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The Greenland ice cap has been a focal point of recent climate change research because it is much more exposed to immediate global warming than the larger Antarctic ice sheet. Yet while the southern Greenland ice cap has been melting, it is still not clear how much this is contributing to rising sea levels, and much further research is needed.
A framework for such research was defined at a recent workshop organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF).
"The main objectives were to establish current understanding, prioritise research needs, and develop proposals," said one of the ESF workshop's convenors, Professor Tavi Murray from the Glaciology Group at Swansea University in the UK. "I believe we did the first two very well and laid the ground for developing research proposals."
While recent observations indicate that the Greenland ice cap is melting fast, it is uncertain how much this is contributing to sea levels, as co-convenor Carl Bøggild, from UNIS in Svalbard explained. "A major challenge is to determine what fraction of melt water really runs off, because in many places the melt water will just drain into the cold snow and refreeze," said Bøggild.
One way to determine how much water is running off is to measure not just the area of the Greenland ice cap but also its thickness, but this is much more difficult. Alternatively, the run off process can be tracked both on the ground and by satellite, preferably integrating the two, as was discussed at the workshop. The need to establish a database of ground based observations, including run off, as well as the ongoing calving of ice bergs from the ice cap and occasional events such as earthquakes beneath the ice was discussed.
Perhaps the greatest immediate challenge identified at the workshop though lies in reducing the high levels of uncertainty over the current and future behaviour of the Greenland ice cap, and reconciling the many conflicting observations and predictions. In the case of the meltwater, estimates of the annual total vary by a factor of five from 50 gigatons (GT) to around 250 GT, and this level of uncertainty makes future predictions almost meaningless. "Laser satellites can detect elevation changes within 10 cm accuracy - but do not consider compaction of the snow," said Murray. "Other satellites using radio waves have a problem with penetration of the signal into the snow. And, yet another method from satellites, measuring the 'weight' of the ice sheet covers too large areas - so you also detect weight changes outside the ice sheet." But at least these multiple sources of data have the potential of being combined to yield more accurate estimates.
Not surprisingly, given these uncertainties, it is unclear even what the immediate future holds for the Greenland ice cap. As Murray noted, recent high levels of thinning in the south and around the edges have taken climatologists by surprise, but there is no guarantee it will continue. "There is much uncertainty presently, because observations of thinning have come as a surprise," said Murray. "We can basically say that three scenarios are possible regarding the enhanced thinning which has been observed recently. One is that it will keep escalating. Secondly it may remain constant even though the climate gets warmer, and thirdly the enhanced rate of thinning may stop altogether, with future thinning being purely the result of melting."
It is not clear yet which of these scenarios will transpire, but Murray and Bøggild are convinced that the ESF workshop has prepared the ground for substantial progress, by bringing together the relevant diverse skills in glaciology, climatology, geology, modelling and satellite imaging. The workshop, Sea-Level Rise From The Greenland Ice Sheet, was held in Mallorca, Spain in May 2008.
Story Source:
Materials provided by European Science Foundation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Shure Microphones Brings Fans the Sounds of Baseball
Story Highlights
The signature sound of any baseball telecast is the crack of the bat.
Erik West, a Milwaukee-based freelance broadcast audio engineer, has made the perfection of that distinctive sound his audio calling card. Working for Fox Sports both regionally in Milwaukee and for national games there, in Chicago. and elsewhere, West has found that replacing his older shotgun mics with the Shure VP89L has taken his signature sound to a new level.
"I came to the world of broadcast audio engineering from my background in mixing live music," says West. "I EQ my batcracks a lot like a kick drum. I boost a little high-end snap, pull out some of the mids, and then boost some thumb on the bottom. With the VP89L, I get much more control over that than I had before. I've always been proud of my bat-crack sound, but these mics really took it over the top."
West points to two specific qualities of the VP89L that combine to make his results better than any previous shotgun mic. "Most shotguns are about high frequency off-axis rejection, but the first thing I noticed with the VP89L was how well it rejected low frequencies as well," he explains. "The 'thump' in a bat-crack is at a higher frequency than in a kick drum – right where you would hear it in the murmur of the crowd. With the VP89L, I can still boost that the way I like, but not suffer the consequence of coloring the crowd noise. It also has very crisp highs, which I don't have to boost as much as I did before."
The action around home plate, along with the sounds of the crowd, are key to making home baseball viewers feel like they are in the ballpark. While exact mic positions vary with the layout of any given stadium, West's typical procedure is to position his two home plate shotguns on either side of (and behind) the backstop netting, roughly 15 feet above field level and aimed about knee-high at home plate, roughly 35 feet away.
"That positioning gives me a nice, wide sweet spot," says West. "You can hear the glove-pop, the umpire, and of course, the crack of the bat. You can really hear the difference between a solid hit and a broken bat, which is great for the home viewer and the announcers."
To augment the on-field sounds with crowd noise, West relies on another Shure field production microphone, the VP88, a mid-side stereo mic that he feels is perfect for that task.
"One thing I don't like with crowd noise is the typical technique of aiming a couple shotguns out from the broadcast booth," he notes. "It's just not a good sound. For my regular gig doing Milwaukee Brewers games at Miller Park, what I do is position the VP88 directly behind the plate, directly under the robo-camera there, about 20 feet from voices, aimed into the crowd. I use the Wide setting, which gives me clear sound of things like a vendor on the left yelling 'beer here' or 'get your peanuts' coming from the right, but without picking up many individual voices from the fans, and it handles the dynamics easily when things go from fairly quiet to really loud. It's a mic position that I highly recommend, and the perfect mic for the job."
For West, the key to success is providing a sonic experience that makes viewers feel they are at the ballpark, and he knows that the VP Series mics from Shure have played a major role in improving his ability to do that.
"The VP89L long shotgun has a fatness to the low end that is really the difference between sounding okay and great on my bat-cracks," he concludes. "They're also built and tested to the same standards as Shure's rock and roll mics, which I really appreciate. I tried going back to standard truck mics, but they just don't measure up. Being able to have that low-end glove pop and that woody bat sound – that's what I love about these Shure shotgun mics. It's now my signature sound."

subset: commoncrawl


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I received an email from Whitney, who described her upcoming wedding in September, which will take place outside, next to a lake. Here's what she wrote:
I have an idea of relaxed, vintage, whimsical (if that makes any sense). I was thinking using colors like grey (not silver. I'm talking grey cotton), maybe light yellow, or green. I really have no idea. I need help! It's going to be at night with LOTS and LOTS of lanterns that I found on superwholesaler.com. I am using a ton of old vintage dishes and my fiance and I are making cloth napkins out of vintage, floral material. Maybe you can kinda see where I am going??? Sorry I don't have more direction!
I think Whitney is headed in a GREAT direction, and I instantly started researching some ideas for her. Believe it or not, I got totally carried away. For colors, I went with grey, a few hues of green, and accents of vintage gold, with a tiny splash of cool minty blue. I especially love how well the gold adds to the vintage look.
Notes on what I've included:
: : Love the first pic of the fabric brooch. It has a very homemade feel and it would be cute in the hair, on the dress, in lieu of corsages, attached to a ribbon and wrapped around a vase, or affixed atop an apothecary jar filled with ferns.
: : Flowers on the chair. So cute. Creating unexpected elements, like an old garden chair, to display some of your florals adds to the whimsical component.
: : Lace doilies piled on a cake platter. Why? Why not?
: : Bales of hay covered in crisp white linens. Church pews, but not. Swoon.
: : Feathers. Weeds. Herringbone material shaped like a leaf. All great details to make a boutonnierre so much more.
: : Old bench [+] pillows of mix-matched patterns [=] delight.
: : The bronze locket etched with a bird would be a super cute addition to the bouquet stem.
: : Old house numbers found at flea markets and antique stores are reinvented as table numbers. LOVE it.
: : Canopy your buffet tables to add a romantic elegance to your outdoor setting.
I hope you enjoy! (For inspiration requests, feel free to email me.)
Sources left to right from top: 1. Etsy 2. Rebecca Thuss 3. Martha Stewart 4. Ritzy Bee 5. Etsy 6. {frolic!} 7. Ritzy Bee 8. Rebecca Thuss 9. Ritzy Bee 10. Etsy 11. Bride's Guide 12. Flickr 13. Junebug Weddings 14. Ritzy Bee 15. Etsy 16. Etsy 17. {frolic!} 18. Etsy 19. Wedding Report 20. Etsy 21. Rebecca Thuss


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-- Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year as their most important holiday. It's about family reunions and involves the world's largest annual human migration.
About 230 million people are expected to take the train during the official travel period between late January and February 27, railway officials say. Around 30 million travelers will take the plane, and millions more will go by bus.
It's an annual scrum for tickets to get home.
Zhou Jie is among the luckier ones. Two weeks ago, the 45-year-old migrant managed to snap two train tickets through a scalper, so that she and her husband could return to their home in central Anhui province for the holiday.
"We paid more to get hard-seat tickets," she tells me by phone from her rural home. "But it's okay because we're happy to be together with our children." She and her husband work as migrant workers in Beijing, while their two adult children remain in their hometown.
For many Chinese, the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the only time they visit home during the year. "It's important for us to get together, however briefly," Zhou says.
Chinese families remain strongly influenced by tradition in the ways they celebrate the holidays.
The most important part of the festival is the nianye fan, or "reunion dinner," which family members attend in the hours leading to the New Year's eve.
While eating a feast of traditional food like noodles, fish and dumplings, they gather around the TV set watching the "Spring Festival Eve Gala," featuring performances by entertainers and celebrities. For over 20 years, the marathon TV extravaganza has been China's most watched variety show, raking in huge advertising revenues and catapulting artists to stardom.
Setting off fireworks is another enduring tradition.
At the height of Chairman Mao's rule in the 1970s, Beijing prohibited fireworks, ostensibly because they were "bourgeois" and a "waste of money."
Years after Mao's death, the practice returned with a vengeance after authorities lifted the ban. Two years ago, fireworks set off a huge fire that gutted a brand-new hotel in central Beijing, briefly prompting calls for a return of the ban.
Days earlier police advised Beijing residents to "set off fireworks in a civilized way," but that caution fell on deaf ears. The stroke of midnight into February 3 brought a flurry of fireworks that turned parts of Beijing into virtual war zones. According to local folklore, fireworks drive away monsters and evil spirits.
What does the New Year offer?
2011 is the Year of the Metal Rabbit.
Once upon a time, according to local folklore, the Jade Emperor thought he would assign an animal to each year so people could more easily remember the Zodiac cycle. So he called for a meeting with all the animals and decided he would choose 12 of them to be the Zodiac animals, depending on the sequence of their arrival.
Nimble and lucky, the Rabbit was fourth.
Conventional wisdom says the Rabbit traveled through an arduous path in order to reach its goal to meet the Emperor. Every time the rabbit hops forward, it looks back to see if it's going the right way.
That could be an apt metaphor for the way China is moving. As China struggles to curb its overheated real estate market and its high inflation rate, the Year of the Rabbit may be an opportune time for Beijing's leaders to take a step back to review its progress and plot its next steps. Top Chinese leaders underscore the need to maintain social stability and harmony. A week before the Spring Festival, Premier Wen Jiabao led a group of senior officials to hear complaints from farmers and migrant workers who trekked to Beijing seeking redress. Typically, their grievances would include cases of land grabs, unpaid wages and official malfeasance.
It was the first time a Chinese premier had met with petitioners. "Respect the opinions of farmers, give them reasonable compensation and protect their rights," Premier Wen urged the officials
Will the Year of the Rabbit be a good year?
Chinese astrologer Alvin Ang of Bazi Destiny foresees "the global situation may be affected by serious political change and global calamities."
Hong Kong-based feng shui master Joseph Wong gives a different take. "This coming year everything will be better than last year," he told CNN's Pauline Chiou. "They will see business go upwards mostly, but take care with the shares and stocks. There will be some fluctuations in August and September."
That does not directly concern me because I do not play the stock market, but I was curious to hear what Master Wong said of people born in the Year of the Rabbit. I am a "Rabbit."
Rabbits tend to be cunning and creative, he said, and get along well with people born in the Dog, Pig and Sheep years.
What is Wong's advice on prosperous feng shui?
The luckiest direction this year, he reckoned, is the northwest. To bring harmony in one's home, he counsels placing the bed in the northwest part of the bedroom. For good fortune, he says one's desk must be in the northwest part of the office.
Whether we take this seriously or with a pinch of salt, the Year of the Rabbit could turn out to be full of twists and turns.


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Arcadia Locksmith
Mobile Locksmith services in Phoenix, Arizona.
Arcadia locksmith is a Mobile Locksmith- a local family-owned company.
We offer many services, including car lockout, house lockout and safe lockout, mailbox replacement, rekey, lock change, commercial services, car key replacement, ignition repair, lock repair, and much more.
Our company's main goal is to provide fast services and to smile at our customers.
Call us today to make an appointment!
Phoenix ( FEE-niks; Navajo: Hoozdo; Spanish: Fénix or Fínix, Walapai: Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and one of only two U.S. state capitals with a population of more than one million residents, along with Austin, Texas.Phoenix is the anchor of the Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, which in turn is part of the Salt River Valley. The metropolitan area is the 11th largest by population in the United States, with approximately 4.85 million people as of 2020. Phoenix, the seat of Maricopa County, has the largest area of all cities in Arizona, with an area of 517.9 square miles (1,341 km2), and is also the 11th largest city by area in the United States. It is the largest metropolitan area, both by population and size, of the Arizona Sun Corridor megaregion.
Arizona Heights, Ashland Place, Bel Air, Bethany Homes, Biltmore Heights, Brandywine, Camelback Sierra, Central City, Coronado, Del Norte Place, Earll Place, East Orangewood, Eugene Place, Evanston, Fairview Place


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The AFRINIC-24 fellowship is reserved in priority for individuals representing small organisations, universities, and media who are actively involved in Internet operations and development or ICT policy in their countries and respective communities. The fellow is expected to positively and actively contribute to IP address management awareness in the AFRINIC service region.
To qualify for the fellowship, you:
- Must be a resident of an African nation
- Don't need to be an AFRINIC member
- Should have a technical (IT, Computer Science) background
- Must not have not benefited from previous AFRINIC fellowships
- Are willing to report on how this fellowship has benefited you/your organisation/country within an agreed time frame
The fellowship includes:
- Assistance with round-trip airfare to the meeting venue;
- Hotel accommodation for the duration of the AFRINIC Plenary sessions, from the day before the beginning of the Plenary to the last day of the event;
- A per diem allowance.
The Call for Fellowship will open in the month of February.


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Picking up where we left off with Croissants: Part One.
Getting ill this month threw my croissant plans for a loop. I had intended to mess around with the pastry a bit (I think the hydration levels in the recipe I use could be tweaked just a bit) but that will just have to wait.
Getting ill did have another, somewhat unexpected result...
When I was bedridden with my wonderful virus, I gave Mr. Humble the chore of baby-sitting 'our' wild sourdough starter. Suddenly he became obsessed with it and with bread making. In the last two weeks he has been learning to bake with his little pot of wild yeast and gobbling his own sourdough breads fresh from the oven.
He is prodigiously proud of the vigorous Mr. Stinky and his breads. In fact, he has started calling himself an 'artisan' bread maker. Keep in mind though, when I met my husband his cooking skills were limited to some of the worst bachelor fare on the planet. Though he has taken it upon himself to learn how to cook in the last year or so, as a way to help lighten my work load since having our daughter.
So yea my husband, the 'artisan bread maker', a title I think he adopts to tease me. In fact, he told me last week he will be starting his own food blog since he is so great. I'm not certain if he is being serious, I think he just wants to tease me about eclipsing my blog with his own.
Mr. Humble... oh sorry, Mr. Artisan Bread Maker, feel free to dazzle me with your uber-bread skills. In fact, perhaps you could inaugurate your blog with some croissants?
They're certainly a pain for me to turn out, what with my spindly arms and all. However, a man with your skills would certainly have no trouble with them.
So, the croissants.
I'm sorry it took so long to get part two posted. I've had these photos ready to go for almost two weeks. However, I really wanted to bake the third batch of dough before doing the post. When I got sick, that third batch of laminated dough sat in the fridge for a week only to be tossed. All 5lbs of dough, a full day's worth of work (sigh).
However, I do have a set of good croissants and a recipe that works to share. This is from the Culinary Institute of America's baking book, however I've changed the recipe to give correct metric weights.
CIA's Croissant Dough
adapted from Baking and Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft
Yields 5 lb 8 oz /2.26 kg (roughly 11 Croissants)
716 grams (1.58lb) whole milk, room temperature
120 mL (4 fl oz) malt syrup
907 grams (2lb) bread flour
28 grams (1oz) yeast
113 grams (4oz) granulated sugar
142g (5oz) butter, cold but pliable
Roll in:
680 grams (1lb) butter, cold but pliable
A few notes:
If making pain au chocolate you're also going to need about 2oz of chocolate for each croissant. You can find chocolate batons made for pastry making online, I like Valrhona's Batons de Chocolat. They do make rolling the croissants easier, however you can use any semi-sweet chocolate you have lying around. I've even molded my own batons from 53% cacao chocolate.
Also, this recipe is vague regarding the malt syrup and butter. For this recipe I'm using unsalted butter and a diastatic malt syrup. For folks who are wondering what I am talking about, diastatic refers to enzymes in the malt syrup which convert starch to sugar. There are non-diastatic malts out there, which simply acts as a sweetener. Unfortunately, this recipe doesn't specify which...
Start by turning your 142g of butter into a pliable mass. I do this by loosely wrapping cold butter in parchment and then beating it with my rolling pin. Mind your overhead cabinets, this is a violent process. Once the butter is pliable but still cold you're ready to start.
Mix the yeast with the room temperature milk and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Add the flour, sugar, malt syrup, the pliable butter broken into pieces to the bowl of your stand mixer. Pour in the yeast/milk mixture and mix with the paddle attachment until it comes together. Once it is too stiff to mix with the paddle, swap out for your dough hook (The book's recipe calls for doing the entire process with a paddle but this has to be an error as it would be murderous to any household mixer. I did it with one of my batches and I will never, ever do it again.) Mix with the dough hook for 3 minutes on medium-low and then crank it up to high speed for 2 minutes.
Line a half sheet pan (13" x 18" x 1") with a piece of parchment paper. Turn the dough out (it will be a bit sticky) into the pan and roll it out so that it evenly fills the pan.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then retard the dough for 5 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Now prepare the butter for the roll in. Take the pound of cold butter, wrap in parchment and beat senseless with a rolling pin. You want to create a pliable slab of butter half the size of your sheet pan so roughly 13" x 9". You also want a uniform thickness and no hard lumps or bumps in the butter. Hard butter can punch through the dough when rolling, messing up the lamination process. When the slab is ready, wrap the butter and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
Turn your sheet of dough out of the pan, it should be puffier and less sticky from the night in the fridge. Place the butter (if it is too hard, beat it up again before doing this step) on one half of the dough and fold the dough over. Pinch the dough around the butter to lock it in, make sure the edges of your slab are straight and the corners square.
Roll the slab back out to roughly 13" x 18". (Note: It is very important to keep the dough cold during lamination. On a hot day, I deal with this by tossing a large bag of ice onto my marble pastry slab and letting it chill. I do this between each step and it keeps the dough nice and cool. Using a chilled marble rolling pin is also useful.)
Preform a four fold on the dough, folding the two narrow sides to the center and then folding in half like a book.
Poke the dough to mark what step you're on (one dimple: first set of folds, two dimples: second set of folds...etc)
Wrap the slab in plastic to prevent it from drying out and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This process not only helps maintain the dough's temperature but allows the gluten to develop in such a way that it can withstand the punishment of lamination.
After 30 minutes, roll the dough back out to 13" x 18" and preform a 3 fold (like a men's wallet). Mark with two dimples and return to the the refrigerator and allow to chill for 30 more minutes.
Then preform the final three fold on the dough, wrap and return to the refrigerator for two hours.
When the two hours are up you can roll out the dough and prepare your croissants.
Roll the dough into a long rectangle (roughly 9 x 25"). For the next step I find using the wheel of a sharp pizza cutter is the best. Zig-zag the cutter over the dough creating triangles roughly 9" tall and 4" wide at the base.
Cut a 1" slit at the base of each triangle, gently stretch the points of the triangle and then roll them up on an un-floured surface. Using the heal of your hand to exert pressure and keep them tight. Place them seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and curve the sides inward to give them that crescent shape. Brush the croissants with egg wash (1 part egg, 1 part whole milk) and proof at 85°F/29°C until doubled in size.
After proofing, gently brush the croissants with egg wash again and bake at 375°F/191°C until well browned (Brown! Not pale gold or not golden brown. Brown), about 15-20 minutes.
Once cool, fanatically cut open all your croissants and examine the insides.
Considering the fact that I do not own an industrial dough sheeter, I think these turned out lovely. Moist, feathery interior, crisp buttery exterior. Dangerous little pastries.
Of course, not as dangerous as...
Pain au Chocolat (chocolate filled croissants)!
To do this, cut your dough into long rectangles. Place a chocolate baton at one end (or if just use chopped chocolate/chocolate chips because at this point, I was all out of batons after making 2 dozen croissants the day before) and roll the dough over it once it is completely inclosed, place a second baton down and roll the dough up completely.
Place the croissants seam side down on the baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Proof at 85°F/29°C until doubled in size.
After proofing, gently brush the croissants again with egg wash and bake at 375°F/191°C until well browned, about 15-20 minutes.


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1. luck - noun
· your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you); "whatever my fortune may be"; "deserved a better fate"; "has a happy lot"; "the luck of the Irish"; "a victim of circumstances"; "success that was her portion"
Synonym(s): fortune, destiny, fate, lot, circumstances, portion
Hypernym(s): condition
2. luck - noun
· an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance"
Synonym(s): fortune, chance, hazard
Hypernym(s): phenomenon
3. luck - noun
· an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that leads to a favorable outcome; "it was my good luck to be there"; "they say luck is a lady"; "it was as if fortune guided his hand"
Synonym(s): fortune
Hypernym(s): phenomenon
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Vince Vaughn Facts
16 Facts That Prove Vince Vaughn Is As Crazy As His 'True Detective' Character
If you've seen the past few weeks of True Detective, you know a few things about Vince Vaughn's character Frank Semyon. You know that he lost millions to corrupt city manager Ben Caspere. You know that a rat bit his finger once. You know that he has blue balls in his heart, but has never even had a fucking cavity. You know that the whole internet has been making fun of his ridiculous dialogue.
But how much do you know about Vince Vaughn himself, other than that he was in Wedding Crashers? Because it turns out that VV's real life contains only slightly fewer brawls, financial schemes, real estate deals, concealed weapons, failed projects, and ridiculous mobster lines than his True Detective life.
His mother was involved in a multimillion dollar fraud sting
Vaughn's mother Sharon was at one point one of the top money managers in the United States… until she fell for a scam that lost $23 million of her hedge fund's money and $2 million of her own. But then, in a development that would make for a more interesting movie than some of the ones her son has made, she collaborated with investigators and secretly taped conversations to help set up arrests, indictments, and the money's eventual recovery. (She still had to give up her investment industry license and pay $800,000, though).
Most of his family members also have V names
After marrying a man named Vernon Vaughn, Sharon decided that everyone in their family should have VV initials — not just Vince and his sisters Valeria and Victoria, but also all the family pets, including a chihuahua named Vanadis. Although they named their son Vernon, Vince and his wife broke the streak by calling their daughter Locklyn, a name that disqualifies her from the VV club but does qualify her to be a character in the next hit series of Young Adult Fiction books.
He makes land purchases in real life
Vaughn's True Detective character Frank Semyon has become notorious among viewers for his obsession with his investment in a scheme to buy real estate in central California. Well, it turns out Vaughn, like all great actors, is drawing from personal experience here. Just as any thespian may find the passion for an onscreen declaration of "I love you" by thinking of their real-life partner, when Vince urgently whispers "my land purchases" on-screen, he is undoubtedly thinking of his real land purchases: a penthouse and a townhouse in Chicago, and a swath of Illinois farmland.
Steve Buscemi was stabbed protecting him in a barfight
In April 2001, Buscemi and Vaughn were in North Carolina filming a movie called, fittingly, Domestic Disturbance. One night they and their screenwriter got into a bar brawl with two local men that led to Vaughn being arrested, Buscemi being stabbed in the head multiple times, and everybody being maced by the police. (The brawl was allegedly sparked by, what else, Vaughn talking to some guy's girlfriend.) Buscemi intervened in the fight and was stabbed, and once the fight was stopped as his attacker was being cuffed the others started fighting again, leading to the mass macing and Vaughn being booked. Vaughn emerged from the incident with this mugshot, and was later banned from bars in the state. Buscemi got out of the ER with minor injuries and went on to star in numerous films, several successful TV projects, and various memes about how he looks weird.
He was working on a Brady Bunch reboot
Vaughn was signed on to develop, executive produce and star in a Brady Bunch reboot/sequel in which he would play a grown-up, divorced Bobby Brady with a Bunch of his own. CBS took the project to script in summer 2012, but nothing materialized from it and the network has seemingly moved on to creating a Brady stage show instead.
He made a reality show with Glenn Beck
In 2012 Vaughn teamed with conservative TV personality/fellow Libertarian blowhard Glenn Beck to produce a reality show. The 2013 show, Pursuit of the Truth, featured aspiring documentary filmmakers pitching an eclectic array of proposals to get funding from Beck and Vaughn's respective production companies.
He loves Chicago and generously buys dinner for its enemies
A proud midwesterner and Chicagoan, Vaughn loves his city and especially his Blackhawks. During their latest Stanley Cup run Vaughn was a mainstay at their games and took on the role of city ambassador when he picked up the tab for a rival coach (the Tampa Bay Lightning's Jon Cooper) and his party of 19. It was apparently Cooper who initially tried to pay for Vaughn's dinner, but according to local news outlet WGN, Vince declared: "That's not how we roll in Chicago […] This is Chicago, my town. This is how we treat people. I got his check."
Spoken like a true business mobster and land purchaser.
He started out as a skinny, fast-talking ladies' man
In True Detective, Vince is a sunken-eyed, over-the-hill mobster given to long meandering soliloquies. And on the big screen, his vibe is usually that of a slouchy and sarcastic uncle.
But before he was "all growns up," Vince broke into the mainstream as a slick, motor-mouthed charmer in Swingers. And with that calling card he charmed his way to spots on Playgirl's sexiest man shortlist in '98, People's list in '05, and, most importantly, Rihanna's list in 2014.
He auditioned for Friends
Vince Vaughn and his close friend Jon Favreau were among the original auditionees for Friends (there are conflicting accounts of whether he read for Joey or Chandler). Though they didn't make the cast of the now-iconic sitcom, Favreau and Vaughn jump-started successful careers of their own when they made surprise hit Swingers in 1996. A decade later, Vaughn ended up dating his would-be co-star Jennifer Aniston; they got together, ironically, while filming The Break Up together.
He was Norman Bates in the ill-fated 90s remake of Psycho
With his career rolling after Swingers and Jurassic Park 2, Vaughn took on the role of villain Norman Bates in Gus Van Sant's shot-for-shot remake of classic Hitchcock thriller Psycho. After the film bombed critically and disappointed financially, VV retreated from movies for two years.
His movies haven't been profitable in half a decade
While Vaughn's post-Wedding Crashers glow led to a few holiday-themed moderate successes in the late 2000s (Fred Claus, 4 Christmases, Couples Retreat), for the past five years, Vaughn has been far from box-office gold. Based on the usual rule of thumb that a film has to double its production budget to be profitable, no major release starring Vaughn has been profitable since 2009. (Not surprising when you remember those films were The Dilemma, The Watch, The Internship, Delivery Man, and Unfinished Business.) Even VV himself lamented his string of "assembly-line comedies" in his recent British GQ interview, saying the decision to shift Internship from R to PG-13 partway through production "sucked the life right out."
He stars in a series of stock photos
A promo campaign for that last movie, Unfinished Business, created a series of workplace stock images featuring Vaughn, Franco, and co. You can find them here, if you're into that sort of thing.
He's a hardcore Libertarian
Vaughn has appeared at several Libertarian rallies supporting Rand Paul, and in a recent Playboy interview he detailed his libertarian political views. Vaughn believes that drugs should be legal, Edward Snowden should be praised, federal tax should be abolished, the Patriot Act should be repealed, and affirmative action is ~ the real racism ~. But his most contentious opinions were his thoughts on gun control.
He loves guns and believes they should be in schools
Earlier this year Vaughn sparked controversy when he told GQ that he believes mass shootings should be combatted by allowing guns in schools, saying that banning guns to stop violence is like banning forks to stop obesity. His position drew criticism, but personally I open-carry a fork everywhere I go in case a lunch tries to not be eaten by me, and I believe any citizen should be allowed to tote a semi-automatic fork that allows them to maw down dozens of meals in a matter of seconds.
He wanted to become a water polo player
Vaughn's childhood ambition was to be a water polo player. But in his late teens he hurt his back and lost part of his thumb, and doctors told him to give up the sport.
What his baby wants, his baby gets
If there's one thing you have to know about Vince Vaughn, it's that what baby wants, baby gets.
Do you want to acquire $7 million worth of poisoned central Californian land in order to flip it when a rail line project gets put through?
What baby wants, baby gets.
Do you want to carry your firearm into your children's school?
What baby wants, baby gets.
Do you want to read 16 facts about lanky mid-tier actor Vince Vaughn?
What baby wants, baby gets.


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TV Schedule for Miami Now includes Both Finals; ESPN3 to Deliver More Action from Every ATP World Tour Masters 1000 & 500 Event
ESPN and the ATP World Tour have finalized a long-term agreement that will expand coverage of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.; Sony Open Tennis in Miami; and the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals currently played in London. More than 44 hours will be aired, including, for the first time, both the women's and men's championships from the South Florida event. Also, more live action from every ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and 500 tournament will be on ESPN3 – totaling up to 1,200 hours annually.
"ESPN is thrilled to expand coverage of three of the biggest events outside the Major Championships – Indian Wells, Miami and the ATP World Tour season finale," said Jason Bernstein, ESPN senior director, programming & acquisitions who oversees both ESPN3 and ESPN's tennis business. "ESPN3 presents more live tennis action than any other U.S. outlet year-round, with multiple simultaneous matches available on broadband and via WatchESPN no matter where you are."
Mark Young, CEO ATP Americas and Chief Media Officer, said, "We're delighted to sign this extended agreement with ESPN, paving the way for even greater TV coverage and viewership in the US of our biggest events. ESPN is a terrific broadcast partner for the ATP and, with more fans tuning into ATP World Tour events than ever before, it's a very exciting time to be a part of the Tour."
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a 24/7 destination that delivers thousands of global sports events annually via WatchESPN. It is available to 85 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.
ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012. Exclusivity for the US Open in an 11-year agreement begins in 2015.
About the BNP Paribas Open
The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, offers more than $12,000,000 in prize money, and is the only event to provide the Hawkeye line challenge system on all match courts. In 2013, more than 380,000 people attended the event. Visit www.bnpparibasopen.com for more information, including tickets and hotel vacation packages Indian Wells Tennis Garden Box Office, 800-999-1585 or 760-200-8000, 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, CA, 92210.
About Sony Open Tennis
The 2014 Sony Open will be played March 17-30 at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Sony Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men's and women's tennis players in the world. The event's international fan base, exotic location, and celebrity appeal give it an energy and excitement unlike any other event on tour. In 2013 Andy Murray defeated David Ferrer for his second Sony Open title, while Serena Williams knocked off Maria Sharapova to capture her record sixth title in Miami. For ticket information, call (305) 442-3367 or visit the website at www.SonyOpenTennis.com.
About the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is the year-end climax to the men's professional tennis season, featuring only the world's best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams as they battle it out for the last title of the season. Players compete for Emirates ATP Rankings points throughout the season in a bid to earn one of the eight coveted berths and a chance to win the $1.92m prize money on offer for the winner. Played using a round-robin format, each player plays three matches as they compete for a berth in the knockout semi-finals and beyond. The prestigious tournament has been contested in major cities around the world with a rich history dating back to the birth of The Masters in 1970 in Tokyo. Since 2000 the event has taken place in cities such as Lisbon, Sydney, and Shanghai. In 2009 the tournament was moved to London, where it will be played through 2015.


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Whitehead Solitaire
Description: Overcome the solitaire blahs! Whitehead Solitaire looks like traditional klondike solitaire, but presents an interesting twist. All cards are dealt face-up, and you must build sequences of the same color. Sequences of cards can only be moved if they are all of the same suit. Cards are dealt 1 at a time from the stock pile, and you only have 1 run through the stock pile. Make it count when you play Whitehead Solitaire online.
Number of Times Played:2014


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The JFXtras project, located at JFXtras.org, provides UI controls and other Java objects that developers often need in their day-to-day work, but that are currently missing from JavaFX. This project also serves as a proving ground for controls that may some day make it into the official JavaFX distribution. The brief video below gives you an introduction to the JFXtras project, and demostrates the UI controls and gauges that are currently available.
Jim Weaver


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Is the time right for Slow Fashion?
The Slow Fashion/Slow Clothing movement is a patchwork of the old and the new. It borrows heavily from Slow Food ideas of knowing more about what you buy, finding out who produced it, and using that knowledge to buy quality and to make socially and environmentally responsible choices.
You'll find Slow Fashion on the gritty north side of Burlington, Vt., where men and women working on rented sewing machines make customized garments out of discarded clothes and fabrics. And in the fashion design studios of San Francisco, where "green" is the buzzword and high fashion is spun from recycled and organic materials. It also comes to the US from Bolivian villages high in the Andes mountains, where women knit sweaters made from the coats of free-range alpaca herds.
Slow Fashion can be your own customized dress reworked from one bought for $5 at Goodwill, or one of Miranda Caroligne's $700 handmade jackets crafted from clothing factory scraps.
Slow Clothing surfaced in 2006 as a spinoff of Slow Food, and has since evolved into a somewhat less homespun Slow Fashion movement embraced by rebellious clothing designers in the US and Europe. The phrase "Slow Clothing" appeared in a December 2006 essay by Sharon Astyk, a writer who lives on a small farm in upstate New York. Her essay, appearing in the online Groovy Green Magazine, outlined in forceful language a program of independence from the multibillion-dollar clothing industry and "its exploitation of poor people ... toxic pesticide use and the inhumane treatment of animals." Ms. Astyk challenged US households "to create a single outfit for every man, woman, and child that is homemade." Harking back to a simpler era, she also urged families to mend their clothes and buy fewer new ones.
"If we can radically reduce our clothing purchases, there will be no reason to buy cheaply made, imported, sweatshop clothing from Wal-Mart," she wrote. "We will be able to afford to purchase high- quality, environmentally sound clothing."
Astyk wasn't calling for anything radically new, but rather for a rebalancing of the old and new toward time-honored stitch-and-mend ways as opposed to a buy-and-throw-away ethic.
In fact, Astyk does knit socks for her family and is teaching her young sons basic sewing skills, but she admits that, up until now, this do-it-yourself approach has been a tough sell.
One intermediate step is to recycle clothing. "The older the better" is the motto at the Bobbin Sew Bar in Burlington, Vt., where you can buy recycled clothes stitched into new ones at reasonable prices, or rework them yourself on one of their vintage sewing machines, which can be rented for $8.50 an hour.
Another approach is taken by designer Miranda Caroligne, who specializes in "turning garbage into high fashion," as she puts it. She scavenges discarded fabric from clothing factories in the San Francisco Bay Area and transforms them into colorful outfits.
Ms. Caroligne's creations don't come cheap, and much of Slow Fashion can be pricey: An organic cotton dress at the Atomic Garden boutique in Oakland, Calif., runs around $200. A woman's top made from recycled men's shirts goes for $345 at Eco-Citizen in San Francisco, and a handmade alpaca sweater from Vermont-based Kusikuy is going to cost about $185.
But consumers can take comfort from the fact that the sweater was produced in a Bolivian village by a knitter paid three times that country's minimum wage, according to Kusikuy owner Tamara Stenn. She prides herself in paying her knitters a living wage and selling sweaters that last an average of 10 years.
Slow Fashion can be defined by what it is – durable, made from recycled or organic materials, and made by someone paid a "living wage." It is also sometimes defined by what it isn't. It's the opposite of what some refer to as "Fast Fashion" – the churning out of large quantities of clothing under intense time pressure and new fashion lines every two months produced by underpaid overseas laborers.
Not long ago, Ms. Stenn found herself and her knitters veering into the Fast Fashion lane as demand for the sweaters and other alpaca garments soared. She got caught up in a frantic schedule of trade shows and meetings with retailers all over the country. Her company was "losing its heart and soul," she felt, with stepped-up production schedules and stressed-out knitters.
So Stenn made the decision to slow down, to stop going to trade shows, and to cut back production by more than half. Now she feels she's back in touch with the true spirit of her company.
Kathie Sever of Austin, Texas, is another refugee from the world of Fast Fashion. She designed a line of children's clothing and soon found herself embroiled in an endless series of meetings with sales reps and 1,400-mile journeys to a clothing factory in Los Angeles – plus what she describes as an appalling "ton of waste" generated at the end of each clothing cycle.
Ms. Sever decided to walk away from all that, reconnect with her creative side, and indulge in a longtime "fetish" for Western, cowboy-style clothing. She's been comfortably situated in the Slow Fashion lane for 3-1/2 years now as the owner and sole employee of Ramonster, producing handmade, customized shirts and women's dresses. The shirts are definitely pricey, running $350 to $500, and featuring hand-embroidered images from the purchaser's life. One movie director proudly wears a Ramonster shirt featuring images from the classic John Wayne Western, "Rio Grande."
Sever offers a high-end alternative to the throwaway ethic: A customized $500 shirt isn't likely to end up in the landfill anytime soon, and not just because of the price. Sever's shirts have what fashion-industry people refer to as "emotional durability," a personal connection that makes it likely they'll not only remain in one's wardrobe but get passed on to the next generation.
The same can be true, of course, of something you make for yourself, or that a friend or relative makes for you. Homemade clothes may indeed work for some, but the broader goal of Slow Fashion is to get consumers to think more about what they buy.
Should we buy cruelty-free leather belts made from South American farm animals who died of natural causes, and handbags made from recycled candy wrappers by juvenile delinquents in Mexico, or the same items made with less ethical content but shipped a shorter distance? A sweatshirt made of organic cotton or of recycled soda pop bottles?
Slow Fashion says: Let the debate and discussion begin.


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– Press release from Dr. Richard Johnson, Inyo and Mono counties Health Officer:
As you undoubtedly know, smoke from the Aspen Fire on the western side of the Sierras continues to affect the air quality in Inyo and Mono County. Latest reports show the fire at 11,000 acres, with projected growth of the fire and consequent smoke to continue for a prolonged period of time due to the fact that the fire is not threatening lives or structures, and is in relatively inaccessible terrain.
This morning, the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) issued a Stage 1 Health Advisory for Mammoth Lakes and Southern Mono County, as hourly pollution levels exceeded the threshold for an alert for the first time. Over the last 12 hours, particulate pollution levels reported from monitoring equipment in Mammoth Lakes have been in the "unhealthy" range, while in Bishop and the Mono Lake area they have been in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" range.
What does this mean for you?
– You can expect increased respiratory symptoms (e.g., watery and itchy eyes, congestion, sore throat, cough), and if you have any heart or lung disease, including asthma, are elderly, are very young, or are pregnant, you can expect worsening of your symptoms or condition. Local clinics are reporting an increase in all of the above in both visitors and residents.
– People with heart or lung disease (including asthma), the elderly, children, and pregnant women should AVOID prolonged or heavy exertion. The general public should limit prolonged or heavy exertion as much as possible.
– You should stay indoors, with windows and doors closed tightly. Turn the A/C onto re-circulate, or use ceiling or portable fans, but not anything that sucks outside air into the home.
– Avoid tobacco smoke, frying or broiling foods, burning candles, vacuuming, and using paints, solvents, cleaning products, and adhesives indoors.
– Keep a good supply of medication available, and have a supply of non-perishable groceries that do not require cooking.
– Keep your airways moist by drinking plenty of water. Masks will not work to filter out the small articles.
– If you have symptoms of lung or heart disease that may be related to excess smoke exposure, including repeated coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea or unusual fatigue or lightheadedness, CONTACT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
Some additional considerations:
– If you are in a high-risk group and sensitive to the effects of smoke, with ongoing symptoms, you may want to consider along with your healthcare provider the option of leaving the area for a week or two, allowing your symptoms to improve while the smoke clears.
– Please remember to check on any of your friends, neighbors, or family that may be more vulnerable to the effects of smoke, and may need assistance in some way from someone like yourself who is blessed with more resources.
– If you think you may need assistance, don't hesitate or be afraid to reach out to those who are available to help you. It's always best to have your communication links established before you actually are in crisis and need help!
The GBUAPCD and the Health Department will continue to monitor the air quality situation and provide updates to this advisory as needed.
For additional information, go to:
Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District:
Incident Information System:
http://www.inciweb.org/0/, scroll to the "Aspen Fire"


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- All Gear4 cases are designed to withstand drops from up to 3 meters high and are drop-test certified to meet military standards (MIL STD 810G-516.6).
- D3O is a patented material proven to deliver superior impact protection through advanced shock absorption. D3O is used by the military and medical field as well as in workwear, sports apparel, motorcycle apparel and footwear.
Model Number: G96020464002
Item Specifications
Brand New
Brand new item in unopened retail packaging. Backed by our no hassle, free 30-days return policy.
Open Box
Like New Device in perfect working and cosmetic condition. Retail packaging will be missing, worn, or previously opened. Backed by our no hassle, free 30-days return policy and a 90 day warranty against any manufacturer defects.
Devices have passed all functional tests performed and may exhibit some minor cosmetic blemishes. Backed by our no hassle, free 30-days return policy and a 90 day warranty against and manufacturer defects.
Very Good
Devices have passed all functional tests performed. They will exhibit more noticeable cosmetic blemishes. Backed by our no hassle, free 30-days return policy and a 90 day warranty against and manufacturer defects.
To thank you and show our appreciation for your service, we've partnered with GovX to offer a discount on our store!
This offer is eligible for:
- Current & former U.S. military
- Military spouses & dependents
- First responders including law enforcement, fire, and EMS
- Federal, state, and local government employees
How it works:
- Click the button to claim your discount and you'll be asked to verify your affiliation with GovX ID. Verification is real-time and secure. If you already have a GovX ID account, just log in!
- After you verify, you'll receive a single-use discount code to apply at checkout. Be sure to copy your code.
- For future purchases, simply log in with your GovX ID to unlock a new discount code.
- There is a limit of one discount code per day.
Payment & Security
Payment methods
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


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Designing with Breezway Louvres
Modern Louvres
Breezway Louvre Windows offer a number of advantages over other window types.
- The amount of airflow through the window can be precisely controlled.
- Breezes can be captured no matter which direction the wind is blowing.
- Louvres can be left open in gentle rain.
- Louvres do not project far beyond the surrounding wall so do not impede paths of travel.
- Ideal for internal windows to further cool and refresh the building.
- Louvres can be cleaned from the inside of the building (a big advantage in multi-floor buildings).
Fixed Window
Sliding Window
Awning Window
Altair Louvre Window
Why AltairTM Louvre Windows?
Breezway is at the forefront of Window Design
Patented Design
Clever and unique patented design.
Extensive Testing
Extensive testing in a NATA certified laboratory validates high wind and water performance.
Non-corrosive materials are durable and suited to the harsh Asian climate.
Wider Spans
Wider spans allow uninterrupted outdoor views.
Experienced local support available.
Widest range of customising options including screening and security options.
Multiple framing systems available or componentry for other frames.
Sold through highly respected window and door distributors.
Award winning Altair Powerlouvre Window.
Breezway Louvres have been incorporated into a number of award winning residential and commercial projects.
Ideas Gallery
Browse our Gallery for ideas on applying Louvre Windows into different applications in your next project.
Breezway has a collection of inspiring videos and tv commercials that showcase our projects and various product applications.
A selection of brochures and flyers are available from Breezway or order a hard copy via firstname.lastname@example.com
Product Selection Guide
Visit out Product Selection Guide Page and simply follow the easy step-by-step instructions to customise your Altair Louvre Window design.
Once complete, hit the submit button and your Altair Louvre check list will be created so you can easily print this out or forward it onto your Architect, Builder, or Breezway Window Distributor to discuss in more detail.
Where to view/buy
Breezway has many locations available to view our Altair Louvre Windows on display including showrooms, display homes or display centres around the country.
Our Altair Louvres are available from a network of highly qualified window distributors.
To locate your closest Breezway Louvre display, simply call us on +60 3 3291 4885 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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It is still inexplicable to me why Republicans should violate their pledge against passing an Omnibus, in order to meet an artificial deadline set by those who never passed a budget.
Democrats were too incompetent to pass a budget, even while they controlled all branches of government, thereby creating a need to pass the budget through a series of continuing resolutions. Now that Republicans control the House, and have a real budget on the table, Democrats have conveniently become disdainful of CRs. They have also undergone a cathartic conversion to meeting budget deadlines.
At this point, the big-government statists in both parties know that the only way for conservatives to fight for any semblance of the House budget – both in terms of spending levels and policy riders – is to drag out the process beyond December 16. Conservatives would be able to force Senate Democrats to pass the remaining nine spending bills one at a time. This would give House conservatives the leverage to amend each bill and force Democrats into defending embarrassing spending bills, which fund unpopular laws and agencies, on nine separate occasions. In plain English, this is exactly how the budget process is supposed to work, pursuant to the 1974 Budget Act.
"Oh, but it is already so late in the year," cries Democrats, and oddly, Republican leaders. Well, dummies, whose fault is that? We passed our budget on time. Now you want to come in late and subvert the process under the guise of budget tardiness?
Instead, Democrats want to bundle the nine spending bills into an omnibus megabus (no, we're not referring to the intercity bus service), and wash their hands of the FY 2012 budget process by December 16, when the current CR expires. This will allow them to suffer just one unpopular vote. Also, CRs would approriate less funding than an Omnibus for agencies like the EPA. More importantly, it will enable them to circumvent the House conservatives, and vitiate all of their policy riders, most notably, the ones defunding Obamacare. The conference committee is convening today (you can see the list of conferees here, and formulate your own opinion).
If you want to know why Democrats are taking this approach, here are the problems with the megabus bill:
1) Process: Republicans will be forced to throw their pledge to America under the megabus. They promised not to pass bundled appropriations bills. Moreover, this impending bill will be worse than a regular omnibus. Republican appropriators have agreed to use a bill that has already passed both houses (MilCon-VA) as a vehicle to send the megabus straight to conference. At that point, the bipartisan statists will control the entire process, and force House Republicans to vote up-or-down on the entire budget without any amendments.
2) Spending Totals: Not only will this bill completely nullify the House-passed budget – the only budget on the table – it will appropriate more money for FY 2012 than FY 2011. In other words, there will be no real cuts. Even though the Budget Control Act capped total discretionary budget authority at $1.043 trillion (down from $1.0497 in 2011), this infinitesimal cut will be cancelled out by up to $11 billion in emergency disaster spending, which is not subject to the spending caps. Also, once we account for the $11 billion cut in base-budget defense spending, it turns out that some non-defense expenditures will actually increase. In addition, mandatory spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the budget, will continue to increase.
3) Obamacare: The House version of the HHS-Labor bill will deny all funding to execute Obamacare programs. Also, the Financial Services bill contains two provisions barring the IRS from implementing Obamacare. The first would block certain transfers of money from HHS to the IRS related to implementation of Obamacare. The second provision would prohibit the IRS from using funds provided through the bill to verify that individuals have health care coverage and impose penalties on those who do not. The megabus will strip out these provisions.
4) Other Policy Rider: The Labor approps bill funds many malignant labor policies of the NLRB. The HHS bill funds abortion. The Interior- Environment bill funds many menacing EPA policies. The Financial Services bill funds Dodd-Frank. The Senate State-Ops bill funds the Palestinians and the UN. The list goes on and on. Obviously, we understand that we will not win on every policy rider. But we must not sell out on the major issues, such as Obamacare and the EPA, in place of some vapid, inconsequential gesture to gun owners or the pro-life lobby. Believe me; the appropriators will not willingly agree to a consequential pro-life rider, such as defunding Planned Parenthood. This is why we need to fight these issues one-by-one, bill-by-bill.
So why would Republican leaders and appropriators offer the Democrats all these gratuitous political and policy gifts?
Taking them by their word, they seem to be concerned about taking up more valuable legislative time with appropriations. They just want to get it over with.
But why abandon the biggest Democrat liability and treat it as if it's a Republican liability? Republicans always complain that they can't get anything done because they only control one-half of… Well, duh? They lack the ability to pass good legislation, but they still have the power to block pernicious legislation. To that end, why are they abrogating their pledge to block bad legislation in order to save time for other legislative work that won't pass? They should spend the entire session forcing Democrats to defend Obamacare. Why are we bailing them out from their biggest debt with the voting public? Why are Republicans in a rush to move on from issues that embarrass Democrats?
Republicans should pass a stand-alone Labor-HHS appropriations bill defunding Obamacare and make the Democrats defend their efforts to reinstate that funding. Pass another separate Financial Services bill, which cuts off the IRS's ability to enforce the individual mandate. Let Democrats defend their efforts on behalf of Obamacare once again. We will continue the narrative about Obamacare from a position of strength, instead of allowing Obama to change the subject to issues he views as more favorable.
It would be nice to know how the capitulations on policy are politically advantageous for Republicans. Then again, they are called the stupid party for a reason.


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Contact Information
Pre-professional Programs at NMU
Northern Michigan University provides pre-professional programs of study developed to prepare students with specific professional goals to meet the admission qualifications of other colleges and universities. Some professional schools require students to complete a baccalaureate degree prior to admission. In these cases students may elect to enter one of NMU's degree programs while still receiving advising toward one of the pre-professional programs. Other professional schools require that students transfer to them to complete their baccalaureate degree. Information about each of the pre-professional programs can be obtained from the administrative and advising school or department listed below.
Bulletin Year: 2023 - 2024 Undergraduate Bulletin


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Michigan residents in a federal food program are being denied purchases with their debit-style cards because of technical problems.
Dave Akerly, a spokesman for the state Department of Human Services, says it's a problem Saturday between retailers and Xerox, the company that provides high-tech services. The glitch extends beyond Michigan to at least 16 other states.
The federal program is commonly known as food stamps, although transactions are performed electronically in Michigan with a card called the Bridge Card. Xerox is telling retailers to record sales by hand if possible.
At Metro Foodland in Detroit, manager Charlonda Love says the store has been empty because most customers use the card.


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After bringing Africa's black rhinos spectacularly back from the brink of extinction one of the world's most successful conservation programmes is to celebrate its first decade by seeking to extend its operations to more of Africa.
Representatives of the governments of Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia are expected to join in WWF's African Rhino Programme (ARP) 10th anniversary celebration in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, today. They will join government and wildlife representatives, community representatives and eco-tourism operators from the current ARP participating States of in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
"What we have shown is that in partnership with governments and communities and business it is possible to stave off extinction for the rhino in some of its former range," said WWF International's Species Programme Director Dr Susan Lieberman. "The task now is to secure a future for the rhino in the rest of its range, where threats from poaching and development urgently need to be addressed."
Africa's savannas once teemed with more than a million white and black rhinos. However, relentless hunting by European settlers saw rhino numbers and distribution quickly decline. The southern white rhino was close to extinction by the late 19th century but concerted conservation efforts by KwaZulu Natal and others has led to a significantly larger population.
Added to hunting and habitat loss, trade in rhino horn peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, when huge quantities were shipped to the lucrative markets of the Middle East and Asia.
Responding to the crisis, both species of African rhino were listed in 1977 in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibited all international trade of rhino parts and products. Despite this international legal protection, the black rhino population at its lowest point dipped to 2,400 in 1995.
In 1997, there were 8,466 white rhinos and 2,599 black rhinos remaining in the wild. Today, there are 14,500 white rhinos and nearly 4,000 of the more endangered black rhinos.
Today, most of Africa's black rhinos are found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe, where the species' decline has been stopped through effective security monitoring, better biological management, wildlife-based tourism and extensive assistance to enable communities to benefit from rather than be in conflict with wildlife.
According to the African Rhino Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Africa's white and black rhino numbers have shown annual growth rates of 6.8 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively, since 1995.
"What we know from looking back at the last ten years is that sustained conservation can and does work," says George Kampamba, WWF International's African Rhino Programme Coordinator.
Although WWF has worked on Rhino conservation throughout its 45-year history, the ARP was notable for its overall approach. Working through field projects, it combined action at every level from local communities to global policy.
One striking, if unanticipated, indicator of the success of the programme is that land prices immediately increase in areas where rhinos are re-introduced through a range expansion program. The ARP, which has had experience reintroducing rhinos to national parks, also passed a milestone last year when a KwaZulu Natal community received black rhinos for community-owned land dedicated to wildlife and ecotourism uses.
"Rhino conservation in Africa is going from strength to strength," said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF's Global Species Programme. "But poaching, illegal trade, and unplanned development remain significant problems across the rhinos' range and there is no room for complacency."
In celebration of a decade of rhino conservation, WWF honoured six leaders as "rhino champions" today at Pongola Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal. "These rhino champions have made extraordinary contributions to rhino conservation," Dr Lieberman said.
The champions are:.
Emmanuel-Cebo Gumbi (known as "Nathi Gumbi") director Somkhanda Game Reserve and member of the Gumbi royal family
Kevin John Pretorius, regional director for Phinda Game Reserve
Clive Vivier, owner Leopold Mountain Game Reserve
Manfred Kohrs, former chairman Pongola Game Reserve Association
Dr Jacques Flammand, project leader WWF/Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Black Rhino Range Expansion Project.
Taye Teferi, conservation director of WWF's East Africa Regional Program
Jackson Kamwi, Senior Rhino Monitor at the Lowveld Conservancy Project, Zimbabwe


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Show All Answers
Your master water shut-off valve should be located where the water line enters your house. When shut off, it turns off the water to the entire house. The valve will be located indoors, along the perimeter of the house, on the side facing the street.
If you're unable to find it on your own, you can also check your property inspection report, which was completed when you purchased the home.
Finally, if it's an emergency and you are unable to locate the valve, please contact us and we can help shut-off the water from the curb-stop that attaches your service line to the main line in the street.
Some meters are located inside the home and some are located near the street. If you're doing work and need to locate your meter, please contact 811 and make a request.
Normal residential water pressure is between 50 and 75 pounds per square inch (psi). Anything above 80 psi can cause leaks in clothes washers, faucets, toilets, bathtubs and exterior hose bibs. We recommend approximately 60 psi
You can test your water's psi with a simple gauge you can buy at most hardware stores. If the pressure is too high, contact a licensed plumber to determine if a pressure regulator may help.
There are a few steps we recommend that you take each winter to protect your pipes from the cold:
In extreme weather you may also want to run a small trickle of water from faucet.
If your pipes do freeze, you can attempt to thaw them yourself using a hair dryer or portable space heater and running it along the pipe. Do NOT attempt to thaw them using an open flame.
Everything that is flushed, run through the garbage disposal or dumped enters the wastewater system. By doing a few simple things to protect your pipes, you can protect yourself, your family and the overall system from big problems down the road.
To avoid back-ups into your home, we recommend:
Our employees will never ask to enter your home unless we've already scheduled a service appointment with you in advance. Any field service employee will be wearing a PWSD lanyard, apparel with our logo on it and driving an official PWSD vehicle.
We will require someone over the age of 18 to be present.
If you have concerns you can also call us at 303-841-4627.


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Last week, completely out of nowhere and without much thinking, I started making a Trip Around the World quilt. It was all so sudden, I just kind of looked at the enormous "stash" of scraps threatening to take over my studio and started cutting. Yes, I definitely need to work on my impulse control as I had neither time nor any need for this quilt :(.
At least I stopped myself after nine blocks, just enough for a baby quilt.
I used Bonnie Hunter's very popular tutorial to make my blocks and I absolutely loved how fun and relaxed it was to piece them.
I decided to tie the quilt as all these colors and pattern reminded me of vintage quilts and I thought
little white ties in the middle of each square would make it look pretty charming.
Of course I totally underestimated how many little knots I'd have to make and my poor fingers were sore for days. I still think it was worth it though :).
finished size: 36" square
fabrics used: different scraps from my stash
batting: Warm and White


text: J.Valdi™ is a designer swimwear brand. Its fashionable cover-ups have made a name for themselves. With plunging v-necklines, soft lace details, and intricate prints, these tops have been popping up on beaches everywhere. From dresses to tunics to cover ups, J.Valdi has everything you need to feel comfortable while relaxing at the beach or by the pool.


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Md. Episcopal Church Becomes First to Join Catholic Church
An Episcopal church in Maryland will be the first in the nation to join the Roman Catholic Church, both church groups announced Monday.
Both the members and pastor of St. Luke's Episcopal parish in Bladensburg, Md., will be converting to Catholicism under a process set up by the Vatican to bring disaffected Episcopalians and Anglicans into its fold.
St. Luke's, a small congregation of about 100, will come under the care of the Archdiocese of Washington until an ordinate is established in the United States.
"My decision to seek reception in the Personal Ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church was not influenced so much by a desire to leave Anglicanism as it was to enter into full communion with the Holy See of Peter," the Rev. Mark W. Lewis, rector of St. Luke's Parish, said in a statement.
For several years, The Episcopal Church – the U.S. member of the Anglican Communion – has been consecrating women clergy and openly homosexual bishops.
Lewis indicated those issues alone are not what led St.Luke's to leave Anglicanism, but rather it was a desire for a more defined religious authority.
"The theological issues that are being debated within The Episcopal Church, and indeed all of Anglicanism are not of themselves my reasoning for seeking reception into an Ordinariate," said Lewis. "They have, however, illumined a more significant issue in Anglicanism, namely that of lacking the Apostolic authority to defend the faith, guard unity, and settle disputes."
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who oversees the Catholic Archbishop of Washington, said in a statement that the diocese will "welcome St. Luke parishioners warmly into our family of faith."
Lewis was ordained an Episcopal priest in 2001 and became rector of St. Luke's in 2006. Even though he is married, a "pastoral provision" established by Pope John Paul II in 1980 will provide a way for Lewis to become an ordained Catholic priest.
During the transition period, Lewis will continue to be the pastoral leader of the church. He will be assisted by Father Scott Hurd, a former Episcopal priest who was ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Washington, who will serve as chaplain.
Parishioners of St. Luke's must also undergo a formation process before being able to join the Catholic Church. The conversion process is expected to be finalized later this year.
Bishop John Bryson Chane of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington has supported St. Luke's decision, allowing the members to worship in their church building under a lease agreement that allows them to purchase it.
The Vatican issued an apostolic constitution called Anglicanorum coetibus in November 2009 that would authorize the creation of "ordinariates," which allows Anglican parishes to enter into "full communion" with the Catholic Church while retaining elements of the Anglican heritage and liturgical practices. Pope Benedict XVI made the provision after receiving numerous requests from Anglicans who were discontent with the liberal direction of the global Anglican body.
The first ordinariate was established in England in January 2011.


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UIA upgrades the Buy on Board meal concept
Ukraine International Airlines upgrade the Buy on Board meal concept. Effective November 5, 2015, UIA passengers are provided with an opportunity to take advantage of the Preordered Meal service. Meals can be ordered and purchased on UIA website, at UIA ticket offices and the carrier`s Contact Center.
UIA constantly works upon upgrading passenger service. Thus, Economy Class passengers are offered to preorder meals no less than 72 hours prior to scheduled departure and select their on-board breakfast, lunch or dinner menu making their trips with Ukraine International even more enjoyable.
To preorder onboard meal a passenger should fill in the form on UIA website, contact an agent at a UIA ticket office or contact the carrier`s Contact Center. Apart from the Preordered Meal menu passengers are offered to make their choice out of Vegetarian, Children`s, Muslim or Kosher meals.
Preordered Meal Service is available in Economy class on the following UIA flights (both inbound and outbound): Kyiv ↔ Amsterdam, London, Paris, Brussels, Helsinki, Stockholm, Vilnius, Riga, Rome, Milan, Larnaca, Athens, Dubai, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Zurich, Geneva, Kutaisi, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Warsaw, Prague, Wien, Minsk, Chisinau, Madrid, Lisbon, and Barcelona.
"Introducing the Buy on Board meal concept, we announced our plans to offer the Preordered Meal service enjoying great popularity within passengers worldwide, – noted Evgeniya Satska, UIA Corporate Press Secretary. – We are glad to have found smart catering solutions and offered our passengers an opportunity to preorder onboard meals. All courses are cooked to original Do&Co Gourmet recipes. We believe every passenger will find a course to suit his fancy".
Today the Buy on Board meal concept is introduced on most international medium-haul scheduled flights. Complimentary in-flight meals are still available in Business class as well as on long-haul flights.
Detailed information on Preordered Meal service is available on the UIA website .


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INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts have acquired fullback Stanley Havili in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for defensive end Clifton Geathers.
Free-agent tracker
NFL free agency is underway. Follow all of the latest player rumors and signings in our free-agent tracker. More...
The 6-foot, 245-pound Havili gives the Colts their first true fullback in years and should help the new offense under first-year coordinator Pep Hamilton.
Havili was Eagles' seventh-round draft pick in 2011 and had six rushes for 22 yards and one TD in 15 games with the team. Geathers had five tackles and his first career sack with Indianapolis last season after being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster Oct. 9.
Indy also says Jeff Linkenbach, a restricted free agent, signed his qualifying offer. He has played in all 48 regular-season games since the Colts signed him in 2010.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press


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As more and more "old board people" come back to the boards and are posting again on the GD (Ken, rick etc), and with URL=http://www.cprogramming.com/cboard/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=19]a History of CP.com[/URL] the I've started to wonder what happened to the board.
It used to be that 60% of the topics on the GD had nothing to do with computers. There were debates about current events, books, games, heck even philosiphy every once and a while. Now the boad is much queiter and everything is about computers...it's almost depressing that we're just concentrating on work now. I wonder why.


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As I promised last week, here are my favorite books of 2017. As a quick disclaimer, these books may not all be 2017 releases but I did read them in 2017. Currently, I am wrapping up my 250th book of 2017 by finishing up The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which is my public library's classic book club pick. I'm glad I joined this club because I don't think I would have lasted this long with Brothers K without any support. It is very dense and difficult book but there are lots of things to discuss. Without further ado, here are my favorite books of 2017 ranked according to the interest level.
Favorite Adult Book
I read a quite a few adult titles that I enjoyed in 2017, but none of them really made a lasting impression other than Katherine Arden's debut fantasy novel, The Bear and the Nightingale. The writing is exquisite and the characters are definitely memorable especially the main female protagonist, Vasilisa, who is unapologetically herself. I can not wait to continue her adventures in this fabulous series.
Favorite Children/Middle Grade Books
I always try to fit in some children and middle grade reads into my yearly reading challenge. This year I read quite a few that I loved.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill was the Newbery Award winner of 2016 and I am so glad I made time to read this book. It is an original fairy tale woven with a story on love, family, and friendship. It was very easy to get lost in this book.
Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins is an adorable and humorous picture book featuring a curmudgeon bear who becomes the unlikely parent to a flock of geese.
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt is a very slim book that caught me by surprise. I was not prepared for the emotional punches this book contained. It is very reserved where the unspoken holds more power than what is written down. It is my favorite book on the Caudill book list of 2017.
Refugee by Alan Gratz is a very timely book that will help young readers understand the various reasons people leave their countries in search of a better life. I will be reviewing this book shortly.
Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail is a book that took me by surprise. It is a modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac featuring a diverse cast of tween characters. I loved the adaptation and the strong focus on friendship. The cute romance is an additional bonus.
Favorite YA Books
Young Adult books dominate my reading pile because I work for teens as a high school librarian and I thoroughly enjoy reading and recommending them. This year I seem to have really enjoyed reading realistic/contemporary fiction the most with a smattering of historical fiction and fantasy.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han is the perfect conclusion to one of my favorite contemporary romance series. Lara Jean has grown from an awkward, shy, homebody teen to a girl who confidently makes her own decisions. If you haven't read any of Jenny Han's books and have been meaning to, I highly recommend To All the Boys I Loved Before series. I will be reviewing this one shortly.
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennet is a wonderful, summer contemporary romance that I could not stop reading. I am a big movie fan so when I heard this book features a cinephile and a You Got Mail romance, I had to read it. It has a fabulous cast of diverse characters and it did not disappoint at all. I will be reviewing this one shortly.
Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios is a heart wrenching novel about an uhealthy relationship. Written from the point of view of a teen who finally got out of an abusive relationship, this is a raw and candid novel that teens and adults should both read.
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo finishes an excellent YA fantasy duology that features a diverse cast of misfits who succeed to do the impossible. It has incredible world building, plot twists, and writing that will completely capture your attention.
History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera is a bittersweet tale of love and loss. If you are looking for an emotionally cathartic read, pick this up. It left me with lumps in my throat for much of this book.
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer is much more than your typical teen romance with a You Got Mail premise. It is a story of two teens who must forgive others and themselves. Yes, there is angst but there are also wonderful, flawed, three dimensional characters that you want to embrace. I can not wait to read its companion novel, More Than We Can Tell, which releases in March 2018.
Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung is an underrated gem of a book that struck a strong chord within me. It continues to stay with me long after I finished it. I really wish more people would read this book.
Now I Rise by Kiersten White is the second book in the Conqueror's Saga series that went beyond my expectations. Now I Rise shows the best, worst, and nuanced side of human nature. The complex politics and drive for power allow great and good people to commit terrible acts. The book is bursting with diversity in its multi-ethnic cast, strong LGBTQ representation, and wide range of religious diversity.
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon is the first book in 2017 that I read in one sitting. It is an incredibly sweet romantic comedy that wonderfully explores the Indian culture. I think it would make an excellent movie and I can wait to read more from this author.
Favorite Graphic Novels/Manga
Orange by Ichigo Takano is a manga that does a terrific job depicting mental illness and the power of great friendships. Though you have to suspend your disbelief a bit on the time traveling aspect which I didn't really quite understand, it is the characters and their interactions that make this manga series shine.
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui is an eye opening graphic novel memoir that explores the immigrant experience as well as one family's ordeal in the Vietnam War.
Honorable Mentions
The following books are the ones that left a lasting impression on me that I would also highly recommend reading:
Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Grace Honeyman
Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie


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Emma Watson at the London premiere of OoTP this afternoon. Cute blue cocktail, very age appropriate and she doesn't look like a proper skank 10 years older. How refreshing.
When I interviewed her she mentioned she was attending fitting after fitting and had a boatload of clothes on the go for "publicity". She said much of it was going to be "sparkly" – it was adorable. And she is adorable. And gorgeous. SO gorgeous. Am obsessed with the nose. Now that is a perfect nose.
What else is great about Emma? Note that she isn't rockin' the hardcore pose. At her age, Lindsay Lohan was already a master. But Emma? Somehow I can't see her spending hours in front a mirror workin' her angles. Not my girl…
Also attached – the three of them posing together and matching too. Dan's eager beaver smile kills me.
As for the movie, I'm telling you…see it. If you are a fan of the books, it is worth it. It is worth it to go and startle yourself with how…PROUD you feel of the three of them. When Harry kicks some Dementor ass, when Ron is the best friend all boy's should have, when they fight together and laugh together, when friendship is what sets him apart from his destined enemy, when love saves his soul – f&ck I'm crying again just thinking of it. I loved every second. And I especially loved this line:
No Professor, I must not tell lies.
Total nerd moment but it's a fist pumper. Promise.
Oh but wait…now I've built it up too much. Sorry. Go in thinking it sucks. Then let's discuss…


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Lewis Hamilton goes into the final round of 2008 knowing that he has the car to win the race – and that he only needs fifth place to guarantee the world championship and a place in the F1 history books.
Nothing in F1 is ever as simple as that, but there are several reasons why Hamilton should expect his McLaren to be more competitive at Interlagos than it was last year. So, how can Felipe Massa stop him winning the title?
Hamilton's speed
At Shanghai McLaren – make that Hamilton – were ultra-quick, and Ferrari looked a bit lost. it wasn't even that the race weekend was especially cold, the kind of conditions where McLaren have thrived and Ferrari have struggled this year – it just seems as though the MP4/23 has the edge on the F2008 right now.
Last year the combination of a new surface at Interlagos, exceptionally hot weather and soft tyres caused problems for the teams.
This year the surface is not such an unknown quantity, the weather is likely to be cooler, and the tyre choices are one step harder: medium and soft instead of soft and super-soft. This is more good news for McLaren.
The team is bringing a final development package for the MP4/23 to the final race including a revised rear wing. Paul di Resta tested the car at Silverstone last week.
The biggest potential weakness for Hamilton could be reliability. He hasn't retired due to a car failure all year – or last year for that matter – but team mate Heikki Kovalainen has had two engine failures. Hamilton is no longer allowed to make a free engine change without a penalty under the rules as this is the last race of the season.
Massa's support
Massa already enjoys huge support from his home fans, but with a championship up for grabs he can expect an immense reception. Who knows, maybe it could even be all too much?
Apart from Istanbul, nowhere is Massa stronger than he has been at Interlagos. But he needs to be on form, because Kimi Raikkonen has been getting the better of him in recent races.
As we saw at Shanghai, Raikkonen will do what he has to to support Massa. How can Ferrari use him best at Interlagos? By fuelling him light and trying to disrupt Hamilton's race? Or keeping him on an optimum strategy to increase his chances of taking the lead at the pit stops and controlling the race from there?
Whichever, it's a luxury Hamilton seems not to have – Kovalainen hasn't been in a position to hep him this year, apart from scampering out of the way at the Hockenheimring.
Massa can also rely on some help – though perhaps not too much – from Fernando Alonso. He's been turning the psychological screw on Hamilton and admitted he gave Massa space at the start at Shanghai. But don't expect Alonso to be so charitable if he finds himself defending a potential win from Massa…
The random element
Interlagos is not a flat, pristine, tailor-built Tilkedrome. It's short, making traffic more of a problem, especially in the sinuous middle sector. The first sequence of corners could hardly have been better designed provoke first-lap incidents.
It's the kind of venue where the unpredictable happens: rain falls in heavy bursts without warning ('93), back-markers and race leaders tangle ('90, '01), mystery glitches hit McLarens and then vanish ('99, '07). And it's not as if Massa and Hamilton have had clean, error-free seasons…
Hamilton has the car to win. But Massa is surrounded by allies on and off the track. It might look easy for Hamilton on paper, but on Sunday it will be anything but that.
More information about the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix


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Applied Mathematics
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Applied Mathematics is the branch of mathematics which deals with applications of mathematics to the real world problems, often from problems stemming from the fields of engineering or theoretical physics. It is differentiated from Pure Mathematics, which deals with more abstract problems. There is also something called Applicable Mathematics, which deals with real world problems which need the techniques and mindset usually used in Pure Mathematics. These distinctions do not really become apparent during school level mathematics.
Topics in Applied Mathematics[edit | edit source]
- Fluid Dynamics: the mathematics of fluid flow
- Quantum Mechanics applied to Engineering and Computer Science problems
- Numerical Calculus
- Error calculations
- Solving Linear Equations numerically
- Special methods for solving of Linear Equations
- Numerical Methods of solving Differential Equations
- Optimization
- Fluid Dynamics
- Numerical Calculus
- Theory of The Fourier Transform and Its Applications
- The Basics of Theory of The Fourier Transform
- Fourier Series
- General Fourier Transform
- Fourier Sine Series
- Fourier Cosine Series
- Fourier Integral Transforms
- Parseval's Theorem
- Signal Processing and Analysis
- Quantum Theory
- Bessel Functions
- Laplace Transforms
- Complex Integration
- Linear Algebra
- The Basics
- Leontif Input-Output Model
- Markov Chains
- Finding Eigenvalues
- Orthogonalization and Normalization
- Least Squares Fit
- Finding Inverses
- Hermitian Matrices
- Singular Value Decomposition
- Calculus of Variations
- Vector Calculus
- Mathematics applied to problems in Physics
- General and Special Relativity
- Quantum Mechanics
- The State Equation
- Appendices
- Appendix A: Historical overview
- Appendix B: Applied Mathematics and Computer Science
- Appendix C: Applied Mathematics and Physics
This book is an undeveloped draft or outline. You can help to develop the work, or you can ask for assistance in the project room. |


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Mobile and social study platform, StudyBlue today announced the launch of its annual teacher appreciation program "Thank a Teacher a Latte." As the largest digital library of peer-sourced study materials, StudyBlue is inviting students, parents and industry leaders nationwide to join in building a virtual Wall of Thanks to give back to the educators who have made a difference in their lives.
The 2013 Thank a Teacher a Latte program is open to everyone, including students, former students and parents. In addition, any teacher or school staff member may be recognized. With one click, a digital thank-you card is created and displayed as a keepsake. Once submitted, the esteemed educator will receive a digital "badge of honor" they can display with pride on Pinterest and other social media outlets. 300 lucky teachers will receive $5 coffee cards at the end of May when the contest subsides.
2012's campaign saw thousands of submissions from cities and school districts across the country. Praise came from parents, students and a CEO or two "Educators are busy, and often don't hear a simple "Thanks. With this platform we wanted to help students easily extend their gratitude to a teacher who is making, or has made, a difference in their educational goals," said CEO Becky Splitt.
For more information on the program, to see all current Thank You Cards in real-time, visit http:/thankateacher.studyblue. com/ and www.studyblue.com.


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The pair have become inseparable since meeting at an animal refuge, and are quite happy to cuddle up together on an armchair.
Beryl the Basset Hound, who is a grand old dame at 16 years old, and four-year-old tawny owl Wol struck up a friendship when their owner realised they both loved watching television in the evenings.
Sara Ross, who shares her home in Tenterden, Kent, with the animals said: "They are both rescue animals and they're like best buddies. Wol needs full-time care and one day I was giving him a bit of exercise and he just plonked down on Beryl's back. She doesn't mind, she's really laid back and a bit of a pussycat really.
"She didn't mind at all and now you can't keep them apart.
"Four times-a-week you'll see them settle down to watch what's going on in Albert Square. Beryl barks when it's over and Wol gets a bit upset too, with a bit of flapping.
She added: "They are inseparable. They love cuddling up and watching television together.
"It won't come as a surprise that they love nature documentaries, but they also like soaps like Coronation Street and Emmerdale."
She added: "I've never known two animals who are so different hit it off quite so well. They just love being around each other."