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The Forex world is constantly evolving and during its weekly trading hours there is a wealth of news a trader must keep on top of if they want to make the most money possible. Indeed, because the market can be affected by a number of dynamics, it is essential they know exactly what's happening at all times in order to avoid any unprofitable deals.
For example, let's assume the US Dollar is trading well against the Great British Pound during the first half of the week. This would be a good time to invest some money and reap the benefits of a positive market condition. However, by Wednesday a series of negative news stories emerge from the UK and affect the country's economic performance. These dynamics then adversely affects how well the two currencies are trading. At this point it's important to know what's just happened because it will influence whether or not someone should cease trading this currency pair for a while or continue.
Knowing the value of each currency based on various internal and external factors is crucial and the reason why FXBrokerSearch.com's Forex news centre is a vital resource. Drawing on a number of resources, our information section provides the latest information and data from which users can refine their trading activity.
Beyond shifts in the currency market itself, FXBrokerSearch.com's new section has been designed to give traders an insight into the best offers and promotions. By monitoring each of our 200+ Forex brokers we're able to quickly tell users about the latest updates and bonuses.
By compiling all this current data into one portal we believe investors will be able to make even more money in the Forex market. Indeed, thanks to our dedicated team of analysts and experts, users can find out the latest market developments as well as the best deals in the industry. Putting all this together should help everyone gain a better understanding of the market, which in turn should give them the ability to make even more money.
Asian shares rose for a third consecutive day on Friday even as China stocks tumbled into correction territory, while the Federal Reserve's cautious stance towards liftin ..
As bank withdrawals across Greece ballooned to about 4.2 billion euros this week, the European Central Bank boosted its emergency funding for Greek banks. Friday's declin ..
Most homebuilders had shied away from stockpiling land in the past few years as a choppy economic recovery offered little clarity on when demand would stabilize. The Ryland Gr ..
Roberts, who set up Comcast after he bought a small cable television operator in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1963, died of natural causes in Philadelphia, Comcast said in a stateme ..
U.S. stocks traded lower following the Nasdaq's record close as investors eyed the Greece debt saga amid quarterly options expirations. ..
ATHENS/LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Central Bank expanded emergency funding to keep Greece's stricken banks on their feet as a steady flow of withdrawals continued ..
Crude oil fell about 2 percent on Friday, the first decline after three days of gains, as worries over the Greek fiscal crisis, weaker oil products prices and pre-weekend prof ..
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday evening in St. Petersburg but the question of Russian financial aid for Greece was not ..
The Obama administration proposed new rules on Friday to slash greenhouse gas emissions from heavy, long-haul trucks, a move to attack climate change that prompted a wary resp ..
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has risen to the top of the list of risks facing the aviation industry, the head of a leading aircraft lessor said, outstripping tradit ..
Risk Disclosure: fxBrokerSearch.com will not be held liable for any financial loss or damage caused by users acting upon any information contained within this website, not limited to and including: all numerical data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals. Moreover, please be advised that Forex trading is one of the most volatile investment forms in the world and all trades should be placed with full consideration of the risks and costs.
fxBrokerSearch.com does not support nor encourage the execution of any investments. Trading with a margin is high risk endeavour and not suitable for everyone, therefore, each investor should carefully consider all relevant trading conditions, such as experience, risk and cost, before taking part in any type of trading, including Forex.
While every effort has been made to ensure all our data is as accurate as possible, fxBrokerSearch.com cannot be held responsible for any prices that are not in line with real-time data. Indeed, the currency exchange market is constantly changing and all CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are set by market makers.
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Based on these conditions, fxBrokerSearch.com will not be held responsible for any losses incurred through trades conducted in light of data presented on this site.


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Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Report
Over the past twenty plus years, Downtown Brooklyn has enjoyed a revitalization that has brought economic growth to this collection of dense, diverse urban neighborhoods. Coupled with regional travel growth, this revitalization has also brought increasing traffic impacts to these neighborhoods. The Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Study is an effort to mitigate those traffic impacts to ensure the area's ongoing vitality, safety, accessibility, and mobility.
The Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project was conceived through the cooperative efforts of local elected officials and community groups, with additional support from the New York City administration. Most importantly, both the Downtown Brooklyn community and New York City administration see this project as signaling a new direction for managing traffic in the City. Thus, the project's goal is to make all types of streets function better for all users of the public space. The area includes the communities of Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights , Park Slope, Gowanus, Red Hook, Carroll Gardens , Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Columbia Terrace, Brooklyn Heights , Fulton Landing, Downtown Brooklyn and Vinegar Hill.
The 2004 project report, described and available for download below, continues to serve as a living document that helps define how DOT and other stakeholders perceive and manage the Downtown Brooklyn Street Network.
The Report
The report is the result of a collaborative effort of community groups, elected officials, business associations and government agencies. It is the result of over five years of plans, discussions, interaction and consensus building.
The report discusses Travel Streets, Community Streets and Living Streets. Travel Streets provide critical transportation links and allow for movement, while also serving as destinations in their own right for commercial, cultural and institutional activities. Community Streets serve as "town centers" for neighborhoods and the Central Business District (CBD), by providing shopping, services, and entertainment and by acting as gathering places. In CBD areas, vehicle mobility may be more limited on community streets. Living Streets provide access to living or working spaces. Living Streets are the local, typically residential streets where quality of life is the primary concern. In some cases, living streets exclusively serve industrial or educational uses. Motor vehicles should have minimal impact on the local environment and quality of life and traffic volumes should below.
This report is provided in pdf format. Because of the size of the report document, it is divided into several parts which can be accessed by linking directly to each section as shown below. Please note that some of the drawings in the document are in 11x17 format rather than 8.5x11, so some clipping may occur. To address this problem, you can adjust your print screen to fit the page.
Part I is the Executive Summary, which provides an overview of the study from its initiation and includes information on project background, the community outreach process, the Street Management Framework, the pilot program, recommended strategies for streets and corridors and implementation issues.
Part II includes the Final Report's Introduction, Background, Traffic and Parking Issues, and discussion of Traffic Calming. The Introduction provides the structure for the project. The Background provides a background as to how the project was conceived, initiated and organized and discusses community concerns that led to the initiation of the project. Part II also provides a description of the scope, objectives and organization and defines the study area, discusses traffic issues and provides information on travel patterns in the study area, and discusses traffic calming concepts and the role of traffic calming in a comprehensive transportation management program. Part II also discusses individual traffic calming treatments and their applicability to Downtown Brooklyn.
Part III provides the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Approach, which discusses the approach used to calm traffic in the study area and the Street Management Framework which provided a foundation for the study. Streets are designated as Travel Streets, Community Streets or Living Streets. A listing of streets in each category is provided below. Part III also describes the public outreach project and discusses how ideas and strategies were developed in consultation with project stakeholders.
Part IV provides the Pilot Program, including development, design, installation, monitoring and evaluation as well as the special signage program that was created for the pilot program. Part IV also describes how the pilot program treatments can be applied elsewhere and discusses lessons learned from the pilot Program.
The Action Program provides the core of the project – a traffic management strategy for the area. It provides traffic management themes that were developed and utilized in developing the traffic management strategy. It includes sketches of proposed project recommendations. The detailed street and corridor recommendations are classified by their Street Management Framework designations.
Action Program
The Action Program is divided into two sections: Part V includes the Action Program's traffic management themes and the action plans on the study area's travel streets.
Part VI includes the Action Program's discussion of plans for the study area's community streets. Part VI also discusses other issues and provides information on project costs and a funding program for implementing the proposed improvements. The Implementation section discusses how to build on the project and advance the concepts learned to other area in the City.
In addition to the Final Report, several of the report's appendices are provided below. If you would like information on these appendices, please contact the Brooklyn Borough Commissioner's office.
- Appendix A1 - A PowerPoint presentation given at the outset of the study.
- Appendix A2 discusses myths about traffic calming and outlines concepts regarding on how traffic calming treatments should be applied.
- Appendix A3 provides information on ideas and visions for streets discussed in community Working Groups during the early stages of the study. These ideas were used in developing the Street Management Framework
- Appendix B discusses the public outreach process including Task Force, Working Group and Technical Advisory Committee meetings and Open Houses.
- Appendix C - Data compiled during the course of the study.
- Appendix D details public comments received throughout the study process.
- Appendix E - Technical memorandum on Traffic Calming measures (summarized in Chapter 4 of the Final Report)
- Appendix F - provides Synchro analysis of proposed improvements
- Appendix G1 - shows sign that were installed at pilot program locations. This project element is discussed in section 6.2.4.
- Appendix G2 includes the questionnaires/survey instrument that was used to obtain public feedback on the pilot program Several additional appendices are not included here.
- Appendix G3 - provides construction drawings of pilot program measures.
During the course of the study and since its completion in 2004, DOT has implemented many of the recommendations from the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project's action program. Most of these have been operational improvements that could be achieved with existing DOT resources. Traffic Calming improvements in Downtown Brooklyn that have been implemented by DOT to date. Speed humps in Downtown Brooklyn that have been installed in the project area to date.
DOT has also been working with the City's Department of Design and Construction to make significant traffic calming capital improvements throughout downtown Brooklyn and surrounding neighborhood. These focus on measures that physically change the roadway in a way that calms traffic and benefits non-motorized users (See Capital Improvements below). Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Capital Construction Project locations.
Operational Improvements
Operational Improvements are relatively low-cost and can usually be implemented in a short time frame by DOT or its contractors. Examples of these types of improvements include the following:
Traffic Signals
- Signal Calming – Using signal timing adjustments to slow traffic to appropriate speeds
- Leading Pedestrian Intervals – Providing 5-10 seconds of all-red time to allow pedestrians to establish themselves in the crosswalk ahead of turning vehicles
- All Pedestrian Phase (Barnes Dance) – Providing a signal phase that gives all vehicles a red indication and allows pedestrians to cross in all directions without conflict
Parking Management
- Elimination of Peak Hour Parking Restrictions – Maintains narrower travelway throughout the day on streets where capacity is not needed.
- Angled Parking – decreases width of travelway on very wide streets
Pavement Markings
- Bicycle Lanes – Promotes bicycle use and calms street by narrowing travelway
- Painted Parking Buffer – Perceptually narrows roadway; separates moving and parked vehicles
Capital Improvements
Capital improvements aim to calm traffic by reconfiguring the existing roadway geometry or introducing new physical elements. They are usually much more costly than operational improvements. Because DOT has limited in-house capacity to design and build capital projects, these improvements take longer to implement. These include the following measures: Pedestrian Neckdowns, which expand the sidewalk area and narrow the roadway, often at intersections, to slow turning vehicles and shorten pedestrian crossing distances. Bus Bulbs, which extend the sidewalk for the full length of a bus stop, allowing bus to stop without leaving the stream of traffic and providing additional space for waiting passengers.

subset: commoncrawl


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Disneyland just recently celebrated its 60th anniversary! How exciting! Did you attend the 24-hour celebration? Disney certainly knows how to throw an amazing party! This week Kellybell Designs has some bright and colorful packs for you, and one that's perfect for that Diamond Anniversary celebration. Let's take a closer look.
First up is a mini kit focused on Disneyland's 60th anniversary party. If you took lots of picture of the castle, the new parade and new fireworks display, then you'll need this for your scrapping stash.
Following that same color scheme, Kelly's made a new Cover Story pack filled with beautiful word art displays that are perfect for your title page or your album cover.
You can always use another method for placing a date on your page. Here's Simple Dates Vol 15. Easy to colorize and easy to mix and match.
If you liked last's week set of new templates, then you'll love this next pack. These 4 template feature an oversized cutout of a diamond, circle, heart and mouse ears. How awesome is that?
You can find all these new packs available inside the Kellybell Designs Store for 25% off this weekend only.
Now let's take a peek at all the ways you can use these templates, date stamps and cover displays. You can find all the CT layouts on Kelly's Blog or Kelly's Facebook page. Here's one that I made.
Kelly's Creative Team gals have 3 fabulous freebies that coordinate with this week's new offerings. There's a freebie set of flairs and 2 quick pages. Make sure you stop by the gals blogs below to find them. Have a great week and happy scrapping!
click image or download here


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manage your business
Members - Agents - Products - Enrollment - Billing - Commissions - Operations
We provide a frontend and backend system that gives you a complete view of your members, agents and products - from sales to payments to customer service. With our system, you have a powerful, easy-to-use solution to manage your enrollment, billing, administration and operations.
Our objective is to deliver quality in everything we provide. We aim to exceed our customer expectations each and every day. With 1000s of powerful features to manage your business and years of industry experience to help you succeed - our system will guarantee your success.


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Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco (pronounced /ˈluːpeɪ/ LOO-pay), is an American rapper, artist, producer and CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of post punk band Japanese Cartoon under his real name.
Raised in Chicago, Fiasco developed an interest in hip-hop after initially disliking the genre for its use of vulgarity. He adopted the name Lupe Fiasco and began recording songs in his father's basement, and joined a group called Da Pak. The group disbanded shortly after its inception, and Fiasco soon met rapper Jay-Z who helped him sign a record deal with Atlantic Records. In 2006, Fiasco released his debut album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor on the label, to commercial and critical acclaim. He then released his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, in December 2007. The single "Superstar" became a hit, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. His upcoming album, Lasers, is scheduled for release on March 8, 2011.
In addition to music, Fiasco has pursued other business ventures, including fashion. He runs two clothing lines, "Righteous Kung-Fu" and "Trilly & Truly"; he has also designed sneakers for Reebok. He has also been involved with charitable activities throughout his career, including the Summit on the Summit expedition, and in 2010 he recorded a benefit single for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.


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The new Sarix high-performance mega-pixel technology platform from Pelco was created with one goal in mind: to be the leading standard in IP imaging performance for security professionals. Featuring advanced lowlight capabilities, consistent color science, H.264 compression, built-in analytics, and much more, the Sarix series cameras deliver a higher definition of security.
Visit www.pelco.com
ISC West Booth No. 14041
Law enforcement agencies across the country can now rapidly deploy a live remote mobile surveillance trailer in high risk locations. Russell Turner, Vice-President of Sales for NetVision Mobile, states that "Law enforcement professionals at the National Association of Police Chiefs Annual Conference remarked on how the NetVision Remote Surveillance System 'will help protect personnel and property during large public gatherings, covert operations and in high risk situations.'
Visit www.netvisionmobile.com
The Sbox series is the latest DVRs from Bolide in its line of affordable and high quality H.264 DVRs. The superb picture clarity of the recorded surveillance video is made possible by the new H.264 video codec that offers unsurpassed video quality while taking up little HDD space. It supports IE remote viewing up to 4 users with easy USB backup function. Other features include email notification, self-recovery after power loss, audio recording and more.
Visit www.bolideco.com
ISC West Booth No. 20109
Industries widest 3 Megapixel vari-focal lens. The YV2.7X2.2SA series lenses offer a horizontal field of view of 120 degrees! Perfect for use with Megapixel cameras that allow customers to record wider fields of view. With this release, customers now enjoy the flexibility of a Vari-Focal lens without having to compromise on field of view or Megapixel resolution. The lens incorporates Fujinon's proprietary "AT'" Aspheric Technology which improves optical performance, while reducing overall size and weight.
Visit www.fujinon.com
This new line includes a complete redesign of the indoor and outdoor selectable horns, strobes, strobe/horn combination and mass notification strobe/horn combinations. All of the models operate between 12/24V DC. The strobes have six (6) settings with a range of 15-110 candela. The strobe setting is clearly displayed on the front of the device. The new devices also include a universal mounting plate with a pre-wire terminal block to assist with installation and come with weatherproof options.
Visit www.pottersignal.com
New Schlage UL294-listed power supplies support access control applications. Offering unparalleled reliability and ease of installation, the new 500-ULAC 1-Amp and 3-Amp power supplies, supplied standard with AC input, output and battery monitoring circuits, power devices locally or connect to an access control panel. Providing low voltage, filtered and regulated power for a broad range of access control devices and panels, they meet the needs of both security and access control market segments.
Visit www.schlage.com
Delayed Egress with Latch Retraction Rim Exit Device (Patent Pending)Detex's Delayed Egress with Latch Retraction (EExER) is designed for applications requiring security and access control and is perfect for automatic door operators. The 100dB alarm will sound when someone attempts to exit, but the door remains locked for 15 seconds, deterring unauthorized exits and providing time for personnel to respond. Ideal applications include airports, hospitals, assisted living facilities as well as schools, retail and law enforcement buildings.
The new Divar XF is Bosch's first embedded DVR with support for both analog cameras and IP video streams. Divar XF's hybrid functionality offers users a smooth migration path from analog to digital video solutions for applications ranging from retail and public monitoring systems to banks, casinos and hotels. With real-time 4CIF performance and efficient H.264 compression, Divar XF can reduce bandwidth and storage costs by up to 30%, compared with traditional MPEG-4 encoding.
Visit www.boschsecurity.us
AXIS' Q1755 Network Camera offers outstanding HDTV in compliance with the SMPTE standard. Delivers 1080i or 720 line resolution and supports H.264 compression. Includes 10x optical/12x digital zoom, autofocus, day/night mode, Power over Ethernet and a built-in slot for an SDHC card. Video intelligence including video motion detection, audio detection, active tampering alarm and Gatekeeper functionality, HDTV image quality, zoom and autofocus, local storage, power over Ethernet, intelligent video capabilities
Visit www.axis.com
Fluidmesh 2200 Duo series is a wireless mesh networking product designed specifically for security, video-surveillance and mission-critical applications. The system is able to transmit the video streams coming from the cameras directly attached to it and to dynamically route data packets coming from other Fluidmesh units through the optimal path. It includes the EasyMesh platform and the FMQuadro web interface which allows the user to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot the network in real time.
Visit www.fluidmesh.com
Acquisition & Funding ServicesAffiliated MonitoringAxis CommunicationsDigital Monitoring ProductsHikvisionMission 500Napco SecurityNational Monitoring CenterSecurity CentralSSN 40 under 40United Central Control
© 2020 United Publications ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


text: evita mgfs #1 Posted April 14, 2016 Welcome! This is the SISTER THREAD to "Bran's Growing Powers AFTER his Last POV in ADwD" located in the ReRead Subforum. http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/132143-bran%E2%80%99s-growing-powers-after-his-final-pov-in-adwd/&page=1 Here we will continue our discussion regarding how Bran's growing powers manifest themselves in the HBO series Game of Thrones with a focus on how Martin reveals Bran's growing powers in the novels from the series ASoIaF. This thread is for HBO's Game of Thrones and for book fans and also for those who only watch Game of Thrones but want to have a broader insight into Bran's powers as reflected in Martin's novels. Anybody who enjoys reading our thoughts and theories published here yet has a question, please feel free to ask anything at all. Someone will endeavour to answer any questions: don't worry - no one bites! Although Evita is the name attached to this thread, I wish to acknowledge the exceptional scholars who are valuable contributors and an integral part of the PACK: Wizz-The-Smith, Arya's Song, BeMused, Fattest Leech, Longrider, Meera of Tarth, Ravenous Reader, and Tijgy. Enjoy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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At 48 years old, Michael Jordan can still dunk a basketball. That seems merited. Here's the Bobcats owner at the team's fantasy basketball camp yesterday, throwing down (to use the term lightly!) at the request of a camper. Still, as TBJ points out, we've seen worse from Mike — even when he was a sprightly 39.
We're curious how Jordan would actually stack up in the NBA today. His quickness and that deadly first step might be long gone, but he could still post up and get off jumpers. Craggs estimates that he'd manage 5-2-2 in 24 minutes if he were to suit up, and that line doesn't sound too outlandish. It would certainly make him a more valuable commodity than at least one current Chicago player.
H/T Eye On Basketball.
Thanks for your continued support of Deadspin. Dickey will join you shortly.


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So I spent a few hours trying to modify my JSON code to work around this issue, to no avail (well I can get the serialization all right, but the deserialization seems to be tricky). So I've got another approach to work: since the default for Data instances is not right when your objects contains Map structures, lets rewrite these... Using the source for Data.Map and the documentation for Data.Generics.Data, I managed to get it to work, but of course the price is loads (loads, loads) of boilerplate code.
So here goes: I have the simple object: (assume import qualified Data.Map as M)
data MapObjF=MapObjF (M.Map String Int) String
deriving (Eq,Typeable,Show)
So MapObjF contains a Map String Integer and a String
And here's the Data instance definition (big breath):
instance Data MapObjF where
gfoldl k z (MapObjF m s) = k (k (z (MapObjF . M.fromList)) (M.toList m)) s
gunfold k z _ = k (k (z (MapObjF . M.fromList)))
toConstr (MapObjF _ _) = con_MapObjF
dataTypeOf _ = ty_MapObjF
con_MapObjF = mkConstr ty_MapObjF "MapObjF" [] Prefix
ty_MapObjF = mkDataType "MyModule.MapObjF" [con_MapObjF]
I define the constructor, the datatype, and implement gfoldl and gunfold transforming the map into a list of tuples. Of course if you have several constructors, loads of fields it soon becomes unwieldy. Now, is there a Haskell macro system so I can easily generate all that boilerplate for all my data types? Noooo I don't want to leave Haskell for LISP...


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Reuters.com published this deansguide article September 19, 2008
Scott Karp author of the blog Publishing 2.0 wrote a eye opening and somewhat startling report about the uber news site the drudgereport.com. In his article he is able to debunk aka discredit two major assumptions being pushed forward by marketing guru's, website "experts", and bloggers everyday: You should never send readers away from your news site by linking to third party content. Since we as bloggers are trying to deliver huge value, news, and new tips, the following is very important in your strategy.
Assumption #1
"You shouldn't send people away or else they won't come back to your site."
Assumption #2
"A page with links that sends people away has low engagement, which doesn't serve advertisers well."
As Scott states, I support his statement 100%,: "But if you actually look at the data, both of these assumptions are completely wrong."
Newspaper Association of America: Top 30 News Sites Ranked by Sessions per Person (May 2008)
Top News sites Ranked by Time per Person: Source CyberJournalist.net
The Results: Just the Facts
1. The top site has 2x as many sessions per person
2. The top site has almost twice as much time spent per person
Biggest Take Away of All
According to Scott and his logic is clearly supported here: "But the most important difference between the top site and all the other sites, is that this top site — Drudge — has nothing but LINKS."
That's right folks the Drudge Report is essentially a giant blog built on links to other sites with a little content thrown in for direction. Drudge beats every fresh content news site by a 2 to 1 margin.
More SEO gurus around the country are beginning to rethink the idea that fresh content is no longer king. Content in many ways is still king. What is important to understand is that it is better to send your readers away IF you provide them such great value that they will return to your site as a starting point for the quest for answers to their questions.
Note: Realtors need to understand that they can link to more successful agents, bigger companies, and experts in the field without fear of losing their readership–if they are providing great content even if it is pointing to other bloggers.
Scott's Update to Objectors
Commenter's objection "Drudge's session numbers are worthless. Unlike every site on the list, Drudge has an artificially high auto-refresh rate of something under 3 minutes, I think it might even be as low as 2 minutes. The conclusions are fairly obvious– every person who leaves Drudge's page open in a new tab, or leaves their desk for lunch created dozens or even hundreds of "new" sessions."
Scott's Retort
"I find it ironic that most of these commenters came here from Techmeme, a site that has nothing but links and that auto-refreshes. Techmeme, like Drudge, is INDISPENSIBLE for its users, something any news site should want to claim. And Techmeme has found the key to unlokcing value for advertisiers (hint: it's not display ads) — sponsorships in the form of content links, just like Techeme's editorial content.
And really, what news site wouldn't want to be open in a reader's browser being refreshed all day, instead of hoping for drive-by referrals from aggregators?"
In my opinion, there is almost always a hidden agenda or motivation behind many objections. Before analyzing and supporting objections, it's always best to understand who benefits and why. I believe Scott did a fantastic job here.


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So, what's the worst kind of airplane seatmate?
Is it the one with armrest-spread, who overwhelms the armrest between you and settles an elbow in spots where you don't regularly expect contact from strangers?
Is it the person wearing perfume the way a newly christened ship wears champagne, with a whole bottle broken over its prow?
Is it the loud talker, the snorer, the drinker, the passenger who brought Fluffles, the under-seat and apparently operatic cat, who is willing to serenade you for inflight hours on end?
Wait, there's worse.
Much worse. They're silent, and so small you can't even see them.
Worse, especially since a fraudulent scientific study made people start questioning the value of vaccinations — and choosing not to vaccinate their children against some of the greatest medical scourges that science has managed to control.
Here's Wednesday's report about exposure to a confirmed case of measles at Canada's largest airport.
It was only a matter of time before this happened — and sadly, it will happen again. The U.S., once close to measles-free, already has 10 states dealing with measles cases in 2019.
"People in the following areas of Pearson Airport on January 27, 2019 may have been exposed: Lufthansa flight LH-470, from Frankfurt to Toronto (Pearson Airport, arrival at 4:08 p.m.); Air Canada flight AC-834 or LH-6829, from Toronto (Pearson Airport, departure at 6:00 p.m.) to Montreal; Pearson International Airport (Terminal 1) on January 27, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)"
Measles is highly contagious; the virus can live for two hours in the air where an infected person has sneezed or coughed. If you think you have measles, you're told to call ahead to give your health provider — family doctor or hospital — enough warning to make precautions for public safety.
Of course, protection is as simple as a pair of childhood vaccinations. The population used to be so completely vaccinated that those born before 1970 are considered to be immune.
But not the modern world. No, now we've got the internet, so we can choose the science we want to believe.
It was only a matter of time before this happened — and sadly, it will happen again. The U.S., once close to measles-free, already has 10 states dealing with measles cases in 2019.
Even though no one needs to suffer through the risks of the disease, which can include encephalitis, pneumonia and even death.
Think about it: a major airport like Pearson is just about the worst place to launch the infectious board game known as "who came in contact with Patient Zero?"
So, you weren't even on an airplane on Jan. 27, what does it mean to you?
Well, you weren't, but your neighbours might have been. Or your doctor, or your mail carrier. Your grocery clerk. Your barista.
This is an evil genie that no one in the medical world wants to have let out of the bottle.
Yet, here we go.


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Posted April 1, 2011 12:56 PM
Permalink | No Comments |
Welcome to my BeyeNETWORK Blog. This is going to be the place for us to exchange thoughts, ideas and opinions on all aspects of the information quality and data integration world. I intend this to be a forum for discussing changes in the industry, as well as how external forces influence the way we treat our information asset. The value of the blog will be greatly enhanced by your participation! I intend to introduce controversial topics here, and I fully expect that reader input will "spice it up." Here we will share ideas, vendor and client updates, problems, questions and, most importantly, your reactions. So keep coming back each week to see what is new on our Blog!
David is the President of Knowledge Integrity, Inc., a consulting and development company focusing on customized information management solutions including information quality solutions consulting, information quality training and business rules solutions. Loshin is the author of The Practitioner's Guide to Data Quality Improvement, Master Data Management, Enterprise Knowledge Management: The Data Quality Approach and Business Intelligence: The Savvy Manager's Guide. He is a frequent speaker on maximizing the value of information. David can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or at (301) 754-6350.
Editor's Note: More articles and resources are available in David's BeyeNETWORK Expert Channel. Be sure to visit today!


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A Warm Welcome awaits you at The George, Hadleigh!
News: Why Not Join Us For Valentines?
The George Public House enjoys a superb position half way along the High Street. It is close to the stunning parish church of St Mary's, it is picturesque, welcoming; a home from home. It's a true community pub of the type that is all too rare these days.
Our restaurant serves quality food mostly from local produce at reasonable prices. A selection of beers, including traditional cask ales, are available from the bar. We can also host such as wedding receptions and business events in our first-floor function room.


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Just a few minutes ago, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was tabbed to hear the second round of appeals brought forward by the players involved in the Saints bounty scandal, passed down his ruling. And it is confusing. NFL spokesperson Greg Aiello is currently tweeting out Tagliabue's statement piece by piece, but it essentially boils down to this: Everything Roger Goodell accused the Saints players and coaches of doing in regards to carrying out a bounty program is 100 percent correct, but since this whole case has become a big, jumbled clusterfuck, none of the players should be fined or suspended. Um, what?
Read Aiello's tweets for yourself. See if you can figure it out:


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One of the saddest stories of the 2014 NFL preseason was the forced retirement of New York Giants running back David Wilson. The 23-year-old had to hang up his cleats after re-injuring his neck during training camp. Well, now Wilson has his eyes on a new career and he's still going to be an athlete.
Wilson will turn to track and field, as he intends to train in the triple jump in an attempt to make the United States team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. He competed in the event in high school and during his collegiate days at Virginia Tech.
Wilson made the announcement while speaking to reporters on Monday at Citi Field where he was addressing school children as a part of the "Citi Kids" program. He claims he has already been working out and will begin training with his old track coach at Virginia Tech.
The promising young running back had a tough start to the 2013 NFL season and only played in five games after being diagnosed with spinal stenosis. He had fusion surgery to repair a vertebrae and a herniated disk in his neck in January. During training camp last month during he ran into the back of an offensive lineman with his head down and said he felt numbness in his hands and lower extremities afterwards. After some tests doctors advised him to retire.
Wilson obviously has a lot of work to do if he wants to make the U.S. track team for the 2016 Olympics, though he did help Virginia Tech win the 2011 ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships. His personal best in the triple jump was 16.20 meters. France's Teddy Tamgho won the 2013 World Track Championship title with a jump of 18.04, while American Will Claye took the bronze with a mark of 17.52.
There is no doubt Wilson is athletic enough to become an Olympic athlete, so I'm rooting for him to get there. It's great that he will now have something to focus his attention on after leaving football behind.


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David Faison is one of three boat captains who together have logged more than 150 years of service at the Silver Springs Attraction.
Editor's Note: This is another in a periodic series about the people whose lives are as much a part of the Silver Springs tradition as the crystal waters that bubble up from the earth.
David Faison stepped around the outside ledge of his glass-bottom boat and slipped into the driver's seat with the agility of a much younger man. At 81, Faison has put in 55 years as a boat captain, and his spiel reveals his knowledge of the Silver River and the wildlife that lives there.
Faison is one of three boat captains who together have logged more than 150 years of service at the Silver Springs attraction. His brother, Roosevelt, 76, has worked there for 57 years, and their brother-in-law, Oscar Collins, 67, has put in 44 years and is the lead captain.
David Faison said he doesn't know what he will do with his time if he can't stay on after the park is integrated into the state park system in October.
"I'm a pretty healthy man," David Faison said. "I don't know what they're going to do, or what they're planning, but these boats for sure are gonna be runnin'. Who's gonna run 'em, I don't know."
Visitors to Silver Springs can opt to board the glass-bottom boats for a 25-minute cruise of the river. While gliding over the crystal-clear surface, people who have never scuba dived are able to enter an underwater world of fish, turtles, spiked river grass and deep crevices that spew out thousands of gallons of water every day.
All the while, the boat captains give a brief history of the river and point out such items as a dugout canoe that has sat on the river floor for decades, statues that served as movie props in the making of the "I Spy" television series and the James Bond film "Moonraker" and, along the river's edge, alligators lolling in the sun next to a row of turtles sunbathing on a fallen log.
The good ol' days
For the three veteran boat captains, fond memories abound.
"The spring's water is just as clear and just as beautiful as it was 57 years ago," Roosevelt Faison said. "One of the highlights was back in the days when we had what we called a 'fish football game.' We'd drop this big wad of bread down there. The bream we named the 'Army,' and the catfish were the 'Navy.' The Army would just move the dough ball around, but the Navy could put it in their mouth. That's why they always won."
Though fewer in number these days, the river's fish population still includes gar, bluegill, bream, catfish and bass, but not as many.
"That's one of my disappointments, the fish leaving and a lot more algae growing," Roosevelt Faison said. "Years ago, you could stand on the dock and look out on the river and the eel grass would glow, that's how shiny it was. Now, it's covered with algae. When the state comes in, I'd like to see them come out with a barge and a net and start cleaning up the algae. It'll take years to clean it up. I won't see it in my lifetime."
The Faisons and Collins grew up together in Fort McCoy, and Collins married the Faisons' sister. Roosevelt was the first of the three to take a job at Silver Springs. David followed within a couple years and, 10 years later, the brothers helped train Collins.
The captains receive Coast Guard training, with some limitations, Collins said.
"The toughest thing was docking," he said. "These boats have a flat bottom, so they operate different from any other boat, especially on windy days. I had some bump the dock. My brother-in-law trained me to dock the boat and do a good job with it. I can do it with my eyes closed now."
David Faison laughs about the first time he tried to walk around the outside ledge on his boat to get inside, the only way a captain can get past a crowd of visitors.
"I didn't have but two inches to walk on, and, oo-ee, I hit the water," he said. "I just lost my balance and I turned around and jumped for the dock. I come up out of the water, stepped back on the boat and carried 'em off down the river."
Occasionally, the unexpected happens, such as Collins' recollection of the day his boat passed over an alligator lying on the river bottom.
"That's unusual," he said. "Most of the time, they're on the bank. The people couldn't believe it. Some people think they're not real until they make a move."
Local folks might remember the Silver Springs billboards that once stood along the highway. Collins said he was the one waving from the boat in the blown-up photo. The same image also was on the front of the park's promotional T-shirts at the time, he said.
Five decades of transitions
During their careers at Silver Springs, the Faisons and Collins saw the park change hands numerous times, starting with the joint ownership of Carl Ray and W.M. Davidson. According to the Silver Springs website, the property was owned by the American Broadcasting Company and Florida Leisure Attractions, which sold it to the state in 1993 but continued to manage the attraction through a lease agreement. The lease passed to Ogden Entertainment in 1996 and to Palace Entertainment in 2002.
"The best days were in the '70s," Roosevelt Faison said. "That's when we had more attendance here. There was Six Gun Territory and Rainbow Springs down in Dunnellon. It was something to get off the interstate for them three parks. Then, we lost Six Gun, and the state took over Rainbow Springs. And Disney drew people to Orlando."
The Silver Springs website also describes the evolution of the glass-bottom boat, which was designed by Hullam Jones in 1878. Also in the late 1870s, Phillip Morell, a resident of Silver Springs, built a glass-bottom rowboat and sold rides above the springs.
Silver Springs acquired its glass-bottom boats around the turn of the 20th century. In 1909, C. "Ed" Carmichael installed cushioned seats and canopies. The early gasoline engines were converted to electric in 1932.
Collins said the former boats were made of wood and had Carl Ray's family names painted on them. The newer versions are constructed of aluminum and bear Seminole Indian names.
"They were smaller back in the day," Collins said. "They carried about 25 people. Now they can carry 35."
Three of the boats are operating and 15 are on reserve. Each of the captains is paired with his own boat. Collins generally pilots the Chief Yoholo. David Faison drives the Chief Micanopy and Roosevelt drives the Chief Neameth.
"I'd like to see another boat ride come in here. The old standards were the glass-bottom boats and the Jungle Cruise," Collins said.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection last month opened discussions with potential vendors to provide services at the park. DEP spokeswoman Dee Ann Miller said last week that talks with Ocala-based concessionaires to handle music concerts, special events and a recreational service are ongoing. Those firms include Diversified Event Productions, a concert promoter that seeks to use the Twin Oaks Mansion at Silver Springs for up to 22 concerts a year; What's Up Media, a special events coordinator; and Eco-Recreation Management, which operates Discovery Kayak Tours.
She said the state also is working with possible concessionaires to provide food service and run the glass-bottom boats.
New challenge on the river
On a recent day, the three boat captains stood on the dock and watched with concern as several kayaks criss-crossed the river and paused over the head spring.
While Roosevelt Faison says kayaking can be fun, he fears the congestion could pose a challenge for the glass-bottom boats.
"We can see a difference already," he said. "The sale of kayaks went up, and everybody went out and bought one. They have the right-of-way because they don't have a motor. That puts the burden on us. They can see us, but we can't see them. They're supposed to stay out of our way, but we have to go around them not to hit them. They go down the springs and jump out of their boat and cloudy up the springs. They're not supposed to be swimming out there where we're running the boats."
"And, there's no fishing allowed," he added.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection last month opened discussions with potential vendors to provide services at the park. DEP spokeswoman Dee Ann Miller said last week that talks with Ocala-based concessionaires to handle music concerts, special events and a recreational service are ongoing. Those firms include Diversified Event Productions, a concert promoter that seeks to use the Twin Oaks Mansion at Silver Springs for up to 22 concerts a year; What's Up Media, a special events coordinator; and Eco-Recreation Management, which operates Discovery Kayak Tours.
She said the state also is working with possible concessionaires to provide food service and run the glass-bottom boats.


text: Much as Scottish outfit Belle And Sebastian lost much of its initial magic when its principals decided to brighten up the corners of their gentle songs, the charming aspects of Matthew Adam Hart's music have been inversely proportional to the production quality of The Russian Futurists' albums. But unlike Stuart Murdoch and company, who made the most of the sheen and breathed new life into a band that seemed to be fey-ding away, Hart has gotten less interesting as he's moved further from 2000's The Method Of Modern Love. For proper album four, Hart moved his electro-pop operation out of the bedroom and into Michael Musmanno's production studio, and the results are more often than not frustratingly pedestrian, and occasionally just downright cheesy. Things start off nicely with the bouncy, big-chorused "Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds," but pretty soon, we're confronted with "One Night, One Kiss," a modern-day yacht-rock duet with Ruth Minnikin that includes lines like "There's no doubt we're made for each other / baby, let's be lovers / and spend the rest of the night under the covers." And no, he isn't being ironic. Musically, things take a turn for the worse when Hart tries to do some sort of Keith Sweat thing on "100 Shopping Days 'Til Christmas," a soulless soul song about pining for a former lover; once again, even a little irony can't save the day. To be fair, The Weight's On The Wheels is peppered with nice hooks and a few clever moves, and it ends just as strongly as it began, with the dream-poppy "Horseshoe Fortune." But precious little tunes like this need more than just catchiness to make an impact.


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You can create beautiful websites with great typography using the @font-face kit of
Ice Sticks font. Webfont and @font-face supported
all up-to-date browsers can use comfortably.
@font-face is very easy to use, click here to download Ice Sticks webfont kit. The following example will guide you to the css and html codes.
Ensuring the maximum cross browser typography support, WOFF (Web OpenFont Format) works with all up-to-date browsers. You can check the versions by clicking here.
Using this font on your website is your own legal responsibility. You can check the license information of the font.
@font-face { font-family: 'ice sticks'; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; src: local('ice sticks'), url('ice_sticks.woff') format('woff'); }

Autem est eum quis voluptatem provident eos sed.

If it doesn't, restart the download.


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SecuGen's FDA02 is a one to many matching algorithm for rapid user identification. The system includes a patented optical fingerprint module and a PC board with CPU and flash memory that can hold up to 2,000 fingerprint records. The FDA02 can be used as a stand-alone application because fingerprint capture, minutiae extraction and template matching are all conducted in the on board CPU.
For more information, call SecuGen at 408-727-7787 or visit www.secugen.com.
The IK-VRO1A from Toshiba is a vandal resistant dome camera that features a metal housing. The camera is suitable for installation in vandal prone areas. The imaging system includes a 1/3-inch CCD that delivers 480 television lines of resolution. The camera offers low light sensitivity and a clean signal to noise ratio to be paired with a digital video recorder.
For more information, call Toshiba at 877-696-3822 or visit the company's web site at www.cctv.toshiba.com.
AV3130 DayNighP2 from Arecont Vision utilizes proprietary DualBandP2, multi-sensor technology. The AV3130 enables imaging in a wide range of illumination conditions from 100,000 lux to 0.01 lux. It delivers up to 20 fps at a 1920 x 1200 resolution.
For more information, call Arecont Vision at 626-836-6603 or visit www.megapixelvideo.com.
The EX40MNX incorporates a photocell-controlled mechanical filter. The EX40MNX uses Extreme's LXR CCD technology to offer color during the day and sensitivity to IR at night. LEDs deliver 35 feet of night vision for images under zero lux. The camera has local video output, conduit compatibility, and 4.0-8.0 millimeter varifocal auto-iris lens.
For more information, call Extreme CCTV at 604-420-7711 or visit www.extremecctv.com.
The PRH-5480 IR housing from LiLin USA CCTV adopts seventeen power IR LEDs.
The PRH-5480 offers an integrated mounting bracket for cable management and an adjustable IR LED activation.
The housing comes with a heater and blower assembly for most outdoor environments. The unit accepts a variety of cameras.
For more information about this product, call LiLin USA at 888-287-8686 or visit the company's web site at www.meritlilin.com.
The BV1750 economy station from SSS Siedle is a combination of an in-house telephone, a video bus receiver, and a black-and -white monitor with a four-inch screen diagonal in the form of a wall surface mounted unit. The compact unit uses only two wires for installation.
The economy station comes with an LED call-silencing button, which lights up when that mode is active. It can be used with a camera at a door.
Acquisition & Funding ServicesAffiliated MonitoringAxis CommunicationsDigital Monitoring ProductsHikvisionMission 500Napco SecurityNational Monitoring CenterSecurity CentralSSN 40 under 40United Central Control
© 2020 United Publications ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


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This lunar soil marks the last time humans visited another world. It was here in December 1972 that the final Apollo astronauts walked on the Moon. This image is a solemn reminder of our space explorations past and (hopefully) future.
This was taken last month by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and it's the sharpest image ever taken of the Apollo 17 landing site. The LRO also snapped similarly high-res shots of the Apollo 12 and Apollo 14 landing sites. Apollo 17 was the last of the six successful Apollo missions - and NASA would again like to stress that there definitely were no secret returns to the Moon or anything stupid like that - and it spent three days from December 11 to 13, 1972 in the Moon's Taurus-Littrow Valley.
NASA explains just what we can see in this image:
The high resolution image data was taken during a period when LRO's orbit was modified to create a close approach of about 22 kilometers as it passed over some of the Apollo landing sites. That altitude corresponds to only about twice the height of a commercial airline flight over planet Earth. Labeled in this image are Apollo 17 lunar lander Challenger's descent stage (inset), the lunar rover (LRV) at its final parking spot, and the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) left to monitor the Moon's environment and interior. Clear, dual lunar rover tracks and the foot trails left by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, the last to walk on the lunar surface, are also easily visible at the Apollo 17 site.
You can click on the image for a much higher resolution look at the landing site.
Via NASA.


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Danuta necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 368 diseños de 68 diseñadores freelance.
DS Holistics
I am starting a new career in alternative medicine and opening a clinic soon. I will be doing hypnosis, advising on nutrition and detox, herbal remedies and other stuff. Everything to help my clients to restore their natural balance and to discover the wonderful healing potential within themselves.
I am also planning a website which will give info about the clinic, treatments and myself but also will have the useful tips and topics on health and self help.
Adults of all ages and also children. I am not aiming at any audience group in particular. The logo appealing to anyone and inspiring trust, you know hypnosis is not a very well known thing.
The logo has to look good on the website and on business cards.
Simple and relaxing logo. Maybe a bit elegant? Maybe like a signature with a script or handwritten font. Or a monogram as DS are my initials. Or just nice clean basic font. Whatever it is I would like just few details around or within the DS Holistics, a sort of a personal touch. Please avoid leaves.
I hope for my logo to be attractive, beautiful, relaxing to eye but professional at the same time.
I am planning to use soft soothing colours on the website and pictures of nature. You can experiment with colours of the logo so far. I will see what is your proposal first and we can adjust the colours later if it's needed. My favourite is purple in general but it all depends how it looks in the logo.
The files we will require are the Adobe Illustrator and layered Photoshop files.
Thank you.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Let Us Transform Your Birmingham, MI Property Into A Paradise
Make your own home a perfect place to relax and commune with nature. Our team of expert landscaping, landscape design and garden maintenance specialists will turn your property into a paradise. We offer a range of custom landscape design services that cover all the phases of gardening and landscaping. We'll take care of your garden from start to finish.
Our areas of Birmingham landscaping specialization include Landscape Design, Garden Installation, Gardening and Landscape Maintenance, Hardscape and Complete Project Management.
"Lynn C. was outstanding. We enjoy working with her and look forward to future projects together. Everything is completed to perfection."
—Jolie G., Birmingham, Mi
Birmingham Landscapers: We Understand The Need For A Better Outdoor Space.
Designing and installing a landscaped garden is a good way to create a more relaxing living space. It also adds beauty and value to your property. Our dedicated service starts with creating a landscape design that suits your home's structure and available outdoor space.
Once you approve your custom design, our team will prepare your yard for the installation. You can also count on our maintenance services for your existing garden. We provide useful tips on DIY projects and other simple tasks related to gardening.
It takes time, effort, and skill to install and maintain a landscaped garden. Our goal is to take the stress away so you can focus on your daily routine and spend quality time with your family. Contact us to schedule an on-site consultation.
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We'll take it from here, Mother Nature.
Designing an idyllic outdoor space rarely begins with a blank canvas. The attributes of your land, the ratio of sun and shade, the architecture of your home—and most importantly your lifestyle and aesthetic—are a few of the things that must be considered when creating a beautiful, sustainable environment.
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The result is an outdoor space that is truly yours.
Transforming your land into your living space.
When it's time to break ground and bring your blueprint to life, your Four Seasons designer orchestrates our team of expert landscapers, craftsmen and tradespeople to deliver your project on time and to perfection.
Our experienced crew leaders and skilled staff use the highest quality materials and plants to ensure your project not only increases the beauty of your home, but also the value for years to come. We also see that necessary paperwork, such as a Birmingham city permit, is properly completed and submitted. Our installation process is environmentally conscious, and we always use Michigan made and grown products and plants whenever possible.
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It's no secret, a landscaped space requires maintenance to stay healthy and beautiful. It's also no secret that you'd rather spend your weekends and free time enjoying your outdoor space, not maintaining it.
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Feel like doing a little DIY planting? Have a weekend project to tackle? Want to meet with a member of our expert staff? Pop on over to Four Seasons Garden Center to leisurely browse our gorgeous, ever-changing inventory or pick up that something specific you can't find anywhere else.
Our Garden Center team has extensive knowledge of plant life, flowers and landscaping techniques, and we're always happy to answer any questions or offer up some inspiring ideas for your outdoor space.
Just be sure to call ahead for our seasonal hours.


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Joyce C. Piper, 74, North Manchester, died at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 21, in her residence. She was born Feb. 18, 1939 in Spring Valley, N.Y. to John and Martha (Hoage) Stysly.
On July 3, 1980 she married Duane E. Piper. Joyce was an insurance agent in Hallandale, Fla., from 1974 until 2000, and from 1987-2000 she was owner of Piper & Piper Insurance Agency. She was a member of American Legion Auxiliary Post #286 and Women of the Moose both in North Manchester.
She is survived by her husband, Duane E. Piper, North Manchester; one son, Mark (Karen Whitt) Drotch, North Manchester; one daughter, Mrs. Donald (Cindy) Cook, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; three grandchildren, two step grandchildren, one great grandchild and four step great grandchildren. One brother and one step son are deceased.
Family and friends may call May 31, from 3-5 p.m. at Congregational Christian Church, 310 N. Walnut Street, North Manchester. Services will be May 31, at 5:30 p.m. at Congregational Christian Church. Pastor J. P. Freeman and Pastor Benjamin Bolin will officiate.
For those who wish to honor the memory of Joyce C. Piper, memorial contributions may be made to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research, PO Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309 or Animal Shelter of Wabash County, 810 Manchester Ave., Wabash, IN 46992.
Arrangements are entrusted to McKee Mortuary, North Manchester.


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Tips for a Spick, Span And Green Home
(NewsUSA) - You faithfully separate your paper and plastic recyclables and purchase phosphate-free laundry detergent, but a look at your cleaning cabinet reveals bottles displaying skulls and crossbones. Sure, you know that harsh chemical cleaners aren't the best for the environment, but how else are you expected to clean your home?
Luckily, it's possible to make your home spotless without using toxic cleaners. JBI, Inc. (OTCQX: JBII - News), a technology company that seeks to innovate new solutions to issues facing today's world, including environmental concerns, offers the following tips:
* Purchase environmentally friendly cleaning products. Put away the bleach and look for greener products. For example, DropShot Cleaners (www.BuyDropShot.com) carry the Design for the Environment designation from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The entire family of money-saving DropShot products has a convenient, eco-friendly refill system. Just drop the small refill shot into your reusable empty bottle and fill with water. When the concentrated shot dissolves, you have a full bottle of commercial-strength, earth friendly cleaner that is ready to tackle the toughest messes or odors.
* With DropShot cleaners, along with cutting plastic bottle waste, you pay for its incredible cleaning power -- not water! The cleaners use the safest chemicals available, though, like all cleaning supplies, they should be kept away from pets and children.
* Stop using paper towels. For windows, try using a soft cloth, like an old T-shirt. If you must use paper towels, look for brands that contain 100 percent recycled materials.
* Use baking soda instead of fragrance sprays. Fresh-smelling air doesn't come from an aerosol can. If you want to banish funky odors, try sprinkling a scant amount of baking soda into your carpet. The baking soda will absorb odors. A little vacuuming, and you'll find yourself with an odor-free carpet.
House plants, too, can help freshen the air. Chrysanthemums, English ivy, spider plants and Boston ferns can all improve indoor air quality, though you shouldn't buy a plant without first checking to make sure that it will be safe around your pets.
For more information, visit www.BuyDropShot.com or www.jbiglobal.com.


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Framed edition - 5/88 ( CSG - 136 - ( PEARL ) - JZ ) 4/88, , 5/88 ,42/88, 43/88 ( FRAMED / WHS ) 6/88, 8/88, ( FRAMED / RC ) 19/88, 20/88, 54/88 ( MIA ) The couple sitting on the jagged rock is surrounded by the splashing waves that threaten to engulf them as the tide rises. However, the couple appears to exhibit little fear, as the woman leans into the man's firm embrace, as though he is guarding her from the waves. Wu Qiong expresses the determination of strong couples; their resolve to face the events and trials in their life together.
Wu Qiong was born in Beijing, China in 1981. He graduated from the Beijing Shi Fan University in 2001 and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2006. Both sculptor and painter, Wu creates art that represents the childhood that he and many others of his generation remembered and in doing so, creates touching and amusing portraits of childhood that are distinctly contemporary in the Chinese art scene. Acclaimed both internationally and locally, Wu Qiong has participated in various international art fairs, including Art Miami, Art Cologne and Bridge Art Fair. Read More
Wu Qiong's "Chinese Children" by Daozi
Wu Qiong's work mainly consists of three series: Born in the 1980s, Marching Forth and Made in China.
From ancient Song dynasty paintings "Street Vendor" and "Children Playing" to Feng Zikai's comics and Zhang Leping's Sanmao in more recent years, children have been an important subject matter for many artists. These works depict the various situations and encounters of children, highlight their naïveté and loveliness and even the helplessness and tragedy of children living in lower tiers of society. Through these representations, the artists express their longing for the purity of being a child, whilst revealing the darker side of society. Since the 1980s, as art and culture bloomed, more works with the theme of children emerged in contemporary Chinese art such as Zhang Xiaogang's Blood Family series, Tang Zhigang's Children's Conference and Chinese Fable series, Cui Xiuwen's Angel series, and so on. Within these works, there has been a shift in focus from depicting children directly, to using children thematically as a subject matter. The artists no longer simply portray children in real life, but have placed them in imaginative spaces. Through the theme of children, social issues are revealed, the sentiments of love and concern are expressed, an individual's condition of existence in the contemporary society is conveyed. The subject matter transcends children per se, and instead addresses societal concerns and life experiences of artists.
This transition in the new era allowed for a freer representation of children. Children began to appear in quasi-realistic situations, with changing appearances and expressions that were increasing rich and diverse. Their bodies were still that of children, but their behaviour was no longer naïve and childish. They seemed to have taken on the sensitivity of adults with mature emotions. The depicted children bid farewell to their years of innocence, as there seemed to be a distancing from their real-life counterparts. They are objectified under the artists' brush. Such are the characteristics of the children in Wu Qiong's work. He sets children in fictional scenarios and, through the appropriation of images of children, makes references to adult experiences, social issues or even historical consciousness. As the artist claims, if our paintings could be represented with more vivid scenarios and narration, allowing the audience to perceive a certain "surrealist" quality, artwork would be more sensational and discrete.
Childhood Memories
In Wu Qiong's Eighties series, the children are whipping tops, having snowball fights, rolling iron rings, kicking shuttlecocks and playing hopscotch. Like it's title, these are childhood memories of those born in the 1980s and memories of childhood in old Beijing.
The children in these images have their eyes closed and heads lifted towards the airy blue sky and cotton clouds surrounding them, as if playing in a dream. Illusion and gracefulness are the main impression conveyed in this work, a feeling extricated from our childhood—the joy of carefree playing, the happiness of not having any responsibility.
Milan Kundera discusses the question of lightness and weight in the Unbearable Lightness of Being, "The weightier our responsibilities are, the closer our lives are to the earth, it is more realistic. On the contrary, when responsibility is absent, people become lighter than the air, they float, and are distanced from the earth and their lives on earth. People would become pseudo-beings, and their movement would also become free and meaningless." The so-called weight of being refers to the burdens and oppression of life. On the journey of life, as one matures, one seeks out desires, ideals, responsibilities and duties, with which comes various limitations and consequences, such as pain, tribulation, burden and oppression. In fact, we only live once and what is irreversibly lost is, in Kundera's view, the lightness of being—the true condition of being. And the lightness of being originates in its meaninglessness.
Life is light, unbearably light. On life's journey, we have always been "children," we have never left our vague childhood, but we are still roaming in a void. Yet, although we are well aware of it, we still can't abandon certain heavy burdens, which can be as significant as fame and benefits and as insignificant as the necessities of life. For adults, the lightness of being can be acknowledged but cannot be experienced—as we get to know the lightness better, we have already begun to walk away from it.
Made in China series
With their eyes still shut and heads lifted, the children look perplexed. They are sloppily wearing official dress, holding glazed fruit sticks, squatting on the floor holding hands with a bride, or hanging out with friends. Looking at these scenes is like a glimpse into everyday Chinese life -the quest for survival, fame, for the next generation, for friends to drink and chat with.
The content in one's life is mostly regulated by society, a result of cultural production. Children are taught mostly through regulation and are constantly indoctrinated with adult world ideals and expectations influenced by current cultural and social conditions. For example, they must study, work in offices, have a son to continue their lineage; as well as follow principles of loyalty, filial piety, propriety and such.
Living within the confinements of such a moral system, one's life is predestined from life to death; it becomes unnecessary to consider individual will. In this society, we are just children lavished with excessive attention. Although, if we reflect on these societal values in various situations, they seem rather absurd and laughable. A glazed fruit stick, the official costume, an old companion, a few friends to drink and chat with, this is what have been safekeeping, protecting and striving for—a laughable yet helpless situation.
Marching Forth series
This series portrays three groups of children with similar expressions and behavior. From their attire, we can categorize them into different eras: the Republican period, the Cultural Revolution period and the 1980s. Here we witness different education models - both familial and societal - for children in various periods. The tradition in ancient China was to educate one's children. In the "Rites of Qu" or Book of Rites, household rules included toddlers being taught basic concepts of how to behave as men and women. Content of education had to be centered on respecting the elders, their community and other behavioural rules, as well as mathematics, geography, how to read calendars and basic knowledge of everyday life. Once the children entered school, which was usually after ten years of age, besides learning the classics, the children were taught Neo-Confucianism ideals and the value of learning. In teaching children, one was meant to follow the Book of Rites and implement rules regulating behavior. The focus of education was on cultivation of character, whereas acquiring knowledge was secondary and a continuous process.
After the Qing government established its examination system, there were changes in the Neo-Confucian education of children. As becoming a literati turned into an opportunity to move up the social ladder, Ming and Qing dynasty scholars had to readjust the goals and content of childhood education and developed a new system of pedagogy and methodology. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, many supplementary materials were made for early education. The editors and authors uniformly expressed (in the prefaces of their writings) the need and responsibility of transitioning private education for one's children into a type of public duty. Children were gradually breaking away from private family teaching, and becoming the subject of concern outside of the family unit (in public and society) or system (school and education systems), which allowed children to be easily influenced by changes in society and become part of it.
There is a Chinese expression stating children were educated for "various ancestors," and later it was also for the purpose of "social benefits" and "prosperity of the nation." In recent years, childhood education became a public project. The existence of children seems to serve a purpose beyond the children themselves. In other words, within the framework of this era, the meaning of every individual's life is beyond him or herself. As such, children have lost their individuality and exist as members of a collective that are "marching forth in unison" with those around them. Yet, for adults, aren't they also confronted with the same issues?
Rectifying the 1980's Generation
Overall, children have not always been a subject of choice for Wu Qiong and the appropriation of children to scrutinize our conditions of life isn't necessarily his usual theme. In his 2006 graduation project, we see a depressed young man. "Moment" was a series of sketches of sad expressions, convoluted facial features and inconsistent expressions that belied oppression and sadness. In "Untitled" and "Cry," such oppression is displayed more apparently. "Puzzled C Major" and "Poet's Talk on Dreams" of the same period demonstrate the helplessness and compromise in post-hysteria. If complaints and anger did not change anything, then why take on a playful angle to banter, satirize and reveal? The artist takes the so-called "culture," "value" and "tradition" that binds him and places this in front of an audience, allowing everyone to reflect while laughing at them. In "Eighty or Eighty," Wu Qiong wrote, "I am using playful images to express happiness, sadness, alarm and self-parody." The artist expressed these ideals through the images of children.
As a young artist from the 1980s, scrutiny and judgment was inevitable. His new work, "Born after 1980," is a manifestation of that situation: a small child stands alone on a reef and behind him is blue ocean and sky. His body is pattered by the waves and the child looks out and shivers. Using the artist's own words, "I am using my unique artistic language to respond to the various attacks on the 1980s generation from society, by contrasting it with the ocean to highlight my insignificance. But the child still stands out and welcomes the rush of the ocean. Thus, I hope the audience would learn about the spirit of the 1980s generation."
To a certain degree, Wu Qiong's paintings have rectified a common criticism—the tendency to categorize art groups according to their biological age and neglecting the most important element of ideas in the contemporaneity of art. The common criticism of the '80s generation is their shared and habitual characteristics. They are portrayed as a generation that grew up in an urban setting; thus, they refer to cities as the center of their lives and their observations are based on books, films, the media and their own circles of friends. They talk about fashion, architecture, politics and the tabloids, and they seem to maintain a hedonistic lifestyle. They resemble a class in exile, who not only lack the instinct to live in a carefree fashion as the '90s generation does, but also do not wish to carry any sense of collective responsibility like their predecessors. Their innate sense of oppression and persistent pursuit of freedom is precisely the destiny of this generation. These claims seem to be quite a generalization of this generation, but they are just as speculative. However, it should be noted that outstanding ideas and art are without borders and can transcend generations, or even time. Since Wu Qiong returned from his studies in Singapore, in addition to his clear international perspective, he is, more importantly, constantly defining his position and injecting it into the undercurrents of this era.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours (Museum of Fine Arts of Tours), Tours, France
(Sculpture) Asian Art Museum of Cuba (Prints)
Managing Director and Founder of MediaCorp Raintree Pictures (Singapore), Daniel Yun (Oil Painting)
MediaCorp artiste Mark Lee, Singapore (Sculpture, Oil Painting, Prints)
Celebrity Stylist, Addy Lee, Singapore (Sculpture, Oil Painting, Prints)
Founder of Upfront Models modeling agency, Watson Tan (Sculpture, Oil Painting)
ACP Magazines (Cleo, Women's Weekly) Chief Fashion Editor, Sally Teo (Oil Painting)
Television host and MediaCorp artiste, Quan Yi Fong (Oil Painting)
Television host and MediaCorp artiste, Ben Yeo (Oil Painting)
Malaysia Singapore embassy in Malaysia (Oil Painting)
Solo Exhibitions
2007 Born in the 80's, Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
2008 Hear Us Out, Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
2012 Essence of Performing, Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
2014 0614, Beijing International Cultural Exchange Private Limited, China
2014 Waiting – Wu Qiong, Fei Ni Qi Art Center, 798 Art Zone, Beijing
2015 Here and Now by Wu Qiong, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore
Group Exhibitions
MAAP Multi Element Visual Performance, Singapore Art Museum
Painting Showcase at POP@Central, Bras Basah, Singapore
Senses of Place, NAFA Campus 1, Singapore
Visual Desire Group Contemporary Art Exhibition, Singapore
100% Made in Singapore – Art Seasons Gallery, Singapore
ArtSingapore 2006, The Contemporary Asian Art Fair, Suntec City, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
Crazily Vertiginous Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
Form and Sensitivity Group Exhibition, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
WTP Windows to the Past with Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
ArtSingapore 2007, The Contemporary Asian Art Fair, Suntec City, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
Emerging Talent – Five Artists for the Future, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
Art Miami 2007, Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Switzerland
Bridge Art Fair, New York 2008, Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Switzerland
Art Cologne 2008, Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Switzerland
China International Gallery Exposition 2008, Beijing, Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Switzerland
11th Beijing International Art Exposition, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
From Mao to Now, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Australia, with Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
The Sunshine Invitation of International Art Annual Exhibition, Sunshine International Museum – Beijing
Art Singapore 2008, The Contemporary Asian Art Fair, Sunjin Galleries, Singapore
Feeling – Shandong, Zuoyu Contemporary Museum, Shandong
My Friends, My Place, Hong Wan Arts Center, Beijing, Songzhuang
Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition in France, "Recent History," Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours (Museum of Fine Arts of Tours), Tours, France
Shanghai Contemporary 2009, Shanghai, China
Realm – Heart, 798 Art Zone, Beijing
Hidden Rules, Shiyu Space, 798 Art Zone, Beijing
Width 2 Contemporary Art Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Beijing
Crossover – International Exhibition 2010 (Singapore Venue), Sunshine International Museum, Beijing
Art Expo Malaysia 2010 with Sunjin Gallery Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Affordable Art Fair, Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
Asian Art Museum of Cuba, Collection Show, Contemporary Printmaking, Beijing Hexagon Contemporary Art Exchange Center
Affordable Art Fair with Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
Essence of Performing, Sunjin Gallery, Singapore
Art Stage Singapore, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore
Art Hong Kong, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore
Reproduction1: Silence, All Art Contemporary Art Center, Building No. 2, 798 Art Zone, Beijing
Ding Ding & Little Friends, c-space, The Gallery
Art Stage 2013, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore
Art Stage 2014, Ode to Art Gallery, Singapore
Reproduce - Artists Create, Artists' Gallery, 798 Art Zone, Beijing
0614, Beijing International Cultural Exchange Private Limited, China
Waiting – Wu Qiong, Fei Ni Qi Art Center, 798 Art Zone, Beijing
Lanjing Arts Center
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