text:
Medicaid rules are different for people living in the "community" than people living in institutions. For this article, the word "institution" means nursing home care. If you live in your home, someone else's home, or an Assisted Living Program, you are considered to live in the "community."
NEWS ITEM FEBRUARY 2014: Spousal Refusal in Nursing Homes
NYC HRA Corrects Illegal Denial of Spousal Impoverishment Income Allowance to Community Spouses of Nursing Home Residents, where the Community Spouse submitted a "Spousal Refusal" for Resources. Click here.
NEWS ITEM AUGUST 2014: Institutional Medicaid for "MAGI" - those without Medicare
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) did not change the income and asset rules described here for most people who need institutional (nursing home) Medicaid, since they are mostly "Disabled, Aged 65+ or Blind" (known as "DAB.") The DAB budgeting rules were not changed by the ACA. This category is also known as "non-MAGI," as opposed to the "MAGI" category whose eligibility for Medicaid was significantly changed by the ACA. Generally, the "MAGI" are people who are not on Medicare. See articles on MAGI here. Even MAGI people -- those under age 65 who do not have Medicare and who are not disabled -- sometimes need nursing home care. For them, the State issued special rules on asset transfers, liens, and institutional budgeting. See NYS DOH GIS 14 MA/016: Long Term Care Eligibility Rules and Estate Recovery Provisions for MAGI Individuals -- PDF.
Under the GIS, MAGI individuals who are "medically frail" may receive coverage for medically necessary nursing facility services. The need for nursing facility services qualifies the individual as "medically frail" and no further documentation is required. Individuals whose eligibility is determined under MAGI rules are not subject to a resource test for purposes of determining Medicaid eligibility." However, MAGI Medicaid recipients are still subject to the transfer penalty, home equity limit, and estate recovery (but only for "the cost of nursing facility services, home and community-based services, and related hospital and prescription drug services received on or after the MAGI individual's 55th birthday"). However, they do NOT have to pay a NAMI, and a lien cannot be placed on their home.
SPECIAL RULES IN NURSING HOMES or INSTITUTIONAL MEDICAID for the "MAGI" Category - Aged 65+, Blind or Disabled.
1. Transfer of Assets -- This article on transfers of assets describes the rules that require a waiting period, or transfer penalty, for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care if you transferred assets during the "lookback period," which in most cases is the period since February 8, 2006.
2. The "NAMI" = Net Available Monthly Income. This is the amount of a nursing home resident's income that s/he is expected to contribute toward the cost of his or her care. It is the nursing home version of the Medicaid spend-down. The general rule for institutional or "chronic care" budgeting is that ALL income, other than the amount needed to pay Medicare or Medigap health insurance premiums, must be paid over to the nursing home as the NAMI, except for a $50/month Personal Needs Allowance (PNA).
However there are exceptions to the rule that requires all income to be paid to the nursing home except for $50/month.
A. Holocaust restitution and the amount needed to pay any health insurance premiums is always exempt, in nursing homes and the community.
B. COMMUNITY BUDGETING -- When an individual is first admitted to a nursing home, if there is a reasonable expectation that s/he will return home, she is allowed to keep income up to the community Medicaid level, which in 2018 is $859 per month. Additionally, the income deductions or disregards that are not allowed in chronic care or institutional budgeting -- see above --ARE permitted during this period, which has no specific time limit but is generally 6 months and sometimes renewable for another 6 months. So the $20/month disregard allows the individual to keep up to $839/month (2018 level). See this article on Maintaining Community Budgeting During Temporary Nursing Home Stays, with the NYC HRA Forms called the Discharge Alert.
C. SPOUSAL IMPOVERISHMENT and Dependent Income Allowances -- State DOH MRG INCOME Chapter at pp. 225-238
1. An Institutionalized Spouse in a nursing home may use all or part of his or her income to support his or her "Community Spouse," the spouse at home, depending on the spouse's own income. If the spouse at home has his or her own income that is less than the "minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance" [MMMNA] ($3,160.50/mo in 2018), then the "Community spouse" may keep his/her own income plus enough of the "institutionalized spouse's" income to bring the total up to the MMMNA level. This is called the "community spouse monthly income allowance" (CSMIA).
a. The Community spouse's income consists of income solely in his or her name plus half of any income that is in the joint name of both spouses.
b. If the Institutionalized spouse has income that is above the amount needed to bring the Community Spouse's income up to the MMMNA, the balance must be paid to nursing home as the NAMI.
c. IF community spouse needs more of institutionalized spouse's income, s/he can sue in Family Court for an order of support, or request a fair hearing, but must prove "exceptional circumstances resulting in significant financial distress." SSL 366-c(2)9g), (8)(b); 18 NYCRR 360-4.10(a)(3), (b)(6).
d. IF community spouse's own income exceeds the MMMNA ($3,160.50 in 2018) Medicaid will ask for a contribution of 25% over that amount toward spouse's care. S/he can do a "spousal refusal."
2. INCOME - ALLOWANCES FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OR PARENTS -- Minor children and dependent children or parents (defined as having over 50%of their needs met by the community or nursing home spouse) also get an allowance from the Institutionalized spouse - $686/mo in 2018 (up to maximum $2,058 per family). This reduces the NAMI.
3. SPOUSAL REFUSAL – Under SSL 366.3(a) and federal law, the community spouse's refusal to contribute income and/or resources to the cost of nursing home care does not make the institutionalized spouse ineligible for Medicaid. The government has the right to sue a spouse who refuses to contribute. See NYC Spousal Refusal Form. The community spouse must still disclose her income and resources, since any transfer of resources by the community spouse affects eligibility of the institutional spouse.
4. NEWS ITEM February 2014 - A community spouse is entitled to the community spouse monthly income allowance (CSMIA) even if she does a spousal refusal to contribute resources. See NYS ADM 91-ADM-33 and NYS DOH Medicaid Reference Guide at page 396. However, since mid-2012, the NYC HRA Medicaid program has violated this longstanding state rule and has denied the community spouse this income allowance if she executed a spousal refusal. Many fair hearing decisions reversed these determinations, see, e.g. FH 6208131N (3/1/2013), FH 6318971R (9/5/2013). By letter of December 17, 2013, the Elder Law Section of the NYS Bar Association asked HRA to cease this unlawful practice of denying this impoverishment allowance (download here). Through a Freedom of Information request, the Bar identified some internal HRA procedures that were wrong and asked that HRA correct them. On Dec. 24, 2013, HRA issued 2013 MAP-INF 04 which correctly states that the community spouse is entitled to the CSMIA even if she does a spousal refusal, if she provides complete information regarding income and resources. See also Letter of Roy Esnard, Counsel for HRA dated Dec. 23, 2013, explaining clarification.
HRA has retrained all relevant staff, including Fair Hearing representatives, and is rebudgeting all cases approved since October 2012. HRA's counsel asks anyone who needs rebudgeting to request a Fair Hearing conference by calling 718-637-2426. If your case is not resolved, please contact Valerie Bogart at email@example.com
D. "MAGI" individuals will have no "NAMI" - but, by definition, their income must be under 138% of the Federal Poverty Line using MAGI income budgeting rules. See NYS DOH GIS 14 MA/016: Long Term Care Eligibility Rules and Estate Recovery Provisions for MAGI Individuals -- PDF
A. A single Medicaid recipient may have the same amount of assets as a single person living in the community ($15,450 in 2018), plus a burial fund and pre-paid funeral arrangements. See Fact Sheet on Funeral Arrangements.
B. THE HOME -- A person who becomes institutionalized may be able to transfer his or her home to a spouse or certain protected relatives. See article on Transfers of Assets. If no such exempt transfer may be made, a home owned by a person who becomes institutionalized will count as a countable resource, and will therefore disqualify the individual from eligibility for Medicaid, unless he or she has an intent to return home. Even if she does intend to return home, the Medicaid program may impose a lien on the home in some cases. These rules are explained below.
1. INTENT TO RETURN HOME - Home Not Counted as an Asset -- 20 C.F.R. § 416.1212(c) provides that "if an individual (and spouse, if any) moves out of his or her home without the intent to return, the home becomes a countable resource because it is no longer the individual's principal place of residence." Anna W. v. Bane, 863 F. Supp. 125 (W.D.N.Y. 1993), held that a person's "subjective intent to return home" must be considered in whether a homestead may be considered an available resource. This court decision voided the application of state regulation18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360-1.4(k) to require medical proof of the ability to return home, since that requirement was more strict than the SSI standard.
a. How to Indicate Intent to Return Home. This intent may be expressed in a letter or affidavit signed by the person, or by an agent authorized under a power of attorney, on the HRA form used in New York City, or by written statements of relatives or friends who have personal knowledge of the person's intent to return home. For this purpose, a subjective intent to return home controls, even if there is no reasonable expectation that the person will be discharged and return home. (In contrast, the entitlement to "community budgeting" of income, allowing a new nursing home recipient to keep the full Medicaid income allowance ($859 in 2018) instead of only $50, is based on reasonable expectation to return home.
2. MEDICAID LIEN ON HOME -- in contrast to the determination whether the home is an available resource, the controlling factor for the imposition of a lien is whether the person is permanently absent and not reasonably expected to be discharged back home. N.Y. Soc. Serv. Law § 369(2)(a)(ii); 18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360-7.11(a)(3)(ii). The local Department of Social Services must provide adequate notice and prove at a hearing that the person cannot reasonably be expected to be discharged from the institution and return home. 42 U.S.C. § 1396a(a)(18) and 1396p(a)(2) ; 42 C.F.R. § 433.36(d), NYS 92 ADM-53. If the agency prevails after adequate notice is provided and a hearing (if requested), a lien can be imposed on the home even if there is a subjective intent to return home.
a. If the person returns home, the lien dissolves. 18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360-7.11(a)(3)(i). However, the home may be subject to estate recovery after the person's death.
b. NO lien may be placed on the home of a person who is permanently institutionalized if one of the following lawfully resides in the home:
i. a spouse;
ii. a child under 21 OR an adult child who is blind or permanently and totally disabled; or
iii. a sibling who has an equity interest in the home and who resided in the home for at least one year before the date of the recipient's admission to the medical institution. (89 ADM-45 defines "equity interest")
iv. The institutionalized individual must be given an opportunity to make an exempt transfer the home to one of the individuals for whom there would be no transfer penalty. DOH 02-OMM/ADM-3 p. 7
N.Y. Soc. Serv. Law § 369(2)(a)(ii); 18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360-7.11(a)(3)(ii).
c. No lien may be placed if the institutionalized individual is in the MAGI category, i.e. does not have Medicare. See NYS DOH GIS 14 MA/016: Long Term Care Eligibility Rules and Estate Recovery Provisions for MAGI Individuals -- PDF
d. A lien validly placed cannot later be liquidated if any of these relatives live in the home:
i. a sibling who lived there for a year (regardless of any equity interest), immediately before the recipient's admission to the medical institution, and has lawfully resided in the recipient's home on a continuous basis from the date of the recipient's admission to the medical institution through the present day; or
ii. a child who provided care to the individual has resided there for two years immediately before the individual's admission to the institution, and who has continued to lawfully reside there to the present day
DOH 02-OMM/ADM-3 p. 7
C. PROTECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY SPOUSE -- Community spouse may keep couple's combined joint and individual resources up to the greater of $74,820 (2018) or one-half of the couple's total combined assets up to $126,420 (2018). The balance is deemed available to institutional spouse for cost of care. Rules are in NYS DOH MRG Resources Chapter at pp. 331 -335
1. A Community spouse may establish the need for more resources to generate enough interest income to bring income up to the MMMNA. There have been many developments on the rules for establishing how much in resources may be kept to generate this income.
a. "ANNUITY" -- A July 27, 2006 State Medicaid Director letter issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), states that the State may use any reasonable method to determine the amount of increased resources needed to generate adequate income to make up a MMMNA shortfall, including, but not limited to, considering the cost of a single premium annuity to generate the needed income. In a 2007 directive, DOH 07-OHIP-INF-3, NYS DOH states that local districts and hearing officers may consider the resource amount needed to purchase a single premium immediate life annuity that would generate the income shortfall amount. Since an annuity would likely generate higher interest than a mere savings account, this policy has the effect of limiting the amount of the increased resources needed to generate income for the spouse. The directive specifically states that the annuity need not actually be purchased -- but income may be imputed as if it were purchased.
b. "INCOME FIRST" -- Robbins v. DeBuono, 218 F.3d 197 (2d Cir. 2000) held that a community spouse can have an increase in the CSRA to generate additional income without first allocating the institutionalized spouse's Social Security benefits to the community spouse. However, since then, a series of decisions led to reversal of this policy, announced in State directive NYS GIS 05 MA/002. Effective January 2005:
"...a community spouse with income less than the MMMNA will not be allowed to retain resources in excess of the maximum community spouse resource allowance in order to generate income that could be provided by the institutionalized spouse from his/her Social Security benefits. This is true regardless of whether the institutionalized spouse actually makes Social Security benefits available to the community spouse. The decision to give a community spouse a higher community spouse resource allowance continues to be an issue resolved only by fair hearing decision or court order.
Please note that this does NOT mean that the institutionalized spouse is required to transfer Social Security benefits to the community spouse. Under spousal impoverishment budgeting, an institutionalized spouse is allowed, but not required, to make income available to the community spouse as a community spouse monthly income allowance (CSMIA). If an institutionalized spouse chooses not to make available all or part of the income budgeted as a CSMIA, this income will be counted in determining the amount of the institutionalized spouse's income to be applied toward the cost of care."
c. Since Jan. 1, 2006, a Community Spouse's IRA is exempt as a resource only if it is in payment status, meaning s/he must be taking distributions. 18 NYCRR Section 360-4.10(a)(9).
d. Spousal impoverishment protections don't apply to "MAGI" category. NYS DOH GIS 14 MA/016: Long Term Care Eligibility Rules and Estate Recovery Provisions for MAGI Individuals -- PDF
2. SPOUSAL REFUSAL – Under SSL 366.3(a) and federal law, the community spouse's refusal to contribute income and/or resources to the cost of nursing home care does not make the institutionalized spouse ineligible for Medicaid. The government has the right to sue a spouse who refuses to contribute. See NYC Spousal Refusal Form.
This article was authored by the Evelyn Frank Legal Resources Program of New York Legal Assistance Group.


text:
South Florida prepares bid for Super Bowl L
South Florida competing against San Francisco for 2016 Super Bowl
MIAMI – South Florida is preparing its bid to host Super Bowl L in 2016.
South Florida is competing against San Francisco for the big game.
"From the venue, to hotels, airports, everything that will be put together and constructed out of the next six months, begins today," said Miami Dolphins CEO Mike Dee.
During the bid process, Sun Life Stadium will be under the microscope. In the past, the NFL has recommended improvements to the stadium, including building a roof. Dee said the application to host Super Bowl L was submitted with Sun Life Stadium "as is."
But are the upgrades necessary and will taxpayers foot the bill?
"I don't know at this point. You know, it's premature to speculate," said Dee. "I do know that stadiums are a very important part of the bid process and we've heard what the NFL has said in the past and we will be mindful of that as we put this bid together."
"At least, as it has been conveyed to me, no improvements are necessary, but I think improvements are warranted," said South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Chairman Rodney Barreto.
Barreto said that although some privately funded improvements have been made to Sun Life Stadium, which is now 25 years old, the stadium could use some enhancements to stay competitive.
"The stadium we are competing against is a $1.2 billion stadium, so it's tough to compete against them with all their amenities," said Barreto.
William Talbert, President and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, said hosting any Super Bowl is good for business, but Super Bowl L could bring South Florida even more attention.
"It's an infomercial for Miami and South Florida," said Talbert. "It's priceless. It's priceless coverage. None of us could buy that kind of coverage."
As South Florida has hosted the most Super Bowls, Talbert said the area has nostalgia and a successful track record as a host, but work may need to be done to the stadium to better its chances for securing the game.
"I know there are internal discussions with the current ownership about some financing techniques for some improvements," said Talbert.
"At this time, we do not have a definitive plan," said Dee. "We just started the process. We have six months to put this together, so it will be at a fast and furious pace, so we better bring our A-game to the table as I say this will be a very competitive process."
NFL owners will decide which stadium will host Super Bowl L during a meeting next May.
The consolation prize -- competing against Houston for Super Bowl LI in 2017.
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Introduction & Specifications
- ePay Shopping Cart API - Specifications for Application Programers Interface including SimplePay
- Login Page
- Menu Bar - Learn about the menu bar options
- User Home Page
- User Payment Page
The Login PageUpdated: May 20, 2015
The login page accepts the Login and Password of the administrator or user. Each merchant has their own login page URL:
- https://secureinstantpayments.com?ID=28079
- https://secureinstantpayments.com/InstantPayments_SchoolFees_MoscowD_Faculty
The merchant name at the end is case dependent, however it is not required to login to an existing account. Each login will redirect the user to the correct merchant pages defined when the account was created.
The login page may also have, at the merchant's descretion, a button that allows a person to create his own login for making payments to that merchant.
Above the login text areas, there is a link for those that have forgotten their login or password. This links to a page where one can ask the system to email his login name or password. This option will email the requested information to the email address stored in his profile. This address can optionally be entered when the account is created and edited thereafter.
To enhance security, the system uses reCAPTCHA from Google to make sure you are a real person. This is to prevent automated attacks on the system. Simply follow the instructions provided. Much of the time, simply checking the "I'm not a robot" box is sufficient.
Upon successful login, the system will then display the appropriate home page based on the power of the login account.
- Administrators will be directed to their Merchant Home Page.
- Users will be directed to their User Home Page.
SIP © 2006-2020 Instant Payments All rights reserved.
~ Terms & Conditions ~ Privacy Policy ~ Contact Us ~
SIP Version 3.02.11665; (API: 2.16)


text:
by Wesley Ratko
The September 6 meeting of the Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee had but one item : a request for support of a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment to allow Chill on the Hill, a frozen yogurt store proposed for 5 E Highland Avenue, to operate. Under the old zoning district, a variance was needed to sell prepared food at this location.
On August 22, however, Philadelphia's new zoning code went into effect, changing the zoning district of 5 E. Highland Avenue from C-2 commercial to CMX-2 commercial.
This new zoning allows the sale of prepared food and, therefore, the owners of Chill no longer need a variance or support from the Chestnut Hill Community Association in order to open their business.
Still, both owners attended the meeting and committee co-chair Ned Mitinger, acting as chair, used the time to foster a discussion between the near neighbors and the business owners, Alison Shoemaker and Leslie Newbold, to address and clarify any remaining differences between them.
Near neighbor and CHCA Board member Laura Lucas addressed the committee, saying she and her contingent of fellow neighbors are concerned about the operating hours for the shop and asked to see them in writing.
"That would help to reassure us," Lucas said.
Shoemaker and Newbold agreed to write a letter, addressed to the Community Manager Celeste Hardester, stating that Chill's closing time Sunday through Thursday would not extend past 9 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. In addition, Shoemaker assured the neighbors that the business had no plans to open before 11 a.m.
Lucas told committee members that she has already received a letter from Shoemaker and Newbold that details their intended steps to control loitering in and around Chill, and that the letter's contents were acceptable.
Neither of these letters will be legally binding documents.
"It's not a legal-type thing but a strong moral commitment," said Mitinger. LUPZ member John Landis elaborated, saying they serve as a matter of record that memorializes the agreement.
"People's memories fade pretty quickly," Landis said.
Shoemaker and Newbold told the committee that seating would be provided inside the store. Five chairs and five small tables, as well as a counter and three bar stools would give patrons a place to sit. Lucas asked if they had any space for benches or other seating outside the establishment. Shoemaker and Newbold said no, they lacked the space. Newbold suggested there could be a small bench with room for two people but there were no immediate plans for any. Lucas told the committee the neighbors oppose any outside seating.
LUPZ member Steve Gendler defended outside seating, referring to benches outside of Bredenbeck's Bakery at 8126 Germantown Avenue.
"There's a life in the village quality about that kind of gathering," he said.
Lucas pointed out that Bredenbeck's has a setback from the Avenue, which provides more space for outdoor seating than what is present on East Highland. She added that outdoor seating would block the sidewalk.
Shoemaker and Newbold hope to have "quite a few" employees in rotating shifts.
"Several of the resumes we've received are local people," Shoemaker said.
They plan to encourage employees to walk, bike, or take public transportation, rather than drive. Despite this, Joyce Lenhardt encouraged them to lease a few spaces from the Parking Foundation for employee use in the lot adjacent to the business.
Chill plans to be open year-round, and will offer coffee, tea and hot chocolate during the winter months. None of their products will be manufactured on-site; the business will operate as a dispensary.
LUPZ committee member Larry McEwen reported that they were looking at the lighting in the Highland Avenue lot.
"It's state of the art circa 1972," he said, adding that it isn't compliant with the new zoning. "The most egregious thing about it is that it's totally unshielded," he added.
The committee took no formal action.


text:
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Tuesday, January 8, 2013) – The Colorado Rapids announced on Tuesday that the club has re-signed Marvell Wynne, a 26-year-old defender and seven-year MLS veteran, to a new contract. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Marvell has proven himself to be an important part of our core group as we move forward, and we're pleased to have signed him to a new deal," said Technical Director Paul Bravo. "His speed and versatility make him an asset to our defense, and he continues to develop as a player every year."
"I'm happy to have signed a new deal with the Rapids, and excited to continue my career here in Colorado," said Wynne. "I've enjoyed being part of this club since I arrived in 2010, and am looking forward to getting the season started and having a successful year."
Wynne, 26, came to the Rapids in a trade just before the 2010 regular season, switching his position from right back to center back when arriving in Colorado. Known as one of the fastest players in MLS, he has played 84 regular season games for the Rapids, as well as every minute of the postseason in both 2010, when the team won MLS Cup, and 2011. He played for Toronto FC from 2007-2009 and for the New York Red Bulls in 2006 and 2007; in his MLS career, Wynne has 180 appearances (173 starts), with two goals and 15 assists.
The Poway, Calif. native has made five appearances with the United States Men's National Team, earning his first cap in 2007 in a Gold Cup match against Argentina, and was also a member of the U.S. team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland. He played two seasons of college soccer at UCLA, earning first team All-American honors in 2005.
The Rapids will start preseason on January 17, and are set to participate in the Desert Friendlies presented by Tucson FC and the Las Vegas ProSoccer Challenge against Chivas USA on February 15 as part of their preparations. To purchase season tickets for the Rapids' 2013 campaign, visit www.ColoradoRapids.com or call 303-825-GOAL.


text:
Imagine playing a round of Texas hold 'em, but upon revealing your hand, there are the friendly faces of Parks and Recreation's Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson staring up at you and your poker buddies. Well, imagine no longer – just pick up your set of these Parks and Recreation Playing Cards.
Author: de Sousa, ChantelPublisher: Smith Street BooksCardsISBN: 9781925811599Dimensions: 8 and 6.5 cmPublish Date: 1/04/2020
Free shipping for items over $150* (excludes over-sized items, which are marked as over-size).
Canvas Wall Art shipping costs vary depending on size. Each canvas is marked with their shipping size. You must select the correct size at checkout.
Furniture is currently only available for purchase with Click + Collect or by requesting a quote for shipping via firstname.lastname@example.com.
We offer Click + Collect, just follow the prompts + add your details during check out.
All shipments are subject to availability.
Standard orders placed Monday – Friday (excluding Public Holidays) will be processed and shipped within two business days.
Parcels are shipped via Australia Post – Track & Trace, you will be issued with a tracking number via email at the time of shipment.
All shipping is at the customers risk. Once items have been dispatched and tracking numbers provided, we do not hold responsibility for lost parcels, or packages damaged in transit.
We try our best to keep shipping costs to a minimum.
International shipping depends on location + size of the package, please contact us to find out more information.
If you have any questions regarding shipping please feel free to contact us at email@example.com.


text:
Roasted Red Pepper Soup – and little surprise marbles!
There is something about roasting that makes red bell peppers swoon-worthy. Sweet. Soft. Smoky. And, importantly, at this time of year: RED.
I saw Giada make goat cheese "marbles" and add them to a cream soup and so I thought they might add a nice tart tang to this sweet creamy Roasted Red Pepper soup. You could also use a favorite tomato soup recipe if you like.
For the "marbles," I used equal parts cream cheese and goat cheese – and lots of minced parsley. You could use any herb you like. Hm m m m…. might try rosemary next time . . . .
I love soups that you can throw in a blender or take a stick blender to. I put this soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulpy-ness. It is a lovely Christmas first course. The goat cheese marbles melt right into the soup when you stir them, adding a nice herb tang.
Please pardon the irresistible pun on my part: Have a Souper Christmas, Everyone! …


text:
By Teachers, For Teachers
Taylor Mali is a poet and former teacher that went viral when his poem defending teachers went viral on YouTube, getting millions of hits worldwide. In March 2012, Mali will release a book entitled What Teachers Make: In Praise of the Greatest Job in the World will add depth and breadth to his argument in support of teachers.
In this exclusive TeachHUB interview, Mali shares his experiences as a poet, internet sensation and most importantly, a teacher and advocate for all teachers.
The poem was written over 10 years ago and has reached a wider audience through YouTube than I could ever hope to reach in my lifetime, so I have been approached a few times by literary agents who have wanted me to write a book about teaching.
I was intrigued by the idea, but I write poetry. So I would ask "What about a book of teaching poems?" And then they would all disappear. It was an editor at Putnam, Rachel Kahan, who told me that the book could essentially be the poem explored in greater depth.
Poetry is such a distilled form of writing that I realized there was an essay or two, or at least a story, behind almost every line in the poem. So throughout the book, I often use the text of the poem as a jumping off point, as an excuse for talking about my teaching philosophy.
Then there are places where I go off on rants and tangents. And—surprise—there are even a few new poems about teaching in the book
My Quest for 1,000 Teachers didn't come about through any kind of organized process. I did not decide at the outset that I would try to inspire 1,000 people to become teachers. That just started happening. People would either write to me or tell me casually in conversation that my poems about teaching had helped them decide to enter the profession themselves.
For a year, I kept a very casual mental tally and would say, "Really? I think that makes you the 12th person to tell me that." I don't know when I got the idea to start keeping track in a more organized way. But it was a journalist who told me that merely keeping track wasn't enough. It wasn't interesting. I needed a goal. And the concomitant possibility of failure. That's what makes it a story!
So I set myself a goal of 1,000 new teachers and gave myself six years to reach it. And I failed miserably.
By 2006, the number of people I had helped convince to enter the teaching profession barely topped 100, and I still had no systematic way to keep track of them all. I ended up turning to Craig's List for help and found it in the form of a graduate student in computer programming named Jorge Casteneda and two young fans who were willing to do a lot of data entry for free. It took me six or seven years, but I finally had the system in place for managing the list. People went to my website, filled out a form, part of which was explaining how my work helped them arrive at their decision to teach, uploaded a photo, and clicked the submit button. It was so much more streamlined than anything I'd had before, and just in time, too.
As I write this now at a school in Honolulu where I have been teaching for two weeks, I have still not quite met my goal; I'm at 920. I plan to approve the final teacher on Saturday, April 7th, 2012, at the Bowery Poetry Club. That night, I will cut off 10" of my hair and donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths in honor of the end of the project.
It will have been 12 years. Twelve years of not just writing and performing poetry about teaching, but twelve years of having a higher purpose. Frankly, I think I will miss it.
I miss seeing the difference my teaching can make on a day-to-day basis. How a single student changes from September to June. And I miss the light bulbs and lightning bolts that light up the classroom.
I was an easily distracted student, the class clown. But I was also a risk-taker and one who believed in working hard. When I liked what I was studying, I poured myself into it.
I write poetry because I have a short attention span and faith in what words can achieve. I write in general because I have discovered that my powers of observation combined with some a level of rumination and reflection that is entertaining and informative to others.
My dad wrote occasional poems—sort of Dr. Seuss meets Robert Frost—and then he would recite the poems at special family events like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. I saw the way people thrilled to his words, and I wanted to do that, too. And my mom was an award-winning children's book writer so I came from a wordy family.
I wrote my first poems when I was very young—less than 10—then I was the editor of the high school literary magazine (called Prufrock). But it was in the summer of 1987 that I combined performance and poetry together and realized that there was a niche market for clever words performed passionately.
In graduate school at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, I had to teach freshman composition, and that's where I discovered that I loved teaching. And teaching is a kind of performance. At least it is the way some people do it. You need to do what you can to make the material come alive when you can, and you need to make it as memorable as possible.
During graduate school, one of the professors on my master's committee suggested I drive over to Lawrence, KS, and check out this thing called a poetry slam that happened at a strip club on the fourth Monday of every month. And so I did, and I loved it. It combined everything I loved, and it was competitive!
Performance adds passion to the written word. And passion aids in understanding.
Learn more about Taylor Mali, his poetry slam schedule, his school visits and his new book What Teachers Make at www.taylormali.com.


text:
Welcome to the world, My True Love Gave to Me!
I'm so PROUD of this book. (Four starred reviews!!!) And I'm excited that you can finally read it. It's available everywhere—your local indie bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc.
I want to talk about it in greater detail here soon, but today—as it always seems these days, eep!—I'm in a rush. I'm packing for the Texas Book Festival, which is tomorrow, and I'm obsessing over Serial, which I SWEAR Ira Glass dreamed up just for me.
From their website:
"Serial is a new podcast from the creators of This American Life, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial will follow one story—a true story—over the course of a whole season. We'll follow the plot and characters wherever they take us and we won't know what happens at the end of the story until we get there, not long before you get there with us. Each week we'll bring you the latest chapter, so it's important to listen in order, starting with Episode 1."
The first season is about Sarah's investigation into the murder of a teenage girl in the late nineties.
This American Life! Podcast! True crime!!!
If you have any interest in any of the above subjects, I can't recommend it highly enough. I've listened to each episode three times. (I told you I was obsessed.)
Okay, back to the Texas Book Festival . . .
If so, I hope you'll drop everything (because obviously I'm writing this at the last second) and come see me this SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25th.
1:15–2:15 PM: "SA-WOOON" in the Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca). Every reader has their literary crush; admit it, even you. These authors are the experts on creating those seemingly perfect characters that make readers swoon, and now are sharing their insights into the field of romance. Join Stephanie Perkins, Rebecca Serle, and Jennifer E. Smith and hear what they have to say on everything from the first butterflies to happily ever after.
A book signing will immediately follow the panel.
Okay, time to return to packing! Because. You know. The festival is in less than twenty-four hours. And I'm still in North Carolina.


text:
He practices this song for his NYADA audition, while the stage is filled with candles and Tina acts as Christine. During the song, Artie comes through with a fog machine for ambiance. Blaine praises the performance although Kurt is still unsure.
Later, he plans to perform it as his audition piece at Rachel's insistence, but he decides to perform Not the Boy Next Door to take a risk instead of going with the easier choice. Carmen was pleased with his quick change and his choice of taking a risk.
Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world!
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!
Let your soul
Take you where you long to be!
Let the dream begin,
Let your darker side give in to the power of
The music that I write
Help me make the music of the night
- During this performance, Tina is wearing the same dress that she wore during the You and I/You and I performance in Mash Off and also in The Choir Room in Yes/No.
- Although it was recorded in the studio, this song was unreleased for unknown reasons.
- Tina suddenly stands on her feet when she was sitting (after Kurt sings "The music that I write").


text:
Brass monkey, that funky monkey…
Everybody loves monkeys! And if you don't like monkeys (you weirdo), I suggest
you go join the militant band of malicious monkey haters in Montana. Or join
the cast of "Friends." I mean, people even liked the biting, disease-carrying
Outbreak monkey. But deep within us all, I believe we secretly fear the
monkey. At any instant, those dole-eyed innocent monkeys are liable to turn
on us, tear down our Statue of Liberty, and enslave all of humanity. My god
— those animals!
here's the gist of things in Ape Escape: a monkey named Specter puts
on the Peak Point Helmet and obtains great intelligence. So, what does a monkey
with a super intellect do? Why, plan to take over the world, of course! (though
I'd like to know why there was an intelligence-boosting hat just lying around
the Monkey Park. And what genius names a monkey 'Specter'? It just guarantees
he'll develop evil, world-dominating tendencies. Should have named him 'Bubbles'…
). Anyways, Specter enlists a thuggish crew of badass monkeys. They steal a
time machine, put rotating lights on their heads, and set out to rewrite history
in the simian image. As Spike the monkey-hating boy, it's your job to catch
those monkeys and stop Specter.
Ape Escape requires a dual analog joystick. The game was designed
concurrently with the dual analog controller and was originally meant to be
released at the same time. The game got delayed. At least the delay looks like
it was worth it, resulting in a pretty innovative game, above average 3-D environments,
and only a few kinks.
There are 20 stages, each with a set number of monkeys scattered throughout.
To go on to the next level, you must catch a certain amount of monkeys. However,
you can replay the stage again later to nab the monkeys you didn't catch the
first time. The stages are set around different time periods. While the early
stages seem somewhat small, the later levels have more than 20 monkeys lurking
around and require a ton of exploration. To break up the pace, there are also
some race levels.
Controls in Ape Escape are different then any other action game you've
played. Rather than simply tapping buttons, you control actions with the right
analog stick while moving with the left. For example, if you are holding your
monkey net, you move the right stick forward to swing the net in front of you.
Move the stick back, and you swing behind yourself. Rotate the stick around,
and you twirl the monkey net around. Whee!
If you didn't know, the dual analog controllers have a L3 and a R3 button,
activated by pressing the control sticks down. When you press L3, you crouch.
Move the stick while holding it down and you crawl. It just makes sense. Push
the R3 button while holding L3 and you'll assume the fetal, hiding position.
When you're swimming, pushing L3 makes you dive deeper. All of this takes awhile
to get used to, but with play, it becomes second nature. Kudos to Sony for expanding
the uses of its controller.
Sneaking up on the monkeys and catching them with your net takes a mix of
skill and luck. In a very weird way, the catching element is a lot like Metal
Gear with apes [We can call the villain 'Shotgun Monkey' ~Ed]. Each
of the monkeys has a little light on its head that represents its mental state.
When it's blue, he can't see you. When it's yellow, that monkey is somewhat
mellow. And when that headlight's red, he wants you dead (that was my lame poem
— thenkyewverymuch). If you use the crawl and hide techniques, the monkeys
will have a harder time noticing you. You can also try sneaking up from behind.
Early on, the monkeys are still pretty stupid and easy to catch. As you progress,
there are noticeable improvements in the monkey's AI. Some monkeys have evasive
maneuvers with quicker speeds. Others whip out miniature Patriot missiles and
fire them your way. So it's best if they don't see you.
In addition to your monkey net, you are given a bunch of different gadgets
to combat enemies and get through areas. Each of these gadgets makes full use
of the right hand stick. As you progress farther in the game, you earn more
gadgets, including a slingshot, flying rotor, hula hoop, and monkey radar. You
can then take them back to the early stages to search out the monkeys you couldn't
get before.
In certain places, you can also take control of boat or a tank. Each stick
maneuvers one part of the device. Take the boat, for instance– the left stick
controls the right oar, and the right stick controls the right oar. Once again,
innovative – but it makes sense.
The camera can make or break a 3D game. Thankfully, it's pretty good in Ape
Escape, with both automatic and manual control. You even get a first-person
view when you use the slingshot, with useful crosshairs and a full turning radius
(hear that Croc 2? Full turning radius. Bah, never mind-you're
too stupid). In areas that have more of a linear flow, the camera gets locked
into place. Overall, the camera system works really well by complementing the
graphics are good, but not the best. Distance is obscured by fog, which sometimes
works and sometimes is just an obtrusive space of blue. With different time
periods like the Ice Age, Ancient Castle, and Great Wall, the variety of textures
and locales is plentiful. However, there's some annoying slowdown when the PSX
becomes graphically overtaxed. In one level, you might find a giant dinosaur,
a lake with a water shimmer effect, and a waterfall all on the screen at once.
You can just feel the slowdown as your run becomes a trot. It's annoying, but
not to the point that gameplay is destroyed. Just move around to get some of
the effects out of your view, and all's well.
Even with all this innovation, the game itself feels a bit short. I would have
enjoyed a few more levels. While 20 is hardly skimping out, it still feels a
bit thin.
But you gotta love the monkeys. The attention to detail is really impressive.
Some monkeys have sad expressions on their faces. Others are wearing sunglasses.
They sneeze, sit down, take naps, you name it. Unfortunately the monkeys are
all the same size, just with different color pants. If there were orangutans,
gorillas, Keanu Reeves, and baboons — that would have been so much better.
Maybe for Ape Escape 2?
I love the little details. There is a virtual monkey book filled with entries
on all the monkeys you've managed to catch. Every monkey has a little bit of
information and a blurb about them, right down to their names. It's really funny
to read and is filled with personality. There are also three mini-games that
you can earn; each is one almost a full game in itself.
The music is made up of techno-based mixes which get better as the game goes
on. The music in the cut scenes is good too, with a chaotic quality to mirror
those crazy monkeys. A nice touch is that sometimes when you crawl, the main
melody of the music is removed, leaving only the beat, adding a feeling of tension
while you sneak up to make the catch.
Ape Escape dances along the thin line, but thankfully doesn't fall
into the trap of becoming a cheap gimmicky game. Instead, it is a solid 3-D
environment action game that is different enough to raise it above the standard.
While not without its flaws, the innovative control is very cool. The right
stick control feels truly intuitive and you'll wonder why you haven't used it
more often. Ape Escape is as fun as a barrel full of… well.. monkeys.


text:
PIXIE CREW Messenger GREY / GREY
Number of pixels included: 200
Pixies (buy more): large (24 colors)
Quick Overview
Comfortable Shoulder Bag with Silicone Panel, ideal for everyday use. Pixels or 'PIXIES' can be easily attached and detached from the shoulder bag repeatedly so you can create your own designs. The shoulder bag has a lot of added value an easily accesible organiser (the main section is designed to take A4 formats). It's great for holding documents and general office items, the reinforced construction is ideal for notebook protection and a velcro strap to reduce movement. A zipped external pocket is there to store things needed at hand (wallet, keys, cosmetics and mobile). For further comfort the bag has a thick padded adjustable strap. You will recieve 100 PIXIES for free and a mini gallery to get you set off on those first designs. Have a 'new' bag everyday, change the designs as many times as you want. You can remove and stick on PIXIES whenever you want. Why not try out designs on our PIXIECREW EDITOR at www.pixiecreweditor.com.
Stylish messenger bag for everyday use with a patented silicone panel sized 36x16 pixel points. This means you have 570 positions to express your ideas. The bag is made of a high quality waterproof nylon fabric. For comfortable use there is a wide adjustable shoulder strap. The inner pocket is divided into two compartments by a padded partition in order to ensure the safety of your notebook. In the other part there is enough space for everyday items you might need. Together with each a bag you also get a set of 200 pixels and a mini gallery presenting eight different inspirational design ideas for free. For more advanced designs you can buy further sets of pixels available in 24 different colors.
Additional Information
|Weight (g)
|Pixie Crew
|Product type
|Main fabric
|Product size (cm) - W x H x D
|30,3 x40,5 x 8
|Volume (litre)
|Silicon pad (nr. of posts) - W x H
|Number of posts on the DIY panel
|Pixies (buy more)
|Number of pixels included
|grey / grey


text:
Miami Heat firm as favorites as NBA playoffs loom
Can anyone stop LeBron James and the Miami Heat?
For nearly two months during the regular season the answer was an emphatic no as the reigning NBA champions went on a 27-game winning streak, second-longest ever in the league.
Now the National Basketball Association's top 15 other teams join the Heat in the league's second season - the playoffs, and beginning on Saturday a final answer will be given to the question that dominated the 2012-2013 season.
Topping the list of challengers are last year's runners-up the Oklahoma City Thunder, top-seeded in the Western Conference, West second seeds San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, seeded second in the Eastern Conference behind Miami.
"King" James ruled last year's NBA playoffs by commanding the hardcourt from front to back by averaging 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He didn't stop there, continuing on to London where he helped lead his mates to Olympic gold.
The Heat (66-16) have been heavily-favored all year to win the NBA title, but the price has soared even higher with the postseason about to begin.
"To go into the playoffs as the odds on favorite at 5/8 is unheard of in recent years," said Kevin Bradley, sportsbook manager for online betting service Bovada.
"Despite this high price, 75 percent of the bets we have taken already today have been on them which has moved the Heat down to 2/3."
Second pick Thunder (60-22), fueled by forward Kevin Durant and guard Russell Westbrook, were listed at 17/4.
Facing much longer odds are Miami's first-round opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, the only team in the playoffs with a losing record at 38-44. Miami hosts the first game of their series on Sunday.
NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks (54-28) kick off their playoffs campaign on Saturday against long-time rivals the Boston Celtics (41-40).
Rounding out the other opening best-of-seven Eastern Conference series, the Indiana Pacers (49-32) play the Atlanta Hawks (44-38) and the Brooklyn Nets (49-33) go against the Chicago Bulls (45-37).
Oklahoma City, losers in five games to Miami in last year's NBA Finals, begin their postseason campaign on Sunday against the visiting Houston Rockets (45-37), who are spearheaded by former Thunder guard James "The Beard" Harden.
The Los Angeles Lakers (45-37) averted a first-round clash with the Thunder by downing the Rockets in overtime in their regular season finale.
Moving on against San Antonio (58-24) without the injured Kobe Bryant would seem a fatal blow for the Lakers, although big men Pau Gasol, who had a triple-double against Houston, and Dwight Howard blended well together in beating the Rockets.
The other Western Conference showdowns have the Denver Nuggets (57-25) taking on the Golden State Warriors (47-35), and the Los Angeles Clippers (56-26) meeting the Memphis Grizzlies (56-26) in a reprise of their seven-game series last year.
James, the undisputed best player on the planet, has further refined his all-round game this season, average 26.8 points with 8.0 rebounds while increasing his assists totals with 7.3 a game.
The Heat, who finished 37-4 at home, ended the season on a league-best eight game winning streak despite giving James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh received numerous games off to rest.
"Now we start the real thing," Wade said.
Miami's win streak, during which they won those 27 games by an average margin of 11.9 points, was finally ended on March 27 by the tough, defensively minded Chicago Bulls.
"Everything, the whole game will be physical," James said about facing Chicago. "I look forward to it."
James can expect more of the same from most opponents during the grueling playoff run, but having broken through last year for his first NBA crown, King James is keen to extend his reign.


text:
Four years ago [Toby] Gerhart was a hotshot at Norco (Calif.) High, visiting USC on a recruiting trip with fellow runners C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson, who are black. The Trojans told Gerhart they would love to have him—as an outside linebacker or a fullback to block for guys like Johnson and Gable.
That's a little like being told the leading role is going to another actor, but how'd you like to be his bodyguard? Says Norco High coach Todd Gerhart of his son, "Even today with all he's done I had a linebacker coach say to me, 'You give me one year with him, and I'll turn him into Junior Seau.'"...
For those who do reach the NFL, the path doesn't get any easier. In 2003 Brock Forsey was a Bears backup who started one game in place of injured starter Anthony Thomas and was spectacular, rushing for 134 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. The next week Thomas returned to the lineup and Forsey went back to the bench, getting only three carries. He never started another NFL game. "It's hard to tell exactly what happened," says Forsey, who starred at Boise State and is now an executive at a title and escrow company in Nampa, Idaho. "No one ever said anything about race. But there may be some preconceived notions out there. A white guy from Idaho isn't what you have in mind when you envision an NFL running back."Evaluating players shouldn't be about what we envision but what we see. That lesson should have been learned from the decades of discrimination against black quarterbacks at colleges and in the pros. Despite the obvious parallels, no one seems to be as concerned that white tailbacks are getting the same treatment. "I did dozens of interviews about the lack of opportunity for an African-American to be a QB back in the 1980s and early '90s," says Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida, "but this is only the second time I have been asked about the lack of opportunity for whites to be running backs."
But that raises the question of how much should you really want to be an NFL running back?
The most amazing running back I ever followed was Earl Campbell. Houston Oiler coach Bum Phillips came up with the ingenious strategy of having Earl just plain hurt the defenders for first three quarters so that by the fourth quarter, the 11 players on defense would be just so broke-down from tackling Campbell that his one man could run wild.
For Campbell's first three years in the NFL, this insightful approach worked brilliantly. After that, not so much. These days, Campbell mostly gets around in a wheelchair.
The good news about being an NFL running back compared to being a quarterback is that, unless you are Brock Forsey or somebody like that, you'll probably at least get to carry the ball a few times. Carrying the ball in the NFL is such a punishing line of work that coaches are always putting subs in during games to give star running backs a breather. And starting running backs are always getting hurt or just wearing out at age 26 or whenever, so there's a fair amount of work to go around.
In contrast, starting quarterbacks are expected to play every offensive down, except at the end of blow-outs. And quarterbacks can play effectively into their late 30s, or beyond. So, a backup quarterback might never get much of a chance to show what he can do during a real game.
Not surprisingly, Gerhart hoped to get selected high in last spring's baseball draft and pass up this season in football. But, his college hitting stats (.288 last season with a lot of strikeouts) suggests he's more of a prospect right now in baseball -- a huge, fast outfielder who doesn't always get his bat on even college pitching.
Or, Gerhart, who was valedictorian in high school, could, like Jay Berwanger, even get a job.
My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer


text:
ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Bailey, Wayne
- Hill, Gary
- 1 Arizona State University
- 1 Caslor, Jason
- 1 Mantie, Roger
- 1 Raya, Bryan
- 1 Rockmaker, Jody
- 1 English
- 1 Public
- Concert Band
- Community Band
- 1 Budget
- 1 Expenses and Revenues
- 1 Finance
- 1 Monetary Compensation
- 1 Music
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
The purpose of this study was to collect specific data concerning the use of financial resources from extant adult community bands that are members of the Association of Concerts Bands (ACB). An adult community band is defined as an ensemble consisting primarily of amateur adult woodwind, brass, and percussion performers, the majority of whom are not satisfying school, college, or military requirements through participation. This investigation comprises two main parts: 1) a perusal of the development of adult community bands within the overall history of bands in the United States, including, when possible, financial aspects of their operations; and 2) …
- Contributors
- Raya, Bryan, Hill, Gary, Caslor, Jason, et al.
- Created Date
- 2017


text:
Customer Training
Our award winning training ensures your staff are correctly trained and working safely.
Our specialist Training Division offers a comprehensive range of customer training courses, professionally delivered by qualified trainers from over 25 Training Centres of Excellence across our national network. We also provide bespoke training tailored to individual needs and, in many cases, we can deliver training at your own premises or at a site of your choice.
We are proud to be recognised as an accredited provider by a number of professional bodies including IPAF, PASMA, NPORS, CITB, City & Guilds, and St John Ambulance. Our continued investment in health and safety-related training assists organisations to have injury and incident-free sites.
The wide range of courses we offer includes:
Working at Height
- Full range of IPAF courses
- PASMA Certified Tower Training
Health and Safety Training
- Breathing Apparatus
- CITB Site Supervisor and Site Management Safety Training
- City & Guilds Safe Entry into Confined Spaces
- Harness and Fall Arrest
- HSE Approved First Aid at Work
- Lifting
- Manual Handling
Traffic Control and Management Training
- City & Guilds Training
- National Highways Sector Scheme 12A/12B High Speed Traffic Management and 12D T1 to T7
- Traffic Management (HSTM) Operative Training
Transport and Mobile Plant Training
- Driver Load/Unload
- Forklift Operator
- Lorry Loader Crane
- Vehicle Marshalling
Site Safety Training
- Abrasive Wheels
- Cable Avoidance
- Site Safety Awareness
A-Plant is an accredited IPAF and PASMA training provider, so you can be sure that your staff will be trained to the highest of standards and receive internationally recognised qualifications, designed and constantly updated to meet current health and safety requirements.
To find out more, or to discuss your bespoke training needs, please contact us using the details below:
Customer Training
10 Bull Close Road
Tel: 0115 924 1349
Email: email@example.com


text:
Pictures by Mattias Swenson & Nicole Warne
NYC. Had the most amazing weekend running around town doing touristy things with Nicole and one of my favorite places we stopped by was the Brooklyn Bridge. Eventhough I've been to New York countless times, one of the places I've never visited is the Brooklyn Bridge, so for me it was a dream come true to finally go there. Although shooting blog pictures on top of a bridge in the middle of a storm might not have been our brightest idea, it still was a magical experience watching the pastel colored sunset over the city!


text:
News and Links
Check the recent NECA News found on the News section of the website for upcoming dates for NECA cleaning schedule. For all those families needing to work Volunteer Hours, this is the best and fastest way to do it!
FUNDRAISING VOLUNTEERS: Keep an eye out for an upcoming fundraising meeting to help with some exciting and new fundraisers we're launching in 2020!
We are always in need of cleaning supplies and are glad to accept donations in kind anytime! We are in need of paper towels, toilet paper and cleaning supplies.
Feeling generous? Please consider a donation to our Fuel Fund.
Upcoming Events
No School
Monday, November 11, 2019
NECA Families
Prospective Students
Support NECA


text:
In a scene from the 1995 film Heat, Robert De Niro storms into Ashley Judd's hotel room, grills her for answers, and knocks a line of wire hangers off the rack. According to Ashley Judd, detail-oriented director Michael Mann chose those particular metal hangers for just the right visual and sound effect.
The Ransom Center also carefully selected hangers specifically for the costumes of Robert De Niro, whose film archive resides at the Ransom Center. Last October, the Ransom Center's preservation lab constructed 100 custom-made hangers for heavy coats and jackets in the De Niro collection.
"Robert De Niro had a lot of large, heavy coats. For one film, for example, he could have five full-length leather jackets. We had to have something that would be very sturdy and also very good for the textile," says Apryl Voskamp, Preservation Housings Manager.
Before acquiring De Niro's collection, the Ransom Center had few costumes to house and could afford the space to store the costumes in the ideal environment: lying flat and in the dark. But with thousands of costumes arriving in the De Niro collection, Helen Adair, Associate Curator for Performing Arts, and Jill Morena, Collection Assistant for Costumes and Personal Effects, inspected the costumes and deemed some costumes appropriate for hanging storage, including many of the jackets.
"It takes less space to store things hanging," says conservator Mary Baughman. "Things like the leather jackets are pretty tough as long as they're out of the light."
The challenge was to find or make padded hangers appropriate for De Niro's jackets.
"We didn't have any hangers here that would work," Baughman says. "Some of the De Niro costumes are pretty heavy, and the hangers we had here were too flimsy. And we couldn't find a commercially made hanger that would work. There are a lot of archival quality hangers out there for your wedding dress, but for a big, heavy leather coat, not so much."
The range of costumes worn by De Niro's varied film personae created some unique circumstances for the team. For example, a large, heavy canvas coat worn by the swashbuckling, cross-dressing pirate Captain Shakespeare in Stardust (2007) was treated by the wardrobe department to look weathered and beaten by the elements. This distinctive costume "got an even more macho hanger," according to Baughman.
Other costumes selected to hang include full-length jumpsuits worn by De Niro's jewel thief in The Score (2001), as well as the jumpsuits worn by his stunt double. The suits bear burn holes from the blowtorch used by De Niro's character to break open a safe.
The preservation team also decided not to hang certain jackets. For example, De Niro's characters get shot, burned, or injured in many of his films, and Voskamp and Baughman were worried about hanging bloody jackets, many of them still sticky.
"I learned that fake blood is an industry secret," Voskamp says. "Studios don't want to divulge their recipe because they think it's the best. It would be helpful to know what's in the fake blood to know if it will damage other items, but that's very difficult to figure out. So we decided to isolate these costumes and house them lying flat to make sure the fake blood doesn't migrate onto other materials."
Baughman is the mastermind behind the design. She searched for just the right hanger, eventually choosing a sturdy long-necked stainless steel hanger to serve as the main frame. The next step was to construct shoulder supports to cover the metal hanger which would prevent the metal from distorting the garment's original shape.
"We didn't want to have this sharp edged metal hanger up against the cloth of the garment. It would've left a mark in the garment. After a few years, the fibers will break along those creases," Baughman says.
Baughman designed the shoulder supports out of lignin-free board. For decades, "lig-free" board has been used to create a variety of custom archival containers at the Ransom Center. Each piece of lignin-free board had to be cut, creased, and tied with twill tape to simulate the shape of human shoulders. The final component of the hanger was a padded cloth covering to go over the shoulder support. Each cloth covering has three parts: two cloth sides and a long cloth tube filled with polyester batting.
It took a team of seven—including Voskamp, Baughman, University of Texas work-study student Liz Phan, and four volunteers—one month to complete the project, spending the entire month exclusively making hangers. Each hanger took an hour and a half to construct for a total of 262 hours. For the Ransom Center's preservation team, it's worth getting hung up on the details.
Please click the thumbnails to view larger images.


text:
Albums for a deserted island
The first time I heard the question of "what albums would you take to a deserted island?" was back in the mid-1980's. It was on the weekly radio show the Metalshop. They used to have a segment where they would ask a musician what album they would take. I have done this on my blog once or twice, but it has been at least a year so I thought it was high time to do it again. One album is not enough so you get to choose five albums. The only rules are.......
1)Yes, it has to be hard rock or metal.
2)No greatest hits or best of albums.
***So what five albums do you take with you to a deserted island?


text:
Anthony Gucciardi
Prison Planet.com
July 19, 2013
The death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin under circumstances deemed to be self defense by the court has ignited riots and countless death threats, yet the undisputed murder of a 16-year-old US citizen and resident of Denver via an Obama-initiated drone strike with no trial whatsoever has generated virtually zero outcry.
The result of our scripted media theater system here in the United States, it turns out that the people really do only lash out against stories that are given the most attention — especially when it comes to the death of those underage. In this case, we have a 16-year-old United States citizen that was killed without any form of a trial. Instead of actually looking at the evidence and taking the case to court, 16-year-old American Abdulrahman was killed from an Obama drone strike while eating at a restaurant.
There's no question that Abdulrahman's family is linked up with Al Qaeda, especially with his father being the notorious Anwar al-Awlaki, who was also reportedly killed in a 2011 drone strike. But the case of this 16-year-old American Abdulrahman is a perfect example of how the media literally picks which murder story they'd like to highlight depending on what fits the agenda. When we cheer on the motif that we need to abandon all forms of trial for 'terrorists' and just kill them instead, we're cheering away our rights.
And that is what is essential to understand. The decision to follow the Constitution when it comes to US citizens does not come down to whether or not someone has 'terrorist' ties and may potentially be somewhat involved. Consider the scenario of this kid's death and realize that the legal process was entirely bypassed on purpose by the Obama administration and swiftly ended with a drone strike targeting a public restaurant.
It was a death that took place back in October of 2011, when one of Obama's innocent-killing drone strikes hit a restaurant in southern Yemen. Killing not only the 16-year-old US citizen but his teenage cousin and five other children (who went unnoticed because they weren't US citizens), the Obama administration took until May of 2013 to admit that it was responsible for the death of Abdulrahman. And remember, we're not talking about a kid who was given the opportunity of a trial or any constitutional rights, we're not talking about a case that may or may not have been self-defense (like the Trayvon case), we're talking about a kid who was sitting in a restaurant one second before being blown up by a drone strike.
Was he linked up with terrorists via his family line? Yes, but if you think I am supporting terrorists then you may be missing the point here: it's not about the boogey man terrorist. When we are selective with to whom we apply the Constitution, to whom we apply basic freedoms, you can bet you will quickly lose yours next. It starts with the 'evil terrorists' losing their rights, then it's your turn.
And remeber, these are also the same type of drone strikes that kill 50 innocent people for every 1 'terrorist' — the loose term that virtually means nothing.
There's a new piece in the New York Times that I believe will be majorly huge over the next few days, which involves Abdulrahman's grandfather speaking out about his death via the Obama administration's strike. In the report, the grandfather lays down the circumstances in which his grandson was killed — by his own government and without a trial. From the story:
"My grandson was killed by his own government. The Obama administration must answer for its actions and be held accountable."
We will see whether or not the grandfather's piece and the overall coverage ends up hitting the overall media. The New York Times articles has already started picking up among some news outlets, but the fact remains that the mainstream media really only chooses pieces to feature that they can slant. Yet here we have a 16-year-old killed by the Obama administration with no trial, no coverage, nothing. Just taken out and setup as a precedent to go ahead and deem US citizens fit to die without any constitutional rights.
Are you next?
This post originally appeared at Story Leak
This article was posted: Friday, July 19, 2013 at 5:07 am


text:
When elected officials consider the public a nuisance it's time for them to get out.
When elected officials consider the public a nuisance it's time for them to get out.
Pocono Township's Jane Cilurso knew it.
Harold Werkheiser didn't.
Leaving is what happened in Middle Smithfield Township, when the legal system caught up with its supervisors' arrogance.
Yet what happened there doesn't begin to approach the level of abuse in Pocono Township.
A recent auditor's report revealed that Pocono supervisors secretly bought a $159,000 truck in 2011 without a required public discussion and vote.
It wasn't part of the budget, so when the bill arrived, supervisors had to borrow money.
When current supervisors couldn't show the bank its purchase was proper, the whole mess became public.
Why would supervisors circumvent a rudimentary rule of public disclosure?
Harold Werkheiser said it was an oversight.
Forgetting to zip your fly is an oversight. Forgetting to get authorization for a $159,000 purchase is, at minimum, a dereliction of duty.
Cilurso wouldn't comment on the truck purchase last week, saying only: "The matter is cleared up. I don't think it's important anymore. It's finished. It's over."
Neither Werkheiser nor Cilurso showed an ounce of remorse or regret over the decision to spend public money behind the backs of taxpayers.
That's unexplainable and unforgivable. It's particularly confusing since Cilurso has long been a community volunteer with a good heart.
Frank Hess, a member of the board in 2011, had a more believable explanation.
He said his then fellow supervisors, Werkheiser and Cilurso, were tired of defending other capital purchases. Hess said he only learned about the truck purchase in 2012, after Cilurso had retired.
"They stopped talking about it because of the heat they were taking because they were buying so many other things," Hess said.
They were also probably tired of defending their decisions after the assistant police chief fiasco in 2011. That's when Werkheiser and Cilurso voted to appoint Werkheiser's brother as the assistant police chief, a decision that met with public outrage.
Middle Smithfield Township, past poster-boy for townships-gone-wild, shirked the rules but did so in public, like when officials pushed for the supervisor-owned Werry's strip club.
Pocono Township did its dirty deeds behind closed doors and stonewalled discussion until it was forced to disclose the illegal purchase.
Some residents want Pocono to become a first-class township.
The question is: First class in what? Thumbing its nose at the public?


text: Show Hide image Politics 13 September 2012 All white on the right Jon Cruddas reviews Daniel Trilling's book on Nick Griffin and the BNP, Bloody Nasty People. Sign-up Bloody Nasty People: the Rise of Britain's Far Right Daniel TrillingVerso, 240pp, £14.99 Why bother with the BNP? It's heading into oblivion through factionalism, financial disintegration and assorted membership problems. Sure, the EDL (English Defence League) has its militia-style street politics but why write a new text on the growth of the far right? Isn't it in free fall? Maybe the New Statesman's Daniel Trilling should have not bothered and just kept busy at the day job. In the warm afterglow of Olympic triumph, we've been pretty busy congratulating ourselves on the nature of modern Britain. Team GB's successful multiculturalism defines a positive national story, in strict contrast to one anchored in loss, anomie and far-right extremism. That is all to the good. Why, then, a new history of the BNP and assorted far-right crews? There is a central pivot to this book that alone is worth the asking price. Hit the rewind button and think of another Olympic year – the late summer and early autumn of 2000, following the Sydney Games – and one of the great missed opportunities of the last government. Twelve years before the London Games of Danny Boyle, Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah, there was an opportunity to forge a new, confident national story. Trilling's book hinges on this often forgotten moment and the damage that political indecision inflicted on the character of the country. In 2000, the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain signalled that Britain faced a fork in the road. Would the country push forward and define itself as a "community of communities . . . at ease with its place in the world and with its own internal differences" or would it squander this opportunity and accept emerging resentments? Fearful that this opportunity might be missed as a result of the toxic climate around race and asylum, the commission implored the then Labour government to make a formal declaration that Britain was a multicultural, multi-faith society. Following leaks in the Daily Telegraph, the government swerved around the question of modern national identity and triangulated instead between the nationalist right and the liberal left. What followed over the next decade were successive attempts at a much vaguer, defensive notion of Britishness. In short, the Labour government lost a decade in this debate, much to the dismay of Bhikhu Parekh, the commission's chairman. Trilling's book joins the dots and works through the fallout. In August 2000, Nick Griffin's leadership of the BNP was in crisis: the Conservatives under William Hague were making the running on asylum and immigration. Yet within a year of Labour's body swerve on the commission's report, the BNP was on the move and a decadelong battle was taking shape. By the spring and summer of 2001, communities off the radar of the middle-England focused political calculus – Bradford, Oldham and Burnley – were rioting. Griffin learned from Bruno Mégret, the principal strategist of the French Front National, that the party founded by John Tyndall had to forge a new identity politics; that the old left/right fault line was withering away and the real conflicts were "between nationalism and cosmopolitanism, between identity and internationalism". The attacks of 11 September 2001 soon followed and the climate of fear and suspicion intensified, playing into the hands of the BNP and its new emphasis on "freedom, security, democracy and identity". Bloody Nasty People walks us through the various sites of contest across England. It offers sharp portraits while also keeping an eye on the increasingly harsh tone of political language driven by fear, polling and press dynamics. However, the book is by no means all one-way traffic. While all the political parties are criticized for pandering – for example, at different times, each of them deployed ruthless "sons and daughters" populism on housing issues – light is also shone on successful mobilization and forms of political resistance (though this is a long and painful war of position that has left plenty of wreckage by the roadside). One might take issue with some of Trilling's conclusions or with the slightly reductive class component to his analysis, and more discussion of the various strategies, as well as the tensions, inside the anti-fascist movement would have been desirable. But these are second-order points. This is a cracking book that respectfully weaves together testimonies and stories – of people and places – with national political formations, examining them alongside the deeper economic and cultural questions posed by globalisation. Especially strong is the analysis of the cross-currents at play in the 1993 Isle of Dogs council by-election victory of Derek Beackon. Despite our post-Olympic glow, Trilling's book is a useful reminder of our Balkanised political landscape. It places him alongside other young, left-wing writers such as Owen Jones in the front line of political and cultural debate, to which I don't see a downside. I just keep thinking back to 2000 – to the Commission on the Future of Multi-Ethnic Britain and what might have been. Jon Cruddas is MP (Labour) for Dagenham and Rainham. Jon Cruddas is the Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham. Subscribe £1 per month This article first appeared in the 17 September 2012 issue of the New Statesman, Who comes next? SUBSCRIBE More


text:
When Will the AL East Sorting Begin?
Starting to wonder if the American League East has hit a bit of parity amongst the division. I know we sample from this buffet every year at this time as all 5 members of the division sit at or near the top of the table. No matter if their respective records illustrates a first taste of divisional morsels like the Red Sox devouring the Tampa Bay Rays during their recent road trip, or the New York Yankees falling prey to the Rays in a season opening series. Every season at this juncture we wonder if our team is that good, or if they are still shaking off the Winter rust.
You want to think it is just that sampling point in the season where teams come together as they begin their yearly journey to either the penthouse or the basement, but something tells me this season this division might be a closer race, have some interesting plot twists and maybe even an unexpected divisional leader heading into May. Sure all 5 teams in this deemed "hardest division in baseball" have met their own shares of adversity already this early in the season, but will someone separate themselves from the pack soon, or will this group maintain their equality for a few more weeks before either their respective balloon bursts, or they rise to the top.
I want to thrust out my chest and paraphrase American Idol's Randy Jackson That "The Rays are in it to win it!", or just "gotta have it!" I truly feel we have the right stuff to post up in the top tier of this division, but we are only a tad over 10% completed with the season. Looking at the standing and seeing Boston 4 games back as the rest of the division sit comfy at 10-7 is a bit perplexing considering each of us have only sampled a bit of our divisional team's offering so far in 2012, possibly we will know more by mid-May on who truly wants to hoist the 2012 AL East banner next Opening Day.
The Toronto Blue Jays have seen their own version of the Rays young guns come through on the hill so far in 2012. Posting up impressive wins and stats early on with the young talent they have either home-grown or acquired in trade. The Jays offense has shown power and prowess, but has not shown their true muscle yet. It seems like a yearly tale that the Jays sit a top the AL East early before they begin to string together losing streaks that take them down further in the standings. I somehow think the Jays are for real, and might sit near the top until the end of May…if not longer.
Baltimore is beginning to mold its own home-grown hurlers like those ripe and juicy offerings from Earl Weaver's tomato patch, but will they ripen too fast and fade in the Summer heat, or maintain a bit of consistency and strike some fear in the usual top tier threesome of the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox. Even as the Rays reconfigure their offense's timing and their pitching staff mellows out, this division is not a 1 or 2 trick pony anymore. Teams will have to work for the free pass via the AL East title now, and the extra Wild Card berths do not have a pre-stamped AL East invite.
That could play big into the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees plans as in September when the division does their yearly last gasp in-fighting, the loser of the seasonal series could find themselves seeking help, or possibly be eliminated by one of their own divisional rivals. There has been a rumor the extra Wild Card slot was devised so a Boston or New York doesn't miss the Fall party, but I have a feeling in 2012, it will all come down to the last few weeks.
Sure I'm rambling on a bit, but I do that at times to fuel the furnace or cool the jets. I truly think the Rays have the tools and the machinery in-house right now to contend and go far this Fall, but only 17 games out of the shoot, I'll let the teams in the Northern parts of the country spout that logic. The AL East divisional winner will not boast over 100 wins, they might actually be closer to 90 than the century mark. But these 5 teams will decide more than just who can thrust their hands into the air, but first we got to find out who is for real, and who is just riding luck's coat tails until they fall from grace. Got an odd feeling it might not be the obvious choices this season.


text:
ECHO1 M134 Minigun by CAW
|Go to Product Page >> Echo1 (CAW) M134 Minigun (Long Version)
|Go to Product Page >> Echo1 (CAW) M134 Minigun (Short Version)
A revived classic from the old airsoft age, with a well made exterior and brilliant internal quality for a performance to match the looks. Maybe not the most optimal gaming weapon, but sure to blow the socks off when it comes to psychological grip over your opponents.
When looking at the modern externally powered Gatling guns with a blistering rate of fire of thousands of rounds per minute, it is easy to forget that in fact the very first machine guns used a similar feeding mechanism and a set of rotating barrels - only they were first cranked by hand instead of an electric or pneumatic motor. In the 1860's there were no self-loading machine guns, so the Gatling gun represented the highest amount of firepower in the field.
When more mobile and cheaper self-loading machine guns were invented, the Gatling gun vanished from fighting fields for quite a few decades, until it was resurrected as a support weapon for aircraft in the mid-20th century. The weight and cost are not as much an issue in this application, and the benefit of being able to put tons of lead downrange in a short time without overheating is a significant one. In a weapon with six barrels, a theoretic maximum of 6000 rounds per minute only means a moderate 1000 rpm per barrel, not to mention that conventional machine guns can not reach these rates of fire to begin with. When shot at a reduced rate, the RoF per barrel becomes low enough to permit very long bursts without damaging the barrels.
Miniguns also have a role in the movie history, being adapted into fictional hand-held support weapons as seen in the movies Predator and Terminator 2. As a curious occurence later on, both Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger went on to be governors of Minnesota and California respectively. So if you are looking for a career in politics, shooting a Minigun off-hand on the big screen isn't necessarily a bad move.
Even though the M134 with handles to carry it without support is a semi-realistic model only, the successful display in movies made it such a sought-after item, that airsoft manufacturers decided to replicate it. It's not the only movie- or game-inspired airsoft gun on the market, but even if it was only diletants would care that it has no real counterpart. The two earliest models were made by Toy-Tec and Asahi, of which the former was fully electric while the latter used electrics to cycle the barrels and an external gas tank to propel the BBs. Since then a gas/electric hybrid has been manufactured by P3 in the US, and the Toy-Tec design was used a couple of years ago by Creation to launch their M134 model. The CAW/Echo1 M134 Minigun has a similar mechanism to the Toy-Tec M134.
The Echo1 Minigun is shipped in a sturdy green wood box with painted black stencil markings stating the manufacturer and model. The box is convincing and so are the contents - be prepared to prove that this really is a toy gun when it hits the customs! The top of the box slides to one side, revealing some packing material, a partially disassembled M134, feeding device, relay box, instruction manual and a CD.
To complete the M134, you just need to tighten two screws to finish the carrying rig, and then install it on the weapon with steel pins and retaining clips. All you need is a metric allen key, and the rest goes together without tools. The instructions tell you how to connect the cables, and after charging the 12 volt lead battery (sold separately), you are ready to rock 'n roll!
The metal parts are painted black and have a nice look and cool feeling to them. The only plastic part is the grip, and it feels rock solid just like the rest of the gun. There is nothing that you can sniff or touch or look at that would give the impression of a toy.
The operating principle is as realistic as they come: When the barrels are rotated by an electric motor, the main gear also actuates the feeding device. BBs are scooped into a helicoil feeding drum, and pushed into the main body in a single row. Within the main body there's a spiral-like disc that picks up one BB at a time and starts moving it into the chamber. By the time the BB reaches the chamber, the piston has been cocked by a cam surface on the inside of the main body, and is ready to release, firing the BB. Each barrel has its own cylinder and piston, so the loading and cocking process happens simultaneously in a different phase for each barrel.
First of all there's a leaflet that explains in a comically dry fashion what kind of BBs to use. The graphics show a hammer hitting a BB, and a deformed BB means NO-GO while a shattered one is OK. Wait a second, was that right? Yes: A deformed BB means that it is a soft kind. Don't use those. You'll need a hard BB that would shatter when hit with a hammer, just so it remains nice and round in the feeding mechanism. In our tests we found EXCEL BBs to be hard and function flawlessly, and that's what the manufacturer seems to be using in their videos as well.
Setting the Echo1 M134 Minigun ready to shoot involves a step that was new information to us, but certainly a good tip for all owners of ToyTec/Creation/Echo1 Miniguns. Apart from using hard enough BBs, the loading mechanism has other demands. When the Minigun is cycling, the BBs are fed into the gun at around 50-70 BBs per second, so a failure in this area could lead to catastrophical results.
Point: BBs already inside the gun must be pushed further by other BBs behind them. So make sure the feeding mechanism is saturated with BBs manually, before going electric.
To ensure that the BBs are going through the feeding mechanism without hickups, you should rotate the barrels manually after connecting the 1700 round feeding device and opening the trap door. Rotating the barrels 1/6th of a turn allows you to fire single shots even without the battery connected, and it does absolutely no harm to the mechanism. (This is also useful when you chrono the weapon.) Only after each barrel has shot at least two BBs, you should connect the battery and start shooting.
Yes, you will need to reload the Minigun eventually. Although the feeding device holds approximately 1700 rounds, the hellish rate of fire eats up those BBs like there's no tomorrow. Even at the lower end of the rate of fire the beast spits out 100 BBs every two seconds, so the entire ammo capacity would be depleted in half a minute! (Do note that firing bursts of over 5 seconds could overheat the electrics, so the fuse will kick in unless you allow cooldown of a few seconds between bursts.)
For the same reason why the barrels were rotated manually to get a steady flow of BBs through the feeding mechanism, the weapon should not be fired until it's empty. There's a clear marker line on the top of the feeding device, and when the follower reaches that point it's time to reload. It is quickest to pull back the follower, pour BBs into the reservoir through the hole and release the follower to continue.
The idea of having a manly character shoot a Minigun off-hand could not have been conceived in any other decade than the 80's. Just imagine Jason Bourne shooting one, and you'll get the point: It could only work with the self-proclaimed Sexual Tyrannosaurus -character such as Blaine who never had time to bleed, or a cyborg killer from the future. We airsofters have to deal with the fact that most of us don't have superhuman strength, so using a heavy weapon like this in a game can be exhausting. The people who 1) could afford and 2) be able to use the Minigun effectively are far an between, so it's certainly not a mainstream weapon. One potential use for the Minigun would be to mount it on a vehicle or other support, as they are employed in real life.
Shooting an airsoft Minigun is an experience even without BBs, but the internals made by CAW are even better than before. The M134 puts out BBs at 1.2-1.5 joules, which translates to around 350-400 fps. Aligning the barrel with a chrono and getting off several shots (to test each barrel group) proved to be difficult, as a BB hitting the front face of the chrono gives no reading at all, and if it hits the side or goes through the chrono at an angle the reading will be off. We then decided to break out the Coke can, even though the accuracy of this method is questionable as well. The Echo1 M134 Minigun was able to penetrate clean through both sides of the can, and made a deep dent with a clear rip to the bottom. The velocity is likely higher when the gun is shot with a battery, as rotating by hand eases the piston forward a bit before it's released. In our view the manufacturer stated 400 fps is a realistic approximate of the actual velocity. Together with an adjustable hop-up, the effective range is quite pleasing.
As said, the Minigun is not a weapon for everyone. If you pick one up and others say "That's so You!", consider it. But if you said "OW MY BACK!" when you laid your hands on the M134, we would rather not recommend it. If you do get bitten by the Minigun-bug, the model manufactured by CAW for Echo1 is a really good option. Not only does it look great on display, but the performance is commendable as well, and it's relatively simple to use.
Hasta la vista, baby!
Please see this video by the manufacturer to see how the loading process works, and the M134 Minigun in action!


text:
necklace: forever 21
Quickie post today as I've got so much to do and nothing seems to be falling into place! Excuse my general orange appearance, its what you get when you trust MUA's to match your foundation at a counter for a sample, needless to say this is obviously not my non-tanned colour. Although personally I actually like the way it looks, maybe I'll fake tan the rest of my body to match. I really dont do or like being pale! I'm just way to lazy to go through the tanning motions! I need a spray tan booth in my house.


text: The best projects start with the best products. Start your projects with our high-quality cardstock formulated especially for discerning crafters. The ultrasmooth surface is ideal for stamping, so you get clean, crisp images. And it's dyed with pure colour all the way through, so there's no white core.* A4 * 20 sheets - 4 each in 5 colours: Berry Burst, Fresh Fig, Lemon Lime Twist, Powder Pink, Tranquil Tide* Acid-free* Lignin free


text:
I blog about places I've explored in Scotland on Love Exploring Scotland
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo or YouTube
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Combo Estate offers beautiful snowdrop walks, in sheltered woodland, follow by the burn to the North Sea and up the side of the main drive.


text:
Rust Repair - 1971 GMC Truck: Part 3
Patchwork Pickup
If you've ever had a back-burner project, you'll understand. This ol' farm-find pickup has actually been set up on the same wooden ramps for well over a year now. Although it does receive attention, it goes in spurts—usually short spurts, as customer jobs must take priority. My son-in-law who owns the truck has been very patient so there's no problem there, but a torn-down -ton, longbed pickup takes up a bunch o' valuable shop space. The only solution is to get the job done. It's time.
Roughly 300-some miles away in Tulare, California, Highway 99 Hot Rods proprietor Don Dillard birthed a notion that would solve problems for us both. Don is a good friend, he's an all-around crafty builder and he's no stranger to "back-burner burnout." We decided to help each other over our personal project humps. First I'd spend four days helpin' out at his shop; then he'd reciprocate here in ours, like a labor exchange program of sorts. Here's how it worked.


text:
Impressive opening ceremony aside, the Olympics really seems to be trying to harsh our televisual mellow this week, with many shows either off schedule completely or on reruns to make way, but don't worry: We're here to navigate the remains.
Clearly realizing the dearth of interesting programming on thanks to the Olympics and everything seemingly going to reruns because of it, IFC steps up to the plate with three separate showings of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, at 4:30am, 9:20am and 2:15pm. Syfy steps that up a notch: There's an original V marathon happening right now (It started at 8:30am, and runs until 9pm), including the V: The Final Battle mini-series, which includes this piece of classic television:
It's all about the Lost on ABC tonight; after a rerun of last week's "What Kate Did" at 8, the all-new "The Substitute" airs at 9pm. Everytime this show has an episode title that uses a definitive article like that, I wonder if it's going to be a time-travel-centric episode...
If you're not up for a Syfy marathon of Haunted at 9am (until 3pm), then your best bet for the day is probably Human Target on Fox at 8pm. Fans of ABC's Alias may be excited to know that this week's client is none other than Kevin Weisman, playing a weapons specialist looking for a way out of his job at a shady company. It'd be too much to hope that said company is called "SD-6," right...?
Anyone remember First Wave? Syfy does, and it's giving the show from 8am through 3pm to remind everyone else, as today's marathon. If that gets you in the mood to remember things, then Fox has the third episode of regression crime drama Past Life at 9pm, just to make you miss Fringe that little bit more...
Celebrate the end of the week with some Stargate SG-1 marathoning from 8am through 3pm on Syfy, and then consider just staying there for the Caprica minimarathon from 5pm onwards, finishing with a brand new episode at 9pm, "Gravedancing":
Daniel appears on a talk show, but his intentions alienate Amanda; Joseph has a change of heart and tries to stop Sam from killing Amanda.
Of course, there's always a new Smallville on the CW at 8, in which Clark gets dosed with magical wishing kryptonite on Valentine's Day, and the Wonder Twins episode gets a rerun at 9pm.
If it's Saturday, it's new Survivors on BBC America at 9pm. This week, armed thugs lay claim to all the shops in the area, leaving the rest of the survivors without food or water, and then a magical elf makes everything better and turns rivers into chocolate. Okay, maybe not the magic elf bit.
And just to make sure that I couldn't complain that everyone had forgotten about the last day of the week, Syfy goes and offers a great evening of movies: Serenity at 4pm, Sunshine at 6:30 and the amazing Children of Men at 9. Nothing like a bit of dystopia to finish your week.


text:
Be sure to check back frequently for all of the latest offers. Thank you for all you do for the CYO!
2014-2015 Barclays Center Discounts for CYO Friends and Family
Enjoy discount tickets to Barclays Center family events, Brooklyn Nets games, college basketball games, tournaments and more! All tickets must be purchased through the link provided. Be sure to use promo code: CYO
Click on the image above or click here.
2015 HERSHEYPARK Discounts for CYO Friends and Family
Purchase Discount Hersheypark tickets here: http://tinyurl.com/CCCS2015
Use Code: 78164
Save almost $20 off General Admission Hersheypark tickets (ages 9-54)
No blackout dates, purchase now and go anytime
Print tickets right at home
Ticket prices increase by $5 after July 5th
Have fun!
New Privacy Policy