text:
Citizens Information Centre,
Unit 3 & 4,
Bridgewater House,
Rockwood Parade,
Co. Sligo,
+353 (076) 107 6390Visit Website
Alongside – Summer social group for children with additional needs and their families
by AsIAm.ie - 26 June, 2019
When: Tuesdays 10-11.30am (starting 2nd July 2019) Where: Baldoyle Family Resour
D15 Disability Peer Support Group
by AsIAm.ie - 26 November, 2018
Blanchardstown Library Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15, D15 RY73.
Aspergers Anonymous
by AsIAm.ie - 20 November, 2018
Castleknock Community Centre, Laurel Lodge Road, Dublin 15, Carpenterstown, Dubl
Social Circle ASD
by AsIAm.ie - 19 November, 2018
Advocacy Services
Somerview House, Dublin Road, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. email@example.com
Advocacy Services
by Gáibhin McGranaghan - 13 November, 2018
Public Services Centre, Drumlonagher, Donegal, Co. Donegal. donegaltown@citinfo.
Advocacy Services
Public Services Centre, Neil T. Blaney Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. letterken
Advocacy Services
Advocacy Services
Bindon Lane, Bank Place, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 D963. firstname.lastname@example.com
Advocacy Services
Cavendish House, Link Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. firstname.lastname@example.com
Advocacy Services
Ground Floor, Riverstone House, Henry Street, Limerick, Co. Limerick, V94 3T28.
Advocacy Services
Augustine House, St Augustine Street, Galway, Co. Galway, H91Y7XH. galway@citinf
National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities
C/O Citizens Information Board, George's Quay House, 43 Townsend Street, D
Open Spectrum
Kildare Autism Network (KAN)
by AsIAm.ie - 2 November, 2018
Monaghan Autism Parents Support Group (MAPS)
Autism Family Support Group
1A Convent Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal F92 D278 Email: autismletterken
Cavan Autism Parents Support Group (CAPS)
Waterford Intellectual Disability Association
by AsIAm.ie - 28 August, 2018
Ashley Drive, Cherrymount, Waterford, Co. Waterford. firstname.lastname@example.com
Autism West Cork
Tallaght Autism Parents Support Group
by asiam_user - 20 August, 2018
Dyslexia Association of Ireland
5th Floor, Block B, Joyce's Court, Talbot Street, Dublin 1. firstname.lastname@example.com
Dyspraxia Association of Ireland
4 Carmichael House, Brunswick Street North, Dublin 7, D07 RHA8. firstname.lastname@example.com
Jump Autism Support
Unit F4 Centrepoint, Rosemund Business Park, Dublin 11. info@jumpautism-support.
Snowflakes Autism Support
Holywell Community Centre, Swords, Co Dublin, K67 P8P9. email@example.com
Autism Support Louth & Meath
c/o Drogheda ABACAS School, Congress Avenue, Drogheda, Co Louth. info@droghedaab
Autism Support Louth & Meath
c/o Drogheda ABACAS School, Congress Avenue, Drogheda, Co Louth. info@droghedaab
Cottage Autism Network
Taghmon Action Group, Taghmon, Co. Wexford. firstname.lastname@example.com
Waterford Autism Social Support Action (WASSA)
Murcon, Mount Bolton, Portlaw, Co Waterford. email@example.com
Autism Initiatives
Unit 3/4, Quayside Business Park, Mill Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth. lisa.mcdonald
Autism Initiatives
Block 1, Newtown Business & Enterprise Park, Moneycarroll, Co. Wicklow. lisa
Triple A Alliance
Aspire – Asperger's Syndrome Association of Ireland
Carmichael Centre, Coleraine House, Coleraine Street, Dublin 7. info@aspireirela
Midlands West Border Autism Support
Dóchas (Hope for People with Autism)
by AsIAm.ie - 14 August, 2018
Asperger's Action Galway
by AsIAm.ie - 13 August, 2018
Shine Centre for Autism
by asiam_user - 9 August, 2018
Weston View, Ballinrea Road, Carrigaline, Co. Cork email@example.com
Cork Association for Autism
by AsIAm.ie - 9 August, 2018
Unit 4, Barryscourt Industrial Estate, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. info@corkautism.
by asiam_user - 9 August, 2018
Galway Autism Partnership
by AsIAm.ie - 9 August, 2018
36 Laurel Park, Newcastle, Galway, Co. Galway email@example.com
Circle of Support for Autism Families (COS)
Unit 18, Glenderott Valley Business Park, Tullyally, Derry, Co. Derry, BT47 2LS
Cedar Foundation
Unit 2, Bridge House, Omagh Road, Dromore, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78 3AH
Autism Network NI
10 Ashgrove Park, Maghaberry, Moira, Co. Armagh, BT67 0QQ sharon.doherty9@btinte
The Acorns
St Luke's Hospital, Mullinure Lane, Armagh, Co. Armagh, BT61 7PR autism.servic
Parents' Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT) NI
Unit 2, Innovation Factory, Forthriver Business Park, 385 Springfield Road, Belf
Helping Hands
53a Comber Road, Dundonald, Belfast, BT16 2AA, email@example.com
Autism Initiatives
Office 1 & 2, Linden House, Beechill Business Park, 96 Beechill Road, Belfas


text:
Harmonic announced a cloud-based transcoding service for professional applications that it says will enable "content creators, service providers, and media professionals to quickly and cost-effectively convert broadcast-quality video content to virtually any standard media format."
Dubbed ProMedia Carbon MP, Harmonic's transcoding services runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS), and allows users to buy processing in hourly blocks, or via a monthly subscription. Users can also access it via XML APIs to deploy scalable, cloud-based transcoding workflows.
Features and functionality includes a wide variety of image processing operations including transcoding, SD/HD conversion, PAL/NTSC conversion, logo insertion, color space conversion, color correction, and multi-format closed-captioning. The company also says ProMedia Carbon MP supports the industry`s broadest array of acquisition, nonlinear editing, broadcast, web, and mobile formats including MXF, XDCAM® HD, QuickTime®, CableLabs®, and MP4.
Harmonic is the latest company to jump into the cloud-based transcoding world.
Earlier this year, Amazon launched the "Amazon Elastic Transcoder," and last year at IBC Brightcove launched a cloud-based transcoding service using technology acquired in its $30m acquisition of Zencoder.
Transcoding is clearly a hot space, and the cloud-based transcoding services space just got a bit more crowded with Harmonic's announcement.
As broadcasters and media companies scramble to deploy multi-screen services, transcoding is seen by many as a key technology. As a result, transcoding has also attracted its fair share of financing and M&A activity. Here's a quick run-down of some of the recent transcoding deals and related-financial news:
- In February 2012, Elemental Technologies disclosed that its revenue in 2012 had doubled to $21m thanks to high demand for its transcoding technology
- In January 2013, Amazon unveiled its "Amazon Elastic Transcoder." Based on the company's Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing platform, the Elastic Transcoder the service provides "a highly scalable, easy to use and a cost effective way for developers and businesses to transcode video files from their source format into versions that will playback on devices like smartphones, tablets and PCs."
- In August 2012 Brightcove bought Zencoder, a 2-year old start-up with $2m in revenue for $30m, and subsequently launched a cloud based transcoding service at IBC 2012
- In May 2012, Elemental Technologies closed a $13m fundraising round led by Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), which brought the total amount of funding raised by Elemental to just under $30m.
- In April 2012, audio processing specialist Wohler bought transcoding provider RadiantGrid in a move that the company said will accelerate its move into file-based operations
- Envivio had an initial public offering led by Goldman Sachs
- Envivio closed a $16.5m funding round in January 2012, bringing the total raised to $95.1m
- PE firm Thoma Bravo bought out Telestream in December 2011
- Telestream bought fellow transcoding vendor Anystream in September 2011
- Cisco bought Inlet Technologies for $95m in February 2011
- Elemental Technologies closed a $7.5m fundraising round in 2010, bringing the total raised to more than $14m
- RGB Networks bought transcoding vendor Ripcode in 2010
Related Content:
Press Release: Harmonic Launches Cloud-Based Professional Video Transcoding Service
Harmonic Blog: Cloud Transcoding with Harmonic's ProMedia Carbon MP – includes additional resources
Harmonic ProMedia Carbon MP Site on AWS Marketplace
Elemental Technologies Says Revenue Doubled in 2012 to $21 Million as Transcoding Technology Continues to Grow
Amazon Launches Scalable Cloud-Based "Elastic Transcoder" Service – A Potential Disruptor in a "Hot" Technology Space
More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Brightcove Buys Zencoder for $30 Million in Latest Video Transcoding Deal
More Broadcast vendor M&A: Wohler Buys RadiantGrid, Latest in Series of Transcoding Deals
Envivio Files for $85 Million Goldman Sachs Led IPO
Envivio Closes $16.5 Million Fundraising Round
More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Private Equity Firm Acquires Telestream
More Broadcast Vendor M&A — Telestream Purchase of Anystream Now Official
More Broadcast Vendor M&A: Cisco to Buy Inlet Technologies for $95m
© Devoncroft Partners. All Rights Reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sony Revealed More Limited Edition Classic White PS3 Pictures. Check them out
Lame-I was so exited untill found out that its the crappy new model and not the big original
Original and 1st Slim are the best looking console of this Gen
I think the new PS3 slim looks sexy. but I don't like the sliding disk trey.
I think it looks much better than the standard black model. I'll probably pick one up to match my white vita. Now I'm just waiting for a white PS pulse wireless stereo headset to complete the collection.


text:
Introducing NuGet Package Management for .NET - Another piece of the Web Stack
Microsoft's been filling out the Web Stack with more and more right-sized LEGO pieces lately, and today ScottGu announced the developer preview of NuGet. It's a piece of the stack that's been notably missing for years and after using it for a while now, I'm not sure how I lived without it.
NuGet is a package management system for .NET. The goal of NuGet is to make the process of incorporating third party libraries into your solutions as simple as possible.
Package Management itself is not a new concept. From Apt and "deity" before it at the system-level on *nix, to Ruby Gems, Maven, Synaptic, portage, dpkg, rpm and others, it's a well understood space. There are package managers for operating systems that install machine-wide libraries, and there are package managers for developers and their projects that manage dependencies and install libraries. NuGet takes inspiration from Ruby Gems and adds some .NET specifics.
NuGet - The Idea
Here's how it works. Notice the "Package Manager Console" window at the bottom of Visual Studio 2010. That's PowerShell. (It'll be in View | Other Windows for this release)
I type List-Package and NuGet goes to a central ATOM feed and retrieves a list of packages like this (not complete, I snipped it for the example)
Id Version Description
-- ------- -----------
Antlr 3.1.1 ANother Tool for Language Rec...
Artem.XmlProviders 2.5 Implementation of XML ASP.NET...
AutoMapper 184.108.40.206 A convention-based object-obj...
Castle.Components.Validator 1.1.0 The Validator component is us...
Castle.Core 1.2.0 Core of the castle project
Castle.DynamicProxy 2.2.0 Castle DynamicProxy is a libr...
Castle.Ioc 2.1.1 Castle Project offers two Inv...
EFCTP4 1.0 This CTP is a an early previe...
elmah 1.1 ELMAH (Error Logging Modules ...
tarantino-db-deployer 184.108.40.206 This is a database migration ...
WebFormsMVP 0.9.7.2 A simple Model-View-Presenter...
xunit 1.6.1 xUnit.net is a developer test...
At this point, as an example, perhaps I want to get the ELMAH (Error Logging Modules and Handlers) open source library setup in my MVC project. I have long said that ELMAH, as a project, deserves way more attention than it gets.
One of the reasons that it doesn't get used - as is the case with many .NET open source libraries - is that it takes too much effort to get it working. Unzip it, put it in a folder somewhere in your project, figure out what needs to be added to web.config, you know.
With NuGet, I type "Install-Package elmah" and it's done. If I wanted to be extra cool with PowerShell aliases I could have just typed "install-packageelmah."
PM> Install-Package elmah
Successfully added 'elmah 1.1' to MvcApplication4
And that's it. Elmah is automatically brought down to my machine, a reference is added to my project and everything it needs is merged non-destructively into my web.config.
I'll run my app and hit /elmah.axd just to prove it.
Complex Packages and their Dependencies
Looks good. But what if I want to add a more complex project, maybe NHibernate.Linq. From the Package Manager Console I'll start typing install-package nh
And the console reports:
PM> Install-Package NHibernate.Linq
'NHibernate.Core (>= 2.0)' not referenced. Retrieving dependency...Done 'log4net (= 1.2.1)' not referenced. Retrieving dependency...Done 'Iesi.Collections (= 1.0)' not referenced. Retrieving dependency...Done 'Antlr (>= 3.0)' not referenced. Retrieving dependency...Done Successfully added 'log4net 1.2.1' to MvcApplication4 Successfully added 'Iesi.Collections 1.0' to MvcApplication4 Successfully added 'Antlr 3.1.1' to MvcApplication4 Successfully added 'NHibernate.Core 2.1.2' to MvcApplication4 Successfully added 'NHibernate.Linq 1.0' to MvcApplication4
Notice that NHibernate.Linq knows its dependant on a bunch of other things. All those packages got pulled in and put in the packages folder. Notice the nupkg file there? That's just a ZIP file. Let's look inside.
Unzipping the nupkg we see lots of stuff. The binary is in there, but also a nuspec file that looks like this. Dig around in there and you'll find some standard packaging namespaces from openformats.org.
NHibernate Linq support is based on the existing, proven in production, Linq provider in NHibernate Contrib. The plans to overhaul that and merge that into NHibernate's proper for the next release are still active, but the project team feels most strongly that production quality Linq support is something that we ought to provide for our users now.
NuGet walks its way up the dependency chain and gets all the packages it needs, installing each. Packages can add scripts, content, references, and even run postscripts (ahem) written in PowerShell if they need something fancy.
I can even remove all that and its dependancies.
PM> Remove-Package NHibernate.Linq -RemoveDependencies
Let's add a few more interesting packages to my project. First, I'll add David Ebbo's wonderful T4MVC templates.
PM> install-packageT4MVC
Successfully added 'T4MVC 2.6.30' to MvcApplication4
David's project isn't actually DLLs, it's a T4 template and a config file, but no problem, it's added to the project.
Next I'll add the Entity Framework "Magic Unicorn" library that I love so much.
PM> install-packageEFCTP4
You are downloading EFCTP4 from Microsoft, the license agreement
to which is available at ....Check the package for additional dependencies,
which may come with their own license agreement(s).
Your use of the package and dependencies constitutes your acceptance
of their license agreements. If you do not accept the license agreement(s),
then delete the relevant components from your device.
Successfully added 'EFCTP4 1.0' to MvcApplication4
Note that this package includes some licensing stuff, as do many OSS projects, so I'm told as I get it. Finally I'll add SQL Compact Edition 4 as well with a little...
PM> install-packageSQLCE
Successfully added 'SQLCE 4.0.8402.1' to MvcApplication4
I've added NHibernate.Linq and four dependencies, then removed them all. I've added T4MVC, SQL Compact, Entity Framework CTP 4, and ELMAH.
We see we can add basically anything to a solution and it's only modifying the solution, and the packages folder next to it. Nothing is being added to the GAC (Global Assembly Cache) and no one is installing anything or messing with things system-wide. NuGet is about affecting local projects and solutions...and possibly adding functionality to enable me to make changes even faster...
Can you say Scaffolding?
I'll add one more interesting package. It's not a library like EFCTP4, or a database like SQLCE, or a T4 template like T4MVC. It's actually an example of PowerShell scripts that extend the Package Manager Console itself with new commands that interact with my project.
Note: This is just a sample/example, because we want to see and hear what you want, and how you want to use it. Talk is cheap, show me the code! ;)
PM> install-packageMvcScaffold
adds new commands to my console via a PowerShell script. It adds Add-MvcView, so I could so something basic like
PM> Add-MvcView Empty
Added file 'Views\Empty.aspx'
But that's not interesting. Let's assume I have a Code First class like this in my project and I've compiled once (in fact, a sample model is included with the EFCTP4 package):
using System.Data.Entity;
namespace MvcApplication4.Models {
public class Product {
public int ID { get; set; }
public string Name { get; set; }
public double Price { get; set; }
public class MyProductContext : DbContext {
public DbSet
Products { get; set; }
Since I've got a nice Product, why not:
PM> Scaffold-MvcViews -ModelType Product Added file 'Views\Product\List.aspx' Added file 'Views\Product\Details.aspx' Added file 'Views\Product\Edit.aspx' Added file 'Views\Product\Create.aspx' Added file 'Views\Product\Delete.aspx'
Which gives me a nice scaffolded set of views generated from T4 Code Templates (or your custom ones, if you like)
Pretty sweet. A lot has been done and prepped for me and all from the Package Manager Console within VS. I can personally see folks creating templates or meta-packages that encapsulate some CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) best practices and sharing them via NuGet packages.
Can Haz UI?
I've focused on the Command Line, because it's awesome and "computers need to be hard©" but you could have certainly added your packages like this:
Clicking Add Package Reference brings up this dialog box. Look familiar?
From here I can search for packages, install, as well as see what packages I've already got installed. I can also check for updates and download new versions.
NuGet Developer Preview
Now this is just a Developer Preview, but look at it generically. We can interact with Visual Studio from PowerShell, package up Open Source libraries, scripts, content or perhaps even meta-packages (install-package hanselpack or install-package dearReaderLibs).
Phil talks about the Guiding Principles for NuGet on his blog. There will be a central feed with no central approval process for adding libraries. The community will police and moderate packages. But, anyone can host a feed. You can host an internal feed at your work, or even just point NuGet at a file system folder and share packages across your group.
Open Source
NuGet is interesting for a couple of reasons. NuGet isn't a classic Microsoft closed-source project; it's been accepted into the
CodePlex Outercurve Foundation and is entirely hosted and managed in a Mercurial Repository at the CodePlex.com Forge. Developers from inside Microsoft and developers from outside Microsoft have been committing to the same repository. All the bugs and issues are managed transparently on that projects.
Yeah, we're slow, but we're working to turn this ship around. NuGet can, and has, accepted contributions, most recently from some folks on the "Nu" open source project. In fact, working with the Nu folks caused us to change the name of this project from its original name of "NPack" to NuGet. There's been a lot of "Source Opened" at Microsoft and a lot of "Open Source but No Takebacks" with some Open Source, but with NuGet I'm stoked to see us start giving (and taking back) in a more open way.
As Phil says, go over to the NuGet website on CodePlex and check out our guide to contributing to NuGet. It's early, and there's a LOT of work to be done, but we're planning to make this available for use in all editions of Visual Studio 2010.
Get the NuGet Preview today with ASP.NET MVC 3 Beta
Go get ASP.NET MVC 3 Beta and NuGet is included inside. Here's the direct download link.
To summarize:
- NuGet is open source and in the Outercurve Foundation
- NuGet integrates with VS and with PowerShell
- NuGet will have a community managed gallery without central approving authority
- NuGet won't mess up your computer or install anything outside your solution
- You can host your own feeds, or read packages out of a network share/folder
The whole team - inside and outside Microsoft - really hopes you like it.
Personal Aside: Changing Jobs
An a related aside, one of the reasons I came to Microsoft was to work on and encourage open source like NuGet. For the last few years I've been working in MSDN and STO (Server and Tools Online) most recently leading a community team with a great bunch of folks, including Joe Stagner, Jon Galloway, Rey Bango, Jesse Liberty, and Pete Brown. This week I'm leaving MSDN to go to work as Community Architect for the Web Platform and Tools (WPT) team under ScottGu, Bill Staples and Omar Khan. Pete will take over as the lead of my team and they'll all join Developer Guidance (née Patterns and Practices). We'll hang out a lot together, though, I have no doubt, and I'll be at the Patterns and Practices Symposium as well as PDC 2010 this year.
The WPT team includes ASP.NET, IIS, as well as open source projects like NuGet, ASP.NET MVC and Orchard. I'll be promoting Open Source inside and outside Microsoft, making sure the customers voice is heard as products are architected, as well as speaking and teaching whenever they'll let me. I won't be moving to Seattle. ;)
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
About Newsletter
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text:
Dungeons and Dragons
Spells from the d20 SRD
Soul Scry
Spellcraft Dc
Casting Time
10 minutes
See text
One other living creature
20 minutes (D)
Saving Throw
Will negates
Spell Resistance
To Develop
495,000 gp; 10 days; 19,800 XP. Seeds: contact (DC 23), reveal (DC 19), conceal (DC 17). Factors: apply to all five senses (+8 DC), conceal detection (ad hoc +6 DC). Mitigating factor: increase casting time by 9 minutes (-18 DC).
When a character casts this spell, he or she is temporarily able to tap the consciousness of another sentient creature with whom the character is familiar (by meeting, observing, or successfully scrying the subject), experiencing everything he or she does with all five senses. The target receives a Will save, and if successful, prevents the character from making the telepathic connection. Whether the saving throw is successful or not, the target is unaware of the attempted intrusion. Once the subject is tapped, the character is able to hear, see, feel, smell, and taste everything the subject senses. The character cannot control the subject, however. The character can only see what the subject chooses to look at, and the character tastes something only if the subject eats or drinks it during the spell's duration. During this time, the character's own body remains in a trance-like state. If the subject takes damage, the character senses the injuries, although his or her own body does not actually suffer any ill effects. If the subject is knocked unconscious or killed, the spell immediately ends.
SRD 3.5 EpicSpells
What do you think?
Name (optional)
Email (optional)
Your comment (optional, but helpful)


text:
Norton™ Shopping Guarantee
Harness the power of the world's most trusted web security brand risk-free
You know yourself. You know you're a trustworthy person. You know you're business is legitimate. You put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into making it so. But unless your brand is Amazon, eBay, Sears, or a comparable name, chances are a typical web visitor might not instantly recognize and trust you. So, wouldn't you want to ensure you were doing everything you could to make your customers trust you? Isn't trust the most important component of any business?
You already put in the hard work to bring your company and website to market, now it's time to make sure you're set up for success in the treacherous online world. Enter the Norton™ Shopping Guarantee (NSG), a new program from Symantec™ that is guaranteed (get it?) to increase the trust and confidence of your customers and provide a 20x ROI to you. No, you're not seeing things, 20x ROI guaranteed!


text:
January 30, 2014
LAWT Wire Services
Floyd 'Money' Mayweather has placed a $10.4 million bet on the Denver Broncos to beat the Seattle Seahawks by more than two points in the upcoming Super Bowl.
Twitter post suggesting that Mayweather had used seven different agencies (no one agency would take it).
Mayweather has made large bets in the past.
He apparently bet $220,000 to win just $200,000 back on college football team Texas A&M leading by more than 17 points at half-time against Southern Methodist.
Vegas Gambling Steam, which bills itself as "Industries #1 #Handicapping #Gambling #Watchdog #Updating #Steamed & Public Betting Percentages from top books in #Vegas" — gave some background of Floyd's betting process.
"Floyd Mayweather is worth over 80 Million liquid. Sportsbooks / Offshore books executives gladly float this man 2-3 million in credit."
"They have a phone number, they call up owners of the sportsbooks they want action at. 'Put me down for 2 million on Broncos.. It's Floyd'"
"He has runners to make those baby bets for him. He doesn't post all his bets especially the big ones #IRS"
Floyd Mayweather is expected to fight Amir Khan in Las Vegas in May 2014.


text:
With few aisle-crossing congressional representatives around, it's no wonder the two sides rarely see eye-to-eye. But negotiation is tough even without the extra complication of politics. Psychologically, it's harder to negotiate when the outcomes involve losses (such as higher taxes or fewer benefits) than when they involve gains, University of Amsterdam psychologist Carsten de Dreu told the Association for Psychological Science in 2011 after a congressional supercommittee failed to reach an agreement to reduce the national debt.
Likewise, emotion can blind negotiators to agreeable deals. In a study released in 2009 in the journal Psychological Science, researchers had participants play a game often used to study the intricacies of negotiation. In the game, a participant is given a certain amount of money and told to split it with a second person. If the second person accepts the offer, the money is split. If the second person sees the offer as unfair and rejects it, neither gets any money.
Thus, the first negotiator has to consider the likelihood of the second person accepting the split before they make their offer. The researchers found that participants who relied more on their feelings versus logic in playing the game made less generous offers — even though, logically, such offers are less likely to be accepted, resulting in no money for anyone.


text:
The Industrials sector ranks fourth out of the ten sectors as detailed in my sector rankings for ETFs and mutual funds. It gets my Neutral rating, which is based on an aggregation of the ratings of 16 ETFs and 18 mutual funds in the Industrials sector as of October 9, 2012. Prior reports on the best & worst ETFs and mutual funds in every sector and style are here.
Figures 1 and 2 show the five best and worst-rated ETFs and mutual funds in the sector. Not all Industrials sector ETFs and mutual funds are created the same. The number of holdings varies widely (from 20 to 368), which creates drastically different investment implications and ratings. The best ETFs and mutual funds allocate more value to Attractive-or-better-rated stocks than the worst ETFs and mutual funds, which allocate too much value to Neutral-or-worse-rated stocks.
To identify the best and avoid the worst ETFs and mutual funds within the Industrials sector, investors need a predictive rating based on (1) stocks ratings of the holdings and (2) the all-in expenses of each ETF and mutual fund. Investors need not rely on backward-looking ratings. My fund rating methodology is detailed here.
Investors should not buy any Industrials ETFs or mutual funds because none get an Attractive-or-better rating. If you must have exposure to this sector, you should buy a basket of Attractive-or-better rated stocks and avoid paying undeserved fund fees. Active management has a long history of not paying off.
See ratings and reports on all ETFs and mutual funds in this sector on my free mutual fund and ETF screener.
Figure 1: ETFs with the Best & Worst Ratings – Top 5
* Best ETFs exclude ETFs with TNA's less than 100 million for inadequate liquidity.
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Four ETFs are excluded from Figure 1 because their total net assets (TNA) are below $100 million and do not meet our liquidity standards.
Figure 2: Mutual Funds with the Best & Worst Ratings – Top 5
* Best mutual funds exclude funds with TNA's less than 100 million for inadequate liquidity.
Sources: New Constructs, LLC and company filings
Two ICON Funds: ICON Industrials Funds (ICTRX and ICICX) are excluded from Figure 2 because its total net assets (TNA) are below $100 million and do not meet our liquidity standards.
Industrial Select Sector SPDR (XLI) is my top-rated Industrials ETF and Fidelity Select Portfolios: Industrial Equipment Portfolio (FSCGX) is my top-rated Industrials mutual fund. Both earn my Neutral rating.
First Trust ISE Water Index Fund (FIW) is my worst-rated Industrials ETF and Rydex Series Funds: Transportation Fund (RYTSX) is my worst-rated Industrials mutual fund. Both earn my Dangerous rating.
Figure 3 shows that 117 out of the 480 stocks (over 36% of the total net assets) held by Industrials ETFs and mutual funds get an Attractive-or-better rating. Despite the existence of Attractive-or-better Industrials stocks, there is not a single Industrials ETF or mutual fund that earns an Attractive-or-better rating. The majority of the total net assets of Industrials ETFs and mutual funds is allocated to Neutral-or-worse-rated stocks.
The takeaway is: mutual fund managers allocate too much capital to low-quality stocks and Industrials ETFs hold poor quality stocks.
Figure 3: Industrials Sector Landscape For ETFs, Mutual Funds & Stocks
As detailed in "Cheap Funds Dupe Investors", the fund industry offers many cheap funds but very few funds with high-quality stocks, or with what I call good portfolio management.
Investors should avoid all Industrials ETFs and mutual funds. Instead of paying fees to own a portfolio of unattractive stocks, investors who desire exposure to the Industrials sector should focus on owning a basket of stocks that earn an Attractive-or-better rating.
United Technologies (UTX) is one of my favorite stocks held by Industrials ETFs and mutual funds and earns my Attractive rating. UTX is an impressively profitable company, turning in returns on invested capital (ROIC) that consistently exceed 12%. ROIC is the primary driver of shareholder value creation and it is essential for management to keep ROIC above the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). The Industrials sector is typically capital intensive and many companies struggle to maintain returns on invested capital above WACC. In fact, the median ROIC in 2011 for the 421 Industrials was 7.4%. UTX earned an ROIC of 12.7%, placing UTX in the top quintile of all Industrials. The company is profitable and efficient, but a great company is not always a great stock to buy. UTX earns an Attractive rating because it's a great company with a cheap stock price. The market has low expectations for the future performance of UTX at $77.33 as of 10/19/12. The current valuation implies that the company's profits will decline permanently by 7%. For a company that has seen consistent growth in profitability, those expectations seem too pessimistic. From Otis Elevators to Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, United Technologies manufactures products that are made for going up. I would expect the stock price to go up as well as the market's expectations align with UTX's profitable performance.
Simpson Manufacturing Co (SSD) is one of my least favorite stocks held by Industrials ETFs and mutual funds and earns my Very Dangerous rating. The primary reason SSD earns a Very Dangerous rating is that SSD's Net Income over the past few years shows a misleading trend. SSD's Net Income has been growing, but its economic earnings have been declining. A steady decline in the company's NOPAT from its 2006 high of $107.43 million to only $39.34 million in fiscal year 2011 is not exactly a promising trend. In fact, SSD's economic earnings margin has been negative every year since 2008 though the company has not reported an accounting earnings loss. Rising accounting earnings is a dangerous sign when the true economic earnings are steadily deteriorating. Worst of all, to justify its current valuation at $28.59 as of10/9/12, the company must achieve profit growth of 15% compounded annually for the next 16 years. Those are lofty expectations for a company whose profits have declined markedly over the past five years.
421 stocks of the 3000+ I cover are classified as Industrials stocks, but due to style drift, Industrials ETFs and mutual funds hold 480 stocks.
Figures 4 and 5 show the rating landscape of all Industrials ETFs and mutual funds.
Our Sector Rankings for ETFs and Mutual Funds report ranks all sectors and highlights those that offer the best investments.
Figure 4: Separating the Best ETFs From the Worst ETFs
Figure 5: Separating the Best Mutual Funds From the Worst Mutual Funds
Review my full list of ratings and rankings along with reports on all 16 ETFs and 18 mutual funds in the Industrials sector.
Disclosure: I receive no compensation to write about any specific stock, sector or theme.


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It was worth the wait.
This cake has been on my list to bake for so long and finally I got around to baking it……well, that's not quite the whole truth. My son made it! He made it for a class project for school. This is the classic foreign language project where you make a dish and take it to class. When my son said he would be doing this project for Spanish class, I asked what he was planning on preparing. He mentioned a few suggestions such as queso with chorizo or guacamole, but I had an ulterior motive and nudged him in this direction. Secretly I have been wanting to make this cake for like forever but never seemed to get around to it, so I seized the opportunity, sorta, and suggested that he make it for school. And he did!
This is the classic sponge cake made by separating the eggs, whipping the egg whites and egg yolks separately and then folding them back together to give the cake its volume. A great lesson for a fourteen year old boy to learn! I will say, he did a super job and the cake was perfect!
I gave him an A+, now let's hope the teacher did too.
The secret to this cake is the sauce. This cake has a sauce made with vanilla and three different milks, hence the name "tres leche." After you bake this cake, you pour this sauce over it. When you think about it, you have to wonder how the cake soaks up all that sauce, but it does, and while the cake is wet, it is not mushy. Look at the picture and see how just the slightest amount of sauce pools at the bottom of the cake. It is divine!
When you read the instructions, there seem to be a lot of steps involved, but it is not difficult. Just measure out all of your ingredients ahead of time and you will be fine. This recipe is by Pati Jinich from her website, Pati's Mexican Table.
9 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz can evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan, lining the bottom with a piece of parchment paper that has been cut to fit the pan. Pour the egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites form soft peaks (4 – 5 minutes). Slowly stir in the sugar and continue until they hold hard peaks (about 2 minutes longer). Turn off the mixer and move the egg white mixture onto a large mixing bowl with a large spatula. Quickly rinse the bowl and the whisk attachment and put back on the stand mixer. Pour the egg yolks into the bowl and beat on medium-high speed (5 – 6 minutes), or until the egg yolks become creamy and the color has changed to pale yellow. Stir in the vanilla and beat for another minute.
Pour the egg yolk mixture onto the egg white mixture and with a spatula, in evolving motions, combine them gently trying not to lose much volume from the mixture. When fully combined, fold in the flour, scraping the bowl with the spatula so that all the flour is well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place into the oven for 22 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The top of the cake should be slightly browned and bounce back when you touch it. Remove it from the oven and let it cool. The cake will shrink a bit as it cools. Once it cools down, turn the cake onto a platter and remove the parchment paper. Cover the top (which is really the bottom!) with another platter and invert again so that the real top of the cake is now on top again. Make sure the platter is large enough and deep enough hold the cake and the sauce. Using a fork, poke holes all over the cake.
In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and vanilla. Pour over the cake. (At this point you can refrigerate the cake overnight.) In the bowl of your mixer, whip up the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture holds up stiff peaks (1 – 2 minutes) Spread the whipped cream on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


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1st S.F. civic improvement: Yerba Buena footbridge
The corner of Jackson and Montgomery falls within the Jackson Square Historic District, a remarkable oasis containing some of the only Gold Rush-era commercial buildings to survive the 1906 fire. The most famous of those structures was A.P. Hotaling's whiskey warehouse.
In the days after the quake, when assorted moralists intoned that the great earthquake and fire was God's judgment on wicked San Francisco, a local poet responded with the following deathless lines: "If, as they say, God spanked the town for being over-frisky, why did He burn His churches down, and spare Hotaling's whiskey?"
The Jackson Square district offers an evocative window into the Gold Rush days. But its history is still older. It goes back to the most charmed period in the city's history - the 11 dreamlike years between 1835 and 1846 when a tiny hamlet called Yerba Buena stood along a crescent-shaped cove that ran through the heart of what is now the Financial District.
Yerba Buena cove was punctuated by an odd little inlet - a small saltwater lagoon, connected to the bay by a narrow neck that cut across the beach at Montgomery Street, that occupied most of the block between Jackson and Washington, extending east almost as far as Kearny.
Laguna Salada
This lagoon, known as the Laguna Salada ("saltwater lagoon"), can be clearly seen in early maps and drawings of Yerba Buena. It was responsible for the tiny village's first civic improvement. Long before the Golden Gate Bridge, William Hinckley's footbridge was the talk of the town.
In the 1820s and 1830s, a small Spanish-speaking colony was living at the old Mission Dolores, and a handful of soldiers and their families at the Presidio. And a dauntless woman named Juana Briones lived just outside the Presidio, near what are now the Lyon Street steps.
But the first non-American Indian inhabitant of Yerba Buena cove was a British sailor named William Richardson, whose whaler, the Orion, was one of the first non-Russian vessels to enter San Francisco Bay in 1822. Richardson jumped ship after attending a fiesta where he danced all night with the Presidio commander's eldest daughter, Maria Antonia Martinez, whom he later married. It can be no coincidence that one of the world's great cosmopolitan party towns was founded by a runaway who had just met a mixed-race hottie at an all-nighter.
Town's 1st structure
In 1835, Richardson built the town's first structure, a lean-to made out of a ship's sail stretched between four posts. This crude tent stood on rising ground above the beach, which was only a few hundred yards east, on what is now Grant Avenue between Clay and Washington streets in the teeming heart of Chinatown. An old plaque attached to a weather-beaten apartment building at 823 Grant, hidden behind a rack of T-shirts, announces "The birthplace of a great city."
Capt. Richardson prospered as a mariner, ferrying hides and tallow - the cattle products that were Mexican California's major export items - from the missions to Boston trading ships. His son Esteban used to watch bears, wolves and coyotes fighting over their prey on the beach at Montgomery Street. The Richardsons were the only people living on the cove until another trader, an Ohioan named Jacob Leese, built a house nearby in 1836 - the first building in Yerba Buena. To celebrate, Leese threw an epic three-day Fourth of July bash, to which he invited everyone in the vicinity of the cove.
Like Richardson, indeed like most of Yerba Buena's foreign residents, Leese married a "Californio" girl - a Spanish-speaking California native. (Nominally citizens of Mexico, the Hispanic Californians, many of them former soldiers who had received vast land grants, had begun calling themselves Californios, in part to distinguish themselves from déclassé newer arrivals from the mother country.)
Before 1841, when the Bartleson-Bidwell party became the first wagon train to cross the Sierra, Yerba Buena was not just at the end of the continent, it might as well have been at the end of the world. Nonetheless, a few traders, runaway sailors, adventurers and assorted human flotsam and jetsam washed up there.
The American and British traders pursued commerce with slightly more alacrity than the famously indolent Californio rancheros, but by the time the Protestant work ethic made it to Yerba Buena, it appears to have run out of steam. In his 1889 book "Sixty Years in California," William Heath Davis describes life in Yerba Buena as an endless round of drinking, a little business, eating contests, genteel smuggling, picnics, whist games, excursions to pick wild strawberries, and more drinking.
'The California fever'
Richard Henry Dana disapprovingly called idleness "the California fever," but Davis spoke for most of his fellow Yerba Buenans when he wrote, "The native Californians were about the happiest and most contented people I ever saw, as were also the foreigners who settled among them and intermarried them, adopted their habits and customs, and became, as it were, a part of themselves." Yerba Buena's intercultural, interethnic mingling was a rarity in American history.
There was simply not much to do in Yerba Buena. It was such a sleepy place - as late as 1844 it had only a dozen buildings and less than 50 inhabitants - that anything out of the routine aroused interest. So in that year, when an American trader named William Hinckley, who had been named alcalde (a kind of mayor-judge) of the district, erected a wooden footbridge over the little creek that fed the Laguna Salada, the town buzzed with excitement.
The footbridge allowed the few dozen residents of Yerba Buena to walk to the anchorage at Clark's Point (near present-day Broadway and Battery) without having to wade through or jump across the little lagoon. This was not exactly a life-changing civic event, but the footbridge nonetheless constituted the first public improvement in Yerba Buena, and it was the subject of great fascination. "[P]eople came from far and near to look at and admire it, especially the native Californians, who arrived from the Mission and elsewhere, with their wives and children, to contemplate the remarkable structure," Davis wrote. According to historian Rand Richards, 30 residents - practically the entire town - came to admire it, and jumped up and down on it to test its strength.
Nothing tangible remains of the enchanted Yerba Buena years. A plaque that once commemorated Hinckley's structure is no longer displayed. But it is pleasant, when walking by Jackson and Montgomery, to imagine the little footbridge that once crossed the lagoon here, and the town's population happily jumping up and down on it.
Editor's note
Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Every Saturday, Gary Kamiya's Portals of the Past will tell one of those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Francisco's extraordinary history - from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach, to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond.
Trivia time
Last week's question: Where in the Bay Area is there a miniature version of the Golden Gate Bridge that actually serves a practical function? Answer: The footbridge to the Point Bonita lighthouse is a miniature replica of the Golden Gate Bridge.
This week's question: A famous Civil War general admitted that San Francisco's real estate market had defeated him. What were his exact words?
Gary Kamiya is a freelance writer and author of "Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco," which will be published by Bloomsbury in August. E-mail: email@example.com


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Former Prague imam rejects terrorist label, legitimacy of Czech courts
Former Prague imam Samer Shehadeh admitted on Tuesday that he had helped his brother and sister-in-law travel to Syria to join a the organisation Jabhat Fatah as-Sham (Conquest of Syria).
However, Shehadeh said he does not consider it a criminal act because he does not recognise the Syrian government or perceive Jabhat Fatah as-Sham as terrorists. He also said any Czech courts' decision is irrelevant to him as they do not follow Islamic sharia law.
The former imam's brother and sister-in-law are also defendants in the case. Czech intelligence services began investigating the trio in 2016. Shehadeh is also accused of using charity money to support terrorism financially.
Latest News
First statue in Czech Republic of Maria Theresa unveiled in Prague10/20/2020
The first statue in the Czech Republic honouring the Habsburg ruler Maria Theresa was unveiled in the Prague 6 district on Tuesday. The local authority paid CZK 3.6 million for the monument to the Holy Roman Empress, who was sovereign of Bohemia when it was part of the Austrian empire.
The unveiling was deliberately held on October 20, the day when Maria Theresa assumed the Austrian throne in 1740.
Two charged over Old Town Square protest violence10/20/2020
Two charged over Old Town Square protest violence
Police have charged two people in connection with a demonstration in central Prague on Sunday that turned violent. The two are accused of disorderly conduct and violence against officials, a police spokesperson said on Tuesday. Some 144 people were detained during the events on the city's Old Town Square, with 14 suspected of criminal actions.
Hundreds of ultras from Czech football and ice hockey clubs had gathered to protest against the government's Covid-19 measures. After the official time limit many of them threw cobblestones and other items at riot police, injuring 25.
Reduced hours at public services leading to long queues10/20/2020
Long queues are currently forming at some public services in the Czech Republic as opening times have been reduced in response to the Covid-19 situation, Czech Television reported. Officials at some agencies have called on the public to weigh up whether they really need to visit them in person. They also recommend that people use on-line reservation systems to book specific times. However, these are frequently full for weeks in advance, Czech Television said.
On Monday police monitored queues at some agencies, following reports of altercations last week. Video footage suggests some people are not maintaining a two-metre distance while waiting in line.
Weather forecast10/20/2020
It should be overcast in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, with an average maximum temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. The cloudy and mild weather should then continue for several days.
Experts: Further suspension spells end of electronic cash register system10/20/2020
The further suspension of a system under which businesses must register transactions in real time in a state database means the project is to all intents and purposes over, the Czech News Agency reported, citing tax experts.
The lower house's Budget Committee has recommended the system be put on ice until the end of 2022, a move approved by the government last week.
The electronic cash register system had already been suspended until the end of this year to alleviate pressure on businesses hit by the coronavirus crisis.
The system was first introduced in 2016 and gradually extended over subsequent years.
Coronavirus cases rise after weekend, but below last week's record10/20/2020
Monday saw 8,076 people test positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. While this is the highest amount of cases ever recorded on a Monday in the country, it is also 3,000 cases fewer than were recorded last Friday. Ministry of Health Statistics show that 46 people died on Monday as a result of contracting the virus.
Currently there are more than 105,000 people in the country who have COVID-19, although the majority of the infected have little or no symptoms. Experts predict that around 3 to 4 percent of this number will require hospitalisation, one fifth of which will be in serious condition.
Face mask obligation to be expanded10/20/2020
Starting Wednesday, people will have to cover their face even if they are walking in the open in municipal areas and are closer than 2 meters from each other, Health Minister Roman Prymula has announced. Furthermore, the obligation to wear a mask has also been extended to those inside any vehicle, with the exception of those who are driving alone, or only with close family members.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday evening, Health Minister Prymula also ruled out that the government is planning any discussion about entering a full lockdown this week. He highlighted that the effectiveness of the measures in place has to be given at least two weeks' time before it can be evaluated.
Deputy-head of Czech Football Association charged with corruption resigns10/19/2020
Roman Berbr announced on Monday that he will resign from his position as Deputy Chairman of the Czech Football Association. Mr. Berbr is one of 20 people that are facing charges by the Czech Police of corruption through rigging the results of football games in the lower-divisions of the Czech football league. He was arrested on Sunday.
The decision was announced after a special meeting of the Czech Football Association's executive committee which ended in the dismissal of the members of the committee of referees, including its chairman and former Czech national team coach Jozef Chovanec, who allegedly used his position to rig the selections of referees.
Tourism sector to get CZK 500 million in COVID funding10/19/2020
The government has agreed to allocate CZK 500 million in support of the tourism sector within the economy, Regional Development Minister Klára Dostálová announced on Monday. The funds will come from Ms. Dostálová's ministry and will be made available to travel agencies and guides.
Travel agencies will be able to receive CZK 500 for every cancelled trip purchased after December 1, 2019. However, it is so far unclear whether this is the amount per person, or for the whole event. Eligibility for support is also granted to those agencies that could not realise trips to spas, which had to be closed during lockdown.
Agencies focusing on domestic tourism will be eligible for CZK 50,000 in funding. This amount will also be available to guides, under the condition that they offer at least 10 hours of labour to education services administered by the state, or if they undertake a re-skilling programme.
Tuesday is expected to see temperatures range between 13 to 14 degrees Celsius. Skies are likely to be cloudy with no rain.


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Printing via Google Cloud Print to a Linux based computer
Until vendors ship cloud-aware printers, we need the intermediary cloud print proxy to share our printers with the Cr-48. Unfortunately, cloud print proxy is Windows only. If you're printer is hooked up to a Mac or Linux machine, you're out of luck. But not any longer thanks to the work of Chrome OS expert users Jason Michalski and Todd Vierling. They've created a simple cloud print proxy python script that runs on Linux and Macs and connect your CUPS printers to cloud print. The script prompts you for your Google Account and then discovers your printers automatically.
- Credit to http://chromeos-cr48.blogspot.com


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Author Study: Improving Reading Comprehension Using Inference and Comparison
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Middleton, Alabama
Drawing inferences is an important component of reading comprehension, so students need to be aware of both its benefits and its limitations. Beginning with several picture books by Paul Goble, students draw inferences about the author and apply them as they try to detect the errors in an inaccurate biography of the author. They refine their initial impressions through Internet research and correct the inaccuracies through critical comparison of biographical texts. Students then engage in a similar exercise as they study another author or illustrator of their choice, this time creating an author biography with deliberate errors, which will be corrected by a fellow student.
Authors and Illustrators on the Web (The Children's Literature Web Guide)
Barton, J. & Sawyer, D.M. (2003). Our students are ready for this: Comprehension instruction in the elementary school. The Reading Teacher, 57(4), 334347.
- Students need direct comprehension instruction in a variety of ways and using a variety of texts to become better readers, make connections between texts and themselves, become aware of how comprehension strategies work, and use them.
- A focused response deepens student ability to use comprehension strategies from literal through inferential levels.
- Inferring, confirming, and modifying are all activities that keep students involved with the text and provide a purpose for reading and rereading. All three can be used with both fiction and nonfiction texts.


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While losing weight is difficult for many people, it is even more challenging to keep the weight off. Most people who lose a large amount of weight have regained it 2 to 3 years later. One theory about regaining lost weight is that people who decrease the amount of calories they consume to lose weight experience a drop in the rate their bodies burn calories. This makes it increasingly difficult to lose weight over a period of months. A lower rate of burning calories may also make it easier to regain weight after a more normal diet is resumed. For these reasons, extremely low calorie diets and rapid weight loss are discouraged.
Losing no more than 1/2 to 2 pounds per week is recommended. Incorporating long-term lifestyle changes are needed to increase the chance of successful long-term weight loss.
Weight loss to a healthy weight for a person's height can promote health benefits. These include lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, less stress on bones and joints, and less work for the heart. It is vital to maintain weight loss to obtain health benefits over a lifetime.
Keeping extra weight off takes effort and commitment, just as losing weight does. Weight loss goals are reached by a combination of changes in diet, eating habits, and exercise. In extreme circumstances, people turn to bariatric surgery. Medicines are also available, when needed, to help you maintain your weight loss.
The strategies that encourage weight loss also play an important role in maintenance:
Support systems used effectively during weight loss can contribute to weight maintenance. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 55% of registry participants used some type of program to achieve their weight loss.
Physical activity plays a vital and essential role in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that even exercise that is not rigorous, such as walking and using stairs, has a positive effect. Activity that uses 1,500 to 2,000 calories per week is recommended for maintaining weight loss. Adults should try to get at least 60 to 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous level physical activity at least 3 to 4 times per week. Break the exercise into several parts during your day.
Diet and exercise are vital strategies for losing and maintaining weight. Ninety-four percent of the registrants in the National Weight Control Registry increased their physical activity.
Once the desired weight has been reached, the gradual addition of about 200 calories of healthy, low-fat food to daily intake may be attempted for one week to see if weight loss continues. If weight loss does continue, additional calories of healthy foods may be added to the daily diet until the right balance of calories to maintain the desired weight has been determined. It may take some time and record keeping to determine how adjusting food intake and exercise levels affect weight. A nutritionist can help with this.
Continuing to use behavioral strategies is necessary to maintaining weight. Be aware of eating as a response to stress. Also, use exercise, activity, or meditation to cope instead of eating.
A temporary return to old habits does not mean failure. Paying attention to dietary choices and exercise can help maintain weight loss. Identifying situations, such as negative moods and interpersonal difficulties, and using alternative methods of coping with such situations rather than eating can prevent returning to old habits.
Weight cycling is losing and regaining weight multiple times. Some studies suggest that weight cycling, also called "yo-yo dieting," may result in some health risks. These include high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and high cholesterol. However, these studies are not true for everybody. The best strategy is to avoid weight cycling and to maintain healthy weight through a commitment to increased physical activity and healthy eating.
One myth about weight cycling is that a person who loses and regains weight will have more difficulty losing weight again and maintaining it compared to a person who has not gone through a weight-loss cycle. Most studies show that weight cycling does not affect the rate at which the body burns fuel. Also, a previous weight cycle does not influence the ability to lose weight again. In addition, weight cycling does not increase the amount of fat tissue or increase fat distribution around the stomach.
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Back in 2005, a friend gave me one of those pre-paid cell phones that seem to be available for purchase virtually everywhere. At the time, I wrote a column titled in part: "Thoughtful gift or present from Hell?" Almost seven years and several phones later, I'm still not sure how to answer the question.
Lately, however, the evidence in favor of Hell seems to be piling up. Living in Fayette often means you'll have trouble getting decent cell phone reception. Over the past six months or so, that has become the case in neighboring towns as well.
First my phone stopped getting service in Archbold, quickly followed by Hudson and Morenci, then Blissfield, and finally Wauseon. It still worked in Adrian and Defiance, but that's a bit of a drive just to use the phone. It's a good thing I still had a landline.
Besides that, I could no longer add minutes on the phone itself. Instead I had to go to the company website and jump through a series of hoops to keep my "service" active.
Last month, I finally purchased a new phone online. This one included a camera which seemed like a neat feature. After missing me twice, FedEx finally caught me at home on their final try. Then the fun began.
I actually managed to activate the phone without much trouble, but discovered I couldn't receive or make any calls as a message advising me to call tech support appeared whenever I tried to use it.
The tech person had me try one thing after another, but finally admitted defeat and said he would send me another phone, asking me to return this one after the latest one arrived. But the phone still had some entertainment value in it as I waited for its replacement.
At 3:30 a.m. the next morning, I received a text message asking, "Shante still with y'all?" I couldn't make or receive calls, but strangers in search of Shante were still able to reach me.
Along with the text messaging, the camera on the latest phone worked fine, so I took several photos of my Buick and of "Splinters," the giant wooden bear at the Williams County Fairgrounds in Montpelier. I may not have been able to make calls, but my disabled phone had cool wallpaper.
The replacement phone finally arrived, complete with a broken charger. Since it was a different brand than my old phone or the one it was replacing, it was impossible to charge it. I called tech support again and was told it was about a 15 minute wait. After 31 minutes, I hung up, went to the library and emailed them, asking for a new charger.
The next morning, tech support called me. I can't begin to tell you how tempting it was to put them on hold, then go grocery shopping or something. Instead, I took several minutes convincing the tech lady that I couldn't turn on the phone and give them the phone number because it had no power.
She finally understood that I wouldn't be able to turn the phone on until I had a working charger to charge it with and promised to send one to me. Six days later it arrived, inside a FedEx 2-day envelope with an "urgent" sticker on it. The 2-day package had taken five days to arrive from Indiana. Go, FedEx!
Once charged, the new phone seemed to work fine and all that remained was for me to return the previous one in the envelope provided.
The next morning, shortly before 6 a.m., I heard a short ring coming from my living room. Over the next 15 minutes, I heard it four more times. Figuring someone was texting my latest phone (Shante, perhaps?), I went out for a look.
I couldn't find any messages, then I heard another ring—coming from inside the sealed envelope ready to mail back to the cell phone company. I carefully opened the package and found it was the low battery alarm going off. I changed the phone setting to "silent" and resealed the package.
As soon as I set the envelope down, it started squirming as if it was alive and I heard what I recognized from other phones as the "vibrate" feature. Not wanting to ruin the envelope, I decided to mail it and hope for the best.
I had planned to explain the situation to Postmaster Davis when I took the package in, but arriving after hours, I just put it in the out-of-town mailbox and said goodbye.
My only worry now is that I'll soon receive a visit from Homeland Security regarding a quivering envelope with my return address on it. I wonder if I can make a cell phone call from Guantanamo Bay?


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By Scott Reeder -
SPRINGFIELD – What do Dennis Rodman, Rod Blagojevich and Jesse Jackson Jr. have in common with Illinois state government?
Despite having large incomes, they've each found themselves teetering on the brink of insolvency.
When I was younger, celebrity bankruptcies used to puzzle me. How is it that high-earners such as Wesley Snipes, Willie Nelson or Burt Reynolds can just go flat-out broke?
The answer is simple: they spent too much.
And so it is with the state of Illinois.
Illinois' revenues are at the highest level in the state's 194-year history and yet state bills are getting paid six months late, Illinois' pension funds are in crisis and it has the worst credit rating of any state in the union.
And keep in mind, Illinois got to this point despite the fact that our General Assembly passed – and our governor signed – a "temporary" 67 percent income tax increase two-and-a-half years ago.
Every working adult in the state of Illinois is now contributing an extra week's pay to the state's coffers since the tax hike passed.
That's no small sacrifice. Illinoisans have cut grocery lists short, canceled vacations, deferred car and appliance purchases and made many other sacrifices.
And yet the state is still broke.
In fact, instead of cutting spending, state government is spending more.
In 2008, the last full fiscal year before the recession, Illinois spent $30.4 billion in base general revenue funds and in 2012 it was on track to spend $33.5 billion.
Rather than tightening the belt, the state has pulled out the credit card.
The level of state bond debt has increased during the same period from $58.7 billion in 2008 to $71 billion.
And if that's not bad enough, Illinois' official unfunded pension liability was $55.4 billion in 2008 – and the Commission for Government Forecasting and Accountability projects that liability will grow to $102.7 billion this year.
No state has ever taxed its way into prosperity.
In the coming months, you are going to hear some nonsense about how Illinois needs to "reform" its revenue system by passing a graduated income tax.
It has nothing to do with tax fairness and everything to do with government consuming more money.
Illinois doesn't have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem.
No matter how much more money you give Illinois state government, it is going to spend more, borrow more and avoid tough decisions such as pension reform.
Now government union bosses and their allies want us to pony up more cash – so they can be guaranteed a more prosperous retirement.
Sadly, politicians make lots of promises.
Few are kept.
For example, when Gov. Pat Quinn was running for office he promised to veto a tax hike as large as the one that ultimately passed. He signed it.
The legislative leaders promised that tax hike would be temporary when they pushed it through. Now they are quiet about its future.
So when I hear government union bosses say they were promised this or that, I have to sigh. Taxpayers were promised things, too.
The answer is to put workers, rather than politicians, in charge of retirement planning.
"A 401(k)-type system is really the way to go," said state Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford. "The private sector has proven that time and time again. I don't know if politically we can get there right now. But that is the direction we should be heading."
Illinois also keeps expanding costly programs such as Medicaid at a time when the state is in fiscal crisis.
And the state has borrowed to pay for things such as $700,000 doors for the State Capitol.
Spending is public enemy No. 1 in Illinois.


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On Location: Audi + Ducati = Awesome Photo Shoot with R8 and Diavel Carbon
by, 04-18-2012 at 04:17 PM (13790 Views)
By now Audi's purchase of Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati is official and perhaps you've spotted some photos of a red R8 and Ducati Diavel Carbon on Audi's Facebook page. Truth be told, that's our 4 Season R8 test car - coincidentally ordered in very Ducati-esque red with carbon and titanium accents. We performed a shoot with the car and the aforementioned Ducati (courtesy of Battley Ducati in Gaithersburg, MD http://www.battley.com/) yesterday while in the DC area, fitting it on the back end of a visit to Audi HQ in Herndon, VA.
Thanks in part to our association with Kilometer Magazine ( http://www.kilometermagazine.com) and at least one of our staffers being a Ducati nutter (Multistrada owner and former Sport Classic owner), we have decided to cover Ducati as part of the Audi brand group just as we do with Lamborghini.
In the meantime, we've uploaded the entire set of photos from our shoot yesterday and posted a selection of photo edited versions in our R8 discussion forum where you can see them. Links to both are below.
Thanks again to Battley Ducati and also to Anthony Garbis for being our black Ducati-riding stig for this photo shoot.
Note for Those Looking to Use These Photos: Please credit to Fourtitude.com and please drop us a note if you plan to use these photos on your blog or website. These photos are copyright Fourtitude.com
Audi R8 + Ducati Diavel Carbon Photo Gallery (Low-Res 1024, Full Set)
Audi R8 + Ducati Diavel Carbon Wallpapers (7 ea. 2456 px X 1632 px


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I just can't get over the amazing detail in the sculpt on Cross Country's vest. The way it "drapes" just looks amazingly realistic. Excellent.
I just can't get over the amazing detail in the sculpt on Cross Country's vest. The way it "drapes" just looks amazingly realistic. Excellent.
Thanks GIJOE club for making Cross Country and his ride! Looks incredible! 86 Joes are almost done except for the Fridge (hmm he is featured in the latest club mag - maybe the 13th subscription figure for subscription service 2.0???) If you can, please consider making a re-done Iceberg head (jacket bottom too!) that would totally make all the club members even more ecstatic!
Last edited by firstname.lastname@example.com; 11-16-2013 at 12:13 AM.
I love Cross Country and can't wait to buy the HAVOC. Great job, Club!
Looks like something QUARREL would drive to work in the morning! Also reminds me of v.2 (python patrol) Croc Master!
Cross Country looks excellent. I'm really pleasantly surprised by then new vest.
Great job with the figure this year guys. I would also like to know the price range for the H.A.V.O.C. Mark-II.
Very nice figure, and the H.A.V.O.C. looks interesting too. I think the Fan Club should offer a vehicle every year!
This is the best Joe news I have heard in a long time! Glad to see the classic 80s vehicle drivers getting so much love from the club. Not sure I will buy it, but the Snow Cat does look good in green and its nice to see something different. Speaking of 80s vehicle drivers and the Snow Cat... isn't it about time someone else got a proper modern era figure?
Great looking figure & a really nice take on a re-coloured Snow Cat. LOL Wonder if Frost Bite is getting a white & yellow re-coloured HAVOC for the winter????
Ok, I'm not even a fan of Cross Country or the HAVOC but man I'm excited for this! Great job GIJCC!


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Gloss White Apparel Box
Made from up to 100% recycled paperboard, Apparel Boxes have a two-piece folding construction that allows for ease of storage and economy in shipping. This Gloss White Apparel box with pearl back interior can be hot stamped.
* Disclaimer: Sold out items will be removed from the website, however delays can occur. We will contact you if an item is sold out and cannot be filled on your order. Closeout items cannot be returned. Due to color variations in monitors and printers, including settings and lighting, actual color may vary. For a true color representation, please call 800.777.9911 or email firstname.lastname@example.com for actual sample(s).


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Jay-Z pushes in some last minute shopping with a friend at the Hermes store on Friday December 24 in New York City. Next week, 41 year old rapper and his wife Beyonce head to Las Vegas where he is set to provide Cosmopolitan.
Jay-Z and Coldplay each have been paid up to $1 million to hit the stage in front of 2,500 invited guests at a New Year's Eve bash at the hotel, the New York Post reports.


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Zedd Permanently Banned From China For "Liking" Blasphemous South Park Tweet
30-year-old world-famous DJ Zedd is claiming that he's permanently banned from CHina after liking a 'South Park' tweet that criticized the Chinese government! Zedd wrote on Instagram: "I just got permanently banned from China because I liked a @southpark tweet"..."Just...
ZEDD Says Selena Gomez Was His Downfall!
27-year-old 'Ignite' DJ Zedd is talking about his very short romance with 'Fetish' singer Selena Gomez! Speaking to Billboard, Zedd says: "Reporters were calling my parents. People were hacking my friends' phones. I was pissed. I kind of knew...
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DON'T VOTE FOR KANYE!…Says Jennifer Aniston
51-year-old 'Leprechaun' actress Jennifer Aniston is urging her American fans not to vote for musician Kanye West as the...
WHOSE BED HAVE YOUR BOOTS BEEN UNDER?? Shania Twain Performs for the CMT Awards Live From Switzerland!
Iconic 55-year-old country music superstar Shania Twain performed for the 2020 CMT Music Awards live from Switzerland last night! Twain sang her 1995 hit 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' and danced around the Carlie Chaplin museum CHAPLIN'S WORLD located in Switzerland's Corsier-sur-Vevey municipality. Shania and her husband Frédéric Thiébaud, 49, have been quarantining in Switzerland where they have a house together because Frédéric is Swiss! Watch Shania Twain sing her hit for the CMT Awards ceremony below, and take a look at the full list of winners here; then let us know: ARE YOU A COUNTRY MUSIC FAN? DID YOU WATCH THE CMT AWARDS??? "Whose bed have your boots been under? / And whose heart did you steal I wonder? / This time did it feel like thunder, baby?" SPEECHLESS after country legend @ShaniaTwain just rocked the #CMTawards stage! 💜 pic.twitter.com/EKorNkqQbi— CMT (@CMT) October 22, 2020
TICK TICK…BOOM! Vanessa Hudgens Films New Lin-Manuel Miranda Movie in NYC
31-year-old 'The Princess Switch' actress Vanessa Hudgens was spotted out-and-about New York City today filming the upcoming Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed movie TICK TICK...BOOM! Hudgens wore a protective coronavirus face-mask and showed off a burned hair color as she arrived on-set with knee-high boots. 'Tick Tick...BOOM' is based on the autobiographical play by 'Rent' writer Jonathan Larson who died before the first preview performance of RENT. 'Tick Tick...BOOM' follows aspiring composer Jon (played by Andrew Garfield) in 1990s New York while he begins to worry that he's made the wrong career-choice in the performing arts sector...Take a look at Vanessa filming TICK TICK...BOOM! below and let us know:...ARE YOU READY FOR THE BOOM???!
UH OH! Miley Cyrus Reveals That She's Being Chased by a UFO!
27-year-old 'Mother's Daughter' singing superstar Miley Cyrus is opening up about being hounded by an Unidentified Flying Object! In an interview with designer Rick Owens for 'Interview' Magazine, Miley revealed that she's directly experienced contact with alien-life...Miley explains: "I was driving through San Bernardino with my friend, and I got chased down by some sort of UFO. I'm pretty sure about what I saw, but I'd also bought weed wax from a guy in a van in front of a taco shop, so it could have been the weed wax. ." The 'Party in the USA' star continues: "But the best way to describe it is a flying snowplow. It had this big plow in the front of it and was glowing yellow. I did see it flying, and my friend saw it, too. There were a couple of other cars on the road and they also stopped to look, so I think what I saw was real. I was shaken for, like, five days. It f--ked me up..." Read Miley's full 'Interview' interview here, and let us know: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CHASED BY A UFO? WHAT ABOUT AN ALIEN TOO??? HAVE YOU EVER MET ONE???
JUST THE FOOT! Nicki Minaj Shares Photo of Her Baby's Limbs
37-year-old 'Starships' rapstress Nicki Minaj recently gave birth to her first child with husband Kenneth Petty, and is now sharing photos of her baby with fans! In the photo Nicki shared to Instagram; her baby's foot can be seen being cradled by Kenneth's hand...and she wrote alongside the photo: "Happy Anniversary, my love ♥" Take a look below and let us know: WHAT DO YOU THINK THE REST OF THE BABY LOOKS LIKE? WILL NICKI EVER SHARE A FULL BABY PHOTO WITH THE WORLD??? View this post on Instagram Happy Anniversary, my love ♥ A post shared by Barbie (@nickiminaj) on Oct 21, 2020 at 9:34am PDT


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Feel free to download and use any GTA Vice City trainer from our site. All trainers are property of their authors, so if you intend to modify them, please ask for permission from author.
Be aware that we are not responsible for any kind of software/hardware damages caused by trainers downloaded from this site.Trainers are small programs made to run in background while the game is active. They usually modify memory addresses and values used by game, to allow cheating during gameplay. These activities might sometimes be tracked by antivirus software causing alerts. In this case, trainer might be detected as malware and automatically deleted or modified by an antivirus. Due to this problem, it is recommended to disable antivirus protection while playing because we scan all our files before uploading.
For further information about video game trainers and instructions on how to use them, visit freewisdoms.com/pc-game-trainers


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Business leaders explore regionalization
BRIDGEPORT -- The state has to end its long tradition of maintaining 169 more-or-less independent cities and towns and begin to regionalize government agencies, said AT&T executive Kelly Wade Bettuchi, who delivered the keynote address Tuesday at the Bridgeport Regional Business Council's annual Legislative Breakfast.
"I've heard many business leaders say that we can't continue to operate as 169 individual fiefdoms," Bettuchi said. "We really need to find ways to work together to reduce costs and to better provide services."
Through regional planning, she said, sprawl can be reduced and property taxes can come down without reducing services. Bettuchi is director of AT&T's external and legislative affairs in Connecticut.
About 300 business leaders, legislators, elected officials and other movers and shakers in the greater Bridgeport region attended Tuesday's breakfast session, which took place at Housatonic Community College.
Regionalization of things like school districts, police departments and other government functions is seen here and there in Connecticut. But most towns have been resistant to linking government services with their neighbors. And the county government system was abolished in Connecticut in 1960.
While urging the legislators to reduce spending, Bettuchi said the state needs to invest in mass-transit infrastructure.
"If there is one thing that we heard over and over again, it is that if we can get people here, they will invest," she said. "So it's important that we see funding not only for our rail system, but also for our bus transit districts and everything else that will make this a transit-oriented district."
Education funding should also be a priority, she said.
"We have to have a plan to address workforce development and to close the education achievement gap," Bettuchi said. "It's really critical that if we want to attract business, we have to have a qualified workforce that is able to do the work. And we also have to make sure that we're supporting our students, every single one of them."
She also said legislators must work to balance the state's budget, support Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's efforts to reduce regulations, back upgrades to electric transmission lines and eliminate sales taxes on "management and consulting services."
firstname.lastname@example.com; 203-330-6403; http://twitter.com/johnburgeson
Another policy guideline that appeared in the booklet handed out to those in attendance was to support of Bridgeport's request to delay revaluation for two years. Although Mayor Bill Finch and members of the city's contingent in Hartford were there, no one addressed this issue at the podium.
State Rep. Kim Fawcett, D-Fairfield, said that in spite of claims that people are leaving the state in droves, statistics tell a different story.
"We've been making long-term investment in our economy, and it's paying off," she said. "It's brought close to 40,000 new jobs to the state in the last three years, the biggest job growth since the 1990s."
She noted that in 2012, 23,000 moved from New York State to Connecticut, for a "net inflow" from New York alone of about 8,000.
"If it's so much worse to live here, why are so many people moving here?" she asked.


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Piecemakers Christmas Craft Fair is the place to do all your holiday shopping with 80 hand-picked vendors offering the finest in hand crafted clothing, gifts and home decor, plus antiques and collectibles. Held in Piecemakers Country Store's tree lined parking lot, it has the feel of a vintage Currier & Ives scene! In addition, there is live music, children's activities and great food. Free admission and parking. Location: Piecemakers Country Store, 1720 Adams Ave, Costa Mesa, CA
Monday, October 26, 2020
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Read an excerpt of Money, Markets, and Sovereignty.
As a global economic crisis unfolds, a new book by CFR director of international economics Benn Steil and former Salvadoran finance minister Manuel Hinds warns that the incompatibility of globalization and the international monetary system will spark new political tensions and undermine free trade.
More on:
Money, Markets, and Sovereignty explains that eras of greater protectionism have historically coincided with monetary nationalism, while eras of liberal trade have been accompanied by a universal monetary standard, such as the gold standard used in the late 19th century. Today, international economic relations are marked by an unprecedentedly liberal global trade regime that is operating side by side with an extreme doctrine of monetary nationalism, in which the vast majority of countries use currencies unacceptable to foreigners.
Steil and Hinds warn that this situation is bound to trigger periodic crises, and call for a revival of the political and economic thinking that distinguished earlier great periods of globalization—ideas that are increasingly under threat by more recent concepts of sovereignty. The book offers historical perspective on why currencies rise and fall, concluding that global financial security is being crippled by monetary nationalism.
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- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
And also barbecued marinated ball tip and chicken quarters with barbecued beans and salad.
You can't ask for anything better than that! Bugs on the agenda and ball tip on the plates! (Well, salad, too!)
The occasion: the last Nor Cal meeting of the year. The members and their guests will meet from 9:15 a.m. to 2:30 in the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District, 155 Mason Circle, Concord.
One of the hot topics is a newly discovered disease that kills black walnut trees.
Research entomologist Steve Seybold (above) of the Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, and an affiliate of the Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, will provide an update on the disease at 10:15 a.m. Caused by a newly described fungus (Geosmithia morbida) spread by the tiny walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis), it is known as "thousand cankers disease."
The disease is becoming a "significant problem" in California and seven other western states and could very well spread throughout the United States. It was detected in Tennessee last summer.
The society's agenda:
9:15 a.m.
Registration for club members and guests, with coffee
9:30 a.m.
"Bedding Plant/Container Color Alliance in California," Christine Casey, UC Davis
10:15 a.m.
"Thousand Cankers Disease" by Steve Seybold of the USDA Forest Service and an affiliate of the UC Davis Department of Entomology
11 a.m.
"Statewide Invasive Insect and Mite Activities, 2009-2010, by Kevin Hoffman, Pest Detection and Emergency Projects, California Department of Food and Agriculture
11:45 a.m.
Annual business meeting; election of officers
12 Noon
Catered lunch by Kinder's Custom Meats (barbecued marinated ball tip and chicken quarters with barbecued beans, tossed green salad, potato and fresh fruit salads, assorted soft drinks and cookie for $15)
1:15 p.m.
"UC Berkeley Drywood Termite Inspection Research Update" by Robin Tabuchi of UC Berkeley
2 p.m.
"Oriental Fruit Moth Parasitoid" by UC Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM) Program Advisor Walter Bentley, UC Kearney Agricultural Center, Pariier
The Northern California Entomology Society meets three times a year: the first Thursday in February in Sacramento; the first Thursday in May, at UC Davis; and the first Thursday in November in Concord. Membership is open to the public; dues are $10 year. The president is agricultural biologist Matthew Slattengren of the Contra Costa County Department of Agriculture.
Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty serves as the secretary-treasurer and is taking reservations for the luncheon. He may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or call (530) 752-0472.
The society is comprised of university faculty, researchers, pest abatement professionals, students and other interested persons.
The officers are hoping to build up membership in the organization, so if you have a keen interest in bugs--or what's bugging California--sign up!


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Slovenes choose leader amid uncertainty
Voters in small, crisis-hit Slovenia chose a president on Sunday amid growing discontent with government cost-cutting measures designed to avoid an international bailout.
The vote came just days after anti-austerity protests in the capital erupted into clashes that left 15 people injured, triggering fears that the economic crisis could push the normally placid Alpine nation of 2 million into instability.
Developments in Slovenia are being closely watched in the European Union. The tiny eurozone nation has promised to follow through with budget cuts and banking changes so it won't have to ask for EU help.
The presidential runoff pitted anti-austerity incumbent Danilo Turk against former Prime Minister Borut Pahor, the front-runner who has supported some of the government's budget measures.
Although the presidency is a largely ceremonial post in Slovenia, the elected leader commands political authority and will play an important role in guiding Slovenes as the country faces painful economic reforms.
Slovenia, which was once an economic star among EU newcomers when it joined in 2004, has faced one of the worst recessions of the 17 nations that use the euro currency. Its economy has shrunk more than 8 percent since 2009 and continues to decline, resulting in a sharp drop in exports and living standards and a surge in unemployment, which now stands at about 12 percent.
Prime Minister Janez Jansa's center-right government has launched pension and labor reform, made public sector cuts, and moved to recapitalize the nation's banks, which are at the center of the crisis because they are burdened by bad loans.
Pahor has called for unity in the face of the crisis, promising to "bring hope" to disillusioned Slovenes and show the EU that the country can pull out of the crisis on its own. He said Sunday he hoped election outcome "will be a strong message that we want to work together."
Turk - a fierce critic of the reforms - has argued that Jansa's cost-cutting has not been equally distributed and will only hurt the poor.
"We need to conduct reforms and adopt changes in accordance with what the demonstrators demanded," Turk said. "That is how we should act."
Turnout among Slovenia's 1.7 million voters was around 31 percent by mid-afternoon - lower than in the first round - in another sign of voters' discontent.
Worried Slovenes said they hoped the election would bring a sense of security.
"I think things will start to calm down from today," said 86-year-old retiree Mihael Grund, who ventured out early despite drizzle and cold to cast his ballot. "We have had so much tension recently and that is a big worry for us."
Thousands joined demonstrations in the capital of Ljubljana on Friday and in the second-largest city of Maribor earlier in the week. Both rallies ended in riots, with police using water cannons and tear gas to repel rock-throwing extremists.
Some Slovenes, like 35-year-old high-school teacher Igor Vulic, say no politician can bring about any change and that Slovenia needs new leaders.
"They should just all go," he said.


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Whether by design or accident, the kids at this year's spelling bee were decidedly less wacky than last year's crop of home-schooled rascals. (I do like the Canadian, though.) However, the event was not without its chuckles or....stunning twists!
The team of word nerds writing the "Use it in a sentence" examples were emboldened by last year's performance and did their best to spice things up for the kids. They basically turned the official pronouncer, Dr. Jacques Bailly, into the "cool parent" trying way too hard to drop relevant pop culture references in a desperate bid to seem hip. The contestants saw right through it, as usual.
There was one dramatic moment, however, when Neetu Chandak was called back into the ballroom to be told that the judges had inadvertently misled her on the word that she missed in the previous round and she was given a second life. (There was more controversy later, due the TV-ization of the final round.) She turfed out in the next round, which was sad, but her comeback attempt was heartfelt, nonetheless. She's basically the Armando Galarraga of letters.
By the way, don't think that I'm mocking any of these children, because they're all heroes to me. I still remember the time when I was 11 years old and I was called down to take a three-point shot for the halftime raffle in front of a sold out varsity basketball game. I air balled. It still hurts. Now imagine doing that on ESPN and then getting interviewed by Erin Andrews afterward. It's a cold world.
So bless these kids. Every one.
The final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee will air live on ABC tonight.


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Principal, Toronto
At BCG, Storytellers synthesize complex information and ideas. They believe in bringing the whole team together to get a broader perspective. Sapna finds clarity in a complex world.
Right from the start, I was working directly with senior-level clients to develop strong relationships. Your contribution at BCG is valued and encouraged regardless of your title.
Though an engineer by trade, my friends and family are quick to tell me I'm a consultant, through and through. I gravitated towards engineering because of my interest in math and science, picking industrial engineering for its focus on optimization and human interaction with machines. However, through volunteering and internships, I realized that consulting was the right fit for me; it enables me to solve complex problems for companies across a variety of industries and topic areas.
Having conducted my own tour of consulting companies over the course of my career, I can confidently say that BCG feels like home. The people are real and eager to mentor, there is an abundance of opportunity to explore your own interests and there is a strong firm culture that supports your personal growth and development.
Sapna holds an industrial engineering degree from the University of Toronto and MBA from the Ivey Business School.
In consulting, there is rarely a typical day given how dynamic the work is; however, some elements are the same. I usually start the day in a huddle with my BCG team to discuss the "answer" to our client's challenges, sharing both my insights and learning about my teammates' findings so we can piece together the puzzle. We then split up and I continue to lead the charge for my work stream. This involves analyzing data, deriving insights, and communicating complex concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. I do this side-by-side with my client to ensure we leverage our combined knowledge to develop the best solution and there is sustained ownership following BCG's involvement.
I am drawn to consulting because of the challenge that it offers. Our clients ask us to solve their most difficult problems and working with the most senior people in the organization, and our recommendations have a tangible business impact. It's very exciting to me. BCG specifically offers the opportunity to work across a variety of industry sectors. This broad exposure is important as I believe innovation can largely be derived through cross-pollination of ideas from one context to another. What really set BCG apart for me though was the culture. Throughout the recruiting process, there were multiple individuals that I pictured as my future mentors both personally and professionally.
Consulting can be both demanding and difficult, so it is valuable to give the career a test drive to prove both to yourself and your future employer that it is the right fit. A great way to get this first experience is through volunteer work. Whether volunteering locally or globally, my experiences have been rewarding both personally and professionally. One of the most memorable was working with the founder and CEO of an NGO in Botswana that delivers education to disadvantaged youth. I had a short four weeks to develop an expansion strategy into neighboring countries. By asking targeted questions, I was able to quickly understand the business model, identify high-potential markets, and develop an implementation plan.