text:
Melania Trump visits babies, moms affected by opioid crisis
PHILADELPHIA — First lady Melania Trump toured a hospital's neonatal care unit Wednesday to learn about the treatment given to newborns suffering from opioid withdrawal, after she was initially delayed by mechanical issues on her plane.
Her flight was forced to return to a Washington-area military base because of smoke in the cabin, and she took a different plane to make the trip to Philadelphia.
Mrs. Trump spoke briefly at a conference at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on newborns who have been exposed to opioids while in the womb. The hospital has provided care to mothers with opioid use disorder and their newborn children for more than 45 years.
She was introduced by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who said the Trump administration's plan to fight the opioid epidemic was "comprehensive and driven by the best science we've got."
She began her remarks by saying "sorry for a little delay."
Mrs. Trump said there are few things harder than seeing a newborn suffering from opioid withdrawal, and that she wants to shine a light on the issue.
"As the caretakers of the next generation, it is our responsibility to protect our most valuable and vulnerable, our children," she said.
After touring Jefferson's neonatal care until, the first lady was also going to visit with mothers who are in addiction treatment in a program that allows them to have their children with them.
According to TV reporters traveling with the first lady, the original flight was in the air about 10 minutes when smoke filled the cabin. A member of the crew handed out damp washcloths for passengers to put over their mouths, and Secret Service agents rushed to the front of the plane.
It was not immediately clear what caused the problem on the aircraft, a Boeing C-32A identified as "Bright Star."
The visit was one of a number of stops planned to promote her "Be Best" campaign, which focuses on issues affecting children, including the importance of healthy pregnancies.


text: On Thu, 2008-07-17 at 04:42 +1000, Andrew Robbie (GMail) wrote: > On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 12:35 AM, Josip Loncaric <josip at lanl.gov> wrote: > > > > Another good link: > > > > http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/hpc/roadrunner/rrtechnicalseminars2008.shtml > > As I was reading the slides, one question leap out at me: they have a > huge IB network connecting every 'node', but instead of connecting > direct to storage, this connects to an IB-to-10GigE bridge/IO > processor board. Why? If they used avoided the protocol conversion > going on that would be inherently simpler, and I've seen nothing to > indicate that 10GigE is faster or cheaper (certainly not cheaper!). > > Is this (ethernet) a Panasas requirement? Yes indeed it is. I'll stick my head up above the parapet as someone who cares for and feeds several Panasas installations, though I don't work for the company. For installations using Infiniband, Panasas will advise on how to implement Infiniband to (10gig) Ethernet storage routers. I take it here that Roadrunner is using a blade in the Infiniband switch, rather than a discreet router. This sounds a very good idea to me, and I looked into it for a particular project in the UK, though we didn't go for that approach in the end. To answer your question more directly, Panasas is a storage cluster to complement your compute cluster. Each storage blade is connected into a shelf (chassis) with an internal ethernet network. Each shelf is then connected to your ethernet switch with at least 4Gbps of bandwidth. It might look on the front like a big RAID array - and hence the questions as to why you don't have a fibrechannel or native Infiniband connector on it. But its not really a RAID array - its a storage cluster. Files are RAIDed over the filesystem and your client stripes IO over several storage blades at any one time. And please lets not start any Infiniband good/ethernet bad wars here, or bandwidth willy-waving. Panasas have made some damned good engineering decisions and their system scales like crazy - just what you need for something like Roadrunner.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Saturday, July 17, 2010
they're back
and better than ever. i know, i know...i have already posted these caramels...but these are a new flavor.
someone knows the way to my heart and that is with sweets and sweet revolution is at the top of the list. maybe even #1....maybe. you know that good chocolate can run over any contender...but these are the best caramels i have ever had.
and the newest addition to her already perfect maple/honey organic caramels has again captured my heart. toasted almond.
lets just be honest. i was enjoying my morning cup of coffee and this unopened box was looking me right in the eye. the box held a gun to my head and made me open it and eat one. yes, nothing like starting your saturday morning with a handmade caramel. this is going to be a great day.
check out sweet additions online and where you can get them. we can usually find them at bi-rite her in san fran.
4 comments:
- Ivy Lane said...
You are one good sweetie pie!
Happy Weekend! - July 17, 2010 at 5:49 PM
- WhiteWhispers2u said...
Yummo! Thanks for sharing these look amazing.~Cheers Kim
- July 17, 2010 at 10:57 PM
- brock street said...
thanks for checking in on your weekends.
ivy lane- you are the sweetie indeedy.
hope you and your family are well. so great you got to take that great family hike last week...great photos and memories. - July 18, 2010 at 7:25 AM
- 24 Corners said...
These look and *sound* so good...I checked out their website and I love that they're so homemade, can't wait to try some!
- July 19, 2010 at 9:35 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Can you tame the Wildebeest? He's a fast-moving rascal! Wildebeest is the World's #1 Water Park Ride!
When we say Wildebeest is long, we really mean it. Wildebeest is one-third of a mile long! It thrills riders for two-and-a-half soaking minutes of hills, drops, twists and turns. And for the past 10 years, the readers of Amusement Today magazine voted it the #1 Water Park Ride on the Planet!
Wildebeest begins with a conveyor ride up the water coaster's lift hill. Following the four-story drop at a 45-degree angle, linear induction motors (LIMs) propel the four-person boats up seven additional hills, through two underground tunnels, and around a helix. Wildebeest covers more than two acres; its top speed is 36 feet per second. Wildebeest's tallest elevation is 64 feet higher than its lowest drop. The conveyor-style lift hill replaces any slide-tower stairs, making the water coaster accessible to riders who might have difficulty walking up stairs.
How do the LIMs work?
The linear induction motor (LIM) technology for shooting the boats up the hills involves an alternating magnetic field beneath the slide surface. The LIMS propel the boats, pushing them rapidly and smoothly uphill. Beat the stampede over here to our Holiblog for more stories and videos.


text:
U.S. Department of Justice | For Immediate Release: May 30, 2013 |
United States Attorney's Office | Contact -- BIS Public Affairs: 202-482-2721 |
Defendant Pleads Guilty After Evidence Reveals that He Attempted to Enlist Undercover Agents in Illegal Export Deal Involving Weapons-Grade Carbon Fiber
Earlier today, Lisong Ma, a citizen of China, pled guilty at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by attempting to export weapons-grade carbon fiber from the United States to China. According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Ma was arrested after attempting to close a deal to acquire and export the specialized materials, which have applications in the defense and aerospace industries and are therefore controlled for export by the United States Department of Commerce.
The plea was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James T. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; Kenneth J. Siegler, Resident Agent-in-Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), New York Resident Agency; and Sidney Simon, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office.
During the investigation, federal agents tasked with protecting sensitive technology maintained a covert cyber-presence on web sites related to the brokering, purchase and sale of controlled commodities. In February 2013, the defendant, using the name "Ma Li," e-mailed an undercover agent and indicated that he was interested in acquiring several different types of high-grade carbon fiber. Then, through various online communications, the defendant attempted to negotiate the purchase of five tons of carbon fiber. Based on a review of Internet Protocol log-in information, investigators discovered that the defendant was communicating from the People's Republic of China.
On March 12, 2013, the defendant and undercover agents engaged in an online video teleconference session, which was recorded. During the teleconference, the defendant and the undercover agents discussed the license requirement to export certain types of carbon fiber from the United States. One of the agents told the defendant: "We can't send this to China without an export license, otherwise we risk going to jail." The defendant then told agents that he would soon be traveling to the United States, and arranged a meeting to further discuss the terms of a deal. On March 27, 2013, the defendant met with undercover agents in the United States. During the meeting, which was covertly recorded, the defendant requested a sample of carbon fiber, because it was "easier" and "safer" to ship, and later commented: "There is a greater chance that the authorities will arrest you if you get a third party involved. That is why it's better to go directly from the U.S. to China."
The defendant ultimately decided to ship a sample of weapons-grade, Toray-type T-800 carbon fiber from the United States to China. He paid the undercover agents and placed the material into a plain brown box. Ma falsely indicated on the waybill and invoice that the package contained "clothing." After the defendant finished packing the box and completing the shipping forms, the package was transported to a courier service, to be shipped to China. The package was thereafter intercepted by agents before it could be exported. Agents also intercepted and arrested the defendant shortly thereafter, as he transited Los Angeles International Airport on his way to Shanghai. He was then removed in custody to Brooklyn.
Certain types of carbon fiber, such as the type defendant Ma sought to acquire in this case, are closely controlled to protect national security. The regulation of carbon fiber falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, which reviews and controls the export of certain goods and technology from the United States to foreign countries. In particular, the Commerce Department has placed restrictions on the export of goods and technology that it has determined could make a significant contribution to the military potential or nuclear proliferation of other nations, or that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States.
Carbon fiber composites are ideally suited to applications where strength, stiffness, lower weight, and outstanding fatigue characteristics are critical requirements. These composites also can be used in applications where high temperature, chemical inertness, and high damping are important. The two main applications of carbon fiber are in specialized technology, which includes aerospace and nuclear engineering, and in general engineering and transportation. In addition, certain carbon fiber-based composites, such as the material sought by the defendant, are used in military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. Due to the scarcity of these types of materials, they command high prices on the open market and are highly sought after.
"The defendant tried to circumvent laws that protect our national security by preventing specialized technologies from falling into the wrong hands. The defendant was bent on exporting to China up to five tons of weapons-grade carbon fiber -- enough carbon fiber to stretch from Brooklyn to the Pacific Ocean," stated United States Attorney Lynch. "Today's conviction should leave no doubt that the United States will use every available technique, including covert cyber operations, to maintain the superiority of our nation's armed forces." Ms. Lynch praised the level of inter-agency cooperation in this case, and added that the government's investigation is ongoing.
"Today's conviction highlights the reality that even the most relentless of efforts to unlawfully acquire sensitive American technology will be foiled," said HSI Special Agent in Charge Hayes. "This investigation provides a great example of how HSI and federal law enforcement are meeting the threat posed by tech savvy international smugglers head-on."
"This plea demonstrates our resolve to investigate and prosecute those who choose to violate U.S. export control laws. We are proud to work with our law enforcement partners in protecting national security and leveling the playing field for legitimate commerce," said DOC Special Agent-in-Charge Simon.
"This investigation demonstrates the continued commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, in cooperation with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office, to aggressively pursue those intent on acquiring and illegally exporting military grade materials. Too often these sensitive items find their way into the hands of adversaries and therefore present a potential threat to National Security and America's war fighters." stated DCIS Resident Agent-in-Charge Siegler.
Today's plea took place before United States Magistrate Judge Vera Scanlon When sentenced, Ma faces up to 20 years in prison, as well as forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million.
The government's case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth DuCharme, with assistance from Trial Attorney David Recker of the Department of Justice Counterespionage Section.
The Defendant:
Age: 34


text:
The Best Practices guide provides an overview of best practices for implementing Autodesk Civil 3D and using it efficiently in design operations.
Topics in this guide
In addition to what this guide contains, you will find best practices in the Autodesk Civil 3D User's Guide.
Several parts of this guide include a "Digging It" section that describes best practices developed by Autodesk Civil 3D users. Their personal comments and related information are provided to demonstrate how Autodesk Civil 3D is used on real engineering projects.
Certain information described in this Best Practices guide was provided by third party contributors and/or customers of Autodesk. Autodesk provides this information "as is," without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.


text:
Many people have been known to quote Blaise Pascal:
"I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter."
In this month's Answer Guy, the Answer Guy himself learns some solid lessons in recovery planning. In the case of his editor, to hit the Save key combination every once in a while. You never know when you're accidentally going to hit the key assigned to "quit this session without prompting". Thus
"I have made this blurb shorter than usual because I lack the time do it over."
Sorry folks! And I wouldn't be the Answer Guy if I didn't have the answer for this. Emacs users, make sure to turn auto-save-mode on for your important buffers before you get rolling, amd set your auto-save-interval to something other than NIL. Screen users, make sure to update -- the newer versions now ask before completely shutting down screen itself. And try not to use a keyboard with \ too close to ] so you're less likely to backwack that fascinating article you were writing.


text:
Part I Part I Cont'd Part II Part III Part IV Part IV Cont'd Part IV Conclusion Part V Part V Cont'd Part V Conclusion
"Re-sign Lowell!"
Red Sox fandom in the wake of two World Series does continue to change. It would be impossible for it not to. From $90 ticket prices to the advent of Web-based social networking to new statistical approaches for evaluating on-field talent, the team and the sport and the nature of sports in general have changed.
And maybe Shaughnessy has at least half a point, aside from the one on top of his head, when he notes the growing boldness of requests from Red Sox Nation, whether directed at the front office or invisible baseball gods. We used to fear their wrath, and now we are making more demands. In fact, the demands began before the dust had even really settled on the final out of the 2007 season. Even that night in Denver, Red Sox fans began what would become a ubiquitous chant over the next several months: "Re-sign Lowell!" Yes, right there in the wake of a victory no one would've expected even five years ago, Red Sox fans were already looking ahead to the 2008 roster, and making their wishes known. And so many Red Sox fans can plead guilty to at least some of the criticism levied against them: we remain, at times, a strange mix of sentimental and ruthless, and vocal participants in all the goings-on that surround our team.
Where I disagree with today's Sox critics is in describing this as a recent phenomenon. This behavior, it turns out, has its own tradition, but it's rooted not in the Bambino and 1918. Instead, it's to be found in the dynasty era of the Red Sox, and the early days of the American League.
The Royal Rooters are the most well-documented early Red Sox fans. They actually existed before the team did, and were part of what led American League founder Ban Johnson to establish a new team in Boston. According to Glenn Stout's gold-standard history of the team, Red Sox Century, Mike Lowell in 2007 was certainly not the first player whose contract earned the scrutiny and vocal lobbying interest of Red Sox fans.
The Royal Rooters above all others show that we have something of a tradition in this town of being annoying (just ask the 1903 Pirates), as well as of being overly invested, overly identified, and perhaps overly involved with the day to day workings of this team.
For more recent evidence that unfavorable comparisons of today's Red Sox fan with the pre-World Series edition are perhaps misguided, here's an excerpt from my 2003 edition of Century that would surely rankle the Boston-weary national audience were it written in a national sports column right now:
Since fans here believe they deserve to win, losing, particularly in more recent seasons, means more than just the loss of a simple game. Here, losing isn't a transient event. It's a permanent affront, a challenge, an insult and a slur. It is truly a loss, for losing deprives Boston fans of something they feel they've already earned.
And that's why in Boston, in a funny way, any victory that doesn't result in a world championship isn't really winning at all but just another form of loss, which makes the experience of rooting for the Red Sox a peculiarly devout experience. That's what makes Boston fans special; they are different, and they know it.
It might be that we have just never crossed paths so much, especially not as victors, with fans in other places. It might be that we will continue to misunderstand each other for years into the future. It might be that we will always misunderstand each other. But in the end, I don't put much stock in the idea that Red Sox fans have suddenly become fundamentally different, or that they've suddenly sprouted personality traits others find annoying that weren't in evidence before.
And so even with all the differences between our two World Championships I find myself closing this essay with a thought similar to the last one—that if there's one thing for certain, it's that we in Boston and New England will continue to weave the Red Sox heavily into our daily lives. That we will continue to struggle with the ways it intersects with the rest of our culture, and with reconciling it against our past. But we will never stop wanting more.


text:
Does the chicken in your chicken rice carry a passport? Apparently, those served at Ipoh Lou Yau Bean Sprouts Chicken do. They are certified Malaysian Kampung Chicken. And the bean sprouts which accompany are fat, crunchy and gorgeous. The horfun which one can order as part of the meal is white, oh so smooth.
Introducing the Ipoh food phenemona. According to legend, the water surrounding the town of Ipoh in Malaysia has special properties, and food made from this water is especially delicious. Like the bean sprouts grown in the water. Or the hor fun made from the water. They are truly and indeed different from those from elsewhere.
Nowhere else, do I find the horfun or kway teow which is so smooth, totally soft and luxurious. Ipoh Lou Yau features these wonderful noodles. The only other place in Singapore I have eaten such wonderful horfun was at a restaurant called Hong Kee, but alas it is no more. Those served at the Ipoh White Coffee is close, but no cigars. The Lou Yau one is indeed the real McCoy.
The chicken is true bred, real kampung chicken. Free range chicken, reared for a bit longer than commercial battery chicken, are imported from Malaysia. The chicken are first boiled in broth with herbs and spices. Then just before serving, it is boiled in a gentle heat which keeps the meat tender, then submerged in an ice bath, to stop further cooking after the desired doneness is achieved and also to seal the juices and give the skin a glossy sheen. The skin colour is also a tell tale sign...an intense yellow, compared the the paler complexion of the battery chicken.
Taste wise, it is a bit more intense as well, more flavour, a bit more gamey. Not my favourite, as I prefer a milder chicken, but I can see the attraction. In some Malaysian shops offering similar fare, like the famous Ipoh Chicken at Jalan Gasing in Petaling Jaya, the shop also offers commercial chicken as well as roast and soy sauce varieties.
The bean sprouts were as advertised. The standout is the thick plump strands, albeit shorter than regular ones. The sprouts are blanched and bathed in a savoury sauce. The bean sprouts are sweet, and very crunchy. Nice.
But I cannot fail to mention one of their side dishes...which to me was the star of the day. The braised platter.
Braised egg, tofu and pork. The tofu and egg were great, but not very special. But the braised pork belly was superb. I found the meat tender, full of flavour, the fat bursting on the palate giving a wonderful mouthfeel. One of the better braised pork I have eaten.
For dessert, I had what they call Hometown Osmanthus Tea...nice ingredients...served cold, very refreshing.
Nice little stall...the setting is like a food court, but unlike regular food courts where there is shared seating, this is more like a bistro, with each stall having their own seating.
This is an invited review, thanks to Ying Ying at Ninemer for the invitation, and to Select Group for hosting. I leave you with a picture of the Chef, who was also happily shooting away at his food with his own DSLR as we started the photo session.
Ipoh Lou Yau Bean Sprouts Chicken
B1-52 Chinatown Point.
Many other locations in IMM, Centrepoint, Chervon House, VivoCity, White Sands, and Junction 8 (Mar 2013), Bugis Village (Q2 2013)


text:
Voodoo Dice Review
- Unique puzzle concept utilizing dice without luck.
- Fun Voodoo theme.
- Interesting mix of logic and action.
- No undo for puzzle-killing moves.
- Seriously challenging difficulty.
If the usual slew of puzzle titles just aren't tickling your brain-box then Voodoo Dice might just scratch that itch, just don't blame us when you learn the iPhone 4 screen *can* break.
- Full Review
- App Store Info
It felt like only a matter of time until Voodoo Dice by Ubisoft hit the App Store, with its simple controls and unique puzzle gameplay that seems perfect for games on the go. And honestly, who doesn't see a title like Voodoo Dice and not be somewhat intrigued?
However, score one for the marketing division as Voodoo Dice doesn't involve chance or luck (as Dice would imply) and the Voodoo theme is just that, a visual theme. Oh well, at least the gameplay sucks you in yeah? Ostensibly, this is a puzzle title with a few action elements thrown in to add more pressure to each level. The basic gameplay involves pushing your dice around a grid-like map while needing to match the number on your dice with those you touch to progress. Magnetic dice can latch on and change how you move or even be used as weights for switches much like the stationary statues that can be pushed around.
The 'voodoo' theme is a bit cheesy, but otherwise fun, colorful and provides some interesting backdrops for each level. 'Blind dice' also scatter levels and some follow basic AI to move around and ruin your day. Much like the console title there are 60 puzzles to complete, but no multiplayer modes have been included, so all you're left with is the iPhone hurling challenge of completing the game.
Voodoo Dice is a truly fascinating puzzle concept, but it's not incredibly intuitive to learn and at times you will feel lucky just to complete a level (let alone in the space of a timer); this is a game for the advanced puzzler fan.


text:
A Whistler exhibition is coming to the Dulwich Picture Gallery
This winter, the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London will be exhibiting a variety of paintings by American-born, British-based artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, in a special exhibition entitled 'An American in London'.
Born in America and raised in Russia, Whistler came to London in 1859, and his early paintings of this period marked one of his most successful and profound impacts on the art scene.
Whistler is best-known for his attitude of adversity towards morals and sentimentality in art, and was in favour of the principle 'art for art's sake.' The artist is best-known for the portrait of his mother named 'Whistler's Mother' and his signature, which is signed in the shape of a butterfly – a reflection of his love of Asian art.
Deemed "captivating, erudite and unexpected" by the Financial Times, the 'An American in London' exhibition includes a variety of paintings of Chelsea and the Thames as well as prints, drawings, watercolours and pastels. The exhibition provides a detailed examination of Whistler's composition, subject and technique and how it developed over the years.
The highlight of the exhibition is a number of Whistler's iconic Nocturnes, including Blue and Gold – Battersea Bridge (1872-1877.) Although the selection is small, with a widely varied selection of his works, the 'American in London' exhibition contains something for all types of art-lover.
After soaking in the cultural offerings of the Whistler exhibition, why not come over to DUKES London and spoil yourself with our plentiful array of offers!
Image courtesy of tpholland


text:
Mr. Dave Ross
Seattle, WA
Dear Mr. Ross:
In your segment "What happened to global warming being a hoax?" – aired during today's 1pm hour on Washington, DC's, WTOP radio – you played a clip of U.C.-Berkeley scientist Richard Muller saying that "all of this warming over the last 250, 260 years has been caused by green house gases emitted by humans."
Being no physical scientist myself, I accept Mr. Muller's claim. But contrary to most people's reaction to this news, my reaction is "What a deal!"
In exchange for slightly warmer global temperatures, humanity gets off-the-charts benefits never before enjoyed by ordinary men and women – benefits that began to flow only 250, 260 years ago. In industrialized countries, these benefits include a near-tripling of life-expectancy; a growth in average real per-capita income to a level at least 30 times higher than it was a mere three centuries ago; an end to famine and plagues; abolition of the multi-millennial-old institution of slavery; widespread literacy; and an unprecedented expansion in women's rights and opportunities – all these wonders, and more, from bourgeois commerce and industry powered in part by fossil fuels. Has humanity ever gotten so much at such a puny price?
Asked differently, who among us would choose to exchange modernity and its stupendous prosperity for whatever reduction in global temperature we'd enjoy had all the greenhouse gasses emitted over the past 250, 260 years never been released?
Donald J. Boudreaux
Professor of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
P.S. None of the above suggests that, at the margin, reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions aren't desirable. They might or might not be, depending on the attendant costs and benefits. But historical perspective – which is utterly lacking amidst popular and media commentary on this question – is necessary. If the choice were between, on the one hand, all the commerce and industry and its attendant greenhouse-gas emissions over the past 250, 260 years, and, on the other hand, none of that industry and (hence) no industry-released greenhouse gasses over the past 250, 260 years, how many rational people would choose the latter?


text:
Venezuela Prison Construction to Decrease Violence
LARA, Venezuela — A new prison opened in the state of Lara in Venezuela in October as part of an overhaul of the country's notoriously violent prison system. The 17-building Fenix Community Penitentiary is the first of 24 new prisons planned to be built in the country, seven of which are already under construction.
The facility has a capacity of 1,400 inmates and is comprised of minimum-, medium- and maximum-security sections. It is located near the previous Uribana prison in Barquisimeto, where56 inmates and one member of the Venezuelan National Guard were killed and 46 additional inmates suffered injuries during a massive riot in January. At the time, Uribana prison was holding about 2,400 inmates in a facility built for 850. The government gave $24.3 million towards repairing the jail, according to InSight Crime.
About 457 prisoners have already been moved to the new facility Minister for Correctional Services Iris Valera told Venezuela Analysis. At the penitentiary, inmates are required to either work or study as part of a new model for the prison system. At the inauguration of the Fenix facility, Vice President Jorge Arreaza announced, "In a few years, under the new model, all inmates will be in conditions like these. They may use these centers to reform, renew the spirit and have a life after leaving here."
The construction project is part of a wider reform for the prison network. CNN reported in May that there are 45,500 inmates in 33 Venezuelan prisons that were built for 17,500. This means the overcrowding rate in the country's prison system is 176 percent. Marianela Sánchez, an attorney with the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, a prisoner rights organization, told CNN that the observatory estimates that about 5,300 inmates have died inside prison walls since 1999 and more than 15,000 have been injured. Many of the fatalities and injuries have been the result of prison uprisings.
The opening of the Lara facility comes just over a week after six inmates in a prison in Amazonas state were killed. In September, another outbreak of prison violence killed 15 people at the Sabaneta prison in Zulia state. The facility was holding approximately 3,700 inmates in the facility built to hold 700, reported Venezuela Analysis.


text:
Showing all 2 results
We are an online medical marijuana store top rated dispensary. We provide you with top quality marijuana buds and high quality seeds. We also give you the chance to shop other branded marijuana products at a lower rate. Feel free to place orders and get your products shipped at your door step discreetly and super fast. Your Satisfaction, our happiness.


text:
Originally designed as a 125 million-dollar, R-rated Ron Howard film, John Lee Hancock's The Alamo takes the rating down a notch and saves, when budget overruns are said and done, the cost of Russell Crowe's salary (Crowe intended to play Sam Houston for Howard). The result probably won't please Disney, Howard, Hancock, or the PG-13 mall crowd, and yet it's not a bad film. Though it's basically old-fashioned and too bombastic by half, The Alamo nevertheless represents a big step forward from the dubious 1960 John Wayne film by acknowledging the flaws of its iconic characters and fitting in a fair amount of commendably accurate historical detail.
According to Hancock's version, the humble Texan outpost known as the Alamo—four low ramparts ringing a roofless church—was the best line of defense against General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, commander of the Mexican army. As played with ruthless brio by Emilio Echevarría, Santa Anna may be unlikable, but he has a point when he blusters, "They are pirates...not soldiers"; the Americans are the interlopers, staking their claim to the Mexicans' native land. In the opening scenes, Gen. Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid) stumps for his cause—making Texas a republic—by encouraging ex-Congressman Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton) to settle there. The skeptical Crockett ("Now what would I want with Norte Mexico?") comes around, seeing the move as a healthy postscript to his fame. Though in real life, Crockett was aware of the threat posed by Santa Anna, the screen Crockett blanches to learn that the Alamo's fighting days aren't over.
Jason Patric plays the knife-wielding Jim Bowie as an understandably surly, hard-drinking consumptive with nothing to lose or gain but his legacy, and Patrick Wilson (HBO's Angels in America) plays Lt. Col. William B. Travis, the commander who must, and does, earn his troops' respect. When handing over the outpost, the outgoing Col. Neal feeds Travis a history lesson about the grounds, punctuated with the sentiment "As goes the Alamo, so goes Texas." Though Marc Blucas is billed, he all but disappears into the crowd, owing to significant cuts in the film made since its originally scheduled opening last fall; likewise, Hancock reduces Quaid's Houston mostly to a series of intense glowers.
Many will find The Alamo painfully talky, but no one can accuse the film of having too little dramatic flair. The screenplay—credited to Leslie Bohem, Stephen Gaghan, and Hancock (though John Sayles also reportedly toiled on it)—depicts the characters as good talkers; though Troy is still a month away, The Alamo has the tragi-mythic feel and sensitivity to honor of an Ancient Greek epic. Hancock sets a haunted tone from the outset, beginning with a series of forlorn images from the battle's aftermath, then introducing his principal characters by rooting through their waylaid lives and wistful memories. Fair warning: though the thirteen-day standoff takes up most of the running time, Hancock holds the final siege at bay until an hour and forty minutes into the picture, then devotes only about eleven minutes to the assault (the last twenty minutes follow Sam Houston to his open-ground confrontation with Santa Anna, a strategy the screenwriters efficiently summarize).
This much-contested project at times seems at war with itself. Among the highlights: Crockett's energetic violin-playing on "The Mockingbird Quick-Step," an aural collage of letters to loved ones on the eve of the final siege, and a single, computer-enhanced, wide-shot perspective on the assault. Among the lowlights: Crockett's rooftop fiddling during the standoff, the unnaturally pumped-up mix which ill serves Carter Burwell's score, and Crockett telling a dead, fallen comrade "I'm real sorry about all this" (Crockett's exit line is even more ridiculous).
Hancock's at his best not when he bolsters the patriotic mythology but when he punctures it (as Crockett says of his coonskin-cap image, "People expect things"), and when he underscores the impact of the event on contemporary history. With its visually slick Hollywood treatment and stentorian patriotism, The Alamo invites contemplation of a grittier treatment, but I'll take this study in fallibility over pablum like The Patriot any day of the week.


text:
719 Auto Spa Mobile Detailing
The Best Mobile Car Detailing Colorado Springs
We offer professional interior and exterior detailing as well as carpet, upholstery, and truck cleaning for cars, trucks and SUVs. Our goal is to provide the best car care possible, while keeping our customers' service and attention to detail in mind.
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous city and the most extensive city in the state of Colorado, and the 40th-most populous city in the United States. It is the principal city of the Colorado Springs metropolitan area and the second-most prominent city of the Front Range Urban Corridor. It is located in east-central Colorado, on Fountain Creek, 70 miles (113 km) south of Denver.
America the Beautiful Park, America the Beautiful Park Fantasy Playground, Austin Bluffs Open Space, Banning Lewis Ranch Recreation Center, Bott Park, Briargate, Broadmoor, Broadmoor, Campbell Homes at Cordera, Challenger Homes - Townes at Woodmen Heights, Chapel Heights by Challenger Homes, Cimarron Hills, Classic Homes at Greenways, Colorado Springs Neighborhood, Cordera


text:
I have the honour to lay upon the table the special report of the Auditor General of Canada to the House of Commons on the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada.
House of Commons Hansard #114 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was right.


text:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed free-agent kicker Rian Lindell to a one-year contract, according to a person informed of the transaction.
The team later announced the signing Wednesday.
The Bucs had planned kicker tryouts but canceled them upon making this move. Lindell still could face an uphill battle for a roster spot: Rookie Derek Dimke has been impressive (veteran Lawrence Tynes is unable to practice because of an injured toe, according to the Tampa Bay Times).
Lindell was released by the Buffalo Bills on Monday after 10 years with the team.
Follow Ian Rapoport on Twitter @RapSheet


text:
School Districts and Educational Opportunities
Libertyville residents are highly educated, as made evident by a high school graduation rate greater than 95% and the fact that over 74% of residents are college graduates.
Residents have access to award-winning school districts, as listed below. For more information on the local schools and districts, including school report cards, visit the Illinois State Board of Education website.
- The Elementary School District for the majority of residents is Libertyville District #70.
- Some residents in the southern part of the Village attend Vernon Hills District # 73.
- High School District District #128 includes Libertyville High School and Vernon Hills High School.
- College of Lake County, 19351 W Washington St, Grayslake or SouthLake Campus, 1120 S Milwaukee Ave, Vernon Hills; (847) 543-2000
- University Center of Lake County, a collaboration of 19 area colleges and universities, 1200 University Center Drive, Grayslake, (847) 665-4000
- Loyola University Chicago, Loyola Univiersity Cuneo Campus, 1350 N Milwaukee Ave, Vernon Hills, (847) 362-3042
- Lake Forest College, 555 N Sheridan Rd, Lake Forest, (847) 234-3100
- Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, 1905 W Field Ct, Lake Forest, (847) 234-5005
- Robert Morris University - Lake County, 1507 Waukegan Rd, Waukegan, (800) 762-5960
- Trinity University, 2065 Half Day Rd, Deerfield, (800) 822-3225
- School District 128 Community Education Program
- Cook Memorial Public Library District
- Libertyville Recreation Department
- David Adler Arts & Music Center
- Libertyville Senior Center


text:
Beloved in the Lord:
Greetings and blessings to you as we enter this most holy season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
It is with the greatest joy that I write to you today to inaugurate the 2014 Food for Hungry People campaign. This year marks the 40th anniversary of this charitable drive. When reflecting on the past 40 years, I call to mind the countless charitable organizations and individuals that we have helped because of this fund. Through the efforts of our dedicated and long-standing chairlady, Miss Robin Nicholas, and by your generosity on the parish level, this drive has grown into a strong witness of our Holy Orthodox faith on this continent and throughout the world.
This year holds special significance as we continue to raise funds through various means to help those affected by the war in Syria. Through your contributions to FFHP over the years, we have helped many of the orphanages and other charitable organizations within Syria and throughout our Patriarchate and the entire the Middle East, in addition to our domestic charitable contributions. As we continue to witness the horrors of the war in Syria, please make a special effort this year to use FFHP to raise funds and awareness to the tragedy there so we can help those in need even more.
We urge you, during this season of prayer, self-discipline and fasting, to be very generous in your contribution to this campaign. As we practice the virtues which cleanse our souls, let us not forget or refrain from what St. John Chrysostom calls the "greatest of the virtues," giving to the poor. As important as prayer and fasting are, they are of no avail to us if we fail to give to those in need.
Asking the Almighty God to bless you throughout our journey to Pascha, we remain,
+Metropolitan Philip
Source: Antiochian Archdiocese


text:
Rule 8.01 Bar Admission, Reinstatement, and Disciplinary Matters
An applicant for admission to the bar, a petitioner for reinstatement to the bar, or a lawyer in connection with a bar admission application, a petition for reinstatement, or a disciplinary matter, shall not:
(a) knowingly make a false statement of material fact; or
(b) fail to correct a misapprehension known by the person to have arisen in the matter, or knowingly fail to respond to a lawful demand for information from an admission, reinstatement, or disciplinary authority, except that this rule does not require disclosure of information otherwise protected by Rule 1.05.
Comment - Rule 8.01
1. The duty imposed by this Rule extends to persons seeking admission or reinstatement to the bar as well as to lawyers. Hence, if a person makes a material false statement in connection with an application for admission or a petition for reinstatement, it may be the basis for subsequent disciplinary action if the person is admitted or reinstated, and in any event may be relevant in any subsequent application for admission or petition for reinstatement. The duty imposed by this Rule applies to a lawyer's own admission, reinstatement or discipline as well as that of others. Thus, for example, it is a separate professional offense for a lawyer to knowingly make a material misrepresentation or omission in connection with a disciplinary investigation of the lawyer's own conduct. Likewise, it is a separate professional offense for a lawyer to fail to respond to a lawful demand for information of a disciplinary authority inquiring into that lawyer's professional activities or conduct. Cf State Bar Rules, Art. X, sec. 7(4). This Rule also requires affirmative clarification of any misunderstanding on the part of the admissions, reinstatement or disciplinary authority of which the person involved becomes aware.
2. This Rule is subject to the provisions of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution and corresponding provisions of Article 1, Section 10 of the Texas Constitution. A person relying on such a provision in response to a specific question or more general demand for information, however, should do so openly and not use the right of nondisclosure as an unasserted justification for failure to comply with this Rule. Cf State Bar Rules, Art. X, sec. 7(4).
3. A lawyer representing an applicant for admission or petitioner for reinstatement to the bar, or representing a lawyer who is the subject of a disciplinary inquiry or proceeding, is governed by the rules applicable to the client-lawyer relationship, including those concerning the confidentiality of attorney-client communications. If such communications are protected under Rule 1.05, the lawyer need not and should not disclose them under this Rule. See also Rule 8.03(c).


text:
If you could search your friends' thoughts, interests, and activities, would that be a better search experience? In many cases, it would be. Searching for restaurants, books, or movies, would turn up recommendations from people you actually know. If you are researching a trip to Florence, Italy, you might discover ten friends who have been there already, and could ask for advice on what to do. These scenarios have been the dream of social search for a few years, with both startups and search engines taking a stab at it. But so far it's been a failed dream.
Yahoo's experiment with social search, Yahoo 360 MyWeb, never took off. is being shut down. It was a rudimentary social search in that relevant bookmarks from friends showed up as search results. And search has never been Facebook's strong suit. It handed search over to Microsoft, but the search experience on the site is poor. It is difficult to search much deeper than your friends' names. You need to go to an advanced profile search page to filter through their interests, activities, or other profile categories, for instance. And forget about searching your news feed.
Yet social search done right could become very valuable for Facebook. And it would be even more valuable for Google. (They already know how to make money from search). It is also an opportunity for Microsoft Live Search, but they are not really inspiring much confidence so far. So let's set aside for a moment the unlikelihood of any Google-Facebook deal or partnership (given Microsoft's investment in Facebook), and let's imagine how the two could help each other.
Even if Facebook/Microsoft figures out social search, it is more useful on Google, which is where most of us do our searching. To get a glimpse at what this might look like, you can try Sidestripe, which is both an add-on widget for Google search and a Facebook app. Sidestripe is like Glue for search (Glue is a browser add-on that shows you whether anyone in your social networks has expressed interest in the book, movie, restaurant, product, or other things mentioned on whatever page you happen to be browsing). Similarly, sidestripe indexes all your friends on Facebook and parts of their profiles (where they work, their interests, etc). When you do a search on Google, a box with Sidestripe results appears after the third natural result, giving you a sense of whether any of your friends might be experts on the topic. For instance, when I do a search for "Google" it turns up Facebook friends who work at Google or are somehow affiliated with Google, and looks like this:
A search for "biking" turns up friends who are interested in biking. You can also add your own knowledge to any search result, and it will appear as a subsequent result (although it does not let you add links, which I consider a major bug). Or if you still can't find what you are looking for from either Google or Sidestripe, you can ask all of your friends a question from inside the Sidestripe box on Google about the topic you are trying to learn about and that question shows up in all of your friends' feeds. Any answers then become indexed and searchable.
Sidestripe is barely out of alpha and still frustrating to use because more often than not the Sidestripe box remains empty. When there are results, they are interesting. It is hit or miss. As more people use Sidestripe, this should improve. But I think a big part of the problem is that it does not fully index my social graph, and certainly does not return results from my News feed.
Yet making Facebook's News feed searchable (on Google) would go a long way towards realizing the dream of social search. The Facebook feed already aggregates what my friends are doing not just on Facebook but all across the Web (Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Digg, etc.). It's like Friendfeed in this respect, but with many more users.
The trick to making all of this seemingly random data useful in search is to come up with a social algorithm that can rank it all accordingly. For instance, when I search for Florence, Italy, friends who have lived in Florence, Italy should show up, but so should friends who have recently taken pictures there or Tweeted about Florence, and maybe in that order. This kind of ranking is a hard problem to solve, and it is what Google is good at.
Imagine instead of Sidestripe, the option to add Facebook Connect to Google search, which would then turn on social search in results (these should only appear when there actually are social results to show). They could keep the Q&A capability in there as well. It would add an entirely new dimension to search.
Of course, Google has its own Friend Connect program, and wants to monetize it with <a href="Friendsense. But just as search is not Facebook's strong suit, social networking isn't Google's. All my contacts are on Facebook. They are the ones I want to search. And everything I've described above is a big opportunity for Microsoft, if they can pull it off.
But the best results, IMHO, would come form a combination of Facebook and Google.


text:
We're bummed that Google, which bought awesome online photo editor Picnik, plans to shut it down.
Picnik, a web-based service, helped out many a journalist and blogger who needed to make simple photo edits on deadline that didn't merit firing up Photoshop.
(Silver lining: until it closes April 19, Picnik's premium services - which include cool special effects plus a ton of touch-up features - are now free for everyone.)
Here are four sites to try when you need a quick online photo fix.
Fotoflexer This site offers a similar web-based photo editor with much of the same options as Picnik, though nowhere near as snappy to load. Advanced features include blemish fix and some easy-to-use layer functions; the web interface is available in 22 languages. If it looks familiar, you may already be using it on Picasa, Flickr, Photobucket and Facebook. One cool feature from the web browser version: you can edit live images taken with your computer's built-in camera.
Pixenate bills itself as the photo editor of choice for the photo printing and photo sharing businesses. It offers a small but complete menu of edit options (crop, rotate, red eye, colors) plus a nice "fill light" button for underexposed pics and a "doodle" option that lets you draw images. When you've perfected your pic, you can save it to your desktop, share it on Flickr or print it as a T-shirt, mug, tote, etc. The interface is available in Spanish or English.
Freeonlinephotoeditor.com This bare-bones photo editor was super quick to load our test image and offered a wide menu of options. Changes are also snap, the only drawback is that instead of icons, there's text without any rollover explanations - so you have to know (or remember) what "halftone dithers" are - though the "undo" option crops up right after you make changes so you can easily to revert to the original. When you're done, you can save it on your computer, Photobucket or Facebook.
Pixlr put out a welcome mat for Picnik users on its home page; the site's "express" version resembles its former competitor pretty closely. Pixlr is quick to upload photos and offers a ton of options from the "adjustment" menu. Our test found the pop-up menus for each function time consuming - click "auto fix," for example, and instead of just fixing the pic, the main menu disappears and another menu pops up. You have to click on "apply" or "cancel" from there to get back and start all over again with the other options. The express version allows users to save edited images only to their desktops.


text:
In order to be eligible for a compliance dismissal for an expired registration ticket, you must tell the Tax Assessor or Registration office that you did receive a ticket for operating your motor vehicle with an expired registration. You must pay the penalty fee at the time that you renew your registration or you will not be eligible to request a compliance dismissal. You must appear in person or by mail by the due date on the bottom of your ticket. If you choose to appear by mail, you must include the proof of renewed registration, payment of penalty fee, and a $20 administrative fee.
Show All Answers
No. Texas state law does not allow a CDL holder to take a driver's safety course or complete a deferred disposition.
The Texas State Law states that a ticket for "no insurance" can only be dismissed if you can provide proof that you had valid insurance coverage on the same date and time you were given the ticket. Purchasing insurance after the ticket was issued cannot be dismissed.TC 601.1983(a)
In order to qualify for a compliance dismissal for your expired driver's license you must show proof to the Court, either in person or by mail, that you have renewed your driver's license, and you must pay a $20 administrative fee. If you choose to appear by mail, your envelope must be postmarked on or before the due date on the bottom of the ticket.
State law requires you to present your driver's license upon request by a peace officer. Since you were unable to show your driver's license at the time of the stop, you must provide proof of a valid driver's license to the Court on or before your due date printed on the bottom of your ticket and pay a $10 administrative fee.
You will need to appear in person at 201 E Walnut, or send an email through the "contact us" link, on or before the due date at the bottom of your ticket to notify the Court that you wish to contest your ticket. If sending an email, please make sure to include your ticket number, current mailing address, and a phone number where you may be reached.


text:
Despite Toronto's international reputation for livability, all is not well in the city. Many politicians and pundits blame the outgoing city council, and Mayor David Miller. While they've done their share of damage, the city faces deeper, systemic problems. The source of the problem is more fundamental than stifling bureaucracy, or the stranglehold of the public sector unions. These are symptoms of the institutional sclerosis caused by the amalgamation of Toronto and surrounding areas into the new Toronto Megacity.
The first taste of this malaise came in the form of a nasty garbage strike last summer. Torontonians waited weeks to have their garbage picked up as it rotted in their front yards. Those who dared to pick up trash for a fee were threatened with legal sanctions. This incident helped propel provincial cabinet minister George Smitherman into the political limelight. The prominent Liberal helped spearhead a volunteer effort to clean up the city. Smitherman was seen by many as the right man to fix what was wrong at city hall. The strike was eventually resolved, but the contract was widely seen as a union payoff. The blowback convinced Mayor Miller not to run for a third term. Smitherman was considered an early frontrunner to replace Miller. He has a reputation for being a maverick who could whip the city into shape. This optimism quickly faded, and it looks increasingly as though the Smitherman could lose.
There are times when a simple photo shared on Twitter can outrage an entire population. This happened this summer, when a picture of a sleeping toll collector on the Toronto subway ignited months of anger at the city's public transit system. In the wake of the garbage strike, Torontonians were incensed to see employees sleeping on the job. Frustrated downtown residents were looking for a change, which they assumed would be embodied by Mr. Smitherman. But few commentators seemed to realize what Jaideep Mukerji recently pointed out: while downtown residents are frustrated, suburbanites are downright angry. This has lead to a surge of support for Etobicoke's hot-headed, penny pinching councilor Rob Ford. Unlike downtown residents, who primarily want to ensure that services such as transit are efficiently delivered, Ford's supporters want to cut spending, and end the "war on drivers."
It turns out that service delivery was only the tip of the iceberg. The true source of the city's malaise is the realization that amalgamation may have turned Toronto into an ungovernable city, serving neither the suburbs nor the downtown core. Because of this, the election is evolving into a culture war between downtown and the suburbs.
The Toronto megacity dates back to 1995, when Progressive Conservative Premier Mike Harris attempted to unshackle an economy crippled by unsustainable tax and spend policies and burdensome regulations. In his quest to find efficiencies, Harris commissioned a KPMG study to determine how to make the provinces most populous city run more efficiently. The answer was amalgamation. The study claimed that if the six cities in Metro Toronto were to merge, they could save between $300-$645 million dollars in operating costs per year. These savings could be purchased for a mere $220 million in transition costs—or so the report went. The actual cost ended up being $275 million. More importantly, the operating cost savings were far lower, at $135 million per year. If this were the whole story, the merger would likely be considered a success.
The theory of amalgamation revolves around saving money by reducing redundant bureaucracy. According to a study by York University economist Harvey Schwartz, the opposite happened. All of the efficiency savings created by amalgamation were dwarfed by a massive increase in city government employment. Between 1997-2008, the city added 4,741 employees. Over the same time period, the operating budget ballooned from $5 billion to $8.1 billion. The promised savings simply never materialized.
Not only has amalgamation failed to save money, it has also lead to policies that have left neither downtown residents nor suburbanites happy. To a great extent, representatives from the newly annexed cities have felt consistently marginalized. Take, for example, a recent council motion to force all retail stores to have public washrooms. The motion was overwhelmingly popular with councilors from North York, Scarborough, and old Toronto, gaining 77% of their votes. Not so in Etobicoke, and East York, where only 22% of councilors from their old boundaries favored the motion.
Though public urination or lack of toilets may be an issue in some parts of the megacity, it isn't necessarily a problem everywhere. Forcing coffee shops in Toronto to have toilets may seem reasonable, though requiring a print shop in Etobicoke to pay for the installation and maintenance of a public washroom is an unjustifiable cost imposition. East York and Etobicoke councilors also overwhelmingly opposed the introduction of a garbage tax, this time with the help of their North York counterparts. Only 25% of their representatives voted for it, while 91% of Toronto and Scarborough councilors voted for it. The motion carried due to the greater population of the core.
Arguably the most symbolic recent vote in terms of the city's post amalgamation malaise could be seen in a recent vote on whether non-unionized employees should receive pay increases equivalent to their unionized counterparts. Two thirds of East York and Etobicoke councilors supported the motion, while two thirds of the rest of the megacity opposed it. This vote underscores a core problem with amalgamation: elimination of policy experimentation.
Amalgamation into megacities is analogous to the decline of federalism in North America. Both the Canadian and American constitutions lay out a division of powers, which allows for varying degrees of policy experimentation. The virtue of this, as later articulated by public choice scholars, is that it lets people vote with their feet. If taxes are too high in Massachusetts, you can move to Maine. If you're fed up with business regulations in California, you can set up shop in Nevada. On a more local level, you don't like the regulatory regime in Los Angeles, you can move to Burbank or Calabasas.
This competition between states and regions impels the more competitively minded jurisdictions to craft policies that will attract people and business. This was one reason for the massive suburban exodus during the 60s and 70s in both Canada and the US. People didn't like how things were going in major cities, so they packed up and left.
Amalgamation eliminates this competition. To escape the Toronto tax regime, you need to either move well outside of reasonable commuting distance, or leave the Toronto region all together. Rather than having small cities competing, we have one big city that won't let you leave. This is the ultimate source of Toronto's malaise.
Amalgamation is slowly making its way into a campaign issue. Mr. Smitherman, to his credit, has proposed empowering community councils to decentralize decision making. He even went so far as to say he wants to adopt a "concept of de-amalgamation." This would be a start, although it still wouldn't allow for tax competition, or sufficient local control over land use planning, and other major policies.
Hopefully the fact that amalgamation is becoming an issue in one of North America's biggest megacities will lead to a rethinking of the concept. Many cities are continuing to move in this direction, largely due to annexation emerging from the core. While many big city politicians feel the need to continually expand, it is to the detriment of their cities. Urban cores have different needs from their suburbs. Amalgamation has left neither old Toronto nor the suburbs happy. Perhaps one day Toronto's political elites will finally realize that de-amalgamation is necessarily. Unfortunately, the only thing more difficult than a bad marriage is a messy divorce.
Downtown Toronto photo by Small
Steve Lafleur is a public policy analyst and political consultant based out of Calgary, Alberta. For more detail, see his blog.


text: "Today is the official post High Holy Day season. It's been a packed two months of prepping and praying, blogging and singing; conversations about silence and activism, love and re:love, our role in public and private racism, and what it means to have the chance to restart our lives, again, for good. Thank you all for showing up, for sharing feedback, for generously loving and supporting us in so many ways. Our survey and pledge lines are still open…"


text: Announcing Primerfinder V0.06 Primerfinder is a fast and easy web based primer design program. Primerfinder can search any sequence you input for primers that meet your specifications according to several search parameters. You can specify a target primer length, annealing temp, percent GC and many other advanced search parameters. Additionally, Primerfinder can analyze candidate primers with Integrated DNA Technology's Oligo Analyzer (powered by DNASTAR) for possible hairpin and self-dimer formation. Primerfinder can also examine primers you have already created by other means with IDT's Oligo Analyzer. The main primerfinder search page can be found at: http://eatworms.swmed.edu/~tim/primerfinder/ A description of Primerfinder and instructions for its use can be found at: http://eatworms.swmed.edu/~tim/primerfinder/helpfiles/ __________________________________________________________________________ Tim Niacaris Department of Molecular Biology University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Dallas, TX 75235-9148 E-mail: tim at eatworms.swmed.edu Home Page: http://eatworms.swmed.edu/~tim


text:
21-Year-Old Actress Who Played Mel Gibson's Daughter In 'The Patriot' Found Dead
HOUSTON (AP) — Actress Skye McCole Bartusiak, who portrayed Mel Gibson's young daughter in the 2000 film "The Patriot," died in her Houston home, her mother said Sunday. She was 21.
Bartusiak's mother, Helen Bartusiak, told The Associated Press the actress had been living in a garage apartment at her parents' home. She said the actress' boyfriend found her unresponsive on her bed Saturday.
Helen Bartusiak said she tried to resuscitate her daughter but could not. She said the actress had been healthy and did not drink or do drugs and the family did not yet know a cause of death.
Bartusiak made her acting debut in the television miniseries "Storm of the Century" in 1999 and also had a role on "24" in 2002-2003. On "24" she played Megan Matheson.
She made her film debut in the "The Cider House Rules" in 1999 and starred with Michael Douglas in "Don't Say a Word" in 2001. Her most recent move was "Sick Boy" in 2012.
Bartusiak was best known for her role in Gibson's Revolutionary War epic "The Patriot," where she played the daughter of militia leader Benjamin Martin who struggles to speak with her father.
Her other TV credits included "Frasier," "Providence," "Judging Amy" and "JAG."
According to her imdb.com profile, the actress stayed close friends with "Don't Say a Word" and "Riding in Cars With Boys" co-star Brittany Murphy who died in 20o9 at age 32.
"The Patriot" cast also included Heath Ledger, who died after an accidental overdose of painkillers and sedatives in 2008.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
for more features.


text:
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2014 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has selected 10 rural microenterprises to receive grants totaling $300,000 that will support job growth and business development in several rural communities. The funds are being provided under the Department's Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP), which the 2014 Farm Bill reauthorized through 2018.
"Through the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, USDA partners with local organizations who in turn invest in local, small businesses that otherwise are unable to obtain the credit they need to grow and thrive," said Vilsack. "Facilitating long-term economic development in this way empowers rural residents to invest locally, cultivating stronger communities. This program exemplifies how USDA can partner with rural communities to maximize the positive impact of even a small investment of federal dollars"
Under RMAP, USDA provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to help microentrepreneurs, defined as very small businesses with 10 or fewer employees, to access microloans to start or develop businesses. MDOs use the funds to provide training and technical assistance to eligible small businesses or to establish revolving loan funds to provide microloans, typically ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, to rural microentrepreneurs.
For example, investments from the RMAP program have played a key role in sustaining a stable rural economy in Iowa, where nearly 86 percent of businesses qualify as microenterprises. In 2012, USDA awarded $630,000 in RMAP funds to North Iowa Area Community College and to the Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise and Community Development (Iowa MicroLoan), who distributed the capital as loans and grants to small businesses across the state. Iowa's economy is heavily based in food and agriculture, and many of the businesses that received RMAP support contribute to the regional, national, and international reach of the industry.
This year, RMAP grants will fund new projects, including the Our Native American Business Network's initiative to provide training to Native American entrepreneurs from the Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee Nations in Oklahoma who are interested in launching new rural small businesses. In places across the nation, rural microentrepreneurial investment supports community development, job creation, and economic stability.
The following recipients each received $30,000 grants to provide technical assistance and training to rural microentrepeneurs:
- Jefferson Economic Development Institute
- Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation
- Two Rivers Resource Conservation & Development Area
- Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, Inc.
- Mississippi University for Women
- ACEnet
- Our Native American Business and Entrepreneurial Network
- Bridgeway Capital, Inc.
Washington, D.C.
- Community Development Transportation Lending Service
- GROW Washington
President Obama's plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President's leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way in strengthening America's economy, small towns and rural communities.
Today's funding announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).


text:
LOS ANGELES – Olympic champion swimmer Ryan Lochte is diving into the world of reality television with a six-episode series debuting in April.
Airing on E!, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" will follow the 28-year-old swimmer as he prepares for the 2016 Rio Olympics while developing his fashion line, making media appearances, dealing with his family and friends, and searching for a girlfriend.
"Ryan Lochte captured everyone's attention at the Summer Olympics with his athletic prowess and his utterly unique and unaffected approach to life," E! Entertainment President Suzanne Kolb said Monday.
"He is an incredibly endearing personality who is sexy, entertaining and fun. Watching this show, I believe people will fall into three categories: they want to be him, sleep with him or mother him."
The show will include Lochte's family -- his mother, Ike, his older married sisters Kristen and Megan, his younger brother and roommate Devon, and his nephews. Viewers will get to see the swimmer's eclectic collection of shoes that top out at more than 150 and the blinged-out accessories he favors.
Lochte, whose signature catch phrase is the made-up word "Jeah!", will be seen hitting the clubs in Gainesville, Fla., where he lives, and training with coach Gregg Troy.
He won five medals, including two golds, at the London Olympics. In the post-Olympic whirlwind, Lochte guested on the CW series "90210" and swam against Prince Harry in an impromptu race in a Las Vegas hotel pool.
Lochte's agent, Erika Wright, serves as executive producer of the show.


text:
Opponents Gear Up as Calif. Gay History Law Takes Effect
With California's law mandating public schools to teach about the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans now in force since New Year's Day, opponents are urging parents to take their children out while preparing for a repeal referendum.
"Under SB 48, homosexual-bisexual-transsexual role models are now mandatory in every public school, for every child, behind the backs of parents," Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, said in a statement Tuesday.
The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act, also known as Senate Bill 48, took effect Sunday. Gov. Jerry Brown signed it on July 14, making California the first state in the nation to force gay history into the public school curriculum.
The law mandates that all pupils, including those in kindergarten, "admire 'the role and contributions of ... lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans' in all 'instruction in social sciences,'" said Thomasson.
Textbooks and instructional materials must positively promote LGBT Americans' contributions in the same way that schools currently include the contributions of ethnic minorities, the law requires. It also prohibits materials and instruction that reflect adversely upon persons because of their sexual orientation.
State Sen. Mark Leno, author of the bill, stated earlier that the bill will help students be more receptive to homosexuals and in turn will hinder the harassment many gay students face.
While it may take a few years for the schools to get printed textbooks containing LGBT history, teachers will be required to include such instruction using "supplemental materials," beginning this month.
Since California is the largest textbook market in the country, critics fear that other states will also be forced to use textbooks with LGBT history as publishers revise textbooks to meet their largest client's requirement.
Thomasson believes the new instruction is aimed at sexually indoctrinating students. The new law has no opt-out provisions.
"The only way parents can exempt their children from sexual indoctrination is to permanently exempt them from the state school system," Thomasson said in a statement to "parents who want to protect their boys and girls from these negative influences."
His group operates RescueYourChild.com, which lists the chronic problems of California government schools and provides solutions for parents. In this case, it is "informing parents with facts that the government schools refuse to teach children – that homosexuality is neither natural nor healthy."
The Stop SB 48 campaign, recently led a referendum to overturn the bill but failed to qualify for the 2012 state ballot by a few thousand signatures. However, the Calif.-based coalition filed another initiative last week.
"Last time, we had under 75 days, and this time, we have 150 days," Karen England of the Capitol Resource Institute, a key group of the coalition, told OneNewsNow. "So we have double the time, and we were very close. We've worked on a lot of the problems we had with volunteer signatures, so we are confident we're going to do it, and we're going to do it within the 150 days."
In its previous initiative, the coalition gathered nearly 500,000 signatures, falling short of 504,760 signatures needed to qualify the referendum.
The current initiative, filed with the California attorney general and designed to reverse the overreaching aspects of the legislation, "assures that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other minority figures are not excluded from inclusion in California curriculum while requiring accurate historical portrayals of all individuals," the coalition says.
Another coalition, the Committee to Repeal SB 48, has also filed paperwork with the state attorney general's office to qualify the Repeal SB 48 Act.
England predicts that the law will "make the parents more angry when their kindergartener [or] first-grader [is] being taught these things," and "give more fuel and momentum to our battle here to make sure that history is taught … and it's fair and accurate and not just based on someone's sexual orientation."
The law must not be taken lightly, Thomasson said. "Because of the Democrats' social-engineering laws, children left in California government schools are guaranteed sexual brainwashing, but not guaranteed proficiency in reading, writing, and computing," he warned.


text:
WASHINGTON -- The FDA issued a warning Wednesday of a potentially fatal risk associated with the use of codeine in children following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
Pediatric patients who have undergone either procedure should receive only the lowest effective dose of drugs that contain codeine, for the shortest time, and only on an as-needed basis, the agency said.
The warning was issued after the FDA received reports of three deaths and one near-fatal case of respiratory depression in pediatric patients, ages 2 to 5, who had their tonsils and/or adenoids removed to treat sleep apnea syndrome.
Caregivers should be aware of the potential signs of overdose, including unusual sleepiness, difficulty being awakened, confusion, and noisy or labored breathing. If symptoms arise, caregivers should cease drug treatment and consult a healthcare professional immediately, the FDA said in a statement.
The agency noted that codeine is converted into morphine in the liver and that some patients metabolize codeine faster, which can result in higher concentrations of the drug in the blood, and can lead to overdose and death.
The agency noted that the patients who died exhibited evidence of the faster metabolism.
The FDA added that the condition occurs in approximately one to seven patients out of every 100, but certain ethnic groups are at a higher risk for ultra-rapid metabolism. The condition can only be identified through a genetic test.
The agency is reviewing adverse event reports and other data "to determine if there are additional cases of inadvertent overdose or death in children taking codeine and if these adverse events occur during treatment of other kinds of pain, such as postoperative pain following other types of surgery or procedures," Bob Rappaport, MD, director of the FDA's Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction Products, said in a statement.


text:
The new app packed with trusted gardening know-how
North Yorkshire
Greater Manchester
RHS Council is the governing body of the Society and, in accordance with the Charter and Bye-laws, is responsible for:
Although RHS Council takes all major strategic decisions and those expressly reserved to it, some decision-making powers are delegated to a number Boards and Committees: Horticulture Board – responsible to Council for all activities relating to the encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches within the Society. Commercial Board – responsible for advising Council in relation to the Society's commercial and financial affairs and resources and is responsible for representing the Society as the "employer" in the funding and support of the RHS (1974) Defined Benefit Pension Scheme and the provision of alternative pension arrangements if appropriate. Audit and Risk Committee – responsible for making, and monitoring, recommendations to Council relating to the effectiveness and appropriateness of all aspects of the Society's financial and risk management procedures and controls. Nominations, Appointments and Governance Committee – responsible to Council for governance of the Society and identifying and recommending candidates for election and appointments to Council and advisory, governance and decision-making boards and committees. People and Remuneration Committee – responsible for reviewing and setting the salaries of senior staff, including the Director General. The salaries of the Director General and the Leadership team are considered annually by this Committee in February; in carrying out its review, the Committee takes into account a range of factors, including the role and responsibility of each senior member of staff and his or her performance against agreed objectives and, where possible, seeks to identify and take account of appropriate salary benchmarks for equivalent roles in comparable organisations. The Committee also reviews and monitors People policies, processes and practices; and reviews and approves appointments to and terminations from the Leadership Team. Investments Committee – responsible for the review and maintenance of the Society's investment portfolio including bursary funds. Council also has two Groups which maintain oversight of the Society's Key Investment Projects and Key IT and Digital Projects (and their operation within agreed budgets).
There are seven specialist RHS plant committees, some of which are operated jointly with the relevant plant society. They are responsible to the Horticulture Board for encouraging excellence in cultivation, the introduction of new plants and the maintenance of selected plant material and trials.
There are five other committees, reporting to the Horticulture Board and providing advice on specialist areas:
Council also appoints advisory groups, reporting to committees but sitting outside the formal governance arrangements of the Society. These include:
For more information about the governance arrangements of the Society, please contact: [email protected]
Join the RHS today and save 25%
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK's leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone's life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.


text:
From D&D Wiki
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Mephits are minor creatures from the elemental planes.
All mephits appear as small, winged creatures with more or less humanoid features. While they are often described as impish, their elemental origins are apparent at first glance.
All mephits fight by biting and clawing or by using a breath weapon, the nature and effects of which vary from creature to creature.
A mephit's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Breath Weapon (Su): A mephit can use its breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds as a standard action. See the individual descriptions for details.
Spell-Like Abilities: All mephits have one or more spell-like abilities (save DC 12 + spell level). See the individual descriptions for details.
Summon Mephit (Sp): Once per day, a mephit can attempt to summon another mephit of the same variety, much as though casting a summon monster spell, but with only a 25% chance of success. Roll d%: On a failure, no creature answers the summons that day. A mephit that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. This ability is the equivalent of a 2nd-level spell.
Fast Healing (Ex): Mephits heal 2 points of damage each round, provided they are still alive and certain other conditions are met. See the individual descriptions for details.
List of Mephits
- Air Mephit
- Dust Mephit
- Earth Mephit
- Fire Mephit
- Ice Mephit
- Magma Mephit
- Ooze Mephit
- Salt Mephit
- Steam Mephit
- Water Mephit
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Open Game Content → System Reference Document → Creatures


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
The City maintains a Development Summary of projects that have been applied, approved, and completed. The most current Development Summary can be viewed on the in the Planning webpage.
Show All Answers
Fencing can be installed in accordance with Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.86.040.
Residentially designated properties can install a fence with a maximum height of 6 1/2 feet in all locations except in the front yard setback. The maximum fence height in the front yard setback for properties less than 20,000 square feet (i.e., the portion of the property extending from the front of the house toward the street) is five feet, of which three feet can be a solid material and two feet must be open view. The maximum fence height in the front yard setback for properties 20,000 square feet or larger is six feet, of which three feet can be a solid material and three feet must be open view. Fencing materials are limited to masonry, wrought iron, and vinyl. Chain link fencing is only permitted when not visible from the public right-of-way.
Commercially and industrially designated properties can install a fence with a maximum height of six feet in all locations except within the building and landscaping setback. Depending on the location of the property, the landscape setback is generally 10 to 20 feet, and the building setback is typically an additional 10 feet beyond the landscape setback. Within the landscape setback, the maximum fence height is three feet and within the building setback, the maximum fence height is four feet. Industrial properties may also install fencing for screening purposes up to eight feet in height with approval from Planning. If walls taller than eight feet are proposed, approval must be granted by the Planning Commission through a Conditional Use Permit. Fencing materials are limited to masonry, wrought iron, and vinyl. Chain link fencing is only permitted when not visible from the public right-of-way.
Accessory or secondary dwelling units are permitted in the A-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, and MX zones in compliance within Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.91.030.
No permit is required. However, you are only allowed two garage or yard sales per year. No signage is allowed in the public right-of-way, see Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.91.080 for more information.
The exact location of property lines for a parcel can only be determined by a licensed surveyor. The general location of property lines can be determined by using the Los Angeles County Assessor's map to determine property dimensions and location from the centerline of the adjacent street(s).
Yes, it can be viewed at Palmdale Municipal Code.
Yes, it may be accessed at GIS
Yes, it may be accessed at Zoning Map.
>Please see the California High Speed Rail (CAHSR) website for updates.
A temporary POD may be allowed at a residential location but must be placed on the driveway. However, it cannot be located within the front yard setback. An Encroachment Permit is required if it is located in the public right-of-way. Please contact Engineering at 661-267-5353 to obtain the necessary permit.
In residential districts, recreational vehicles may be parked on the driveway, and any interior side or rear yard provided:
For more information, please reference Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.82.050 (Use of Yards).
The City allows for a maximum of 40 percent of the front yard, excluding the driveway, to be covered with impervious surfaces (concrete, pavers, or any other material that does not allow water to flow through).
Landscape standards for residential districts can be found under Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.41.090.H
City of Palmdale Ordinance No. 1176 outlines the requirements of installation and appropriate maintenance of front and street corner side yard landscaping in single family residential zones.For a list of drought tolerant plants and trees, view the City's Approved Plant and Tree List.
Most patio covers can be approved over the counter in Planning. A Zone Clearance application for a Single-Family Minor Modification, site plan, architectural elevation, and permit fee for approval are required. For additional information, such as required setbacks, please view the Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.82.
Vehicles can be parked in any interior side or rear yard provided that:
For more information, view Palmdale Municipal Code Section 17.82.050.
A property can be subdivided for future development by submitting of a Tentative Parcel Map (TPM) or Tentative Tract Map (TTM) application. A TPM is used to subdivide a parcel into four or fewer parcels, while a TTM is used to subdivide a parcel into five or more parcels. The application can be found under the Planning Division applications.
Palmdale Municipal Code (PMC) requires that all single-family homes maintain a fully enclosed two car garage with a free and clear interior dimension of at least 20 feet wide and 22 feet long. A garage cannot be converted into a bedroom unless there is space on the property to construct another two car garage, or there is a third car garage space. Approval of a Zoning Clearance application for a Single-Family Minor Modification is required for a garage conversion. The application fee is $63, and requires submittal of a site plan, floor plan, and architectural elevations of the proposed conversion. The application can be found under the Planning applications.
Contact Code Enforcement at 661-267-5234.


text: Click To Discover Origin of Life: The rise and fall of Spontaneous Generation. Francesco Redi. Louis Pasteur. Charles Darwin and evolutionary theory. The continuing misrepresentation. Age of Earth: Why does the age of the Earth matter? What are the two worldviews? Are we being educated or indoctrinated? Age of the Earth: Young Earth vs. Old Earth. A study of Limiting Factors. Magnetic field. Earth rotation. Moon drift. Young is not unreasonable. Catastrophism: The opposite of Uniformitarianism and the Geologic Time Scale. Evidence for cataclysmic activity on earth. The Noachian Flood. The implications. Evolution vs Creation: The Great Debate over the Model of Origins: the theories, contentions, and evidence. The lack of evidence and the resolution. Evolutionism: Are the suggested evolutionary phases valid? A review of cosmic, stellar, chemical, planetary, organic, macro and micro evolution. Charles Darwin: His Evolutionary Theory of Origins. His family background and education. The HMS Beagle and Origin of Species. His lasting effect. Origin of The Universe: The atheist mechanisms for all that we see. The Big Bang and Inflation Universe Theories. The Evolutionary Theories. A Critique. DNA Double Helix: The DNA double helix is a great scientific discovery. Does it point to an act of randomness or divine intervention? Geologic Time Scale: Explanation of it and some of the common misconceptions and issues regarding the supposed proof of the theory of evolution. Uniformitarianism: The dominant geological paradigm for more than a hundred and fifty years. What are the claims? What are the evidences? Carbon Dating: The premise, the method, and the controversy. What do scientists think about this popular dating method? Find out here! Dinosaur Extinction: Review the considerable evidence for this theory of recent dinosaur extinction. The facts overwhelmingly point to it as being truth. Creation Evidence: Evidence that discredits evolutionary theory. Lack of natural mechanism. Lack of transitional fossils. Time constraints. Unacceptable models under scientific rules. Intelligent Design: An examination of mechanical and biological machines. Spontaneous generation vs. concept and design. The fantastic complexity at the molecular level. Dinosaur Fossils: Early definitions and discoveries. Fossilization process, controversial dating methods, the geologic column, and the extinction theories; younger than we think? Darwin's Theory of Evolution: A theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we've made in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and information theory. Piltdown Man: The discovery. The alleged missing link. The hoax. The perpetrators. Dawson, Woodward and Chardin. A warning to all of us. Second Law of Thermodynamics: Laws of Heat Power. Law of Increased Entropy. Order to disorder, randomness and chaos. The birth of our universe. Origin of Species: Darwin's classic work and the foundation of evolutionary theory. Natural selection in theory and practice. Check out the latest science. Age of the Earth Part 2: Young earth or old earth model? Historical review of majority opinion. Radiometric dating. Natural chronometers pointing to a young earth. Christian Science: No contradiction in terms. A look at the scientific heritage of our post-modern age. Over 100 faithful scientists listed. How Old is the Earth?: Historical thoughts and modern evidence. Uniformitarianism and evolutionary theory. DNA and fossil evidence. Natural chronometers pointing to a Young Earth. Big Bang Theory: Concise synopsis of the big bang theory's background, historical foundations, major problems. Explore alternatives to our ultimate question of origins. Human Evolution: Frauds and mistakes of the fossil evidence have lead to the formation of human evolution theory. Review the facts now. Radiometric Dating: A questionable method for establishing the old age of rocks. The unreliable basis for the Geologic Time Scale of earth. Creation vs. Evolution Part 2: Contrary explanations for a shared beginning that address the fundamental questions of life. The debate's philosophical, social and religious consequences. Theory of Relativity: The basics of Albert Einstein's theory regarding gravitational phenomena. The assumptions and approximations. The Flood: The biblical story from Genesis. The universal traditions from all over the world. The dramatic, life-changing physical evidence. Proof of God: What would constitute evidence for God? Using fundamental design detection methodology, check out the incredible evidence for Intelligent Design now! Evidence for Evolution: The unsupported icons of evolution still found in today's textbooks, including homology, embryology, observed natural selection, and the fossil record. Evolution of Man: All humans originate from an ape-like ancestor that existed a few million years ago. Learn the concepts of this theory. Dragon History: Universal accounts and depictions of dragons in ancient cultures. The evidence for dinosaurs centuries before the science of paleontology existed. Creation vs. Evolution: The definitions. The debate. The evidence. The challenge. A review of cosmic, chemical, stellar, planetary, organic, micro and macro evolution.