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A project co-funded by European Regional Development Fund concerning the Emilia Romagna Region POR FESR 2014-2020 "call for companies' collaborative research and development projects" - DGR 773/2015 and subs. amend.
THE AMOUNT OF AID GRANTED: euros 872.695,00
PERIOD: May 2016 – April 2018
The project involves the multi station machine tool study, design, realization and testing. This machine tool is called transfer machine and it is equipped with the newest technological characteristics compared to the state of the art in its industry.
The R&D project will be related to an industrial project, with considerable investments in terms of workforce increase and establishment of dedicated productive areas.
The aims of this project are as follows:
- increasing the machine performance by reducing energy consumption.
- removing pollutants from the productive process.
- developing an "Industry 4.0" innovative supervision platform.
- being highly competitive by reducing investment and management costs and increasing productivity.
The project involves the construction of an innovative multi station transfer prototype which is able to:
- reduce lubricant consumption
- reduce energy consumption
- obtain "warm-up zero"
- increase machining speed
- machine monitoring according to "Industry 4.0" precepts

subset: commoncrawl


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Doctors have long known that preterm birth increases children's risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but now a new study of more than a million children in Sweden strengthens the association.
Researchers found that babies born about a month early, at 35 and 36 weeks — who account for the majority of preterm births — were 30% more likely to be treated for ADHD upon reaching school age, compared with children born full-term (at 39 to 41 weeks). The risk increased with the degree of prematurity: babies born at 33 to 34 weeks were 40% more likely to have ADHD than full-term babies, and those born at 29 to 32 weeks were 60% more likely. Babies born even earlier than that — between 23 and 28 weeks — had twice the risk.
(More on TIME.com: The Lab Rat: A Better Way to Diagnose ADHD)
The study [PDF], which was published in Pediatrics, looked at government records for 1,180,616 babies born between 1987 and 2000. The researchers cross-referenced birth records with records of prescriptions for ADHD medications in 2006 — which, for the purposes of the study, were used to determine whether a child had ADHD.
Notably, in a second analysis, researchers also compared ADHD rates in preterm children with those of their full-term siblings, born to the same mother. That comparison allowed researchers to separate out effects of preterm birth from genetic and environmental influences.
In total, 7,506 children were prescribed medication to treat ADHD between the ages of 6 and 19. The association between timing of birth and risk of ADHD persisted after researchers controlled for other risk factors including maternal age, education, smoking status, single parenthood, public assistance and family history of psychiatric disorders.
However, the researchers found that the effect of moderate preterm birth (at 33 to 36 weeks) on ADHD was heightened in families where the mother had low education. "In this study, low maternal education is most probably a marker for a complex web of risk factors associated with social adversity, such as relative poverty, living in lowstatus housing areas and family discord," the authors wrote. "Thus, it is not surprising that the risk of ADHD caused by moderately preterm birth was modified by the socioeconomic context of the family in which the child had been brought up."
(More on TIME.com: "Could Cell-Phone Use in Pregnancy Affect Kids' Behavior?")
According to background information in the study, ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in Western countries (3% to 5% of Swedish children have it), but its exact causes are still unknown. Researchers agree that risk factors include genes (though they haven't been identified) as well as environmental factors, particularly exposure in the womb to toxic substances like lead, alcohol and PCBs (the industrial pollutant polychlorinated biphenyl). Other environmental influences include poverty and childhood maltreatment.
The current study used drug prescriptions as a stand-in for ADHD, which the authors say is a valid indicator of more severe cases in Sweden. But even in that country, access to medications varied between counties — as it certainly does in other countries.
"A more important source of bias in this study is probably the special access to care in follow-up programs for the most vulnerable patients from NICUs. It seems likely that this may lead to a better access to qualified care for ADHD-symptoms for the most preterm, but probably not the moderately preterm, compared with the general population," the authors wrote.
(More on TIME.com: "Clues to the Genetic Roots of ADHD")
But in overall, despite the association between preterm birth and the relative risk of ADHD, experts note that most babies born early won't develop the disorder.


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August 9, 2013, - 3:31 pm
Bad Amnesty Omen: UK Birthrate of Muslim Immigrant Women Nearly 20% Higher than Native Chicks; UK Pop to Surpass Germany as Largest b/c of Immigrant Births
Unduly respected idiots like plagiarist Mark Steyn have long applauded immigration because of high immigrant birthrates. But that's something only a moron–or someone who wants Western countries to become Muslim nations in the long run–would do. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the United Kingdom's birthrate hit a 40-year high in 2012 and that the UK will soon surpass Germany as Europe's most populous country. Problem is that's only because Great Britain's immigrant women–translation: Muslim women–are having far more children than native born Brits. In fact, while the number of births for every thousand UK-born women was only 1.9%, the rate is nearly 20% higher at 2.3% for every thousand immigrant women who enter the UK. The article doesn't mention Islam, but the religious demography of Great Britain's immigrants is quite clear: Muslim. There's a reason Mohammed is the most popular boy's name among new births in England.
If the only way you replace your population is with births from the religion of terrorism, intolerance, and mass murder, you might as well just die off. It's suicide either way, and the survival of Western civilization won't happen. Members of Congress, now considering immigration amnesty for illegal aliens should take note. They want to not only give instant citizenship to those already here legally, but their chains of relatives and friends (whom they claim are relatives) whom they bring here will also get citizenship. They will give birth to more and more of their own and America will be less and less America and more and more Al-Amerika and Aztlan.
The WSJ quotes an expert who says higher fertility is generally a sign of confidence in the future. And, clearly, Muslim immigrants are rightly more confident in their future than the rest of us are in the future of our civilization. And that's not counting the births to native or first-generation Muslim women there.
The number of births in the U.K. hit a 40-year high in 2012, official data showed Thursday, making it the European Union's fastest-growing country and adding to forecasts that it will surpass Germany's population as the bloc's largest within decades. . . . The Office for National Statistics said there were 813,200 births in the U.K. in the year ended June 2012—the largest number since 1972. There were nearly that many births in the prior 12-month period.
Stuart Basten, research fellow in demography and social policy at Oxford University, who wasn't involved in the study, attributed the boom most prominently to a shift in which women aged 25 to 29, among them an influx of migrants, are increasingly giving birth. . . .
Immigration also played a role. Mr. Basten said the fertility rate, or the number of births per 1,000 women, was 2.3% for foreign-born women versus 1.9% for U.K.-born women. He said that suggests that migrants are making a significant contribution to the increase. . . .
Francesco Billari, professor of sociology and demography at Oxford University who wasn't involved in the survey, said data since 2000 have generally shown that fertility are higher in more affluent countries, though Germany is an exception.
"Higher fertility is generally a sign that people are confident in the future and the economy," he said. "Having kids is the only investment you cannot get rid of—you can buy a house and sell it, but you become a parent and that's forever. So it takes optimism and a good society."
Mr. Billari said France, Nordic countries and Ireland are now seeing birthrates rise. Birthrates remain low in Germany and Southern and Eastern Europe.
Guess what the fastest growing religion and largest group of immigrants to France, Nordic countries, and Ireland is these days? If you guessed Islam and Muslims, you're on the money (or the jizya).
The new British statistics show that in the year ended June 2012, the overall population in the U.K. was 63.7 million, making it the third-largest country in the EU behind Germany, with 80.4 million, and France, with 65.5 million. However, the U.K.'s population rose by 419,900 people in the period, a bigger increase than in any other EU country. By 2050, Eurostat expects the U.K. population to rise to 76.4 million, France's to increase to 73.2 million and Germany's to fall to 70.8 million.
Mr. Basten said that while an increasing population puts pressure on resources and infrastructure, it could also have economic benefits over the longer term.
"Economically speaking, having a relatively high fertility rate and a managed migration policy is better than having a low birthrate," Mr. Basten said. "If you have a low birthrate then your population ages rapidly, your workforce—those aged between 18 and 65—will be shrinking, and you end up with many more old people relative to young people."
Hilarious. This is the same crap that Steyn and Jeb Bush have been pimping us on.
Here's a tip: there is NO such thing as a managed migration policy. Unless you are only letting in a few thousand people a year, there is no way you are reliably checking out who these people are, keeping your eye on them, and making sure they aren't up to no good.
The hundreds of thousands we let in each year is not a managed migration policy. It's a destruction of a country that once was.
Good luck with those immigrant birthrates. Say Good-bye, America.
Tags: amnesty, fertility rates, Francesco Billari, Great Britain, Illegal Aliens, immigrant birthrate, immigrants, Immigration, Jeb Bush, Mark Steyn, Mark Steyn immigration, Muslim immigrant birthrate, Muslim immigrants, Stuart Basten, United Kingdom


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This might be redundant, but I'm curious about the end user's experience when they read the phrase "User Experience".
I've seen a number of websites say that they design the best user experience, but does that really communicate well to the general public?
What might be a better way to concisely say the same thing, but without the phrase "User Experience"?


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Editor's Note: Harold P. Wimmer is the president and CEO of the American Lung Association.
Story highlights
Harold Wimmer: New York City was right to ban the use of e-cigarettes indoors
Wimmer: Industry has free rein to promote e-cigarettes as "safe" without proof
Report shows that e-cigarettes are reaching our children with alarming success, he says
Wimmer: The FDA should regulate e-cigarettes and find out what chemicals they contain
For the makers of electronic cigarettes, today we are living in the Wild West – a lawless frontier where they can say or do whatever they want, no matter what the consequences. They are free to make unsubstantiated therapeutic claims and include myriad chemicals and additives in e-cigarettes.
Big Tobacco desperately needs new nicotine addicts and is up to its old tricks to make sure it gets them. E-cigarettes are being aggressively marketed to children with flavors like Bazooka Bubble Gum, Cap'n Crunch and Cotton Candy. Joe Camel was killed in the 1990s, but cartoon characters are back promoting e-cigarettes.
Many e-cigarettes look like Marlboro or Camel cigarettes. Like their old-Hollywood counterparts, glamorous and attractive celebrities are appearing on TV promoting specific e-cigarette brands. Free samples are even being handed out on street corners.
A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the promotion of e-cigarettes is reaching our children with alarming success. In just one year, e-cigarette use doubled among high school and middle school students, and 1 in 10 high school students have used an e-cigarette. Altogether, 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide use e-cigarettes.
The three largest cigarette companies are all selling e-cigarettes. Because tobacco use kills more than 400,000 people each year and thousands more successfully quit, the industry needs to attract and addict thousands of children each day, as well as keep adults dependent to maintain its huge profits.
Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, whether delivered in a conventional cigarette or their electronic counterparts. The potential harm from exposure to secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes is unknown. Two initial studies have found formaldehyde, benzene and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (a well-known carcinogen) coming from those secondhand emissions. We commend New York City recently for banning the use of e-cigarettes indoors.
No e-cigarette has been approved by the FDA as a safe and effective product to help people quit smoking. Yet many companies are making claims that e-cigarettes help smokers quit. When smokers are ready to quit, they should call 1-800-QUIT NOW or talk with their doctors about using one of the seven FDA-approved medications proven to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit.
According to one study, there are 250 different e-cigarette brands for sale in the U.S. today. With so many brands, there is likely to be wide variation in the chemicals – intended and unintended – that each contain.
In 2009, lab tests conducted by the FDA found detectable levels of toxic cancer-causing chemicals – including an ingredient used in anti-freeze – in two leading brands of e-cigarettes and 18 various e-cigarette cartridges.
There is no safe form of tobacco. Right now, the public health and medical community or consumers have no way of knowing what chemicals are contained in an e-cigarette or what the short and long term health implications might be.
Commonsense regulation of e-cigarettes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urgently needed. In the absence of meaningful oversight, the tobacco industry has free rein to promote their products as "safe" without any proof.
A proposal to regulate e-cigarettes and other tobacco products has been under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget since October 1, 2013. The Obama administration must move forward with these rules to protect the health of everyone, especially our children.
Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter.
Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Harold P. Wimmer.


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Mecole Hardman is probably faster than 99% of players in the NFL.
Tyreek Hill happens to be in the 1%.
The two Chiefs wide receivers have traded barbs about their speed ever since Hardman was chosen in the second round of last year's draft. Hardman and Hill both have world-class speed — that much was never in question — but just who was the fastest man in Kansas City wasn't settled until the two lined up in the team's indoor facility this past week.
Hill won easily. Hardman copped to it on social media with a sad-face emoji.
"Every day we find ways to better ourselves," Hill said in a social media posting. "Really enjoyed the competition level and the way we push each other. It's all love."
The real winners, though, are probably the Super Bowl champs. Throw in veteran Sammy Watkins, rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and even tight end Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs just might have the fleetest group of skill position players in a league that has grown increasingly dependent on speed.
"The Tyreek and Mecole race, I mean, both the guys are super fast. I'm just lucky to have both of them," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said during a break from training camp meetings and workouts this week.
"Tyreek got the first one," Mahomes said with a smile, "but I'm going to try to keep them from racing anymore. I'd rather them just run down the sidelines scoring touchdowns during the game week."
All of the Chiefs' wide receivers did plenty of that last year.
Hill caught seven touchdown passes last season. Hardman had six. Another member of the dynamic group, Demarcus Robinson, hauled in four TD catches and Watkins finished with three.
On one of Hardman's touchdown receptions, an 83-yard catch in Week 3, he hit a top speed of 21.74 mph that put the play among the fastest all season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Watkins hit 21.33 mph on a 38-yard TD catch in Week 1.
Hill didn't quite reach those speeds last season, mostly because he's often so far ahead of defenders by the end zone that he's able to throttle back a bit. But gaze back at previous seasons and the two-time All-Pro regularly has some of the fastest single plays in the NFL. In fact, he had the two fastest during the 2016 season, at one point hitting 23.24 mph.
It's not just straight-line speed, either. There is a significant difference between being fast and playing fast. And the ability of Hardman and Hill in particular to stop on a dime, change directions and immediately accelerate to full speed is uncanny.
Those also happen to be traits that allowed Edwards-Helaire to become a first-round draft pick.
Most draftniks thought the Chiefs would select a defensive player in the first round, but they instead made the talented running back out of LSU their choice. They were enamored by his blocking in the pass game, his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and, yes, his speed and elusiveness — and it wound up being a decision that carried even more importance when Super Bowl star Damien Williams decided to opt out because of coronavirus concerns.
"It's something that I was born with," Edwards-Helaire said of his unique athletic ability. "I feel like that was a gift I had (and) you always try to make yourself better, find a way to make it elite, as some guys would say. I wanted to work on it, being quicker and faster than the next person is always the name of the game. It's the way I make my game in, being quick and fast in small areas. It's the way I run the ball. It's the way I got to the Kansas City Chiefs."
It's a big reason why Hardman made it to the Chiefs. Why Hill made it, too.


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It is no secret that Twitter influences brand-related conversations on the Web, but a new Bazaarvoice study is shedding light on how this chatter can be used to help marketers drive their business.
The Conversation Index Volume 5 takes a look at how consumers use Twitter to talk about brands as well as analyzes social's connections to both routine and major events. The report is based on an analysis of 26 million tweets, each of which mentioned at least one of 13 brands from the BrandZ Global 100 Brands list, including Adidas, Clinique, Colgate, Gillette, Hugo Boss, Nike, Pampers, Pepsi, Ralph Lauren, Samsung, Intel, Tesco and Sony. Then, this data was compared with more than 8,000 TV and radio mentions, 17 months of stock price data, more than a year-and-a-half of Google search data and 270,000 pieces of consumer-generated content from online reviews.
The study's findings show that tweet patterns tend to correlate with stock performance. In fact, a high Twitter volume tends to accompany a high closing price, which implies that the same triggers that make stocks move upward also lead to increased social chatter. Additional insights found that product reviews tend to mention prices more often when consumer confidence is low, which makes it no surprise that price mentions also tend to fall as the Dow Industrial Average rises.
The report also found that Twitter is used differently than other channels because users tend to reveal personal interactions with brands. For example, the report compared search terms that include "Adidas" to mentions of "Adidas" on Twitter, and found that top Adidas search terms tend to be at the level of product lines and categories rather than specific items, while people on Twitter were more likely to mention what "new" products they're wearing, and use words such as "my" and "I." Some of the other top Twitter terms associated with Adidas referenced specific campaigns, including the hashtag #branch309adidasday. This information is important because by analyzing text within tweets, businesses can identify brand advocates as well as monitor consumer responses to news, events and campaigns.
However, one of the most interesting data points from the study found that the proportion of brand-oriented Tweets that include a link is decreasing - from 68 percent in 2010 and 55 percent in 2011 to 51 percent in the first half of 2012. This indicates that consumers are progressively talking about brands instead of just pointing to items that they bought or want to buy with a link.
While content about brands on Twitter is becoming more conversational, the Bazaarvoice report shows that less of the conversation is actually about the brand. In fact, the study found that original tweets about brands are declining, while retweeted brand mentions are on the rise. In fact, the proportion of original tweets with brand mentions has fallen from 85 percent in 2010 to 82 percent in 2011 and 78 percent to this point in 2012. In order to maintain and improve brand-oriented Twitter conversations, businesses should analyze their social data to discover which tweets are generating positive conversations, so that they can emulate these tweets and optimize future content.
"Social data offers a critical new stream of insights for brands and the industry. The social ecosystem is broad; conversations happen on brand sites and on social channels, across an ever-increasing set of devices," said Erin Nelson, CMO of Bazaarvoice. "As social content and data expands, so does the scope of our knowledge about how it both influences and mirrors activity across the digital and physical worlds. Sharing these insights with our clients and the industry is the driving force behind The Conversation Index."


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"Mud volcanoes," also
known as "sedimentary volcanoes" or "gas - oil
volcanoes," are close cousins to magmatic volcanoes. Just
like magmatic volcanoes, they can erupt powerfully and hurl flames
to great heights (sometimes even several hundred of meters).
They spew out millions of cubic meters of hydrocarbon gases and
tons of mud. Mud volcanoes also exist on the floor of the sea
and can form islands and banks that alter the topography and
shape of the coastline and even trigger earthquakes.
Land of fire
Above: A hill created by a mud volcano in Aghjakand village of Kalbajar region, photo 1936. Kalbajar has been under Armenian occupation since 1992. (Photo: Azerbaijan National Photo Archives) Mud volcanoes are essentially channels for releasing pressurized gas and mineral water, sometimes with traces of oil, together with associated mud from great depths (812km) and depositing them on the surface of the earth where they form mounds ranging from 5 to 500m high. In both appearance and behavior, they outwardly resemble a magmatic volcano. The explosive release of pent-up gases combined with the burning of hydrocarbon gases adds to this similarity. But, unlike their magmatic cousins, which carry molten rock or larva or enormous heat to the surface, mud volcanoes in Azerbaijan are at ambient temperature and may even be cool. Volcanoes are characterized by a constant activity of domes, gryphons (cones) and salses (pools). Some are dry in nature; others, wet. Normally they don't form distinctive volcano shapes as magmatic volcanoes do. Rather, they just flow down into the surrounding plains. They often peak at about 1020 m but can spread across a surface of several kilometers. Among the largest mud volcanoes in the world are Boyuk Khanizadagh and Turaghai. Both are located in Azerbaijan. Left: Example of mud volcanic activity - pools and mudflows. (Photo: Ronnie Gallagher) Because of the softness of the
rock, mud volcanoes on a geological timescale are considered
to be rather ephemeral. The mud or breccia quickly erodes with
wind and rain into systems of gulleys and ridges fanning out
from the crater margins. Indeed a tell-tale sign of a mud volcano
is its deeply grooved and often very attractive flanks. Mud volcanoes
in the sea, of course, erode quickly with wave action. Sources: Back to Index
AI 11.2 (Summer 2003) |


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- Home
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North Main Corridor Planning
The North Main Corridor Mobility Study has been finalized!
The North Main Corridor Mobility Study has been updated based on feedback received during the final public comment period. A summary of the Study's recommendations and a copy of the entire Study is available below.
North Main Corridor Mobility Study Executive Summary Handout (PDF)
Complete North Main Corridor Mobility Study (PDF)
The draft Study was included in the meeting packet for the City Council Study Session on June 23, 2015 and the public comment period was open through July 17, 2015.
You can participate in the conversation on Virtual City Hall.
In addition to accepting online comments, City staff hosted a public meeting on Monday, July 13 at 5:30 PM at the City Library. This presentation (PDF) was shown to those in attendance. Also, comments were collected and questions answered at that meeting.
Despite its importance to our community, the North Main corridor has never had an area plan prepared or completed for it. Existing development and the use of public space along the corridor is auto-centric and outdated. The design and function of the corridor does not reflect contemporary preferences or meet current or future needs of the City.
To begin addressing these realities, staff proposes to coordinate a multi-phase approach to creating a comprehensive North Main Corridor Redevelopment Plan. There are a number initiatives currently in process that can be effectively coordinated to produce an all-inclusive plan for the corridor, with the goal of affecting tangible physical improvements to the area. Two crucial aspects of this initiative are appropriately timing these efforts and ensuring communication across departments and agencies.
While it may be ideal to launch a single process to address transportation, land use, financing, public involvement, and the other features needed for a full-scale corridor plan, the budget for that type of effort would be significant and the timeline could be lengthy. By setting up a phased process, leveraging existing resources, working collaboratively, and coordinating with CDOT projects, staff feels that the end goal can be accomplished with lower financial commitment. Additionally, this project will serve as a model for a lower-cost, efficient process to complete integrated transportation and land use assessments of other districts within the City. Staff presented the process outlined below to City Council at the March 24 Study Session and also to a meeting of the City's Board and Commission members on April 29. The presentation had two parts. An overview of the proposed planning process and a presentation of possible public financing options. Copies of the presentations can be downloaded by clicking the links.
North Main: The Next Generation
Public Improvement Financing Options
Past Efforts (Phase One)
A significant amount of work has been done at the macro-level to better understand the community's desires related to transportation options, land use, and the form that new development along North Main will take. The Multi-Modal Transportation Master Plan and the new Land Use and Development Code represent the biggest pieces of this on-going effort to ensure that our community maintains its status as a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing place to live, work, and play. Council has also undertaken an in-depth goal-setting process to direct the City organization's efforts. Council Goal 4 states, "Envision Durango's Sense of Place by creating character districts, promoting responsible land use planning, and maintaining the community's sense of identity." Council Goal 1, objective 3 states, "Promote Community Sustainability through Fiscal, Organizational, and Environmental Resiliency; Provide a safe environment and encourage responsible stewardship of natural and cultural resources." This initiative is specifically designed to accomplish these goals.
In addition, the City has worked effectively with CDOT on highway projects in our community. All of these past efforts constitute a strong foundation upon which the more specific projects described below can build upon. Staff sees this past work as Phase One of this multi-phase process to create an integrated corridor-specific redevelopment plan.
Near-Term Initiatives (Phase Two)
In January, the City was notified that our request for technical assistance through the Sonoran Institute's New Mobility West program had been accepted. This program has limited funding and is focused on transportation and mobility. It will serve as a great first phase and stepping stone towards achieving the all-encompassing redevelopment plan. The process undertaken through the New Mobility West program will be focused on transportation aspects of the corridor and improvements which can be done in the public realm. It will consider how redevelopment may impact transportation, but it will not have details about land use, design, or redevelopment of private property. More information about the Mobility Plan process can be found here.
In addition to the mobility planning effort, Community Development staff have been preparing for a Character Assessment to better understand the existing conditions and the land use aspects of the corridor that make it unique and/or inhibit redevelopment. This proposed Character Assessment will provide detailed information on the current state of this highly visible and busy, but aging, corridor. The focus will be on land uses, site characteristics, and the building stock. Staff has already begun analyzing County Assessor records and contacting business owners, specifically motel operators, to better understand how land and structures are currently used. Staff has also been approached by land owners and prospective buyers about possible redevelopment scenarios, so we have a good sense of the challenges to redevelopment in the area.
These two efforts, the North Main Mobility Plan (funded by New Mobility West) and the North Main Character Assessment (completed with existing staff and resources), will constitute Phase Two of the process and will form the basis for the third phase of North Main corridor planning.
Longer-Term Initiatives (Phase Three)
The Mobility Plan and the Character Assessment will set the stage for updated, focused policies and initiatives to encourage appropriate redevelopment, preserve the quality of adjacent residential neighborhoods, improve the function of the corridor, and generate interest in the area. The two documents will be designed to fit together seamlessly. Staff will use this information to launch a more involved and detailed public process about the community's vision and desires for the future of the North Main corridor.
This pubic process will result in specific design and land use policies, strategies, and criteria, which can be incorporated into City standards to guide future development proposals. The public process will also help to create an identity for the corridor and could lead to district branding campaigns to create a sense of cohesiveness throughout the corridor. The results of the public process, policy proposals, and branding ideas will be combined with the Mobility Plan and Character Assessment to create a comprehensive North Main Corridor Redevelopment Plan.
This public process, visioning, and effort to integrate the transportation and land use elements of the process may require outside assistance from professionals with experience in integrated corridor planning and visualization of redevelopment scenarios. If such services are deemed necessary, staff will approach Council for a supplemental allocation to secure the necessary services.
Municipal Funding Mechanisms
In addition to outlining the impetus behind moving forward with the Mobility Plan and Character Assessment for the North Main Corridor, staff will also provide Council with an overview of the various mechanisms available to municipal governments to finance public improvements. The five most common types of entities used by local governments to finance public improvements are: Special Districts, General Improvement Districts, Business Improvement Districts, Downtown Development Authorities, and Urban Renewal Authorities. Staff will provide an overview of these options and a more in-depth analysis relative to Downtown Development Authorities and Urban Renewal Authorities. As part of this process, staff will outline the purpose, organization, powers and methods of financing specific to these two options.
Although this is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion, it is intended to lay the ground work and help frame future discussion which will occur during phase three of the North Main Corridor planning effort.
Municipal funding mechanisms are designed to enhance the vitality of downtown corridors and other commercial areas where market conditions may prohibit financially feasible private redevelopment. They are tools which allow municipal governments to create partnerships with private entities such as developers to fill community voids. They can be used to stimulate mixed use development, make infill redevelopment more financially feasible, and address housing issues.
These mechanisms allow municipalities to make improvements to benefit certain areas and limit the financial obligation to the citizens who benefit from the improvements. Urban Renewal Authorities (URAs) and Downtown Development Authorities (DDAs) allow jurisdictions to leverage Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to make projects feasible and encourage private investment.
Parallel Initiatives
There are a number of related efforts that can run concurrently with the planning process outlined above. The City has received a grant to design and construct ADA improvements along North Main through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). The timeline appears to be such that the conceptual designs and priorities created through the mobility planning process can inform the locations and final designs of these improvements.
CDOT and the City are currently cooperating on a survey of the U.S. Highway 550 right-of-way boundary and topography along the entire corridor. This is a relatively independent process, but will be invaluable as redevelopment proposals move toward construction.
Finally, CDOT has secured funding to complete extensive upgrades to the 22nd and Main intersection including new signals and pedestrian improvements. They also have funding for signal replacement at the 32nd and Main intersection. Both of these projects are anticipated to be constructed in 2016. Once again, the conceptual designs created through the mobility planning effort will inform the final designs for these important projects.
The above summary outlines a deliberate and ambitious approach to coordinate multiple projects with the ultimate goal of an integrated, community-based vision for one of the most prominent areas of our community. This effort will use the most up-to-date planning methods for integrating transportation planning, land use planning, and urban design and will serve as a model for future planning efforts in Durango. The initiative is in direct response to Council's goal of establishing Character Districts for areas within the City. We look forward to getting input on this process at the Study Session and ask for Council's support of this multi-phase initiative. City staff looks forward to working with Council, the Planning Commission, other Boards and Commissions as applicable, and the community at large to achieve these notable goals.
If you have questions or comments about this effort, please contact Community Development Director, Scott Shine, at (970) 375-4858 | Email Scott Shine.


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Spetses island Greece, is a beautiful pine clad island in the Saronic gulf, its close proximity with Athens (2 hours by hydrofoil from Pireaus) and the Peloponnese (5 minutes by water taxi), makes this Greek Island very popular for the weekend.
There are many choices on this small cosmopolitan island, you can have a leisurely lunch at one of the pretty beach tavernas. Or choose something more lively with music and watersports. The same applies for the evening, have a drink on the dapia where most people meet before dinner, take a stroll, even a horse and buggy (there are no cars) to one of the numerous tavernas around town or in the picturesque old harbour. There are night clubs and greek bouzouki to be found if you still have the energy. Mycenae and Epidavrous are amongst the historical sites within easy reach on the Peleponnese.
On Spetses Island we have a beautiful privately owned newly built villa, plus 2 large studios in a prime position 5 minutes from the harbour and the town beach.


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Derby #92: Steampunk
Hey, this Derby's over. When you're finished reliving past glories, check out what's going on in the Derby right now. It's probably even cooler. Or at least newer.
Bolt on your finest iron top hat, strap yourself into your personal gyrocopter, and soar clanking and hissing into the steampunk yesteryear. The Victorian sci-fi aesthetic has proven to be a fertile and enduring source of inspiration for subculture weirdos everywhere. But if you have no idea what we're talking about, start with the Steampunk article on good old Wikipedia, especially the technology section. Show us what a 21st-century mind can do with 19th-century machines.
Incidental text is OK, with an emphasis on incidental. Numbers on a dial or directions on a lever are probably OK. But if the concept of your design is dependent on text, we will reject it. This has always been the rule; we're going to be stricter about enforcing it.


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On RooJs.com there's a recent post from Alan Knowles looking at how to spam in PHP. No, nothing malicious - it's more about scalability in sending emails from PHP applications.
The reason this has been relivant in the last two weeks is two fold, first off, my slow and sometimes painfull Pman.Core and Pman.Base). It seemed like an ideal time to write some generic code that can solve both issues.
He mentions the usual method of generating numerous emails and sending them to a remote SMTP server, but points out that there's a better way. You can take advantage of queuing and batch sending techniques and, the way he decided to do it for mtrack, using queue tables and a backend runner (a cron job) that uses proc_open to send out multiple emails at once. You can see the code for it here.


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1 Corinthians 2
1 Corinthians 2:1-16 . PAUL'S SUBJECT OF PREACHING, CHRIST CRUCIFIED, NOT IN WORLDLY, BUT IN HEAVENLY, WISDOM AMONG THE PERFECT.
1. And I--"So I" [CONYBEARE] as one of the "foolish, weak, and despised" instruments employed by God ( 1 Corinthians 1:27 1 Corinthians 1:28 ); "glorying in the Lord," not in man's wisdom ( 1 Corinthians 1:31 ). Compare 1 Corinthians 1:23 , "We."
when I came--( Acts 18:1 , &c.). Paul might, had he pleased, have used an ornate style, having studied secular learning at Tarsus of Cilicia, which STRABO preferred as a school of learning to Athens or Alexandria; here, doubtless, he read the Cilician Aratus' poems (which he quotes, Acts 17:28 ), and Epimenides ( Titus 1:12 ), and MENANDER ( 1 Corinthians 15:33 ). Grecian intellectual development was an important element in preparing the way for the Gospel, but it failed to regenerate the world, showing that for this a superhuman power is needed. Hellenistic (Grecizing) Judaism at Tarsus and Alexandria was the connecting link between the schools of Athens and those of the Rabbis. No more fitting birthplace could there have been for the apostle of the Gentiles than Tarsus, free as it was from the warping influences of Rome, Alexandria, and Athens. He had at the same time Roman citizenship, which protected him from sudden violence. Again, he was reared in the Hebrew divine law at Jerusalem. Thus, as the three elements, Greek cultivation, Roman polity ( Luke 2:1 ), and the divine law given to the Jews, combined just at Christ's time, to prepare the world for the Gospel, so the same three, by God's marvellous providence, met together in the apostle to the Gentiles [CONYBEARE and HOWSON].
testimony of God--"the testimony of Christ" ( 1 Corinthians 1:6 ); therefore Christ is God.
2. The Greek implies, "The only definite thing that I made it my business to know among you, was to know Jesus Christ (His person) and Him crucified (His office)" [ALFORD], not exalted on the earthly throne of David, but executed as the vilest malefactor. The historical fact of Christ's crucifixion had probably been put less prominently forward by the seekers after human wisdom in the Corinthian church, to avoid offending learned heathens and Jews. Christ's person and Christ's office constitute the sum of the Gospel.
3. I--the preacher: as 1 Corinthians 2:2 describes the subject, "Christ crucified," and 1 Corinthians 2:4 the mode of preaching: "my speech . . . not with enticing words," "but in demonstration of the Spirit."
weakness--personal and bodily ( 2 Corinthians 10:10 , 2 Corinthians 12:7 2 Corinthians 12:9 , Galatians 4:13 ).
trembling--(compare Philippians 2:12 ). Not personal fear, but a trembling anxiety to perform a duty; anxious conscientiousness, as proved by the contrast to "eye service" ( Ephesians 6:5 ) [CONYBEARE and HOWSON].
4. my speech--in private.
preaching--in public [BENGEL]. ALFORD explains it, My discourse on doctrines, and my preaching or announcement of facts.
enticing--rather, "persuasive."
man's wisdom--man's is omitted in the oldest authorities. Still "wisdom" does refer to "man's" wisdom.
in demonstration of . . . Spirit, &c.--Persuasion is man's means of moving his fellow man. God's means is demonstration, leaving no doubt, and inspiring implicit faith, by the powerful working of the Spirit (then exhibited both outwardly by miracles, and inwardly by working on the heart, now in the latter and the more important way only, Matthew 7:29 , Acts 6:10 , Hebrews 4:12 ; compare also Romans 15:19 ). The same simple power accompanies divine truth now, producing certain persuasion and conversion, when the Spirit demonstrates by it.
5. stand in . . . wisdom of men--rest on it, owe its origin and continuance to it.
6, 7. Yet the Gospel preaching, so far from being at variance with true "wisdom," is a wisdom infinitely higher than that of the wise of the world.
we speak--resuming "we" (preachers, I, Apollos, &c.). from "we preach" ( 1 Corinthians 1:28 ), only that here, "we speak" refers to something less public (compare 1 Corinthians 2:7 1 Corinthians 2:13 , "mystery . . . hidden") than "we preach," which is public. For "wisdom" here denotes not the whole of Christian doctrine, but its sublimer and deeper principles.
perfect--Those matured in Christian experience and knowledge alone can understand the true superiority of the Christian wisdom which Paul preached. Distinguished not only from worldly and natural men, but also from babes, who though "in Christ" retain much that is "carnal" ( 1 Corinthians 3:1 1 Corinthians 3:2 ), and cannot therefore understand the deeper truths of Christianity ( 1 Corinthians 14:20 , Philippians 3:15 , Hebrews 5:14 ). Paul does not mean by the "mystery" or "hidden wisdom" ( 1 Corinthians 2:7 ) some hidden tradition distinct from the Gospel (like the Church of Rome's disciplina arcani and doctrine of reserve), but the unfolding of the treasures of knowledge, once hidden in God's counsels, but now announced to all, which would be intelligently comprehended in proportion as the hearer's inner life became perfectly transformed into the image of Christ. Compare instances of such "mysteries," that is, deeper Christian truths, not preached at Paul's first coming to Corinth, when he confined himself to the fundamental elements ( 1 Corinthians 2:2 ), but now spoken to the "perfect" ( 1 Corinthians 15:51 , Romans 11:25 , Ephesians 3:5 Ephesians 3:6 ). "Perfect" is used not of absolute perfection, but relatively to "babes," or those less ripe in Christian growth (compare Philippians 3:12 Philippians 3:15 , with 1 John 2:12-14 ). "God" ( 1 Corinthians 2:7 ) is opposed to the world, the apostles to "the princes [great and learned men] of this world" ( 1 Corinthians 2:8 ; compare 1 Corinthians 1:20 ) [BENGEL].
come to naught--nothingness ( 1 Corinthians 1:28 ). They are transient, not immortal. Therefore, their wisdom is not real [BENGEL]. Rather, translate with ALFORD, "Which are being brought to naught," namely, by God's choosing the "things which are not (the weak and despised things of the Gospel), to bring to naught (the same verb as here) things that are" ( 1 Corinthians 1:28 ).
7. wisdom of God--emphatically contrasted with the wisdom of men and of this world ( 1 Corinthians 2:5 1 Corinthians 2:6 ).
in a mystery--connected in construction with "we speak": We speak as dealing with a mystery; that is not something to be kept hidden, but what heretofore was so, but is now revealed. Whereas the pagan mysteries were revealed only to a chosen few, the Gospel mysteries were made known to all who would obey the truth. "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" ( 2 Corinthians 4:3 ), "whom the God of this world hath blinded." Ordinarily we use "mystery" in reference to those from whom the knowledge is withheld; the apostles, in reference to those to whom it is revealed [WHATELY]. It is hidden before it is brought forward, and when it is brought forward it still remains hidden to those that are imperfect [BENGEL].
ordained--literally, "foreordained" (compare 1 Corinthians 2:9 ), "prepared for them that love Him."
before the world--rather, "before the ages" (of time), that is, from eternity. This infinitely antedates worldly wisdom in antiquity. It was before not only the wisdom of the world, but eternally before the world itself and its ages.
to our glory--ours both now and hereafter, from "the Lord of glory" ( 1 Corinthians 2:8 ), who brings to naught "the princes of this world."
8. Which--wisdom. The strongest proof of the natural man's destitution of heavenly wisdom.
crucified . . . Lord of glory--implying the inseparable connection of Christ's humanity and His divinity. The Lord of glory (which He had in His own right before the world was, John 17:4 John 17:24 ) was crucified.
9. But--(it has happened) as it is written.
Eye hath not seen, &c.--ALFORD translates, "The things which eye saw not . . . the things which God prepared . . . to us God revealed through His Spirit." Thus, however, the "but" of 1 Corinthians 2:10 is ignored. Rather construe, as ESTIUS, "('We speak,' supplied from 1 Corinthians 2:8 ), things which eye saw not (heretofore), . . . things which God prepared . . . But God revealed them to us," &c. The quotation is not a verbatim one, but an inspired exposition of the "wisdom" ( 1 Corinthians 2:6 , from Isaiah 64:4 ). The exceptive words, "O God, beside (that is, except) Thee," are not quoted directly, but are virtually expressed in the exposition of them ( 1 Corinthians 2:10 ), "None but thou, O God, seest these mysteries, and God hath revealed them to us by His Spirit."
entered--literally, "come up into the heart." A Hebraism (compare, Jeremiah 3:16 , Margin). In Isaiah 64:4 it is "Prepared (literally, 'will do') for him that waiteth for Him"; here, "for them that love Him." For Isaiah spake to them who waited for Messiah's appearance as future; Paul, to them who love Him as having actually appeared ( 1 John 4:19 ); compare 1 Corinthians 2:12 , "the things that are freely given to us of God"
10. revealed . . . by . . . Spirit--The inspiration of thoughts (so far as truth essential to salvation is concerned) makes the Christian ( 1 Corinthians 3:16 , 12:3 , Matthew 16:17 , John 16:13 , 1 John 2:20 1 John 2:27 ); that of words, the PROPHET ( 2 Samuel 23:1 2 Samuel 23:2 , 1 Kings 13:1 1 Kings 13:5 ), "by the word of the Lord" ( 1 Corinthians 2:13 , John 20:30 John 20:31 , 2 Peter 1:21 ). The secrets of revelation are secret to some, not because those who know them will not reveal them (for indeed, the very notion of revelation implies an unveiling of what had been veiled), but because those to whom they are announced have not the will or power to comprehend them. Hence the Spirit-taught alone know these secrets ( Psalms 25:14 , Proverbs 3:32 , John 7:17 , 15:15 ).
unto us--the "perfect" or fully matured in Christian experience ( 1 Corinthians 2:6 ). Intelligent men may understand the outline of doctrines; but without the Holy Spirit's revelation to the heart, these will be to them a mere outline--a skeleton, correct perhaps, but wanting life [WHATLEY, Cautions for the Times, 14], ( Luke 10:21 ).
the Spirit searcheth--working in us and with our spirits (compare Romans 8:16 Romans 8:26 Romans 8:27 ). The Old Testament shows us God (the Father) for us. The Gospels, God (the Son) with us. The Acts and Epistles, God (the Holy Ghost) in us [MONOD], ( Galatians 3:14 ).
deep things of God--( Psalms 92:5 ). His divine nature, attributes, and counsels. The Spirit delights to explore the infinite depths of His own divine mind, and then reveal them to us, according as we are capable of understanding them ( Deuteronomy 29:29 ). This proves the personality and Godhead of the Holy Ghost. Godhead cannot be separated from the Spirit of God, as manhood cannot be separated from the Spirit of man [BENGEL].
11. what man, &c.--literally, "who of men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of that man?"
things of God knoweth no man--rather, "none knoweth," not angel or man. This proves the impossibility of any knowing the things of God, save by the Spirit of God (who alone knows them, since even in the case of man, so infinitely inferior in mind to God, none of his fellow men, but his own spirit alone knows the things hidden within him).
12. we . . . received, not . . . spirit of . . . world--the personal evil "spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" ( Ephesians 2:2 ). This spirit is natural in the unregenerate, and needs not to be received.
Spirit which is of God--that is, which comes from God. We have received it only by the gift of God, whose Spirit it is, whereas our own spirit is the spirit that is in us men ( 1 Corinthians 2:11 ).
that we might know . . . things . . . freely given . . . of God--present experimental knowledge, to our unspeakable comfort, of His deep mysteries of wisdom, and of our future possession of the good "things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" ( 1 Corinthians 2:9 ).
13. also--We not only know by the Holy Ghost, but we also speak the "things freely given to us of God" ( 1 Corinthians 2:12 ).
which the Holy Ghost teacheth--The old manuscripts read "the Spirit" simply, without "Holy."
comparing spiritual things with spiritual--expounding the Spirit-inspired Old Testament Scripture, by comparison with the Gospel which Jesus by the same Spirit revealed [GROTIUS]; and conversely illustrating the Gospel mysteries by comparing them with the Old Testament types [CHRYSOSTOM]. So the Greek word is translated, "comparing" ( 2 Corinthians 10:12 ). WAHL (Key of the New Testament) translates, "explaining (as the Greek is translated, Genesis 40:8 , the Septuagint) to spiritual (that is, Spirit-taught) men, spiritual things (the things which we ourselves are taught by the Spirit)." Spirit-taught men alone can comprehend spiritual truths. This accords with 1 Corinthians 2:6 1 Corinthians 2:9 1 Corinthians 2:10 1 Corinthians 2:14 1 Corinthians 2:15 , 1 Corinthians 3:1 . ALFORD translates, "Putting together (combining) spirituals with spirituals"; that is, attaching spiritual words to spiritual things, which we should not do, if we were to use words of worldly wisdom to expound spiritual things (so 1 Corinthians 2:1 1 Corinthians 2:4 , 1 Peter 4:11 ). Perhaps the generality of the neuters is designed to comprehend these several notions by implication. Comparing, or combining, spirituals with spirituals; implying both that spiritual things are only suited to spiritual persons (so "things" comprehended persons, 1 Corinthians 1:27 ), and also that spiritual truths can only be combined with spiritual (not worldly-wise) words; and lastly, spirituals of the Old and New Testaments can only be understood by mutual comparison or combination, not by combination with worldly "wisdom," or natural perceptions ( 1 Corinthians 1:21 1 Corinthians 1:22 , 1 Corinthians 2:1 1 Corinthians 2:4-9 ; compare Psalms 119:18 ).
14. natural man--literally, "a man of animal soul." As contrasted with the spiritual man, he is governed by the animal soul, which overbears his spirit, which latter is without the Spirit of God ( Jude 1:19 ). So the animal (English Version, "natural") body, or body led by the lower animal nature (including both the mere human fallen reason and heart), is contrasted with the Spirit-quickened body ( 1 Corinthians 15:44-46 ). The carnal man (the man led by bodily appetites, and also by a self-exalting spirit, estranged from the divine life) is closely akin; so too the "earthly." "Devilish," or "demon-like"; "led by an evil spirit," is the awful character of such a one, in its worst type ( James 3:15 ).
receiveth not--though they are offered to him, and are "worthy of being received by all men" ( 1 Timothy 1:15 ).
they are foolishness unto him--whereas he seeks "wisdom" ( 1 Corinthians 1:22 ).
neither can he--Not only does he not, but he cannot know them, and therefore has no wish to "receive" them ( Romans 8:7 ).
15. He that is spiritual--literally, "the spiritual (man)." In 1 Corinthians 2:14 , it is "A [not 'the,' as English Version] natural man." The spiritual is the man distinguished above his fellow men, as he in whom the Spirit rules. In the unregenerate, the spirit which ought to be the organ of the Holy Spirit (and which is so in the regenerate), is overridden by the animal soul, and is in abeyance, so that such a one is never called "spiritual."
judgeth all things--and persons, by their true standard (compare 1 Corinthians 6:2-4 , 1 John 4:1 ), in so far as he is spiritual. "Discerneth . . . is discerned," would better accord with the translation of the same Greek ( 1 Corinthians 2:14 ). Otherwise for "discerned," in 1 Corinthians 2:14 , translate, "judged of," to accord with the translation, "judgeth . . . is judged" in this fifteenth verse. He has a practical insight into the verities of the Gospel, though he is not infallible on all theoretical points. If an individual may have the Spirit without being infallible, why may not the Church have the Spirit, and yet not be infallible (a refutation of the plea of Rome for the Church's infallibility, from Matthew 28:20 , John 16:13 )? As the believer and the Church have the Spirit, and are yet not therefore impeccable, so he and the Church have the Spirit, and yet are not infallible or impeccable. He and the Church are both infallible and impeccable, only in proportion to the degree in which they are led by the Spirit. The Spirit leads into all truth and holiness; but His influence on believers and on the Church is as yet partial. Jesus alone, who had the Spirit without measure ( John 3:34 ), is both infallible and impeccable. Scripture, because it was written by men, who while writing were infallibly inspired, is unmixed truth ( Proverbs 28:5 , 1 John 2:27 ).
16. For--proof of 1 Corinthians 2:15 , that the spiritual man "is judged of no man." In order to judge the spiritual man, the ordinary man must "know the mind of the Lord." But "who of ordinary men knows" that?
that he may instruct him--that is, so as to be able to set Him right as His counsellor (quoted from Isaiah 40:13 Isaiah 40:14 ). So the Septuagint translates the Greek verb, which means to "prove," in Acts 9:22 . Natural men who judge spiritual men, living according to the mind of God ("We have the mind of Christ"), are virtually wishing to instruct God, and bring Him to another mind, as counsellors setting to right their king.
we have the mind of Christ--in our degree of capability to apprehend it. Isaiah 40:13 Isaiah 40:14 refers to JEHOVAH: therefore, as it is applied here to Christ, He is Jehovah.


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While one big sign of spring is colorful flowers blooming, another is the return of so many tasty fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead of having strawberries, blueberries and sweet corn flown in from other climates, suddenly they are growing right here in the Midwest, fresh and delicious.
So there's no better way to celebrate springtime and our expanded food selections than with some delectable new recipes for cooking and baking. Which is why I love that Fisher Nuts is continuing to partner with Food Network Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a recent winner on Iron Chef and a regular judge on Chopped, to offer a fresh twist on spring recipes.
Using seasonal ingredients like fresh nuts and produce can help bring your recipes to life and Chef Alex has recommendations for taking your spring cuisine to a new level!
During this past holiday season, I mentioned Chef Alex's incredible credentials and many of her tips for cooking with nuts, but that was far from being all of them. After all, you don't open your own restaurant and appear over and over on national television without knowing a thing or two about cooking, right?
Here are more of Chef Alex's tips for cooking with nuts:
- Savory & Sassy Sauces: Slow cooking a piece of meat? Add a few nuts to some of the cooking liquid, blend it smooth and pour it back into the rest of the cooking liquid to naturally enrich the flavor and thicken your sauce.
- Fresh Twist on Rice: Nuts are delicious in a classic rice pilaf. Stir some roasted nuts into the rice just before serving. You can also mix nuts with wild rice.
- Top It Off: Parsley and basil are great flavors to finish many holiday dishes. Try chopping parsley with some Fisher almonds for added texture and taste.
- Quick and Simple Dessert: For a great addition to your dessert table, melt some sugar in a pan until golden brown and stir in some nuts. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet to cook and then break into pieces for a quick and simple nut brittle.
While all of Chef Alex's recipes sounded pretty perfect for spring, I decided to challenge myself and follow one that was a bit more complex than what I might typically make.
Strawberry Crostata with Walnuts
The dough
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some additional for rolling out the dough
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest of 1 lemon
1½ sticks unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
The filling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pints strawberries, hulled and split
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ cup Fisher® Walnut Halves, coarsely chopped
Dough: In the food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly. Pour the cold water through the hole in the top of the machine and pulse only to combine. Form into an 8" long cylinder (about 2" in diameter) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Filling: Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Place a baking sheet next to the stove. When the sauté pan is fairly hot, add the butter for the filling. When it melts and foams slightly, add the strawberries.
Toss to coat with the butter and add ¼ cup sugar, lemon zest and juice. Toss to blend and allow some of the liquid to escape from the berries and reduce.
After 2 minutes, sprinkle with cornstarch, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet. Spread the strawberry mixture out so it cools faster and refrigerate until very cool.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 8 equal pieces. Press each disk with your hand to flatten and using a rolling pin, roll each piece into a circle that is about 6-inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Make sure you flour lightly under and on top of the dough as you roll it. Trim edges with a sharp paring knife or circular pizza cutter if you want a cleaner edge on the crostata.
Meanwhile, remove strawberry mixture from refrigerator and transfer to a fine strainer placed over a bowl. Strain strawberries so that almost no liquid remains with the berries, being sure not to crush the fruit.
Arrange the tart rounds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon walnuts onto the center of each round. Divide the cooked strawberries evenly among the dough circles.
Fold the sides up tightly around the fruit to form a purse, making the fruit the center, they will open slightly during baking. Cover the opening left after folding with a few more walnuts. Refrigerate circles if they become too soft to handle.
Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with any remaining walnuts. Sprinkle with sugar for added texture. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to serving plates using a wide spatula. Serve immediately.
This spring and beyond, be sure to turn to Fisher Nuts for nuts of all kinds, including mixes for snacking and baking. Their commitment to quality and excellence ensures that all of their products are perfect for your favorite brownie recipe, used in a delicious breading, sprinkled across a fresh spring salad, and much more.
You can also head over for inspiration on the Fisher Nuts Facebook page, Chef Alex's Twitter handle, in her recipes and her tips for cooking with nuts to make your spring and summer meals ones to remember.
And, thanks to the generosity of Fisher Nuts, one person will be prepared to to test out some of Alex's recipes (and create some of their own) as well, because...
Fisher Nuts Spring Cooking Prize Pack* (ARV $56)!
I am working with Fisher to share Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's recipes using Fisher Nuts and tools they provided. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.


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Common Lisp the Language, 2nd Edition
A hash table is a Lisp object that can efficiently map a given Lisp object to another Lisp object. Each hash table has a set of entries, each of which associates a particular key with a particular value. The basic functions that deal with hash tables can create entries, delete entries, and find the value that is associated with a given key. Finding the value is very fast, even if there are many entries, because hashing is used; this is an important advantage of hash tables over property lists.
A given hash table can associate only one value with a given key; if you try to add a second value, it will replace the first. Also, adding a value to a hash table is a destructive operation; the hash table is modified. By contrast, association lists can be augmented non-destructively.
Hash tables come in three kinds, the difference being whether the keys are compared with eq, eql, or equal. In other words, there are hash tables that hash on Lisp objects (using eq or eql) and there are hash tables that hash on tree structure (using equal).
Hash tables are created with the function make-hash-table, which takes various options, including which kind of hash table to make (the default being the eql kind). To look up a key and find the associated value, use gethash. New entries are added to hash tables using setf with gethash. To remove an entry, use remhash. Here is a simple example.
(setq a (make-hash-table)) (setf (gethash 'color a) 'brown) (setf (gethash 'name a) 'fred) (gethash 'color a) => brown (gethash 'name a) => fred (gethash 'pointy a) => nil
In this example, the symbols color and name are being used as keys, and the symbols brown and fred are being used as the associated values. The hash table has two items in it, one of which associates from color to brown, and the other of which associates from name to fred.
Keys do not have to be symbols; they can be any Lisp object. Similarly, values can be any Lisp object.
When a hash table is first created, it has a size, which is the
maximum number of entries it can hold. Usually the actual capacity of
the table is somewhat less, since the hashing is not perfectly
collision-free. With the maximum possible bad luck, the capacity could
be very much less, but this rarely happens. If so many entries are
added that the capacity is exceeded, the hash table will automatically
grow, and the entries will be rehashed (new hash values will be
recomputed, and everything will be rearranged so that the fast hash
lookup still works). This is transparent to the caller; it all happens
There is a discrepancy between the preceding description of the
size of a hash table and the description of the :size argument
in the specification below
of make-hash-table.
X3J13 voted in June 1989 (HASH-TABLE-SIZE) to regard the
latter description as definitive: the :size argument
is approximately the number of entries that can be inserted
without having to enlarge the hash table. This definition is certainly
more convenient for the user.


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Performing delicate surgery in the womb, months before birth, can substantially improve outcomes for children with a common, disabling birth defect of the spine. Experts at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) co-led a new landmark study showing that fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently.
Spina bifida is the most common birth defect of the central nervous system, affecting about 1,500 babies born each year in the United States.
"This is the first time in history that we can offer real hope to parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida," said N. Scott Adzick, M.D., Surgeon-in-Chief at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, director of Children's Hospital's Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, and lead author of a federally sponsored study reporting results of a clinical trial of fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. Adzick, who led a team at CHOP that pioneered fetal surgeries for this condition and set the stage for this clinical trial, added, "This is not a cure, but this trial demonstrates scientifically that we can now offer fetal surgery as a standard of care for spina bifida."
Myelomeningocele is devastating, occurring when part of the spinal column does not close around the spinal cord, failing to protect it during stages of fetal development. Long-term survivors of the condition frequently suffer lifelong disabilities, including paralysis, bladder and bowel problems, hydrocephalus (excessive fluid pressure in the brain), and cognitive impairments.
Fetal surgery researchers have now reported long-awaited results from an unprecedented clinical trial that compared outcomes of prenatal, or fetal, surgery versus postnatal surgery, the conventional surgery for this disabling neurological condition. The study appears in an Online First article in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Two and a half years after fetal surgery, children with spina bifida were better able to walk, when compared to children who received surgery shortly after birth. Patients who received fetal surgery also scored better on tests of motor function. Within a year after fetal surgery, they were less likely to need a shunt, a surgically implanted tube that drains fluid from the brain.
How the Fetal Surgery Trial was Conducted
Three fetal surgery centers participated in the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) trial -- at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Vanderbilt University, and the University of California San Francisco. The biostatistics center at George Washington University (GWU) served as the coordinating center and oversaw data collection and analysis, while the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development sponsored the trial.
The MOMS study was a prospective, randomized clinical trial. One sign of its prominence is that all U.S. fetal surgery centers not participating in the trial agreed to perform no fetal surgery for spina bifida during the 7-year duration of the trial. The trial goal was to enroll 200 patients, but the NIH ended the trial in December 2010, after 183 surgeries had occurred, based on clear evidence of efficacy for the prenatal procedure.
Throughout the trial, women whose fetuses had been diagnosed with spina bifida contacted the trial's coordinating center at GWU if they chose to volunteer for the study. That center randomly assigned half of the eligible women to receive prenatal surgery, the other half to receive postnatal surgery.
Postnatal surgery entailed delivery by planned cesarean section at 37 weeks gestation, after which the surgical team repaired the opening in the newborn's spine, usually within 24 hours after birth. In prenatal surgery, done between 19 and 26 weeks' gestation, the surgical team made incisions in the mother and her uterus, then repaired the spina bifida lesion while the fetus was in the womb. Mothers in this group stayed near the center for ongoing monitoring, then underwent delivery by planned cesarean section at 37 weeks, or earlier, because many of the babies in the prenatal surgery group arrived prematurely.
The complex requirements of this fetal surgery require a highly sophisticated multidisciplinary team. The CHOP program includes specialists in fetal surgery, neurosurgery, obstetrics, maternal-fetal medicine, cardiology, anesthesiology and critical care, neonatology, and nursing.
In both study groups, surgeons used the same technique to cover the myelomeningocele with multiple layers of the fetus's own tissue. "This lesion leaves the spinal cord exposed, so it's essential to protect this tissue from neurological injury," said study co-author Leslie N. Sutton, M.D., Chief of Neurosurgery at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Previous research had established that in myelomeningocele, amniotic fluid and other features of the intrauterine environment damage the exposed spinal cord.
Building on Decades of Research
Starting two decades ago, pioneering animal studies by Adzick and collaborators such as Martin Meuli, M.D. (now Surgeon-in-Chief at Zurich Children's Hospital in Switzerland) showed that the timing of the myelomeningocele repair was important, a finding borne out by clinical experience in fetal surgery done before the MOMS trial. "The damage to the spinal cord and nerves is progressive during pregnancy, so there's a rationale for performing the repair by the 26th week of gestation, rather than after birth," said Sutton.
The abnormal spinal development underlying myelomeningocele triggers a cascade of disabling consequences, including weakness or paralysis below the level of the defect on the spinal column. In addition, leakage of cerebrospinal fluid through the open spina bifida defect results in herniation of the brainstem down into the spinal canal in the neck -- a condition called hindbrain herniation. Hindbrain herniation obstructs the flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain, leading to hydrocephalus, a life-threatening buildup of fluid that can injure the developing brain. Surgeons must implant a shunt, a hollow tube that drains fluid from the brain into the child's abdominal cavity. However, shunts may become infected or blocked, often requiring a series of replacements over a patient's lifetime.
What the Study Found
The current study reports data on 158 patients who were followed at least one year after surgery. Clinicians who were independent of the surgical teams and blinded (not informed which of the two surgeries a given child received) evaluated the children from the study at one year of age and again at age 30 months.
--At one year of age, 40 percent of the children in the prenatal surgery group had received a shunt, compared to 83 percent of the children in the postnatal group. During pregnancy, all the fetuses in the trial had hindbrain herniation. However, at age 12 months, one-third (36 percent) of the infants in the prenatal surgery group no longer had any evidence of hindbrain herniation, compared to only 4 percent in the postnatal surgery group.
--At age 30 months, children in the prenatal group had significantly better scores in measurements of motor function. While the ability to walk depends on the level of the spina bifida lesion, the study found a twofold increase in the proportion of children able to walk without crutches or other assistive devices -- 42 percent in the prenatal group compared to 21 percent in the postnatal group.
--As with any surgery, fetal surgery carries risks. Fetal surgery in this study raised the risk of premature birth and scarring in the mother's uterus. "Additionally, the surgical site in the uterus used for fetal surgery requires that the mother will have to undergo a cesarean section for any subsequent births," said study co-author Mark P. Johnson, M.D., obstetrics director at the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT).
"The mothers, children and families who participated in this MOMS trial, and who are continuing to be available for follow-up studies, have made an important contribution to our knowledge and treatment of spina bifida," said Lori J. Howell, R.N., M.S., Executive Director of the CFDT, and a study co-author. "Because of their involvement, we are better able to accurately counsel other families about what it will mean to have a child with spina bifida -- and to offer a rigorously tested, innovative prenatal surgical treatment."
Next Steps in Fetal Surgery Although the trial results mark a milestone in spina bifida treatment, not every woman carrying a fetus with spina bifida may be a suitable candidate for fetal surgery. For example, severely obese women were not included in the current study because they have a higher risk of surgical complications. Adzick noted that further research will continue to refine surgical techniques and improve methods to reduce the risks to mothers and fetuses.
In the meantime, concluded Adzick, "Both the experimental outcomes of animal studies and the results of the MOMS trial suggest that prenatal surgery for myelomeningocele stops the exposure of the developing spinal cord to amniotic fluid and thereby averts further neurological damage in utero. In addition, by stopping the leak of cerebrospinal fluid from the myelomeningocele defect, prenatal surgery reverses hindbrain herniation in utero. We believe this in turn mitigates the development of hydrocephalus and the need for shunting after birth."
Adzick added that this demonstrated success for fetal surgery may broaden its application to other birth defects, many of which are rarer but more uniformly lethal than spina bifida. Children's Hospital's comprehensive center already offers fetal surgery for selected life-threatening fetal conditions.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia began performing fetal surgery for spina bifida in 1998, three years after Adzick launched the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment. The Center's reports of neurological improvements in spina bifida, based on 58 fetal surgeries through 2003, helped lay the groundwork for the MOMS trial. For Adzick, who has been working to advance fetal surgery since performing preclinical studies in the early 1980s, "It's very gratifying to take this idea forward over 30 years, starting with a concept and now offering hope -- to families, mothers and the children themselves."
This trial was sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional funding for spina bifida research at the CFDT at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was provided by Katherine and Michael Mulligan, the March of Dimes Foundation and the Spina Bifida Association.
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Jackson Estate Ready to Pounce on Profiteer
The lawyer for the Michael Jackson estate thinks the businessman who partnered with Katherine Jackson is hurting Michael's children -- and is threatening legal action if the dude doesn't stop.
Howard Mann -- whose business ventures include online nude gambling -- got Katherine Jackson to agree to publish the book, "Never Can Say Goodbye," scheduled for release this week.
Mann also told TMZ he and Katherine will make record deals for 273 unreleased Michael Jackson songs -- part of an MJ treasure trove he acquired in a fire sale after Joe Jackson failed to pay a storage bill.
But estate lawyer Howard Weitzman is ticked, claiming Mann "may be using his relationship with Mrs. Jackson to infringe upon Michael Jackson's copyrights ... to the detriment of, among others, Michael's 3 kids."
Weitzman says Mann has no right "to exploit any estate assets" and he will take "whatever action is necessary to prevent him from unlawfully profiting." TMZ translation -- the estate will sue his ass if Mann goes forward.
We're told Katherine Jackson is happy with the job the executors have done -- namely filling the coffers with hundreds of millions of dollars -- but sources say family members are in her ear, getting her to sign off on ventures that end up hurting the estate, MJ's kids, and Katherine herself.


text: A new top-level-domain, .TEL, is due to be available for registration today that lets individuals and companies companies, and later individuals, create a web home for contact information. Phone numbers, email addresses, social network pages, and other relevant info are stored at the domain-name level rather than on static pages, so updating your .tel information can be a quick, universal way to change any of those digits. For those without personal web sites, it could be a nice way to build a simple web presence, as you can also set up search-able key words for your domain. Those with their own sites, or presence on a lot of social sites, can simply point to a .tel address, rather than try and keep your contact data up on every single page. Wondering what your .tel would look like? Try it out on Telnic's .tel simulator. Update: Actually, only owners of trademarks can apply in today's "Sunrise" registration; the general public gets their .tel availability during the "Landrush" on Feb. 3, 2009, and for cheaper during general sale on March 24. Sorry for the confusion.


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CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — A former world champion boxer was arrested in Florida on a felony theft and bad check warrant stemming from unpaid IOUs at a Las Vegas Strip casino.
The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Antonio Tarver on Saturday night after a traffic stop.
Officials say the 45-year-old Tarver was held on $215,425 bail following his arrest on a warrant issued last June in Las Vegas. It was unclear whether he had an attorney.
Tarver, who lives in the Tampa Bay area, was named in a criminal complaint filed in Las Vegas alleging that he failed to repay three casino loans totaling $200,000 obtained in July 2012 at the posh Wynn Las Vegas resort.
Nevada treats written casino IOUs, known as markers, like fraudulent bad checks. State law lets prosecutors collect a 10 percent processing and prosecution fee with any settlement.
Most cases are resolved before charges are filed. Some are resolved when the amount owed is paid as bail.
Jake Merback, the prosecutor handling the case in Las Vegas, said Monday he hadn't heard from Tarver representatives. Merback said authorities in Florida told him Tarver hadn't immediately posted bail to be freed.
Tarver's professional career included 30 victories and six losses, and he won a bronze medal as a light heavyweight at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Tarver played a heavyweight boxer in the 2006 movie "Rocky Balboa" and has served as a commentator for Showtime Sports Boxing.


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This article is more than 1 year old
OpenStack adds web dashboard to 'floating Linux kernel'
Devil code does authentication too
OpenStack – the open source "infrastructure cloud" project founded by Rackspace and NASA – has released a new version of its platform, adding over 70 tools to the existing code while unveiling two new creations: a web "dashboard" for both administrators and users, and an authentication system that spans the platform.
Codenamed "Diablo", this is the first version of OpenStack to arrive under the project's new six-month release schedule. Initially, releases arrived every three months. With Diablo, developers from myriad member companies have beefed up the project's existing sub-platforms – the Nova compute fabric, the Swift storage platform, and the Glance image manager – but they've also launched separate projects for the dashboard and user authentication.
Led by Nebula Inc., the Dashboard project provides code for a web-based portal where users can provision infrastructure resources, including virtual servers and storage – and where administrators can monitor and manage the platform as a whole. "We want to make OpenStack something that's more accessible to companies that want to deploy this kind of technology," Jonathan Bryce, chairman of the OpenStack policy board and Rackspace employee, tells The Register.
The platform has long offered what Bryce calls a "rudimentary" dashboard, but he says this work has now "been elevated to full component" that is "tightly integrated" with the platform.
Keystone – led by Rackspace itself – provides a single authentication system for use across all OpenStack platforms, including Nova and Swift. This too, Bryce says, is meant to make the system easier to use, plugging straight into existing corporate authentication directories.
OpenStack Dashboard
Bryce and OpenStack have also announced a third new sub-project, OpenStack Quantum, which handles networking resources, but this won't officially arrive until at least the next version of the platform, Essex, due six months from now. Cisco has very publicly put its weight behind OpenStack, and it will lead the Quantum project alongside Nicira, Citrix, Midokura, and Rackspace.
Quantum is a means of controlling all networking-related resources on a particular cloud, including virtual resources as well as physical gear. Separate projects, Bryce says, will cover other virtual networking tasks.
NASA and Rackspace first unveiled OpenStack in the summer of 2010, calling it a truly open source platform for building "infrastructure clouds", online services that provide on-demand access to virtual computing resources that scale as needed. These might be "public clouds" – web services similar to Amazon's AWS that can be used by anyone – or they might "private clouds" that are used with a particular company.
In its earliest days, NASA called the project a Linux kernel for the cloud. The spacemen founded OpenStack in part as a response to Eucalyptus, an open source infrastructure cloud project that NASA believed wasn't open enough.
OpenStack Nova is based on a compute engine and fabric controller designed and built by NASA, while Swift grew out of an object storage platform created by Rackspace. Nova underpins NASA's internal Nebula compute cloud, and a version of Swift drives Cloud Files, Rackspace's public storage service. Glance – a later addition to the project – handles discovery, public registration, and delivery service for virtual disk images.
With the Diablo release, Nova now includes a distributed scheduler, letting you deploy virtual machines across disparate data centers, and it offers a "high-availability networking mode" designed to prevent downtime when a primary server fails. Meanwhile, Swift is now designed to let you more easily replicate particular data contained in disparate data centers. ®


text: Home Media Video Emerson Esports @ EVO '18 Emerson Esports @ EVO '18 By Neal Sweeney - March 12, 2019 1005 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Fox 25: Boston hopes to become leader in booming esports industry WGBH: 'Fortnite' & The Future Of Gaming Meta Threads @ PAX East 18 PAX East 18 Recap PAX West 18 Trip Video LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply Please enter your comment! Please enter your name here You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ


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Martin Creek Lake State Park
Things to Do
Activities include excellent, year-round fishing; camping ; wildlife observation and photography; picnicking; boating (canoe rentals are available); water skiing; lake swimming (unsupervised); backpacking; hiking; and interpretive programs. The park has cabins and screened shelters available for overnight use, and a 75-person capacity Group Picnic Pavilion .
During the winter months, many fishing tournaments are held at the park and during these tournaments the area near the boat ramp may be crowded; please check our current listing of fishing tournaments for dates.
Detailed fishing & lake information for Martin Creek Lake
Swimming Safety Tips Ranger Programs
The park offers a variety of educational opportunities, including interpretive programs on Saturday (when staffing allows). Check the calendar for upcoming events or contact the park for special tours.
Area Attractions
Nearby attractions include Caddo Lake State Park , Starr Family Home State Historic Site , Texas State Railroad and the historic cities of Marshall, Longview, Kilgore and Henderson.


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To register for camps, classes, and other activities please visit our online registration portal. Once there, click the "Log In/Create an Account" button to create an account or log-in (if you already have an account), the search for the activity you want to register for. When you find the activity you want to register for, click the check box next to the name of the person you want to register (you may need to add account members if the name does not show up), then click the "Add to Cart" button. From there you can either check out or return to the system to add other activities before checking out.
You can also go to the Recreation office during regular business hours and register in person.
Show All Answers
We offer programs for all ages and interest levels, the best way to learn of our current classes and camps is to view our Activity Guide online.
All withdrawal/refund requests must be made in writing and can either be mailed or emailed. Refunds requested prior to the first class will be charged a $11.00 processing fee. A full refund will be made only if a class/activity is cancelled by the department. Refunds require 30 days to process and will be issued in the form of the original payment (if you pay by cash or check you will receive a check refund, if you pay by credit card it will go back to the same credit card). No refunds will be issued after the first meeting. All classes and activities are subject to cancellation due to low enrollment.
We accept Cash, Checks (made out to "Town of Moraga"), and Credit Cards (Visa & MasterCard)


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How to Draw Donald Duck
As you can see you will start this step like every first step I submit on DragoArt. You will draw out the guidelines and shapes until you have a frame for Donald to work with. Start with a circle for the head and then draw out the lining of his duck
Now in this next second step you will start it by sketching out the shape of Donald's sailor hat and then draw the arched looking shapes for his eyes. Finish off the shape and lining for his bill and then draw out his arm. You will then add the lower
You are on your third step and that means you are one step away from completion. You will start by finishing off Donald's sailor hat with a ribbon, and then add his fluffy feathers. Draw an arch line for his eyebrow and then add his eyeballs. What is
Your last drawing step is now here and as you can see there is very little to do. All you will need to do is first color in his eyeballs and then draw out the collar and shoulder sleeve, Add a knot in the middle of the bow and then finish off his but
Comments 0
March 13, 2009
Description: Well, I have yet to submit two more lessons after this description for my third tutorial is written out. I figured that I would try and shoot for five tutorials a day again just because I know that it is exciting for all the members that visit DragoArt to see some new lessons when they sign in every time they visit. I mean, who wants to come to a site everyday and see nothing new? I know I wouldn't. Anyways, this next lesson is being drawn out of request by a member. I was asked if I could do a tutorial on how to draw Donald Duck step by step. Donald as you know is a very important and popular character from the Disney Company. He is best friends with Mickey and Goofy and his love interest is Daisy Duck, although sometimes Daisy acts like she wants nothing to do with Donald just so she can watch him beg and chase after her. Donald has a very unclear speech making it very difficult to understand what he is saying. He is a very kind soul and can sometimes be very gullible and misguided. Don't get me wrong, Donald also has a mean streak to him as well. Sometimes there are episodes where his temper explodes leaving him with a red face and devil like horns. When I was a kid growing up Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto were four of my favorite characters. I used to love the episodes when Donald and Goofy were together because it was like putting Dumb and Dumber in the same room to watch them mess up in every way possible. I think that Walt Disney did a fabulous job with the creation and animation of Donald especially over year's time. This tutorial will show you how to draw Donald Duck step by step with simple to read instructions and easy to follow steps. Once you are done, you will be able to draw this Disney character with ease with just the touch of a pencil. I will be back yet again with two more lessons on the way so stay tuned folks for my return!


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It was a quirky night for the Irish at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards, with the Celts present providing plenty of laughter over the course of the ceremony.
Or rather, being the butt of a few of Ricky Gervais jokes.
"The Office" creator and host for the night laid into anyone and everyone, from the plastic surgery brigade to NBC and Jay Leno.
However, perhaps his funniest dig was aimed at our own Colin Farrell.
It has been reported that Gervais specifically asked to introduce the Irish star, and Farrell, upon hearing this, was supposed to have said "Oh, Balls!"
He had good reason to. Here is how Gervais introduced Farrell:
"One stereotype I hate is that all Irishmen are just drunk, swearing hell raisers," quipped Gervais, before adding, "Please welcome Colin Farrell."
Farrell took it in good spirits, smiling wryly and saying, "Oh, I once was a cliché," before presenting an award.
Gervais also took a dig at Mel Gibson with this intro:
"I like a drink as much as any man, unless that man is Mel Gibson!"
Again, Gibson took it well, pretending to slur his words as he introduced the Best Director Golden Globe.
But Ricky isn't daft, and he did not play with fire when introducing Mickey Rourke:
'I haven't got a bad word to say about him . . . mainly because he has arms as big as my legs,' said the comedian.
Awards wise, Robert Downey Jr. won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for his role in "Sherlock Holmes."
Downey delivered a humorous speech, saying he had to thank no one and then not thanking a host of people, including his wife Susan, Joel Silver and Guy Ritchie.
Brendan Gleeson lost out to Kevin Bacon for Best Performance for Television Drama and Daniel Day Lewis lost out to the aforementioned Downey Jr.
U2 lost out to T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham for Best Original Song, while George Clooney was pipped to the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture by Jeff Bridges' star turn in "Crazy Heart."