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GMM and multiple indicators
Mplus Discussion
Growth Modeling of Longitudinal Data
posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 7:17 am
I am using a multiple indicator growth model. I suspect that there will be some heterogenity within the sample and so I'm adding a latent class(es) to examine this.
The model outlined for example 8.1 of The MPLUS users guide(V.5.1) is a good approximation of what I'm trying to do.
Are there any issues surrounding the addition of latent classes to a multiple indicator growth models?
Am I correct in saying the measurement invariance will be required prior to the addition of the covariates and latent class(es).
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 8:42 am
This type of modeling is possible, but there are important issues of measurement invariance to be considered. For a recent overview, see
Muthén, B. (2008). Latent variable hybrids: Overview of old and new models. In Hancock, G. R., & Samuelsen, K. M. (Eds.), Advances in latent variable mixture models, pp. 1-24. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
which is on our web site. Essentially, if there is a need for latent classes, these often create measurement non-invariance such that growth modeling is complicated. Growth modeling needs to consider a dependent variable that is in the same metric and has the same meaning across time.
posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 1:41 pm
Dear Bengt
I read the very informative review. However, I don't understand how the addition of latent classes may create measurement non invariance.
I would appreciate any steer you might have on this point.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 1:54 pm
Typically, the measurement intercept (or thresholds) are not invariant across the latent classes. If the latent classes differed only in factor means, but not measurement intercepts, you would have measurement invariance, but this is far less often the case.
posted on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 6:24 pm
Dear Bengt,
It is quite helpful reading the above posts. I am also trying to find out if there are latent classes after analyzing my data using LGCM with multiple indicators.
You said "Typically, the measurement intercept (or thresholds) are not invariant across the latent classes." I am not quite sure if I understand you correctly. Will using the following syntax to constrain everything to be equal across latent classes (except for growth factor means) solve the concern of measurement non-invariance?
Thank you very much!
a1 a2 a3 a4 a5
b1 b2 b3 b4 b5
c1 c2 c3 c4 c5;
f1 BY a1
a2 (1)
a3 (2)
a4 (3)
a5 (4);
f2 BY b1
b2 (1)
b3 (2)
b4 (3)
b5 (4);
f3 BY c1
c2 (1)
c3 (2)
c4 (3)
c5 (4);
[a1 b1 ](5);
[a2 b2 ](6);
[a3 b3 c3](7);
[ b4 c4](8);
[ b5 c5](9);
i s |
Analysis: Type=Mixture;
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 4:34 pm
You are holding the measurements invariant across classes, including some measurement intercepts. This makes it possible to identify class differences in the growth factor means. But it doesn't solve the concern - this model may fit considerably less well than a model with measurement intercepts varying across classes.
posted on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 6:12 pm
Dear Bengt,
Thank you so much for the explanation. Considering such a limitation of either measurement non-invariance across classes or worsen model fit by holding measurement invariant across classes, is it practically possible to run GMM with multiple indicators? Or is it recommended to always try to run GMM with observed outcomes?
Thank you so much for your time.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, December 15, 2013 - 10:57 am
You can certainly run GMM with multiple indicators, it is just that you have many more model variations to explore - more that you can learn about your data.
posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 - 3:45 am
Thank you very much Bengt. I really appreciate your time and the discussion board!
posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 4:10 am
Dear Drs. Muthen,
I am conducting multiple group analysis within GMM (two groups and four classes each group). I want to constrain the intercept, S and Q across two groups. But every time I ran a model, the class order keeps changing, even after specifying the starting values of I, S, and Q for each class for each group.
Is there a way to set the class order to be the same across analysis so that I can accurately find out which growth factor makes the model fit worse after being constrained?
Thank you very much!
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 9:19 am
With mixture modeling, you should use MODEL TEST. Holding parameters equal will change the classes.
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Throughout our history, American Steamship Company ("ASC") has been a pioneer in Great Lakes vessel transportation. Founded in Buffalo, New York in 1907, ASC has witnessed and responded to dramatic changes in Great Lakes shipping and the industries it serves, many times leading the way with innovative solutions that have had a positive impact on Lakes shipping throughout the years.
Our Great Lakes fleet consists of self-unloading vessels that range in length from 635-feet to 1,000-feet. The diversity of our asset base enables us to transport a variety of dry-bulk commodities including iron ore pellets, coal and limestone aggregates. Our single-trip vessel-carrying capacity ranges from 24,000 to 81,000 gross tons. During the navigation season, our vessels operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and require no onshore assistance to unload cargo. Unloading speeds range from 7,000 to 10,000 net tons per hour.
Today, under the ownership of GATX Corporation, ASC continues to provide safe, efficient and environmentally responsible waterborne transportation. We are dedicated to continuously building value for GATX, our customers, our employees and the communities in which we live and operate.


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where作關代的時候是=(介係詞+which), 想請問這樣以下我造的句子, 這樣用where是否可以?
1. The wall where he gazed is full of graffiti.
(where=at which)
2. The seat where he had been stared was taken.
(where=at which)
3. The countries where we always give our support are our ally.
(where=to which)
4. This is the school where they donated the money.
(where=to which)
5. The mansion where he spent much money is located in the city.
(where=on which)
6. They paid a visit to the restaurant where they provide the recipes and
(where=for which)
7. The company where I sent the samples has not given me any reply yet.
(where=to which)


text:
Outlines Significantly Increased Offer and Over $3 Billion in Value It Brings to NRG Shareholders
CHICAGO (July 6, 2009) -- Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC) announced today that it has mailed a letter to shareholders of NRG Energy, Inc. detailing its increased offer to acquire NRG and the over $3 billion of value it brings to NRG's shareholders. The letter also outlines the reasons NRG shareholders should vote the BLUE proxy card to elect nine new independent directors who will unlock the greatest stockholder value on behalf of NRG's owners. The full text of the letter follows:
* * * *
Dear NRG Energy, Inc. Shareholder:
At NRG's annual meeting, you have the opportunity to elect nine independent directors who we believe will give you the best opportunity to realize the benefits of an Exelon/NRG combination. Exelon's increased offer creates over $3 billion of new value for NRG shareholders - almost half of NRG's total market capitalization. There simply is no business plan or alternative strategic transaction that NRG can pursue that will come close to creating the substantial value that we believe you will get from a combination of NRG with Exelon. You will be able to realize the substantial value created by a combination of NRG and Exelon only if you and other NRG shareholders take action now, using the BLUE proxy card, to elect nine new independent directors to the NRG board.
Under the terms of the increased offer, Exelon is now offering to exchange each share of NRG common stock you own for 0.545 of a share of Exelon common stock - an increase of 12.4% from Exelon's original offer of 0.485. More importantly, this offer now creates even more value for you immediately as an NRG shareholder and in the future as an owner of a combined Exelon/NRG. Given the substantial increase in transaction value to NRG shareholders, this offer represents our best and final offer. If you want to have the opportunity to capture the substantial value created by our offer, you must put nine new directors on the NRG board - anything short of that will not create the dramatic change needed to move beyond the current board's entrenched opposition and management's obstructionist tactics.
NRG's board of directors and management stand in the way of your opportunity to realize the substantial value that can be created by a combined Exelon/NRG. The decision to pursue this value-creating transaction ultimately should be yours - not NRG management or the NRG board. To ensure that this occurs, Exelon is asking you to elect nine new independent directors to an expanded NRG board of 19 directors. Any other outcome is certain to leave you with an NRG board and management that will continue their obstructionist tactics and destroy value in the process. It is now more important than ever that you change the dynamic and attitude inside the NRG boardroom and elect nine directors who will capitalize on the opportunity to create substantial value for you. We urge you to vote today using the BLUE proxy card - by telephone, by Internet or by signing, dating and returning the BLUE proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided.
Exelon's increased offer represents a transaction value of over $3 billion to NRG shareholders. When we first made our offer in October 2008, it represented a 37% premium to the closing price per share of NRG's common stock on October 17, 2009, the last trading day before we made our proposal public. Before we made our offer in October, NRG's stock performance closely followed the performance of its peer group of independent power producers. From October 17, 2008 through June 26, 2009, every one of these companies had decreased in value except for NRG, which was up over 20%. Clearly, our offer is supporting NRG's current stock price at a level higher than the price would be in the absence of our offer. We have increased our offer by over 12% and we believe our offer now represents at least a 44% premium for NRG shareholders. This transaction offers substantial value to you and simply cannot and should not be ignored.
Through a very detailed eight-month review of NRG's structure, cost platform and operations, we have identified an additional $1.5 billion in synergies, for a total net present value of $3.6 billion to $4.0 billion in synergies available through a combination of Exelon and NRG. These synergies will come from streamlining NRG's decentralized operating structure, eliminating duplicate functions and applying our industry leading management model to NRG's operations, resulting in a 30% reduction in NRG's annual operating costs. Our increased offer gives NRG shareholders over $600 million of these synergies.
We are confident that these synergies are achievable. Exelon has a proven track record of repeatedly delivering targeted synergies and cost reductions. Following the 2000 Unicom/PECO merger, which created Exelon, we delivered approximately $250 million in annual savings, well above the target of $180 million. During the Exelon Way cost reductions in 2003-2004, we delivered approximately $350 million in operations and maintenance savings, as compared to the target of $210 million. These are the types of long-term, value-creating actions that we deliver for our shareholders and which we will provide to you as a shareholder in a combined Exelon/NRG.
Exelon is the most valuable utility in the United States, with the industry's largest market capitalization of close to $33 billion, largely driven by owning and operating the largest, best run merchant generation fleet in the country - and our offer gives you an opportunity to participate in Exelon's success. In addition to the immediate value our increased offer provides, you will be able to share in the significant future financial, operational and strategic value that a combination will offer.
Ø The combination will result in the largest U.S. power company with a market cap of approximately $40 billion and allow NRG shareholders to upgrade to an investment-grade balance sheet. A combined company offers you stronger revenue, earnings and cash flow streams than currently exist, or likely would ever exist, for you as an NRG shareholder. The company will be better positioned to meet the climate challenge, finance the new investment that our industry will be called upon to make and react to an ever-changing marketplace than would a stand-alone NRG.
Ø The combined company will have a significant presence in five major competitive markets (Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, California and the Northeast). This will create a truly national scale and bring considerable regional, fuel and regulatory diversity, thereby reducing the risk associated with dependence on two or three markets.
Ø A combined Exelon/NRG will have the largest carbon upside potential in the industry, driven by Exelon's ownership of the largest nuclear fleet in the U.S. Exelon expects its EBITDA could increase over $1 billion annually from the Waxman-Markey legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on June 26, 2009. As a stand-alone company, NRG faces downside risk from carbon legislation because its production is dominated by coal plants.
Ø With the addition of NRG's two existing nuclear units at South Texas, the combined company will expand what is already the largest, best run, lowest cost nuclear fleet in the country. In addition, Exelon plans to build 1,300-1,500 MW of new nuclear through uprates at a fraction of the cost and risk of NRG's partial ownership of South Texas 3 and 4. You will directly benefit from the increased output of these low-risk uprates as compared to experiencing the high risk of nuclear new build by a stand-alone, sub-investment grade NRG that would otherwise face significant challenges to make that project a reality.
NRG shareholders will be part of a company that has a history of financial discipline and shareholder return. Exelon has always had investment grade ratings, which enables consistent access to capital at low cost. Since its inception in 2000, Exelon has experienced total shareholder return of over 120%, as compared to a negative return for the S&P 500 of over 20% for the same time period. In addition, Exelon has consistently paid its shareholders a dividend whereas NRG is currently prohibited from returning value to its shareholders through dividends.
Now is the time for consolidation in our industry, especially for smaller, highly levered companies like NRG. Volatile commodity markets, unprecedented political and regulatory challenges, and the upheaval in the credit markets all contribute to the need to combine for greater strength. David Crane, NRG's CEO, said himself the "sector is still extremely fractured and it has to consolidate." The right parties for consolidation are Exelon and NRG, something confirmed by NRG's own "market discovery" process that was commenced months ago with the goal of delivering value to you. Despite an eight-month effort, NRG's market discovery process failed to yield any better value alternative than Exelon.
NRG shareholders can secure the highest value transaction possible by voting the BLUE proxy card TODAY FOR:
o Election of each of the four independent candidates nominated to run in opposition to the entrenched incumbent directors up for re-election to the NRG board. o Expansion of the size of the NRG board to 19 directors. o Election of each of the five independent candidates nominated to serve on the expanded board.
These steps will not result in Exelon's candidates constituting a majority of the NRG board but will sufficiently change the dynamic of the board and bring an unbiased approach and fresh thinking to the Exelon offer. Failing to elect all nine independent candidates will significantly reduce the likelihood that you will see a value enhancing transaction. Your vote is extremely important. To elect directors who are committed to looking out for your best interests, including exploring a potential combination of Exelon and NRG, please vote the BLUE proxy card TODAY by telephone, by Internet, or by signing, dating and returning the enclosed BLUE proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided.
Thank you for your consideration.
John W. Rowe Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Exelon Corporation
Exelon announced on June 17, 2009, that it had filed its definitive proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission to solicit proxies from NRG shareholders at the NRG annual meeting of shareholders scheduled for July 21, 2009. Exelon urges all NRG shareholders to use the BLUE proxy card to vote in favor of proposals to expand the NRG board and elect nine new, independent and experienced directors who will act in the shareholders' best interests to capture the highest shareholder value possible.
Important Information This press release relates, in part, to the offer (the "Offer") by Exelon Corporation ("Exelon") through its direct wholly-owned subsidiary, Exelon Xchange Corporation ("Xchange"), to exchange each issued and outstanding share of common stock (the "NRG shares") of NRG Energy, Inc. ("NRG") for 0.545 of a share of Exelon common stock. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to exchange, NRG shares, nor is it a substitute for the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO or the Prospectus/Offer to Exchange included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 333-155278) (including the Letter of Transmittal and related documents and as amended from time to time, the "Exchange Offer Documents") previously filed by Exelon and Xchange with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Offer is made only through the Exchange Offer Documents. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents and other relevant materials as they become available, because they will contain important information.
Exelon filed a preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC on April 17, 2009 in connection with its solicitation of proxies (the "Preliminary Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement") for a meeting of Exelon shareholders (the "Exelon Meeting") to be called in order to approve the issuance of shares of Exelon common stock pursuant to the Offer. Exelon expects to file a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Exelon Meeting (the "Definitive Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement") and may file other proxy solicitation material in connection therewith. Investors and security holders are urged to read the Preliminary Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement and the Definitive Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement and other relevant materials as they become available, because they will contain important information.
Investors and security holders can obtain copies of the materials described above (and all other related documents filed with the SEC) at no charge on the SEC's website: www.sec.gov. Copies can also be obtained at no charge by directing a request for such materials to Innisfree M&A Incorporated, 501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10022, toll free at 1-877-750-9501. Investors and security holders may also read and copy any reports, statements and other information filed by Exelon, Xchange or NRG with the SEC, at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC's website for further information on its public reference room.
Exelon and Xchange will be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Exelon shareholders for the Exelon Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. In addition, certain directors and executive officers of Exelon and Xchange may solicit proxies for the Exelon Meeting. Information about Exelon and Exelon's directors and executive officers is available in Schedule I to the Prospectus/Offer to Exchange. Information about Xchange and Xchange's directors and executive officers is available in Schedule II to the Prospectus/Offer to Exchange. Information about any other participants will be included in the Definitive Exelon Meeting Proxy Statement.
Forward Looking Statements
This communication includes forward-looking statements. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include Exelon's ability to achieve the synergies contemplated by the proposed transaction, Exelon's ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of NRG and Exelon, and the timing to consummate the proposed transaction and obtain required regulatory approvals as well as those discussed in (1) the Exchange Offer Documents; (2) Exelon's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K in (a) ITEM 1A. Risk Factors, (b) ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Note 18; (3) Exelon's First Quarter 2009 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in (a) Part II, Other Information, ITEM 1A. Risk Factors and (b) Part I, Financial Information, ITEM 1. Financial Statements: Note 13; and (4) other factors discussed in Exelon's filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this communication. Exelon does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revision to its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication, except as required by law.
Statements made in connection with the Offer are not subject to the safe harbor protections provided to forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
All information in this communication concerning NRG, including its business, operations, and financial results, was obtained from public sources. While Exelon has no knowledge that any such information is inaccurate or incomplete, Exelon has not had the opportunity to verify any of that information.


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About this Event
Enroll for ISO 27001 Certification Training Course in Wellington New Zealand. An ISO 27001 Lead Implementer Training Certification Training is available across multiple cities in New Zealand. The adoption of an information security management system is a strategic decision for an organization. The establishment and implementation of an organization's information security management system is influenced by the organization's needs and objectives, security requirements, the organizational processes used and the size and structure of the organization. We deliver ISO 27001 Lead Implementer Training in Wellington New Zealand to fulfil the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system. The Information Security Management System (ISMS) preserves the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information by applying a risk management process and gives confidence to interested parties that risks are adequately managed. The ISO 27001 Lead Implementer Certification Training in Wellington New Zealand will be taught with 14 Clauses containing 35 Control Objectives and 114 Controls. It provides businesses with a framework to manage information security and other IT related risks, with wide-ranging controls to keep data secure from diverse security threats.


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Fabricating Stainless Doorsills - Fresh Entry
Stainless steel doorsills fabricated from scratch
I started the project by making a paper pattern (arrow) of each of the original sills. After comparing similarities and differences, and figuring out rough dimensions, I traced the patterns onto a sheet of 0.048-inch 304 stainless steel and cut them out using a vertical bandsaw.
Not long ago, a customer came into my shop, The Tin Man's Garage, with a set of old doorsills for his '36 Dodge resto-rod. The interior on the Dodge had just been finished and he knew he couldn't put the worn-out, cracked originals back on the car.
Although we specialize in complete vehicle builds from scratch, I love doing smaller intricate projects just as much, and we agreed to fabricate new doorsills. On cars like this, for which no companies make reproduction doorsills, there is still hope, but it means building your own parts. I regularly work with a variety of materials, including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and chromoly. For this job, we used 304 stainless steel and completed the job with a matte finish.
On any project, even after countless hours of designing, fabricating, block sanding, and sewing, there always seems to be that small transitional area that gets thought of last. When you're building a street rod, whether it's traditional, high-tech, or a resto-rod, the finishing touches make all the difference.


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Each week we run the box office numbers through our proprietary formula that tabulates receipts, the film's budget, the number of screens and critical response to see not just who made the most money, but who is really performing well in the PopcornBiz Championship Series.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" last year shattered the record for biggest opening weekend, taking in $169,189,427. You can forget all about that number, because "The Avengers" has made mincemeat of it, taking in $200,300,000 in its opening weekend. Throw in "The Avengers"' overseas haul, and Earth's mightiest heroes have now made more than $640 worldwide, good enough for 55th all-time.
There was $242 million spent at America's movie theaters this week, and 82% of it was on "The Avengers"--that is a dominant performance. Here's the week's top 10 films, per Box Office Mojo:
U.S. & World
1. The Avengers - $200,300,000
2. Think Like a Man - $8,000,000
3. The Hunger Games - $5,700,000
4. The Lucky One - $5,510,000
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - $5,400,000
6. The Five-Year Engagement - $5,100,000
7. The Raven - $2,508,000
8. Safe (2012) - $2,470,000
9. Chimpanzee - $2,395,000
10. The Three Stooges - $1,800,000
If you're wondering whether "The Avengers" have a shot at sinking the "Titanic" record of $760.5 million, consider that it took the James Cameron film 10 days to make $200 million. But "Avatar" had the advantage of going up a weak field as it marched its way across the landscape. "The Avengers" will have to go up against "Dark Shadows," "Battleship," "Men in Black 3" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" over the next few weeks.
It goes without saying that when we run the film's box office, glowing reviews and budget through our proprietary formula, "The Avengers" take the top spot in the PopcornBiz Championship Series:
1. The Avengers - 2691
2. Think Like a Man - 211
3. The Hunger Games - 59
4. The Five-Year Engagement - 23
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - 20
6. Chimpanzee - 16
7. The Lucky One - 10
8. Safe (2012) - 5
9. The Three Stooges - 5
10. The Raven - 2
This coming weekend "The Avengers" will confront only one new wide release, the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton collaboration "Dark Shadows." The last film these guys made together, "Alice in Wonderland," opened with $116 million, so things could get interesting.


text:
|2003-11-10, 03:25
|Link #1
-=GIF Sennin=-
How to make your own animated GIFs
Note many questions that you might want to ask are already answered here.
Ok, well here is the revival of the old "How do make Gifs" thread. Enjoy!
Requirements for this tutorial:
1) Adobe ImageReady
2) Virtual Dub
3) Internet Explorer 5+
4) A minor knowledge of the windows interface
5) Avatars are 100 pixels wide and 51200 bytes max
Seting up:
1) Make a folder in which you will do all your work in.
2) Make a folder called DONE in which you will save your completed Gifs to
3) I made a separate folder for each character I do and a misc folder each with its own DONE folder for compiled Gifs
Capturing your screenshots: (Virtual Dub)
1) Open the episode you want
2) Press control+g or Edit--->Go to.
3) Use Jump frame at time: XX:XX:XX
First XX are minutes, second XX are seconds, XX are fractional seconds (dont worry about this one)
5) Go to the first frame of the scene you want to capture and press the MARK IN button.
(At the bottom of the screen the last set of buttons to the right, a black left and right arrow)
6) Go to the last frame of your scene and press the MARK OUT button kinds looks like _>
7)File -----> Save image sequence
8) Choose the location of the folder you made before.
9) Set number of digits to 3, just to be safe (the number of digits wont affect anything but if you only choose 1 digit and your animation numbers in double digits you will get problems later on)
10) Name the files and push OK
11) Wait for it to save your screnshots (the little window in the middle of the window will disappear when its done.
1) Open ImageReady
2) File -----> Import ------> Folder as frames
3) Choose the folder you saved your screenshots to
4) It will load all the pics in order as frames
5) Image ------> Image size
6) Change width to 100, most likely its on 640
7) If you save it as it is now the file will be the right dimensions and you will have an animated gif but it will most likely be too big, you might also want to do some more editing.
8) At the bottom of the screen there is a wide window that has all the frames in separate thumbs.
9) Delete frames to decrease file size
10) If you select a frame and select the new frame button under the thumbs it will make a new frame and in it will be the same pic as the one you had selected before (usefull for loops)
11) Also use the rectangular marquee to select the area you want to show if you want to show a certain part.
12) [b]Image ------> Crop.
13) Cropping and deleting frames (click image then trash can) really makes your gif smaller
14) If you did that and its still too big, make your width smaller, try not to go under 75 then it gets too small and hard to see.
15) Crop BEFORE sizing down to 100
16) When your done go to[b] File ------> Save Optimized Image As
17) Save it in your DONE folder.[/color]
Useful Tip
Custom Actions:
This is one of my favorite features about ImageReady. You can basically have the program "remember" what you do, sort of like teaching it how to do things. I use this to have it "remember" how I did my borders so I can just click the play button and it will do it automatically for me, its very useful and saves you a lot of time:
Locate the window that has "Layers" tab in it
1) Click on the "Actions" tab, to the right of the "History" tab.
2) Click the "Create new action" button. It looks just like the new layer button.
3) Name it, when you press enter you will see a red dot (recording)
4) Just about anything you do will be recorded, make a border and hit the stop button. (to the right of the red dot and the left of the "Create new action" button.
5) Thats all there is to it! Now when you click the play button, it will imitate exactly what you recorded, performing each step in sequential order. click the ">" and it will drop down all the actions it does. You can alter each action to adjust it.
I made an action for "1 Pixel Black Border" "2 Pixel Black Border" "1 Pixel Foreground color" and so on. This REALLY saves you alot of time. I also made one for the Auto levels/contrast feature. I selected layers and did it like 50 times, doing the process to layer 1, clicking the layer above it and doing the same process again, untill I hit a large number of layers. Now instead of doing Auto levels/contrast to every layer I just click play on this bad boy and usually the whole animation gets done in a second, a miracle action
Last edited by NoSanninWa; 2007-02-04 at 20:06.
|2003-11-10, 06:31
|Link #4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Heaven
Age: 36
p3psi: I don't know which DVD player you use, but powerDVD has a built in screenshot feature (it's the little button that looks like a photocamera
for the screenshots made with WMP, I assume it uses "my documents" or "my pictures" just like most other MS programs.
|2003-11-11, 02:02
|Link #6
-=GIF Sennin=-
Join Date: Nov 2003
Uzu you should really try Ulead Gif Animator. That way you can add it to a tutorial since not everybody has Image Ready. As time goes on you can add other programs that are good to use and maybe others can write up tutorials to add to yours to make everyone happy. Just a suggestion though so you dont have to really listen to me.
Learn, live, breathe, Ulead GIF Animator is my thought .
|2003-11-11, 16:02
|Link #7
-=GIF Sennin=-
Exactly what i want, when people help others by answering questions I add it to the tutorial with their name attached to it of course, but I have to be confirmed that the information is true. Almighty if you made a tutorial for Ulead I could add it to this one and ask the mods to make this a sticky
|2003-11-11, 20:24
|Link #8
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Hey, your tutorial is awesome, though as you said some of the stuff is a little out of order and can be confusing (especially how you suggest cropping before resizing, but way after you explain how to resize :P that one threw me for a loop at first)! In any case, it rocks and I'm trying out the creation process as we speak. I've made a few so far--my current avatar, and these two, from Full Metal Alchemist and Last Exile:
Not terribly great, but I'm still pleased to be able to make anything at all. If anyone happens to want either of those two (fat chance!) go ahead. :P my question for you Uzumaki--how did you manage to get so many frames into this one and still keep it under 50K?!
I can't seem to fit in even a third of that many frames without going well over 100K filesize... any pointers?
Last edited by Captain K; 2003-11-11 at 20:59.
|2003-11-11, 21:27
|Link #11
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
I found that in 3 seconds with a google search... it was the very first hit.
|2003-11-11, 21:33
|Link #12
Dyaus Pitar
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Toronto_Ontario
Captain K: Try comparing the colour quality of Uzumaki626's "Gai Sensei" with your same "Gai Sensei", you will notice that Uzumaki626's GIF has less colour quality which will make the filesize automatically smaller. There is a chance that I might be wrong and that Uzumaki626 did something else though.
|2003-11-11, 21:55
|Link #13
alrite let me reprhaise me looking for the virtual dub....i found that site but they gave me a zip file( which i dunno how to work) and i was looking for an installation file of virtual dub, it can be in that zip file but i dunno what to do w/ it. in that site it said to run virtualdub.exe which was not even in the zip file or maybe i'm just dumb....but anyways i really wanna learn how to make animated gifs and capture screen caps because they have really high quality, well compare to the compressed files you find in the net ^_^ thanx....
|2003-11-11, 22:04
|Link #14
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
|2003-11-11, 22:41
|Link #15
-=GIF Sennin=-
If you read the extended tutorial which is linked at the bottom, it tells you alot of extras on how to add border, text, change color size, manage custon actions and sutff. I dont think you saw it cuz your asking that question thats explained in the extended version
but anyways yea I dropped some colors and that made it smaller, adding a border also makes the file size smaller
and concerning virtualdub. use WinRar or Winzip or something to decompress it. Its not very big so I dont think it even has a installation file. The version I got, when I decompressed it, it was the actual files. Also becuse it doesnt necessarily put any system files, it doesnt need an installation. But get those programs that can handle .zips and you should be able to get it going.
|2003-11-12, 22:22
|Link #18
Dyaus Pitar
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Toronto_Ontario
Lately I've been using VDub Mod to create image sequences and now I came to the question: Which is the best file format(*.tga, *.bmp, *.png) to save an image sequence to do animated avatars/banners? I've been using *.png by the way.
|animated gifs, graphics, tutorial
|Thread Tools


text:
Some Pakistan Taliban members in the tribal areas say the onslaught of US drone attacks and Pakistani offensives in recent months is forcing the group underground and creating fractures.
But they threatened to maintain their own suicide and car bomb campaign – a threat borne out over the past week in a string of suicide bombs in Lahore and the northwest that killed at least 70 people.
Such attacks serve as a reminder that the Pakistani Taliban remain far from finished off despite losing territory, momentum, and top leadership over the past year.
IN PICTURES: Drone jockey: New Air Force poster boys
"Our meetings take place on a regular basis, but the leadership is underground due to security concerns…. It is not only because of drones, but the Pakistani Army, too, is targeting us," says Taliban spokesman Tariq Azam in a phone interview from an undisclosed location.
"The Taliban will continue to strike back if the drone attacks are not stopped," he says.
Taliban on the run
A visit over the weekend to the Bajaur tribal agency on the Afghan border appears to back up recent military announcements that the region has been cleared of militants.
Local tribesmen, with the help of Pakistani security forces, have formed lashkars, or armed posses, numbering in the hundreds. Together they have torched more than 100 homes of Taliban members and supporters and destroyed some training camps.
The operation in Bajaur follows a series of campaigns in the northwest meant to stop the Taliban's expansion into new territories. The offensives have pushed in multiple directions, to South Waziristan at the southern end of the tribal belt and to Bajaur in the north.
Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters who escaped Bajaur have fled with their families to Charmang, in a corner of Bajaur. The retreat came at a cost: A large number of weapons, stolen vehicles, explosives, and drugs have been recovered from their houses and cave hideouts.
But still launching attacks
Despite the dramatic rollback, the group has claimed a string of suicide attacks this week in Lahore and the Swat Valley – a reminder that fighting is nowhere near over and that that the Taliban continues to maintain a presence in settled parts of Pakistan. Suicide bombers in Swat killed 13 people on Saturday and two attacks last week in Lahore killed at least 58.
"The TTP [Taliban] is definitely under pressure. It's no longer working in a very coordinated way, they are on the defensive, and the initiative has been taken away from them," says Gen. (ret.) Talat Masood, a security analyst in Islamabad. But "it may take months and years in order to eliminate what happened in Lahore in the last few weeks. It's a very long-term conflict."
The militants may be on the run in parts of Pakistan's tribal belt but they could still establish new strongholds and – if the government fails to stabilize reclaimed territories – return to old ones.
Bajaur illustrates that threat: The Pakistani military declared victory there a year ago, and set up local lashkars, only to have to return in force to flush out the Taliban again this year.
Countering that threat will require a near-total wiping out of the Taliban leadership, safe havens, and training camps, says Masood. And it will need a widespread rejection of the extremist mindset that the movement represents.
The Pakistani public, Masood worries, has not been prepared by political leaders to support such a long-term struggle.
Drones sow dissent among militants
In the meantime, the US has ramped up its assault from the air. The pace of drone attacks has quickened since Obama took office a year ago. In 2009 the US conducted 53 airstrikes over Pakistan; already this year it has fired 21.
The Taliban themselves admit they fear the drones not just as dealers of death but also of dissension.
"Drone attacks have created a rift in the Taliban ranks as people are suspecting each other of spying," says a member of a Taliban faction that split from the main group after death of Baitullah Mehsud, the founder of the Pakistan Taliban. The militant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says that such suspicions have led to fratricide within the group.
A drone strike on Jan. 14 also killed Mr. Mehsud's successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, according to Pakistani officials and some tribal and Taliban sources, though top Taliban officials say he's still alive.
"We are also suffering losses, but mainly the drones are attacking the civilian population, says Mr. Azam, the Taliban spokesman, whose real name is Master Rais Khan.
A study this month from the New America Foundation estimates that 32 percent of drone victims over the past six years in Pakistan's tribal areas have been civilians. Critics in the US argue that by killing civilians drone attacks end up creating more enemies.
Support for the drones
Many in Pakistan also denounce the drones as a violation of national sovereignty and as a trigger for more suicide attacks. But anecdotal evidence suggests that the anger over the drones in safer parts of Pakistan may not be entirely shared with civilians in war-torn regions.
In Peshawar, a peace movement comprising six political parties, rights groups, business leaders, and a cross-section of society released on Feb. 18 a "Peshawar Declaration" expressing support for drone attacks.
"If the people of the war-affected areas are satisfied with any counter militancy strategy, it is the Drone attacks which they support the most. According to the people of Waziristan, Drones have never killed civilians," reads the declaration.
"A component of the Pakistani media, some retired generals, a few journalists/analysts, and pro-Taliban political parties never tire in their baseless propaganda against Drone attacks."


text:
It's no sin to be one of God's beautiful creatures, nor to be married into a famous family. But it's kind of amazing that Sophie Grégoire made the cover of Chatelaine twice in three years. The shame of it isn't merely that at this point (October 2006), Justin Trudeau is simply a former high school drama teacher; it's that a magazine which still pretends to embrace progressive causes has wasted the entirety of its interview on the minutiae of how Sophie met Justin.
Since September 2005, Mme. Grégoire had been Quebec correspondent for CTV's eTalk entertainment news programme; the accompanying 6-page article contains exactly two paragraphs about her own career aspirations:
During her first year at Montreal's McGill University, she studied commerce but switched to the Université de Montreal, where she graduated with a communications degree. She then worked as an account manager at an ad agency, took another job selling advertising space for a Montreal magazine, and worked in PR. Until recently, she was a personal shopper at Holt Renfrew, but wanted to shift into broadcasting, where she was doing spot gigs on the side.
Seven years ago, she landed her first break. "I thought, My God, the camera loves her," recalls Sylvain Chamberland, the Montreal executive who hired her for a local all-news channel doing two-minute entertainment spots. He was struck by Sophie's bouyant sense of self, an anti-cynic. "She's authentic," says Chamberland, a vice-president for the communications giant Quebecor. "Believe me, I've met a lot of phonies in this business."
— Sanati, Maryam. "She made it all happen." Chatelaine, October 2006. p. 72.
There could have been an interesting story there (especially regarding the unusual shift from white-collar office work to retail), alas the rest is meet-cute and relationship fluff. But then who wants to read about a woman's boring career goals (and the struggle to attain them) when you can sigh over her dreamy husband instead?


text:
Free Standard Shipping on Orders Over $75
We've spent a lifetime in the mountains. When it comes to gear we won't compromise. Leveraging the collective knowledge of the RMI Guide Team, we select and direct you to top mountain gear. Guide Pick™ is outfitting simplified.
RMI Guides work and play on the world's highest mountains where their gear is exposed to the most extreme conditions – collectively over 10,000 days of use annually.
With almost 70 opinionated guides giving input, complete agreement rarely happens, but alignment does. This feedback process allows the best gear in each category to be revealed.
The top products in each category are identified and stamped Guide Pick™. You'll see this designation on the RMI Equipment Lists and throughout Whittaker Mountaineering.


text:
I'm starting a new feature here called "You may have missed."
I want to showcase small details of places in the Valley that, well, you may have missed.
My first entry is from the Moose building on Front Street in Milton.
I never noticed the details on the top of the building.
Here's a photo:
Very regal looking, and adds a nice touch to the landscape.
What are your favorite little sights? Let me know!


text:
New Endowed Chair Established
Rudy and Marilyn Nef had a vision for business education. When their vision met with the right opportunity at Augustana, they were moved to establish an endowed faculty chair, the Nef Family Chair of Political Economy.
The Nef Chair will advance the study of market economies and representative democracies, both within the campus community and in the general public. "Between my wife and I and our family, it was the right thing to do," Rudy Nef told the Watertown Public Opinion. "Our goal is to have people better understand the business role and the government role."
He said he envisions the program stimulating students and others toward independent business development and independent thinking. "It's basically designed to help students get a good education and teaching them how to think and get along in the world."
The Nef family is one of two founding families of Valley Queen Cheese, an award-winning, nationally recognized cheese production company. The enterprise was founded in 1929 by Rudy's father, Alfred, and his friend, Alfred Gonzenbach, two Swiss immigrants with a knack for cheese-making and the drive to bring their version of the "Great American Dream" to life. The company is based in Milbank, SD, and now employs more than 150 people.
"The Nefs have built a remarkable presence by embracing the basics," said Augustana President Rob Oliver. "Vision, integrity and much hard work take you a long way along the path to success, regardless of the enterprise. We celebrate their success and the wonderful gift of the endowed Nef Family Chair of Political Economy."
Valley Queen Cheese was named the 2009 South Dakota Business of the Year by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry for its outstanding record of excellence, economic impact, job creation, growth potential, strategic planning, and community service.
Rudy Nef said his family sees in Augustana some of those same qualities; strong leadership, visionary planning, an excellent workforce (the faculty and staff), outstanding academic reputation across disciplines, and a willingness to be entrepreneurial. "I'm impressed with President Rob Oliver's stewardship of the College and vision to create the Augustana like never before," he said.
In addition to his business dealings, Rudy Nef has served as mayor of Milbank and as a Grant County commissioner.
"We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to become associated with the Nef family and their legacy as successful business entrepreneurs, dedicated community leaders, and generous investors in South Dakota's future," said Jon Henkes, Vice President for Development at Augustana. "Their leadership gift is a blessing to Augustana that will live on to enrich many students and the region."


text:
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac. And Isaac begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Judas and his brethren. And Judas begot Phares and Zara of Thamar. And Phares begot Esron. And Esron begot Aram. And Aram begot Aminadab. And Aminadab begot Naasson. And Naasson begot Salmon. And Salmon begot Booz of Rahab. And Booz begot Obed of Ruth. And Obed begot Jesse.
And Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon, of her that had been the wife of Urias. And Solomon begot Roboam. And Roboam begot Abia. And Abia begot Asa. And Asa begot Josaphat. And Josaphat begot Joram. And Joram begot Ozias. And Ozias begot Joatham. And Joatham begot Achaz. And Achaz begot Ezechias. And Ezechias begot Manasses. And Manasses begot Amon. And Amon begot Josias.
And Josias begot Jechonias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon. And after the transmigration of Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel. And Salathiel begot Zorobabel. And Zorobabel begot Abiud. And Abiud begot Eliacim. And Eliacim begot Azor. And Azor begot Sadoc. And Sadoc begot Achim. And Achim begot Eliud. And Eliud begot Eleazar. And Eleazar begot Mathan. And Mathan begot Jacob.
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations. And from David to the transmigration of Babylon, are fourteen generations: and from the transmigration of Babylon to Christ are fourteen generations.
Matthew 1:1-17
Merry Christmas!


text:
Bangor International Airport's goal is to provide safe, reliable fuel service to our customers and to ensure the safety of people living and/or working near our fuel pipelines. Public awareness is a critical component of our overall safety program. Every employee of Bangor International Airport is committed to fulfilling our public awareness responsibilities.
To view our pipeline safety brochure click on the link below:


text:
supply china pipe elbow,seamless steel elbow
Supplier Details
Cangzhou Honda Pipe Bends Co.,ltd
Free Member (2011)
[ Tianjin, TI, China ]
Business Type: Manufacturer
Supplier has 2,303 products
Quick Details
Packaging and Delivery
Product Description
Item: high pressure elbow
Material:A234-WPB.A420-WPL6.A234-WP12.A234-WP11.A234-WP5.A403- WP304.A403-WP304L.A403- WP316.A403-WP316L etc.
Bending Radius (R): R=1.5D
Bending Angle:15,30,45, 60, 90,135,180, also could manufacture according to the angles given by the clients.
Straight Length(L): The length between two ends general from 300mm-1500mm, and also can produce according to the clients' requirements.
Outer Diameter (D): Up to D1620mm
Thickness(T): Up to T120mm
End Bevel: According to the bevel of welding pipe fittings construction.
Basic Information
About Us
Cangzhou Honda Pipe Bends CO.,LTD is an enterprise integrating production and sales of pipe bends, locates in Cangzhou city, Hebei Province, which is the center of piping products in China.
Since establishment in 1990, our company has been growing very rapidly due to sound technical foundation, specialized production equipment. We own 8 medium-frequency NC pipe bend production lines, supplying O-, U-, S-ans L-Shape pipe bend up to 1620mm caliber, with carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel mother tube, according to API, ANSI, ASME, ASTM, EN, DIN, MSS, etc..
Our products has been exported to more than 30 countries and regions such as South America, Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia, and are widely used in pipeworks of petroleum, chemical, power and metallurgy, and in decoration works of building-used arc-shape steel structure, large stadium, airport, toll station, bridge, ship and park.
"Quality first and users paramount" is our aim. We welcome both old and new users to contact us and visit our company. We are looking forward to creating bright future together with our good quality and excellent service, realizing a win-win situation trough our cooperation.
Member History
Send Supplier a Message
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text:
The fifth beta event for Aion kicks off tomorrow, with the NPCs greeting players with a hearty hello now that voice has been added to the game.
NPCs and player characters alike have been oddly silent in Aion, until now. Players preparing for tomorrow's beta weekend will find a hefty patch waiting for them, bringing the spoken word to the U.S. version of the game for the first time. Now NPCs in the game will greet players when clicked, and the cinematic cutscenes for certain quests will be that much more cinematic with the addition of full voiceovers. Player voices will now be selectable at character creation, an option that up until now had done absolutely nothing.
In addition to the voices, the update also adds in-game tutorial videos, system voices, and race prologues for both the Elyos and Asmodians.
The new voices should make an already engaging game just a bit more engaging. Can't wait to get my ears on them.
Closed Beta #5 is coming. [Official Aion Website]


text:
The following crimes are from the week of July 15 to July 21, 2012.
July 15. 8800 block Norwood Ave. Between 9 p.m. on July 12 and 9 a.m. on July 15, SA car owner found that someone had stolen the following from his vehicle: a global positioning system, black leather wallet, identification, debit card and money. Pry marks were found on both sides of the vehicle.
July 16. 7900 block Stenton Ave. Between 4:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on July 16, someone stole a brown 2008 Nissan Sentra.
July 21. 7900 block Stenton Ave. Complainant states that someone entered his home and stole one 13" Mac laptop, one Louis Vuitton wallet, one Louis Vuitton calendar and two oxycodene pills.
July 21. 200 block W. Highland Ave. Between afternoon of July 17 and July 19, a homeowner re[ported that someone broke into his home.. It is unknown at this time if anything was taken. Police observed pry marks on front door.
July 21. Unit block Rex Ave. Between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m., someone gained entry through kitchen window and stole items from dining room and master bedroom.
Summary — Five crimes for week: three burglaries, one stolen vehicle and one theft from vehicle.
Town Watch.
If you have been the victim of a crime and would like information, service or support, call Northwest Victims Service, 6301 Germantown Ave., Second Floor, Suite One, 215-438-4410. The service is free.


text:
Secondary regulators are used when you are attempting to dispense two or more kegs off of the same Co2 tank. A secondary regulator will allow you to regulate the pressure of each keg individually. Includes 543BS wall brackets to keep each beer line organized with the corresponding air line.
|Average Customer Rating:
|(based on 0 reviews)
|No customer reviews available. Be the first to write a review!
Be the first to ask a question.


text:
Sai Baba, Ranjitha & Swami Nithyananda YouTube Sex Scandal Videos
Barry Pittard and Robert Priddy (both caustic critics and defamers of Sathya Sai Baba and others) wrote amusing articles on their Anti-Sai WordPress blogs feebly attempting to draw caricatured comparisions between Paramahamsa Nithyananda Swamiji of Life Bliss Foundation – Dhyanapeetnam and Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Prashanti Nilayam – Puttaparthi.
What actual comparisons can be drawn between Nithyananda and Sathya Sai Baba? What actual parallels can be made? Let us find out:
About Paramahamsa Nithyananda: There are actual videos with actual footage of Swami Nithyananda engaging in consentual & intimate behavior with Tamil actress Ranjitha:
– Nithyananda Sex Scandal YouTube Video 01
– Nithyananda Sex Scandal YouTube Video 02.
About Sathya Sai Baba: There are no videos with actual footage of Sathya Sai Baba engaging in any sort of consentual & intimate behavior with anyone.
CONCLUSION: There is simply NO comparison between Nithyananda and Sathya Sai Baba whatsoever.
About Paramahamsa Nithyananda: Nityananda admitted he was the person in the YouTube videos and admitted that the Tamil actress Ranjitha engaged in the behaviors recorded therein (Reference).
About Sathya Sai Baba: Sathya Sai Baba has never (ever) made any sort of admission to any sort of inappropriate behavior and there are no videos of the guru engaging in any sort of questionable behavior.
CONCLUSION: There is simply NO comparison between Nithyananda and Sathya Sai Baba whatsoever.
About Paramahamsa Nithyananda: Official court cases were filed against Nityananda in India and Nityananda himself submitted a writ petition defending himself (01 – 02 – 03 – 04).
About Sathya Sai Baba: No alleged victim has ever filed (first-hand) a single court case against Sathya Sai Baba in India for any alleged acts of impropriety. Sathya Sai Baba has never (ever) had to obtain legal representation and has never (ever) submitted a writ petition defending himself. Furthermore, no basic police complaints have ever been filed first-hand against Sathya Sai Baba in India by any alleged victim (Reference).
CONCLUSION: There is simply NO comparison between Nithyananda and Sathya Sai Baba whatsoever.
Pittard & Priddy's Absurd Nithyananda Comparisions:
The fact of the matter is that Barry Pittard and Robert Priddy are bitter and vindictive extremists who argue their case via conspiracy, speculation and homo-erotic self-projection. It is apparent that Pittard & Priddy are attempting to gain cheap publicity (the only kind they can obtain) for their blogs by writing about the highly-charged controversy surrounding Swami Nithyananda and Tamil actress Ranjitha.
Gerald Joe Moreno has written a strongly defended article entitled Refuting The Allegations Against Sathya Sai Baba With Factual Information that exposes the many gutter and smear campaigns waged by Barry Pittard, Robert Priddy and Ex-Devotees on the internet.
Despite Pittard & Priddy's desperate and frenzied attempts to smear Sathya Sai Baba and draw dubious comparisions with Swamiji Nithyananda and Swamiji Bhimanand, Sathya Sai Baba has never (ever) had a single police complaint filed against him by any alleged victim and not even one mother or father has come forward with a public grievance or court case in India alleging impropriety against the Guru.
How's that for a real eye-opener?
Filed under: Allegations Against Sathya Sai Baba, Barry Pittard, Prashanti Nilayam, Robert Crichton Priddy, Robert Priddy, Sai Baba, Sai Controversy, sathya sai baba, sathya sai baba news, Sathya Sai Baba Of India | Tagged: Bhimanand, Dhyanapeetnam, Faith, Gurus, India, Life Bliss Foundation, Nithyananda, Nityananda, Puttaparthi, Ranjitha, Scandal, Sex Scandal, Tamil Actress Ranjitha, YouTube |


text:
1 gallon apple juice
1 gallon apple cider
3 cups white sugar
8 cinnamon sticks
1 (750 milliliter) bottle 190 proof grain alcohol (Everclear works best)
In a large pot, combine apple juice, apple cider, sugar and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let cool completely.
When juice mixture is cool, Stir in the grain alcohol.
If you haven't tried this yet you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Be careful because it tastes so good the alcohol will sneak up on you.


text:
Posts tagged Ed Oxenbould
The Best Movie Twists of All Time0
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
This week we've got three new movies. The Perfect Guy is an ok movie that could have been really good if it didn't have to be politically correct. It tries to take two different lanes. On one hand the movie wants to be a serious movie about women putting up with abusive horrible men. In another lane is a campy thriller, however these lanes don't work simultaneously and therefore it's kind of a bad movie. 90 Minutes in Heaven is awful…even for a religious movie. The Visit however is actually a pretty good movie. M. Night Shyamalan is back. It has a great twist, even if you figure it out. It's hilarious, it's scary, it's a lot of fun please go see this movie.
Our Top Five this week is twist endings. We talk about Psycho, Saw, Empire Strikes Back, Oldboy, Vertigo, The Usual Suspects, Memento, Primal Fear, Fallen, Fight Club, and The Sixth Sense.
Our Undisputed Classic is The Sixth Sense.
In 1985 After Hours, Agnes of God, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Our trailers this week are:
Our Brand is Crisis
The Happening Honest Trailer


text:
"C" and I were inspired by all of the cute
Pink (her favorite color) and Red Valentine Displays
at Target this week and decided we should make a
Valentine-themed sensory box!
We made a quick batch of pink rice.
I used Gel Food Coloring for the first time and the color is fantastic!
I am a convert.
We also used Rubbing Alcohol instead of our usual hand sanitizer gel method
and it blended the colors really nicely and dried more quickly.
(We used one big bag of white rice from Walmart for this box)
I also added a few drops of Lavender essential oil this time
and the rice smells wonderful,
it also makes your hands smell nice after you've been playing in it!
For this batch we used (1) 5lb. bag of white long grain rice.
I put it in a big mixing bowl and squeezed in a drizzle of red gel food coloring.
Then, I tossed in a little bit of rubbing alcohol,
probably a capful or two.
Then we stirred it up with a big mixing spoon.
Keep adding bits of food coloring and a little alcohol
(to distribute it and make it soak into the rice)
until you have the color you want.
NOTE: As you stir and the color "develops" it will get a bit darker and richer
so if you're going for lighter colors take your time and give it a minute
before you add more color!
You can also dye uncooked pasta/noodles this same way for other projects.
We added three clear heart boxes from the Dollar Spot at Target,
they're fun to use as boxes to sort into-
they'll be great for our light table too!
We also picked up some smaller pink and red mini heart boxes
and pink heart shaped "gems" all from Target Dollar spot.
So for $4, we got all of these fun new goodies for our box.
"C" made me boxes of valentine candy all afternoon.
I also added our mini metal mail box from last Valentine's day,
a set of red measuring spoons from our kitchen (Dollar Tree)
a red funnel, and an ice cream scoop.
See those cute little paper hearts?
Those are from little toothpick toppers, the kind that come with
co-ordinating cupcake liners.
We picked them up at Dollar Tree last week.
We use them to make lunches and snacks "fancy"
After we eat with them, I snap off the tops
(without any pokey or sharp parts sticking out)
and toss them into our sensory boxes.
I almost forgot, they had this cute silicone heart pan in the
Dollar Spot at Target too! (So I guess I spend $5)
Fun for counting and sorting heart gems and little toothpick toppers.
"C" playing with her Valentine box in the playroom,
waiting for big sister to get home from school and join in the fun!


text: Purchase a season ticket or individual show tickets in advance online at osseo.ce.eleyo.com or call 763-391-7119. You may also purchase them at the door! The most cost effective trip you'll ever take and your plane will always be on time! Please note: the February 21 show has been rescheduled for May 7.


text:
System of a Down, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson + More Confirmed for 2012 Canada Metal Fests
Check these next gatherings off on your list of must-see metal festivals this year. System of a Down, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God and more awesome bands will be bringing the noise to the Heavy T.O. festival in Toronto and the Heavy MTL fest in Montreal.
Both the Heavy T.O. (Toronto) festival and the Heavy MTL (Montreal) festival will be held on the same two days, Aug. 11 and 12. Although the festivals will be held simultaneously, System of a Down, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God and the rest of the 'Heavy' lineup will be performing at both locations, with the Toronto Saturday lineup serving as the Montreal Sunday lineup and vice versa.
The absolutely killer lineup for both 'Heavy' festivals also includes Killswitch Engage, Cannibal Corpse, Suicidal Tendencies, Five Finger Death Punch, Kataklysm, Gojira, Protest the Hero, Overkill, High on Fire, Veil of Maya, Job for a Cowboy, Goatwhore, The Faceless, Periphery, Exhumed and Between the Buried and Me.
Phew, that's one hell of a bill. Raise your Canadian flags high and book yourself a trip to either Toronto or Montreal, because these events not to be missed.


text:
Having been invited to accompany the band for this road trip, I quickly whipped together my travel bag and hopped into the van that ace guitarist Christo Buffam was driving.
High tech equipment in hand, we were on the road to Boston.
Along the way, we acknowledged a personal fave town of mine.
Listen and watch - to the song that defines what the summer of 2011 is all about:
"Summer Fling" knows just where to put the "doo doo doo's." We all wanna have one, but it can be more if you want it too. The tone is dark and deep, with waves of Jas and Lu's voices cascading all over you. It's all anchored so solidly by Honey's tom tom thump. Christo's guitar atmospherics and melody lines over Jasno's wall-of-buzz complete the picture.
One of the festival locations was a club called "Precinct" (which not so coincidentally was below the police precinct there). There was another festival going on as well - complete with a huge mechanical dragon.
Its not something you expected to see!
People were allowed to sit on it and move its jaws via hand held wires.
Over at PA's lounge - the two Vandelles "diva's" showed up.
Charming, pretty, photogenic, talented - have I left anything out?
Oh, yeah - they are smart too.
And fun. They are fun to be around.
Notice in the lower left hand corner of this photo - drummer Honey Valentine brings her own cooling fan to shows. That one there is affectionately named "Fan Drescher"
Bassist/ super background vocalist Lulu Lapin revs it up, while Honey checks the tuning of her maraca and frontman Jasno Suarez gets show ready.
Road warrior and all around great guy (and super talented guitarist)
Christo Buffam riffs away!
The projections presented throughout the festival were visually stimulating and fully enhanced what the bands were doing.
This one created a "Terminator" like effect on Jas
The audience were totally receptive to what The Vandelles were bringing. Jas & Christo's twin-guitar attack is impressive, and the crowd lapped it up.
Lulu and Jas sing so wonderfully together. Its too bad the vocal mics were not at their best for this particular show.
Lulu captured at an essential moment.
Projected effects make for many interesting photos
Christo rocked - with or without shades
Honey V - hair a flyin'
Lu, Jas & Honey know what summer themes are all about.
Vic Firth sticks bring the ruckus
Christo takes his turn as featured vocalist
And the band plays on
Its a sound I crave.
Christo and his shadow vie for attention
Honey V - substance with style
Christo's pedal effects
More shadowplay
and the band that put on the whole event:
Ana let myself and a myriad of other band members crash at her house that night.
She has the cutest cat named Tigger
The view from my appointed couch


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My friend Gina gave my son this great present for his birthday–Lauri Toys Peel and Stick by Numbers Wild Animals. The simple but satisfying mosaics are made out of squishy sticker tiles. It kept my 7-year-old occupied for hours and you end up with a little work of art they are really proud of. The best part is it's $8.46!
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- Birthday Gift Idea, Gifts for Kids, Gifts We Love, Indoor Activities


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Social Media
Get involved with study abroad
Are you just back from studying abroad and want to share your experience with your fellow students? Are you thinking about studying abroad but you still have questions? Are you looking to meet with international and other global-minded students? If so, we invite you to get involved through our many social media outlets!
Like SJSU Study Abroad on Facebook to talk with other students interested in study abroad.
Follow SJSU Study Abroad on Twitter for the latest news about study abroad and other international events on campus.
Join the SJSU Study Abroad LinkedIn group for professional networking opportunities.
Read the SJSU Study Abroad Blog to see posts from students offering firsthand insights and testimonials about their time abroad.


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By Kate Bennett, KF15 Ecuador / KF16 Perú
My first placement in Ecuador was my first time in the country. Turns out that Ecuador is every bit as incredible as the guide books say, and more. I was continously struck by the warmth and openness of the Ecuadorian people (and their passion for politics!), the beauty of the mountains, jungle, and countryside, the richness of Ecuadorian food, the strength of the Kiva borrowers I met there, and my persisting inability to salsa as well as my coworkers. These are a few of my favorite photos of my time there. Stay tuned for my next post, of my favorite photos from my placement in Perú!
Kate Bennett (KF16) is thrilled to be working in Ica, Peru with Kiva Field Partner Caja Rural Señor de Luren. For more on Kate's experiences with Caja Rural Señor de Luren or life in Peru or Ecuador, follow her work here.


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(Damon Seils was among the arrestees on Monday.)
* UPDATE – An earlier version of this story said "at least 140" were arrested.
RALEIGH – The North Carolina NAACP resumed its "Moral Monday" protests at the state legislature in Raleigh Monday evening—and as organizers promised, this week's demonstration was far larger than any that had come before it.
Despite the threat of rain, more than 1600 turned out at the State House, and at least 150 were arrested—including Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton, Chapel Hill Town Council member Donna Bell, and Carrboro Aldermen Damon Seils, Michelle Johnson and Sammy Slade. (Technically the number of arrestees from the Board of Aldermen constituted a quorum.)
The number of arrests on Monday nearly matches the combined total of 153 from the last four protests dating back to late April—and while state legislators themselves seem undeterred, demonstrators say the growing numbers are a sign that North Carolinians in general are coming to their side.
"North Carolina's waking up," says Bishop Larry Reid, pastor of the Cathedral of Hope Church in Carrboro and one of many local residents who made the trip to Raleigh on Monday. "(They're) waking up to see the effect of what's going on (in) this legislature."
The "Moral Monday" protests have been organized by the state chapter of the NAACP, led by chapter president Rev. William Barber—who's called for a "wave of civil disobedience" against the policies being enacted by the GOP-led General Assembly, on issues ranging from voter ID to health care to education and beyond.
Chapel Hill resident Tye Hunter—also present at Monday's protest—says it's precisely that wide range of issues that has given the movement its strength.
"There isn't a number-one issue," he says, "(and) I think one of the great things about what Rev. Barber has done in building this coalition is that there are lots of issues and all of the issues are important."
But even as the movement has grown (dramatically so this week) the tide of legislation coming out of the State House has not abated—and there's still more to come, with the House and Senate making progress towards agreeing on a budget for the next two years. Bishop Reid says in spite of the swell of support, he doesn't see the movement getting through to legislators—at least not yet.
"Honestly, I do not," he says. "Because it would seem to me that with as much as (has) gone on thus far–we're simply asking to be heard, and as a matter of fact we've spoken to some of our area representatives, and they've even been asked to be quiet and not speak out…it's just horrendous."
Still, though, Reid says he's optimistic that the movement will soon make progress—though an important deadline is fast approaching.
"I do believe (we'll make progress)," he says. "I really do…and we're shooting for that before they close for the summer session, because we feel that if they close for the summer session–our efforts will not necessarily be in vain, but their ear won't be quite as keen."
Tye Hunter agrees, saying that while he doesn't anticipate any sudden shifts from state legislators right now, the "Moral Monday" movement is only just beginning.
"Dr. King famously said that the arc of the moral universe bends slowly, but it bends toward justice," he says. "We know this isn't going to be resolved in a week or two weeks, or a month or two months…(but) we're beginning a movement. This is the first of many steps–there will be legal strategies, there will be strategies involving mass demonstration, (and) there will be strategies involving the next election."
Chilton, Seils, Johnson, Slade and Bell were the only local elected officials arrested at Monday's protest, but they were far from the only ones there: numerous members of the Board of County Commissioners were also present at the demonstration, including Penny Rich, Mark Dorosin and Bernadette Pelissier.


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January 29, 1974 - June 8, 2013
Formerly of Warwick, NY
Lieutenant Colonel Jaimie Elizabeth Leonard died June 8, 2013 in Afghanistan in service to her country. From a young age she dreamed of serving in the military and achieved this ambition with over 16 years of honorable service in the U.S. Army. A brilliant and committed officer, Jaimie was respected and beloved by those with whom she served. She was an inspiration to all.
Born January 29, 1974, Jaimie grew up in Warwick, NY and graduated from Warwick Valley High School in 1992. After attending Marion Military Institute on a merit-based scholarship, she entered United States Military Academy at West Point, commissioning in 1997 as a Military Intelligence Officer. As a selectee to the highly competitive, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense Intern Program, Jaimie earned her M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University in 2007. Her dedicated service comprised assignments to South Korea; Germany; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; the Pentagon; Fort Drum, New York, and multiple deployments, to include three combat tours - one in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. Her exemplary and selfless service to her country yielded award of three Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, three Army Commendation Medals, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, three Afghanistan Campaign Medals, two Iraq Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, five Overseas Service Ribbons, the NATO badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
LTC Jaimie was preceded in death by her father, Robert Fulton Leonard Jr. and mother, Patricia Ann Oberst. She is survived by five siblings: Elizabeth Anne Harman and husband, JR Harman and daughters, Ava and Leah of Putnam Valley, NY; Hannah J. Rudy and husband, Travis Shores and son, Theolonious and daughter, Fionna of Hanover, NH; Allyson Basha and husband, Mohammed Basha and daughter, Nina of Burlington, VT; Samantha Leonard, presently serving with the Peace Corps in Grenada, West Indies; and Robert Leonard of East Dorset, VT; step-mother, Sally Asbury Leonard of East Dorset, VT; and three godchildren: Kristen Courage, Katherine Kemkes, and Ava Harman. Jaimie will be lovingly remembered by many nieces, nephews, godchildren, and many friends and colleagues. She was a true inspiration and consummate soldier - dedicated to her work, family, and friends - and she will be profoundly missed.
Services will be held at West Point Chapel on June 20, 2013. A wake will be held at Hogan Funeral Home in Highland Falls, NY on June 19th. Jaimie will be interred in West Point Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Fisher House Foundation, which provides free or low cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers.


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Soirée AVANT_MUTEK @ SAT
Société des arts technologiques [SAT]
MUTEK is proud to announce an AVANT_MUTEK event in Montreal on April 19th. A one-of-a-kind exhibition for the Montreal public, this hometown thank-you event will feature international artists Pole, Demdike Stare, Jacaszek, and Miles performing in the brand-new, state-of-the-art Satosphere, which MUTEK's unique brand of digital creativity will be occupying for the first time.
POLE (DE, Pole Music/~scape)
DEMDIKE STARE (UK, Modren Love)
JACASZEK (PL, Ghostly International)
MILES (UK, Modern Love)
Advance : 25$ (+taxes + service charge)
Door : 35$ (taxes included)
Tickets available online via the SAT website.
On sale in Montréal as of Thursday, March 22:
Vitrine Culturelle (2 Sainte-Catherine St E)
Atom Heart (364-B rue Sherbrooke E)
Off the Hook (1021 Sainte-Catherine St W)
Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe Street)
- Date
April 19, 2012 22:00 - April 20, 2012 03:00
- Venue
Société des arts technologiques [SAT]
1201 Saint-Laurent Blvd, Montréal, QC H2X 2S6
Montréal, Canada
- View this event on


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One thing that I have always found strange but very common is that people tend to want to begin working out as a means to lose weight. Besides losing weight, fitness has a wealth of benefits that should be enough on their own. When you work, it gives you more energy, boosts your mood, increases your productivity and focus, helps get rid of stress, gets your heart pumping, helps ward off disease, boosts your immune system, and you can eat more (my favorite…haha). Somehow these benefits are not always enough to encourage people to exercise. I know personally that finding a fitness that you love can be the single most important factor in motivating you to exercise more! In this blog post, I interviewed four amazing women about a type of fitness that they fell in love with. I hope that reading their interviews will inspire you to find that type of fitness that is right for you!
So, let me first say that I am definitely at fault for exercising to lose weight too, but this school year I have made it my personal goal to exercise more for the mental and emotional health benefits Teaching can definitely be stressful, and I'm hoping that making a consistent fitness routine for myself can mitigate some of my stress! For several years, I have been really into Zumba and hip-hop dance fitness classes. I have always enjoyed dancing (even though I'm not necessarily the BEST dancer) and for a while was hooked on the Just Dance and Dance Dance Revolution games. During my first Zumba class, I realized how quickly the time passed, because I was out there having so much fun. From books and articles that I had read about happiness, I had heard about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of flow. Flow is a state during which you are extremely focused and absorbed in an activity. It hit me that Zumba helped me to reach my state of flow. I have other fitness activities that I enjoy, like my bike trainer and the elliptical machine, but nothing compares to the feeling that I get when I dance. Time melts away, any self-consciousness melts away, and it's just me and the music.
Let me introduce each of my fabulous and fit interviewees for the blog post. Brandi Cooper is a group fitness instructor who teaches Zumba, Body Pump, and CX Worx. Jaimie S. loves to run, and does two half and two full marathons each year. Dr. Katherine Heldt plays underwater rugby and was a competitive swimmer. Sara without an H is a pole fitness instructor, and does burlesque and lyra (aerial hoop) and well.
Group X Classes
(Zumba, Body Pump, CX Worx)
Brandi Cooper is a group fitness instructor for several different classes. I teach Zumba, which is 'a workout in disguise' dance cardio workout with some body weight variations. It's inspired by Latina and international music and rhythms. I also teach Les Mills Body Pump which is a barbel class, full-body workout with weights featuring lighter weights and high reps. It focuses on high reps and pulsing pressure to fatigue muscles and build lean tone. It also focuses on time under tension to produce fast results. The format is always 10 tracks (warm-up, warm-up, squats, chest, back, triceps, biceps, lunges, shoulders, core, then cool down). Another class that Brandi is Les Mills CX Worx. It's a 30 minute core workout [that] focuses on functional core strength built around our everyday movements. It uses integrated combos and movements. The movements and combos integrate your shoulders, back, core, hips, glutes, and thighs. If you think about what we do every day, it requires a strong and sturdy core. Brandi also enjoys many other types of fitness. She does OCRs (obstacle course racing) and other races with her husband and children. She also likes Pound and Body Combat fitness classes.
I started weight lifting when I was 11. I have been taking group x classes since I had my first child 8.5 years ago. [That's] when I fell in love with it. I started teaching a little over a year ago officially. My younger sister got me into Zumba first. She found it, and then my mom brought me. I fell instantly in love with it. I started lifting when I was 11, and love being strong, powerful, and seeing definition in my muscles. Also making friends with the others in the classes and being with others pushed you to go harder than you would on your own. You feel team power-that everyone is doing it all together- and it is motivating! The interactions and having the camaraderie of everyone else in the class with us [kept me coming back\. It goes for all group x classes. The music is driving and the instructors are motivating. As an instructor, I love seeing the participants progress each week and each month. Personally, with weight lifting, it gives mere results. I have personal body fat goals and I worked hard to achieve them. Results, people, friendship, and goals…it all keeps me going. Currently I do Pump once a week, do heavy lifting twice a week, Pound once a week, Cx Worx twice a week, Zumba 3-4 times a week, and Combat once a week. (She's amazing!!!)
What do you love most about each type of fitness that you do?
Zumba= It's fun and [you can] let go of all the crazy!
Pump= The strength and endurance training, and how it builds stamina
Cx Worx= The stability core training and how I see results in my everyday duties
The best part is how rounded out I feel and that all three together give me the best results and fun that I could possibly have.
What has fitness taught you about yourself?
It's taught me that it's ok to push yourself harder than you thought and you're always capable of more when you put your mind to it! Also that I'm strong, independent, and that I need to be strong and healthy to take care of my family and keep up with my kids. That it's ok to fail. If you fall, you just have to get up and try harder.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering trying fitness classes?
Group x classes are for anyone, whether you're 15 or 75, whether you're a beginner and trying to find what type of exercise you enjoy, or whether you're advanced and just need to pushed towards your own fitness level. I'd recommend any format, especially to anyone who wants results and team work and not to work out alone. I'd say try everything and find what you love. Make it part of your life, and you'll never regret it!
Jaimie S.'s fitness of choice is long distance running. I have been participating in long distance running for four years now. I enjoy running half and full marathons. In 2014, I was a busy teacher and grad student. I had just lost 50 pounds and was looking for a new way to develop cardiovascular endurance. I lived across from a park, so running was convenient and helpful for getting outside (without driving the 30 minutes it took me to get to the gym.) (That's so motivating!) I loved being able to lose myself in a run. I could just be with my thoughts while enjoying nature. I liked being able to set goals and use races to keep myself focused and forever working toward improvement. Now, I run two half marathons and two full marathons each year, but I run for cardio about five days a week.
What do you love most about running?
I love the freedom that I feel when I go out and see where the road takes me.
What has running taught you about yourself?
I learned that I am capable to push myself and accomplish more than I ever thought was possible. I was the kid who hated running the mile in high school.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering trying it?
Start slow. It's ok to run/walk or use intervals to build up stamina. You aren't going to like every moment of it, and that's ok.
Avoid comparing yourself to others.
Remember that every run is different. You will have good days and bad days.
Stay safe! Pay attention to your surroundings.
Enjoy the moment!
Underwater Rugby
I'm going to be honest that this blog post is the first that I had heard about underwater rugby, so I was so intrigued to learn more about it from Dr. Katherine Heldt! Underwater rugby is a three dimensional sport played at approximately 5m depths in swimming pools around the world. Each team consists of up to 15 players: 6 actively playing in the water, 6 substitutes on land (substitutions occur throughout the game), and 3 reserve players. The 6 active players usually consist of 2 goalies, 2 defenders, and 2 attackers. Players wear mask, fins, snorkels, a cap to protect ears, and of course a swimsuit. A ball, filled with seawater so it sinks, is passed among team members with the aim of scoring in the opponent's goal which is at the bottom of the pool. But it is not as easy as it sounds because if you have the ball you can be tackled, and to score, you must first tackle the goalie off of the goal or trick the goalie and sneakily slide the ball into the goal.
In 2016, a few of my friends from scuba club kept asking me to come and try it out; they all knew I was a competitive swimmer and might like other water sports. After many months, I finally managed to make a practice, and I immediately fell in love! It was the sport I had been looking for my entire life! It combined water, teamwork, and even includes new dimensions to play in. I love the challenges associated with underwater rugby and that anyone who is comfortable in water can enjoy this sport. I am proud to say that I know women in their late 30's that are fantastic players, which gives me hope that I can continue to play and compete for many more years. Katherine does underwater rugby as often as she can! I currently reside in a regional town in South Australia and am slowly trying to build a team. However, I practice and complete fitness tests at least 3 times a week in my local ~2m depth swimming pool. At the same time, I am part of a fantastic experience via the selection processes for the Australian Women's National Team and am training with the hopes of being selected to compete in the World Cup in Austria 2019. (Wow! Way to go!)
What do you love most about underwater rugby?
I really enjoy the underwater rugby community. Everyone is always happy to share knowledge and we are one big happy family.
What has underwater rugby taught you about yourself?
Underwater rugby has really taught me to push my limits. I have always been in competition with myself, but I never realized how far I could go until I started playing. Just like many other sports, there are tactics, strength and speed required, but being a 3-D underwater sport there are additional challenges such as breath holding and playing in the 'up/down' dimension and angles.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering trying it?
Don't put off trying this sport because the name and description is a bit intense! Underwater rugby is truly a sport for anyone, and once you start you will improve quickly (we are all beginners at some point!). Take advice from teammates and learn to play as a team (cooperation is necessary to win!).
Underwater rugby is growing rapidly around the world. As I live in Australia, I can say we have at least one team in each major city and with a little help from google you can find a team near you. In fact, I will be visiting and having a play with the New Jersey Hammerheads this fall!
Pole Fitness
I have seen Sara without an H perform during a recital at Awakenings Pole Fitness, and loved seeing all of the different performances! We saw individual pole routines, partner routines, group routines, in addition to burlesque and aerial hoop routines. So what is pole fitness? Pole fitness uses a brass or chrome pole as a way to build strength and learn skills such as static holds, spins, and inversions. Dance movement and floor work is used to connect skills together to make a smooth flow. A typical class starts with a warm up and conditioning; pole-ups (like a pull up but on the pole) pole tucks, handstands. We then focus on skills, based on level. Class ends with a freestyle dance and stretch. Pole uses your whole body so it's a great workout!
My background is dance and martial arts. I was looking to get back into dance and was having a hard time finding adult dance classes outside the city. I went to an open house at a gym and found pole. For me it was the perfect mix of fitness and dance. Pole allows me to express myself; it can be a physical challenge that leaves me sore but thrilled to learn a new skill or it can be sultry and sexy. I perform burlesque, pole, and lyra (aerial hoop) so I'm constantly looking to learn and grow. I don't really like to workout – pole and aerials is all I do. I have been teaching with Awakenings Pole Fitness for 8 years. I started as a student and was hooked from my first class; pole feels like flying! I currently teach twice a week at Awakenings. Some students train once a week; others come 3-4 times per week. (Sara performed to "Take Me to Church" during a duet performance, and it was so beautiful and moving. Loved it!)
What do you love most about pole fitness?
I love seeing students when a new skill clicks! I also love seeing students build confidence in themselves and their bodies. You need skin to stick to the pole so as students advance, they will have to wear clothing that allows for that. I see many students start in baggie tops and longer shorts and after a while they are in a sport bra top and short shorts. We cheer each other on – pole welcomes a wide variety of body shapes, sizes, and ages.
What has pole fitness taught you about yourself?
It has taught me to appreciate what my body can do. Taking something that is hard and making it look effortless makes me proud; conversely it pushes me to keep learning new tricks and styles. I love sharing this passion with students and as a performer.
What advice would you give to someone who is considering trying it?
Bring a willingness to try! Pole is hard and takes time to build skills; I always say it is more like martial arts than yoga or spinning. To get to black belt, it takes years. Pole is similar in that it takes time, some skills may come easier, and others may be hard – but follow your journey and enjoy it as it goes!
When you find fitness you love, you:
- feel strong and powerful
- become part of a community
- have FUN
- set goals and measure your progress (then make new goals)
- are in a state of flow
- push yourself beyond what you thought was possible
Keep in mind that those are not among what I had listed as potential benefits of fitness at the beginning of this post. Our interviewees have revealed some incredible insights about what made them love fitness and what keeps them coming back! It's really inspiring to see what fitness can teach us about ourselves and challenge us to become.
Hopefully you learned about a new type of fitness that you would like to try, or perhaps this motivated you to get out there and start trying new things. If there's something you want to try, go for it! If you're not sure what you would like, join a gym or studio that offers multiple fitness classes so you can try out lots and lots of different types. I joined AFC Fitness in Bala Cynwyd this summer, and have tried so many different types of classes, including Gentle Yoga, Zumba, Piloxing, and still want to try Cardio Kickboxing and Spin class, among others.
I want to hear from you! What type of fitness are you obsessed with? Tell me how you got started and what you have learned!
Until next time…


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The disease
I see this channel has started to ram some dross into the middle of films. It's like some sort of contagious disease spreading throughout commercial channels.
FFS 9:30am Sun 23 Sep Report Abuse
Why did my recording of 5Star movie Layer Cake end after the first hour? Is it something to do with the listing including the words Includes Access?
FullFilm fan 3:35pm Tue 26 Sep Report Abuse
Divergent film
I have recorded this film twice and the recording has cut off after 64 minutes on both occasions, i am going to record it again Friday and hope it continues until the end of the film, thank you
Flossy 11:32am Sun 21 May Report Abuse
Great show and sum up of movies :)
Tvgirl 3:32pm Fri 21 Apr Report Abuse


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|Southeast Spotlight
Zach Gordon Youth Center offers summer camps for Kids
Published: 06/27/2013 13:00:00
The Zach Gordon Youth Center offers an amazing variety of camp opportunities for kids every week during the summer, from fishing to arts to running and even sandcastle building. We tagged along for this week's adventure, which among other activities, included kayaking. Jess Brown, the Teen Advocate for the Youth Center told us more about it.
VIDEO: The Zach Gordon Youth Center's summer camp program is in full swing, getting kids out into the world on adventures. (Image: Rik Pruett)
"So this week we're doing the Adventure Treasure Chest Camp, and its three long days of just fun stuff outside, so yesterday we went out to SAGA's (Southeast Alaska Guidance Association) ropes course and today we're going out to Saga and we're kayaking in the Salt Chuck and I think that will be great.
The cool thing about getting kids in kayaks is that it doesn't always happen, you know for a lot of our kids it'll be the first time that they're in kayaks and also I think it's such an incredible step away from their ordinary lives of being in front of TV's, and computers and right now as we speak you know while we're waiting for other kids to show up, they're inside trying to get on the Wii or the PlayStation so this'll be a great chance for them to get outside and connect their minds and their bodies with nature and it's something that I think a lot of these kids don't normally do."
It was a special day for a young man named Ethan, one of the camp's participants, who had never been in a kayak before.
(Reporter) Have you ever been kayaking before?
"No but I have been canoeing, it's very fun to be out on the water, I even went fishing once on a boat. It is a great pleasure to be here, its beautiful, the mountains everything and I'm excited to go kayaking.
Most parents agree that anytime that you can get kids away from the TV and out into the world is a good thing, and a great way to broaden their horizons and keep them active. The youth center is lucky that they have partners to help them attain that goal, and one of them is the Southeast Alaska Guidance Association, which provides the kayaks and the ropes course for the camp. A fact much appreciated by the Ms. Brown.
"Well of course this week wouldn't be possible without the help of SAGA, and they've always been a key partner in this camp for the Adventure Treasure Chest Camp and so I'm really happy to be working with them."
By: Rik Pruett - email@example.com