.
" The toko-no-ma is a space for appreciating art pieces, not a storage place for your bags/suitcases.
In case of damage, please notify us. Depending on the damage, we may ask you to pay for repairs.
Check in 3PM-10PM, Checkout 10AM
*NO check in after 1oPM as many of our guests are likely to have gone bed by then.
*luggage storage is available but only on the day of check-in and the day after.
・There is no curfew, but please be courteous to other guests and neighbors during late hours.
・We are sorry, but no children under 6 years old are allowed.
・There is a communal shower open 24 hours.
・if you want a long soak in a larger tub, there are a few retro public bathes we recommend in Onomichi. Maps of how to get there are at the guesthouse.


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Ingredients:1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 pound can sweet potatoes
1/4 cup Steen's Pure Cane Syrup
Melt butter in skillet or pot; stir in syrup. Pour the can of potatoes in skillet or pot; turn to coat with syrup mixture. Cook over medium heat until glazed, about 15 minutes, turning and basting occasionally.
YIELD: 3 servings


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Did you know that you can design your own Trunki? I think that's pretty cool, and will certainly prevent any confusions or mix ups at the airport when you next go on holiday.
If you don't know the Trunki, it's a simply awesome bit of luggage for toddlers. It's a suitcase on wheels, that kids can actually use as a ride-on (with caution) - we've had a few accidents racing to the check-in desk, but at least it's not far to fall, so it's never been a problem.
Space wise there's plenty room for everything a child needs on a long-haul flight, (we've done Western Australia twice in two years) and more than enough for a local weekend break, or just a day trip to Nan's.
- To design your own Trunki, click here to go to the website* and select start designing now.
You'll have 10 options for colours to choose from for each part of the Trunki, and can make it as colourful or as simple as you like. Your Trunki will be made specially for you, to the same safety standards and specifications as regular Trunki's and will be sent out in 7 - 10 days.
Designing your own Trunki is £39.99 with free delivery, so the price isn't even that much more than buying a regular Trunki off the shelf.
Have fun getting creative on your personalised Trunki!


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A runaway international bestseller and winner of Spain's top literary prize, Little Indiscretions is part ingeniously entertaining whodunit and part sparkling social satire. Business is slow for Nestor Chaffino, pastry chef to the rich and famous, until he's invited to cater a party in a villa on the Costa del Sol. When Nestor is found frozen to death in a walk-in freezer with a notebook in his hand, the party guests gathered that evening are the natural suspects. But who could have it in for a harmless cook? The answer, it turns out, is just about everyone who happens to be staying in the house. Nestor, while quietly stirring his sauces and whisking his egg whites, had decided to publish a compendium of gastronomic secrets that revealed, along with the culinary tricks of his trade, more than a few damning details of the hosts' and houseguests' private lives. To what lengths would they go to ensure that Nestor maintained a more permanent sense of discretion? Not since Nick and Nora Charles's last cocktail party has such a merry band of mischief makers convened in one place. Little Indiscretions marks the discovery of a phenomenal writer with tremendous flair. It's a gourmet treat readers will pounce on.
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A Message from Miss California Leadership
We are heartbroken to learn of the disparaging comments made by members of the Miss America Organization Board of Directors. The comments were made and the spirit in which they were made do not represent the views of the thousands of Miss California volunteers, contestants, and titleholders. Now that key members of the Miss America Board have resigned, we hope the integrity of the Miss America Organization is restored so that this iconic program can continue its longstanding tradition of empowering and educating women.
As always, the Miss California Organization remains dedicated to maintaining the mission of our state program which is to promote education and achievement opportunities for women in the State of California while fostering participation in community service.
The Miss California Board of Directors


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Season 4
- Ben Stone's departure is one. After a miscalculation on his part has tragic consequences, he resigns. After a few words with Schiff about his immediate plans, he just gives his former boss a warm smile and a friendly pat on the shoulder, then leaves. It's a quiet moment that shows the almost father & son relationship between the characters, one that McCoy and Schiff didn't really have.
Season 5
- In "Privileged", when talking to the girlfriend of a suspect, the woman mentions that she's been "sober 532 days". Lennie, a recovering alcoholic himself, gives her a brief, but sincere, "All right!"
Season 8
- McCoy's relationship with Claire Kincaid was mostly a source of humor or of angst for her. But after her death, it was serious business for Jack. Only lightly hinted at by Jamie Ross, but one time he very nearly went over the Moral Event Horizon to convict a man of murder when the law said he deserved a much lighter sentence for driving drunk... Claire was killed by a drunk driver. The moment when the man begs for mercy, saying, "Please, I'm not a monster." and Jack responds by presenting the evidence proving he's not... The entire episode is proof that Jack didn't take his affair lightly, and that moment proves that Jack, too, is not a monster.
Season 11
- "Phobia" — A gay man is beaten to death and his adopted son is kidnapped. His grieving partner can do nothing but wait as the detectives frantically search for the missing baby. When they finally find him and hand him over to his father, the man quietly tells them, "Thank you for my son". The detectives smile and walk away, clearly happy to have gotten at least one win in the midst of all the chaos.
Season 14
- Lennie Briscoe was, after fourteen seasons, the first person on Law & Order to retire. One cop got shot, another was benched with minor paralysis. One ADA died in a car crash, one returned to private practice, the original made a move to private practice, one moved on to grander federal work. Lenny realized he was getting old and decided to hang up the badge. As he packs up his desk, all the actors get double points because Jerry Orbach was, at the time, the series Long Runner. He was moving to a part time gig at Law & Order: Trial by Jury, but...Briscoe: Well, it's nice to go out on a win.Van Buren: This place just won't be the same without you, Lennie.Green: Hey, man, that DA thing works out, good luck. They gettin' the best in the city.Briscoe: No, I'm lookin' at them.
Season 15
- "Fixed", from Season 15, is a sequel to Season 1's "Indifference", which was easily one of the series' most disturbing episode. While "Fixed" isn't exactly a barrel of laughs either, it's nice to see that Carla Lowenstein - who, in "Indifference", was a victim of abuse who herself became an abusive, coke-addled lunatic - has recovered and found sanity and peace since her husband's imprisonment, and that their surviving son is a well-adjusted teenager who was adopted by a loving, healthy family.
Season 17
- 17x19, "Fallout" deals with a Russian KGB agent who comes to the US to track down the men who kidnapped, trafficked, and murdered his daughter. Turns out they'd kidnapped both of his daughters and offered him a Sadistic Choice: which one would he like back? He confesses to this in a Tear Jerker scene that pushes Jack to his limit: Man 1, 10 years. Connie wonders how the daughter couldn't understand her father's choice. Jack replies that some daughters aren't that forgiving. The episode ends with Jack at a restaurant when a young woman walks up.Jack: I wasn't sure you were going to come.Woman: How you doin', dad?Jack: [grins like an idiot]
Season 18
- Submission (Season 18, Episode 12): The murder case of the week starts when a dog fighting ring is exposed and the finger of a dead woman is found in a deceased dog. Lupo was interested in getting a dog and wanted to adopt one of the dogs rescued from the club, but everybody kept telling him the dogs were too dangerous to reintroduce to society and would be put down. At the end of the episode, we see Lupo taking one of the dogs for a walk in the park, petting him and the dog showing great enthusiasm for his new master. (Truth in Television: The episode was based on the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation, which sent NFL star Michael Vick and others to federal prison. There was discussion during the case about whether or not the dogs would be safe for adoption. By the time Sports Illustrated released a follow-up on the Bad Newz Kennels dogs six months after the episode aired, almost all of the dogs were successfully rehabilitated and adopted.).
Season 19
- "Challenged" (Season 19, Episode 2): Detectives Lupo and Bernard are interviewing some developmentally disabled men who live in a group home about something they may have seen on a visit to a nearby park. The men are excited to talk to real live police officers. One of them is especially fixated on coffee at the stationhouse: "Do they have coffee at the police station? Can you drink as much coffee as you want?" When Lupo and Bernard return to the home for follow-up questions, they bring some police insignia patches... and a Thermos of police station coffee.
Season 20
- Boy Gone Astray (Season 20, Episode 7): Lieutenant Van Buren is receiving chemotherapy and is feeling ill because of it. Her son provides her with marijuana. Someone at the precinct notices the smell. Cue arrival of head of the precinct. Instead of reading the riot act, he proceeds to tell Van Buren how to 1) get it with a medical licence and 2) how to hide the fact that she's been smoking weed. Grateful for his advice, but confused as to why he's doing it, he replies he knows what she's going through because he is also a cancer survivor.
- Equally heartwarming is that he instantly knew just why she was smoking marijuana and never once suspected that she'd turned into a junkie.
- "Innocence" (Season 20, Episode 16): Cutter is about to make a plea with a homophobe convicted with a hate crime, so to not risk the man getting retried and released because of the issue with Cutter's law degree. But then, the man in a bigoted fashion said that the crime wasn't a hate crime, trying to reason that it wasn't a black guy or a Hispanic. In context, he referred to the latter as a derogatory slur while looking straight at Connie, who is Hispanic. And in Tranquil Fury fashion, Cutter increases the man's jailtime and promises that even if he gets disbarred he'll be a witness against the client for the hate rhetoric he just said.
- "Four Cops Shot" (Season 20, Episode 17): The police lieutenant of the four cops shot is relentless in getting the suspect who did the deed but needlessly derides Van Buren for her caution by contributing it to her cancer. He later goes into her office and apologizes for his earlier statement.
- "Rubber Room," the series finale. Lupo and Bernard's party/fundraiser for Van Buren is heartwarming on its own, but what's especially so is the chief of police showing up to donate an envelope with several checks in it, including one from the mayor of New York. "You've made a lot of friends in this city."


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From medical textbooks to Paul Epworth's recording studio, Rebekah Rennick chats to Dave Bayley of Glass Animals about their Oxford musical upbringing and eating Annie Clark's dinner
Glass Animals fall into the mystical category of musicians that appear to have materialised overnight. This Oxford quartet have quickly evolved from the condensed, trembling cauldron that is their bubbling debut, and as the telephone clicks to connect with lead vocalist Dave Bayley it's clear that they certainly have, and continue to connect with us from an elusive place; somewhere on the cusp of the Canadian border to be precise. "It's quite beautiful except the fact I'm standing in a Walmart parking lot!"
While it appears that these four childhood chums have descended upon the musical hemisphere in one massive gloop of whimsical indie-rock, Bayley didn't fine-tune his musical inclinations in the classical sense at university. He, instead, spent many sleepless nights during his medical degree bringing alive the melodies that were circling around his head "It was kind of impossible for me to avoid it. Once I started making music and thinking about music I found myself having ideas. The ideas wouldn't really stop, I couldn't get a break from the them" he explains.
Bayley's husky vocals give Glass Animals' tracks the grainy texture that rustles and whispers in your ear, while his lyricism slithers and oozes, dripping with obscurity at the best of time. Otwo wondered did his medicinal background seep into his lyrical structuring in any way? "Making music is such a different process. I kind of feel music is about breaking every single rule and doing Medicine is about following every single rule that you've learnt. The lyrics, yeah it definitely played a part in those." He contemplates "I was really interested in psychiatry and how the brain works so I spent a lot of time speaking to patients who had quite severe mental disorders and they always had acute perspectives on the world. I was always trying to get into their heads to see how they viewed the world. I guess those stories definite play a part."
Growing up within the cultural and influential hub of Oxford instinctively played an important role in shaping the band's early ideas of music "I think the music scene in Oxford is kind of dwindling a bit now. There was a great club called 'The Zodiac' that was owned in part by Radiohead & Supergrass. They'd put on some local band almost every single night. I don't really know how they made money because sometimes there used to be just four people in the crowd. We'd go there every night no matter who was on and that's how we came to love live music and that a live show could be something really different" he muses.
One particular performance sticks out, not just for the electricity that projected from this now reputable quintet but the impression it left upon their minds "I remember the first time that we saw Foals and there pretty much was only twelve people in the room; like Foals, us and some drunk guy. They still had all of this energy and doing these extended groove tracks and it taught us a lot about live music and that particular scene."
Since then, Glass Animals have continuously returned to music throughout their the years; "We always kept calling each other about new music and we'd always go visit each other. I remember going to visit Joe in Brighton a lot; there's a really great music scene down there, and he'd come up to London quite a lot and we'd go clubbing and see dance music. We never played until we got a bit bored at university"
And following an unexpected appearance by renowned producer Paul Epworth at one of their London shows whereby Bayley made a lasting impression; "I walked on stage, tripped on a cable and smashed my face on the ground. I had already broken the ice by making a fool out of myself." these group of friends suddenly found themselves no longer rehearsing in a shed in Oxford, but exploring the musical playground that is Epworth's recording studio in London. "I think I was a bit nervous for about the first two minutes, and then I got really excited by all of the new toys" says Bayley.
What has surfaced from that experience and Epworth's mentoring is a swelling eleven-track hazy cocktail of prickling guitar and black treacle-like groove that will have you melting into your seat before you hit the half-way point. ZABA is a polished piece of work that swells and gushes like a beating heart.
Since the release of their debut, Glass Animals have been on a steady trajectory of success, not to mention touring with the queen guitar shredder that is Annie Clarke of St. Vincent. However, their journey thus far hasn't been without a few hiccoughs. During the tour with Clarke not only was their equipment stolen, but Bayley made the cardinal sin of munching on someone else's dinner "I made a big mistake and ate some of Annie's dinner. I found the plate of food. I was really hungry and I asked our tour manager if it was going and I ate it. I don't think she was really happy, her tour manager came in like 'Where's the food?' and I was just putting the last bit into my mouth and he just went white." He laughs "I didn't think it was that bad, but I got her some champagne and we're friends now, it's cool."
Undoubtedly it'll be interesting to see where upon their debut takes Glass Animals, and so long as they stay away from the prepared meals of acclaimed musicians, Otwo anticipates that it's going to be quite far.
Glass Animals play The Academy on March 15th


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You might have noticed that The View From Here has had a bit of a refit recently.
Improved graphics & navigation and a larger layout give a sheen to two major changes at the heart of the site.
The first DNA change is that the "blog" is officially now what it was moving towards anyway and is branded as a literary on-line magazine. So you'll notice there is now a news section in the tabs at the top - do check it out!
Note the address is now : viewfromheremagazine.com although all mike-french.blogspot.com addresses will redirect to the new address.
The second DNA change, and the one I'm most excited about, is The View From Here is now officially affiliated with UK based, Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. Run by Helen Corner, who was interviewed last year on The View From Here, Cornerstones are a prestige consultancy and are highly respected in the publishing industry.
Recent success for Cornerstones has been Sarwat Chadda, who has just landed a major six figure deal in the US/UK for his debut novel, The Devil's Kiss.
So this will mean that the site will, in addition to its regular features, be bringing you CORNERSTONE NEWS. You'll notice Cornerstones in the banner above for The View From Here and a link to them at the top of the side-bar on the right. Do check them out!
I finalised the agreement over a cappuccino with Helen and Managing Editor, Kathryn Robinson, in London yesterday and I'm confident that this will take The View From Here to a wider audience and enable it to enter its second year ( the site will be a year old next month!) with a new sense of excitement as it finds its niche in the writing world.
So happy days! Enjoy the new look - good things ahead!


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'Telangana will help improve our lives'
India's ruling Congress party has announced its support for the formation of the new state of Telangana, to be carved out of the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Local residents give their reaction to Gayathri Sreedharan.
Lakshmi Devi, 35, shopkeeper
I can't say I understand everything about this matter. But even so, why is there a need to break up Andhra Pradesh?
People from Telangana and the rest of the state have been living happily together. I wouldn't be happy at all if they broke the state up.
I and my husband moved here 15 years ago from Guntur [in Andhra Pradesh].
Earlier my husband worked with a local company, but now we run a shop. We've never felt scared or unhappy here.
I have two children, who are currently in a primary school nearby. If they don't get admission in local schools and companies in the coming years, we'll have to move back to Guntur or Vijaywada areas [which fall in Andhra Pradesh].
It's not going to be difficult, we have family there - we'll cross that bridge when it comes. I just don't understand why any of this is necessary.
Surabh Pandey, 31, infotech consultant
I moved to Hyderabad three years ago, from the western Indian city of Nagpur.
I have invested in some property here, which is relatively cheap here. I think when the bifurcation of the state happens, property prices are going to rise.
There may be new demands for affirmative action in favour of residents of Telengana in public and private sector companies.
The formation of a new state may also prompt some local companies to move to other parts of Andhra Pradesh.
[What is significant is] that the people who actually invested in and built Hyderabad - and the real battle is for the city, not Telangana state - are all from outside.
Satheesh Reddy, 29, banker
I'm from Telangana region. I was born and brought up in Hyderabad.
My family's been here for 30-odd years. Naturally, the Telangana issue matters to me and my family.
For us, it's a fight for self-rule, for self-respect, and most importantly, a fight against the exploitation of resources which belong to us.
Today, if you have an HR manager in a company which is from Andhra, he will definitely not hire a candidate from Telangana.
Besides which, there are differences in our [Telengana and Andhra Pradesh] cultures, dialect and festivals.
Some people of Andhra Pradesh ridicule our culture and our accent. Even in the Telugu film industry, the dialect preferred is the Andhra one.
Irshad Nawaz, 50, businessman
I am from the Telangana region. But it's impossible to tell who will really benefit from this proposed bifurcation.
Of course some bureaucrats might - a Telangana bureaucrat posted in Andhra will return to his 'state', possibly with a promotion. An Andhra candidate may be sent to other parts.
But it's foolhardy to think that the people of Telangana at large will benefit from the division of the state.
It was money from Andhra Pradesh that was invested in building up the Telangana region.
Left alone, Telangana doesn't have enough resources to sustain itself. Look at its geography. It's too rocky, doesn't have enough flat, fertile soil. There is no benefit.
Our nation is a roof, under which different communities co-exist. If the roof is breaking it is our responsibility to fix it, not further chip away at it.
Venkateshwaramma, 30, tea seller
I am from Mehboobnagar in Telangana, and I feel the creation of a new state is extremely important.
I moved to Hyderabad in search of work, with my husband, 12 years ago.
We have three children and they all go to school, and they all face problems. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have to be separated, for our children's sake.
If Telangana is created, more jobs will be available to us.
More water will be available too. In my village near Mehboobnagar you don't get enough drinking water. It is so close to Hyderabad, and yet, we have to create our own bore-wells to draw water. All the drinking water goes to Andhra people who are living here.
The current administration doesn't do anything for us.
Jamila Nishat, 57, poet and activist
I am originally from Telangana. I think the new state will help improve our lives.
There will be more resources - water, land - more jobs and more opportunities, especially for our children. Perhaps there won't be marginalisation of local dialects either.
I don't find it strange that most of the political leaders fighting for Telangana are from Andhra.
They have their own interests at heart. This movement is not like the movement for Telangana when it first gained momentum in 1960s and 1970s.
Every young boy and girl was involved in the movement back then. It was a collective effort, an agitation for all backward and struggling communities.
Neither was there any religious polarisation in the movement. Back then a lot of members of the Muslim community were involved actively. Now most of them - the cream of Muslim society in Hyderabad - choose to stay away.
Of course Telangana's people will benefit, but nobody will demand that those Andhra people who settled here should move.
They will continue to work and live here, there should be no conflict.


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Bulb Letters
Exposed bulb letters have seen a resurgence in popularity over recent years as they give an instant 'time-capsule' feeling to simpler times, Vaudeville, the swinging 30s, theatre-land or late Victorian fayres. These lend themselves to themed locations, particularly with regard to restaurants and hotels in well-known entertainment areas or for establishments that wish to convey a more historic or nostalgia based feel to their premises.
Another type is often associated with circus acts, so the ability to weave these into 'fun themes' is another option for some retailers, being the ideal eye-catching display option for vibrant window displays, impressing passers-by during the long dark nights of winter.
More modern twists on the theme can also give a very futuristic appearance, especially when combined with striking modern lighting effects such as Neon or LED.
Placing the bulbs inside deep returned formed letters gives an entirely new effect and the team at Technical Signs has been able to achieve some remarkable displays that gain attention by making a bold statement.
As well as lettering, we have constructed a range of wall displays that offer an unusual wall covering to highlight or brighten the darkest of corners.
We have a range of samples available that we will gladly showcase for you and we can always customise to your exact needs. Stainless steel, highly polished options give a multitude of reflected light patterns, while the more subdued painted or powder-coated options can be made to match your brand style or decor.
A free initial consultation with the team at Technical Signs will reveal a company that is not only at the forefront of technical ability and craftsmanship, but when combined with our commitment to customer support, offers possibly the best service available in the industry today.


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Christian Charvet was born in Paris in 1940. The artist's work has evolved through three periods: 1) the "Blue Period" (1970's), which was characterized by monochrome coloration; 2) the "Blue Period Continuation" (1980's), in which social groups appear, represented within a carnival theme, but still monochrome and cold looking; and 3) the "Red Period" (1990's), in which color tones change and he introduces a series of studies on painters and poets. Most notable is his study of the poet Arthur Rimbaud. Charvet's work was recently honored by the French Postal Service, which issued a stamp with Rimbaud's image.
"French Poet I"
"French Poet II"
"French Girl"


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Read the book and list the animals in our mini book on a chart.
Students brainstorm adjectives to describe each animal.
We have included two copies of this mini book. One has the nouns and adjectives to go along with each picture already printed on each page in a dotted font.
|Over 18
pages in this
The other mini book has a blank space on each page where the adjective goes. You can encourage higher level thinking skills by using the adjectives you brainstormed for each animal and have students pick the adjective they want to write on each page.
This is also great to use with older students who can come up with their own adjectives. When older students finish their mini books, they may share them with the kindergarten students at your school! :)
This mini book would be great to read with our CRICKET PUPPET.


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Expectations of a further cut in U.S. interest rates buoyed most Asian stocks Tuesday. Japan finished nearly up 3 percent, but the Australian market bucked the positive trend to close almost 2.5 percent lower.
Gold hit a record high just short of $930 an ounce. Platinum also hit an all-time high, of $1,735 an ounce while silver commanded prices not seen for 27 years as expectations of a weaker dollar added to supply pressure from disrupted output in South Africa.
All three major U.S. stock indexes gained more than 1 percent on Monday as investors snapped up shares of manufacturers and downtrodden banks after more weak housing data bolstered expectations of a follow up to last week's emergency rate cut. The Federal Reserve holds its latest policy meeting on Wednesday, with markets expecting a further 50 basis point rate cut.


text: The European Museum of Modern Art, also known as Museu Europeu d'Art Modern (MEAM), opened in 2011 inside the old Gomis Palace in Barcelona, Spain. Rebuilt in 1792, Gomis Palace was used by French commander Marshal Lecchi during the Napoleonic invasion. Today, it is home to many art exhibits such as this one featuring sculptor Grzegorz Gwiazda.


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TIGERVILLE, S.C. --- Hang Lak Choi (Newton, N.C.) and Taduez Poplawski (Asheville, N.C.) posted a hard-fought 9-7 victory in the second doubles flight on Wednesday afternoon, giving the Lees-McRae College men's tennis team an early 2-0 lead, as North Greenville University rallied from a 4-1 deficit to earn a 5-4 victory in Conference Carolinas play.
Lees-McRae's (0-12, 0-8 CC) duo of Joao Araujo (Curitiba, Puerto Rico) and Carlos Pinel (Vitoria, Espírito Santo, Brazil) kicked off the day with an 8-4 victory over North Greenville's (2-11, 1-7 CC) tandem of Hugo Ciarrocchi and Juan Vargas, before Poplawski and Choi doubled the advantage to 2-0 with a 9-7 win in the second flight against Guilherme Ferreira and Sergio Araujo.
James Klempin and John Melson countered for the Crusaders in the third flight, edging Jesse Artrip (Cleveland, Va.) and Adam Chivers (Wilbraham, Mass.), 9-8 (3-0) in a tiebreak. Joao Araujo answered in the top singles matchup, giving the Bobcats a 3-1 advantage with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Ciarrocchi before Poplawski pushed the lead to 4-1 with a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Ferreira in the second flight.
Klempin cut the margin to 4-2 with a 6-0, 6-2 win against Artrip in the fifth flight, as Melson defeated Chivers, 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6 singles. After Sergio Araujo evened the tally at 4-4 with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 victory over Pinel in the third flight, Vargas rallied from one set down to defeat Choi, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to claim the team win for the Crusaders.
Lees-McRae returns to the courts on Saturday when the Bobcats host Queens University of Charlotte in league play at Avery County High School.


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The roof is one of the primary elements of a building. It protects our belongings and us. It protects us from extreme weather conditions offering peaceful and comfortable living. If you can afford to spend thousands of dollars on decorating the interiors of your house, furnishing it with the latest furniture and spending a few hundred dollars on maintaining it, then you should not wait for the roof to become so badly damaged that it has a bad leak. It is always a wise decision to have your roof repaired at the first sign of trouble or even better to have it checked occasionally by a roofing company such as Enslow Roofing to prevent damage all together.
Irrespective of the weather conditions and the location, the roofs of the buildings you live in must be sturdy and well maintained. Though you feel a couple of minor damages can be overlooked, they will exhibit their reality at the time of heavy winters, rains and rough weather and you will have to shell out a huge sum from your budget to get it repaired and restored. For roof installations and repairs, one must find the right contractor. Many roofing companies offer various services related to roofing and repairs.
Choosing the Right Roofing Company
There are General Contractors and there are Roofing Contractors. Roofing contractors specialize in just roofing and other related roofing needs. General contractors will usually sub out their work to a roofing contractor and then will add there fees on top of a roofing contractor so generally the work will be more expensive for the homeowner. Roofing contractors do all there own work and will cover all your roofing needs from leak repairs, new roofs, re-roofs, and ect.
Also a general contractor probably isn't certified in the product by the manufacturer, but a roofing contractor might be.
If your roof is in need of repairs or replacement, a roofing professional and roofing contractor will analyze your project and provide you with a detailed specification and completion cost. Let us help you with your roofing needs. You will not find a better roofing contractor than Connelly Roofing.


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Middlesbrough 1 Everton 1
He's back then. Juninho returned to his Teesside fold for the third time yesterday and took no time in stealing the show.
As if enlivening an otherwise insipid Middlesbrough display was not enough, the Brazilian's half-time introduction raised expectation among the 32,473-strong crowd . . .
And delivered on that potential with a goal, the simplest of tap-ins, half an hour after joining the fray.
It did not bring the win he would have dreamed of on resuming his Boro career seven months since a knee ligament injury delayed his third coming.
Everton saw to that with a stifling, time-wasting performance that forced Boro to come from behind after trailing to Steve Watson's opener.
But you still couldn't make it up.
The Teessiders now seem to have turned the corner on a dismal winter spell but still had some making up to do with the Riverside crowd, whose last glimpse of first-team football saw their side's unbeaten home record destroyed in crushing fashion by Aston Villa.
Their last glimpse of any football on home ground was last week's 9-0 reserve thrashing of Bradford's second string, something of a dress rehearsal for Juninho who took his full-team bow without fluffing a line.
There were also, in this 100th league meeting between the two sides, notable appearances for Malcolm Christie, Michael Ricketts and Chris Riggott, making their home debuts, and all three were quickly involved.
After three minutes Thomas Gravesen's slide-rule pass caught Riggott napping and rolled into the path of Kevin Campbell, only for Mark Schwarzer to race out and claim possession.
And seconds later the Aussie's opposite number Richard Wright did likewise to prevent Ricketts latching onto a similar throughball from Christie.
What Campell and Ricketts would have given for the pace of Tomasz Radzinski on those occasions, the Canadian darting into the area inside 10 minutes to tee-up Gravesen.
His shot, from the right of the box, flashed across the face of goal, but it was not long before Radzinski's running paid dividends.
The striker served notice of the threat to come with a blistering dash down the left on 19 minutes, but when his cross arrived in the box his team-mates were still struggling to catch up.
They would not make the same mistake again.
On 23 minutes Radzinski chased a hopeful punt into the left-hand corner by David Unsworth.
Stuart Parnaby betrayed his inexperience by going to ground, Radzinski skipped away effortlessly, cut inside and crossed low to the far post.
There, Campbell took control and redirected the ball to the edge of the six-yard box and Watson slid in to squirm his effort over Schwarzer's despairing reach.
By the half-hour mark Radzinski might have doubled the lead himself but for the intervention of Colin Cooper, throwing his frame in the way of the Everton man's 20-yard drive.
But by then Boro had mounted something of a fightback, even if possession was not bolstered by invention.
Jonathan Greening saw successive shots blocked by Scot Gemmill then Gary Naysmith and Geremi struck the side-netting after a marauding run and crossfield pass from Franck Queudrue.
On 37 minutes Cooper moved upfield and hammered a 22-yard, right-footed strike which bounced up off Wright's chest and out for a corner.
It came to nothing, and Boro closed the half still wanting for a cutting edge, still waiting for the man to provide it.
By the restart, they had what they came for. A truer representation of McClaren's Boro was unveiled as Ugo Ehiogu, back after breaking ribs and puncturing a lung at Blackburn on New Year's Day, replaced Riggott.
Boro reverted to 4-3-1-2 and Christie gave way to Maccarone as well, but all that was incidental as the Riverside erupted to the introduction of Juninho.
Out of their seats, they greeted his first touch just as noisily.
A run down the right on the break yielded nothing, but the expectation level had upped a notch and, after Campbell stabbed wide from a Watson pullback, Boro began to take control.
Having done little thus far to dissuade one wag from the suggestion that he is Hamilton Ricard in disguise - and not a very good disguise at that - Ricketts fizzed a low cross-shot at Wright.
Linking up with George Boateng and Maccarone, Juninho burst into the area in pursuit of the Italian's smart reverse pass but couldn't find the necessary acceleration to take advantage.
And Geremi, lifted perhaps by the prospect of losing the crowd-pleaser's crown to the Brazilian, found his second wind but was denied a penalty when muscled out of possession by Unsworth.
As physical as the challenge was it was also fair but Everton still had the look of a side suddenly determined to make the most of getting out of jail.
Watson spun free of Parnaby on the left, crossed deep to the back post where David Weir headed wide and Naysmith's cutback from the byline only escaped Radzinski due to Southgate's outstretched toe.
It was Boro's turn to wriggle of the hook and, unlike Everton, they prospered from the let-off.
On 74 minutes Boateng dismantled an Everton move and, with Juninho covering 50 yards at his shoulder to keep up, broke to the edge of the visitors' box before laying off to Ricketts.
He slipped the ball wide of Everton's fast-retreating backline and Maccarone, evading a half-hearted and poorly-executed offside trap, slid a low cross towards the back post.
He won't have had an easier finish in his career, but the point is Juninho was there, unmarked, to tap in.
How many times has that, a Boro midfielder breaking beyond his strikers, been the case in recent times?
Ricketts might then have done better than head Greening's left-wing cross over, and Wayne Rooney, a late substitute, almost spoiled the Brazilian's day at the very death, delaying his shot and allowing Southgate to intervene.
Yesterday though, no one was raining on Juninho's parade.
HIS half-time introduction raised the sense of anticipation among the crowd but it was Juninho's 74th-minute goal that truly announced his return.
MACCARONE deserves praise for his hand in the goal, and Juninho was quick to acknowledge as much, but there was no doubt this was the Brazilian's day. EX-NEWCASTLE star and former transfer target Watson scored FOR Boro on a previous visit, but reverted to type with Everton's opener.
POSSESSING plenty of gumption but little guile Boro were bereft of inspiration until Juninho's arrival, but were worthy of a point as Everton's early dominance tailed off.


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Client Stories
Music Service
Technics TRACKS is the leading high resolution audio download store from Panasonic's premium hi-fi subsidiary, available to consumers in the UK, Germany and Canada.
Let's Talk
Built in partnership with 7digital, the store was created to complement the launch of Technics' hi-fi audio equipment and carries music from the world's largest and most important record companies.
Users can search and purchase from a comprehensive catalogue of FLAC HD 24-bit/ 192 kHz music and millions of CD-quality 16-bit downloads. Technics TRACKS is also a rich source of editorial and exclusive video content devised by 7digital Creative, the company's in-house production team.


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Friday, May 13, 2016
Mini Raspberry Muffins for my Toddler
My toddler - he has a thing for fresh fruit. Mangoes, oranges, and bananas are some his favorite but, because we live in Minnesota, fresh, tropical fruit are not always easy to come by. Luckily, he also can't get enough of raspberries. I can get him to eat almost anything if I put chucks of fresh raspberries on it. As you can imagine, meal times often include very adventurous (for a toddler at least) food combinations. Scrambled eggs with raspberries. Chicken with raspberries. Avocado, sausage and raspberries - we've done that too.
While on the less adventurous side, mini muffins are a go-to for breakfast around here. I make a different batch every two weeks and pop a few in the freezer. It about 10 seconds to warm up in the microwave. I've added raspberries to this batch but have made them in the past with blueberries. That's how we shake things up around here these days.
Raspberry Cinnamon Muffins
Makes approx. 24 mini or 12 average-sized muffins
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen raspberries
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffins tins and set aside.
2. Whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then whisk in the vanilla extract.
3. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon together in a separate bowl.
4. Fold in half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture, followed by half of the milk. Repeat.
5. Dust the raspberries with the remaining flour. This can be easily done by placing the raspberries and flour in a sieve and gently sifting the flour through.
6. Scoop into greased muffins tins and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (longer if you are making average-sized muffins) until a toothpick test comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and cool before serving.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Fig and Red Wine Sauce
Some dishes are almost treasured in our house. The ones that are not prepared on a daily basis but once a year, at special occasions. They require specific preparations far in advance, such as ordering the meats from the farmers market or ritualistically making parts of the recipe weeks or days ahead, and they help to define a season or occasion. One of those is this rack of lamb. I make this only during the spring (usually at Easter) so understandably it's also a favorite. However, this is the first time that I have served it with this delicious (emphasis on delicious) fig and red wine sauce. Like most special recipes, this one take a bit of time and effort but is absolutely worth it.
For the rack of lamb
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
For the sauce
1 shallot, minced
1 cup dried mission figs, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix the chopped herbs together; set aside.
3. Rub the rack of lamb with one tablespoon of olive oil and season evenly with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Sear the rack of lamb, beginning with the fatty side, on all sides for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish and paste with dijon mustard. (Save any leftoever oil and drippings to make the fig sauce). Then, gently coat the top of the rack with the herb mixture. Place in the oven, and roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees F.
5. Let the lamb rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into individual chops. Serve with fig and red wine sauce.
Fig and Red wine sauce:
1. Heat the leftover oil (used to sear the lamb) over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
2. Add the chopped figs to the pot and cook an additional two minutes. Pour in the red wine, stirring well. Once the wine has stopped sizzling, add the stock, fresh herbs and honey. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the figs have softened significantly. Remove from the heat.
3. Discard the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Pour the sauce into a blender and carefully blend until smooth.
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