text:
I am not a big fan of Karenga's, but I have found that one of the key's to this life is the capacity to recognize truth, even wisdom from often the most unlikely sources. What follows was posted to the African Philosophy list not long after Aimé Césaire's passing. There is some cogent insight and info contained below, not the least of which is the Césaire's caution regarding our status of 'being at war.'
"Aimé Césaire (1913-2008), one of the great minds and men of African people and the world, made transition last Thursday at the age of 94, rising up in radiance, highly valued and vindicated by his work in the world and the legacy he left and thus, worthy of eternal life in this world and the next. Surely as it is written in the Husia, "he shall be counted among the ancestors, his name shall endure as a monument and what he has done on earth shall never perish or pass away". Césaire was a literary lion-a poet, novelist, playwright, journals founder and editor; a political leader, the mayor of Fort de France, the capital of Martinique, his beloved land, for 56 years and representative of his people in the French Assembly for 45 years.
An anti-colonialist and cultural nationalist, Césaire focused on culture as the fundamental ground for liberation, still arguing in 1997 in an UNESCO interview that "just at the moment when Africa is truly being born into the world, it is in greater danger than ever of dying unto itself", if it abandons its own culture and its people lose their essential selves and become as Fanon taught "obscene caricatures" of others. Indeed, he notes "the shield of a merely political independence, unaccompanied and unsupplemented by cultural independence, would in the long run prove to be the most unreliable of shields and the most untruthworthy of safeguards". It is this position on the centrality of culture in the struggle for full liberation that drew us to his writings and reasoning as activist intellectuals and students in the 60's and as advocates (members) of our organization Us. Although his classic poem Notebook of a Return to My Native Land was a key statement of his philosophy and focus, it is his seminal work Discourse on Colonialism and his other essays such as "Culture et Colonisation" and interviews on culture that were our central references and resource, along with Toure, Fanon, Cabral et al.
In his Discourse, Césaire starts with the fundamental assertion that Europe in its current colonial, capitalist and racist form "is unable to justify itself" and "is morally, spiritually indefensible". For, in spite of its self-sanitizing self-portrait, colonialism is not about evangelization, philanthropy, education, humanitarian concern or "for the glory of God". It is the violent project of those committed to plunder and piracy, gold-digging and greed, and a world-scale commerce without conscience.
He contrasts Europe's claim of benevolence with the magnitude of its malevolence imposed on the people of color and the internal malignancy which emerges as Nazism. He says "They talk to me about progress", but he talks instead of millions killed, tortured and sacrificed to profit, instilled with fear and inferiority complexes, denied justice, and reduced to serving the cruel and crushing interests of the oppressor. And he talks of "societies drained of their essence, cultures trampled underfoot, institutions undermined, lands confiscated, religions smashed, magnificent artistic creations destroyed, extraordinary possibilities wiped out". Césaire argues that racism and colonialism are directly linked to the rise of Nazism. Indeed, he reminds Whites "that before they were its victims, they were its accomplices". Thus, he says, what the Europeans "cannot forgive Hitler for is not the crime in itself, the crime against man; . . . it's the crime against the White man and the fact that he applied to Europe colonialist procedures which until then had been reserved exclusively for (peoples of color)".
Here he reminds us of "the value of our old societies which were not only ante-capitalist . . . , but also anti-capitalist". He argues in defense of those democratic, cooperative and fraternal societies and suggests our building a new society "rich with all the productive power of modern times, warm with all the fraternity (and sorority) of olden days". In his interview with the Haitian poet, Rene Depestre in Havana in 1967, he talks of his coming to consciousness, working with Léopold Senghor and Léon Damas on the journal, the Black Student, searching "beneath the social being (for) a profound being": rooted in history and culture. This he called Négritude, Negroness, Blackness, Africanness and he and his colleagues launched a movement
around this project of cultural recovery.
Césaire criticizes and eventually breaks from his communist colleagues whom he labels "abstract communists", who questioned his solidarity with other Africans and commitment to culture. He argued that "the emancipation of (Black people) consisted of more than just a political emancipation"; they had also to free their minds and culture from racist conceptions and constraints. Indeed, he says, "our struggle was a struggle against alienation. That struggle gave birth to Négritude". Moreover, he maintains, "we must have a concrete consciousness of what we are-that is of the first fact of our lives: that we are Black; that we are Black and have a history". Furthermore, we must accept and assert that our culture is worthy of the highest respect, contains "universalizing, living values that (have) not been exhausted" and has an important contribution to make to the world.
Césaire also argued that we must resist the tendencies to label our commitment to ourselves and our culture as narrow, racist, separatist or any new negative names assembled from the right or the left or try to be "universal" at the expense of our particular selves and culture. He says Europeans "told us that in order to be universal we had to start by denying that we were Black. I, on the contrary, said to myself that the more we are Black, the more universal we would be". For if the universal is to be real, it must be, as we say in Kawaida, based on mutual respect for each people and culture as a unique and equally valuable way of being human in the world.
Finally, these are among his most important words and wishes for us: that we struggle in radical, progressive and productive ways to liberate ourselves culturally and politically and make our own unique contribution to history and humanity, and that we remain acutely "aware of the non-negotiable responsibility that goes with a consciously accepted identity" as Africans. This too he would want for us: that we recognize "we are always, all of us, warriors; that the war takes different forms at different times"; but we must always be "in rebellion against . . . things that are unacceptable" and that we constantly strive "to see clearly, to think clearly — that is dangerously" and to act likewise in the ongoing interest of our people and the good of the world."
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor of Black Studies, California State University-Long Beach,
Chair of The Organization Us,
Creator of Kwanzaa, and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture
http://www.Us-Organization.org and


text:
Market Is Out On A Limb
The stock market rally is on shaky ground and severely overextended. It is being propelled by a combination of momentum-oriented trading strategies and dubious fundamental assumptions. The traders have no real fundamental beliefs and will, as usual, head for the exits as soon as the trend begins to waver. Fundamental bulls believe that the economic recovery is sustainable, and that if it falters the Fed will step in with another round of quantitative easing (QE2). Under this line of reasoning another dip in the economy is highly unlikely, thereby justifying soaring earnings forecasts for 2011, which makes current market levels look not only reasonable, but cheap. In addition they see the prospective Republican gains in the upcoming election as being bullish for stocks. In their opinion the "bad news" is already discounted in the market, a seemingly strange case to make when the majority seem so bullish
In our view the odds heavily favor a further slowdown in the economy with another recession accompanied by deflation a distinct possibility. History tells us that recessions precipitated by credit crises are long and deep, and typically followed by sub-par recoveries and slow growth over a long period as households deleverage their debt and become more cautious. In real time, that seems to be the way this cycle is working out. The first four quarters of the current recovery resulted in average annual quarterly GDP growth of only 3.0% compared to an average of 5.9% for previous post-war recessions. Moreover, 60% of the increase was attributable to inventories, and only 40% to real final sales. Typically, the early stages of economic recovery are fueled by inventories, employment, consumer spending, housing and abundant credit availability. Of these five cylinders, only inventories are performing, meaning that the economy is trying to recover with four of the five cylinders out of action.
In addition to being unusually sluggish, the recovery is also running out of steam. GDP grew at an annual rate of 5.0% in the fourth quarter of last year, 3.7% in the first quarter of 2010, and only 1.7% in the second. Both the Fed and the consensus of economists have reduced their projected growth rates a few times in the last few months. The Fed's recent Beige Book referred to "widespread signs of deceleration", while the highly regarded ISI saw signs that the slowdown was "broadening and intensifying". Six months ago investors were focused on the timing of the removal of stimulus, and now they're hoping for even more stimulus. It should be obvious to all that we wouldn't even be discussing QE2 if the economy was able to recover on its own.
Even then, it is no sure thing that QE2 will be implemented or that it would help after all of the massive stimulus we've already had. The stimulus included $700 billion of TARP, $750 billion of economic stimulus, $1.7 trillion of Fed purchases of mortgage bonds and Treasury securities, the cash-for-clunkers program, housing tax-credits and mortgage modifications. After all that, as Alan Blinder recently said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed column, we're out of ammo. Remember, too, that Japan has already tried sizable QE programs without much to show for it other than massive government debt.
The bulls also make the case that stocks are cheap, using estimated 2011 S&P 500 operation earnings of $94, and calculating a P/E of about 12. As our long-time readers know, we view operating earnings as completely misleading since they include any items that companies want to throw into their income statements. The only earnings acceptable under accounting rules are reported earnings, which were used by Wall Street analysts until the late 1980s. Since that time the street has preferred using operating earnings that are not subject to audit, and almost always make stocks look cheaper. We not only use reported earnings, but smooth them out avoid distorted P/Es based on unusually high low points in the business cycle. Currently smoothed reported S&P 500 earnings are about $65, resulting in a P/E of 17.6. The long-term average is about 15, while major bear markets have bottomed at P/Es below 10, as in 1949, 1974 and 1982.
We end with a word about momentum. This month was the best September for the market since 1939, when the Dow was up 11.1%. Yet, the market dropped 30% by June 1940 and 41% by April 1942. The September 1939 top was not reached again until June 1949, almost ten years later. The market was also up 9.7% in March 2000, before dropping more than 50% over the next 2 ½ years. Momentum can and sometimes does turn on a dime, particularly when not supported by fundamentals.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I'm currently based in Wellington New Zealand. Both my parents were artists and designers in film industry in London where we had our own studio. After moving to New Zealand not wishing to continual as a designer I took up photography and video so instead of designing vistas for the camera I now film them.Thank you for visiting my gallery.http://markhill.camera


text:
Diamond Painting Kit
Anyone can be an artist with diamond painting kit and create stunning masterpieces. This special form of art has introduced various themes for every taste and occasion. Diamond painting kit includes everything you need to create a beautiful work of art achieving the subtle tones to make your painting look realistic. It's also an excellent choice for leisure activity.
Special Note: The clarity of the finished product is low if the size is less than 30x30cm.The small size is only suitable for practice.
The larger the design canvas, the more detail in the final product.
Frame is not included
Pasting Area: All of the pictures are fully covered with diamonds unless otherwise indicated.
Each one includes everything you need to complete an entire picture. The kits are packaged properly in order to prevent any kind of damages. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Please contact us if you have any questions.
About Size: The product size in the purchase order is the same as the actual picture, while the side length of the canva is 5 cm longer than the actual picture. If you order a product with a size of 30×40cm, the size of the canva is approximately 35×45cm.
The size of square drills is 2.5×2.5mm, and that of round drills is 2.8×2.8mm. The clarity of square drills-based products is 11% higher than that of round drills-based ones.
Why Diamond Painting?
- HIGH QUALITY CANVAS: Each kit features beautifully detailed outlines of the composition with each color indicated by a symbol. The painting canvas is waterproof and has a sticky background so that you could easily complete the picture.
- SUITABLE FOR ALL: Diamond painting kits inspire people of all ages. These exciting kits don't require any knowledge or skill to fulfill a classic artwork.
- RECREATION: Creating your own art is ecstatic and entertaining. Diamond painting kits are fun and easy to paint. Experience a sense of achievement as well as reduce stress, enhance self-confidence and most importantly enjoy your free time.
- FANCY DECORATION: With patient effort you can create an amazing work of art that will add life to any space.
- PERFECT GIFT: Diamond painting can enhance relationships and provide strong bonding experience for friends and family. It is a great gift for birthday, wedding or new accommodation.
How To Diamond Paint
PART 1 - Setting Up the Canvas
- Purchase a diamond painting kit at our online store here.
- Understand how to read the canvas. The canvas is composed of tiny boxes that are colored and labeled with numbers, much like a cross-stitch canvas. Each number corresponds to a diamond color. The numbers are written on a chart, with the corresponding bag and diamond color written below or next to it. The chart is typically printed on the side of the canvas. Some squares may contain a letter or symbol instead; treat this as a number.
- Unroll the canvas and tape it down onto a flat surface. If the canvas won't lay flat, roll it back the other way, then unroll it. Spread it down onto a flat surface, then secure the edges with masking tape. This project can be time consuming. Consider taping the canvas to a board, which you can move out of the way easily.
- Peel back part of the plastic covering on the canvas. Do not peel all of the plastic away; 1 to 2 inches(2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) will be plenty. Run your fingernail along the plastic to crease it so that it doesn't roll forwards. Some kits come with pre-cut plastic strips. In this case, simply peel the first strip off.
Pour out your first crystal color into the tray. Take a look at the patch of canvas you just exposed. Choose a box to start with, and note the number in it. Look the number up on the chart, then find the bag with the same number. Open up the bag, and pour out some of the crystals onto the tray that came with your kit. Some kits come with multiple trays. You can use the other trays for the other colors in that section.
Part 2 - Applying the Diamonds
- Dip your pen tool into the gel or wax that came with your kit. Open up the packet of gel that came with your kit. Dip the narrow end of the pen into the gel/wax to pick some up. This will make it possible for the pen to pick up the crystals.
- Use the pen to pick up a crystal. Gently press the tip of the pen against the top, faceted part of the crystal. Lift the pen away from the tray; the crystal should be stuck to it. Keep the tray just below the edge of your canvas; this will make it easier to access.
- Gently press the crystal against the corresponding square. Pull the pen away; the crystal should be stick against the canvas. If you are just starting out, it might be a good idea to press lightly at first. This way, if the crystal is off-set, you can nudge it back into place, then press down on it to secure it. This is exactly like painting by number, except that you are using crystals instead.
- Fill the rest of the squares in that section. Work one color at a time and refill the pen with gel as needed. When you finish filling in all the squares with the same number code, move onto the next color. This will help you work faster and stay organized. Avoid resting your hand against the canvas; the more you touch the sticky surface, the less tacky it will become.
Peel away more of the plastic covering, and fill in more squares. Continue filling the canvas in using the same technique as before. Work in 1 to 2-inch (2.54 to 5.08-centimeter) wide sections, one color at a time. When you completely fill in a section, move onto the next one. Do not peel the entire plastic covering away, or the adhesive on the canvas will get dirty and lose its tack.
Part 3 - Finishing Your Work
- Cover the canvas with the plastic sheet that it came with. If you discarded the sheet, you can cover it with a piece of paper or parchment paper; avoid using wax paper.
- Go over the canvas with a rolling pin. This will press down any loose diamonds and secure them. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a can or jar instead. You can also gently rub the canvas with your hands instead.
- Stack some heavy books on top of the canvas overnight. This will help further adhere the diamonds to the canvas and ensure that they bond properly. If you don't have any books large enough to cover the canvas, you can use another flat, heavy object, such as a box or cutting board.
- Peel the tape away. Lift the books off first, then peel the plastic covering off. Peel the tape from the corners of the canvas. Do not trim the excess canvas way, as this may cause the fabric to fray.
- Frame the canvas. Remove the glass from the frame first, then insert the canvas into the frame. Fold the excess edges down, then place the backing into place. Leave the glass out, as it will only dull down the diamonds' sparkle. For a fancier touch, place the canvas behind a mat first; this will give the canvas an additional border within the frame. Choose a color that complements the diamonds.
1.Here are everything in the package for you to get start with diamond painting.
- 1x Pre-printed Numbered Canvas with sticky adhesive surface
- 1x Diamond Pen
- 1x Glue for the Diamond Pen
- 1x All the diamonds (square) needed
- 1x Diamond Tray
2.When will I receive my order?
Free shipping 25-35 days (expect delivery in 25-35 days after order date)
During sale peak seasons there may be a delay up to 5 days.
We care about the speed of delivery and know its importance in improving customers' shopping experience on our Site.
Total delivery time is estimated after payment is confirmed and based on the time for processing and the time for shipping.You will see a shipping schedule for your order in the payment confirmation we send to you via email. This will also appear in your account once your payment has been confirmed.
All orders are processed and shipped out from our warehouse in Asia. We process orders on weekdays from Monday to Friday. Normally it takes about 1-3 days for new orders to be processed and the order will be shipped the next day after the processing day.Please kindly allow extra time for your order to be processed during holidays and sale peak seasons. Please note that orders can not be shipped on weekends.
Tracking numbers and tracking links will be sent to you via email after shipping.It may take 1-2 business days for the tracking information to become available online after your order has shipped.
3.What happens if my order gets stuck or lost in the mail?
All of our orders are sent with insured shipping and handling. If an order gets stuck at customs, sent back or even lost during the delivery process, we apologize! The postal service is out of our control. However, in cases like this, because the packages are insured, we will send you a new package with quicker shipping and full tracking, if possible. Please see our refund and return policy for when these might be applicable to shipping situations.
Everyone at victoriasmoon.com is committed to making sure our customers' maximum satisfaction.
To be eligible for returns, all returned Products must be unused,in the same condition and original packaging that you received it. Besides,all returns must be made within 14 days after the Product delivery date.Before you make the returns,please do contact our customer service to acquire a RETURN AUTHORIZATION CODE and then make the returns in accordance with the instructions received from contacting customer service as per the Site. All Products not returned in accordance with the return procedures shall be sent back to you, and no credit or refund will be issued.
We only accept Products returns that are identified as eligible for return or are received damaged. Once we receive the returns and confirm that your Product is returned in accordance within our return policy, your credit card or PayPal account will be refunded. Return address will be provided by our customer service representatives through our email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Once we receive and inspect your returns, we will email you to notify you that the returns have been received by us.The approval or rejection of your refund will be also notified in the email.
You are eligible for full refund only if you receive defective or damaged products.Once the refund is approved, a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment within 7 days.
Damaged or incorrect orders
If the Products you receive are damaged or defective during transit,missing,or incorrect Products in the package,please notify us within 7 days since the receipt day.Please email email@example.com with your order number and a detail description of the problem. It will be very helpful to include a photograph to assist us in processing the claim. The sooner you notify us the better. Our window for filing insurance claims is limited to 10 days, which means we are unable to refund or replace damaged or missing goods if notified after 7 days.
Only defective or damaged Products are eligible for exchange service.Although we will check and pack the Products carefully before delivery, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no accidental damage in transit.If unfortunately you receive a defective or damaged package,you can choose to return it for full refund.The second solution for this case is to exchange it for the same item, send us an email email@example.com,we will help you get out of the hassle.
For any returns for exchanges,customers will be responsible for shipping cost back to victoriasmoon.com. Please email us a copy of the shipping receipt,we will reimburse you the shipping cost.We will not deduct any original shipping charges out of your refund.
Off-price Products
Only regularly priced Products are eligible for refunds, unfortunately off-price Products cannot be refunded. Please note that this policy is eligible for any Products purchased with a discount or sale code.
Custom Order
Customer products are not eligible for any returns,exchanges or refund.
Late or missing refunds
If you haven't received a refund, please get in touch with your bank or credit card company. It may take several business days for processing time before your refund is officially posted. If you've done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at email@example.com.
Customer Reviews
I did a smaller one of this for my mom and loved it so I ordered it in larger size for myself and I just love it.
Let customers speak for us
Hot Sale Special Mandala Abstract Pattern 5d Diy Diamond Painting Kits VM9825
Best, detailed instructions, with diagrams I've ever read, on how to do the 5d diamond painting kit. Well done.
Great product. I am almost finished with the picture. Everything in the kit was perfect. It looks really good!
Working on it now, will know more once it's finished.
2019 5d Cross Stitch Diamond Painting Kits Black Cat Diy VM00072
The only problem i have with it is that i dont have enough space to do it. lol ive had it about 3 weeks give or take its 70cm by 100cm and im half way done with it im loving it during this time as we are under a "stay at home" order by our governor. ty very much for a fantastic product!!
i do have a suggestion is to put a picture of the finished product on the symbol page. i am very satisfied with the product only problem i have is not enough room to do it lol thank you for a great product!!!! this is a work in progress
received in record time & it works great!
Colors are beautiful, key is easy to read
It is relaxing and something that I will cherish for many years
It was great!
Loved everything about this canvas. The drills are exceptional. I can't wait to start this canvas. Also love the fact that the drills come in individual little baggies so you don't have to worry about kitting up. Thank you VictoriasMoon, I adore your canvases.
Looking forward to starting this one - it looks good.
5d Diy Diamond Painting Flower Kits Beautiful White Flower VM3018
Everything arrived ahead of predicted time. I am missing 1 packet of #22 drills which are going to be sent to me. I love watching it come to life as I work on it each day. I love this craft and will be ordering more.
Loved painting this one and the finished product turned out beautiful! Thank you PWD! I'm a lifer for sure!
This kit has been so much fun. The improvements are wonderful and make it much easier to do. Love the resealable bags and the new numbering system. I have had missing drills in the past due to the backing letting go. The new backing is much improved. It is fantastic. The tweezers are even improved. I am very impressed. The quality of the product is wonderful. 😍
Enjoyed beading.it Appears to look like the picture.
I love this craft. Almost everything I need was included BUT 1 packet of #22 drills , color #3834
Please hurry so I can finish.
But what I have completed so far is beautiful!!
Loving this beauty!
Stunning little beauty!
2019 5D Diy Diamond Painting Kits Dream Catcher VM90866
I am waiting for replacement drills which you said would be mailed to me although I have not received yet.
This is my first Diamond Painting that I adore. The first two that I did, small ones, were not very memorable and I would not hang them on the wall. This one, that I got from you, Black Stallion, is very very cool. I did a great job. I have ordered three more diamond paintings from you. I hope to get them soon. Another larger Black Stallion, a large Zebra canvas and a little zebra piece. I understand you are closed till February 20, 2020. Hope to get them soon.
Almost finished with her. I love seeing my diamond projects come to life
She is colorful and happy. Thanks. Gloria
Cheap Wolf Pattern 5d Diy Cross Stitch Diamond Painting Kits QB6579
Good service. Package in good condition, fast shipping. Very good choice of design
Turned out very nice. My husband enjoyed it
I love doing cats and dogs
I'm not a beginner but I enjoyed this painting! The finished product is fabulous!
I am concerned that i will not have enough drills to complete the project. I am working on it now..... and my drills are quite low and i am halfway through the project. Can you tell me what do i do if i need more drills to finish ?
Great quality item. Very happy. Will buy from again.
5d Diy Diamond Painting Kits Best Modern Art Style Skull VM8757
Very cool diamond painting! The detail is amazing, I'll be ordering more of these!
Really couldn't love it more.
It has more black in it than I thought, but otherwise I love it!


text:
Many tourists love to visit London during their vacations. The main reasons are the main attraction sites and the London Lifestyle. Other countries do have similar attraction sites too. Choosing an high class London escorts here might be the big difference. You could be planning to visit one of these zones during your holiday, and London Escort agencies will ensure to give you the best service.
Tourism has been transformed in the country due to the existence of the elite London escorts agency. You might regret later if you don't take advantage of the services provided by them. They are guaranteed to provide you with the ultimate pleasure and ignite your passion too. They will give you the chance to satisfy your desires in an environment that will be completely guilt free.
An Escort Girl in London, England, UK
More male tourists than female visit London nowadays. The desire for the feel of the British air and culture brings them here. Big Ben and the London Eye attract them too. Majority may not be as fascinated by these sites as they will be by the atmosphere provided by escorts London websites.
London's leading Ladies is another popular escort agency existing here. Brilliant ladies here will serve to attract the tourists to themselves. Some of the high class London escorts are available on various London escort websites in great diversity that tourists will be greatly spoilt for choice . elite escorts however has prices that are affordable to most and can be declared as reasonable too. Customers usually compliment this fantastic place.
London, due to its strategic location has successfully provided escort agencies which in turn can cater for wide tastes. These agencies have their own specific types of services. The performance of these agencies has improved due to their policies these days. The females who work here can be described as being charming, have gorgeous looks and are simply fantastic. They are professional too in this line. Out-call services will enable you to meet these ladies in your own space for your own specific desires. Visit GBLondonEscorts.com escorts in London they are both well known and reputable as well find out on that site . You can rest assured that you will get service of top quality. Most visitors will ask for more because they manage to provide a relaxing, comfortable and pleasurable first time experience to most.
These stifling and hot vixens are available almost anywhere in the city. There is a high chance that you will get quite lucky and find the companion with similar tastes to you. You can extend your enjoyment for hours or even days and engage in either dating romancing or make your evening blistering.
Escorts usually Get their Bob Job Done
Most of the escort girl London are elegant and beautiful. They are in wait for your demands as to which activity or service you may desire of them . They will leave you with memorable moments which will leave you yearning for more later on.
Your taste in women will greatly influence the choice that you make in an escort of London. Hiring them will definitely not leave you regretful in any way but rather satisfied with pleasure. So its worth making the most of your chance to hire one right now.


text:
I want to add a "status" to my wordpress blog. My definition of status is a piece of text that say something about the blog that could be changed every day or not changed in month and completely independent of blog posts and pages. For example, in my case I need to add a brief description of the city I am while travelling. Any plugin or similar to do this?
Note: Text widget is not an option because I have to control where to put this information, ideally through a PHP call


text:
Hverinn-Sælureitur í sveitinni is a travel service offering accommodation, restaurant, camping and a small travelers store with a farmer's market corner.
Camping Site
The camping offers 100 places for tents and campers including 60 with electricity. Available services: WC, showers, washing machine, dryer, playground, outdoor barbecue, sludge disposal camper, car wash.
Rates 2019:
Adults: kr. 1.500,-
Free for 13 ára years and younger
Electricity: kr. 1.000,-
Wasching maschine: kr. 500,-
Dryer: kr. 500,-
Hobbit camping houses, accommodation in small tents in a green house: kr. 2.000,-
Hobbit Camping Houses
Do you want to camp in a green house? Our new "hobbit camping houses" welcome you. They are warmed up with geothermal heat from our hot spring. Ideal for Icelandic weather that can be stormy, cold and wet.
There are five x double rooms for rent that have a shared kitchen, bathroom, living room with TV and a porch with hot tub and then there is a garden. There is also one triple room with private bathroom.
An apartment 42 sqm of size with a living room with double sofa bed, bath with shower and a kitchen, two bedrooms with two single beds in each room, sleeping four persons.
Hot tub and Swimming Pool
A private hot-tub is available to room renters and the local swimming pool is only a 2 minute walk away.
Travel directory for Hverinn
The official travel index of Iceland
Day Tours
Sturlureykirhorses / Visiting HorseFarm
Country Hotel Fossatún
Mini-Zoo & Open farm
The Icelandic Goat Center Háafell
Day Tours
Geothermal baths
Golf Courses
Skrifla Golf Club
Swimming Pools
Swimming Pools
Kleppjárnsreykir Swimming pool
Day Tours
Giljar Horses & Handcraft
Winter adventure
The Agricultural Museum of Iceland
Steðji Brewery
- Breiðabólstaður
- 320 Reykholt í Borgarfirði
- 897-9323
Barnafoss, Children's Falls
The meaning of this waterfall translates into "Children's waterfall", but the signs here indicated that there was a saga describing why it got this name. The saga said that there were two children in the Hraunsás household who were supposed to stay home while the parents went to church for Christmas Mass. When the parents returned from mass, they discovered that the children had disappeared (possibly because the children got bored and decided to go out).
They then followed the children's tracks to this waterfall at the stone natural bridge where the tracks disappeared. The mother concluded that the children must have fallen into the river and drowned. Then, the mother had the arch destroyed in order to ensure no one else faces a similar fate. I've seen some accounts say it was by spell or curse, which induced the bridge's collapse by earthquake. In reality, natural bridges usually collapse over time, and given the powerful erosive forces from the rapidly moving river that undercut whatever was supporting the bridge, that could very well have been the fate of the natural arch here.
History and Culture
One of the men of saga hero Egill Skallagrímsson founded the rich farm of Hvanneyri at the time of settlement.
In today's village you may find the Agricultural University of Iceland which is very engaged in the protection of the environment.
Hvanneyri is also the siege of the Icelandic museum for Agriculture and Ullarselið, a wool shop.
In the springtime and autumn a lot of White-fronted Goose stay around the village, they are under protection in the area.
Troll Waterfalls
The Troll Waterfalls of the Grimsa river. There is a clear formation in the form of a troll face in the cliff by the river bank.
Take the troll walk and learn about trolls, folk tales and places that connect to the nature and scenery at Fossatun.
An extraordinary view and good spot to see the Skessuhorn mountain peak. Excellent for witnessing jumping salmon in the summer.
Deildartunguhver thermal spring
Deildartunguhver highest flow hot spring in Europe !
Deildartunguhver is Europe's most powerful hot spring. It provides 180 l/sec of 100°C hot water.
Most of the water used for central heating in the towns of Borgarnes and Akranes is taken from Deildartunguhver. The hot water pipeline to Akranes is 64 km long, the longest in Iceland and the water is about 78 - 80 degrees when it reaches Akranes. If you take a shower anywhere within a 65 km radius of the spring, you have already bathed in the hot water from this powerful spring!
History and Culture
Reykholt is one of Iceland's most notable historical sites. It houses a cultural centre and a church.
Reykholt is most famous for being the home of Iceland's best-known author Snorri Sturluson during the years 1206-1241. An ancient geothermally-heated pool, Snorralaug, is named after him. It is one of the few things preserved whole from Iceland´s medieval period.
Snorrastofa is a cultural centre and institute for research in medieval studies. Snorrastofa offers historical exhibitions and guided tours and lectures. Music recitals are held in the church of Reykholt.
Visit Reykholts website www.snorrastofa.is
There is one hotel in Reykholt see more here.
Lava Waterfalls
Hraunfossar - Lava Falls - are beautiful and unusual natural phenomena. Clear, cold springs of subterranean water seep through the lava and run as tiny waterfalls and rapids into the Hvita River.
Hraunfossar have been protected since 1987.
There is a viewpoint at the car park offering an amazing view over the Lava Falls and Hvita River.
Restaurant and souvenir shop open all year round.
For the Children
Troll Walk
The Troll Books and the Troll and Folktale Walks
When the host in Fossatún, Steinar Berg, first arrived Fossatún, he found a rock with the shape of a troll's face by the Troll Waterfalls. This inspired him to write folk stories about trolls. His books have been well received and successful in Iceland. The book Tryggdatröll (The Last Troll) is available in 6 languages apart from Icelandic: English, French, German, Norwegian, Japanese and Spanish. The book is illustrated by Brian Pilkington.
The Troll Walk and the Folktale Walk.
The walks are connected with the books. The Troll walk is a short walk viewing The Troll Waterfalls and the scenery and background of The Last Troll story - and you learn about trolls on the way. The Folktale Walk is a new walk, extension of the Troll Walk, that will be set up in April/May 2018. It is based on the Trunt, Trunt book and you learn about folktales and locations in the West Region of Iceland. In addition you enjoy a wonderful panorama view of the Borgarfjördur area and mountain circle.
Mini-Zoo & Open farm
The Icelandic Goat Center Háafell
Steðji Brewery
Winter adventure
The Agricultural Museum of Iceland
Tourist Information Centres
Snorrastofa Reykholt
Crafts & Design
Ullarselið - Wool Centre
Mini-Zoo & Open farm
The Icelandic Goat Center Háafell
Hotel Á
Fosshotel Reykholt
Guesthouse Hvítá
Country Hotel Fossatún
Day Tours
Sturlureykirhorses / Visiting HorseFarm
Rock´n´ Troll Café
Geothermal baths
- Norðtunga 3
- 311 Borgarnes
- 566-7414
- Hvanneyrartorfa
- 311 Borgarnes
- Munaðarnes
- 311 Borgarnes
- 776-8008
- Grímsstaðir 2
- 320 Reykholt í Borgarfirði
- 858-2133, 862-0191


text:
Welcome to the Pecan Store!
We are located near Tucson. Green Valley Pecan Company is the world's largest irrigated pecan orchard. We provide fresh pecans from our family farm to your table anywhere in the United States, with the ease of online shopping.
We have a large selection of shelled and unshelled pecans, including a variety of sizes in whole pecans, halves, and pieces.
Our pecans are available in a variety of flavors, including natural, candied, spiced, and other flavored pecans to satisfy every taste preference. If you love the flavor pecans adds to cooking and baking, we have pecan oil, pecan meal, and other products.
We have a great selection of food baskets for all occasions!
You can build your own gift basket with our large selection of pecans, chocolate camelbacks, sauces, syrups, and other gift items.
For additional information or assistance, please contact us at (800) 327-3226.


text:
Among the Divine attributes, one is Al Wali (The Friend). According to lexicon it means, a helper, a Being that takes care of all matters of the entire universe and all creation. It also connotes a friend who is compliant. It is stated in Surah Al Baqarah 'Allah is the friend of those who believe…' God is the Helper of believers and fulfils their needs, guides them and establishes their reasoning and proofs. The complete verse is thus: 'Allah is the friend of those who believe: He brings them out of every kind of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their friends are the transgressors who bring them out of light into every kind of darkness. These are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.' (2:258). Truth is that God is the Friend of those who believe whose belief is free from worldly contamination and continues to traverse stages of development. It takes them out of darkness and into light; i.e. out of spiritual and physical weak points towards advancement and strength. God thus declares here that He will bless those who believe, with spiritual and physical success on an individual as well as communal level and will release them from troubles. This is conditional to continual spiritual advancement after the initial belief. Those who seek this through abiding by God's commandments, God truly becomes their Friend and no opposition, no force on this earth can destroy them.
God states that a believer does go through difficulties and has to endure loss of life, property and children. How could it then signify that God takes believers out of physical weak points? Of course one may say that there could be spiritual advancement during difficulty, but not physical. It should be remembered that when a believer has firm faith in God he/she does not just have personal benefit in view. Rather he/she keeps a communal perspective and the personal loss can be a source of communal advancement, especially if it is in the cause of faith. In the days of early Islam the colossal sacrifices of Muslims made in the face of relentless persecution most certainly did not go to waste. Muslims were very few in number yet their sacrifices increased them in faith and communal advancement. The persecution did not stop other pious-souls to come into the fold of Islam. Then, the cruelty forced them to migrate and this opened further doors of advancement. They grew in numbers as well as financially until the time came when the once-fierce enemy was subjugated by the Muslims.
In the history of the Ahmadiyya Community each adverse chapter and phase of trial has also been a source of spiritual as well as material and physical progress. Had we not faced the tribulation of 1974, a section of the Community that left Pakistan and spread all over the world would not have done so. Among those who emigrated some worked on small agricultural holdings, some had small businesses, others held minor jobs. Great resources for the education of children were not there or if the resources were there, the environment was not conducive. The Pakistani counterparts of the young people who have attained further education and doctorates in Europe have not been able to attain similar education. They were either not inclined or they did not have the resources. The Ahmadis who have emigrated to the West should always remember that as they had to leave their homeland because of their faith, God has granted them prosperity and the Community has also grown in numbers as well as financially. With the individual academic achievements the communal level of education has also risen. This should take each Ahmadi closer to God and enhance them in faith rather than get embroiled in arrogance or conceit. God has proved to be The Friend, it is up to us now to prove ourselves to also be His true servants. This progress did not only fall into the lot of those who emigrated. The Pakistani Ahmadis whose businesses were ruined because of the troubles were also blessed with prosperity. Al Wali is a Friend and a Helper. God has been a real Friend and has bestowed us with success.
When our enemies tried to restrict us in 1984 and the Khalifa of the time had to migrate from Pakistan, who was it that helped? The very same Friend and Helper, the Being Who has power over everything. God helped Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih IV (may Allah have mercy on him) in a way that no worldly friend could. The Community progressed amazingly in numbers and spiritually through the medium of MTA. One voice of guidance could be heard simultaneously throughout the world. The aforementioned verse indicates promise of physical progress to those who believe and those who do not believe are indicated to move towards darkness, thus relating in principle that they are Satan's associates.
At the time the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) made his claim of prophethood and called people of Makkah towards guidance, the leaders of the Quraish tribe were deemed sagacious who did some good deeds. However, in their rejection of the Truth, they were deceived by the Satan and as a result were also deprived from doing the good deeds that they did and were eventually destroyed. Abul Hakam became Abul Jahl and was disgraced and now till the end of time will be known as Abul Jahl and his friend was none other than Satan. However, the negro slave, Bilal became a friend of God due to the light of belief and now till the end of time will be known as Syeddna Bilal. Similarly those who rejected the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) were taken over by darkness whereas those previously ignorant, most notorious and corrupt, in accordance to God's promise, traversed in spiritually after accepting him. Those who reject Prophets of God tumble down in darkness because of their rejection and Satan fills them with rancour and malice and God declares that their end is very bad. They will burn in the fire of jealousy in this world.
According to lexicon waliullah is one who is a friend of God, that is, in His complete subservience. A believer is termed as waliullah but not molaAllah. God states in Surah Muhammad 'That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, and as for the disbelievers, there is no protector for them.' (47:12). In a verse before this God states, 'O ye who believe! if you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and will make your steps firm.' (47:8) This verse counsels the Muslims to come after the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that it is obligatory on them to help the religion of God and this alone will give them God's help in return. In particular during the time of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), when revival of faith was to take place, it is their absolute obligation to help. Those who do not believe [the Promised Messiah] will meet a similar faith as those who rejected the earlier Prophets. This is serious food for thought for the Muslims. God's promise of help and succour stands. In spite of being called Muslim many correspondents fill column inches writing that they are suffering from a lack of faith and are also going through a decline in the material sense. They acknowledge that somewhere along the line they have displeased God. There is still time for them to accept the Imam of the age, take the salutation of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to him and not lose out on the obduracy that the door to prophethood has closed.
They should study the sayings of holy men of Islam of the past and not follow the so-called religious leaders. In his book, 'Futûhât al-Makkiyya', Hadhrat Muhiyudin ibn Arabi said that the prophethood that was finalized on the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was law-bearing prophethood, however a prophet, who is in complete subordination of the Shariah (religious law) of Islam, can come in the future. He said that prophethood had not completely ceased to be. With reference to the Hadith of 'la nabi ba'adi' (there is no prophet after me) Hadhrat Muhiyudin ibn Arabi wrote that the connotation of this Hadith is exactly the same as the connotation of the saying of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) 'when this Kaiser will be killed there will be no other Kaiser'. Hadhrat Imam Sherani wrote in 'Al Yawaqeet wal Jowahar' that the Hadith of 'la nabi ba'adi' signifies that there will be no law-bearing prophet after me. Hadhrat Mullah Ali Qari wrote in his book 'Mauzuat Kabir' that the Holy Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) saying that had Ibrahim (the Holy Prophet's infant son) survived, he would have been a prophet is not contrary to the belief of Khatamun Nabiyeen (finality of prophethood) because the term Khatamun Nabiyeen signifies that after the Prophet no such prophet can come who will abrogate his Shariah and who is not from his ummah. Indeed Hadhrat A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that you may say that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is Khatamun Nabiyeen but do not say that there will be no prophet after him.
If people reflected on the verses of the Holy Qur'an and these references everything would come to light. How else would God give respite to one who attributed revelations to God, who claimed to receive Divine revelations and also have clear Divine help and succour with him? God revealed to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), 'God is my Guardian and my Providence.' (Tadhkirah p. 479). In 1883 God revealed to him, 'Hearken, there is no fear on the friends of Allah, nor do they grieve.' (Tadhkirah p. 128). It was on numerous occasions that God gave proof that He was a friend of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). In 1886 He revealed to him, 'God…will convey thy message to the ends of the earth'. This is a separate revelation from the latter revelation about Tabligh taken to the ends of the earth. In 1886 Qadian had no semblance of any means of proper transport apart from horse-driven carriage. Yet, God made this promise to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in that village. Today, some say that what if your message is being transmitted via MTA, we too have our web sites and our TV channels to broadcast against you. What is worth thinking is that did any of them, without having any resources and after being told by God announce that their message will be carried to far flung parts of the world? Let alone a hundred years, which is a long time, did any of them make any such claim just a few years ago? If there, let him come forward. Truth is, no one has ever been able to come forward in this regard, but of course it is very easy to object and protest. It is in fact the torment of jealousy that they cannot bear. Indeed God has stated that from light they will go towards darkness. Our Protector is God and He demonstrates to us that He is also our Friend, Helper and Guardian at every step and continually blesses us with His grace. May He also enable us to honour His rights so that we continue to have His beneficence for He has consoled us with: '…What an excellent Protector and what an excellent Helper' (8:41).
Next Huzur announced the funeral Prayers in absentia of the following: Zulfiqar Mansoor sahib of Quetta was martyred by some extremists on 11 October. He was kidnapped a month ago and a huge ransom was demanded. The ransom was being arranged but it was discovered that his body was found in the woods. He was a very active Khadim, naib qaid Khuddam and was an honest person. Two of his uncles had also been martyred in the past. His great-grandfather was a companion of the Promised Messiah. He leaves behind an elderly mother, a widow and two children. May God stand them steadfastness.
Our friend from Egypt, Muhammad Ashwa sahib passed away on 14 October, He was an elder from Syria and was an exemplary Ahmadi. He had a bond of ardent love with Khilafat. He was a pious, righteous person who worked extremely conscientiously. He had great emotional devotion to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). He was a lawyer and had helped many Ahmadis in his professional capacity. Huzur related the incident of his bai'at in detail. May God elevate his station and may He enable his family to stay firm on Ahmadiyyat. Muhammad Owais and Muhammad Malas are two of his grandsons, currently in the UK working for MTA.
Mian Rasul sahib from Okara, Pakistan. He was a Moosi, son of a companion of the Promised Messiah. He was possessed of extraordinary good qualities. Many non-Ahmadis attended his funeral Prayer and said that they felt as if they had been orphaned.
Zafar Ahmad Mansoor sahib who passed away on 9 October at the age of 60. He was a missionary who had served in Western Africa. He was a very hard working person, Huzur knew him from childhood. He leaves behind a widow two sons and daughters. May God keep them all in His protection.
The Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer is one form of congregational worship in Islam. It takes place every Friday. Regular attendance at the Jumu'ah prayer is enjoined on the believer. According to a Saying of Muhammad(sa) this congregational prayer is twenty-five times more blessed than worship performed alone. (Bukhari)
"O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is best for you, if you only knew." more
"… (He who) offers the Prayers and listens quitely when the Imam stands up for sermon, will have his sins forgiven between that Friday and the next" (Bukhari)


text: Tbf to Defoe (and I don't really rate him either), he's only bettered his Premiership goalscoring record for this season on two previous occasions. Once in 04/05 and once in 09/10. He's not going to set the world alight, but at least you know what you're getting with him. It's not like there are a line of decent alternatives lining up to take his spot either.


text:
Teenagers are terrible rotten things (or at least I was) and I shudder to think what I would do with telekinetic powers — which is exactly the plot of the new "found footage" film Chronicle. This surprising film's honesty and hidden darkness may just revitalize this genre yet. Now take a look at the first ever clip, in which a trio of newly power endowed teens take turns launching baseballs at each others' faces.
And here is a brand new trailer.
Here's the official synopsis:
Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Chronicle will be in theaters on February 3rd, 2012.


text:
New VOD and Streaming Movies, Plus: How to Watch 'Pacific Rim' and 'The Heat' at Home Before Disc
Check out what's new to rent and own this week on the various streaming services such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, and, of course, Netflix.
Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods
This Is the End (comedy horror; Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco; rated R)
The Croods (animation; Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone; rated PG)
Big Sur (drama; Kate Bosworth, Josh Lucas; available now before theatrical release)
Best Man Down (comedy; Justin Long, Jess Weixler; premieres 10/3 before theatrical release; rated PG-13)
Dracula (Dario Argento-directed horror; Rutger Hauer, Asia Argento; premieres 10/4, the same day as theatrical release; available in 3D)
Concussion (drama; Robin Weigert, Maggie Siff; premieres 10/4, the same day as theatrical release; rated R)
Linsanity (documentary; Jeremy Lin; premieres 10/4, the same day as theatrical release; rated PG)
Sweetwater (action; Ed Harris, January Jones; premieres 10/4, one week before theatrical release; rated R)
Streaming/Digital Download: Rent from $4-$7 or own from $13-$20 (HD may cost more than SD)
Offers This Is the End and The Croods, just like cable Movies On Demand, for rent and/or download. Plus:
The Heat (action comedy; Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Marlon Wayans; available now to download to own—not rent—two weeks before disc; unrated)
Pacific Rim (Guillermo del Toro-directed sci-fi action; Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman; available now to download to own—not rent—two weeks before disc; rated PG-13)
The Internship (comedy; Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne; available now to download to own—not rent—three weeks before disc; unrated)
The Heat, Pacific Rim, The Internship
Offers This Is the End, The Croods, Best Man Down and Concussion, just like cable Movies On Demand, for rent and/or download. Plus:
Netflix Watch Instantly: $7.99 per month
Beyond Borders (adventure drama; Angelina Jolie, Clive Owen; rated R)
Ghostbusters (comedy; Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Sigourney Weaver; rated PG)
Forrest Gump (drama; Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Sally Field; rated PG-13)
Resident Evil (sci-fi horror; Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez; rated R)
Also available: Congo, The Italian Job, Body of Evidence, The Great Train Robbery, The Hindenburg, Mansfield Park, Monica & David, Pinocchio (2002), Return to Me, Stolen Summer, Tadpole, Timeline, Tsotsi, Twilight (1998) and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Follow Robert B. DeSalvo @zuulboy
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


text: Scholar Science Journals are international online Open Access Journals in English. Open Access Journals are freely accessible via the Internet for immediate worldwide, open access to the full text of articles serving the best interests of the scientific community. All interested readers can read, download, and/or print open access articles at no cost! There is no subscription fee for Open Access journals.


text:
Maine records 1st cases of flu this season
First case detected last week
Maine health officials say the flu has arrived in the state.
Officials say the first positive influenza A cases were detected early last week. The cases were in a young adult from Aroostook County, a teenager from Penobscot and an adult from Cumberland County. None was vaccinated or required hospitalization.
A long-term care facility in Penobscot County also reported an outbreak of influenza on Oct. 31. Maine's Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory confirmed influenza A in an employee and a resident from the facility on Nov. 2.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu vaccine as the first and best way to protect against influenza.
Signs of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.


text:
OKINAWA CITY, JAPAN -- By incorporating sprint interval training into his regular exercise regimen, 1st Lt. Rob Gerdes of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion has earned a spot to compete in the CrossFit Games slated for July 10-12 in Aromas, CA.
The Clara City, MN, native first discovered CrossFit training online, then began practicing it with fellow Marines. CrossFit instructors held a course in Okanawa, Japan, earlier this year that trained about 40 Marines in the 3rd Division to be Level One CrossFit trainers.
Gerdes also began attending the CrossFit Asia gym in Okinawa City to further develop his training.
One of Gerdes' typical workouts consists of a 400-meter dash, 21 kettlebell lifts and 12 handstand push-ups—all repeated three times.
While Gerdes told military media he was initially skeptical of the benefits of CrossFit training, recent studies suggest that sprint interval training increases endurance as well as longer workouts.
Research by Martin Gibala, chair of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, found that two groups of college students showed nearly identical endurance increases, though one group rode stationary bikes for 90 and 120 minutes, and the other group rode for short, strenuous 20-30 second intervals. The short interval group also repeated the cycle four to six times for a total of two or three minutes of intense exercise.
"The high-intensity part is the part that makes most people back away from it [CrossFit]," Gerdes told military media. "I earned myself two days of pain, but it's going to be a lot of fun."


text:
In Europe, steel is by far the most frequently used industrial base material. In 2012 the steel mills in the European Union produced almost 170 million tonnes of steel. This compares to plastics production of 58 million tonnes (2011), for example, and 8.6 million tonnes (2010) of aluminium produced in Europe.
A competitive steel industry is of fundamental importance for the competitiveness of European manufacturing industries. The European construction sector, European car makers, mechanical engineering and the appliance industry are among the main customers of the European steel industry. The quality and success of their products, and the degree of innovation with which they can distinguish themselves from other suppliers outside the EU are frequently determined by the quality of the steels that are used. This is why European steel companies and their customers work closely together on research and development (R&D) or simultaneous engineering projects at both European and national levels.
Steel is the backbone of the European manufacturing industries and, therefore, essential for future growth and prosperity in Europe. The material is an integral part, for example of almost every functional module of a modern car. Lightweight steel, developed to save weight, fuel and emissions from cars, is the construction material with the highest growth rate in modern, 21st century car production.
But steel is not only indispensable for future mobility. Other challenges for the European Union, like urbanisation and infrastructure, resource and energy efficiency or energy supply can only be mastered with innovative steel products. The turbines of modern gas power plants, for instance, consist almost 95 per cent of steel. And with new technologies for more efficient power plants coming up, innovative steels will be needed for making new technologies a reality.


text:
In June 2010, security experts, analysts, and software providers were warning IT managers about Stuxnet, a new computer worm that was spreading rapidly over the internet. Stuxnet was distributed by Windows machines, and the intent of the worm wasn't immediately clear. After a few months it was revealed that the vast majority of Stuxnet infections were in Iran, and Stuxnet seemed to have been specifically targeting the Siemens industrial control equipment used in the Iranian nuclear program.
German security expert Ralph Langner was interviewed by NPR reporter Tom Gjelten earlier this year about Stuxnet, and Gjelten reported that Langner told him that the worm was so complex and sophisticated that it was "almost alien in design" and believed that only the United States had the resources required to create Stuxnet and orchestrate the attack. As more details emerged, it became clear that Stuxnet was likely developed by either Israeli or American intelligence agencies in an attempt to impede Iran's nuclear program.
Both Israeli and American security officials have sidestepped questions about their involvement, but Gary Samore, White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction, stated at a December 2010 conference on Iran that "we're glad they [the Iranians] are having trouble with their centrifuge machine and that we – the US and its allies – are doing everything we can to make sure that we complicate matters for them." [Source: NPR's Need to Know]
Now security researchers from Symantec have revealed that they've discovered a new Stuxnet-like worm called W32.Duqu that shares much of the same code with Stuxnet. Symantec's Security Research blog posted details about Duqu yesterday:
"Duqu shares a great deal of code with Stuxnet; however, the payload is completely different. Instead of a payload designed to sabotage an industrial control system, the payload has been replaced with general remote access capabilities. The creators of Duqu had access to the source code of Stuxnet, not just the Stuxnet binaries. The attackers intend to use this capability to gather intelligence from a private entity to aid future attacks on a third party. While suspected, no similar precursor files have been recovered that predate the Stuxnet attacks.
According to Symantec, Duqu also functions as a keylogger designed to "capture information such as keystrokes and system information" but lacks the specific code related to "industrial control systems, exploits, or self-replication." Symantec's research team believes that Duqu is collecting information for a possible future attack, and seem to point the finger at the original creators of Stuxnet, since the creators of Duqu seem to have direct access to Stuxnet source code:
The creators of Duqu had access to the source code of Stuxnet, not just the Stuxnet binaries. The attackers intend to use this capability to gather intelligence from a private entity to aid future attacks on a third party. While suspected, no similar precursor files have been recovered that predate the Stuxnet attacks.
The arrival of Stuxnet signaled that cyberattacks have entered a new phase, with nation states and professional, highly-skilled programmers helping elevate cyberwarfare to a new, more sophisticated (and dangerous) level. Microsoft Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich offers up a fictional account of what can happen when terrorist groups turn to cyberwarfare in his novel Zero Day, and it's a chilling preview of what the future of warfare could look like.
While many fingers are pointing at U.S. and Israeli intelligence service for creating Stuxnet – and possibly Duqu -- what happens when a hostile nation or well-organized terrorists develop the same level of cyberwarfare capability? Questions like these are undoubtedly keeping IT security professionals and experts at government security agencies awake at night.
For more technical information on the Duqu worm, see Symantec's W32.Duqu: The Precursor to the Next Stuxnet whitepaper [PDF] and a Symantec post that provides additional Duqu technical details.
What are your thoughts on Stuxnet and Duqu worms? Let me know what you think by adding a comment to this blog post or starting up a conversation on Twitter.
- Follow Jeff James on Twitter at @jeffjames3 – Google+ add Jeff to your circles
- Follow Windows IT Pro on Twitter at @windowsitpro


text:
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – March 6, 2012 —
, LLC, announced that
iPi Motion Capture™ Version 2.0
— the next generation in the company's scalable line of markerless motion capture technology — is scheduled for availability in Spring 2012. Featuring improved accuracy and workflow enhancements, the new version increases support for female characters, as well as an array of motion sensor devices, including ASUS Xtion and Kinect for Windows.
Michael Nikonov
, Founder and Chief Technology Architect of iPi Soft, notes that given the interactive nature of today's 3D video games, designers need reliable and accurate desktop tools that go beyond recording a traditional 2D video of an actor to help meet the challenges of compositing believable characters into immersive 3D environments.
"Motion capture is such an expressive medium for video game developers and digital filmmakers and the advancements coming to version 2.0 will provide users the ultimate solution of a personalized, markerless motion capture desktop solution for creating truly believable 3D character motion," said Nikonov. "Despite the incredible diversity of CG worlds created by today's video game designers, realistic human characters remain the core of compelling storytelling in most videogames today."
Introduced in 2009, iPi Motion Capture has been gaining momentum as a professional and reliable alternative for capturing animation data without the need for expensive facility space, clumsy sensor suits with reflective markers or a team of technicians. The software uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body and lets users shoot video using one or two MS Kinect motion sensing input devices or three to six Sony PlayStation Eye cameras. The digitally captured movement is then applied to a 3D character and rendered as part of a video game or a computer generated movie. One area of growing interest is with machinima, the animation genre in which filmmakers use iPi Motion Capture and existing graphics from videogames to create something wholly original.
David Gonzalez
, President of
Mission Critical Studios
, a New Jersey-based developer of mobile games, the software has proven to be a game-changer in how they work.
"iPi Motion Capture is so powerful and cost effective," Gonzalez says. "It's fantastic to be able to come up with an idea and in a few minutes record exactly what you want and apply it to your characters. iPi is what mocap should be all about — making your ideas reality in a matter of minutes." [Note: Additional information on Mission Critical Studios' use of iPi Soft motion capture software solutions is available here:
Key Highlights of iPi Motion Capture Version 2.0
With the new iPi Motion Capture Version 2.0, customers can take advantage of:
• New actor appearance models and skeleton structure with improved accuracy in multiple person tracking, props tracking and head/hands tracking
• New project file format, including data for fingers and props
• Improved tracking accuracy
• Optimized tracking of female characters
• New custom "iPi Video" format with useful features specific to motion capture use
• Better video compression offering higher compression ratios, a plus for users dealing with large amounts of recorded video
• Support for new devices: ASUS Xtion and Kinect for Windows
• Depth and RGB video recording for ASUS Xtion sensor
• Support for latest official Kinect for Windows drivers
• Workflow improvements such as "New project" wizard that makes it easy for new users to get started, and "Recent files" caching for advanced users.
Pricing and Availability
iPi Soft makes available three editions of its entry-level markerless motion capture technology – Express, Basic and Standard – that differ by the set of available features and complexity of motions that can be tracked. The new iPi Motion Capture Version 2.0 is scheduled for release in Spring 2012. iPi Soft products are available directly from the web site and its worldwide distribution channel.
About iPi Motion Capture:
iPi Motion Capture is a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The scalable system supports dual Kinect cameras working at the same time on the same PC capturing complex motions, including 360-degrees turns. It also supports other inexpensive off-the-shelf equipment such as PlayStation Eye cameras and webcams.
iPi Motion Capture brings a totally new workflow paradigm to filmmakers, CG animator broadcast motion graphics designers, videogame developers and prosumers in entertainment, military and other vertical markets. Captured animations do not exhibit artifacts like jitter or foot skate and can be exported in popular animation formats including FBX, BVH and COLLADA. The software is compatible with many leading game engines, 3D software applications and animation rigs, including MAXON CINEMA 4D, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3D Studio Max, DAZ 3D DAZ Studio, Poser, Valve Source Engine, Unreal Engine, Unity and others. It also includes an integrated motion transfer engine and supports accurate motion retargeting for custom rigs.
About iPi Soft:
Launched in 2008 by CEO and Chief Technology Architect Michael Nikonov, iPi Soft, LLC is the Moscow-based developer of iPi Motion Capture, a markerless motion capture software tool that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The company's breakthrough technology digitizes the movement of a human skeleton, rendering it in expressive 3D characters for video games or computer generated films. For additional information on iPi Soft, product pricing or a 30-day free trial please visit,


text:
Museum, Places/Buildings Sommarhagen, composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger's dream house built in 1914 on Frösön, enjoys miles of wonderful views of forests, lakes and mountains. Pay a visit to this unique ... Read more
Hiking Rent snowshoes in Östersund. Read more
Event organizer Work with events, events, weddings, events, tours, courses, project management and travel in a wonderful mix. All to entice people into the wild. Our work is guided by respect f... Read more
Other activities Gaaltije is a southern Sami cultural centre that seeks to develop Sami society and industry. We have a shop where you can buy Sami literature, Sami carpentry, clothes and reinde... Read more
Bathing, Boating, Rental [...] The perfect place for hanging around in Östersund. Here you can try wakeboarding or waterskiing in the cable park. For a shorter spin you can hire an SUP(stand up paddle board),... Read more
Cafe, Restaurants, Other activities A little more than a cafe, a little more than an interior design store. Freshly squeezed juices, homemade goodies, always with focus on health and sustainability. Read more
Other activities, Children's activities Adventurous house with Boda Borg quests, electric go-karts (capable of doing up to 70 km/h), climbing wall, a laser arena, billiard, mini golf, games arcade. Read more
Cafe, Other activities We serve brunch all day, freshly squeezed juices and really solid pastry. Welcome to a cozy environment in the middle of Stortorget. Read more
Nature, Hiking In Östersund sorroundings you´ll find many nice walking tracks, about 2-7 km long. The tracks follow wallking tracks, paths in the forest, bicycle- and car roads. Read more
Museum Exhibits tell of the city's earliest history, including the Royal Charter for the foundation of the city, and the exhibition Vår lilla stad (Our small city), which tells the sto... Read more
Children's activities, Museum During summer, the open air museum comes alive as actors and animals move into farms and other historical areas. Every day, visitors are invited to participate in a number of ex... Read more
Children's activities, Museum Jamtli offers an exciting journey through the history of Jämtland and Härjedalen. Here you will discover stimulating milieux and enjoy being part of history. The museum has perm... Read more
Museum Nationalmuseum Jamtli (a branch of the Swedish National Museum) opened officially in June 2018. Read more
Skiing, Other activities Learn the basics of biathlon and compete like a professional at the World Championship Arena. A one hour lesson will give you basic theory, skiing and shooting practice. Session... Read more
Museum Play for real – for the whole family! A historical technology museum with playful exhibitions, activities and restaurant. Read more


text:
160 Soards Road
Georgetown, KY 40324
Local: 502-867-7979
eMail: email@example.com
We are no longer shipping plant material
We are a small, family run business located in the beautiful Kentucky Bluegrass Region specializing in plants native to Kentucky and the Eastern United States. Georgetown is located in planting Zone 6 where most of our plants are kept outside and will be in season according to this climate. The nursery is currently for sale and is listed on loopnet.com for your inspection. We have a vast supply of plant material and are working to sell the nursery intact with plant material included with the sale.
Our plants are nursery propagated, not dug from the wild or sprayed with any chemicals. Our usual pot size is a 3x3x6" pot but this may vary for larger, faster growing trees and for ground covers that require more lateral space. Larger sizes in most plants are available at the nursery for pick up only. Some of the ephemerals are kept bare root and refrigerated to keep them dormant.
If you would like to visit at any time please call (502-867-7979) to make arrangements.
click here for a printable price list (pdf)
note that prices and availability may vary


text:
Ohio has to care more for its pets
In a ranking of states done annually by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Ohio falls near the bottom in terms of its laws on animal cruelty and abuse.
The crimes are misdemeanors here and often don't lead to much, if any, jail time.
We're not taking care of our animals in Ohio and that needs to change.
Some say "it's just an animal." But these are oftentimes defenseless creatures who certainly feel pain and have done nothing to deserve it.
There is concern that more severe consequences for these crimes would overburden an already overburdened legal system. But these are things that must be taken seriously, particularly in cases that exhibit a cruel spirit and penchant for violence. Those are warning signs for a lot of different things.
The people who are capable of these kinds of acts are often unlikely to be an empathetic, caring member of society.
Not every case may deserve a harsh penalty or time behind bars. For example, those who try to take in dozens of animals to rescue them but end up living in poor conditions as a result aren't exhibiting intentional cruelty toward the animals. They still need help and perhaps other consequences but jail or prison likely isn't the answer.
However, in cases where animals are purposefully starved, beaten, abused and killed, there is certainly an argument to be made for felony charges.
Locally, we've recently had a man tie a rope around a cat's neck to break it. He then proceeded to beat it and shoot it.
Some local youth beat a pet duck to death with a pipe as it sat on its eggs.
In another part of the country, someone was setting cats on fire, just for fun. These cases are happening every day, everywhere.
Residents of Ohio need to band together and say this is not OK. We need to do more.
Let your legislators know that you want stricter penalties for these types of offenses. Let your local law enforcement and prosecutors know you want the maximum charges and convictions for these crimes in your community.
And if you see an offense, report it immediately. Let's let these offenders know that Ohio does take these crimes seriously.


text:
GFOA is always on the lookout for news items that will be useful for finance professionals, research that might help you do your job better, and legal and regulatory updates you need to know about. Check the GFOA news page for the updates and any relevant GFOA announcements, and see the GFOA Newsletter archive for back issues of our weekly electronic newsletter.
GFOA Executive Board Approves New Best Practices and Advisories
On January 22 the GFOA's Executive Board approved five best practices and an advisory to provide guidance to government finance officers in the areas of budgeting, accounting, retirement benefits administration and debt issuance. A summary of each is provided below.
General Fund Reserves Help Boost Bond Ratings
Since the recession of 2008, economic conditions have fluctuated between adequate and poor for the City of Elgin, Illinois, but it has been able to stabilize its bond rating through strong financial policies – most notably, those governing its general fund reserve levels. In fiscal 2009, on the heels of the largest economic downturn in recent history, Elgin's revenue picture looked uncertain. The city had demonstrated sound financial stewardship but couldn't escape the impact of broader, nation-wide, economic conditions.
Lend Your Support to Preserve the Tax Exemption on Municipal Bond Interest
As Congress and the White House return to discussions on comprehensive federal tax reform in 2016, GFOA is urging our members to help engage federal lawmakers regarding the need to preserve the tax exemption on municipal bond interest.
Financing Resilient Infrastructure
Most public finance professionals are carefully studying environmental and sustainability questions, but "getting it right" isn't easy. Real-world, cost-first thinking means that prioritizing sustainability and resiliency in infrastructure will always be a challenge. Finance officers are generally accustomed to determining financial costs and benefits for capital projects rather than accounting for a project's social and environmental impact.
Reducing Utility Bills through Better Asset Maintenance
The Tulsa Metropolitan Utility Authority (TMUA), like many of its peers, needed to identify revenue to replace its degrading system infrastructure. Over the years, the agency had become less effective, and while the water utility's core services were strong, inefficient business processes had created stress points. The authority was looking at increasing water and wastewater bills, which would create hardships for lower-income households. It therefore began looking for ways to use performance management technology to link core utility services with support services.
Chief Resilience Officers and Strategic Spending
In an effort to better prepare for catastrophes, whether natural or man-made, the City of Norfolk, Virginia, chose to add a chief resilience officer (CRO) to its staff. The goal of the position is to create a single resource within the organization to prepare the community for cataclysmic events like earthquakes and hurricanes, as well as addressing ongoing challenges like rising sea levels, drought, or poverty. It's an idea that's been adopted by a few other cities, including San Francisco, California.
GFOA's 110th Annual Conference: Sharing Solutions and Strategies Press Release
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) will host its 110th Annual Conference, "Sharing Solutions and Strategies," May 22-25, 2016, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Registration for the event is open on GFOA's website.
The conference is expected to bring together thousands of public finance professionals through:
Municipalities Looking More Closely at Green Bonds
In June 2015, the City Council of Portland, Oregon, began exploring alternative financing options for environmentally responsible capital projects. The city aims to make use of a rapidly evolving market for green bonds to supplement its traditional financing methods. Portland and other issuers are defining their own policies and procedures, following the lead of the International Finance Corporation and World Bank.
Kentucky Uses P3 to Support Broadband Expansion
In an effort to expand broadband connectivity statewide, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is in working out a partnership with a consortium of private firms to design and build a 3,200-mile fiber-optic system. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, acting as a conduit issuer, sold $230.05 million of 30-year tax exempt bonds for the project in August 2015. Fitch assigned the issuance a rating of BBB+ and Moody's Investors Service gave it a Baa2.
20th Annual Governmental GAAP Update Press Release
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) will offer an encore presentation of its 20th Annual Governmental GAAP Update live-streaming training event on
Amicus Brief Argues against Expansion of Quill in Use Tax Case
The State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) filed an amicus brief with the Ohio Supreme Court urging the court to rule that Ohio's commercial activity tax (CAT) applies to online vendors that sell in the state. The SLLC argues that Quill Corp. v.
House Committee Approves Bill to Classify Investment Grade Munis as High Quality Liquid Assets
On November 3, 2015, the House Financial Services Committee approved HR 2209, bipartisan legislation that would require federal regulators to classify all investment grade municipal securities as high quality liquid assets (HQLA).
Federal Budget Deal Enacted, Preventing Federal Default and Reopening SLGS Window
On November 2, 2015, the president signed into law a two-year budget agreement that raises spending caps by $80 billion above the levels agreed to under federal sequestration in 2011. The cap increases – $50 billion in FY 2016 and $30 billion in FY 2017 – were split evenly between defense and non-defense accounts.
Minneapolis Uses Web-Based Financial Transparency Tools
One of the changes the City of Minneapolis made after its 2013 mayoral election was adding a new strategic goal: creating a better connection to the community it served. To this end, the city increased its financial transparency, moving beyond the 500-page budget document it had published in PDF format to online tools that presented information in a clear, user-friendly way.
Back to Basics in Los Angeles: Data Dashboards
As part of the mayor's Back to Basics program, the City of Los Angeles, California, embarked on an open data initiative aimed at providing up-to-date information about the city's performance on key initiatives and progress toward city-wide goals. The open data portion of the Back to Basics program sought to provide residents and employees with information that would help them better understand the city's challenges, creating greater visibility that would lead to solutions.
Lessons in eProcurement: Raleigh, North Carolina
Governments have long focused on developing efficient procurement processes, and creating modern procurement systems that make use of technological advances create their own challenges. The City of Raleigh, North Carolina, was grappling with these challenges and had grown frustrated with its traditional procurement process, which relied heavily on a paper-based system and made spending difficult to track. In an effort to modernize its approach to procurement and take advantage of the technology now available, Raleigh's finance department started work on an electronic purchasing system.
GFOA Debt Committee Releases White Paper on Green Bonds
Green bond issuance has generated significant recent attention as this market continues to expand. In 2014, there were 35 issuers of green bonds worldwide, totaling $36.6 billion in par amount, which is more than three times the 2013 volume of $10 billion. In the first quarter of calendar 2015, the global volume reported by the World Bank was $8 million. Green bond issuance by U.S. state and local governments represents less than 10% of these amounts.
GFOA Hosts Meeting to Discuss Implementing School Budgeting Best Practices
Alliance for Excellence in School Budgeting members met last week at GFOA's office in Chicago to develop a set of guiding principles for the budget process, based on GFOA's new best practices. These guidelines center on aligning district resources with the areas that will have greatest impact on student achievement. The Alliance members are from 35 school districts across the country, from the largest to some of the smallest, and from urban, suburban, and rural areas.
GASB Invites GFOA Members to Share Information in Survey
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has invited GFOA members to participate in an important survey regarding the activities that you engage in when preparing and publishing your audited annual financial reports in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
GFOA Executive Board Approves New Best Practices
On September 25, 2015, GFOA's Executive Board approved five new best practices and seven revised best practices, providing recommendations to government finance officers in the areas of accounting, budget, retirement benefits administration, capital planning, and debt issuance.
GFOA Policy Statement on Health-Care Excise Tax Supports Retirement Security
Solidifying its position in the conversation on national health-care policy, GFOA's Executive Board unanimously ratified a policy statement on the 40% excise tax on health plan premiums – the so-called Cadillac tax. This issue is vitally important to states and municipalities, which continue to work diligently within sometimes severe budget constraints to provide benefit plans that will help them attract and retain a quality workforce, in competition with private-sector wages and salaries.
Supreme Court Preview for Local Governments
The Supreme Court decided a number of important cases against local governments in its last term. The most notable of these was Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona, which held that strict scrutiny applies to content-based sign ordinances. The October 2015 term will also be one to watch, not just because the Court has accepted numerous cases on controversial topics affecting local governments, but also because many of the court's decisions this term are likely to be discussed by the 2016 presidential candidates up.
Sacramento Improves the Fee Collection Process
Managing a community's fees and charges can be time consuming; in some cases, just keeping track of each department's fees can be a major undertaking. The City of Sacramento, California, made an initial effort to address these challenges in 2006 by developing a database of the permits, fees, fines, and license charges the city collected. But while it was a good first step, this initial attempt to create a central repository for all city related fees was incomplete.
GFOA Announces Members of Alliance for Excellence in School Budgeting
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) announced the members of its Alliance for Excellence in School Budgeting. The Alliance is composed of 35 school districts working with the GFOA to implement the Best Practices in School Budgeting. Alliance members include districts from 21 states across the US serving anywhere from a thousand students up to several hundred thousand students. Memers includes:
Financial Sustainability Planning in Shoreline
Like many other communities, the City of Shoreline, Washington, faced significant economic pressure as a result of the nation's recent recession.


text:
SDEROT, Israel, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A rocket was fired from Gaza at southern Israel early Wednesday, hours after the Israeli air force hit suspected militant sites in Gaza, the army said.
The Qassam rocket exploded in an open area in the Eshkol region. No damage or injuries were reported, the army said.
Late Tuesday, militants in Gaza fired two Grad rockets at southern Israel, one exploded near the town of Sderot and another near the town of Netivot. No injuries or damage were reported.
The late-night rocket attacks prompted Israel to conduct an airstrike targeting suspected militants' tunnels in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian news agency Ma'an said several homes in the district of Beit Lahiya were damaged in the airstrike but no injuries reported.
The army said since Tuesday about seven rockets were fired at southern Israel.
The recent escalation came after Israel targeted two Global Jihad operatives in Rafah on Sunday, prompting Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives in Gaza to fire about 50 rockets at southern Israel.


text:
Gold prices fell sharply Wednesday following the latest positive signs for the U.S. economy and signs of dissent at the Federal Reserve about continuing its bond purchases.
Gold for April delivery dropped $26.20, or 1.6 percent, to $1,578 an ounce, its first close below $1,600 an ounce since August.
News that the pace of home construction last month was the third-highest since 2008 was the latest indication that the U.S. housing market is recovering. That has helped diminish the appeal of gold as a defensive investment.
Also Wednesday the Federal Reserve released minutes of its latest policy meeting revealing that some policymakers are doubtful about continuing the Fed's bond purchases. They said the program could cause inflation, unsettle financial markets or cause the Fed to absorb losses once it begins selling its investments. The Fed has said it plans to keep buying $85 billion in bonds each month until the job market improves.
If the Fed ends or curtails its program earlier than anticipated, it would likely result in higher U.S. interest rates and a stronger dollar. One of the reasons investors buy gold is to have an alternative to holding dollars. As a result, gold often falls when traders think the dollar will strengthen, and vice versa.
Other metals prices also fell. Silver dropped 2.7 percent. The March contract gave up 80 cents to end at $28.622. April platinum fell $50.40, or 3 percent, to $1,647.10 and March palladium fell $27.75, or 3.6 percent, to $736.40.
Copper fell 4.15 cents to $3.6080 a pound.
In agricultural futures, March wheat rose 6.25 cents to $7.385 a bushel, March corn rose 5.25 cents to $7.005 a bushel and soybeans fell 12.50 cents to $14.8275 a bushel.
Most energy futures were lower.
April crude lost $1.88, or 2 percent, to finish at $95.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The March contract, which expires Wednesday, fell $2.20 to end at $94.46 per barrel.
In March contracts, heating oil fell 2.43 cents to end at $3.1563 per gallon, wholesale gasoline fell 6.17 cents to finish at $3.0595 per gallon and natural gas rose 0.7 cent to end at $3.279 per 1,000 cubic feet.


text:
Women's Outerwear
Ladies Imprinted Jackets: Stylish and Practical
In cool weather or warm weather, promo outerwear for women is invaluable to ladies of all ages and body types. Promo outerwear for women effortlessly and effectively keeps wearers' skin protected from the elements, whether they may be facing wind, rain, or snow. Available materials used in the construction of promo outerwear for women span fleece, polyester, cotton, and nylon, to name a few, and many styles combine two or more of these fabrics to ensure that end users are met with finished products that are able to withstand a multitude of potential climate conditions and situations. Our promo outerwear for women includes trendy and cost effective advertising items that simultaneously enable ladies to defy any weather condition and step out in style.
All-Climate Corporate Outerwear for Women
Even in warm temperatures, promo outerwear for women can save the day. Many offices crank the air conditioning during the summer to keep employees comfortable indoors, but oftentimes this presumably thoughtful action backfires and staff members are forced to layer heavier apparel, like promo outerwear for women, on top of lightweight seasonal clothing. In fact, many female employees keep ladies imprinted jackets or vests close at hand to bundle up in their cubicles or offices throughout the year or in case of summer thunderstorms. Durable jackets and fleeces are integral parts of our collection of promo outerwear for women, and they are ideal for outings to the gym, shopping excursions to the mall or nights out on the town with friends or family. Ladies will be thrilled to incorporate versatile promo outerwear for women into their wardrobes, thus obtaining a high number of impressions for imprinted logos wherever they may travel.
Endless Options for Customization with Promo Outerwear for Women
From interesting color combinations to a plethora of available imprinting methods, companies can conceptualize a one-of-a-kind promotional campaign based solely around promo outerwear for women. Classic styles of promo outerwear for women will quickly become necessities for busy career women, stay at home mothers, and ladies with any number of interests and hobbies. Sportier promo outerwear for women may be better suited to females who love spending time outdoors and participating in activities like hiking, cycling, jogging or rock climbing. The flexibility of basic promo outerwear for women is a major benefit, as corporate outerwear encompassed by this clothing category is appropriate for casual and business casual events alike. Promo outerwear for women easily transitions from a spring picnic to a breezy outdoor happy hour in the Fall or into layering items for frigid winter temperatures, and recipients will appreciate your brand's thoughtful decision to provide them with such practical, reliable imprinted apparel. Each time a female end user leaves home while wearing a trusty piece of promo outerwear for women, she will be reminded of your organization's products and/or services, and the clothing item which adorns her body will serve to inform civilians and passersby in her surrounding community about your marketing message, products and services.


text:
Apple Soup 苹果汤
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Read more...
Aunty Veronica Ting was the pastor of my church during my early teens. We lived near each other and she is a dear family friend. During the last few months of her attachment here, she was down with Athritis, and she'd request that I prepare certain foods for her, nothing malu-malu(to be shy of), cos she treats us like real close friends. Now she's posted back to where she came from, KL Wesley, looking better and healthier than ever before. God bless u, Aunty Veron.
Before she had that joint pain, she often dines at our place, uninvited (there's no need to invite once it's like family) and once she brought us this wonderful soup, never eaten before….. It's apple soup. Huh? Apples can be made into soup? Yup… she did, and she taught me how to do it. I doubled up her recipe here.
1 Chicken breast, skinless, bones on (abt 500-600gms, skinless weight)
4 red apples (abt 600gm in total), peeled, halved, cored. I used Washington Cameos.
2L water.
¾ tsp salt for seasoning.
That's just it.
Bring the water to a boil and put in chicken breast and apples. Simmer on low heat for 2 to 2.5 hours. Season with salt.


text:
Completely flexible with crowned teeth
These couplings (fig 1) accommodate a total misalignment of up to 3°. Where the misalignment is larger than 1,5°, however, SKF should be consulted. The couplings can withstand start-up peak moments of two times the stated continuous torque.
By reversing one or both of the hubs, the same coupling can be used for different shaft end separations.
These couplings have efficient O-ring seals and should be lubricated with grease.