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Long-time singer, Elise Testone began performing at the age of six. She currently sings with groups Slanguage, The Freeloaders, and Justin Smith and the Folk-Hop Band.
Elise was eliminated from competition on April 26, 2012 after performances of songs by Queen as well as contestants' choice.
|Randy's Comments
|Jennifer's Comments
|Steven's Comments
Contestant's Choice
|Bold as Love (Jimi Hendrix)
|I'm a huge Hendrix fan, I'm a huge Elise fan. For me, I didn't feel like it was the right song for this point in the competition…I did not love that.
|I know what Steven's saying, but I just feel like you slayed that song so hard, it just didn't matter.
|I love the Janis Joplin about you, always have…but you gotta remember, you gotta do songs that everybody knows…
Songs from Queen
|I Want it All (Queen)
|That style of song is so right for you…it allows you to do your Janice thing in the middle and get into your runs…
|To me, that was you in your element. It was natural, it was sexy, it was you.
|Elise, you found your stride, you see that's what we've been waiting for you to do.
"Now and Then"
|No One (Alicia Keys)
|You definitely have a strong voice… You stayed with the melody this week.
|What we push others to do in this competition as far as letting go, you do so naturally.
|You have such a beautiful voice for a better chorus.
"Now and Then"
|Let's Get It On (Marvin Gaye)
|You definitely gotta show the emotion… That song choice wasn't really right for your voice… you're not really sure what's exactly right for your voice… you kind of oversang that song.
|You always sound so good and it's always so hard to critique you… you don't like to show emotion too much, and it does come out when you sing… I'd like to see even more of that.
|I think that song showed your versatility. I think it strung a note with every man across America… but I think you need to take it up a notch.
"This Decade"
|You and I (Lady Gaga)
|America, Elise is back! She's back! That was the perfect song for you, that was the perfect moment.
|You did exactly what you wanted to do. You let go and you kept control at the same time.
|You took a song that was so simple and effortless and you turned it into genius.
"Songs from the 80's"
|I Wanna Feel What Love Is (Foreigner)
|For me, it's a tough song to sing…What technically happened to you, you never quite hit the pitch right.
|You have a powerhouse voice, which means you can sing anything…It wasn't totally right every single moment.
|80's songs are 80s songs, but yeah...
"My Idol"
|Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin)
|That's the hardest song in the world to sing, all the flavor he put in that, as Steven Tyler really knows. Dude, you did an amazing job on that – congrats!
|I didn't want to get up, but you made me get up. You made everybody get up. It was crazy.
|I wasn't sure you were gonna pull that off because nobody can pull that off. You made Robert Plant proud tonight.
Songs from Billy Joel
|Vienna (Billy Joel)
|You've taken it and made it your own. What you saw tonight, America is the reason why this girl is in this competition. She is unbelievably talented…That run you sing at the end, I don't know of any signers who could sing that except you!
|I'm so happy for you that I just want to shake you.
|You were all over the place, but you still stayed in the room…
Songs from Birth Year
|Let's Stay Together (Al Green)
|America, Elise is ba-ack!
|That was showing America who Elise is to me!
|God I love your voice, my Aunt Sonia Loves your voice. Everybody loves your voice!
Songs from Stevie Wonder & Whitney Houston
|I'm Your Baby Tonight(Whitney Houston)
|What it felt like was that you were boxing with the song.
|I know Elise and I know she can murder this up and I was wondering what happened up here.
|You know Elise when you have a really good voice, you'd think that you can sing any song real good but yours you got so much character, you gotta find that just right one.
Hello Elise!
I am a big fan of yours, and I have loved the way you sing since the very beginning of when I saw you. I have played yours songs over and over again, and even sang with them. I love your voice and I know that even if you don't win that you will be real successful.
<3 a real BIG fan!
one of the greatest performance on america idol, keep rockin.
Elise, You are truly the greatest entertainer in this contest. Don't let up a particle. Just put everything you have into each performance. You are just getting better each week and for the past two weeks you have really demonstrated your skills. Pick the right songs and sing the juice our of them.
you have so much talent…i would love to hear you sing celine dion-theme song to titanic…i really think you could really do that song beautifully…
You are a great artist dear. Keep the faith!
Hi Elise.
Everyone I know loves you! Your voice is great and you are far more talented and creative than the others. I don't know what the judges were talking about when they say you do not connect, you do! You have lots of soul and I wish you every success and happiness in your career.
I 2 am a huge fan, I get why their hard on u, not because ur older & can take it but because ur not as u started off they know ur way, way better try Janice Joplin's Me & Bobby Magee vamp it up!! Ur gonna be awesome!!!! Don't let being in the bottom 3 keep u down u can only go up from here
I love listening to u sing!!!!! You r the BEST singer by far. Remain strong & i agree with steven tyyouler=
Please do "Piece of my Heart" by Janis Joplin. You will knock everybody's socks off.
I just love your voice and style. Please take Steven's advice this week and look back at what has worked in the past and try to duplicate it. By far, your best performance was Led Zepplin. I loved the way you "GOT DOWN"! Get a song that will allow you to "boogie" around the stage, if possible!
Either of the two Janis Joplin songs mentioned above would allow you to show off your beautiful voice!
Elise, you are an awesome singer! Please keep singing rock & roll songs, because they really showcase your talent. You also seem to be at the most ease with these types of songs. You really rock Led Zepplin music and others from that era. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!
Doesn't matter what the judges say.. You rock.. and you are going to be a successful recording artist.
Period. I will buy your recordings out of all the other contestants.
Phillip can't sing. I don't know what everyone sees in him.
We have managed to watch the entire season of idol this year and being from Georgia we have to pull for Phillip in the finals but at 51 yrs old my wife and i agree he's lucky it's not you cause he would loose!! Good luck with your career!!
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Soldier's hospital bed salute stirs emotions
Cpl. Josh Hargis was wounded in Afghanistan
A picture showing a wounded soldier saluting his commanding officer from a hospital bed has stirred emotions throughout the world.
The photo of Cpl. Josh Hargis' salute went viral after it was posted on Facebook by his wife.
In the picture, Hargis is seen making the gesture after receiving his Purple Heart after being wounded in battle.
Hargis, as protocol states, was attempting to salute the officer after receiving the military decoration. When a doctor tried to restrain Hargis' arm, the 24-year-old from Cincinnati pushed the doctor away and continued with the salute.
According to reports, about 50 of Hargis' fellow Rangers were by his side when he was awarded the Purple Heart and several were moved to tears by his determination to salute.
Hargis was wounded while on a mission in southern Afghanistan. It was on the mission when a suicide bomber blew herself up, triggering other IEDs in the area.
Hargis is now headed back home and according to his wife, he will be "just fine."
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Think tanks in Europe: Rising, Peaking, or Declining?
Growing in number, but what about influence?
The number of think tanks in Brussels has risen sharply over the last years [1]. The European Commission's Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) [2] related the recent growth and development of the Brussels think tank environment to the growing significance of the EU capital as a centre for policy formulation. With its intense concentration of policy-makers, businessmen, lobbyists, as well as the media, only Washington D.C. compares to Brussels as a place where think tanks fundraise, network, disseminate ideas, shape and influence political debates. The Europe for Citizens Programme, for instance, suggests that think tanks are "invaluable in providing visions for the future, as well as generating ideas and recommendations on how to approach complex issues, such as EU policies, active European citizenship, identity and values" [3] .
However, Diane Stone has recently argued that if the last century was characterized by the growth of the think tank sector worldwide, this century may forebode their decline [4]. Given this, should we conclude the rise of the influence of European think tanks from the continuous growth of their number or just consider it a prelude to their decay?
Engaging with EU policy-making
On the one hand, this growth in think tanks over the last years could be connected to the recent period of economic crisis. For instance, a number of European think tanks turned away from national issues in order to compete over policy propositions to prevent a collapse of the Euro zone [5].
On the other hand, the European Commission itself shaped the activity of European think tanks through financial support in different forms, including through its Framework Programmes and contracts with Directorates-General. For example, the 'Europe for Citizens' programme [6] provides operating grants for European public policy research organisations (think tanks) and for civil society organisations at European level.
Another possible explanation of development of think tanks could be phenomenon of the "revolving door", which concerns persons changing positions between government and think-tanks, typical for the United States, where a lot of political jobs are available due to the regular change of governments after the presidential elections [7]. Although it is still not common in Europe [8], Corporate Europe Observatory [9] considers, that it is possible to speak about "typical EU career" when certain lobbyists or think tankers working in the EU quarter are resigned officials from the EU institutions or national governments, whereas others aspire to be appointed to the position in the European or national authorities. From the one hand, the potential implication of personnel exchange between sectors is "skill building", when one sector prepare qualified personnel who can be then employed by another sector [10]. From the other hand, this phenomenon could contribute to the rise of think tank influence, giving possibility to have a particular access to policy-makers, however, it could call into question their independence in case of their too close association or significant EU financing.
The growth of think tanks has taken place along with appeals for more transparency of the engagement of the EU institutions with external stakeholders. In spite of wide polemics, think tanks were finally impelled to register at the joint European Transparency Register launched by the European Commission and the European Parliament in 2011 in order to ensure data on all those looking for influence over policy-making in the EU [11] . The Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER-EU) argued that due to its voluntary character many lobby groups including some think tanks have not joined it [12]. Consequently, the European Commission in 2016 proposed a mandatory Transparency Register covering the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission [13] . Despite some initial resistance among certain structures, majority of think tanks realized that registration with the EU transparency register could not only facilitate their access to policy-makers, but also enhance their public image.
Maintaining publicity in "European public sphere"
Besides initiatives aiming to foster transparency of think tanks, there is also a growing industry of think tank rankings and awards in spite of existing difficulties to evaluate the real impact of the think tanks on decision-making processes. European think tanks use their rank in the Global Go-To Think Tank Index [14] compiled by the US University of Pennsylvania as a type of publicity and self-advertising, despite some concerns of its methodology [15] . Moreover, the European players entered the think tank evaluation "market". The Prospect Magazine [16] in the UK annually organises a contest with stronger UK focus; however, there are categories which evaluate European and US think tanks. The Observatoire des think tanks in France also created its award ceremony of think tanks. Having opened its offices in Barcelona and in Brussels it affirmed its "international vocation" [17] .
These developments could imply the durability of the think tanks in contemporary political processes, as well as public concern about their standards and responsibility [18] . Not going into details concerning the possibilities of such rankings to determine the impact of think tanks, as well as interests behind, we can see that this trend shows not only the increased popularisation of the activity of think tanks in Europe from the part of academia, media and civil society, but also their growing institutionalisation in the emerging "European public sphere" [19] .
Obviously, Brussels-based EU think tanks, due to their situation in the center of EU policy-making activity possess higher level of visibility on the supranational level compared to their national counterparts. Taking this factor into account, several national think tanks have also created their Brussels offices. However, launching and maintaining think tank activities at the EU-scale can be quite expensive, especially since the think tank industry itself was also affected by economic crisis. For instance, the European think tank FRIDE, based in Madrid and Brussels stopped its activities on 31st December 2015, citing financial reasons [20]. Furthermore, the progress in information and communication technologies has opened the possibility to replace a physical presence in Brussels with a virtual one. This is, however, a risky decision as almost in the internet age can become a "media intellectual" and compete with think tanks in providing policy analysis online.
Networking beyond the nation borders
Alternative strategy to virtual presence in Brussels could be think tank collaboration, which increasingly exceeds the nation borders by establishing international networks, which involve the EU-based think tanks as well as think tanks from other countries. A format of such networks varies from informal networks such as Brussels Think Tank Dialogue or Think Global - Act European (TGAE) project of the Jacques Delors Institute [21] to formal international associations with a secretariat and large membership, such as the European Policy Institute Network (EPIN) [22] coordinated by the Brussels-based CEPS or the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) [23].
The cross-border policy networks which further public debates in Brussels and member-states are growing in importance taking into account particular multinational, multi-lingual and multilevel characteristics of the EU policy conditions. Such transnational networks give possibility to EU think tanks to obtain wider insights on European questions and include various points of view on EU policy areas [24] . However, although successful networking helps think tanks to foster policy ideas more effectively, it is not equivalent to political influence, because intensive activity generated by networks does not certainly convert into policy. Think tank networks can even attenuate the organisational impact of individual think tanks, which becomes distributed among network members and network as an association [25] , but the process can also go in the opposite direction thanks to multiplying effect.
Coming back to the presage of Diane Stone, we can see that current trends in think tank development in Europe can represent both challenge and opportunity for them, however, the decline or increase in influence of this type of organization in the future will depend on their capacities to turn the former into the latter, which would involve not only their usual "business": "thinking the unthinkable", but also "doing the undoable".
Tatyana Bajenova
Doctoral Research Fellow, ENS de Lyon, France (European project UNIKE http://unike.au.dk/, EU-Marie Curie fellowship, 2013-2016)


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The advent of multicore and many-core processors on expensive desktops and servers has ushered in an era in which small companies can fairly easily perform data mining and analytical processing of large databases as part of an effort to optimize business performance.
Online analytical processing (OLAP) is capable of leveraging multiple processors, but it has long been hampered by the lack of standardized APIs, especially for Java. Not that nobody was working on them...
In fact, over the past two decades, many Java Community Process initiatives have tried to establish successful APIs, but all efforts have failed; in many cases because they relied on proprietary extensions. This article discusses a recently released API, supported by multiple vendors in the business intelligence (BI) sector, which makes it easy to leverage today's processors to glean insights into business data.
The API, known as olap4j, is the OLAP equivalent of Java database connectivity (JDBC) for relational data. Specifically, olap4j extends core classes of JDBC specifications 3 and 4 in order to bring OLAP data sources to the Java platform. Connections can be obtained by JDBC connection management facilities.
The API uses statements, which are provided over connections. The queries, formulated using the MDX language, can be sent textually to the connection. The olap4j API also includes a type system capable of representing any server-specific MDX grammar as a business object model.
The API makes heavy use of metadata, as most OLAP-related operations involve a user exploring the database and building queries interactively. Results of multi-dimensional queries are represented by a CellSet object. CellSet is to multi-dimensional data what ResultSet is to tabular data.
Getting Started
The olap4j API is distributed as four modules, which are shown in Table 1.
For the purpose of this article, I will use both the core module and the XML/A driver. You can find those libraries at the olap4j website and in the Resources section at the end of this article.
Connecting to an OLAP Server
Connecting to an OLAP server is done in the same way you connect to a relational database. As I mentioned earlier, olap4j leverages JDBC driver management and connection facilities. A sample is shown in Listing One.
Listing One: Connecting to a remote OLAP server.
Class.forName( "org.olap4j.driver.xmla.XmlaOlap4jDriver"); final Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection( "jdbc:xmla:Server=http://example.com/xmla/msmdpump.dll;" + "Cache=org.olap4j.driver.xmla.cache.XmlaOlap4jNamedMemoryCache;" + "Cache.Mode=LFU;Cache.Timeout=600;Cache.Size=100"); final OlapConnection oConn = conn.unwrap(OlapConnection.class);
The code in Listing One will give you a connection object to a remote OLAP server using the XML/A driver. We use JDBC 4's connection unwrapping to obtain access to the underlying OLAP connection. Applications developed for Java 5 can cast the connection object directly.
Take note that the code in Listing One uses the XML/A driver's caching SPI. A few basic implementations of the cache are provided with olap4j, but integrators are encouraged to develop their own. In this case, the SOAP requests will be cached in memory and use a Least-Frequently-Used eviction policy, enforced for a maximum of 100 elements over 10 minutes.
More configuration options exist for both the XML/A driver or the cache SPI within the API documentation.
Exploring an OLAP Server
The metadata hierarchy of an OLAP server is different from what you might be accustomed to with relational databases. The information is organized according to the hierarchy illustrated in Figure 1.
The olap4j API exposes the metadata in two ways. It can be explored either through DatabaseMetaData, in the form of tabular data, or by exploring a hierarchy of business objects. Listing Two shows how this is done programmatically.
Listing Two: Exploring olap4j metadata
final OlapDatabaseMetaData meta = oConn.getMetaData(); // We can explore the meta data in a tabular form final ResultSet catalog = meta.getCatalogs(); // We can also explore using the object model final Schema schema = oConn.getOlapSchema(); for (Cube cube : schema.getCubes()) { System.out.println(cube.getName()); }
By convention, OLAP connections are bound to a database, a catalog, and a schema. Although a user can modify the binding easily by simply invoking setters or passing JDBC arguments in the connection's URL, connection implementations are expected to bind automatically to the first elements of the hierarchy encountered, should none be specified. Users of olap4j should keep this in mind when using an OLAP connection's sugar accessors, such as getOlapCatalog(). Retrieving a list of Catalogs implies a prior binding to a Database. If you have not set a specific database to use, the connection will bind itself to the first one it encounters, then return all catalogs within this database.
Parsing and Validating Queries
We are now ready to query the server for data. Let's write a first query and parse it (Listing Three). The parser will check it for correct grammar.
Listing Three: Querying the server.
final String myQuery = "SELECT " + "{[Drink].[Beverages].Children} " + "ON COLUMNS " + "FROM [Sales] " + "WHERE ([Time].[Cake Time!])"; final MdxParser parser = oConn .getParserFactory() .createMdxParser(oConn); final SelectNode parsedObject = parser.parseSelect(myQuery); System.out.print( parsedObject.toString());
A SelectNode object is a representation of your query, as interpreted by your connection's specific grammar. The API does not endorse any singular MDX grammar (so as to keep the project independent of OLAP vendors). Instead, the connection itself has to expose a parser that is capable of bridging the grammar with olap4j's type system.
Once the textual query is parsed, you are left with an object representation of it, but there is no telling if this query, aside from being grammatically correct, is valid. To determine if the query is executable and will return data, the query validator (Listing Four) is used.
Listing Four: The results of a query validation.
oConn .getParserFactory() .createMdxValidator(oConn) .validateSelect( parsedObject); ->: Mondrian Error:MDX object '[Time].[Cake time!]' not found in cube 'Sales'
The validator is a helper object used to validate queries further. It looks up all members and hierarchy elements referenced in your query and makes sure that they exist on the target server. In our example, indeed, there is no such thing as cake time [alas! –Ed.].
Validating the query might seem like overhead, as executing the query straight away will indeed tell you whether the query is valid or not. But when a query is validated, only the metadata is evaluated against the server, and no data is computed or returned. This means that the server won't have to compute all the tuples of members and associated data. Validating a query is a very fast operation compared with executing it. If you are developing a GUI where a user sits in front of the screen until an answer is given, you should keep that in mind.


text: BUCKEYE LAKE – LEADS Community Action Agency now has funds available to assist income eligible households with their heating bills. Households must be in a disconnect status with their gas or electric bill, or at ten days or less on bulk fuel supply. For income guidelines and further information, contact your the Buckeye Lake LEADS Center at 928-4481.


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That's the gist of a great piece in The New Yorker, which looks at falling profits at both Mattel and Hasbro and knows exactly where to point the finger.
Rather than angling this as some kind of terrible omen, however, writer Ted Trautman takes the sensible approach, outlining just why kids are leaving dolls and action figures (both of which are experiencing a decline in sales) behind.
The short answer: video games are just better entertainment. Kids can play them by themselves, they've got a baked-in story (as opposed to toys like Transformers, which relied/rely on an external narrative) and are available everywhere they go, from their phones and tablets to consoles.
What's more, thanks to stuff like Skylanders and Disney Infinity, the lines between toys and games are even blurring; though huge sales of those series are a boon to the games business, not toy companies, since the figures count as games accessories, not action figures.
THE TROUBLE WITH TOYS [The New Yorker]


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Occupation Sale - 2 for 1 Creativity and Joy
|Collage by Lani, texture by Kim Klassen.
Thinking about Occupying Our Art and Lives, I started wondering about the opposite of occupying something. Being occupied by something else? Being colonized? I don't particularly want to be colonized by anyone or anything, not now, not ever! What I'd like is to be completely in my life, to live and enjoy each moment, each breath, and each daub of paint!
I'm proposing a new eCourse for the new year on this topic. Meanwhile I'm going to run the current eCourses at a 2 for one OCCUPATION SALE!!! Sign up for one and send me a message about which other one you would like to be a part of, or what friend you would like to gift with an eCourse. If you or a friend are interested in art prompts which help build resilience and a happy life or if you are interested in working with collage and photomanipulation, then come play with us!
You can read about the eCourses here but to get the most value, make sure to sign up on the blog (just look for the super secret savings to the right of this post). Once you have signed up for one course, then email me with your second choice or your friend's email so I can sign them up. Our next round of courses start January 9! Do join us if you can!


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Chief executives and unionists have weighed in on the debate sparked by a soft drink boss' comments that New Zealand's "ingrained" anti-corporate mentality is stifling the growth of companies.
In a report in yesterday's Business Herald, Coca-Cola Amatil NZ managing director George Adams said New Zealanders had a distrustful relationship with big business that was unhealthy for the country.
"I think it's part of the tall poppy syndrome," said Northern Ireland-born Mr Adams, who will leave the top role at the soft drink firm and return to Europe in June.
"There's a very negative connotation with the word 'corporate' in New Zealand - it's used in a very negative way."
Many Kiwis took to social media websites to express their opinion. One Twitter user said: "I am glad Coke boss is leaving NZ, even happier if coke went as well. He's right we do hate corporates. Long may it continue."
The bosses of a number of large companies contacted by the Herald, including Cadbury and Telecom, were unwilling to wade into the debate, but others were more forthcoming.
Restaurant Brands chief executive Russel Creedy said he did not believe New Zealanders were necessarily "anti-corporate", but they were questioning of big business.
"I think it's a good thing because any corporate is part of the whole social fabric," said Mr Creedy, whose company operates global fast food brands including KFC and Pizza Hut in this country.
First Union general secretary Robert Reid said Mr Adams' comments were "breathtaking" as corporates got too much of an easy ride in New Zealand.
Rather than being anti-big business, this country showed too much deference to large corporations, said Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly.
"Big business, if it wants more respect from ordinary people, has to behave better," she said.
Eric Hertz, chief executive of cellphone company 2degrees, did not think New Zealanders had an anti-corporate mentality at all.
"I've worked in seven or eight countries and I think there's always a healthy scepticism about corporations," said Mr Hertz, who is originally from the United States. "I think there's a real entrepreneurial spirit here about creating businesses."
Don Braid, managing director of international freight and logistics operator Mainfreight, thought New Zealanders were far more company- friendly than people in other parts of the world, including Australia, where effigies of bank chief executives have been burned in the streets in protests against their super-sized pay packets.
"I don't agree with George's comments about anti-corporate attitudes but I do think [businesses] need to have higher aspirations and bigger aspirations," said Mr Braid.
In his interview with the Business Herald Mr Adams said an anti-corporate mindset resulted in many businesspeople being happy with their firms remaining small.
He said too few Kiwi companies were taking the risks needed to grow into bigger, export-driven concerns.
Read more: Parting shot by Coke boss


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King Elementary
4848 Woodland Kansas City, MO 64130
Hours of Operation
M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
816.418.2475, email@example.com
Office of Admissions
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The Kansas City 33 School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. If you believe you have been subject to discrimination or harassment, or if you have any inquiries regarding the District's non-discrimination policies, please contact the Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Coordinator at 2901 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64109 or click here. Our Policy
Copyright 2020 Kansas City Public Schools


text:
Services at Guildford Cathedral
All are welcome. Find out about our services.
Please be aware that services are subject to change, especially those advertised more than a month in advance. Full music details are usually provided.
Saturday 26th September 2020
There are currently no services being advertised for this day.


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Whatever your thoughts on graffiti — is it art, or is it vandalism? — there's no denying the environmental impact of thousands of discarded spray cans, many still filled with toxic chemicals, that litter many of the sites that get tagged.
CANLOVE, a collective of graffiti artists, is on a mission to collect and upcycle as many spray cans as possible into art. With an understanding of the negative impact the subculture has on the environment, they speak about the detritus of their medium with reverence on their website:
At CANLOVE, we have a special relationship with the spray can. We love them. And because we love them we feel compelled to raise them up and treat them with the respect they deserve. Many think that when the can stops spraying its job is over – that it can be kicked to the curb and left behind. Surprisingly, even after these metallic spray soldiers have emptied, they still have so much to offer. We make it our jobs to unlock their latent potential. Just as the American Indians respected the buffalo, the artists at CANLOVE adore spray cans and ensure that nothing goes to waste. We like to think we're setting the soul of each spray can free, allowing it to rest in peace (or pieces), and memorializing it as a true work of art.
Apparently, the souls of spray cans consist of some beautiful and unique flowers and the 20-foot tree pictured above nicknamed Graffitree.
Graffitree was part of the group's "No Can Left Behind" exhibition and is designed in sections so it can be moved and "grown" wherever the group needs it . To date, CANLOVE has recycled 12,780 spray cans, and the resulting flowers, bouquets and plants can be purchased from the website.
Read about other innovators and ideas at The Leaderboard. If you have a story suggestion for this year-long project, please contact us.
Related stories on MNN:


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bthoskins necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 273 diseños de 30 diseñadores freelance.
I'm starting a company focused on helping local businesses advertise more effectively and better engage with their customers. The company's name is Slingkast, and our mission is two-fold: 1) create the absolute best mobile advertising experience for consumers and 2) offer a customer management service to local busineses that is highly effective, easy to use, and low cost.
Below is a description of the business:
Slingkast has developed a revolutionary customer management platform for local businesses. Slingkast provides an easy-to-use system for planning, tracking, and optimizing targeted mobile messages, coupons, loyalty programs, and appointment reminders via text messaging and email. Unlike other products, Slingkast offers an end-to-end customer management solution and features Slingmetrics, a powerful analytics and benchmarking tool that designs and executes highly effective marketing campaigns that improve over time.
The target audience is both consumers and local businesses. Consumers will come to the website to find out about deals and offers from businesses in their neighborhoods. Local businesses will use the service to manage their mobile ad campaigns, coupons, customer loyalty programs, and appointment scheduling. I need a logo that speaks to both of these audiences in a fun, clear way.
I'm looking for a logo that speaks to our dual mission of serving both consumers and local busineses. I want something fun and creative that entices people to want to use the service.
Please do not use stock images or clip art in the logo. I'm looking for something unique and distinctive that will form the cornerstone of the brand. The logo will be displayed prominently across the website and printed company collateral.
OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLLOW-ON WORK: If you do a good job, there's an opportunity for follow-on work on the website with a much larger budget. When I find a service provider I like, I'm incredibly loyal. I also work with many startups in my job and would be happy to refer you for additional work. Consider this the beginning of a strong business relationship.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Some Milwaukee court cases to resume despite courthouse closure
Court cases will resume in Milwaukee Wednesday after a weekend fire closed down the county courthouse.
All criminal court cases scheduled for Wednesday, including those that were scheduled for the Courthouse, will be heard at the Safety Building or Criminal Justice Facility. Those with a criminal case or injunction hearing scheduled in the morning should report to room 117 of the Safety Building at 9:30 a.m.
Those scheduled to report at 1:30 p.m. should report to room 117 at that time.
"We have a number of defendants in custody in the jail who have constitutional rights and speedy trial rights," said Jeffrey Kremers, chief judge of Milwaukee County.
Because of damage caused by the fire, the courthouse building will remain closed for the remainder of the week.
"Public safety has been the number one priority throughout this cleanup," said County Executive Chris Abele. "We've made sure the jail stayed open and that courts could get back into session as soon as possible."
Officials said anyone scheduled for jury duty this week does not need to report.
The County Clerk's Office said anyone who needs a marriage license should email their office at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Milwaukee County Board will hold its meeting at Milwaukee Area Technical College Wednesday at 1 p.m.


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Many companies from emerging markets are fast-growing and fast-globalizing. These global challengers that are going overseas aspire to be global leaders in their industries. But first, they need to pass through the "Death Valley."
Global challengers are full-fledged competitors making game-changing moves. They're winning with a broad range of strategies and capabilities, and they're growing more quickly than comparable companies.
But this doesn't mean these and other emerging-market-based businesses aren't experiencing growing pains. They have plenty of hard work to do as home markets become increasingly challenging and multinationals improve their performance in emerging markets.
Emerging-market-based companies want to challenge established forces in the global marketplace. They face three key obstacles:
Addressing these concerns can go a long way toward building a successful global presence.


text:
A matching chopping board is the perfect complement to your wooden worktops. Prevent your kitchen worktop from being unnecessarily scratched and help it to remain in pristine condition by always having a chopping board available for use. Our chopping boards are made from top quality A-grade timber. They are a generous 450mm X 300mm X 40mm size and are supplied fully sanded and oiled along with a pencil top and bottom edge profile making them ready for immediate use. Chopping boards are delivered free of charge when purchased with any wooden worktop from our range. Why not add that finishing touch to your kitchen by contrasting a different species of wooden chopping board with your worktop to create an exotic effect?
All required fields are marked with a star (*). Click the 'Add To Cart' button at the bottom of this form to proceed.
Enter the appropriate quantity for this item below.


text:
Original Trinity Hymnal, #651
When he cometh, when he cometh
To make up his jewels,
All his jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and his own.
Like the stars of the morning,
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for his crown.
He will gather, he will gather
The gems for his kingdom,
All the pure ones, all the bright ones,
His loved and his own.
Little children, little children
Who love their Redeemer,
Are the jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and his own.
Page number: Blue 651, Right-Click Here to Download MIDI File
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


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I am mostly mature about such things like, yeaah i got the insane title. But this? Get a fucking life.
I am mostly mature about such things like, yeaah i got the insane title. But this? Get a fucking life.
8700K (5GHz) - Z370 M5 - Mugen 5 - 16GB Tridentz 3200MHz - GTX 1070Ti Strix - NZXT S340E - Dell 24' 1440p (165Hz)
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...&cn=Gesusbeams (Retired main)
http://www.wowarmory.com/character-s...%C3%AArwordhug (Current PvE main)
Just because he has all the achievements, that doesn't make him the second biggest loser. I guarantee you that some people play alot more then him... however I don't really see how someone could do every achievement.
Congrats, must of been really hard. Anyone know how long he has been playing?
Level 80 Protection Paladin. Miner/Jewelcrafter
Level 27 Restoration Shaman. Skinning/Herbalism
The Taiwanese player mentioned above was the 1st man with full achievement before 3.3, and world 2nd after 3.3.
You are at most the 3rd.
Anyway he had completed full achievements (except FoS) on 30 May 2010, making him the world 2nd full achievement after 3.3.
Forget all the haters, this is your hobby and you treat it as such. You made the most out of your hobby by doing everything you could possibly do instead of sitting in Dalaran all day. Congrats to you and /wave from Horde side Bleeding Hollow.
Why do people care about randoms they don't know who are? Is it just to get a US/EU flame war?
On my realm and faction, congrats.
Gratz I guess, he has put in more time than 50% of the wow community.


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Practical Magic: Glamoury and Tealight Hearths
Charms, Hexes, Weeknight Dinner Recipes, Glamoury and Unsolicited Opinions on Morals and Magic
Everything Is Not Under Your Control: Making Sense of the Senseless
My circle sister, Donna got hit by a car while she was taking a walk down a residential street with her husband. She died on Wednesday, February 5th. How do I make sense of that? How does Donna taking a walk with her husband + Jason Lutz not paying attention for a moment = we will never see Donna again?
I don't know.
If we perform magic, shouldn't we know? Shouldn't my circle have been able to save Donna? What is the point of this if we could not have saved Donna? I think it's very easy when things are going well to say that if you are alert enough, canny enough, good enough at magic that you can lessen the pain of all situations.
Sometimes, some things are bigger than you. Bigger than your magic. Bigger than your magic with others. Sometimes, even gods make mistakes. Sometimes, you're pissing in the ocean. Sometimes, there is the matter of the Moirai. Can you charm Them, beg Them, plead with Them, work magic to reweave bits of Their tapestry? Of course. But even the gods Themselves had to answer to Them. There are some knots and breaks in the yarn that cannot be undone as I've learned as a Spinner and as a Witch. Sometimes, the Moirai's threads are unmovable.
What magic is about is numbers and odds. If you want to not go crazy when terrible inexplicable things happen, it's much better to imagine yourself at a casino. You're standing there at the craps table. You need to roll a six for your point in this particular round for everyone at the table to win and be happy and jump up and down. There are five ways to make a six with two dice, it's a good number. You have a good chance. You roll a couple times but you roll a seven before your six comes up. Everyone loses. Just because the odds were in your favor doesn't mean you always win.
If we're not careful, it's easy to find ourselves as Workers of all stripes to wind up stuck in a Secret trap – that if you were just better – a better Worker, a better manipulator, a better planner, a better everything you wouldn't have found yourself in the situation that is causing you unmitigated grief and despair. You could have prevented this if you were better. You deserve these terrible things that have happened to you because you didn't work harder to prevent these situations.
Bull. Shit.
If my sister and I were fighting as only sisters can, with one hand on the nuke button, the other at each other's throats and my husband's sister needed a triple bypass heart surgery and Donna died because she took a walk in her nice, quiet neighborhood, did we all deserve what we got? Did I deserve feeling awful because I didn't do enough magic to prevent my sister and I from rubbing salt in years long wounds? If Jow had prayed harder, could he have overcome his sister's DNA when his dad had three heart attacks before he succumbed to cancer? Because I didn't reiki or say enough prayers to the Goddess or light enough candles in Donna's name or better corralled the forces of live and death in a woman who was perfectly healthy and looking forward to her son's wedding a week ago? No. That's crazy talk. That is some seriously for real crazy talk. I refuse to believe that all of these incredibly painful events could have been mitigated if I just tried harder as a Witch. You think I wasn't praying as hard as I could pray? You think I wasn't crying as hard as I could cry? You think I wasn't Working as hard as I could Work? I changed the dice roll as much as I could change it. It wasn't enough. Sometimes, even the Gods Themselves can't change a situation, even the Gods roll craps on the first roll sometimes. It's terrible and awful but it's the way things work in the universe. Not everything can be changed.
Older pantheons address this issue much better in my opinion, probably because awful and inexplicable things were happening to everyone every day. A nebulous "this is God's plan, suck it up and trust Him" was not going to cut it. In Hinduism, it's said something more along the line of, "God* takes pleasure in creating beautiful and wonderful things for you and equal pleasure in destroying that which you love most. It is Her/His way. It is the way of Leela, the divine game that everyone plays."
A traditional Leela game board. Snakes and Ladders has been played for thousands of years, it's now played in the States as Chutes and Ladders to children to show the importance of responsibility and acting correctly.
Take Aways From This Lesson No One Wants to Hear, Especially When Your Life is Sunshine and Roses:
- Magic is a numbers game. It's why you should still try your hardest at it. Back at the craps table, odds are slim that you will roll a two on two dice before you roll a seven, it's still possible. Unlikely, but possible. Your goal as a Worker is to try to hit your number before you crap out.
- Because magic is a numbers game, it also means you will not always succeed in your dice roll. Even when you do mundane work too. Even when you try your hardest. Everybody loses sometimes, no one likes to talk about it.
- Losing does not make you a terrible Worker with terrible karma. It means that you are involved with playing the game of Leela just like every other being (including the gods) in the Universe. Sometimes it's a snake, sometimes it's a ladder. You have to take what you're given. No matter how much it hurts.
We'll always love you, Donna. You deserved better than this. May there be justice for you.
* Known by many names, genders and forms in Hinduism
Thursday, 13 February 2014
I am sorry for your loss too. I hear your anger and confusion; I felt the same when my husband was in a horrible, life-threatening and crippling car accident (though he did survive minus a limb and a half.) I came to many of the same conclusions as you did. Magick is a numbers game, and sometimes the odds are just so far out of your favour you can't hope to make a dent. All of our lives are tragedies eventually and the gods can indeed be cruel; or just roll craps once in a while. Thank you for a thought-provoking blog post and I will share.
Friday, 14 February 2014
I feel your pain, too. There doesn't seem to be any religion, whether mainstream or far out, that can keep its practitioners from suffering. As Shakespeare says, One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
Why must sweet, beautiful creatures grow sick, suffer pain and die? We will never understand the necessity for that, regardless of all our philosophy and religious poetry. There will always be something within us that feels it is unfair. The best we will ever manage is to accept the world as an ever-changing place where sad things happen. We will never be able to say we like that fact.
If there is any consolation in numbers, know that your post resonated with many hearts.
Saturday, 15 February 2014
So sorry to hear about your friend. The loss of my baby brother when I was 13 (and a Christian) led me to doubt that any such losses are the "will of God" (or Goddess). Of course war and the holocaust and slavery to name a few of the injustices of a social world lead to the same questions. For me the only answer is that we live in a world in which many wills are operative, yours, mine, divine will (or wills), and millions of other wills. If we accept this it we can see that it is wrong to think you or I could have averted personal or collective tragedies. I also view the divine will as one will among others. So even God She or He cannot make everything "turn out for the best." I view Goddess as She who is always there (omnipresent) while recognizing that the idea of divine omnipotence means that the power of the other actors in the world is zero. I don't know if this will help, but such ideas have helped me.
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European Research Area - guide17 July 2012
by eub2 -- last modified 17 July 2012
The European Commission has today set out concrete steps Member States should take to achieve the European Research Area (ERA), a Single Market for research and innovation in Europe. The goal is to enable researchers, research institutions and businesses to better move, compete and co-operate across borders. This will strengthen Member States' research bases, increase their competitiveness and allow them to work together more effectively to tackle major societal challenges, such as climate change, food and energy security and public health. To help achieve the European Research Area, the Commission has also today signed a Joint Statement and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with organisations representing key research organisations and research funding bodies. The proposals are a response to the deadline set by EU leaders to make the European Research Area a reality by 2014.
What is the European Research Area?
The European Research Area is defined as a unified research area, open to the world in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely and through which the Union and its Member States strengthen their scientific and technological bases, their competitiveness and their capacity to collectively address grand challenges. The ERA concept was launched at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000. In February 2011 and again in March 2012, the European Council called for ERA to be completed by 2014.
Is ERA about creating one, single research area?
ERA is based, and will remain based, on the research systems of the Member States funded from national tax revenues. These will remain distinct, allowing Europe to capitalize on its scientific, cultural and geographical diversity. However, to achieve a globally competitive ERA for Europe to play a leading role in addressing grand challenges and in which all Member States participate, national systems must be more open to each other and to the world, more inter-connected and more inter-operable.
How does the ERA affect European citizens?
The European Research Area's overarching rationale is to increase the performance, excellence and impact of Europe's R&D system. This will help the EU get back on the path of economic growth by fostering scientific excellence, underpinning increased innovation and raising the attractiveness of the EU as a research location. It will notably help speed up finding solutions to societal challenges such as the ageing of our population or energy security. Measures in favour of a digital ERA would benefit researchers all over Europe, and particularly those in smaller and less-advanced Member States and regions. The combination of ERA and Horizon 2020 - the Commission proposal for research and innovation - is expected to generate an extra 1.17% of growth and almost 1.1 million more jobs annually by 2030. ERA would also have a positive impact on fundamental rights, in particular regarding respect for gender equality.
What has been achieved since the launch of ERA?
Since the 2007 ERA Green Paper and ERA Partnership Initiatives in 2008, efforts by the EU, Member States, associated countries and stakeholders have resulted in substantial progress. For example, the development of research infrastructures has been helped by the combination of a strategic body, a clear roadmap and legislation. In addition, the 2008 'European Partnership for Researchers' has led to improved research career management in a growing number of institutions. Successful Commission initiatives supported by the Framework Programme include: the European Research Council for frontier research; ERA-NETs for the coordination of European, national and regional research programmes (e.g. E-Rare co-ordinating about half of rare disease research in Europe); 'Article 185s' which integrate EU, national and regional efforts into single European programmes (e.g. the EMRP metrology initiative pooling 44% of EU-wide resources for measurement science); and Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (which to date have made mobility possible for over 50,000 researchers). However, viewed overall, progress has been patchy and uneven across different dimensions of ERA and different Member States and urgently needs to be accelerated.
Why will progress be any faster now than it has been for the past ten years?
Progress will accelerate with the actions that the Communication proposes because the approach is now more focused, and it is based on trust and transparency. There will be a new, broader partnership involving the organisations that do the research, that put researchers to work and that produce the knowledge. Major European Stakeholder organisations have committed themselves to take the action that makes a difference. Finally,a new monitoring mechanism will make it easier to measure progress.
What areas has the Commission chosen to focus on and why?
The five key priorities are: increasing the effectiveness of national research systems; improving trans-national competition and cooperation, including on key research infrastructures; a more open labour market for researchers; gender equality and mainstreaming in organisations carrying out and selecting research projects; and optimal circulation and transfer of scientific information. They were identified following input from Member States, an extensive consultation of stakeholders and on the basis of their compelling political logic; the potential for radical improvement; short-term feasibility; the basis they will create for sustained long-term reform; and that no additional public resources are required.
International cooperation is another important aspect of the European Research Area but will be addressed in a separate communication in the autumn.
Will ERA widen the innovation divide and induce brain drain?
No, on the contrary. There exists currently a large diversity of national and regional research and innovation systems in Europe, and related differences in performance. Completing ERA will bring new opportunities for all Member States, helping to close this innovation divide. It will help regions to advance through smart specialisation, with each focusing on their areas of strength. Researchers will then congregate in these centres of excellence resulting in brain circulation, not brain drain. Horizon 2020 and the Structural Funds will support this.
Why is there a need to give renewed impetus to the European Research Area initiative?
The primary reason is the financial crisis. This has created an overwhelming need for growth and jobs, coupled with the increasingly urgent need for solutions to problems caused by the ageing of the population or climate change, and the fact that science underpinning innovative and potentially growth-intensive solutions to such problems is becoming more collaborative. All these factors mean that ERA is an idea whose time has come.
What exactly will be the role of the different partners?
To deliver, the Commission proposes a smarter, more focused partnership approach than has existed up until now involving Member States, the Commission and research funding and performing organisations. Member States are the major drivers for change, as they have the power to remove most of the barriers to competition and cooperation within and across borders, to create optimum conditions for exploiting human capital regardless of nationality and gender, and to improve the circulation of knowledge.
Many research stakeholders, such as research funding councils, universities and other research performing organisations, are autonomous, although not independent from Member States. They should and will also be involved directly in the achievement of the ERA. Stakeholder commitment to jointly contribute to realising the ERA has been secured initially with a number of the main European representative organisations.
The Commission will support all efforts to realise ERA wherever it can with the means available, including by the forthcoming Horizon 2020 programme and the next round of Structural Funds, and will lead by example.
What does achieving the European Research Area cost?
ERA is about value for taxpayers' money. It is the counterpart to the EU's target to collectively spend 3% of GDP on research. To reach this goal, Member States (and the private sector) will need to spend more on research, but we also want them to spend it better. ERA is thus about bringing benefits with little or no additional expenditure by being more efficient and exploiting cross-border synergies and complementarities. This was one of the considerations when selecting areas for action at national level. Any future costs to the EU budget arising from ERA are already covered by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 proposals, currently being discussed by the Parliament and Council.
What will be the relationship between ERA and the Horizon 2020 programme?
The Horizon 2020 programme, currently being discussed in Parliament and by the Council, will be the financial pillar of the Union's actions to create the Innovation Union. The actions in the ERA communication will be the non-financial pillar. Both are closely interlinked: funding measures are crucial to accompany the realisation of ERA, notably through their effect on coordination, common agenda setting and pooling of resources, and to continue shaping the landscape of European research institutions.
Horizon 2020 will support the ERA policy priorities (e.g. researcher mobility and careers, research infrastructures, knowledge transfer, etc.), the monitoring of progress and will foster stronger partnerships with Member States and the private sector to invest more efficiently. It will lead by example in gender, ethical issues and Open Access to research results.
But, on its own, Horizon 2020 will not change the structure of national research policies and systems nor remove the legal and practical obstacles for achieving ERA, as called for by the European Council. That is why the current Communication is needed.
How will progress in the completion of ERA be monitored?
The European Commission will regularly monitor the implementation of ERA by Member States and by research funding and research performing organisations, closely connected to the monitoring of the Innovation Union. An annual ERA-Progress report to Parliament and Council will present an assessment of progress on the actions taken and, when needed, will include ERA-specific recommendations for Member States with a major review of progress to be completed by 2013-2014.
What is the current level of competition amongst researchers, research teams and institutions in the EU and why is this considered insufficient?
There is clear evidence in academic literature that excellence in science is linked to competition between researchers. But researchers, universities and research institutions throughout the EU do not face the same level of competition for accessing public funding. For example, on average 40% of public funding (i.e. government budget appropriations or outlays on research and development – GBAORD) is allocated through open competitive calls for research proposals, but the situation is very variable from country to country (20% to 80%). The majority of universities in the EU still heavily rely on public 'institutional' non-competitive funding – i.e. not related to performance (OECD, 2011).
To what degree are Europe's research systems currently fragmented and why is this problematic?
According to estimates by the European Commission, only 0.8% of national GBAORD (government budget appropriations or outlays on research and development) is used for joint programmes identified by Member States, including those supported or co-funded by the EU budget, such as ERA-Nets, Article 185 activities, etc. The rest is basically spent in non-connected ways in the different Member States, with little or no exchange of information, best practices, or strategic agendas. Fragmentation of research systems in Europe is bad because it often leads to duplication of the efforts, and is especially problematic when research aims to address grand challenges, where efforts need to reach a critical mass. One opportunity for enhancing the quality and impact of research is to open the national systems, by strategically aligning different sources of national and other funding, even without cross-border funding per se.
Can you give an example of current obstacles linked to inter-operability of national research programmes?
The way national research programmes are currently organised and operate does not provide sufficient flexibility for cross-border cooperation. Only some national programme cycles are synchronised, while proposal and project evaluation systems and notably the use of fair and transparent international peer review selection differ. Accounting rules and the modalities and conditions for participation of non-resident research performers in national R&D programmes vary across countries and across different types of programmes. As a result, it is difficult for researchers, SMEs, foundations or universities to establish cross-border research projects using national project funding. For funding agencies themselves it is also cumbersome to adapt to different rules when interacting with other countries every time. For all research actors, it is also very hard to keep an overview of rules in the EU and Member States.
What is international peer-review?
Peer review is a process of evaluation involving independent qualified individuals, or peers, within the relevant field. Peer review lies at the heart of any excellence-based research policy, as it forms the basis for decisions on which research(ers) will be funded. International peer review also involves non-domestic experts. Core principles have been set out in the "voluntary guidelines on framework conditions for joint programming in research" (2010).
Procedures for peer review may vary across Member States and associated countries, thereby making it difficult to compare potential and achievements. The rationale for commonly accepted peer review procedures is most pressing in the cases when actual joint funding of research takes place through competitive calls. In those instances, commonly accepted peer review procedures are essential for a smooth management of the joint calls. The Communication contains a number of proposals to address this, such as mutual recognition by Member States of evaluations confirming with principles of international peer review.
Does the Commission have data on how many researchers do move across borders? What barriers do they face?
In the last three years, about 30% of EU researchers have worked abroad for a period of at least three months. Around half of this mobile group (around 14%) have actually moved to a new employer in a different country. While this may seem a significant degree of mobility, several obstacles prevent European research from benefiting from a genuine European labour market and so compromise the completion of ERA.
Among the most important is the lack of transparent, open and merit-based recruitment. This has a negative impact on the attractiveness of research careers, mobility, gender equality and research performance. Increased accessibility of national grants to non-nationals/ non-residents and cross-border portability of national grants would make mobility easier.
Support to inter-sectoral mobility is often lacking, with only one in six researchers in academia having experience in the business sector, and there are significant disparities between Member States (MORE Study, 2010).
How widespread is the lack of open recruitment of researchers, and what could be the consequence for European science?
On average, every year there are around 40,000 researchers' vacancies, amongst which 9,600 are professorship positions (Technopolis, 2010), but how many of them are filled on merit is unknown. In seven Member States open researchers' positions are not (or rarely) advertised through the common jobs portal, Euraxess, while in other countries the use of Euraxess varies significantly, creating information asymmetries for potential candidates.
In several Member States, institutions lack autonomy to select and hire staff. For example, in nine Member States (DE, CZ, ES, FR, EL, HU, IE, PT, SK), universities and research performing organisations face tight restrictions over hiring staff. In four Member States (CZ, HU, SK, EL) the appointment of some or all senior positions needs to be confirmed by an external authority.
In one study, up to 70% of researchers cited past experiences of "finding a suitable position", as a 'major' obstacle to possible future mobility (MORE survey), and they explained this partly by a lack of open and transparent recruitment procedures. A similar finding came out of the public consultation on the ERA framework in which 78% of respondents considered lack of open recruitment as one of the main factors hindering international mobility.
Source: European Commission


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pgAdmin III's functionality can be further enhanced using the adminpack contrib
module for PostgreSQL. This is a library of additional functions that may be installed
on your server which allows pgAdmin to offer additional features, such as:
The adminpack is installed and activated by default if you are running the
'official' pgInstaller distribution of PostgreSQL for Windows and is included as a
contrib module with all versions of PostgreSQL 8.2 and above. However, if you are
running any other version of PostgreSQL you will need to manually install it. To do so,
simply copy the appropriate adminpack source code to the /contrib directory of your
pre-configured PostgreSQL source tree. You can download the adminpacks
Run the following commands (substituting admin for admin81
if required):
# cd $PGSRC/contrib/admin
# make all
# make install
The module should now be built, and installed into your existing PostgreSQL installation.
To be used, you must now install the module into the database you use as pgAdmin's Maintenance
DB (normally postgres, though you may wish to use a different database). To do so,
locate the admin.sql or admin81.sql file installed in the previous step - normally
this may be found in /usr/local/pgsql/share/contrib/ and run it against your database. You will
normally need to do this as the PostgreSQL superuser:
$ psql postgres < /usr/local/pgsql/share/contrib/admin.sql
The next time you connect to the server with pgAdmin, it will detect the presence of the adminpack
and offer full functionality.
Since PostgreSQL 9.1, you don't need to use psql. You can manually add
adminpack extension or make pgAdmin do the same by clicking on the "Fix It!"
button of the guru hint.


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- Beta - Quenching
---The Final Forge period has concluded for the Macedonia Map. All objections have had their time. The Foundry and I hereby brand this map with the Foundry Beta Brand. Let it be known that this map is now ready for BETA Play. After an extended period of time in BETA and once all quirks and issues have been resolved, the map will be put into Full Play (barring any Lack vetoes).
Conquer Club, enjoy!
While the map is in BETA Play, there are a couple of administrative tasks that are required of the mapmaker(s) in addition to the initial gameplay testing:
- 1. Please ensure that the first post of the thread contains all the necessary information to help future visitors to the development thread; it's particularly important to ensure the most recent images are there, along with any helpful guides (such as gameplay quirks/nuances or the location/size of any starting neutrals etc.)
2. Please update the Map Information Portal with details of your map
3. Finally, it is the responsibility of the mapmaker(s) to ensure that they respond to further feedback in a timely and constructive manner.


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So, that's the end of Google Reader.
By now you might have already switched to Feedly or a different RSS service as Google has officially shut down its 8-year-old popular RSS reader — Google Reader. The service had many active users, but for Google, it seemed to be fading away.
Google in a post said, "While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader."
Google Reader has now been discontinued. Visiting the site would display the following message:
Thank you for stopping by.
Google Reader has been discontinued. We want to thank all our loyal fans. We understand you may not agree with this decision, but we hope you'll come to love these alternatives as much as you loved Reader.
The Google Reader team
Google Reader. Marked as Read.
So, now what?
Well, for now you can stick to Feedly as it one of the best (free) available RSS service providing with additional features and capabilities. You can easily organize, read and share content that you have subscribed to. Feedly provides a magazine-like experience and is integrated with most of the popular social networks.
Alternatively, you can try a list of other popular service which can viewed here.
And this is how Hitler reacts to when he finds out Google Reader is shutting down: