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The American Dream is increasingly blocked by steadily rising college costs, and America's student debt stands at more than $1 trillion. Fortunately, the combination of readily available technology and a simple regulatory change could create a low-cost or even a no-cost alternative path toward a college degree. The edX program recently announced by MIT and Harvard points the way toward a massively open online course movement.
EdX is designed to make MIT and Harvard college courses widely available online, building on the MITx program that already offers MIT courses free of charge online to any student anywhere. EdX will support students' learning and grade their work, and a certificate from the program will be granted for successful course completion. EdX is also offering to give its online-course-delivery software to other educational institutions that want to broadly distribute their courses.
Last fall, Stanford offered an introductory Artificial Intelligence course for free, online. It reported that 160,000 students, from high schoolers to retirees, enrolled from 175 countries, and 22,000 students completed the rigorous course..
Spreading Benefits, Narrowing Costs
Princeton, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, and others are pursuing similar paths. The Open University system in the United Kingdom and Western Governors University in the U.S. have been pioneering this philosophy as well.
Digital technology can revolutionize the cost structure of education, just as it has for other forms of information. However, regulation needs to change to enable the advance, particularly in the area of accreditation.
Accreditation means that a course credit can be transferred to other institutions and that graduate schools will recognize applicants' online credits. Right now, edX will give a certificate of mastery from edX, not an accredited degree from Harvard or MIT. Similarly, a student at Stanford's open Artificial Intelligence course earned a "statement of accomplishment," not an accredited course credit from Stanford University.
Institutions like Stanford, MIT, and Harvard are justified in maintaining this distinction. They are already accomplishing a social good by providing free online courses and should not also be asked to dilute or confuse the value of their traditional degree. But it's also true that the best unaccredited online courses may be higher in quality and more rigorous than a physical course at a lower-quality college that is accredited. Ideally, all courses' rigor and all students' individual achievement should be measured to reflect this reality.
Starting the Revolution
The government should support a strategy to ensure that a high-quality and growing "catalog" of free or nearly free edX-style offerings is available across all the major categories of university and career college training. This may require some modest federal subsidy to course developers. However, lots of online courses are already available, and the market may well determine that it is more attractive to serve many students at a very low cost than to serve a few students at a very high cost. Also, the opportunity to reach and teach tens of thousands of students at once may attract the very best educators as a public service and as a way to fulfill their own academic goals.
As important, the regulators need to establish tests (analogous to the CPA exam or bar exam) at the end of each course in the national "catalog" in order to award accredited course hours. For example, a student might study Economics 101 from a world-leading professor for free online, then report to the nearest community college for a proctored, nationally available exam tied to the course material. Passage of the national exam would lead to an accredited course credit in freshman economics, transferable to a traditional institution and thus lowering the cost of the traditional degree. Alternately, enough of these accredited open courses together could lead to an accredited "National Degree" or "Individual Achievement Degree" in and of themselves.
The key for regulators would be to make sure that the quality of the accreditation tests remains high, so passage would command respect from traditional academic institutions, employers, and colleagues. As it renews the Higher Education Act, Congress could establish an independent digital education commission, analogous to private-sector accreditors, to develop the massively open course catalog and to establish the tests.
A Degree in Self-Reliance
Under such an approach, students could succeed through individual initiative, rather than reliance on financial aid and student debt.
Advancing the vision one step further, future students could take the core courses for free or nearly free, and then small grants or loans could be made available to them for supplemental instruction, such as work-study programs, hands-on lab time, organized subject-matter discussion groups, and special tutoring. A student who earned his degree this way might even be awarded a piece of the taxpayers' savings as a cash grant upon passage. Instead of ending college deep in debt, tomorrow's self-motivated version of Abe Lincoln could enter the work force debt-free and with money in the bank.
Instead of a commission, private groups, a government department, or even a national digital university could manage the new system, but the task remains the same. Further, the Department of Education would need to eliminate regulations or industry practices that block such innovation. For example, colleges accepting Title IV funds may need to be required to give recognition to the open, accredited courses as a condition of Title IV.
Of course, no free online program can match the potential for intellectual richness and collegial life experience of four years on great campuses. America's best traditional colleges and universities are national treasures and would remain intact. But it's possible to create a new and affordable life path forward for capable, highly motivated individuals seeking a higher education. Access to the American Dream would be strengthened, and taxpayers could save billions.
STEVE KLINSKY, the founder and CEO of New Mountain Capital, has been active in education reform since 1993.
Editorial page editor THOMAS G. DONLAN receives e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Merissa Kunkle, and Bradley Kessler have announced their engagement.
Merissa is the daughter of Dewey and Ivy Kunkle of Fayette. She is a 2005 graduate of Fayette High School and a 2011 graduate of Mercy College of Northwest Ohio. She is employed by Fairlawn Haven.
Bradley is the son of Roger and Kim Kessler of Fayette. He is a 2002 graduate of Fayette High School and is a journeyman electrician. He is employed by Brint Electric.
The couple will exchange vows Sept. 17, at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Fayette. They are planning a honeymoon trip on St. Lucia and will resi

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What do women want? That's a question for the ages. Let a roomful of psychologists figure it out.
But I do know what plus-size women want. Because I asked them.
They want the variety and quality of clothes that are available to "normal-size" (their words) women.
They want pretty underwear, not "industrial strength" (their words again) armature with all the sex appeal of a loaf of Wonder bread.
They don't want to have to go on a "scavenger hunt" in stores and online to put together a single cute outfit and they don't want to pay an extravagant penalty price for plus-size fashions. Or to have to shop at stores for cross-dressers to find stylish patterned tights that fit.
To stores that mix maternity clothes with the plus sizes, well shame on you! And while you're at it, could you move the plus-size department far away from the petites?
I learned this and so much more on the recent evening I spent talking to shoppers at Vive la Femme (vivelafemme.com), a plus-size boutique at 2048 N. Damen Ave.
When I asked about shopping woes, "How much time do you have?" replied Nikea Young, 30, a Chicago plus-size model and blogger (examiner.com).
Yes, fashions for plus sizes have improved from the days when the only options were blobby muumuu dresses to hide under. In fact, a lot of plus-size clothes have moved in the opposite direction, showing loads of cleavage and are "over-sexualized," says Young. "I like to keep the 'cousins' covered. I just want some regular clothes that are cute that I can wear to Bible study and not feel like I'm going to hell."
On the issue of clothing complaints, Amber McCulloch had a ready answer: "Bras in particular!" McCulloch, 32, who works in public relations and blogs at http://www.stylepluscurves.com, complains that most bras in her size "look like I should be kneading bread with 13 children."
The Chicagoan was thrilled to buy two matching lacy sets from Isabella Fine Lingerie, the venerable Lincoln Park store at 840 W. Armitage Ave. And, "Forever 21 saved my life when I discovered that there was a plus section at the store on State Street (26 S. State St.). I go there three times a week. I'm excited about fashion again because with trendier clothes you feel that you're more mainstream."
"The fashion industry thinks plus size is a size 6," griped Young. In fact, the average American woman weighs close to 170 pounds and wears a size 14, and more than half of us are categorized as overweight. Americans are getting heavier, not leaner. You would think that retailers would wake up to the sales potential — especially in a miserable sales economy. That said, there are bright spots for curvy women like Deb Elston, 53, a Chicago cellphone security worker who heeded boutique owner Stephanie Sack's mantra, "Just try it!"
Now she was at the cash register buying her first pair of jeans since 1986. "I just felt fat and uncomfortable in jeans," Elston said. But Sack cajoled her into giving them another shot after a quarter-century of denim abstinence. As she modeled her new purchase (Miracle Body, $125), she spread her arms wide and declared, "I feel smashing!"
Problem? Solution!
Boutique owner Stephanie Sack's list of plus-size women's clothing complaints and her solutions:
Problem: Can't find pants/jeans that fit; women usually buy them too big.
Solution: "Shop relentlessly" and pay no attention to size or brand; just try and try and try. (If they buckle at the back of the knee, they're too big.)
Problem: "I don't like my … so I don't wear … "
Solution: "If women are shopping with excessive rules, get over it. Don't get in your own way!"
Problem: "I don't wear color because black makes me look thinner."
Solution: Color is flattering; you'll get compliments. You're not kidding anyone by wearing black, which "frankly can be very aging."
Curvy shoppers recommend:
Stores: Ashley Stewart, Avenue, Fashion Bug, Forever 21, Lane Bryant, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, Torrid
Websites: alight.com; annascholz.com; cherished-woman.com; daphne1.com; donnaricco.com; ebay.com; fashiontofigure.com; kiyonna.com; lafayette148.com; monifc.com; svobodastyle.com; sydneyscloset.com; ullapopken.com


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Recipe from Albert Milburn of Brandon, Miss.
Prep Time: 6 min
Total Time: 15 min, depending how many you prepare.
2 lbs. of fresh hambuger (makes about 6 large burgers)
1 tsp lemon pepper (for each burger)
1 tblsp garlic salt
1 small jar hamburger dill slices.
1. Flatten enough hamburger to make 12 large medium sized patties. (makes 6 burgers)
2. Place dill slices on one patty, top with second patty and pinch around edge to seal.
3. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and garlic salt to taste.
4. Grill until fluid runs clear.
5. Place on steamed bun, top with condiments of your choice. Best with lettuce, tomato, mayo, a slice of onion and a slice of cheese (not american cheese) of your choice.
Yield: 6 Servings
Comments: Burgers also good with just onion and mustard.
*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in or provided through this site section is intended for general consumer understanding and education only and is not intended to be and is not a substitute for professional advice. Use of this site section and any information contained on or provided through this site section is at your own risk and any information contained on or provided through this site section is provided on an "as is" basis without any representations or warranties.


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Ponce Invited to Mexican National Team Camp
TUCSON, Ariz. – University of Arizona senior forward Jazmin Ponce was invited to attend tryouts for the Mexican National team taking place in Mexico City, Mexico.
If she makes it through tryouts, Ponce will be a part of the Mexican National team and travel to China to compete in an international tournament.
"It's an amazing honor," Ponce said. "Seeing the smiles on my family and friend's faces makes me want to try even harder to make them proud."
Ponce finished the 2013 season recording a total of 92 shot attempts, five assists, five game-winning goals and 10 goals. Ponce was named 2013 Pac-12 First-Team All-Conference, her second nod in as many seasons, as well as Pac-12 Second-Team by College Sports Madness at the conclusion of the 2013 season.
"We are very excited for Jazmin," head coach Tony Amato said. "Playing at the international level is a great honor and I am happy she has this opportunity. I am confident she has the ability to make an impact at that level and I look forward to seeing her success with them. I know she will positively represent Arizona soccer and the Pac-12 Conference."


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SOHO's solar wind of change
We have known for 40 years that space weather affects the Earth, which is buffeted by a 'wind' from the Sun, but only now are we learning more about its precise origins. Solving the mystery of the solar wind has been a prime task for ESA's SOHO spacecraft. Its latest findings, announced on 20 May 2003, may overturn previous ideas about the origin of the 'fast' solar wind, which occurs in most of the space around the Sun.
Earlier results from SOHO established that the gas of the fast wind leaks through magnetic barriers near the Sun's visible surface. Straight, spoke-like features called plumes have also been seen rising from the solar atmosphere at the polar regions, where much of the fast wind comes from. According to previous ideas, the gas of the fast wind streams out in the gaps between the plumes.
"Not so," says Alan Gabriel of the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale near Paris, France. Careful observations with SOHO now suggest that most of the fast wind leaves the Sun via the plumes themselves, which are denser than their surroundings. Gabriel and his team tracked gas rising at about 60 kilometres per second to a height of 250 000 kilometres above the Sun's visible surface.
"If this controversial result is right, it will clear up a big misunderstanding," says Bernhard Fleck, ESA's Project Scientist for SOHO. "We need to know how the fast wind is subsequently accelerated to 750 kilometres per second. To find out, we'd better be looking in the right places."
SOHO has also investigated the origin of a slower wind, half the speed of the fast wind, which comes from the Sun's equatorial regions. The gas of the 'slow' wind leaks from triangular features called 'helmets', which are plainly protruding into the Sun's atmosphere during a solar eclipse. Blasts of gas called 'coronal mass ejections' also contribute to the solar wind in the equatorial zone of the Sun.
The ESA/NASA Ulysses spacecraft has twice passed over the poles of the Sun and signalled the relative importance of these fast and slow winds. Its measurements show that the fast wind predominates in the heliosphere, which is a huge bubble blown into interstellar space by the Sun's outpourings, and extending far beyond the outermost planets. In interplanetary space, the fast wind often collides with the slow wind. Like the mass ejections, the collisions create shock waves that agitate the Earth's space environment.
The four satellites of ESA's Cluster mission are now studying the interaction between the solar wind and our planet's defences. The Earth's magnetic field creates a bubble within the heliosphere, but it does not give us perfect protection from Sun's storms. Ulysses, SOHO, and Cluster together provide an extraordinary overview of solar behaviour and its effects, both near and far in the Solar System.


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Now more than ever, business is all about speed and agility and Flash is the high-octane storage media behind it. Our commitment to future innovation continues to increase the value of Flash for your applications and your business.
An All-Flash Array, also referred to as a SSA or Solid State Array, is data storage that contains multiple Flash memory drives. All-Flash storage contains no moving parts, which means significantly less heat generated, less power utilized, and less maintenance. From a functional standpoint, All-Flash technology powered by Intel® Xeon® processors provides vastly superior performance; fewer spikes in latency, better disaster recovery, support of real-time analytics, much faster data transfer rates, and the ability to free IT staff to focus on other tasks. All-Flash Arrays provide the foundation for next-generation business applications, and the All-Flash data center.
Flash Storage is storage media designed to electronically secure data. The media is designed to be electronically erased and reprogrammed. Flash represents a transformational shift in computing; by eliminating rotational delay and seek time, Flash provides responses orders of magnitude faster than traditional spinning disk. Flash Storage represents a performance breakthrough for storage operations (IO) and provides the foundation for enabling the next technology wave.
A Hybrid Flash Array is a combination of data storage units that utilize at least two types of storage media, one being Flash storage, the other being one of several possible options. Hybrid Flash arrays are used by businesses that have a need to store both hot and cold data in a single storage platform and want to balance performance and economics. Hybrid Flash arrays allow customers to choose the ratio of performance and capacity that best suits their specific needs to achieve the optimal value for their investment. The ability to add more Flash or capacity as needs dictate is a powerful benefit.
Flash Based Storage is data storage media that delivers tremendous performance increases over traditional spinning hard disk drives. Flash Based Storage provides a dramatically lower cost per operation on a $/IO basis. This can save significant capital costs for most business workloads as well as virtual data center deployments that are practically ubiquitous in modern data centers. Virtualization causes a significant increase in IO density per server, a workload pattern that can often be significantly impacted and measured with increased performance and lower costs, by leveraging Flash Based Storage technologies.
Flash Technology is any storage repository that uses Flash memory. Flash Memory comes in many forms, and you probably use Flash Technology every day. From a single Flash chip on a simple circuit board, to circuit boards in your phone, to a fully integrated "enterprise Flash disk" where multiple chips are used in place of a spinning disk, Flash Technology is everywhere!
Flash SSDs are data storage devices that offer high performance, low latency storage, which provides significant performance, power consumption and cooling benefits over traditional spinning media. The I/O capability of Flash SSDs is 10x faster than spinning drives. Customers use Flash SSDs for the best application response time to run virtual servers and virtual desktops and to unleash the power of analytics for real-time decision making for the business.
Flash Storage is a reference to any device that can function as a storage repository. Flash Storage can be a simple USB device or a fully integrated All-Flash Storage Array. SSD—Solid State Disk—is an integrated device designed to replace spinning media, commonly used in enterprise storage arrays.
Ultrabook, Celeron, Celeron Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, Xeon Phi, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.


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Homeowners looking to update their kitchens are setting their sights on creating inviting and personal spaces. White Euro-style cabinets layered with darker neutral furniture, man-made countertops and a helpful dose of technology prove that a modern kitchen can still be the heart of the home.
Two main factors determine a kitchen remodel, said Jason Avery, owner of Avery Construction Design Consulting in Clearwater, Florida. In most cases it's what's on trend in magazines, on Pinterest boards and at Houzz.com, Avery said.
Secondly, there's budget. Costs varies widely based on size, scope, location and other factors. The average spend on a major remodel, which includes replacing at least all of the cabinetry and appliances, for a 200-square-foot or greater kitchen is $42,000, while a major remodel of a smaller kitchen averages $25,800, according to the 2018 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study.
Most projects are budget-driven, with homeowners and professionals discussing priorities and remodelers helping them negotiate with themselves about how to get the most out of their budget, Avery sai
The all-white kitchen that once dominated is now eclipsed by a two-toned effect, Avery said. White-painted cabinets paired with an espresso-hued island or a darker floor are popular choices. White backsplashes, countertops and wall finishes are also trending, according to the Houzz study.
"People relate to the white because it feels brighter and cleaner," Avery said.
Countertops are having a moment, too. Homeowners are obsessed with decluttering countertops to show them off, according to the Houzz study.
For materials, quartz is king. Engineered quartz is much more than just an alternative to natural granite, Avery said. With so many finishes, patterns and colors, quartz mimics stone but is nonporous and resistant to staining. White quartz is trending followed by marble; the budget-conscious opt for granite, Avery said.
It's worth the splurge to go custom in cabinetry to get the most storage space possible, Avery said. Storage and organization features include revolving corner trays, pull-out shelves and spice drawers, double trash and recycling sliders, deep pot-and-pan drawers and pantries loaded with pull-out shelves, he said.
Kitchen experts can also help create cabinets that hide appliances inside cabinets to roll in and out as needed.
Mass-produced face-frame cabinetry may not provide enough strength or flexibility for storage needs, according to Consumer Reports. Custom European construction-style cabinets provide not only a solid and sturdy frame for the kitchen, but maximize function and storage needs, Avery said.
Integrating home automation in the kitchen is one of the biggest trends of the Houzz report, but from a remodeler's standpoint, Avery said many homeowners take that next step on their own or with a tech specialist. A three-year decline in televisions in the kitchen has been met with the increasing popularity of home assistants such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, the study found. Wireless and voice-controlled kitchen appliances are also rising in popularity.


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Welcome to K Y D Z; the radio station that plays the hits while you sing along! Meet disc jockey Marvelous Mike and sidekick Jivin' Judy as they play the oldies; the goodies and all the songs kids have loved throughout the years. From the Depression and WWII to Elvis; the Beatles and disco; the radio is where America hears the songs that become the soundtracks of their lives. This Express musical features 6 "top hits" with short set-up scenes for up to 25 speaking parts that combine into a show that will appeal to kids and adults alike while requiring minimal rehearsal time! The Teacher Edition includes fully-accompanied songs; choreography and narration. Exciting FULL-COLOR student editions add extra visual appeal; and come in handy 20-paks; sold separately or combined in a classroom kit with the Teacher Edition and performance/accompaniment CD! Performance Time: Approx. 25 minutes. For grades 4-8.
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Always remain beautiful in form! With the flexible PondEdge system for pond and bed enclosure, you effortlessly succeed in designing your garden as desired. The flexible, extremely durable material is not just suitable as a capillary barrier for a pond edge, Thus beds, lawn areas or terraces can also be harmoniously enclosed.
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Carnival Paradise cruise from Tampa return
- Cruiseline
- Carnival Cruises
- Ship
- Carnival Paradise
- Departs
- Tampa
- Returns
- Tampa
- Departure Date
- 26 Jul 2021
- Duration
- 5 nights
Departure Date: 26 Jul 2021
Duration: 5 nights
Ship: Carnival Paradise
Star rating:
Departs: Tampa
Returns: Tampa
Ports of call: 2
Layby from only $22 per week after the initial deposit is paid - learn more.
Itinerary and Ports Show / Hide Port Details
|Mon 26 Jul 2021
|Tampa, USA
|Tampa, in the US state of Florida, is a part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. The city is divided into neighborhoods, many of which were towns and unincorporated communities that are now annexed by the growing city. Within the city limits are over 165 parks and beaches, and it is also home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where visitors can interact with African wildlife; Adventure Island, an excellent water park; Lowry Park Zoo that features over 2,000 animals; and the Florida Aquarium known for its unique glass architecture. more info
|Tue 27 Jul 2021
|At Sea
|Wed 28 Jul 2021
|At Sea
|Thu 29 Jul 2021
|Cozumel, Mexico
|Cozumel is a Caribbean island just off the Yucatan Peninsula in SE Mexico. It has grown steadily over the years since Jacques Cousteau first put the island on the map as a sea turtle sanctuary. While it has great beaches, friendly people and safe streets, with prices comparable to other Mexican tourist destinations, most visitors travel to Cozumel to see what is under the water. However, there are Mayan archaeological ruins of interest at Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza, the first two maybe within a day's guided tour. more info
|Fri 30 Jul 2021
|At Sea
|Sat 31 Jul 2021
|Tampa, USA
|Tampa, in the US state of Florida, is a part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. The city is divided into neighborhoods, many of which were towns and unincorporated communities that are now annexed by the growing city. Within the city limits are over 165 parks and beaches, and it is also home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where visitors can interact with African wildlife; Adventure Island, an excellent water park; Lowry Park Zoo that features over 2,000 animals; and the Florida Aquarium known for its unique glass architecture. more info
Be spoiled on the Carnival Paradise experiencing 5 unforgettable nights aboard the Carnival Paradise cruise from Tampa return through the waters of Panama & Central America. Your ship embarks from Tampa with an itinerary that includes 2 ports in 2 countries before returning to Tampa. This 3 star voyage from Carnival Cruises has 85 forward departures. Our exclusive specials start as low as $163 per person/day, twin share. So call now and get expert, friendly advice.
Carnival Paradise Overview
Carnival Paradise offers year-round 4- and 5-night cruises out of Tampa, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. Cruises head for the Western Caribbean. The shorter cruise visits the island Cozumel off the Mexican coast on the Yucatan Peninsula. Visitors enjoy shopping, diving, snorkelling, or walking around the central plaza of San Miguel. It may be possible to take a day tour on the mainland to a Maya archaeological site. The longer cruise adds George Town in the Cayman Islands. George Town offers a variety of pursuits: historic buildings, local jewellery, Seven Mile beach, feeding stingrays, coral viewing and more. Both cruises have two sea days. These itineraries also allow guests a short get-away from secular life, and fresh renovations to the ship provide an enjoyable on-board break.
With the latest refurbishment staterooms are like those of a four-star hotel – an elegant retreat from the day's activities. Choose from 16 grades of accommodation. Interior cabins are spacious, with twin bed or king, and some with an upper bunk. Oceanview staterooms come with either two portholes or large windows. Outside balcony suites and penthouse suites are more spacious and decorated, with whirlpool tubs, and decked out with marble and wood. Suite guests have priority check-in at US homeland ports.
Food and Dining
The ship's two dining rooms are Destiny and Elation, both attractive and bright, with a choice of fixed-time dining at two seatings, or flexible "Your Time Dining". Dining assignments can be booked before the cruise. Menus change daily and service is excellent. Breakfast and lunch are open seating. The Lido Restaurant buffet provides hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, salads, ice cream, cookies and so on. A patisserie offers specialty coffees and sweets (extra charge), and there's also Bonsai Sushi specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner. The other specialty location is Nouveau Restaurant for dinner. Treat yourself to the Chef's Table for 12. Or more simply, try the Mongolian Wok (Asian).
Carnival ships provide carnival entertainment. The Normandie Showlounge presents large-scale productions shows and major cabaret acts. There are many participatory activities - colourful, fun, and with much family revelry. Also follow the art auctions, bingo and trivia challenges. Read quietly in the library by day, contact the world in the Internet cafe, and quicken the pace in the casino by night. There are numerous bars and lounges, with live music, playing your song requests, and sing along.
Other Ships
- Carnival Breeze
- Carnival Conquest
- Carnival Dream
- Carnival Ecstasy
- Carnival Elation
- Carnival Freedom
- Carnival Glory
- Carnival Horizon
- Carnival Inspiration
- Carnival Legend
- Carnival Liberty
- Carnival Magic
- Carnival Mardi Gras
- Carnival Miracle
- Carnival Panorama
- Carnival Pride
- Carnival Sensation
- Carnival Spirit
- Carnival Splendor
- Carnival Sunrise
- Carnival Sunshine
- Carnival Valor
- Carnival Vista
What's included?
- Australia: Tipping is not required
- All main meals on-board
- Coffee, tea & milk 24 hrs
- Open/anytime seating & multi-venue dining
- Alternative dining (extra charge)
- Use of ship facilities - indoor & outdoor
- Entertainment - live music and/or shows, movies
- Activities - organised & individual
- Bridge director on select cruises
- Kids clubs & teen programs (2-17 yrs)
- Cruise Director & all English speaking staff
- Special needs requests & service animals allowed
- Ship-shore-ship transfers
What's excluded?
- Airfares, accommodation & transfers not specified
- Shore & land excursions and meals not specified
- Alternate specialty dining venues (unless specified)
- Casino gaming, bar expenses
- Items & services of a personal nature
- Medical services, vaccination costs
- Laundry and/or valet charges
- Wi-Fi, Internet, satellite/mobile phone & fax charges
- Childcare night services (up to 11 yrs, 10pm-3am)
- Babysitting, individual or in groups (from 1 yr)
- Passport & visa fees
- Insurances of all kinds
- Increases in third party charges or taxes
- Gratuities for spa & salon
- Outside Australia: Gratuity charge USD 12.95 pp/night (can be pre-paid) added to onboard account. Adjust at discretion onboard. Extra tips to Room Service staff optional.
- Customary land tour gratuities are welcome
- Outside Australia Service Charge: bar and wine 15%
What's onboard?
- Atrium social scene, shops
- Gift Candy shops
- Main Dining (b'fast, dinner)
- Fixed and flexible time dining
- SeaDay Brunch (b'fast/Lunch)
- Breakfast grill
- Lido Restaurant (all meals)
- Salad Bar (lunch)
- The Carnival Deli (lunch, dinner)
- Poolside Grill (lunch, dinner)
- Good Eats (buffet, dinner)
- Kids menu, pizza, ice cream
- Special diets (email beforehand)
- The Chef's Table (dinner; includes galley tour)
- Nouveau Restaurant (dinner)
- Green Eggs & Ham (breakfast)
- Bonsai Sushi (Japanese; lunch, dinner)
- 24-hour room service (room menu)
- Drinks packages
- Pizza Pirate
- Sweet Spot
- Swirls ice cream, yoghurt
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- Internet café
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- Karaoke with live band
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Medical Assistant
PCI Health Training Center's Medical Assistant training prepares a graduate to work as an entry-level Medical Assistant. Our specialty areas include Medical Administrative Office Assistant, Clinic Assistant, Clinic Tech, Medical Office Manager. Medical Assistant Program graduates will be able to assist in physical examinations, perform electrocardiograms, and basic laboratory tests.
Dental Assistant
Our hands-on Dental Assistant program curriculum combines lectures with practical exercises in the dental operatories and dental laboratories. The Dental Assistant Program prepares a graduate to work as an entry-level Dental Assistant, Dental Receptionist, Office Manager or Dental Hygienist Assistant in a dental office, specialty practice, or dental clinic.
Medical Office Assistant
The Medical Office Assistant Program is designed to prepare graduates to work as an entry-level medical front office assistant, receptionist, insurance billing, insurance collector, appointment scheduler, medical secretary, or medical records clerk, in health care centers, clinics, hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and medical billing offices.
Eligible Career Pathway Program
The Eligible Career Pathway Program (ECPP) provides the opportunity for a student to complete their high school diploma while concurrently being enrolled in one of PCI's Healthcare Training programs.


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You've all heard it before: some member of some not-so-extreme metal band announces that they are forming a new band that is going to be totally heavy, totally extreme, and totally metal. Furthermore, we all know how that usually ends: a lackluster album with some extreme elements, but overall is still weak when compared to the hype. In this case, the man is Dez Fafara, ex-vocalist for the defunct goth/nu-metal act Coal Chamber, who said something to that effect when announcing the formation of his new band DevilDriver (for a brief while known as Deathride).
Only this time, the resulting music more than lives up to the hype. In fact, it totally surpasses it.
Having freed himself from the restrictive binds of Coal Chamber, who had only gotten weaker following their acclaimed, self-titled debut album (a sentiment echoed by the man himself), Fafara is now free to unleash the demons and anger that dwell within his dark mind – and what a beast the result is. Combining elements of thrash, death, and metalcore with the low, yet piercing screams of Fafara that were only minimally explored with his previous band, DevilDriver's self-titled debut is a crusher from start to finish, with no filler and a minimum of weak points.
Most listeners will be familiar with the tracks "Swinging the Dead" and "I Could Care Less", the former being featured on the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack, and the latter being the initial single. As one might guess, with the mighty Roadrunner marketing machine behind them, these are the two most accessible songs on the disc, and therefore a poor indicator of the rest of the material contained within. "Nothing's Wrong" kicks the album off with a straight, up-tempo, death metal riff that really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The metalcore-type breakdown riffs near the end do go against this a bit, but it works. Likewise, "Die (and Die Now)" opens up with another death metal riff and pounding double bass, and is basically a death metal tune without the detuning and guttural growls – death metal lite, if you will. "I Dreamed I Died" is more of a metalcore tune, laying down a fat groove that may turn away more extreme minded listeners, but will inspire others to bang their heads while pounding whatever flat surface sits in front of them.
"The Mountain" is a bit more of a thrash tune, which is probably why it's one of my favorites here, and another tune with breakdowns that may be a bit off-putting, but these are NOT nu-metal breakdowns, damnit. There are no bouncy, jump-up-and-down riffs or choruses here. I'm not quite sure where to place "What Does It Take (to be a Man)", Fafara's anthem for the working class, but the lyrics are right-on for anyone who's ever worked a day in their life with more killer riffs and drumming. But the real surprise here is the album closer, "Devil's Son", which, in the spirit of the album opener, is just plain heavy – a little less on the death riffs, yet undeniably metal.
I've had this album in my hands for about two months now, and I must have listened to it at least 50 times since then, often at least once a day or several times in a row. I might have a LITTLE bias here since I was also a fan of Coal Chamber from even before their debut came out (largely due to Dez's vocal stylings), but judging from the aforementioned replay factor, I'm inclined to discard that theory. What DevilDriver's debut album is, ultimately is 40+ minutes of balls out METAL. I predict many will write them off based on the two early tracks, and many will not even get past the fact that there is an ex-member of Coal Chamber involved. But, that's their loss. Easily one of my top ten of the year.


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Latest News & Events
Discover 2014: Mercedes-Benz celebrates dynamic luxury SUV range
Demonstrating the ability of the full Mercedes-Benz luxury SUV range to cater to the wants and needs of the modern Arab lifestyle, the Discover 2014 event invited participants to Dubai for an immersive experience that included the legendary G-Class, versatile GLK-Class, powerful ML-Class, and the unequalled flagship 7-seater GL-Class.
Discover 2014 activities took guests across the emirate in the epitome of Mercedes-Benz SUV comfort and luxury. Venturing into the desert, participants tested the off-road capability of the range as they tackled rolling sands, pitted the endurance of race track tarmac against the surging torque of tires in drag races, and took in the sublime five star surrounds of one of Dubai's most prestigious hotels, enjoying a Mercedes-Benz art gallery and glimpse behind the design of the cars delivered by the very men that created them.
With record 2013 sales mirroring the powerful climbing ability of the off-road range to reach new heights, the growing popularity of Mercedes-Benz SUVs in the Middle East has seen sales surge more than double the worldwide growth-rate to 450% in the last decade.
With multiple engine options offering drivers the power and driving experience they desire, this most comprehensive line-up of luxury SUVs also offers the widest range of performance variants. This includes the ML 63 AMG; the world's fastest production 7-seater GL 63 AMG – which rockets occupants from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds; and the 6.0 Litre V12 Biturbo G 65 AMG. Relentless demand has even established the Middle East the biggest market worldwide for the unstoppable G 63 AMG.
Commenting at the event on the ability of Mercedes-Benz SUVs to meet and complement any lifestyle need, Dirk Fetzer, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant said: "Our range of unrivalled luxury off-roaders offer a stable of powerful, attractive, capable, versatile and intelligent SUVs that appeal to the lifestyles of a new generation of regional customers: Customers who question convention and seek only the very best. With so much to experience and enjoy in the Middle East, Mercedes-Benz resolutely delivers on its promise to live the life."
The Mercedes SUV range allows for a wide scope of activities and terrains. The versatility of the Mercedes-Benz SUV range is achieved with the ease of drive-ability, powerful engine options and sporty feel to perform any multitude of tasks, whilst effortless capability is delivered through its rugged utility, numerous features and ability to navigate the toughest terrain.
Demonstrating the versatility of Mercedes-Benz SUVs to fit to all lifestyle needs, award winning yacht brokerage - SnS Marine – hitched its top selling 27-foot Emocean Marine "Voodoo" sports boat to a V8 engine GL 500, on display at the Dubai Autodrome. Such is the pulling power of Mercedes-Benz luxury SUVs, guests also witnessed the impressive V6 engine ML 350 towing a heavy duty Actros Mercedes-Benz truck, weighing in at over 20,000 kilograms.
The Mercedes SUV range is designed to give reassuring luxury from each engagement and every angle. Elegant and dynamic interiors, high-quality materials and great attention to detail is unforgettable and reassuring, with craftsmanship and attention to detail at their very highest to meet driver needs and expectations.
Mercedes-Benz has an off-road and four-wheel drive heritage of over 100 years, and now boasts an unrivalled SUV family offering the widest range in the market, delivering peerless performance, fascinating technology, space and refinement across any terrain.


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Quantum Many-Body Dynamics
We consider isolated interacting quantum systems that are taken out of equilibrium instantaneously (quenched). We study numerically and analytically the probability of finding the initial state later on in time (the so-called fidelity or Loschmidt echo), the relaxation time of the system, and the evolution of few-body observables. The fidelity decays fastest for systems described by full random matrices, where simultaneous many-body interactions are implied.
I will present results for the quench dynamics of one-dimensional interacting bosons under two circumstances. One is when the bosons are in the vicinity of the superfluid-Mott quantum critical point, while the second is when the bosons are in a disordered potential which can drive the system into a Bose glass phase. I will show that the dynamics following a quench can be quite complex by being characterized by three regimes.
We consider quantum quenches in one dimensional Bose gases where we prepare the gas in the ground state of a parabolic trap and then release it into a small cosine potential. This cosine potential breaks the integrability of the 1D gas which absent the potential is described by the Lieb-Liniger model. We explore the consequences of this cosine potential on the thermalization of the gas. We argue that the integrability breaking of the cosine does not immediately lead to ergodicity inasmuch as we demonstrate that there are residual quasi-conserved quantities post-quench.
We describe a new diagnostic for many-body wavefunctions which generalizes the spatial bipartite entanglement entropy. By was of illustration, for a two-component wavefunction of heavy and light particles, a partial (projective) measurement of the coordinates of the heavy (but not light) particles is first performed, and then the entanglement entropy of the projected wavefunction for the light particles is computed.
It has been argued recently that, through a phenomenon of many-body localization, closed quantum systems subject to sufficiently strong disorder would fail to thermalize. In this talk I will describe a real time renormalization group approach, which offers a controlled description of universal dynamics in the localized phase. In particular it explains the ultra-slow entanglement propagation in this state and identifies the emergent conserved quantities which prevent thermalization.
I will discuss a proof of many-body localization for a one-dimensional spin chain with random local interactions. The proof depends on a physically reasonable assumption that limits the amount of level attraction in the system. I construct a sequence of local rotations that completely diagonalizes the Hamiltonian and exhibits the local degrees of freedom.
Isolated, interacting quantum systems in the presence of strong disorder can exist in a many-body localized phase where the assumptions of equilibrium statistical physics are violated. On tuning either the parameters of the Hamiltonian or the energy density, the system is expected to transition into the ergodic phase. While the transition at "infinite temperature" as a function of system parameters has been found numerically but, the transition tuned by energy density has eluded such methods.
Topological phases are often characterized by special edge states confined near the boundaries by an energy gap in the bulk. On raising temperature, these edge states are lost in a clean system due to mobile thermal excitations. Recently however, it has been established that disorder can localize an isolated many body system, potentially allowing for a sharply defined topological phase even in a highly excited state.I will show this to be the case for the topological phase of a one dimensional magnet with quenched disorder, which features spin one-half excitations at the edges.


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Michigan Democrats say their nine-stop listening tour across the state is completed and that people want to reverse policies enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature in Lansing.
Specifically, Democrats are looking to reverse some specific reforms pushed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder in his first two years in office.
They released their own legislative agenda Monday that includes:
o Repealing the tax on seniors' retirement income.
o Restoring the state's per-child tax deductions.
o Restoring the state's Earned Income Tax Credit to 11 percent.
o Restoring the state's Homestead Property Tax Credit.
Democrats also want to increase per pupil funding for public education by $320, ensure existing transportation funds are used for road construction and increase access to family planning services for women.
But with the April 15 deadline approaching to file state and federal income taxes, it's the tax proposals that are getting a lot of attention, says state Rep. Tim Greimel, an Auburn Hills Democrat who is the Democrats' leader in the Republican-controlled House.
"People are very upset," Greimel said. "They're very upset as they're preparing their tax returns that the governor and legislative Republicans have enacted one of the largest tax increases on middle class families the state has ever seen, and people are understandably upset about it."
Both business and personal tax changes were early priorities of the governor when he took office slightly more than two years ago.
Democrats have long criticized the governor and Republicans who control the House and Senate for giving tax breaks to corporations at the expense of the loss of deductions and credits for middle class taxpayers.
But Greimel concedes that odds are virtually nil that Democrats will have their agenda enacted either this year or next because of the Republican majority.
"I think there are sympathetic Republicans in the Senate and House," Greimel said. "The problem is the Republican majority doesn't have to allow these proposals to come up for a vote.
"It's going to take Democrats taking back state government before we can enact the repeal of these burdensome taxes on middle class families," he said.
The governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and all 148 members of the state House and Senate are up for election in 2014.
Contact Charles Crumm at 248-745-4649, firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter @crummc and on Facebook. More information is at oaklandmichiganpolitics.blogspot.com. Keep up with the latest in local news by texting OPNews to 22700. Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.


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Authorized auction: But still no Dowdell verdict
Six weeks have passed since a federal judge began the punishment phase in the trial of one of the world's biggest thieves. And while judge J. Harry Michael is still ruminating on how long to lock up Terry Dowdell, the Albemarle man who confessed to bilking investors out of as much as $120 million, more spoils of Dowdell's scamming have hit the auction block.
About 100 eager buyers filled 1942 Richmond Road Wednesday, June 25, to snap up the leftovers of Authorized Auto Service. Prosecutors say Dowdell used the Pantops-area business as a money-laundering, family-employing enterprise. Less than a year after its founding, the business was taken over by a court-appointed receiver and closed in January.
Before it became Authorized Auto, the metal-walled building had long been the site of New York Carpet World, whose television pitchman was constantly advertising imminently ending "sales." On this day, however, the sales really did carry an expiration date.
"We're in a crowded situation here today, ladies and gentlemen," intoned the auctioneer. "You need to get all your stuff out of here by June 30. Obviously, we're not expecting you to put the lifts in your pickup truck."
Besides the ten massive auto lifts, the former car-repair shop– thanks to the unwitting largesse of hundreds of duped investors– was stocked with the latest equipment: compressors, diagnostic tools– not to mention a 2001 GMC Denali, about a dozen alloy wheels, neon under-car kits, chrome accessories, and at least four different varieties of Armor All.
Each member of the almost all-male crowd– many sporting work shirts with embroidered first names– endured sweltering showroom heat and handed over a $200 cash deposit in order to bid. What were they seeking?
"Whatever's cheap," laughed a representative of Beverage Tractor in Stuarts Draft, declining to give his name and devilishly bucking the name-on-shirt trend.
Bryan Farrar drove three hours from Graham, North Carolina, for the sale. His successful $1,200 bid snagged two walls' worth of accessories, which he'll offer for resale on eBay. "I don't know if it'll make double," says Farrar, "but it should make good money."
The Farrar family are 30-year veterans of the auction business. In order to stock their typical 500 eBay sales per week, they have to attend a lot of sales. "My brother usually comes," explains Farrar, "but he's in Orlando right now at the eBay conference."
This wasn't the first auction to disperse Dowdell's ill-gotten gains. In May, buyers and curiosity-seekers thronged the former Dowdell mansion in the Ivy-area neighborhood of Rosemont.
Featuring a waterfall-enhanced gunnite-and-tile pool, the house went for $1.045 million, and a nearby empty lot brought $203,500. Other goodies included four late-model vehicles, a few signed Thomas Kinkade prints, and a 45-diamond tennis bracelet.
Auctions have come a long way in Albemarle County. When Emmett Boaz was growing up in Covesville in the early 1960s, he says a typical auction was at a failed farm.
"My father was a farmer," says Boaz, "and he lasted longer than most." Boaz, who calls auctions "funerals for businesses," says he used to sell hot dogs and hamburgers as a church fund-raiser at farm auctions. "Everybody knew everybody," says Boaz. "Albemarle was dirt-poor."
On June 6, Judge Michael– trying to remedy the poverty to which Dowdell may have reduced investors in his so-called "Vavasseur scheme"– signed a civil order demanding that Dowdell come up with $130 million in payback. A week earlier, Dowdell sat in his jail-issue stripes as his lawyers insisted that eight years– and not life in prison– would be an appropriate sentence.
Back at the auction, noted auto repair expert Grant Cosner stood in the massive repair bay and took solace in his belief that the technicians laid off in the Authorized closing were able to quickly find work. "There were some very good people working here," said Cosner. "They didn't know anything about [the scam]."Read more on: terry dowdell


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Mckena809 on Family Tree Circles
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looking for relations known to Author D Evans, Cambridge, MA
Looking for any relations to Author D Evans, he had four children (Author, Roberta, Frances, Eleanor), his wife's name was Gertrude. He was born in the late 1800's and came to America around 1900.
- Displaying 1-1 of 1 Journals
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We all know that Disney tends to soften those folk tales that they turn into movies, giving them happy endings, removing the less PG elements. However, there are some stories out there that are just a little too outrageous for even the House of Mouse, and there are quite of few of them that involve maidens.
Which is where Rejected Princesses comes in. Jason Porath has started chronicling these more intriguing tales on his website. Each post has an animation-style image of the princess in question, followed by a detailed breakdown of their story. Take Pasiphaë above. She developed thing for bulls after her husband pissed off Poseidon and subsequently had the court inventor build her a hollowed-out cow suit so she could... you know. Needless to say, she's the mother of the minotaur.
Below are some more Rejected Princesses, but head on over to the site if you want to get the full story on each of these deliciously non-PG ladies. It's updated every Wednesday for your weekly dose of WTF.


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Delightful Days Elements
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Love the many different colours simply beautiful thank you
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gorgeous elements, thank you!
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loving this kit colour elements everything about it thank you for sharing
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Thank you so much! Love the colors...so pretty!!
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Thank you Jessica! This is beautiful.
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About Me
My name is Jessica but you can call me Jessi or Jess if you prefer! I'm happily married to my best friend, whom I met online in 1996 & married in 1998. We both grew up and lived in the deep south but one day, not too long after Hurricane Katrina, we picked a spot on the map and found ourselves in Kentucky. We have called Kentucky home now for over 12 years. We purchased our nearly 200 year old home in 2011 and have been working on restoring it ever since. We have one child who left the nest, 3 children living at home, 1 outdoor dog, 2 outside cats and 5 indoor cats. During the school year I'm also busy homeschooling with my 12th grader, 3rd grader and preschooler.
Over the years my digital hobbies tend to become my job. My first digital hobby was web design, and later found myself as a web designer/web developer. I later took a break from that and as a hobby began digital scrapping. I got involved in making things for the blog trains several years back and that was the catalyst for where I am today. I still enjoy making and sharing freebies for a few blog trains as well as creating layouts when I get some time. Besides being passionate about history, I also love photography, genealogy, and archaeology.
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You'll never look at a writing guide the same way again! Writing: A Guide for College and Beyonduses written instruction and visual tools to teach students how to write effectively. This revolutionary new aims-based writing guide brings together Lester Faigley's clear and inviting teaching style with Dorling Kindersley's accessible and striking design. Unique, dynamic presentations of reading, writing, and research processes speak to students with many learning styles and help students become successful writers in college and beyond. Here's What Teachers Are Saying "Writinghas managed a great featto gather together under one cover what is essential to the craft of expository writing at the college level and to do so in an amazing and colorful layout." -Gary Enns, Cerro Coso Community College "I'd describeWritingas a rhetoric that's actually rooted in rhetorical principles and genre theory. It eliminates much of the wordy instruction commonly used in writing texts in favor of a distillation of essential information and instruction with numerous examples." -Jeffrey Andelora, Mesa Community College "I think this text succeeds to a better degree than one that tries to explain the writing process solely via a narrative. I think showing handwritten brainstorming, showing notations on a first draft, showing attempts to create a good beginning (and multiple mediocre beginnings) are all good." -Larry Riley, Ball State University "Writingtreats students respectfully. It situates them as fellow explorers. . . . It asks them to draw on their own experiences a great deal throughout the text and, along with being 'inviting,' that strategy clearly tells readers that they are co-constructors of knowledge, that their experiences are valid." -Patricia Webb, Arizona State University (reviewer) "I believe that the selection of readings that accompany each of the kinds of writing (reflecting, observing, informing, etc.) are superb choices, because their subjects are contemporary and of interest to students and also provide a variety of genresfrom articles to essays to blogs and leaflets." -Martha Petry, Jackson Community College "One of the problems with most textbooks is they overwhelm readers with written text; this textbook doesn't do that. More importantly, the images in this book aren't merely eye candy; they help illustrate/teach the ideas discussed on each page." -Brett McInelly, Brigham Young University And Here's What Students Are Saying "This is one of the most helpful, thorough, and resourceful texts I've seen thus far." -Lauren Olsen, Castleton State College "I thought the chapters did an excellent job of combining visual and textual explanations of the material. The combined presentation of the two gave me a greater understanding of the concepts." -John Weiss, Jr., Ball State University "College students have a lot of reading in every class and this text is more interesting and to the point. It is not busy work." -Missi Dreyer, Grand Valley State University "This book is more eye catching to me, and more informational. I will actually read this book!" -Abbey Kline, Ball State University "I like the fact that with the visual pictures I could understand the readings better." -Jorge Arias, Grand Valley State University Visit us at www.ablongman.comFaigley, Lester is the author of 'Guide to Writing', published 2006 under ISBN 9780321396266 and ISBN 032139626X.[read more]
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69.8 million families, in this United States, live on Social Security and/or Federal Pension. Those checks cover anywhere from one to —— people/adults and children in a family.
IF OUR government cannot get its act together, 69.8 million families will not get a check (and that includes the military) on the Third of August. What will happen????
1. First, no direct deposit or card to pay that money.
2. No deposit, EQUALS, no money to pay the mortgage, utilities, doctors, gasoline, car repairs, house repairs, food, school clothing, book rental. For one month, we will sit in our HOT homes (my husband has COPD and by the end of the month will most likely be in the hospital.) opening bank statement overdraft fees, and mortgage late payments, and, after the freezer is all melted, canned goods. Not to speak of the student loan that I could not cancel the automatic withdrawal on in time. That would certainly rank under the mortgage, if I could have.
3. The end of the month will see us walking three miles away to have a free dinner at Mother's Cupboard, well some of us. My husband could not walk that length even in 70 degree weather.
4. I will cancel the MRI for my possible crushed disc, in my back that is causing intense cyatic pain.
5. We will not order medicine that we run out of.
6. We already cancelled our land line but have a contract on the cell, so I guess they just turn it off without payment, but you still owe it.
7. What happens to your health and life insurance premiums? I think I have two months before I am in default and lose my health insurance.
8. Our income is already under $20,000 a year. We have a nineteen year old with one more semester of high school, long story, he wasn't being homeschooled when we took him, so he had problems. One boy was just deployed to Afghanistan and one boy is working in food service and paying his own student loans and gas and food bills.
9. Just wanted to give you a taste of our world.
Every single one of those families need to write to every Congressman, senator, tea party, republican and democrat and send them a bill for the actual and mental damages when this happens. Maybe that will wake them up. Do you know a good Class Action lawyer?


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Google Calendar has a new look, with a number of new event, calendar view, and settings features to help you manage your time more efficiently and get stuff done. Here are some highlights.
See event details at a glance
When you click an event once, you can see all the event details including:
- The entire guest list with RSVP responses
Note: To get more information about a guest from the event details, point to their name in the guest list.
- Rooms and locations
- Attachments
- Any video call links
- And more
Tip: You can right-click an event to quickly join the meeting, delete it, or change the color.
Quickly add new events
You can create new events when you click on an empty space on your calendar.
Here you can add the following details:
- Name of the event
- Time of the event
- The calendar the event is part of. If you want to add guests or edit more details, click More Options.
You can also create new events by clicking on the Add event button.
New view options
Your calendar will now show event invitation status, let you choose how much or how little to see. Calendar will remember the changes you made for the next time you sign in, until you change them again.
Invitation status
Events on your calendar look different depending on how you've responded:
- If you're attending an event, the event will be all one color.
- If you've answered maybe to an event, you'll see diagonal lines across it.
- If you haven't replied yet, you'll just see the event's outline.
- If you said no, you'll only see the outline and the event will be crossed out.g
Learn how to respond to event invitations.Learn how to respond to event invitations.
Customize how you see your calendar
Events on your calendar look different depending on how you've responded:
- You can now choose to show or hide weekends when viewing your calendar.
- To see the whole year at a glance, choose Year view.
- In Day view, you can view two or more calendars from different people or places at the same time side by side.
- To control the layout density and color set of your Calendar, click Settings Density and color
You can choose density of Responsive to your screen or Compact, and between a Modern or Classic color set.
Note: You can turn side by side events in the Settings page.
See other calendars
To show or hide other calendars on the left hand of the screen, click the Main menu button . From this side panel, you can do the following:
- To unsubscribe from a calendar: Point at calendar's name, then click Unsubscribe from calendar
- To hide a calendar: Point at the calendar's name Options Hide from list.
Manage settings in one place
To open the new settings page, click Settings , and then Settings .
- To share a calendar or change permissions: On the left of the Settings page, click the name of the calendar you want to share. Then, choose your sharing settings.
- To see deleted events in one place: In the top right hand corner, click Settings Trash.
Try the new Calendar
- On a computer, open Google Calendar.
- On the top right of your screen click Use new Calendar.
- To go back to the old Calendar at any time, click Settings Back to classic Calendar.
Note: If you cannot see "Use new Calendar", the new Calendar isn't available for your account yet.


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Nancy Kerrigan's brother to return to Massachusetts jail
Mark Kerrigan tested positive for alcohol, marijuana
The brother of former Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is returning to a Massachusetts jail.
A Middlesex County judge ordered Mark Kerrigan back to jail on Friday for six more months for violating his probation.
Kerrigan was sentenced to 2½ years after being convicted of assault and battery in connection with the 2010 death of his father. He was released early and placed on probation.
Kerrigan asked this summer to return to jail to finish out his sentence rather than adhere to his probation conditions, which included alcohol counseling.
His probation officer told the judge that Kerrigan tested positive for alcohol and marijuana. Kerrigan told the judge who agreed to his request, "I found the six months was far less an imposition than the two years of probation."


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"The Case Against Christianity Doesn't Get Much Better Than This."
The Secular Web is the world's leading website in the cause of militant atheism.
As such, it has quite a constituency.
A while back, it started a weblog (The Secular Outpost), which is a spin-off of The Secular Web.
This was an attempt to extend its reach. Extend its sphere of influence.
I assume The Secular Outpost draws from the preexisting constituency of The Secular Web.
The Secular Outpost also has a number of links to other secular sites.
DC is one of these. I assume that it gets a lot of crossover traffic from The Secular Outpost.
Of the various links, DC is the only site that regularly assails the Christian faith.
I assume that DC attracts a certain audience because its contributors are ex-Christian and ex-ministers. They have the inside dish, right?
Loftus bills himself as a student of Craig. This has PR appeal.
Well, if someone who trained under a Christian apologist to be a Christian apologist defects from the faith, then what does that tell you about the Christian faith. The more you know, the less you believe, right?
So DC presents a nice, compact target….when you get right down to it, the case against Christianity doesn't get much better than this.
It is for that reason that Steve and his fellow colleagues have decided to dog us "every step of the way."


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A Study of the Use of Oral Posaconazole (POS) in the Treatment of Asymptomatic Chronic Chagas Disease (P05267) (STOP CHAGAS)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01377480
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : June 21, 2011
Results First Posted : August 10, 2015
Last Update Posted : August 27, 2018
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Chagas Disease
|Drug: Posaconazole Drug: Placebo for posaconazole Drug: Benznidazole
|Phase 2
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|120 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Double (Participant, Investigator)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Phase 2 Proof-of-Activity Study of Oral Posaconazole in the Treatment of Asymptomatic Chronic Chagas Disease (Phase 2, Protocol No. P05267)
|Actual Study Start Date :
|July 6, 2011
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|July 22, 2014
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|January 12, 2015
Experimental: Posaconazole
Posaconazole (POS) 400 mg (10 mL) oral suspension twice daily for 60 days
Drug: Posaconazole
POS 40 mg/mL oral suspension
Other Name: SCH 056592, MK-5592
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Posaconazole placebo (10 mL) oral suspension twice daily for 60 days
Drug: Placebo for posaconazole
Placebo oral suspension
Experimental: Posaconazole + Benznidazole
Posaconazole 400 mg (10 mL) oral suspension twice daily for 60 days and benznidazole (BNZ) 100 mg oral tablet twice daily (200-mg daily dose) for 60 days
Drug: Posaconazole
POS 40 mg/mL oral suspension
Other Name: SCH 056592, MK-5592
Drug: Benznidazole
BNZ 100 mg oral tablet
Active Comparator: Benznidazole + Placebo
Posaconazole placebo (10 mL) oral suspension twice daily for 60 days and benznidazole 100 mg oral tablet twice daily (200-mg daily dose) for 60 days
Drug: Placebo for posaconazole
Placebo oral suspension
Drug: Benznidazole
BNZ 100 mg oral tablet
- Percentage of Participants With a Successful Response as Measured by Qualitative Polymerase Chain Reaction [ Time Frame: Day 180 ]Blood samples were collected for qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for Trypanosoma cruzi deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Successful response was defined as a negative qualitative PCR value at the Day 180 follow up visit.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 50 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Must have a positive serology result for Trypanosoma cruzi on any 2 of 3 of the following tests: indirect immunofluorescence, indirect hemagglutination, or enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA)
- Must have a positive qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Trypanosoma cruzi
- Must have a normal 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Must have a normal 2-D echocardiogram
- Must have no evidence of ventricular tachycardia on 24-hour Holter monitoring
- Female participants of childbearing age must be using a medically accepted method of birth control before beginning study drug treatment and must agree to continue its use during the study, or must have been surgically sterilized
- Female participants of childbearing potential must have a negative serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) pregnancy test at Screening and a negative urine pregnancy test at Baseline or within 72 hours before the start of study drug
Exclusion Criteria:
- Are breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant
- Body weight <60 kg
- Have an immunodeficiency or are immunosuppressed
- History of megacolon with obstipation or megaesophagus with severe swallowing impairment.
- Have previously received treatment with benznidazole or nifurtimox
- Known allergy/sensitivity to azoles
- Has aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels greater than 2.5 times the upper limit of normal at Screening
- Has serum creatinine >2.5 mg/dL or 200 micromoles at Screening
- Has a history of severe alcohol abuse within two years from Screening
- Is taking any of the prohibited medication
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01377480
|Study Director:
|Medical Director
|Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
|Responsible Party:
|Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
MK-5592-055 ( Other Identifier: Merck Protocol Number )
|First Posted:
|June 21, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Results First Posted:
|August 10, 2015
|Last Update Posted:
|August 27, 2018
|Last Verified:
|July 2018
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
|Plan Description:
Chagas Disease
Euglenozoa Infections
Protozoan Infections
Parasitic Diseases
Antifungal Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Trypanocidal Agents
Antiprotozoal Agents
Antiparasitic Agents
14-alpha Demethylase Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Steroid Synthesis Inhibitors
Hormone Antagonists
Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Immunosuppressive Agents
Immunologic Factors


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What do these two diseases have in common? They both require fleas for transmission of the disease. (Rats, mice and other rodents also play a role in the transmission of these diseases, but today we're focusing mainly on fleas and flea control.)
And these diseases aren't alone. An even more common human disease that requires fleas in order to be transmitted is cat scratch fever. This disease occurs when a scratch becomes contaminated with flea dirt. (Flea dirt is what flea poop is commonly called.)
If that's not enough to convince you that flea control is important for your cat, then consider what fleas can do to your cat. They can cause skin disease, pass tapeworms to your cat, and just generally make your cat feel miserable.
Still, there's no real need to panic about all of this because there's good news here too. We now have flea control products for your cat that are effective, safe, and easy to use. There are lots of different products available, though their efficacy and safety varies widely. Check with your veterinarian to find out which product is best suited for your cat.
Don't wait until you see fleas on your cat to start your cat on flea prevention. Preventing an infestation is much easier and much more effective than trying to treat one that already exists.
Ridding your home of an existing infestation can take months, regardless of the flea product you use. It's also a labor intensive process that involves frequent vacuuming of all surfaces to get rid of flea eggs and larvae that have not yet hatched; not just on carpets, but on hard woods, linoleum, tile and flooring surfaces, and upholstery. Bedding needs to be washed thoroughly, replaced, and/or treated with products to kill flea eggs and larvae.
Don't assume that because your cat doesn't go outdoors he is safe from fleas. Indoor cats can and do get fleas just as easily. Fleas can hitchhike on your clothing and come inside with you. They can come in with other pets (i.e., dogs) that do go outdoors. They can also find their way inside through very small openings, such as holes in screens, spaces under doors, and other such spaces.
When using any flea medication, always read and follow the directions on the label carefully. Never use a product that does not specifically state that it is safe for cats. Many medications used to control fleas for dogs are toxic for cats.
Most of all, don't panic about getting sick from your cat. Cases of plague and typhus are reasonably rare. Though there are diseases that can be passed from cats to people, taking proper precautions, such as controlling fleas and other parasites, and making sure your cat gets regular veterinary care can go a long ways toward keeping you and your family safe — without having to get rid of your cat.
Dr. Lorie Huston
Image: Gladkova Svetlana / via Shutterstock


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This is my "short list" of American varieties which do well in most parts of the Pacific Northwest. There are many others not covered here that are worth growing, so don't stop with these if you have room for more. In cooler parts of the NW, it's best to confine your selections to early ripening types.
Descriptive Code
(appears at the end of each variety's description)
A = American. These are either hybrids of vinifera grapes with American species, or even entirely American species. May or may not have the flavor of Vitis labrusca (Concord type flavor). Generally hardier and more disease resistant than vinifera, but this varies with the varieties.
V= vinifera. Vitis vinifera is the Old World grape of commerce. Fruit is standard of quality, but vines are reliably hardy only to about 0oF and are susceptible to all fungal diseases of grapes, requiring heavy spray in many areas.
FH = French Hybrids. Hybrids of vinifera with American species other than labrusca, usually with fruit quality closer to vinifera. Developed in France, the majority of French Hybrids are wine grapes.
W = white. Y = yellow. G = green. Gy = gray or grayish. P = pink. R=red. B = blue. RB = Reddish blue. BL = black. Blue and Black may be very similar as blue varieties can look black when the powdery bloom is rubbed off the berries.
T= Table or fresh eating (or for freezing). Other uses include J = juice, or jam and jelly. W = may be used for wine, R = may be used for raisins, L = leaves suitable for cooking, such as in making Dolmas. Uses are listed in order of best one first; i.e. "W,J,T" means avariety is first a wine grape, but makes good juice and is good to eat.
VE = very early to ripen, 6 or more weeks before Concord.
E = early, 4-5 weeks before Concord.
EM = early midseason – approximately 2 weeks before Concord.
M = midseason – ripening with or within a few days of Concord.
LM = late midseason- a week after Concord
L = late – two weeks after Concord.
VL = more than two weeks after Concord.
In general, Concord ripens about October 12 to 14 in the Willamette Valley.
Seeded American and French Hybrid Varieties
Looks like Concord with larger berries, but ripens about 3 weeks earlier. Notable for it's unusually pronounced labrusca aroma that perfumes the air for some distance away from the vine. Rather short internodes gives the plant a "bushy" look. A B T,J EM.
Campbell Early
An old NW standby, This black grape, with its big berries and big clusters has Concord-like flavor, but it's sweeter with less of the musky aftertaste. It lost favor in the NW because it colors before it is ripe and overeager growers ruined the market by picking it too soon. Actually ripe about Oct.. 1 in average years. And, while most of the clusters are large, handsome, and well filled, there are always a few small, straggly clusters. Campbell Early and Delaware are favorites of the Japanese. Likes fertile soil or at least regular mulching with compost. Train to spurs. A BL J,T EM.
A historically old variety, it was the standard of excellence in grapes in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Small clusters and small berries, but sweet and with much less labrusca flavor than other grapes of it's time, it was prized for wines in early America. Still not a bad grape for fresh juice. Train to canes for best yield, though spurs will still give a decent crop. A R T,J,W EM.
For those who like the Niagara type flavor, this grape is a month earlier than Niagara and more manageble. It does like moist, fertile soil, but otherwise is very adaptable and will grow all over the NW. A G-W T,J E.
Golden Muscat
An old New York variety that ripens late, one to two weeks after Concord. It will ripen earlier in hot years and individual berries may ripen one to two weeks ahead of the rest of the cluster. When well ripened, the flavor of the very large berries is
excellent, sweet and rich, though it is not a true muscat flavor. Even when not fully ripe it has a tangy, citrus-like flavor that is very good. Clusters often weigh over a pound and larger ones are possible. Unfortunately, the fruit is very sensitive to cracking if there is rain at ripening time and will rot readily once cracked. Still well worth growing. A G T L.
Marechal Foch
This blue French Hybrid wine grape, along with its sister seedling Leon Millot, is rapidly gaining popularity in the Northwest for organic wines. The intense, very dark red-violet wines have a distinct, complex quality in the cool climates and literally
need little more than pruning and picking. It's also an excellent grape for uncooked grape juice – the fresh juice tastes much like sweet cherry juice. I prune mine to both canes and spurs and don't see much difference, but in cooler areas cane pruning works better. Hardy to about -25 F. FH B W,J EM.
New York Muscat
This grape is always in the top three in tastings. The oval reddish-blue grapes have the best muscat flavor of any hybrid I have tried. Only of medium vigor and productivity, but the flavor makes you forget that. Prune to spurs. A RB T,W E.
The clusters aren't big, but the Concord-size berries have juicy, tender, very sweet flesh, and tender, non-astringent skin. The vine is productive, with good vigor. It ripens very early, usually with the very first grapes in my collection, and is one of the few grapes that will ripen around Puget Sound. This one deserves trial for cool, short seasons everywhere. A B T,J VE.
With small, white oval berries usually having just one seed each, this very early-ripening grape (coming on at least six weeks before Concord) is excellently sweet, with a nice spicy flavor. Keep the vine open and well spread out to reduce the incidence of powdery mildew. Irregular bearing, extremely vigorous. Must be pruned to canes. A W T VE.
Big handsome clusters of blue grapes that make excellent juice and are good eaten fresh. Good vigor, productivity, general disease resistance, and nice fall leaf color. Good arbor grape. Spur-prune. A B T,J M
Swenson Red
My personal favorite. The unique, fruity flavor of this firm, meaty grape is like no other. Only grapes with muscat flavor usually tie it in tastings. While it is generally red, it can be slightly blue in the NW. Quite sweet, too.. May have low vigor as a young vine, but grows out of that as it matures. A few clusters may develop a"dumbbell" shape due to uneven set, but usually not more than 5 or 6 like that per vine. A R T,W E.
Valiant was bred for cold hardiness, being able to take -50 F or more, but it makes wonderful juice and the best colored jelly you ever saw. Far superior to Concord for those uses.. The leaves are good for dolmas, too. Prune to spurs of three buds each. A B J,T E L.
Seedless American Grapes
A seedless red variety from Geneva, New York. Fruity, "spicey" flavor. Less vigorous than other varieties, but extremely productive. It must be pruned to two bud spurs on cordons, and even then may need cluster thinning to prevent overcropping. I've seen canes die back at 10 oF (that's ten above zero) because it was overcropped. Ripens even in very cool areas – one of few that will ripen around Puget Sound. A R T,J E.
Blue seedless. Excessively vigorous, not always as productive as you would expect with such a large vine. Flavor is very mild and pleasant, but the clusters vary. Some may be perfect, with uniform large berries; others are straggly, with various berry sizes on the same cluster. Berries crack if rained on at ripening time. but seem able to"heal" somewhat instead of rotting. . When frozen, berries of Glenora look and taste a lot like blueberries. Prune to canes. A B T EM.
A white seedless with large, loose clusters of somewhat soft, but flavorful berries. Vine is excessively vigorous and not very productive: 20 pounds per vine is a good crop, and 15 pounds is more common. Very early, about five weeks before Concord, so it ripens in cool areas. Berry stems are weak and the clusters tend to shatter if fruit isn't picked soon after ripening. Has some susceptibility to powdery mildew, but usually doesn't need control if grown well. A W T,R VE.
A sister of Himrod with seedless green to golden berries. Less vigorous than Himrod, but ripens about a week earlier and is much more productive, up to 30 pounds per vine. Good for cool, short seasons. Hardy to about -15oF. Berries are firm, get good high sugar (22oBrix) on well-filled to compact clusters and are the best variety I have tried for raisins. They also make excellent frozen fruit. A W-Y T,R VE.
Jupiter (PVP)
A new reddish-blue to blue seedless muscat variety My own vines have not borne as of this writing, but a friend has some in bearing and Jupiter looks like a very good seedless muscat. Vigor is good. Ripens between Venus and Reliance. A RB T E.
Another sibling of Himrod, this white seedless is the best producer of the group, producing 35 pounds per vine for me. Clusters are very large, well-filled to compact, and quite handsome. In the West, they are neutral in flavor, but in the East they have a mild labrusca flavor. The best keeper in cold storage of all the seedless varieties, Lakemont actually gets better in storage. Ripens about two weeks after Himrod. I caneprune mine. A G T EM.
This blue seedless has the largest berries of all American-type seedless grapes. Good vigor; productivity is low when the vines are young, but improves as they mature. At first, clusters are loose and straggly, but they fill better on mature vines. Flavor is labrusca, like it's female parent. A little pulpy. Fruit is actually at its best a day after picking, when acids go down a bit. Completely healthy in the NW. One of the last to bud out in the spring, which helps it avoid late frost. Spur pruning works for me. Ripens about three to four weeks before Concord. A B T E.
"Reliable" might be a better name for this red seedless. It consistently has large crops and good vigor for me. In Arkansas and the East it has a unique fruity flavor that I never get, but it's still good. I always know if there are raccoons or deer around – they go for Reliance before anything else in the collection. Actually edible before it is fully colored. Spur-prune. A R T EM.
Remaily Seedless
Neutral flavored, firm, large (for a seedless) white berries. Moderately productive, having only one cluster to a shoot, though clusters are often very large. Flavor can be somewhat flat unless weather at ripening time is warm long enough to produce high sugar. Tends to get brown sunscald areas on the berries unless well shaded. Keeps well in cold storage. A W T M.
Seedless with firm, fruity berries. Red color with no muddiness. A good variety for those who want a Flame Seedless type without the disease problems. Big, open vines, very vigorous when young, needing to be cane-trained to get enough crop. As it matures, the vines settle down and can be cordon (spur) trained, and production increases. One odd trait here is that, if the weather is dry all season long, the fruit can have astringent skin. But one good rain after the fruit ripens and the astringency disappears. Ripens early enough to do well in cool climates, about four to five weeks before Concord. A R T E.
Venus Black
Seedless with an unusual flavor that is both Muscat-like and mildly labrusca. Not always perfectly seedless; in some years the seeds may be full-sized, but soft, with a few hard ones. In cool climates the skin may be astringent, but it's good enough most people can overlook that. Can be spur pruned, but more productive with cane training. Ripens about four weeks before Concord. A B T,J EM


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Pictures Of Looks On Viktor & Rolf Runway At 2013 Spring Paris Fashion Week
2013 Spring Paris Fashion Week: Viktor & Rolf
2013 Spring Paris Fashion Week: Viktor & Rolf
From the black-and-white Viktor & Rolf Spring '13 checkerboard catwalk, out stepped a plethora of stunning looks, drenched in pleated metallics, stark white contrasts, and shards of mosaic glass. Without a doubt, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren tapped into every girl's fashion fantasyland, even going so far as to literally include the "looking glass mirror" as the official runway entrance. The collection tied together references to an ethereal Rapunzel-like character and unadulterated Hollywood glamour, then contrasted its soft, dreamy edge with sharp lines, graphic shapes, and a monochromatic palette. It was an even-keeled blend of the ultra-feminine (trousers and blouses with bows nestled in the shoulders and at the waist; semisheer maxi skirts; mirror "embroidery" of roses and bows) vs. the tougher pantsuits and chunky fur-laden outerwear. Pretty enough for the romantics, but never ever deviating from the tried-and-true Viktor & Rolf fashion formula: a sophisticated turn of smart, witty pieces.
- Trends: Tulle overlays, accordion pleats, mirror embroidery, cropped outerwear, maxi skirt silhouettes.
- Colours: Black, white, soft pink, peach, lavender, and pops of metallic silver and metallic purple.
- Key Piece: It's a tie for most eye-catching use of silver. We're most partial to the metallic silver-pleated gowns and the mirror-embroidered white maxi skirts.
- Accessories: Black T-strap sandals, silver T-strap sandals and pumps.
- Who Should Wear It: Katy Perry for the bolder mirror-laden gowns and Eva Mendes for those gorgeous pleated siren gowns.