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As a strip, there is nothing really all that much like Moomin…You could read entire anthologies of comic strips that do not contain the sadness and truth that Jansson gets into three panels there. That is ultimately Jansson's real gift: stuffing so, so much into the tiniest of spaces. I can only imagine how world-expanding that would seem to a child. As an adult, it's an overstuffed reminder of how horrible it is to crave simplicity.National Post
Celebrating Tove Jansson's legacy, one hundred years after her birth
Tove Jansson's Moomin stories made her one of the most beloved Scandinavian authors of the twentieth century. Jansson's whimsical tales of Moominvalley resonate with children for their lighthearted spirit, and with adults for their incisive commentary on the banality of everyday life. The year 2014 marks the centenary of her birth, and Jansson is being honored with events in Japan, Scandinavia, England, Germany, Russia, Australia, Italy, Spain, and France. Drawn & Quarterly is joining the festivities by releasing Moomin Deluxe: Volume One, a slipcased hardcover collection of the complete Tove Jansson–penned Moomin comic strip, replete with all of her most popular storylines and original pencil sketches.
It has been more than sixty years since the Moomin comic strip debuted in the London Evening News. By the end of its run in 1975, Moomin was syndicated in more than forty newspapers around the world and hailed for its light-handed, charming stories. The comics were revived in 2005 by Drawn & Quarterly and published to widespread acclaim, sparking a new generation of devoted Moomin fans with international editions around the world. Moomin Deluxe: Volume One celebrates the classic comics the world adores, and will feature an essay about Tove's work on the Moomin strip.
Praise for Moomin Deluxe: Volume One
This single volume edition… comes with several full-page, never-seen-before character studies and sketches, runs to 400 pages, and weighs in at about 2kg… If you love Sniff, Snufkin and the rest, you'll find it irresistible.The Guardian
To know the Moomins was to know Tove [Jansson]. She poured her wit, dreams and fears into the characters.The Economist
Moomin: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition is a compilation that serves longtime fans of Jansson, as much as it should engage newbies, who will undoubtedly have a hard time putting the book down. One would think that the fact that they are black and white illustrations would render them monotonous at some point, but Jansson's greatest talent always lied in coloring our thoughts, not coloring cartoons.PopMatters
[Tove Jansson's Moomins feature) scratchy, pen-and-ink sketches and [an] atmosphere of beneficence ... [a] mix of disaster and gentle naïveté.New York Review of Books
With a sincere childlike nature and a stoic acceptance of misadventure… Moomin and company — Moominmamma, Snufkin, Stinky and Snork Maiden, to name a few — emerge from each story full of tolerance and quiet humor.The New York TImes
Sixty years after their original serialization – and to celebrate Jansson's centenary – the fanciful comic strip frolics of the hippo-like Moomins are collected together in one volume, handsome and big enough to hug.Globe & Mail, Best Books of 2014
[This is] a surprisingly meaty comic that bears re-reading, and this beautifully produced collection is an excellent way to experience them, whether for the first time or the fortieth.
Robot 6 / Comic Book Resources


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Chancellor Angela Merkel is pledging that the German government will try to ensure that a tax on financial transactions is introduced quickly.
The tax is designed to help pay for the rescue of Europe's banks and discourage risky trading. A group of 11 European Union countries, including heavyweights Germany and France, got the official go-ahead last month to work on the introduction of the levy.
Merkel said in her weekly video message Saturday that her government will do everything to make sure talks go quickly, but gave no date.
Still, a senior lawmaker with Merkel's junior coalition partner, Volker Wissing of the Free Democrats, was quoted as telling the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung he has concerns about Brussels' plans in their current form.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Have you seen the recent development in Florida concerning funeral protests? There was an article in the Jacksonville Times Union describing a bill that has been passed in the Florida Senate that would affect those protests. If you notice they give you a citation to that bill: SB 118. If you want to keep track of how that bill makes its way through our legislature you can head over to the Florida Senate's website at http://www.flsenate.gov/. Once you are there just put the bill number (118) in the search box at the top of the screen and you can see all the exciting things that have happened as the bill makes its way through the senate. One of the options allows you to view the staff analyses of the bill which can often give you some insight into the legislative intent. This is a great way to get comfortable with Florida legislative history research. (This can be very tough) If you want to be notified any time there is activity concerning this or any other bill just sign up for Senate Tracker account. With a Senate Tracker account you can track items throughout the website, view the latest updates on the Tracker tab, and receive email notifications when those items are updated. You can create an account here. All you need is an email address. Did I mention this is all free? It is!


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Dean Bowman Highlights Nissan Nv200 Key Cargo And Mobile Office Features
Dean Bowman, Nissan Insider, highlights the Nissan NV200's key cargo and mobile office features.
The all-new 2013 Nissan NV200 Compact Cargo Van adds a new dimension to the Nissan Commercial Vehicle lineup - compact. More than 4.5 feet shorter in length and 2.5 feet lower in height compared to the Nissan NV 2500/3500 High Roof Cargo Van, the new NV200 is designed to be the "right size" for a growing number of small business owners and fleet operators wanting smaller, more efficient work vans. It is also ideal for business owners coming from passenger vehicles, thanks to the NV200's cargo size optimization and functionality.
Joe Castelli, vice president, Nissan Commercial Vehicles and Fleet said: "For many years businesses have bought large vans simply because that's what was available. The 2013 Nissan NV200 offers a great new alternative - a commercial quality vehicle that optimizes cargo space while offering the best possible fuel economy and an affordable price. We're now able to offer vehicles for nearly every business need, the compact NV200, the full-size NV 1500/2500/3500 Cargo Standard Roof, the 4-row/12-person NV 3500 Passenger and the extra-large NV 2500/3500 Cargo High Roof."
VIDEO Dean Bowman Highlights Nissan NV200 Key Cargo and Mobile Office Features


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Workers Compensation Insurance in Stonington, CT, 06378
As a business owner, you go to great lengths to provide a safe workplace for your employees. But unfortunately, accidents can still happen — regardless of the extra precautions you take.
State Wide Workers compensation insurance in Stonington, CT provides income, medical benefits and rehabilitative services for workers injured on the job or while performing work-related duties. It ensures that injured workers receive financial compensation for medical care and for a portion of the income they lose while they are unable to work. Workers compensation insurance also helps protect employers from lawsuits initiated by workers injured on the job.
Contact us for a quote today.


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Can anyone tell me the world's best college offering masters in nanotechnology?
You need to be a member of The International NanoScience Community - Nanopaprika.eu to add comments!
Join The International NanoScience Community - Nanopaprika.eu
Can anyone tell me the world's best college offering masters in nanotechnology?
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Join The International NanoScience Community - Nanopaprika.eu
Agree with Gary. Albany is the best. Was just there working on an article. They have over 300 multinational companies on site that undergrads and grads can work with. Around 800 acres of Class 1 NanoFabrication Clean rooms. And companies from all over the world are constantly coming into the area.
I was just looking over the website(s) for all that, and am fairly shocked.
It all seems about money.
No love for the science or technology at all. All about money. Startups, collaborations, sponsorships, product viability, time-to-market, green workforces . . . .
This seems to me to be the sort of thing that led to the Utah "cold fusion" debacle.
I admit I'm naive.
Also, as a personal grievance, I couldn't see one flippin' bionanotechnology center listed . . . .
You mean U Albany? You can visit the Nanobioscience site here: http://www.cnse.albany.edu/PioneeringAcademics/Constellations/Nanob...
And sure, Albany is very business-oriented, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just another side to the story. Businesses and nano also work well together because of nanotechnology's applicable and problem-solving focused nature.
They also have a spectacular local outreach program: http://www.cnse.albany.edu/Outreach/CNSEOutreachReport.aspx
That's not a bionanotechnology center.
The closest thing to it there that I saw was the mentions of "biomimicry" on the CSEN site(s):
But its research initiatives don't include any bionanotechnology.
You can also try the
Be part of the Revolution!
University of Madeira and Centro de Química da Madeira, Madeira Island, Portugal, invite applicants with a Bachelor or a Master degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Life Sciences, Materials, Physics or related sciences/engineering courses to apply to our new two years Master Programme in Nanochemistry and Nanomaterials.
The candidates must have a strong motivation, resilience, excellent academic background and proficiency in spoken and written English. The selection process will be based on undergraduate study results, motivation, and a possible interview.
Partner institutions: CeNIDE - Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (Germany); CICECO - University of Aveiro (Portugal); DU - University of Donghua (Shanghai/China); INL- International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Portugal); INNOVNANO (Portugal); LREC - Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory (Madeira/Portugal); NSC - NanoScience Center/University of Jyväskylä (Finland); Santander Bank.
Deadline for applications: 11 of May
Tuition fees: €2500/Year in 10 installments (2012/2013)
Special scholarships for the best 10 applicants.
Download the brochure here!
Applicants must provide the following documents:
- An application form fully completed; (www.uma.pt/mnn_form)
- Motivation letter in English;
- Certified copy of qualifications (e.g. diploma), and a copy translated to English (non-Portuguese speakers only);
- A transcript of the marks obtained during the bachelor's program (in English);
- Full curriculum vitae;
- Two letters of recommendation;
- Copy of passport or identification card;
VISA: To see the entry and residence conditions in Portugal visit: http://bit.ly/w2M93g
IMPORTANT: Students are expected to support their accommodation, living costs, obligatory European insurance and travel costs themselves. The University of Madeira and the partner institutions have services for foreign students that can provide assistance in arranging accommodation, insurances and other living arrangements.
Contact information:
Director: João Rodrigues
website: www.uma.pt/mnn
Try the University at Albany New York. They have invested over $5,000,000,000.00 inNano facilities.
Good luck,
CNSE's cross-disciplinary Ph.D. and M.S. curricula integrate the fundamental principles of physics, chemistry, computer science, biology, mathematics, and engineering with the cross cutting fields of nanosciences, nanoengineering, nanotechnology, and nanoeconomics. A comprehensive portfolio of courses provides fundamental knowledge in the design, growth, and propertie s of nanomaterials (including metals, semiconductors, polymers, and chemical and biological materials). This includes the integration, processing, testing and qualification of these materials in integrated nanocircuitry, micro- and nanosystems and sensors, and integrated optics.
CNSE offers the following graduate programs leading to Masters of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees:
CNSE offers the following graduate program leading to Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree:
CNSE offers two dual-degree "Nano+MBA" programs:


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I'd just like to draw readers' attention to a letter on Lollard Street Adventure Playground published on the Kennington Association news blog this morning from Anna Tapsell who is both chair of the Kennington Association (KA) and Treasurer of the Friends of Lollard Street Adventure Playground (FOLSAP).
FOLSAP have been working for some time to prevent the closure of Lollard Street Adventure Playground and to think about how it might be run in future, given the reality of Council cuts.
It seems, according to the letter, that the Council agreed at a meeting on June 16th that £45,000 was available to potentially be allocated to a local management group were they to put forward a viable business plan. FOLSAP report that they did develop a business plan, but were later told at a meeting on 18th August that, contrary to the previous information, £45,000 would not be available to a local management project.
Clearly the Lollard Street Adventure playground project had to go to tender, but FOLSAP are alleging that their experience with the Council has not been one of co-operation. Given that our Co-operative council are not appearing terribly co-operative, perhaps constituents of other councils should take heed. FOLSAP say the process began too late and that councillors/officers have presented mixed and non-transparent messages. They raise a question as to the "propriety of the tender process"
In Lambeth, the letter asserts, having such playgrounds open is a "safeguarding issue", given that many parents leave their children there in place of after-school care. Most worryingly, when Ms Tapsell visited the playground this morning, she found:
"just a scrawled ungrammatical note pinned to the gate saying that it would be closed this week. No explanation or other information about when it might be open. Two little boys were there with their table tennis bats. Their parents were back at work."
Additionally, the playground will now, according to the letter, only be open for one session on a weekday! It won't be open on Saturdays at all. Back on 7th April, at the KOV meeting, Cllr Harrison re-assured local residents that Lollard Street Adventure Playground would not be closing. Arguably, one could liken a playground that runs for only one session a week to a closure in everything but name. Moreover, there are still questions to be asked about why it's closed this week, and why no information is available concerning its re-opening. Indeed, opening the playground for such limited hours is likely to lead to it becoming less popular. See the case of the Kennington Park Adventure playground in which two playgrounds will merge on to one smaller site to make way for housing, given alleged non-use of the land... where is it? Ahh, yes, this is what I wrote back in September 2010:
The defence offered (by the architect) in favour of consolidating the [Kennington Park] site was that the One O'Clock club only opens for 3 hours per day for 4 days per week. The One O'Clock club is apparently "not well used" (at peak times, the architect suggested that 20 children use it)...Even more worrying, given recent civil unrest near these parts, is Lambeth's failure to understand that adventure playgrounds are a public place off the streets for children and young people to gather. To fail to allow local organisations any say in the supposedly mutual process of running facilities is distinctly un-co-operative and short changes residents. Short-term cost cutting of youth services will likely only lead to further social unrest. A recent report from the Department of Education notes that a quarter of excluded primary school students expelled in 2009-2010 were from Lambeth. There's no point in having police officers visit primary schools to warn children away from gang life if no alternative facilities are in place for their use and their parents are not at home to supervise on account of being at work.
It would be really good to see whether our MP still has any teeth when it comes to influencing the local authority and working for the good of less-affluent north Lambeth residents.


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MTV, with the consent and support of Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein's family, will air the documentary series "Gone Too Far."
The hour-long, eight-episode series hosted and created by Goldstein chronicles young addicts between the ages of 20-25 in the grip of addiction who are offered a chance at recovery.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: In Memoriam: The Stars We Lost During Summer 2009
"After careful consideration we have decided to air the show. Adam felt strongly that by doing this series he could help other addicts who were at a crisis point to get sober. Adam was fully aware that if it were not for his own sobriety he never would have achieved the level of success and happiness he had found. Helping people in their recovery was a huge part of Adam's life," the Goldstein family said in a statement released to Access Hollywood.
"It is our hope through airing this show that people will get to see the side of Adam that we knew and loved, not just the celebrity DJ, but the honest and caring person who gave so much of himself to help others," the family's statement continued. "The decision to air the show has been difficult, but we do this with the profound belief that it will inspire others to seek help."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: A Look Back: DJ AM Coast To Coast
"Gone Too Far" is said to be an "intense and eye-opening series features real addicts in crisis whose families are desperate to get them the help they need."
Each episode features DJ AM meeting with the addicts, along with their friends and families to explore their willingness to change. As part of his life long struggle to overcome substance abuse, his mission was to help as many people as he could and this series was a way for him to help on a bigger level.
The series will debut on Monday, October 12 at 10 PM on MTV.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Stars Say Goodbye To DJ AM
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, production on "Gone Too Far" was completed just three days before Goldstein was found dead in his New York City apartment at the age of 36 from a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and cocaine.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Friends, Family & Stars Attend DJ AM's 12-Step Memorial (September 3, 2009)
PLAY IT NOW: Kelly Osbourne: DJ AM Was 'An Amazing Person'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: DJ AM - TV - MTV - Music - Deaths


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2. Background
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text:
Do you like challenge and do you also want to learn cool tricks? Then freerunning is the sport for you! Freerunning is a sport where you move as smoothly and creatively as possible over and against obstacles. With freerunning it is the art to get your whole body and mind under control. The lessons are offered in a challenging environment in a safe environment in Weert
Freerun every week in a controlled and secure surrounding at your neighborhood.
We organise a camp every year for our members. A weekend full of freerunning and joy.
Our professional trainers always have an up-to-date first aid certificate.
Sign up for our freerunning classes in Weert and be trained to become a real freerunner! The lesson starts with a warm-up. Then you practice tricks and flips in an organized, safe environment and you receive guidance from our experienced and graduated freerunning teacher Koen Heijnen or Funs Peters. Depending on the day or training hour, you will receive lessons from one of these lecturers together with his assistant coaches.
Do you want to become a professional!? Sign up for 2 free trial lessons! Within 1 week you will receive a response with the date that you can have your first freerunning experience!
Below you can click on a day to see the times. See you soon!
Perhaps freerunning in Weert is something for you.
Register for two free trial lessons.


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Rubs It RawHash run count: 2
Hashes attended this year: 0
Longest hashing streak: 1 in a row (->)
Average hashing streak: 1 in a row
Hare count: 0
Trails attended:
1982 - 1927
Hash Count vs. Time
Future Jubilee: 100th at Atlanta Hash #1982 on 2-2-2019
* Estimated using linear regression of data from 2003 to present. *
Hashes attended are in red:
69% of all statistics are made up on the spot. ~Unknown Hasher


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marriage, socially sanctioned union that reproduces the family. In all societies the choice of partners is generally guided by rules of exogamy (the obligation to marry outside a group); some societies also have rules of endogamy (the obligation to marry within a group). These rules may be prescriptive or, as in the case of the incest taboo, proscriptive; they generally apply to kinship groups such as clan or lineage; residential groups; and social groups such as the ethnic group, caste, or class.
Historically marriage was typically heterosexual and entailed exclusive rights and duties of sexual performance, but there are instructive exceptions. For example, Nayar women of India would ritually marry men of a superior caste, have numerous lovers, and bear legitimate children. Among the Dahomey of West Africa, one woman could marry another; the first woman would be the legal "father" of the children (by other men) of the second. These examples highlight the functions of marriage to reproduce both a domestic division of labor and social relationships between different groups. Such functions are served even by the more common type of marriage, the union of one or more men with one or more women.
In most societies men and women have been valued for their different roles in the household economy. Marriage therefore often has occasioned other economic exchanges. If a woman's labor is highly valued, a man may be required to offer valuable goods (bride-price) or his own labor (bride-service) to his wife's family. If a man's labor is more highly valued, the bride's family may offer goods (dowry) to the husband or his family.
Marriage as a Societal Bond
In many societies marriage links not just nuclear families but larger social formations as well. Some endogamous societies are divided into different exogamous groups (such as clans or lineages): Men form alliances through the exchange of women, and the social organization regulates these alliances through marriage rules. In some cases, two men from different groups exchange sisters for brides. Other instances involve an adult man marrying the young or infant daughter of another man; sexual relations would be deferred for many years, but the two men will have formed a strong bond. Marriages are often arranged by the families through the services of a matchmaker or go-between, and commence with a ritual celebration, or wedding. Some cultures practice trial marriage; the couple lives together before deciding whether they should marry. Societies have generally prescribed where newlywed couples should live: In patrilocal cultures, they live with or near the husband's family; in matrilocal ones, with or near the wife's family. Under neolocal residence, the couple establishes their own household.
Although marriage tends to be regarded in many places as a permanent tie, divorce is allowed in most modern societies. The causes of divorce vary, but adultery, desertion, infertility, failure to provide the necessities of life, mistreatment, and incompatibility are the most common. Civil unions are now permitted in Western countries, but for nearly a thousand years marriage in the Western world was a religious contract. The Christian church undertook its supervision in the 9th cent., when newlywed couples instituted the practice of coming to the church door to have their union blessed by the priest. Eventually the church regulated marriage through canon law.
In contemporary Europe marriage has lost some of importance, especially as social legislation in some nations has emphasized assuring equal financial benefits and legal standing to children born to unwed parents. Some European nations also grant legal recognition to couples in less restrictive unions; such partnerships typically have some but not all of the legal rights extended to married couples, but the partnership usually can be more easily dissolved.
For the legal aspects of marriage, see husband and wife; consanguinity; divorce.
Forms of Marriage
Monogamy (the union of one wife to one husband) is the prevalent form almost everywhere. Polygyny (or polygamy; having several wives at one time), however, has been a prerogative in many societies (see harem). It is commonly found where the value of women's labor is high and may be practiced as a way of acquiring allies: A man may cement his bonds with several other men by marrying their sisters or daughters. Polyandry (having several husbands at one time) is rare, having occurred infrequently in Tibetan society, among the Marquesas of Polynesia, and among certain hill tribes in India. People who enjoy only a marginal subsistence may practice polyandry as a way of limiting births. It is also practiced where brothers must work together to sustain one household; they share one wife. The custom of marrying a widow to her late husband's brother is known as levirate marriage and was common among the ancient Hebrews. In sororate marriages a widower marries his deceased (or barren) wife's sister. The levirate and the sororate occur in societies where marriage is seen to create an alliance between groups; the deceased spouse's group has a duty to provide a new spouse to the widow or widower, thereby preserving the alliance. Beginning in the late 20th cent., gay-rights groups in a growing number of nations have sought official recognition of same-sex couples through marriage or civil union (see gay-rights movement).
See C. Levi-Strauss, The Elementary Structures of Kinship (1969); E. A. Westermark, The History of Human Marriage (3 vol., 5th ed. 1921; repr. 1971); J. M. Henslin, Marriage and Family in a Changing Society (2d ed. 1985); J. F. Collier, Marriage and Inequality in Classless Societies (1988); A. J. Cherlin, The Marriage-Go-Round (2010).


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Shinzō Abe (安倍 晋三, born 21 September 1954) was the 90th Prime Minister of Japan, elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He was Japan's youngest post–World War II prime minister and the first born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for nearly twelve months, before resigning on 12 September 2007. He was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda, beginning a string of Prime Ministers who could not keep the office for more than one year.
Early Life
Abe was born in Nagato and soon moved to Tokyo. He attended Seikei elementary school and Fuku Yu high school. He studied political science at Seikei University, graduating in 1977. He later moved to the United States and studied "English for foreign students" and political science at the University of Southern California. In April 1979, Abe began working for Kobe Steel. He left the company in 1982 and pursued a number of governmental positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general.
Abe was born into a political family of significance. His grandfather, Kan Abe, and father, Shintaro Abe, were both politicians. Abe's mother, Yoko Kishi, is the daughter of Nobusuke Kishi, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Kishi had been a member of the Tōjō Cabinet during the Second World War. Since GHQ's policy changed and became more anti-communist, Kishi was released from Sugamo Prison, and later established the Japan Democratic Party. In 1950 Shigeru Yoshida's Liberal Party and Kishi's Democratic Party merged as an anti-leftist coalition and became the Liberal Democratic Party of today.
From : www.wikipedia.org


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Search Sound FX
Length: 207.00 secs | Sample Rate: 22050 | 16 bit | Size 3445k
Class: Loud
Added: 2005-05-18
Same as title
Length: 1.00 secs | Sample Rate: 44100 | 16 bit | Size 178k
Class: Loud
Added: 2000-11-30
intermedia Design Graphics is a New Media firm located in Toronto, Canada. We specialize in providing web design services and multimedia products for our clients. We also own Nexuscom Media, a company dedicated to creating custom web graphics, Flash objects, and sounds for new media developers.


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Deidara Cosplay
Deidara was once Sasori's partner until his untimely death (best fight in shippuuden so far!) If you plan to cosplay Deidara we recommend keeping some clay with you in a bag in your pocket. It'll give an awesome effect if you pull a bit out during a conversation and play with it ^_^
Happy cosplaying otaku!
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|Home Decor Japanese Anime Naruto Cosplay Wall Scroll Poster Deidara 17.7 X 49.2 Inches-P104479001
|Naruto Hatake Kakashi Deidara Kunai Shuriken Weapons Pendant Cosplay retail 7 pcs/set
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text: Note: This is a mirror archive of the D&RGW list from YahooGroups. While I make every effort to keep it in sync, at this point it's just a prototype, proof-of-concept project in case YahooGroups loses, destroys, or cuts off access to the archives of the list. All comments remain property of the author, but since they were posted to a publicly accessible mailing list, I don't see an issue with mirroring a complete archive of those comments here. If anyone does have concerns, please email me. Also note that all email addresses are obscured to avoid address harvesting by spammers.


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goldmine had een nieuw icon design ontwerp nodig en lanceerde daarom een wedstrijd op 99designs.
Een winnaar werd gekozen uit73 ontwerpen ingezonden door31 freelance designers.
Up to $300 in Prize Money to Winner! Looking for a banner that gets results!
Accepted File Formats:
gif or jpg
OK - This is going to be a unique contest. If your banner design tests out the best - you will have the opportunity to win up to $300 for your design.
Results will be determined by our website visitors! That means your banner will be graded by the Click Through Rate (CTR) it gets. For instance, if a banner is shown 100 times and it gets 3 clicks, that means that banner is getting a 3% CTR. HIGHER IS BETTER!
Our current banner is here:
Size: 746x46
Static - NON Animated
Format - gif or jpg
It is currently getting a 1.35% click through rate.
The base payout for the contest is $100 for the winning banner. You will earn a bonus based on your click through rate if your banner is chosen for testing. I will choose banners to test at my discretion and you are not guaranteed to be chosen. Each banner picked for testing gets $5 guaranteed as the second prize. The banner with the highest click through rate will be the winner and gets paid on the following scale:
1.6% CTR - $125 Total Prize
1.75% CTR - $175 Total Prize
1.85% CTR - $200 Total Prize
2.00% CTR - $225 Total Prize
2.25% CTR - $300 Total Prize
If the winner gets less than 1.6% CTR, then they will get $100.
* Our current banner was at over 2% CTR when it was new so I know it can be done. That banner is just a little stale now because we have used it so long.
* You may use the same text, some of it, all of it, on your design. We will have you revise it if we need to before we test. The new design is up to your creativity.
* Our current banner was a great performer because we had it designed to NOT look like a banner ad. We tried several that did look like banners, but always came back to this one because it performed better. So- if that gives you any ideas go for it. I would suggest designing something that looks like it is part of the site within the listings or some type of "featured ad". That means we may choose a banner for testing that looks "boring" compared to other banners. We are guessing he winner will do the best job of blending into the current site while looking "Featured" at the same time if that makes sense. That said, we may test a banner that is off the wall too to see what will happen.
* Here is where the banner is now. You can get a feel for what the environment is and design accordingly.
Just hit refresh a few times and you will see our current banner rotate through.
* Banner tests will be for 24 hours minimum (we get enough impressions in that time to make a valid decision)
* I will post results as we go in this thread.
* I don't know how many banners we will try -- depends on the interest in this contest.
* We plan to start testing right away and try others as the contest goes on.
Post questions if you have them!


text:
Via The United States of Football comes the video below, which features audio of Gregg Williams' rather disturbing pregame speech before the New Orleans Saints playoff game last year against the San Francisco 49ers.
The audio was recorded by Sean Pamphilon, who is working on a documentary about Steve Gleason. Pamphilon was understandably disturbed by the audio and passed it along to Michael Silver of Yahoo, who wrote about it today.
This should go without saying, but the language is VERY NSFW, so be careful where you listen. I've posted a few excerpts below in case you can't listen.
From Silver's article:
"We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head," Williams told the players. "We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways."
Then, referencing backup halfback Kendall Hunter, Williams continued: "Little 32, we want to knock the [expletive] out of him. He has no idea what he's in for. When he's on the sideline, we've gotta turn that [expletive] over, turn their coaches over, turn the spectators over. Go and get that [expletive] on the sidelines."
"We need to find out in the first two series of the game, the little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion," Williams said to the Saints' defenders. "We need to [expletive] put a lick on him, move him to decide. He needs to decide."
Then Williams continued that theme in reference to Crabtree, the 10th overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft: "We need to decide whether Crabtree wants to be a fake-ass prima donna or he wants to be a tough guy. We need to find that out, and he becomes human when you [expletive] take out that outside ACL."
Read the entire piece by Silver as he recounts how Pamphilon describes the scene and how disturbed he was by it. It's rather chilling.
All I will add is…Gregg Williams, you are one sick and twisted dude.
I realize football is a brutal sport and by its nature can breed personalities like this; but my goodness is this over the line and unnecessary. And don't tell me it's just football. I grew up in football locker rooms. Some really questionable stuff goes on in there. But not this.
This is barely above barbarism. It's malevolence and malice towards one's fellow man. Even in football, that's uncalled for.
Williams, currently on an indefinite suspension, should probably polish his non-football resume. I don't think he'll be coaching anywhere other than as a nondescript assistant at a small college or high school. Not with this out there.
Thank goodness baseball is back today since college basketball just ended. I need a non-NFL sport to focus my attention on. The NFL is really turning off this offseason.


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Following on from the terrific "pissed off Cave Troll" video, Brotherhood Workshop have released a second LEGO / Lord of the Rings clip which is just as good.
This time Halloween descends on the Shire, and while the Hobbits are right into the spirit of things, Aragorn could do with lightening up a little.
LEGO A Hobbit Halloween [YouTube]


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While it might look too good to be true, a new video by tech blog allegedly shows off the budget iPhone, and at first glance, we are forced to believe that it is indeed the real deal.
Not a week passes by that we don't see tons of new budget iPhone related rumors, leaks and reports. Well, here's another one for this week. A tech blog, has posted a video that allegedly shows off the budget iPhone, and it looks real too. Either that or this is an extremely polished representation. Somehow, we are more inclined (or rather, want to be more inclined) to believe the former.
While we are still not buying this a 100%, the attention to detail and the barrage of photos on the website force us to believe otherwise. If there be one more budget iPhone related leak that shows an identical device, call this as the confirmed device. Until then? Sigh… We wait.
Apple's budget iPhone will reportedly pack specifications that are a mix of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.


text: 643. Foreign agents or foreign support groups? (8/12/2010) In 1994 when I went to Shanghai, the Feds had secret deal with the Chinese secret police. China sent agents to the US to work for the Feds. Two applied job in B's(my brother in law) company. W.H.W. works as manager of the warehouse. He receives imported goods and pick up the merchandise for the order. L works as deliver man. To this year(2010), the two have worked for 16 years. That's a real long concealment. Feds finally decides to finish this fruitless work. Last October my father passed away. Two months later, B was pronounced having heart trouble. Doctor said that he might have a sudden death. My brother was confirmed having a last phase cancer. (see #625. Feds start to kill (2/15/2010)) L resigned at this time. His 16 years long concealment ended. He went back to Canton to enjoy his retirement. Then why W.H.W. stays? He must do the last plant job. L's leave may force B to do the deliver job. W.H.W. will prepare the merchandise planted with the drugs for him. In 1994 (or 1995) another two Chinese agents were sent to work in the travel company where my wife works. They are C-lady and G-man.(see #111) G-man is C-lady's brother. C-lady works in that travel company for 16 years now. Like L, two months ago she said she would go back to China, then she changed her mind. I think Feds has altered their plan - to send her back by the "breaking of Chinese spy ring". G-man left years ago. I think he was recruited by the Feds and has more important work to do as a double spy. G-man came with his family - his wife and his daughter. G-man's daughter is same age as my daughter. I think that's the reason why he was picked up. My daughter was 6 years' old in 1994. She had three playmates at that time. When I came back from Shanghai in 1995, I found that three playmates were replaced by new one. The old friends of my daughter were all moved away. She had three new friends. The house next to mine had two new family tenants. Each family miraculously had a child with similar age of my daughter. Plus G-man's daughter, my daughter had three new playmates. Though Feds' work was very efficient, it also gave me a chance to recognize how they work. 1. Change victim's neighbors, colleagues into agents. Let these agents work as close to the target as possible. Even children's playmates were replaced. 2. Pander to targets' habit and taste - Similar age children, speaking same dialect. G-man and C-lady speaks Shanghainese as we do. 3. They work with patience and always with a smiling face because they have purpose. B is a hard employer, W.H.W. and L. still stay for as long as 16 years. Their justification is: "Though B is tough and rude, his heart is kind." B is so pleased that he always boasted that "My employees said I'm a kind boss." They are Chinese agents planted in B's company and the travel company my wife works. The purpose is not only for surveillance and plant but also for the FISA search warrant. The real target is US citizen. The funny thing is, their job doesn't relate to a bit of spy work because my relatives are all decent US citizens. That's why Feds had created a strange "Russian spy ring" which "The only things missing in more than a decade of operation were actual secrets to send home". That is exactly my case. What evil is the Feds start to kill to cover up their crime when they decide to close the case. 644. Bio team and G-man (8/22/2010) On 8/12, I wrote #643, said that G-man may now be a double agent. I think it's an accurate judgment because there was a swift reaction from the Feds next day. In the morning of 8/13, When I left home I found there were traffic board set up at the ends of the street to block the vehicles from entering. That was a sign of big operation. Feds used to block the traffic to prevent others from seeing their secret operation. I immediately remembered the article I wrote the day before. What would they do this time? It seemed everything was alright until the evening. I felt itching and found many swelling on my feet. At first I thought I might have been stung by insects when I watering the tree in the backyard. Then came the visters - the couple (R of S.I.L.) (relatives of my sister in law, see #625. and #639). They just return from a trip to Shanghai. After they leaving our house my wife complained mosquitoes. Her feet were full of swellings too. I told her it was not mosquito. Mosquito was not able to bit behind trousers. It was flea or tick because the sting part were at feet. My wife reminded me that she also noticed the couple kept scratching their feet and shank. Relate to the road blocking that morning, I realized it was the work of a bio-team of the Feds. They released a large amount of fleas or ticks in the day when nobody was at home. So far as I know, only Pentagon has secret bio-labs. D.O.D. and D.O.J. collaberate in my case. They used to privately punish the people they don't like with high tech. weapon. Because the result of those weapons looks natural and hard to be traced, they call themselves "God". That's what we saw in D.C. sniper case (When the Taro card told police they were "God", and Pat Robertson said "the God" told him Bush would be elected twice.) G-man was a top Chinese agent. Though he was selected to work in my case for having a daughter with similar age of my daughter and he speaks same dialect as my family does, he originally worked as a manager of a Hotel casino in Srilanka. His customers were all high ranking officials of Srilanka government. Later when G-man met a Srilanka Minister in US, that Minister couldn't believe G-man worked only as a staff in a small travel company. These people of course didn't know he had a special mission here. Anyhow G-man got a special treatment in travel company. The owner of the A and S tour inc. is Mrs.H. Her brother H is an arm dealer. G-man, a new staff of the travel company, was given a Benz to drive by H. So they had a particular relationship. G-man knew there was an operation then and the arrest would happen and left travel company earlier. The name of the operation was "Fire Dragon". (see "32.Operation Fire Dragon") The Feds disguised as a buyer of AK-47 from South America. The dealer was H. The supplier was North Company (or North Industry Company) - a company with the background of Chinese military. Originally, G-lady and G-man worked in "A and S Tour inc". Then G-lady introduced my wife into the company. She and G-man all left the company before the case broke out. They avoided to be involved in. I believe my wife was guided in to be investigated in that case. When the operation finished, H was fined. He soon opened a restaurant in San Francisco. To review the case now, the real victim is the North Company. That left me a question, what was the role of G-man in this case? Did it mean Chinese secret police co-operate with their American counterpart to frame Chinese military? About one year later, G-man brought some fluorescent lamps to my home. A friend of his had moved house and abandoned these lamps. G-man said he thought we could use these lamps to save energy bill. I had alleged fluorescent lamp could be reformed to be killing weapon.(see #22-24. Fluorescent lamp killing) G-man's action proved my allegation, and proved he worked for the Feds as well. Although my wife urged me to install the lamp, I refused and put them into the garage. Some time later when I want to check the secret of the lamp parts, I found they disappeared. Feds took it back when they saw I refused to install them. High tech. weapons should be managed strictly. Feds wouldn't "abandon" it too long.


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Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The Alabama football team will face Wisconsin to open the 2015 season at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The "Cowboys Stadium Classic" is scheduled for September 5, 2015 with television network coverage and kickoff time to be determined at a later date.
Under head coach Nick Saban, UA has played in four previous neutral site regular season games and has two more on the schedule over the next two years. The Tide played Florida State in Jacksonville in 2007 as well as Clemson (2008) and Virginia Tech (2009) in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta. UA opened the 2012 campaign with a 42-14 win over Michigan in Arlington. Alabama will begin the 2013 season in Atlanta with a matchup against Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff and again in 2014 against West Virginia.
Courtesy UA Media Relations


text:
Choose from a variety of flexible and efficient shipping tools to best fit your business.
Shipping Made Simple
UPS tracking solutions show the progress of your shipment every step of the way, across town or around the world.
Remarkable services that go beyond shipping and tracking to help you expand your business.


text:
As an abandoned cruise ship packed to the brim with cannibal rats who are hungry for human blood heads ominously toward land, the viral Internet maintains that these infected vermin are worthy of "squee" and "cute!" For several years, two photographers, who work independently of each other, have been documenting their pet rats in a series featuring the miniature scavengers embracing teddy bears. Jessica Florence and Ellen van Deelen have cataloged photos of their pets in states of infantile repose, clasping stuffed toys for what looks like dear life. Their eerily translucent feet claw into the fur of the unwitting bears, crushing any hopes of escape. There are books.
For the many, the strong, the wise anti-rat stalwarts, this week, NYC.gov unveiled the handy, easy-to-use Rat Information Portal for locating isolated areas within the city that are home to the most rodents, so you know to never go there. The map—colloquially known as R.I.P.—allows users to search "by address,
or by borough, block and lot (BBL)." For those who are still in puerile denial of the evil nature of rodents, who is piping whom here?
[Images via Jessica Florence/Ellen van Deelen]


text:
By Teachers, For Teachers
The California Board of Education on Thursday will adopt regulations implementing the state's new education funding law, and the proposal before them is a significant improvement over early drafts. The plan needs one more change to ensure the law can live up to Gov. Jerry Brown's dual promise of increased flexibility for schools and additional resources for disadvantaged students.
Under the new Local Control Funding Formula, passed last year, the state provides a base grant for each child. On top of that, districts get a supplemental grant for each disadvantaged student -- English-language learners, kids in poverty and foster children -- to pay for extra services such as counselors and language specialists. Districts with high numbers of disadvantaged kids will get an additional grant.
The law requires the funds to go directly to the education of the students who generate them, not be spread widely. "Equal treatment for children in unequal situations is not justice," Brown said as he stumped for the law's passage.
The original regulations, released last fall, gave too much leeway to districts in an attempt to fulfill Brown's pledge to give schools more control over their budgets. The latest draft of the temporary regulations fixes most of those problems and has pleased the hordes of parents and advocacy groups who protested.
One issue remains: The regulations don't require districts with high concentrations of disadvantaged students -- more than 55 percent -- to demonstrate how they'll use the funds they receive for those students to benefit them. They also don't require districts to show that the way the funds are used is effective. Districts with lower concentrations of high-needs students must accomplish both goals.
For districts with extremely high percentages of these students -- say, 75 percent or more -- this is not a problem. With so many disadvantaged kids, money spent in just about any way will most likely benefit them.
But it is problematic in districts with populations of high-needs students between 55 percent and about 75 percent -- including, at last count, Santa Clara Unified (Santa Clara County), Jefferson Elementary (San Mateo County) and Antioch Unified (Contra Costa County). Districts like these would be free to spend on something like an across-the-board salary increase, rather than on targeted services.
A coalition of 30 parent and community groups is recommending one small change to the regulations: They should require districts' spending plans to show the money is "principally directed toward serving (disadvantaged) pupils and effective in meeting the districts goals for (these) pupils in the state priority areas."
The board should make this reasonable adjustment. And then Californians should start paying close attention to how their districts operate under this new law, to ensure its promise is fulfilled. ___


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Uncle Wiggly Wings
Berlin celebrates German reunification again this fall. One of the city's heroes, who had his finest hour in 1948, was a pilot: Candy Bomber Gail Halvorsen
What would his long life have looked like without chewing gum? "It's hard to imagine," replies Gail Halvorsen, "after all, the whole thing started with two sticks of Wrigley's spearmint."
Halvorsen was a U.S. Air Force pilot at the time. A living legend – at least among history buffs – he turns 96 this month. But his airplane's nickname, Rosinenbomber, or Candy Bomber, is more famous by far than his own.
Halvorsen's story played out shortly after the Second World War. It's a story of hope and hunger, and of a world reduced to rubble. It's also a story of chocolate, tons of it.
Today, Halvorsen lives in the small town of Green Valley near Tucson, Arizona, where giant cactuses tower into the sky, the Mexican border lies to the south, and the sun shines almost every day. Postwar Berlin is very far away, but Halvorsen's clear mind remembers everything as if it happened only yesterday.
"I volunteered for the tour because I wanted to put Stalin in his place," says the son of a Utah farmer. Plus, things weren't going so well between him and his fiancée, Alta. Photos from the year 1948 show a young man with a broad smile radiating optimism.
Despite his wrinkles and the liver spots, he still shows a striking resemblance to his younger self in the photo, not just because he was already almost bald back then. "I thought," he recalls, "that the whole thing would be over in two or three weeks."
Berliners were starving. We had to fly regardless of the weather
The "whole thing" he meant was the Berlin blockade, which began in June, 1948. The Soviets, who occupied the area that would later become East Germany (GDR), closed off all access routes to West Berlin overnight, making the city dependent on the Western Allies for survival.
So the Americans and the British set up an airlift to take food and supplies, among them many tons of coal and fuel, to the roughly 2.2 million people living in West Berlin. It was a huge endeavor.
"Every three minutes a fully loaded plane would land," Gail Halvorsen tells me. He had had lots of experience flying cargo planes during the war. "The Berliners were starving and they had no provisions. That's why we had to fly regardless of the weather. One time, visibility was so poor that I almost collided with another plane." Halvorsen's voice falters but his expression underlines every word.
On the ground in West Berlin one day, he had an encounter that would affect him for the rest of his life. Walking across the airfield at Tempelhof Airport, Halvorsen saw a group of 30 children standing on the other side of the fence.
"I realized that most of them would not have had any candy for years. I had two sticks of gum in my pocket, which I gave to them. Of course it wasn't enough for all of them, and I was afraid they would start a fight."
Halvorsen's expression becomes entranced, as if he were standing at that fence right now. "But those who didn't get any just eagerly sniffed the silver wrapping. That really impressed me."
The idea was born: "I decided to buy more candy, attach it to small, handmade parachutes and drop it for the children as I approached."
Why such a complicated plan? Couldn't he have simply taken more candy to the fence? "Like all the U.S. pilots, I was stationed at the Rhine-Main Air Base near Frankfurt," Halvorsen explains. "I only saw Berlin from the air, and we had to stick by the plane for the few minutes we were on the ground." His walk across the airfield was a one-time event.
Halvorsen's story is a lesson in humanity, an example of how small things can make a big difference. The pilot dropped the candy just as planned, and to the children's delight, he even repeated the drop several times. Then his supervisor called him in.
A newspaper had reported on the chocolate falling from the sky, and strictly speaking, the candy drop violated various rules. Halvorsen was afraid that he would be fired, but instead, he was praised – and invited to speak at a press conference.
This set the ball rolling and other pilots soon began dropping candy over schoolyards, sports fields and streets in West Berlin. The fact that Germans and Americans were getting on so well after the war was partly due to Halvorsen and what he did.
The U.S. media picked up the story, and entire school classes sent pounds and pounds of chocolate to the Air Force, sometimes already attached to tiny parachutes.
Candy manufacturers gave generously, too, and Halvorsen and the other pilots dropped more than 25 tons of chocolate, chewing gum and raisins (hence the German word Rosinenbomber, which means "raisin bomber") over the following months.
Soon, the aircraft themselves were fondly referred to as Rosinenbomber, and Halvorsen earned the nickname "Uncle Wiggle Wings," because he wiggled his plane's wings to announce a drop. German children and their parents sent stacks of thank-you letters – as well as requests.
The children's view of events in particular – pragmatic, hopeful – touches Halvorsen to this day, and he can recall some of the letters to the word. "A 9-year-old boy named Peter Zimmermann wrote that he couldn't catch the parachutes because he wasn't able to run very fast. He had drawn a map and asked me to drop some candy in the backyard of his bombed-out house. We tried, but evidently the chocolate never reached him."
So Peter wrote another letter to the Americans. "You're a pilot! I gave you a map! How did you manage to win the war?" In the end, Halvorsen sent the boy a package – through the mail.
Gail Halvorsen was pulled out of Germany in January 1949 and married his fiancée back home a couple of weeks later. The Berlin blockade ended in May of that year, and the Berlin Airlift in August.
The story could have ended here, too, but Halvorsen returned to West Berlin. He was appointed commander of the U.S. army's Tempelhof Central Airport in 1970. "I was very moved. The city that had been in ruins two decades earlier was blossoming. The thing had been worthwhile."
I pass the airworthiness test each year
In 1974, Gail Halvorsen left the Air Force and dedicated his life to helping children in war zones and conflict areas, like Kosovo and Iraq, winning many distinctions, including the German Federal Cross of Merit.
Today, he travels a lot, gives talks, visits air shows and still flies occasionally. "I pass the airworthiness test each year," he says.
When his first wife, Alta, died in 1999, he married his high-school sweetheart Lorraine. Halvorsen has five children, 24 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren. One sentence sticks in your mind after talking with him because he says it so often: "I'm just so incredibly grateful."


text:
Thanksgiving is an even more special holiday when you are living far away from all things American. My husband Andy and I were posted in Geneva, Switzerland years ago and we had a handful of American friends with which to celebrate. I went searching for my kosher turkey.
We were lucky to have a kosher butcher only a few blocks from our apartment in the city, unlike in Washington, DC where we had to drive 40 minutes into the suburbs for a kosher chicken. I went to the butcher and asked for a whole turkey in my broken French. He said that no one ate whole turkeys in Switzerland but would see what he could do. I checked in with him every few days to see how his search was going. Maybe I seemed a little desperate.
He announced one visit that he would have a fresh, whole, large turkey for me. In the meantime, I planned the rest of the meal. I bought orange-skinned yams that when peeled were completely white. It took several visits back to the store and sore fingernails to learn that in Geneva, all the sweet potatoes were white inside. I will have to admit that they did taste the same as the orange ones, but looked rather drab in a dish in which they were combined with white granny smith apples. I never found fresh cranberries.
I picked up my enormous, beautiful turkey. It was the Dior of turkeys, with the designer price tag of $140. Yes, you read that right. I thought that by living in the land of watches and banks I would be immune to sticker shock; I wasn't. I paid the butcher and carried my baby home. It was delicious, tasting and smelling of America and enjoyed by all. The next year, I drove to the kosher butcher just over the border in France and bought two scrawny turkeys, that looked like big chickens, for $45 total, and they were just as good.
I will never forget the $140 turkey, but only as a reminder that celebrating an American holiday in a foreign country with friends and delicious food really has no price tag.
Here are two favorite Thanksgiving recipes, my turkey rub and corn bread, from The Kosher Baker.
Shallot and Herb Turkey Rub
This rub was inspired by one I found in Bon Appetit 1993 and goes with any stuffing. There is enough for even a very large turkey.
½ cup (1 stick) parve margarine, softened 2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves Salt and pepper to taste
Cream the margarine with a silicone spatula. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme and sage and mix well. Put on some gloves and then rub mixture all over and under the turkey skin. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic and let sit until roasting. I like to rub the bird the night before, cover and place into the fridge.
Corn Bread Makes forty 2-inch squares
This recipe was designed for a crowd; it makes two 9 x 13-inch pans. You can also halve the recipe, but why bother? It freezes very well.
2 cups yellow corn meal
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
4 large eggs
1 cup parve whipping cream
2 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 cups parve plain soy milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) parve margarine, melted
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9 x 13-inch baking pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, corn meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, whipping cream, oil, and soy milk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the melted margarine and stir until just combined.
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. The corn bread should be a little brown on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.


text:
For some years I've been following Mario Dominguez's career. He is one of the most outstanding sports celebrities from Mexico and he is doing pretty well in the ChampCar World Series.
5 interesting things about Mario:
1* He was born December 1, 1975
2* He just left Forsythe Championship Racing Team to join Dale Coyne Raicing
3* He began racing in 1987
4* He spent one year at Culver Military Academy in Indiana
5* His favorite cartoon is Speed Racer
Monday, July 24, 2006
Monday's Crush
Posted by Master G at 5:58 AM 0 comments
Sunday, July 23, 2006
What a great team
Posted by Master G at 10:43 PM 0 comments
Robby Ginepri
Robby Ginepri knows how to look always good. He participated in the ATP Indianapolis Open. He crushed Thai Paradorn Srichaphan in just 49 minutes. I wander if he is that quick in everything he does!
Posted by Master G at 10:38 PM 0 comments
Too much muscle but a very cute smile
Robert Gonzalez of the U.S. competed in the age 21-39 Novice pre-judging for the Physique competition during Gay Games. If you ask me that is too much muscle, but boy he has a very cute smile.
Posted by Master G at 10:37 PM 0 comments
Another cute Spanish tennis player
Posted by Master G at 10:35 PM 0 comments
Puerto Rico wins Gold Medal
Alexander Rodriguez of Puerto Rico won the gold medal in the floor event in the gymnastics competition of the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Posted by Master G at 10:30 PM 0 comments
Very nice package
I have been enjoying the Tour de Frace like crazy, Oscar Pereiro of Spain definetly caught my attention in this picture.
Posted by Master G at 10:27 PM 0 comments
Cute Nicky Hayden
World championship leader Nicky Hayden posted the fastest time in the first practice session for the US MotoGP Grand Prix, the 11th stage of the World Championship scheduled for today.
Posted by Master G at 10:25 PM 0 comments
I think I could like Rugby!
Although I don't know much about rugby I do believe I could like this sport. I have certainly enjoyed the beautiful pictures of "Diex du Stade" and now I can enjoy the cute butt of Alvarez Francis from Spain, thanks to a player from Croatia durign the final European Rugby 7's circuit in Moscow.
The second picture shows Australian rugby union tean member Chris Latham stretching.
The third shows rugby players from Portugal (white) and Russia (red) jumping for the ball during the Final European Rugby 7's Circuit in Moscow. I love those thight shorts!
Posted by Master G at 10:17 PM 0 comments
Beautiful Oscar Soto
Being from Mexico, it is always a pleasure to see Mexicans doing a great job in any kind of sport, and even more if they are as cute as Oscar Soto. Yesterday he won the gold medal in the Modern Pentathlon at the XX Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Modern Pentathlon combines shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian and running... he must be exhausted!
Posted by Master G at 9:55 PM 0 comments


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Dale Smith, Winter Haven city manager, is preparing to step down from his post on Thursday. Smith, a Winter Haven native, has been city manager for three years.
WINTER HAVEN | Dale Smith is a Winter Haven homeboy with a well-known frugality.
Smith is so cheap, friends say, that on a fishing trip with friend and Winter Haven Finance Director Cal Bowen, Smith used a twig to roll up old fishing line Bowen was removing from his reel. Bowen had already deemed it ruined but Smith was willing to reuse it.
Even Mayor J.P. Powell gets in a joke when he can about Smith's frugality.
"He learned (his frugality) from his brother Noah, and it was very obvious when he built the ark," Powell said with a chuckle.
But it's a trait that has served Smith well as Winter Haven's city manager, especially as he navigated tough budgets ravaged by deflated home prices in his three years as city manager.
Smith, 64, retires Thursday. When he leaves, colleagues say, he'll take a lot with him.
Smith was born and raised in Winter Haven. He grew up on Lake Howard, within a green Schwinn three-speed bike-ride of a bustling downtown he loved as a kid. It broke his heart when he came back to Winter Haven, degree in hand, to boarded downtown windows. The usually calm, reserved man, perks up now when he talks about the downtown revitalization he played a part in.
As the city's first engineer, Smith designed a large part of the city's infrastructure. Want to know what's in the ground and where? Smith is a more reliable source than city records.
Luckily for city staff, he isn't going far — he's going to find a garage in Winter Haven to work on his classic cars.
Dale Loucks Smith was born to Merle and Winifred Smith in Winter Haven Hospital on Aug. 27, 1948. Merle Smith was a mechanic who died when Dale was 6 years old. His mother has since remarried and is now Winifred Beatrice.
Smith first grew up on 14th Street and Lake Elbert in a tiny house. When he was 6, he moved to a red brick house at the corner of Avenue C Southwest and 21st Street. He'd live there even after marrying.
Smith graduated from Winter Haven High School in 1966 — the best class in Winter Haven history he will have you know.
He worked his way through college, one quarter taking classes at the University of South Florida, another working at Food Machinery Corp. in Lakeland to pay for it.
Smith married his wife, Marcia, on March 17, 1978.She first took notice of young Dale Smith when they were in high school. She lived on the same street as other girls the high school boys hoped to court.
"The guys would always drive their cars back and forth on our street and he was one of them," Marcia Smith said.
Both were living in the Lake Apartments — now the Sailwind Apartments — when each walked out on nearby balconies in the middle of the night to catch a rare snowfall.
"I knew that they were expecting snow that night and I just went out in the middle of the night," Marcia Smith said.
They struck up a conversation that turned into friendship, a friendship that turned into a marriage.
They have two children and will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in March.
Smith was hired by Winter Haven City Manager Jim Easton in 1978. Smith had been working for the Florida Department of Transportation for five years but still hadn't seen anything he'd designed be built.
Working for Winter Haven gave him the chance to design today and build tomorrow.
The hire was important for Winter Haven, said Bowen, one of the few city employees with a tenure longer than Smith's. Smith was one of the first engineers on staff and Bowen said Smith brought a new level of professionalism to the department.
Smith was promoted to Public Works director about 18 months later, a job he would hold until 2001, when he was first offered the job of city manager. He initially opted to hold the position on an interim basis while city commissioners searched for a replacement.
They would eventually hire David Greene, who held the job until Smith was appointed to the position in the same City Commission motion that accepted Greene's resignation.
But in those nine years, Smith was promoted to assistant city manager, his favorite job with the city.
"That was probably the peak of my career, being assistant city manager, because the city manager took the heat," Smith said with a laugh.
In all the years of night meetings and long days, Smith's commitment to the city sometimes took a toll on his family.
"I have to admit, it was rough on my family. My kids took a beating from it because of my nights, my meetings," Smith said. "But I learned in life that you try to balance it. You really try your hardest to balance it to be there for the major things."
A life-changing event would turn the tide for Smith. He was diagnosed with stage three melanoma skin cancer in 1988.
"At the beginning, they were kind of rough on you ... at that time, melanoma, it didn't have a treatment," Smith said.
"It made me change my entire life.
"My son was born and here he was, only 7 months old, and (I'm) diagnosed with cancer.
"I changed my whole outlook on life, to smell the roses, to slow up ... from that time on, I started spending more time with the family because you just never know when that is going to happen."
The change in Smith helped at home. He sometimes missed events for his children. One year, when son Adam was in a play at Brigham Academy and Smith was running late, Adam looked out to see if his dad was there and all he saw was his mom, sister and an empty seat. But when he got on stage to sing, he saw his dad in his seat, and he stopped in the middle of the performance and gave his dad a big thumbs up.
"That just meant so much," Smith said. "I said I'm not going to miss any more because it meant something to him."
Smith is retiring at a time when the city faces a lot of question marks. City officials say plans are proceeding on the sale of the Chain of Lakes Complex to become The Landings, but problems have persisted.
The city also is considering a number of privatization efforts, including the city's residential garbage pickup.
In City Hall and at commission meetings, the city is often questioned about its actions and decisions.
There's always been a group of residents who would have complaints about the city, Smith said. They'd come to City Hall all the time.
"But I'm seeing more right now than I've ever seen before, a larger crowd of them," Smith said. "And it's a movement, and it's an antigovernment movement ... I understand people are frustrated, I'm frustrated, too, with some of the stuff that's going on, but don't take it out on your local government."
When asked if that movement, and much of the questioning of city government is contributing to his retirement, Smith just said "It's time."
He said he's ready to work on his collection of 1965 Chevrolet Chevy II /Novas. He's got two now, both like the one he used to cruise the road where Marcia Smith lived when they were in high school.
Smith doesn't like to talk about his legacy and he's quick to push credit to others. But he is most proud of the revitalization of downtown.
"It was depressing seeing your hometown go down, because it's your way of life, your downtown," Smith said.
Smith said the part he played in revitalizing downtown is his greatest achievement.
"If you were ever to bump into me downtown on a Saturday night at a car show ... you'll see the biggest smile on my face because I am delighted to see what's going on downtown. I can't say it's because of me. I am part of it."
Mayor Powell said Smith's legacy would be his love for the city and its residents.
"He's always put the city first," Powell said.
"He's always concerned about the well-being of the citizens and he has always thought about the employees as well."
Police Chief Gary Hester, the only department director Smith hired as city manager, said it's hard to pick just one accomplishment.
"I think there isn't much that Dale's fingerprints aren't on throughout this city," Hester said.
He may be joining a large group of retirees living in Winter Haven, but he'll be one of the few who can say they're a homeboy.
[ Ryan Little can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 863-401-6962. Follow him on Twitter @LedgerRyan ]


text:
Holy easy project, Batman.
This was such a fun no-brainer—a trifecta, really, of circumstances that yielded kid #3 something like 50 new shirt combos:
#1 – it's dang cold outside
#2 – baby girl has lots of these in her closet
#3 – I've got a bunch of these left over from past projects:
Women's knee highs, Target; Leg warmers, Pick Your Plum
Faux-Layered Awesomeness in two seconds flat.
This shirt can be worn plain. And sometimes plain is fine.
But sometimes plain gets the boot with a funky 3/4 ruffle or striped, full-length sleeve.
Just slip socks or leg warmers on all the way up to the shoulder and you're set.
You can attach your new sleeves with a zig zag stitch/serger to make them permanent or just wear them opera glove style depending on your fashion fancy. Go for a more polished look by wearing the faux sleeves with the finished edge showing or keep it super casual with the raw edge exposed.
Here's another example:
most days this is just a plain black shirt.
But add some faux sleeves and you've got a holiday wardrobe in seconds.
So …
Go hack up some socks or drag out those old leg warmers
and stay warm (and cute) this winter!


text:
in three, two, one--race !
2.1 Seconds for Tommy Bretz !
Looks like we havea new leader, folks !
All right !All right !
All right, Stan,we're gonna need to check in
and have our car inspectedto qualify.
Now, son, daddy needsto teach you something
very important about"tells."
Tells ?
When you tell them you onlyused the approved kit,
don't look up and away,
don't rub your neckand don't touch your ear.
Otherwise, they'll know you'relying to them, all right ?
Whenever you need to lie,just don't look up and away,
rub your neck ortouch your ear.
Dad, maybe we shouldjust take out the thing
you put in the car--
Son, you have to learnhow to lie correctly some day,
might as well be today,all right ?
I love you, son.
Looks good.
Thank youand good luck today.
All right next, please.
Name ?
It's, uh, Marsh.
All right, car weighsin at 15 ounces.
Do you hereby swearthat you used parts
in the officialPinewood Derby kit
and only parts in the officialPinewood Derby kit ?
( whispering )Yes, I do.Yes, I do.
Yes, I do.
All right, young man,good luck today.
Oooh, yesssssss !
You'll Have to Learn How to Lie Correctly Someday
Pinewood Derby s13e06
Randy and Stan check in at the Pinewood Derby State Championship.


text:
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text:
After months on the sidelines, major liberal donors including the financier George Soros are preparing to inject up to $100 million into independent groups to aid Democrats' chances this fall. But instead of going head to head with the conservative "super PACs" and outside groups that have flooded the presidential and Congressional campaigns with negative advertising, the donors are focusing on grass-roots organizing, voter registration and Democratic turnout.
The departure from the conservatives' approach, which helped Republicans wrest control of the House in 2010, partly reflects liberal donors' objections to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which paved the way for super PACs and unbridled campaign spending.
But in interviews, donors and strategists involved in the effort said they also did not believe they could match advertising spending by leading conservative groups like American Crossroads and Americans for Prosperity, and instead wanted to exploit what they see as the Democrats' advantage in grass-roots organizing.
"Super PACs are critically important," said Rob Stein, the founder of the Democracy Alliance, a group of liberal donors who will convene near Miami this week to discuss where to steer their money this year. But the liberal groups, he said, believe that local efforts and outreach through social media "can have an enormous impact in battleground states in 2012."
In a move likely to draw in other major donors, Mr. Soros will contribute $1 million each to America Votes, a group that coordinates political activity for left-leaning environmental, abortion rights and civil rights groups, and American Bridge 21st Century, a super PAC that focuses on election-oriented research. The donations will be Mr. Soros's first major contributions of the 2012 election cycle.
"George Soros believes the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United opened the floodgates to special interests' paying for political ads," said Michael Vachon, a spokesman for Mr. Soros. "There is no way those concerned with the public interest can compete with them. Soros has always focused his political giving on grass-roots organizing and holding conservatives accountable for the flawed policies they promote. His support of these groups is consistent with those views."
On Monday, in an indication that he does not expect significant advertising spending from Democratic-leaning outside groups at this stage, President Obama unveiled a $25 million ad campaign against Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee.
A super PAC founded by two former Obama aides, Priorities USA Action, has struggled to raise money against better-financed conservative groups like American Crossroads, which expects to spend $300 million on the presidential, House and Senate elections.
Those difficulties stem in part from Mr. Obama's past opposition to spending by outside groups, which has dampened donor enthusiasm despite his about-face this year. But it also reflects how major liberal donors and independent groups have focused since 2004 on creating a permanent infrastructure of liberal research and voter-outreach groups. That year, liberal groups spent more than $200 million on advertising and grass-roots activity in a failed bid to deprive President George W. Bush of a second term.
Conservative independent groups, including super PACs that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on election ads, dominated the advertising wars in 2010, helping Republicans make major gains in Congress, and their money has had a similar impact so far in this cycle.
"The idea that we're going to engage in an arms race on advertising with the Republicans is not appealing to many liberal donors," said David Brock, the founder of American Bridge 21st Century.
The advertising-oriented Democratic super PACs, including Priorities USA and two groups founded to back Democrats in Congress, remain on the list of organizations that the Democracy Alliance recommends to its members. Robert McKay, who is the chairman of the Democracy Alliance and sits on the board of Priorities USA, said the $100 million expected to be spent this year by alliance members would include some money for election ads, but would most likely favor grass-roots organizing and research groups.
"There is a bias towards funding infrastructure as it relates to the elections," Mr. McKay said. "That means get-out-the-vote efforts" directed toward young voters, single women, black voters and Latinos, he said.
Organizations likely to be a part of the effort include Catalist, which creates voter lists for allied liberal groups; ProgressNow, a network of state-based Web sites for liberal opinion and activism; and the Latino Engagement Fund, a new group that works to register and turn out Latino voters for Democrats. Conservative independent groups are financing similar outreach to Latino voters: the American Action Network, which spent $26 million against Democratic candidates in 2010, last year unveiled the Hispanic Leadership Network, which will seek to mobilize center-right Latino voters.
Liberals outside the Democracy Alliance are also likely to make significant contributions, as are labor unions, which plan to spend up to $400 million on state, local and federal races, and advocacy groups like the Sierra Club.
Some groups will pay for both advertising and organizing. PAC+, a super PAC founded by the San Francisco philanthropist Steve Phillips, a member of the Democracy Alliance, expects to spend about $10 million on Latino voters in six states, with a heavy emphasis on Arizona, which the Obama campaign is seeking to turn into a battleground. Half of PAC+ spending will go to enrollment and half to advertising.
"You can dump 10 or 20 million in TV ads in Ohio and try to reach the persuadable swing voters there, or you can up voter turnout among Latinos in Colorado and Arizona and win that way," Mr. Phillips said. "It's much cheaper."


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Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
Before I begin this post, I must ask you something: Do you prefer dark or milk chocolate? (Hint: the answer is dark.) 🍫 🍫
I took a few Valentine's Day themed photos of my sister's #24, Sadie Elizabeth. She is such an adorable doll, and extremely photogenic!
This little Eeyore Tsum-Tsum is one of the cutest thing I own. ❤
Sadie's outfit is from Unending Treasures on Etsy. Be sure to check out their shop. They have some really neat doll clothes!
Before I go, I wanted to mention this: If you're looking for some awesome ways to show someone you care about them, then check out this post from The Smile Project. It lists tons of unique and creative ways that you can show kindness to others. 🙂
Thanks for reading, and have a great Valentine's Day!
Dark or milk chocolate?


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Last-place TCU shocks Kansas; Jayhawks score 13 first-half points
- Bill Self could barely bring himself to watch his Jayhawks author their worst offensive half of his 10-year tenure
- Kansas scored six points in the game%u2019s first 16 minutes en route to a 13-point first half
- A sea of delirious fans flooded the court after one of the most improbable results of the season
FORT WORTH, Texas --- Bill Self paced and cringed, shook his hands and head and eventually just placed his fingers over his eyes. Like most Kansas fans, Self could barely bring himself to watch his Jayhawks author their worst offensive half of his 10-year tenure.
After losing at home to Oklahoma State on Saturday, Kansas' first loss since Nov. 13, the Jayhawks figured to blitz Big 12 bottom feeder TCU on Wednesday night. But in a season defined by historically low scoring nationwide, the fifth-ranked Jayhawks turned in an unsightly offensive performance in a 62-55 loss against a team that was winless in Big 12 play. And a sea of delirious fans flooded the court after one of the most improbable results of the season.
Kansas (19-3, 7-2 Big 12) scored six points in the game's first 16 minutes en route to a 13-point first half at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, where many purple-clad Horned Frogs fans appeared as much in disbelief as the Kansas players. The 13 points was the lowest total in a half at Kansas since the school began keeping such records in the 1988-89 season.
The Jayhawks, who entered the game leading the league in field goal percentage (47.8 percent), made 3 of 22 field-goal attempts in the first half. Redshirt freshman Ben McLemore, the Big 12's second-leading scorer, missed all six of his field-goal attempts in the half.
After facing a 16-point deficit with 11 minutes to play in the game, order was restored, at least momentarily. The more athletic Jayhawks pressed and turned the game into a scramble, engineering a frenetic rally to cut the deficit to single digits. But their fortunes faded amid a flurry of errant shots. And the zaniness in this unique season continued.
As teams continue to play musical chairs atop the polls, this result will resonate as a jaw-dropper throughout the season. If there had been any doubt about how wildly unpredictable this March figures to be, fans can look no further than Wednesday's game here. Under first-year coach Trent Johnson, TCU (10-12, 1-8) was ranked 161st in the RPI and had not won a game since beating Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 30. In its first season in the Big 12, TCU figured no match for a Kansas team that has won eight straight Big 12 regular season titles.
And Kansas did not just lose. It looked lost offensively at times. If this cringe-worthy performance is possible, what won't be possible when better teams than TCU play some of the nation's blue-bloods in next month's NCAA tournament? No great team exists in college basketball this season, and even alleged very good teams can be susceptible to ghastly efforts, as Kansas demonstrated.
Throughout the game, Kansas' looked listless and out of sync. The Jayhawks at one point were tripping over one another and struggled to get back down court on defense. Few players showed any glimpse of emotion, even as the scoreboard inexplicably showed an inept offensive performance neither fans, nor Self, will soon forget.


text:
Inspired by the great symphonies of Europe's finest composers, the MSC Sinfonia cruise ship is a lovely blend of romance, passion and adventure. Italian ambiance abounds, from polished woods, to fine artwork and our beautifully relaxing spa. To step aboard MSC Sinfonia is to embark on a voyage back in time as you travel in elegant Italian style to ancient Mediterranean cruise destinations such as Venice, Capri and Athens or to beautiful South Africa.
MSC Sinfonia is a ship distinctive in both design and comfort, marrying the best of continental style with world-class service and attention to detail. The welcoming, professional crew aboard this elegant liner are on hand to offer round-the-clock hospitality and quality service.
MSC Sinfonia is named in homage to the rousing symphonies of Europe's great classical composers: from Beethoven's romantic masterpieces to Mozart's lively works, paired with the contemporary tones of Debussy, Tchaikovsky and Brahms. We are sure your cruise vacation will be one of perfect harmony whether you are a first-time cruise passenger or seasoned cruise traveler!
Savor the great outdoors as you jog around our track or swim laps in one of two pools and make it an enriching vacation with Italian lessons at sea. MSC Sinfonia ship boasts a state-of-the art Virtual Golf Simulator that allows players, especially beginners, to practice their swing while sailing. Other state-of-the art amenities are found in the video games room and Teen Area. Treat yourself in the hair salon, beauty center or gym. With an array of shows, music, discos, casinos, and more, MSC Sinfonia offers a 'symphony' of sumptuous activities to do.
Experience the best of classic cruising on MSC Sinfonia as we visit the destinations you've always wanted to see - from South Africa to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Sun, sea and heaps of fun, a cruise vacation onboard MSC Sinfonia will truly be music to your ears.


text:
A new reports says that Siri's search accuracy tops out at 68 percent -- and it's only that high in quiet rooms.
In 1,600 common searches, Siri successfully completed the request 62 percent of the time on a loud street and 68 percent in a quieter setting, according to a report by Piper Jaffray, a Minneapolis-based investment bank. Siri was graded a "D" for accuracy.
"You're playing the lottery when you're using Siri," Gene Munster, the Piper Jaffray analyst who headed up the study, told Bloomberg Businessweek. "They have a plan to be more competitive, but it's going to take a couple of years."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
This seems at odds with the recent iPhone commercials with actors Zooey Deschanel and John Malkovich seemingly reliant on their iPhone's highly accurate Siri searches. (We won't go into how many times we have heard people snarl and shout "Liars!" at the television.)
Some users have even started a class-action suit against Apple for misleading advertising. While Apple rarely comments on negative press or its mistakes, it has said that Siri was still in beta when it was placed on the iPhone 4S.
However, Munster points out that Apple's goal is to improve on its beta launch and have its users bypass search titan Google to use its Siri voice search. (Really, Apple, you're short on money?)
Despite the low marks, it's not all bad for Siri. Apparently she's good at comprehension and accurately repeating a question, but the problem is when she needs to turn "those words into a correct answer" such as finding directions, according to Bloomberg. In deciphering what someone is saying, she rates 83 percent on a busy street and 89 percent in an area with low noise.
If Apple can get Siri's accuracy up into the 80th percentile, Google should be worried. But apparently the tech company already sniffed out that possibility and is already working on its own voice-recognition search.


text:
Mayor de Blasio
The National Weather Service's Winter Storm Warning remains in effect across all five boroughs and much of the region through 1 PM Friday.
With heavy snow, gusts of up to 35 MPH and wind chills from 5 to 15 below zero, Mayor Bill de Blasio urges New Yorkers to exercise caution in going outdoors, refrain from any unnecessary travel and, if going to work today, to utilize public transit and allow additional time for their morning commute.
"This has been and remains a dangerous storm. It is going to be bitter cold today, and New Yorkers need to be extremely careful going outdoors. The best things people can do are to stay off the roads so we can clear them as fast as possible, and to check in on elderly and vulnerable neighbors who might need help this morning," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Mayor de Blasio announced the following updates and encouraged New Yorkers to sign up for NotifyNYC alerts at NYC.gov/NotifyNYC for the latest news on services affected by the storm. Information is also available by calling 311.
Schools: All New York City public schools are closed today.
Student after-school programs and PSAL games are cancelled.
CUNY: All classes at the City University of New York are cancelled.
Snow Removal: Nearly 2,500 DSNY, DOT, DEP and Parks plows are on the streets as of early this morning. The top accumulations so far are 6.5 inches. High winds will continue to blow plowed snow back into the streets, requiring additional passes.
The PlowNYC feature is activated at NYC.gov, posting real-time updates of snow clearance.
The Sanitation Department will be calling in pre-registered snow laborers to clear crosswalks, bus stop shelters and other locales.
Residents and business owners are urged not to shovel snow into the street when shoveling sidewalks and cars, which will delay snow clearance.
Garbage Collection: There will be no trash and recycling pickups until snow clearing efforts are complete.
Parking: Alternate Side Parking Regulations are suspended citywide Friday, January 03, 2014, to facilitate snow removal after consultation with DSNY.
Parking meters remain in effect throughout the city.
Staten Island Ferry: The Staten Island Ferry will be operating on a modified rush hour schedule this morning with boats departing every 20 minutes. Passengers should allow more time for their morning commutes.
East River Ferry service is running.
Rockaway Ferry service is suspended.
Emergency Services: All city hospitals and emergency rooms remain open.
911 call volumes remain average. Additional ambulances are being added to supplement service while difficult travel conditions persist.
Homeless Outreach: The Department of Homeless Services continues to use its Cold Weather Emergency Procedure, Code Blue, to protect unsheltered individuals. Community members that identify someone on the street they believe needs assistance should call 311 and ask for the Mobile Outreach Response Team; in any emergency community members should call 911. The Department of Homeless Services will send an outreach team to the location to assess the individual's condition and take appropriate action.
During a Code Blue, homeless adults can access any shelter location for single individuals. Beds are available system-wide to accommodate anyone brought in by outreach teams or walk-ins.
Senior Services: Senior Centers remain closed today.
Home delivered meals clients received double meals on Thursday, and have shelf-stable meals that will last through Monday.
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Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...