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ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball | 22 - 27 juillet 2014
Long Beach, USA, July 27, 2014 - On the sixth-straight day of competition where blue skies and near-perfect weather conditions prevailed, Phil Dalhausser and Sean Rosenthal avenged a gold medal setback a week earlier to Grzegorz Fijalek and Mariusz Prudel as the Americans captured their third gold medal on the 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour by outlasting the Polish pair here Sunday to net the men's gold medal at the US$1-million ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball.
With both domestic and international television coverage of the 10th men's stop on the 2014 FIVB World Tour calendar, the top-seeded Dalhausser and Rosenthal posted a 2-1 (22-24, 21-17 and 15-9) win over second-seeded Fijalek and Prudel in a 56-minute finale where more than 50,000 fans watched the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball this week on Alamitos Beach.
A week earlier in The Netherlands, Fijalek and Prudel outlasted the Americans 2-1 (21-18, 13-21 and 15-13) in the 59-minute finale in The Netherlands' finale to win Poland's first-ever men's or women's gold medal on the FIVB World Tour. The win Sunday also evened the series between the two teams at 2-2 as the Poles had won the previous two matches with Dalhausser and Rosenthal, including a semi-final win last month at the Russian Grand Slam in Moscow.
When asked about avenging last week's defeat to the Poles, Rosenthal said it might be "the home crowd, maybe Geeter (Chris McGee) back here announcing, maybe the fact that we played five three-set matches this week. Maybe it put us to the test early and we were getting tested here coming into the finals. I felt pretty good in the first set against the Poles, I just gave up a few points. The second set we got a few points going and in the third set we sided out at 5-5 and then we got them in a little bit of trouble which made Phil's block that much bigger and we never let go after that.â€
Competing in their 16th FIVB World Tour event together, Dalhausser and Rosenthal have now collected eight medals with the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball title being their sixth international title in their partnership. One of the American's gold medals was achieved last season on Alamitos Beach where Dalhausser and Rosenthal defeated Spain's Adrian Gavira and Pablo Herrera in two sets. With a 42-7 match mark this season with 27 wins in their last 28 matches, Dalhausser and Rosenthal have a 78-15 record together as the Americans are now 6-1 in FIVB title matches.
With the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball being the 11th FIVB-sanctioned men's event in the United States, including the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, 1997 FIVB World Championships in Los Angeles and the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, American pairs have now won four gold medals on USA sand along with 11 total medals. Brazilian (five titles and 11 total medals) and Norwegian (2) pairs have also topped the American podiums.
Prior to Sunday's Alamitos Beach men's finale, the ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball also featured the other men's and women's podium placement matches. Theo Brunner and Todd Rogers posted their best-ever finish together on the FIVB World Tour as the 25th-seeded Americans posted a 2-1 (21-17, 18-21 and 15-12) win in 56 minutes over 16th-seeded Alexander Walkenhorst and Stefan Windscheif of Germany. While the Germans also posted their best FIVB finish together, Brunner and Rogers had to win a qualifying match Tuesday to earn a spot in the ACIS "money†rounds.
In the 90th FIVB World Tour women's gold medal match between Brazil and the United States, top-seeded Americans April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings won No. 50 for their country by outlasting fifth-seeded South Americans Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas 2-0 (21-17 and 21-17) in 37 minutes. In the third-place match, 14th-seeded Natalia Dubovcova and Dominika Nestarcova of the Slovak Republic posted a 2-1 (21-19, 12-21 and 15-13) in 49 minutes over fourth-seeded Liliana Fernandez and Elsa Baquerizo of Spain.
FIVB PURSE, TOURNEY TOTALS - The ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball, was the 307th FIVB men's tournament since its first event in 1987 and the 271st FIVB women's tournament since FIVB began women's competitions in 1992. The Gold medal winning teams in each gender in Long Beach split $70,000, the silver finishers shared $52,000, bronze placers divided $40,000 and the fourth-place finishers split $30,000 of the $1-million total purse for men and women.
NEXT - This coming week, the FIVB World Tour returns to Europe for stops in Austria (Klagenfurt, July 29-August 3) and Poland (Stare Jablonki, August 19-24).
ASICS WSOBV - The ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball was a SoCal beach festival that included 4-person and 6-person recreational events, a youth tournament and nightly music concerts. The event also included live or same-day telecasts split between NBC Sports Network, Universal Network and NBC TV Network.
COMPETITORS - With 79 men's teams from 29 countries and 60 women's teams from 26 countries entered by their respective national federations for the 2014 ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball, a total of 46 men's and 45 women's tandems (182 athletes from 31 countries) actually competed in the FIVB World Tour event.
28.07.2014 11:15:37
Social Timeline: Golden fun in the Long Beach sun
Lausanne, Switzerland, July 28, 2014 - The FIVB World Tour moved on to southern California last week, as the World Series of Beach Volleyball took cen... More...
28.07.2014 02:06:26
USA's Dalhausser & Rosenthal net third 2014 World Tour gold
Long Beach, USA, July 27, 2014 - On the sixth-straight day of competition where blue skies and near-perfect weather conditions prevailed, Phil Dalhaus... More...
27.07.2014 23:19:20
Ross/Walsh Jennings capture women's gold on home sand
Long Beach, USA, July 27, 2014 - Rarely able to enjoy the benefits of playing an international event on their home sand, USA's top-seeded Olymp... More...
27.07.2014 04:57:57
Brazil to battle USA Sunday for Long Beach women's gold
27.07.2014 03:45:01
Men's Long Beach final between Poland, USA
26.07.2014 20:09:16
Collin cites competition
26.07.2014 05:55:49
Two USA duos along with Germany, Poland win quarterfinals Friday in Long Beach
26.07.2014 04:48:27
Women's elite eight ready for quarterfinals and semis in Long Beach
25.07.2014 18:54:27
Akers applies authentic accentuate
25.07.2014 06:11:52
24 Men's teams set for Long Beach single-elimination rounds
25.07.2014 04:46:58
Women's field reduced to 24 for single-elimination rounds in Long Beach
24.07.2014 18:21:54
Beach Volleyball under the Big "T.O.P.â€
24.07.2014 08:16:34
13 Women's duos win first two of three rounds of Pool Play Wednesday at Alamitos Beach
24.07.2014 04:17:22
Men complete first of three rounds of Pool Play at Long Beach
23.07.2014 23:13:28
Researcher reaps rewards
23.07.2014 07:58:30
ASICS World Series of Beach Volleyball, a $1,000,000 FIVB Grand Slam in Long Beach
23.07.2014 02:05:31
Finding Stars on Alamitos Beach
22.07.2014 11:28:16
Talking Stats: 2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour - July 21
22.07.2014 11:20:33
2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour update after 10 events
30.01.2014 16:46:25
2014 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour ready for more highlights in record-breaking year


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Front Runners List: Click to see list completion progress by climbers that log their climbs using Peakbagger.com.
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Glenn Beck Claims Murdered EVE Player Was CIA
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Glenn Beck Claims Murdered EVE Player Was CIA
Glenn Beck says Sean Smith's final message to EVE Online players was actually a coded rescue call to the Agency.
EVE Online player and U.S. Foreign Service Officer Sean "Vilerat" Smith, along with U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and security personnel Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, were killed on September 11 in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Smith's death was of particular relevance to gamers due to his standing in the EVE Online community; his final message to the outside world actually went to his fellow EVE players.
But in Glenn Beck's world, that's not what happened at all. He believes Smith's final words were a coded call to the CIA for help, and that Smith himself was a CIA man, in Benghazi as part of a mission to cover up the Obama administration's involvement in the Libyan uprising.
The gist of Beck's story is that the U.S. government surreptitiously dropped weapons into Libya during the uprising against the Gaddafi regime, but with extremist forces moving in and Libya teetering on the edge of complete chaos, it needed to get those weapons out of the country before they fell into the wrong hands. That was why Stevens was in Benghazi: He brokered the original deal, Beck believes, and so he was sent in, with CIA handlers, to clean it up. And when things went wrong, Smith's final message was not a heads-up to his fellow gamers, but a coded call for assistance. The relevant bit:
Some people see Glenn Beck as a speaker of truth, while to others he's just all kinds of nuts. If you have the stomach for it, you can listen to the full bit at The Mittani's website and then form your own opinion. The Mittani, for the record, denied that Goonswarm is a CIA front.
via: Gameranx
Glenn Beck is a fuckin retard. Not much more to be added to that.
Tinfoil hats must be pretty uncomfortable.
" to cover up the Obama administration's involvement in the Libyan uprising."
Bit late for that. Obama made a freaking speech on national television of him committing fighter jets, bombers and other military support.
I sincerely doubt that CIA protocol contains EVE as the standard way of contacting the Agency.
I mean, why not just send an email? Occam's Razor, Beck.
From what I know of EVE, I'd not be surprised if the CIA was a front for Goonswarm.
Glenn Beck? The guy who went so crazy Fox got rid of his show?
This is probably the biggest reason to ignore this completely. Well, the biggest reason after the fact that it was Glenn Beck saying it. I'd say the man was certifiable if I didn't think he was pandering to people who are certifiable just to make money.
Yea... Glenn Beck is crazy... this is news?
As others said this is complete bullshit.
Ah another Glen Beck conspiracy. It must be a day that ends in "Y"
When someone from R&P posts this... it goes straight into R&P...
When a newsteam member posts it... it goes into news room...
OT: For everyone's viewing enjoyment:
The top 10 craziest things Beck has ever said. Including:
"I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it."
and who could forget
"This president I think has exposed himself over and over again as a guy who has a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture."
Just feels like laughing at Glenn Beck is like laughing at Bush. It's a joke that anyone can do and it's incredibly easy. Also old.
It's a joke that stupid people laugh at to make themselves feel smart, when in reality its a tired old and boring thing.
Glenn Beck being a disk jockey turned crazy conspiracy who rants and raves all over television? Well since I noticed he's crazy and made a point of it in a joke, I must be intelligent.
So once again I ask... why is this news? This is par for the course with the guy and he's better forgotten then anything else.
Beck probably also thinks James Bonds movies are actually documentaries. And that the Hall of Doom is very, very real
Glenn Beck is an idiot and nothing he says has any value. But the idea that someone working in an embassy has CIA links is... very unsurprising? I thought it was basically acknowledges that diplomats are a polite version of a spy.
But saying it must be this person in particular and this message, it's complete utter rubbish and shouldn't be mentioned unless you have something actually behind it. Again the idea that the CIA were in some way involved with the uprisings isn't particularly out there, afterall we know that one of the major activities during the last 50 years of the CIA was trying to create political unrest and destabilise the regimes of unpopular leaders. But the idea that the USA was the instigator and that it wouldn't have happened without the CIA is so frickin' arrogant and disrespectful to all those people who gave their lives during these events. It doens't need to be a conspiracy or coverup and claiming that the people you don't like are constantly engaged in conspiracies and coverups is the sign that you've gone the wrong side of the mental horizon
Mmm... So what if he was?
I'm sorry but I don't see the relevance.
Glenn Beck has never done the GOP any favors. What a madman.
Yes, Beck may have said that. But the real question is:
Did Beck rape and murder a little girl?
Oh for the love of god delete this story. I'm a conservative and I don't want to hear anything about him or his crap. He left TV to start up his internet crap and we should let him fade into obscurity.
you're just asking questions! you're not accusing Glenn Beck of raping and murdering a little girl in a satanic ritual. All you're asking is, is it true?
In all fairness if members of the CIA actually played videogames EVE would probably be one of them. Hell we even have our own damn EVE wikileaks who's only job is to get secret EVEmails between corps and post them up for anyone to see.
With any luck this will get mostly ignored and hopefully Fox or any of the other major news sites won't bring it up out of morbid curiosity. Last thing we need is people thinking EVE is controlled by secret goverment forces...
Everyone knows thats Farmville.
Remember, THIS is what happens when you let paranoia get the best of you.
Now go back to Fox News and find out what you're REALLY supposed to be afraid of this week.
Like I said, Glenn Beck might as well be made of fucking tinfoil.
I would find it highly amusing if after all the comments in this forum it turned out the guy was right.
I am utterly ashamed to be in the same Church as him. This man is ALL KINDS of nuts. Its guys like this and Romney who give Mormons a bad name.
Well, we all know Beck is bat-shit insane. But let's just say he's right on this one (broken clocks and all) ... what's his point? So, an intelligence & espionage agency was involved in some sort of covert ops? [irony]Wow. That would be completely unheard of ... [/irony]
Yeah! Let's call someone stupid for having a different opinion then you! Everyone point and laugh at him!
This is Glenn Beck country. Beckistan. In Beckistan, the normal rules of logic do not comply. Ergo, conspiracy!
I'm fairly certain he was joking (it is DVS BSTrD, I don't think he has ever posted anything serious...) but overreacting works too.
Gah, borderline disrespecful to Sean tbh. Still, everyone is entitled to their views no matter how bizzare they may seem to others I guess.
...times like this, I wish natural selection would work a little better.
Why are people even writing articles on this nutjob anymore?
This is just what he wants...
Shows what you know. He thinks they have hidden messages.
Yeah... see that's often the reply I get when I see people say things like that. Usually its okay to make fun of people that have a different opinion, and then when they call you on it, say its a joke and miss the point entirely.
The point being is that these jokes are often easy, not well thought out and usually are aimed at the person not "ideology" in question. Like id totally understand if this weren't a prevalent response to someone answering with a conservative opinion or differing opinion here. Otherwise it just comes off as bullying. Just mob bullying because the guy knows that no ones gonna call him on it because the majority of the people agree with him on an ideological level.
Just goes back to the Bush jokes or the Glenn Beck jokes... there safe easy laughs that have become just a more mean spirited political or intellectual wank then trying to be clever or making an insightful joke and people KNOW they aren't gonna get called on it because the majority of the people they interact with agree with them.
I don't like Bush... or Glenn Beck. I don't have to constantly seek validation in my political beliefs concerning them by going to the interwebs and commenting on how much Glenn Beck is a fool.
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Will New York swallow poor little Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) whole?
That's the question posed by Glee's new Season 4 poster, revealed by co-creator Ryan Murphy on — where else? — Twitter Thursday.
In a nod to the show's Season 1 ad campaign, Kate Hudson, who plays Rachel's tough-as-nails new NYADA teacher puts the "L" in "glee" over the head of a very scared-looking Rachel. (And you thought her fashion sense couldn't get any worse than Season 1, right? Wrong! Hello, ugly statue of liberty headwear!) The tagline for the poster says it all: "Sometimes the Big Apple bites."
Glee first look: Sarah Jessica Parker's first scene and Kurt's new 'do!
The second poster for the new season, a group shot including both returning favorites and fresh faces, highlights the many new directions the New Directions members are heading for this year. The poster also brought several burning questions for the season ahead:
1. Where is Quinn (Dianna Agron)?! The Yale-bound ex-Cheerio is nowhere to be found on this poster so are we to assume she'll be back later rather than sooner? On the upside, she went through about six seasons of major drama (pregnancies, break-ups, crazy car accidents, oh my!) so we would like to think that Quinn is enjoying college classes and pre-game keggers completely stress-free.
2. Is Brittana, like, completely dunzo? Last we saw the two lovebirds, there was little talk of just how they would handle their physical separation come September, but if the distance between them in this poster is any indication, things are not looking good. This report about Brittany lying face down on her bed also doesn't give us much hope.
Glee's first Season 4 trailer features Kate Hudson, Glee Project alum
3. Did Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) finally grow a backbone? We love the girl but it was hard for her to hold her ground in the choir room with big personalities like Rachel, Mercedes and Santana always taking up all the oxygen in the room. But now that Tina is a senior, will she morph into the natural-born leader Rachel tried to help her become at the end of last year? We sure hope so!
4. Where is Finn (Cory Monteith) going?! Producers have been particularly tight-lipped about Finn's army plans all summer, and since the poster doesn't seem to mention any destination for Finn in particular, the guessing game continues. Also, why no fatigues?
The hot summer songs Glee should do in Season 4
5. Are Marley and Kitty the new Rachel and Quinn? Marley (Rachel Benoist) is standing right smack in the center of the poster and Kitty (Becca Tobin) is very clearly wearing a Cheerios uniform. Will Kitty also be Sue's new right-hand woman? Maybe Becky should watch her back!
6. Will motherhood change Sue (Jane Lynch) at all? In this photo at least, she still looks like as mean as ever.
The new season of Glee premieres on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 9/8c on Fox.


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When you go out of the office and meet a customer to resolve a fault or issue, it's important to use soft skills to get the customer on your side. The way you deal with people can mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a delighted one. Here are a few things you can do to build customer rapport.
When you go out of the office and meet a customer to resolve a fault or issue, it's important to use soft skills to get the customer on your side. It is a given that you will have the technical skills, or you'll know where to find them. But the way you deal with people can mean the difference between a satisfied customer and a delighted one. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Note: This information is also available as a PDF download.
#1: Tell the truth
If you can't fix it straightaway, say so. There is no shame in saying, "I don't know." That's far better than trying to get by on a wave of false promises and BS. No matter how long you've been working in the industry, you will occasionally encounter a problem you haven't seen before. Honesty is always the best policy in these cases.
#2: Smile and make eye contact when talking to customers
If you're trying to pull the wool over someone's eyes, you will avert your own eyes -- and doing this makes you look unreliable. Greet customers with a friendly smile, then give them your full attention and look them in the eye as they describe the fault.
#3: Give customers a chance to find their own answers
Give customers a chance to fully explain what the fault is. Don't worry about the equipment until you have heard what the customer has to say. Many times, I have found that customers answer their own questions, if you only give them the chance to tell their story.
For example, a customer once remarked to me that his spell checker was not working; I had dealt with a printer fault and gained his confidence, so he felt free to mention another fault. He explained that he could access the checker by the ABC icon and from the Tools menu but not by using the keyboard shortcut. It turned out that he was pressing F6 and not F7. There was an opportunity to make the user look silly here -- it can be tricky to tell someone what's wrong without sounding condescending. But somehow I managed it. We laughed about it and I went to my next job.
#4: Explain what you're doing
Don't try to baffle users with jargon, but do tell them what's going on. A simple explanation like, "A file was missing or corrupted" or "A circuit board has failed" is sufficient. Don't treat them as though they are stupid; remember, most people run PCs at home. In fact, many of them build their own.
#5: Don't over-promise
There's an old saying about under-promising and over-delivering. It's a good thing to deliver more than you promised. It will delight the customer. Doing the opposite will annoy them, even if the result is exactly the same. It's just a bit of basic psychology.
#6: Be friendly but not overly familiar
Be careful of sharing your best jokes, unless you're sure of the customer. I've managed to overstep the mark a couple of times, but mostly my jokes go down well. If it's clear that the customer is not chatty, just do the job and go. Your customers may well have other things on their mind. I think it is important for our customers to see us a real people and not just repair droids, but you need to read the situation well first. If in doubt, stick to a polite greeting and get on with the job.
#7: Provide a realistic arrival time
Giving an unrealistic ETA can cause problems. I usually explain where I am calling from and what I am going to do on the way -- for example, "I'm just leaving Southampton and I will come straight to you. It normally takes about an hour, but there's road works on the main road, so you will know where I am if I'm a bit late."
Sometimes, I offer to call again when I am nearer. They don't often ask me to do this, but they appreciate being kept in the loop. If you encounter a problem and are going to be late, you should call the customer as soon as you can to explain. They might be waiting in for you.
#8: Have the customer demonstrate the problem
I have found that asking the customer to show me the problem can be a great diagnostic aid. If the fault sounds a bit unusual, it can often be the way they are working rather than any problem with the equipment. This also gives them a chance to close any work they might not want you to see, such as personal or confidential information. If you then need to close any applications, check with them first to give them the opportunity to save or discard. The worst thing you can do is lose their work. If they lose it, you can't be blamed.
#9: Wind up with a little cleanup
Finish the job by giving the equipment a quick visual check and clean the screen. If you're old enough to remember the days when you got your windscreen cleaned when you bought petrol, you will know that the little touches count for a lot. If you use an alcohol wipe to clean the screen use it to wipe the keys as well. If they are still using a ball mouse, give it a quick cleaning. Removing the crud from the rollers will make the mouse feel better to use and the customer will notice it. A little bit of aftercare is well worth the small effort it takes.
#10: Make sure the customer is satisfied
When you have finished the job, explain what you have done and ask customers to check it out to make sure they're happy. Ask whether there's anything else you can do for them. It may be that the customer has some additional problem you might be able to help with. Usually, there isn't anything else, but customers will appreciate the offer. Remember to say goodbye and to thank them.


text: Paternity Leave - Week 1 December 8, '07 Comments [8] Posted in Parenting | T | Z Sponsored By Here we are at the end of Week 1 of Paternity Leave. Baby T is doing very well, having already gained a pound and a half. The doctor was shocked, but this boy can eat. He's also very expressive. Z is enjoying his baby brother very much and hasn't shown any jealousy. Yet. 河北快3Z is also enjoying living in a cul de sac so he can ride his tricycle. 河北快3You know you're a huge nerd when you look around your garage for an half-hour for some rope to pull your son around on his bike and eventually give up and just use a Cat5 patch cable. Got plenty of those. Fortunately Z doesn't realize this is a problem yet for our father-son relationship, but he will, somewhere around the time when he learns what "throwing like a girl" means. About Scott 河北快3Scott 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. Newsletter Sponsored By Hosting By Comments [8] Share on: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or use the Permalink


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Our network of Greenmarket farmers markets, Youthmarkets, Fresh Food Box pick-ups, and Greenmarket Co. ensures that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food.
Please share this 30 second video to promote participation in the New York City Recycling Program.
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I recently did my first guest post at another blog! Go check out Ten Things to Think about when Designing Digital Experiences at the Open Forum blog from American Express.
From the article: "Visitors to your digital space don't want to think about interacting with your website. They want to—quickly and easily—make a purchase, find information, or have fun. It helps if they can be engaged and enchanted in the process. How can we facilitate this type of digital experience? These ten tips are a great place to start…"
Go visit the article to read my 10 tips (or just buy the book if you haven't yet 🙂 ) … and comment there! I'm curious to see what happens.


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A Walk Down Memory Lane @ ChinatownMay 16, 2012 | 9,309 views
A maddening pace; the bustling scene at Petaling Street's (in)famous Madras Lane – Imagine a short distance away you'll be witnessing the gory scenes of squawking chickens slaughtered on the spot and butchers having a whale of a time dissecting parts, and here we were oblivious to the chaotic surroundings; picking on favourite pieces of Yong Tau Foo, and slurping on plates of Chee Cheong Fun.
Dear fellow Malaysians …. here I am blogging live all the way from down under ….. Singapore, not Australia. A bit lethargic from the eating and paying attention in class; attending a workshop for 4 days and good to know that this one adheres strictly to the 8 hours per day maximum rule, and NO homework in the evening! Jump for joy?!
And Orchard Road is within walking distance; this shopping haven that most would be tipping over their toes and falling head over heels at the mere mention of retail therapy. Although for this Motormouth who has been warped from the quaint, renegade town of Ipoh to KL for a good 1.5 years, the sight of towering (menacing) cold, lifeless towers and mega malls spanning floors after floors of temptations (evil … temptations) holds lesser of a charm.
Still, allow me to pen down a few jarring thoughts playing over my head for the last few weeks; and this evergreen story of Petaling Street ….. Read the rest of this entry »


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At Air New Zealand we're acutely aware our success is inextricably linked to the success of New Zealand. Similarly, a successful New Zealand needs a significant and thriving Air New Zealand.
For almost 80 years, we've been part of the fabric of our society. To ensure we're a strong, vibrant business for at least another 80 years it's critical we commit to a purpose that's bigger than ourselves - that is to supercharge New Zealand's success socially, environmentally and economically.
We know this is a journey and we can't achieve it by ourselves. We require ongoing concerted effort and strong collaboration with our employees, customers, suppliers and other New Zealand businesses if we're to make the kind of ambitious difference that will shape a strong future for both our company and New Zealand.
Supercharging New Zealand's success in 2019 and beyond
Our is aligned to our purpose and our company wide Go Beyond strategy. It helps guide our efforts in tackling some of the world's most complex challenges.
You can read more in our .
Our Sustainability Framework is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 'blueprint' to create a better and more sustainable future for all. Read how we have mapped our Sustainability Framework to the Sustainable Development Goals .
Sustainability Advisory Panel
We have an internationally renowned group of external subject matter experts who meet twice a year to advise us on all aspects of our sustainability journey. Members of Air New Zealand's Executive team also sit on the Sustainability Advisory Panel.
Find out more information about our Advisory Panel.


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Jumper's knee, also known as patellar tendonitis, is a condition characterized by inflammation of your patellar tendon.This connects your kneecap (patella) to your shin bone (tibia). Jumper's knee weakens your tendon, and, if untreated, can lead to tears in your tendon.
Jumper's knee is caused by overuse of your knee joint, such as frequent jumping on hard surfaces.
It's usually a sports-related injury, linked to leg muscle contraction and the force of hitting the ground. This strains your tendon. With repeated stress, your tendon may become inflamed.
Following are the most common symptoms of jumper's knee. However, you may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, your health care provider may use an X-ray to help diagnose jumper's knee.
The best treatment for jumper's knee is to stop any activity that's causing the problem until the injury is healed. Other treatment may include:
Vidant Health can connect you to health care professionals to help you understand your condition and guide you through the treatment process. Let's chat.


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- Fonds
- 1915-1984
Fonds consists of 3 accessions:
B1984-0031: Material on inventions of dental equipment; the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentists; awards, certificates, and honours; etc. Note that official records of Alpha Omega are at Canadian Jewish Congress Archives in Toronto. (10 boxes, 1917-1981)
B1985-0003: Biographical material, correspondence, diaries, photographs and other records documenting John and Etta Sherman's activities with regards to the University of Toronto, professional dentistry associations and Jewish organizations in Canada and Israel. (9 boxes, 1915-1984)
B1986-0005: Correspondence and photograph concerning the awarding of the achievement medal of the Alpha Omega Fraternity to Albert Einstein; correspondence and publication regarding Einstein's efforts on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. (1 box, 1950-1954, 1979)
Sherman, John Albert


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Discover for free which first names would suit you or your baby !
Meaning of name Eduarda
Etymology : Portuguese feminine form of EDWARD
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Origin : Portuguese
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Who is she?
Particularly secretive and reserved, she appears to be a very mysterious lady. She is an introvert who tends to ask herself a lot of questions, which is not without a certain amount of worry and anxiety; however it equally drives her to explore more profound philosophical, metaphysical or spiritual questions. It is indeed true that more than anything else, Eduarda has a good sense of analysis. She possesses a rather critical mind and is equally likely to take an interest in the natural sciences. If she doesn´t use these talents for an intellectual activity there is a good chance that she will experience a certain amount of depression, which is quite logical considering her hypersensitive nature. Highly selective in human relationships, she chooses her friends according to the amount of intellectual and spiritual affinity that she feels with the other person. As far as she is concerned, friendship is sacred and she is anything but superficial, however she nevertheless tends to be a solitary creature with an unusual personality. Her intuitive abilities are extremely pronounced and she often experiences presentiment or premonitions, and could even be a medium. She seeks to acquire wisdom, however of an almost pathological shyness and emotional sensitivity, she is poorly armed for the challenges that life can present. She avoids confrontation like the plague and can become withdrawn at the slightest emotional shock. This is undoubtedly why she feels attracted to groups and communities that share her ideology. As a child, Eduarda is emotionally very fragile and often lacks vitality. Harmony and communication with her family is necessary to her equilibrium and a parental dispute could have disastrous consequences on her well-being and development. She has a wild imagination and is anxious by nature, inclined to pose countless questions from a very tender age, the answers to which must always be provided (where possible). She is eager to learn and very disciplined so she could go far in her formal or informal education, as long as no major emotional or health problems crop up along the way.
What does she like?
Eduarda appreciates privacy, tranquillity and is strongly drawn to religion, esotericism and any other subject that is out of the ordinary or satisfies her craving for magic and marvel. Otherwise, she could find herself on more sinuous roads... Emotionally, she is so enamoured with fantasy and day-dreams of utopia that she has great difficulty concretizing her dreams of perfection. Marginality could just be a part of her life... She could experience loneliness, even if that means being lonely as part of a couple.
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What does she do?
Her aspirations are not easy to accomplish and it is true that her professional orientation is not always the most conformist. She could therefore find fulfilment through a specialization or an occupation in connection with avant-garde technology (such as artificial intelligence, for example, if she chooses the scientific domain), occupations related to psychology or parapsychology, medicine or religion..., as well as those involving night work or unusual hours...
Discover others girls first names : Eda Edana Edda
*To note: :
It sometimes happens that two different first names have the same meaning. This has nothing surprising: both first names have the same figures of numerology. It is as in astrology: two persons belonging to the same sign present the same characteristic...
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Your Name Horoscope !
Thanks to the numerology, we propose you daily a horoscope personalized for your first name. Love, money , Shape: discover what waits for you for today. In Bonus every day find your daily lucky figure .. Horoscope of the first names
Love :Couples: The complicity between the two of you will be reinforced. Singles: An admirer will make themselves known.
Money :You are trying to decide whether or not to make a property investment. Take your time.
Health:You won't see any results without some effort Eduarda .
Your Lucky number : 80


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Technical prowess notwithstanding, US communications intelligence is dumb congenitally. In a previous column I explained that NSA's use of sensitive antennas to capt the electronic spectrum, of supercomputers to record "the take," and of sophisticated algorithms to search it suffer from the same deadly lack of quality control (counterintelligence) that afflicts human collection; moreover that elementary countermeasures reduce even the possibility of capting useful information. The latest revelations that the NSA has been listening to such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel's private conversations as well as to Cardinals at papal conclaves highlight a more fundamental flaw, namely US government officials' misunderstanding of intelligence, of the very reason for spying.
|Angela Merkel, COMINT, James Clapper, National Intelligence Priorities Framework, NSA, Requirements Process


text: Luxury On Your Terms Interchangeable design, incredible entertainment ZenPad 7 Video Review ZenPad 7 Video Review ZenPad 7 Comparison Video Launch video PHP 7,995 Download Product Guide ASUS ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) Review ASUS Zenpad 7.0 (Z370CG) Unboxing and Initial Review: Amazing Build and Design ASUS Zenpad 7 Review A Luxurious and affordable tablet Fashion-inspired design The design of ASUS ZenPad 7.0 carries modern influences and a simple, clean look that gives it a universal and stylish appeal. These elements are inspired by our Zen design philosophy of balancing beauty and strength. Learn more about design > Bigger while smaller ASUS ZenPad 7.0 is a 7-inch tablet with a 72% screen-to-body ratio — an incredible engineering achievement made possible by reducing the bezel width to the bare minimum. 72% SCREEN-TO-BODY RATIO A vivid and rich HDTV tablet experience ASUS VisualMaster is a suite of exclusive visual enhancement technologies that combine hardware and software to optimize all aspects of the display — including contrast, sharpness, color, clarity, and brightness — resulting in an incredibly realistic viewing experience. With ASUS VisualMaster, it's just like being there. Learn more about VisualMaster > ASUSTru2Life ASUSTruVivd ASUSBluelight Filter IPSDisplay ASUSSplendid Intelligent contrast Intelligent contrast enhancement analyzes and optimizes each pixel in an image before it is reproduced, rendering more detail in the highlights and shadows to reveal the true beauty in your pictures. 200% WIDER CONTRAST LEVELS WITH Tru2Life WITHOUT Sharpness optimization Dramatically-enhanced detail for sharper, more lifelike images. WITH Tru2Life WITHOUT Cinematic audio on the go ASUS Audio Cover is an entertainment accessory that brings cinematic, 5.1-channel surround sound to ASUS ZenPad 7.0. DTS-HD Premium Sound and SonicMaster technology provide further enhancement, ensuring the ultimate audio experience on ASUS ZenPad 7.0. Learn more about Audio > 6speakers INCLUDING 1 SUBWOOFER 6X SOUND VOLUME 6hours CONTINUOUS ENJOYMENT The ultimate in customization ASUS ZenPad 7.0 features an innovative interchangeable design that lets you easily customize your tablet with functional cases that provide extra features and additional color options, while perfectly matching ASUS ZenPad 7.0's look. Learn more about Customization > World'sFirst ZenClutch ZenCase PowerCase AudioCover See what others can't see ASUS ZenPad 7.0's 8MP* PixelMaster camera captures stunning, high-resolution photos. The industry-leading Low Light mode employs pixel-merging technology to capture up to 400% brighter photos at night, or in low-light scenes, without the need for a flash. * May vary by SKU and country Learn more about PixelMaster camera > 8MP REAR CAMERA f/2.0 APERTURE Brand new ZenUI™ ASUS ZenUI has more than 1,000 features that improve upon the standard Android interface. You'll enjoy a simpler and smarter experience, with a stylish new layout that expands white space for a cleaner design, placing the information you need front and center. The brand new ZenUI is brighter, smarter, simpler and even more beautiful. It knows what you need, expresses your thoughts and feelings, and connects you wherever you go. Learn more about ZenUI > 20,000,000+ ZenUI Devices Sold 150,000,000+ ZenUI Apps Downloaded


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Choose Devon, South West England for your next holiday destination. Whether you're looking for a family adventure or a quiet break, start your holiday in a privately owned caravan or lodge on Hawkchurch Country Park by booking with Holiday Caravans Direct.
Holiday Caravans Direct are reaching out to owners across the UK to join our fantastic holiday community; so that we can provide guests with a superb choice of caravans and lodges across the UK's finest holiday destinations.
For owners and agents on Hawkchurch Country Park, Holiday Caravans Direct can help you to provide the perfect holiday for guests in your caravan or lodge – it's the smart way to earn money from your caravan whilst it's empty.


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Shelves are a vital component of our homes and offices. They help us organize our belongings by providing spaces that hold them together for functional or decorative use.
This is an extendible Curtain / Drapery Rod, it is telescopic and can be expanded or collapsed to fit a particular window size.
Size (Size Chart)
36"- 66" – 36" is the minimum size of the curtain rod and it can be Expandable to 66" max
52"-144" - 52" is the minimum size of the curtain rod and it can be Expandable to 144" max
Diameter: 25mm
Finish:Powder Coated
Load Guarantee: 25 Kg
Color: Brown Oil Rubbed
Contents : The product contains almost everything that you will require for this product :
Curtain Rod
Finials x 2
Brackets x 3
Screw and Fishers x 6
Assembly Instructions
Returnable: Yes (15 Days no question asked Return Policy)
Warranty : 5 yrs
Write Your Own Review
Endcap Disc 25mm Double Curtain Rod Brown Oil Rubbed
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Elaine Ward, the house and collections manager for Coleton Fishacre, saw my previous post about the Art Deco interiors there, and she has now sent me these images.
They show some of a group of Art Deco artefacts from the collection of James Bellchambers. The pieces were purchased from the antiques trade in Totnes, Devon, during the last ten years or so.
Mr Bellchambers is a furniture conservator who has worked on National Trust projects throughout south-west England. He was involved with opening Coleton Fishacre to the public and has previously lent items for display there.
He has now very generously decided to donate these pieces to Coleton Fishacre.
Some of the objects may go on display quite soon. It is being investigated whether further areas of the house can be opened up to the public, and some more of these objects will be shown when that has been achieved.


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What are the Coziest Hotels in America?
The 10 best getaways for becoming reacquainted with the endangered art of slowing down—ideally near a fireplace, and in supersoft slippers
"AH! THERE IS NOTHING LIKE staying at home, for real comfort," Jane Austen wrote. That may have been true in 1815, but today, legions of hotels supersede the pleasures of home, providing both five-star indulgences and what might be the ultimate luxury: an excuse to explore the sweetness of doing nothing, or at least to hang the "out of office" shingle and slow down.
"My home is swanky and glamorous, but in a hotel I want to feel some kind of protection, like a gerbil," said Simon...
To Read the Full Story


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First-quarter PR and public affairs revenue at the Sir Martin Sorrell-led holding company, which houses consultancies such as Hill+Knowlton Strategies and Finsbury, was down £9m to £212m.
However, the recent strengthening of the pound against other currencies was the main culprit for the fall, and after stripping out currency changes revenue was up 2.9 per cent. On a like-for-like basis, which excludes acquisitions and currency changes, revenue was up 1.9 per cent.
All regions except Latin America and the Middle East grew in the first quarter, with growth particularly strong in the UK, Asia-Pacific and Africa.
At an overall level WPP managed first-quarter revenue growth of 1.5 per cent to hit £2.57bn, with like-for-like growth of seven per cent.
The company revealed it is considering making a change to the incentive structure for its operating companies. It said: "The group continues to improve co-operation and co-ordination among its operating companies in order to add value to our clients' businesses and our people's careers, an objective that has been specifically built into short-term incentive plans.
"We may, in addition, decide that a significant proportion of operating company incentive pools are funded and allocated on the basis of group-wide performance over the coming years."
This pursuit of co-ordination is summed up by Sorrell with the word "horizontality". He recently described WPP's new government and public affairs practice as "horizontality at work".


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What you wear to the gym is likely to play a role in determining how you feel while you're working out. But when it comes to spending money on workout clothes, how do you determine what's worth it, and what's not? Below I've got tips on how to save a little wardrobe cash—as well as where you should spend the extra money.
Trendy Yoga Clothes
You don't need the biggest name in yoga clothes to perfect your Downward-Facing Dog pose. Old NavyExternal Site and Dancewear SolutionsExternal Site offer a range of affordable yoga clothing. Keep your eye out for clearance items in department stores—they might have just what you need to hit the mat.
There's no need to buy pricey T-shirts when you can spruce up ones you already have lying around. There are plenty of fun online tutorials for transforming old shirts into workout wear. Check out this DIY racerback workout shirt tutorialExternal Site on Blogilates.com, for instance.
They're all the rage, and comfortable when working out. But you don't need to break the bank on name brands or high fashion in order to keep the sweat out of your eyes. For stylish and affordable sweatbands ($15-18), check out Sweaty BandsExternal Site.
Good shoes just make good sense. Go with higher-quality shoes tailored to your activity level and type of workout. Cross-trainers might be the right choice if you're involved in a variety of sports, or if you're serious about one, choose the shoe that can maximize that workout. Consider going to a shoe store with a treadmill that analyzes your gait so you can get just the right shoe for your stride and foot shape.
They're a small splurge, but great socks can make fitness more comfortable and more effective. I like Nike's Dri-FIT Elite Cushion No-Show Running SocksExternal Site ($14) for a treat for your feet.
Sports Bras
If you've ever worked out or gone running with a less-than-great sports bra, you know how important high-quality support can be. You'll want to go with the best sports bras you can find—ones with good support and fit. Check out the Endurance Racer ($52) from Moving ComfortExternal Site, for instance. Sure, they boast a high price tag, but being pain-free during your workout will likely make it worth every penny.


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'Under the Dome' comes to a close 10 p.m. Monday with an episode titled, 'Curtains.'
The first season of locally filmed CBS TV series 'Under the Dome,' based on the book by Stephen King about a town trapped under a mysterious dome, comes to a close 10 p.m. Monday with an episode titled, 'Curtains.' But before the dome dissipates until next summer's season two, there are 10 questions we want answered by the 'Under the Dome' finale
1. What will come of the mini-dome, the glowing egg and the recently hatched monarch?
For weeks, we have endured the phrase "mini-dome" and the constant reminder that "the monarch will be crowned." But what does it all mean? Will the newly hatched monarch butterfly rule over Chester's Mill (unlikely) or will (more likely) its appearance trigger the unveiling of the prophesied leader's ascent to power?
2. Why is Barbie (Mike Vogel) the mysterious 'one'?
The government's radio transmission indicated Barbie as the annoyingly ambiguous "one we've been looking for" and the only one with "the necessary expertise" regarding the egg. Is he about to be recruited into the Avengers Initiative? Probably not, but until we get some answers, it's anyone's guess.
3. Will Big Jim (Dean Norris) survive?
The wannabe dictator and "protector" of Chester's Mill has fluctuated from helper to hinderer in the wake of the dome's arrival. Of late, he has descended further into villainy by killing several residents, including Dodee (Jolene Purdy). A better question might be, Does he deserve to see another day in his beloved town?
4. Can Junior (Alexander Koch) be redeemed?
The town's resident sociopath (and Big Jim's son) needs some redemption, stat. Simply put, he's a girlfriend-kidnapping, trigger-happy deputy with mommy and daddy issues, and one-fourth of The Handprint Teens. (They could form a superhero squad.) Will the finale let Junior leave Psycho Lane behind?
5.Is Chester's Mill bringing back public hangings?
As if the Old West had arrived under the dome, the preview for the season finale featured Barbie at the gallows after being falsely charged for Big Jim's crimes.
6. Does Julia (Rachelle Lefevre) play a bigger part in the dome's plan?
Also seen in the season finale preview is Chester's Mill's favorite redheaded journalist at the center of a blue glow as her friends watch. Will she finally get the scoop she's been hunting for all season?
7. Is the dome biblical?
Like any good mood ring will tell you, black isn't a happy color. And in Monday's episode, the dome appears to be sporting a new pitch black coating, while one resident cites the Book of Revelations. Has this dome been sent from on high, or are its origins a little more cosmic than holy?
8. Will Sheriff Linda (Natalie Martinez) finally step up?
At the beginning of the series, Linda was one exploding pacemaker away from a promotion. Since then, she's constantly been one step behind all the bad dealings happening to her town. Following this week's blind allegiance to Big Jim's manhunt and mass arrests, it would be nice if the finale allowed her the opportunity to grow a backbone and start being the sheriff.
9. What did they do with the severed cow from the first episode?
The unfortunate cow that lost its better half when the dome came down on top of it has to be smelling up the joint somewhere.
10. Can we get more Barbie/Angie (Britt Robertson) teamwork?
They may have only interacted in the pilot episode before Angie was kidnapped, but their reunion in last week's episode made way for a fresh team of go-getters and proved that they should get more scenes together.


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CBSE Hindi Lessons – Van Ke Marg Class 6th
CBSE Hindi Lessons – Van Ke Marg Class 6th by Sunita Sheoran For SuccessCDs Education Channel.
SuccessCDs Education ( https://www.youtube.com/successcds1 ) is an online education channel focused on providing education through Videos as per CBSE, ICSE and NCERT syllabi upto Class 12 (K-12) for English, Maths, Hindi, Science,Social Science, Sanskrit and other subjects.
Our website ( https://www.successcds.net ) is one of the leading portal on Entrance Exams and Admissions in India.


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Broadway mogul Philip Smith has been granted a divorce from the actress whose dull video rants inexplicably clocked up over 3m hits on YouTube.
Tricia Walsh-Smith attained the kind of internet infamy previously only afforded to dramatic prairie dogs with her petulant marriage mitherings, in which she stomps around the couple's Manhattan apartment complaining about her sexless marriage and other enormous husband-inflicted injustices.
The actress, displaying the full range of emotions Botox allows, surprisingly did herself no favours by presenting herself to the world as a victim (but yet and at the same time a "warrior") while calling her husband's office to ask an assistant what he would like her to do with the condoms and Viagra.
Judge Harold Beeler found the couple's prenup to be valid, and told Walsh-Smith to remove her tush from the apartment within 30 days. She will leave with a mere $750,000 and her
pride dignity hair extensions.
Judge Beeler called the YouTube shenanigans "a calculated and callous campaign to embarrass and humiliate [Smith]". Smith himself sighed that he was happy with the outcome but "sorry it had come to this". His ex-wife was dignified and restrained, calling the decision "disgusting" and complaining her husband was "basically throwing me out on the street".
According to Tricia's official website, the brave lady has "made an indelible impact on pop culture and women everywhere". We hereby petition for her to be deported from the gender, which has problems enough as it is. ®


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Posted by Alisa on Monday, May 19, 2014 / Labels: Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, Model Moms
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen and her husband football star Tom Brady were seen at a park in New York City with their son Benjamin, 4 on Sunday (May 18). Tom's ex-girlfriend actress Bridget Moynahan and their son son Jonh, 6, were also seen at the park.
source: dailymail.co.uk


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The South Korean electronics giant says that following China Labor Watch's reports on its suppliers, it undertook in September a wide-ranging audit of 105 suppliers in China to ensure that the companies adhered to labor laws and Samsung's own code of conduct. The company is presently investigating an additional 144 suppliers in China and expects to conclude that inquiry by the end of the year.
Samsung said in a statement that while it did not find any child labor violations -- a problem documented in August -- it did identify "several instances of inadequate practices at the facilities, including overtime hours in excess of local regulations, management of supplier companies holding copies of labor contracts and the imposition of a system of fines for lateness or absences."
Samsung says it is developing new guidelines on hiring, work hours and overtime to improve working conditions for employees of its suppliers. And it says that in 2013, it will turn to the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, a third-party labor auditing organization, to monitor labor practices at its suppliers.
[ Get the latest on new hardware. Read Google-Branded Touch Chromebook Planned. ]
Apple, which has also been dealing with complaints about working conditions at its suppliers in China, earlier this year engaged the Fair Labor Association, another industry oversight group, to audit companies in China hired to assemble its products. Labor activists however often criticize industry-oriented groups like the FLA and the EICC for being insufficiently independent from the companies they assess.
China Labor Watch, a group that has been working for more than a decade to improve labor conditions in China, says that over the past three months it conducted follow-up investigations of four Samsung suppliers -- Tianjin Samsung Electronics, Tianjin Samsung Mobile Display, Tianjin Samsung Communications Technology and Tianjin Samsung Opto-Electronics -- by interviewing 23 workers. The labor group says Samsung has made no improvements since its report two months ago. It claims that problems like illegal overtime demands; abuse of temporary workers, underage and student workers; employment discrimination; unfair treatment; and low wages persist at Samsung factories.
Samsung insists changes are being made. By the end of the month, it will require suppliers to install devices to detect fake identification cards and prevent the employment of underage workers relying on fake IDs.
Samsung says that by the end of the year it will have demanded that all suppliers make their labor contracts legally compliant and provide workers with a corrected copy. It insists it will direct suppliers to: abolish systems that fine or penalize workers; provide first-aid kits in factories and dormitories, along with safety training; provide extra training for managers about sexual, physical and verbal abuse; and establish hotlines for workers at suppliers to anonymously report mistreatment or labor law violations.
In addition, Samsung has acknowledged the need to reduce overtime at its suppliers and says it plans to implement changes to end work beyond legal limits by 2014. The company also says it will require that suppliers limit the number of temporary or dispatch workers to 30% of full-time staff. In the past four years, according to Businessweek, the use of temporary workers has more than doubled -- now accounting for more than 60 million, one-fifth of China's 300 million urban workers -- since a 2008 law made companies pay for worker insurance, overtime and severance.


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Working together to eradicate cell line misidentification and contamination: New practices and policy
September 2012
One of the most serious issues facing the biomedical research community today is the authentication of human cell lines used in research and drug development as models of normal and cancer tissue. Cell lines constitute an important scientific resource, enabling investigators to unravel cancer mechanisms that were once intractable to our methods, and to screen more potential drug candidates than ever before. Progress is being undermined, however, by cell line misidentification and cross-contamination. In this article, we will address the history of the problem, its implications to both cancer research and drug discovery and the options available to investigators concerned with validating their materials. Lastly, we will highlight how a new ANSI consensus standard and efforts by granting agencies and journals to require cell line authentication as a condition for funding and publication, and offer hope for a future free from the plagues of misidentified and contaminated cells.
Cell line misidentification and contamination is not a new problem. In the 1970s, Walter Nelson-Rees, who then ran the Berkeley cell bank for the National Cancer Institute, used karyotyping to determine that cell lines submitted to the bank were cross-contaminated by HeLa cells. Nelson-Rees embarked on a crusade against contaminated cell lines, which culminated in a 1981 Science paper listing publications that had used the flawed material. His gambit was met with outrage from authors of the implicated work, and his crusade faltered. In 2004, Roland Nardone, then a professor at Catholic University, picked up Nelson-Rees' mantle and championed efforts to raise awareness of the scope of the cell line misidentification problem. Nardone has emphasized the need for training in cell authentication to be added to conference agendas and is still garnering the support of professional societies and funding agencies to require cell line authentication.
Despite these renewed efforts, the consequences of using unauthenticated cell lines are already being brought to bear on researchers. For example, in 2010, a 2005 Cancer Research article that suggested human adult stem cells were prone to spontaneous transformation in vitro1 was retracted because the phenomenon was actually due to contaminating immortalized cells2. A year later, researchers hoping to develop therapeutic tools for adenoid-cystic carcinoma had their paper retracted when it was found that the cell line used to perform the experiments was actually derived from cervical cancer3. Importantly, these papers were published in well-respected journals, which increase the likelihood that other investigators based their research on the flawed data and compounded the original error.
A handful of cases have been uncovered, but it is clear that countless more exist. A recent review of cell lines used to study esophageal adenocarcinoma found that many were actually derived from lung or gastric cancers. Data obtained through the use of these cell lines have been used to support clinical trials, grant applications, U.S. patents and publications4. Similarly, genomic profiling of 51 supposedly independent ovarian cancer cell lines revealed considerable redundancy and that several were actually derived from cervical cancer5. These studies refer to clinically relevant cell lines that are being used to design and test new drugs for cancer and other diseases, and suggest that patients are potentially being recruited to flawed drug trials. If we assume that the findings from these two studies are applicable across all clinical fields, then the number of advances that stand to be reversed is staggering.
An important first step towards remediation is to address the root cause and develop a plan for going forward. In 2004, a survey of 485 investigators indicated that only 15 percent of investigators relied on DNA- based assays to authenticate their cell lines6. Then, and most certainly today, many investigators rely on phenotypic traits to confirm cell identity. This is an unreliable method for confirming cellular identity, since phenotypic traits may change unpredictably as passage number increases7. Additionally, many laboratories make use of multiple cell lines or feeder cell co-cultures, which boost the probability that a cross-contaminating event will occur, and make reliable methods of cell authentication, such as those discussed below, even more important to rule out both intra- and interspecies contamination.
The gold standard in genomic-based methods of cell authentication is short tandem repeat (STR) profiling. STR profiling is a PCR-based approach that can discriminate the origin of the cell line down to the original donor. This technique takes advantage of variable microsatellite regions within the genomic DNA. Primers are designed to amplify these short repetitive sequences and the resulting amplicons are used to establish a profile. The profile acts as a genetic fingerprint that can be compared to a reference database to confirm the identity of the cell line7. STR profiling can be performed rapidly using commercial kits and services, which makes it an approachable option for all investigators. Additionally, because the microsatellite regions are defined, cell line profiles will be comparable between labs and easily collected into a centralized public database.
Although STR profiling is a high-resolution approach to confirming the identity of a cell line, it does have some limitations. First, primers to detect STR from non-human species are limited, and currently this method is not capable of identifying interspecies cross-contamination. Second, donor information and tissue samples for older, commonly used cell lines may not be available, therefore it can be difficult, if not impossible to develop reference standards for older lines8. In rare situations, more than one method may need to be used to fully validate the identity of a particular cell line. For example, karyotyping, isoenzyme analysis and human leukocyte antigen typing can be used to compliment STR profiling, and this may be necessary if the cell line is being grown on a mouse feeder cell layer or if the original cell stock has been lost.
The commercial availability of STR kits and authentication services make it easier for investigators to authenticate cell lines. However, the problem reaches so deep into the scientific community that institutional support and the international collaboration of subject matter experts is necessary to eradicate the use of unauthenticated cell lines. Responding to the recognized problem of cell line misidentification and the need for standardized methods that can be used to test cell lines early and often, a standard consensus method for cell authentication was released earlier this year by the ATCC Standards Development Organization (SDO) as ANSI Standard ASN-0002, "Authentication of Human Cell Lines: Standardization of STR Profiling."9 The ANSI standard recommends that cell lines be tested when a cell line is first grown in a laboratory, when preparing the initial frozen cell stock, after two or three passages while cells are expanded during the course of experimentation and at the time the research using the cell samples is published. The most important aspects of the standard are the discussions on the numbers and types of loci to be evaluated, quality control of the data, interpretation of the results (matching criteria, loss of alleles, etc.) and implementation of an STR database.
An international workgroup of scientists representing academia, regulatory agencies, major cell repositories, government agencies and industry, chaired by John R. W. Masters of University College London and Yvonne A. Reid of ATCC, worked together to develop the standard. The standard represents a collective experience and expertise that led to a refinement and consolidation of methods that should be of critical value to investigators who are working with human cell lines. Standardization fosters the reproducibility and comparability of research and development employing human cells, leading to a marked decrease in the misidentification and contamination of human cells used by the scientific community.
Scientific journals and funding agencies are called upon to require proof that all human cell lines used in research studies have been properly authenticated. Professional scientific societies such as ASCB and AACR are encouraged to sponsor conferences, workshops, webinars and training activities to facilitate the adoption of cell line authentication standards. The quality and validity of funded and published research will markedly improve as a result of the reduction in the use of misidentified and contaminated human cell lines.
Elizabeth Kerrigan is the director of standards, and Dr. Carolyn Peluso is a cell biology specialist, both at ATCC, a private, nonprofit biological resource center and research organization whose mission focuses on the acquisition, authentication, production, preservation, development and distribution of standard reference microorganisms, cell lines and other materials for research in the life sciences.
1. Rubin, L. and Haston, K.: "Stem cell biology and drug discovery," BMC Biology.
2. de la Fuente, R., et al.: "Retraction: Spontaneous human adult stem cell transformation," Cancer Research.
3. Retraction notice to "Nef from SIVmac239 decreases proliferation and migration of adenoid-cystic carcinoma cells and inhibits angiogenesis," Oral Oncology.
4. Boonstra, J., et al.: "Verification and unmasking of widely used human esophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines," Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
5. Korch, C., et al.: "DNA profiling analysis of endometrial and ovarian cell lines reveals misidentification, redundancy and contamination," Gynecology Oncology.
6. Buehring, G., Eby, E. and Eby, M.: "Cell line cross-contamination: how aware are Mammalian cell culturists of the problem and how to monitor it?" In Vitro Cell Development Biology Animal.
7. Kerrigan, L. and Nims, R.; "Authentication of human cell-based products: the role of a new consensus standard," Regenerative Medicine.
8. "Cell line misidentification: the beginning of the end," Nature Reviews Cancer.
9. ANSI/ATCC ASN-0002-2011: "Authentication of Human Cell Lines: Standardization of STR Profiling."
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Research Spotlight on Cooperative Learning
NEA Reviews of the Research on Best Practices in Education
Learning can be structured in three ways:
- Competitive learning - students work against each other.
- Individual learning - students work alone.
- Cooperative learning - students work together to accomplish shared learning goals.
While all three structures should be used, cooperation should play the dominant role in any classroom.
What Is Cooperative Learning?
In their overview of the topic, Kennesaw State University defines cooperative learning as a teaching strategy where small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of the team is not only responsible for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn. Since students work through the assignment until all group members successfully understand and complete it, this teaching strategy creates an atmosphere of achievement. Kennesaw State University, Georgia.
Benefits of Cooperative Learning
Why use cooperative learning? Research by Johnson & Johnson (1989) indicates that cooperation, compared with competitive and individualistic efforts, typically results in (a) higher achievement and greater productivity, (b) more caring, supportive, and committed relationships, and (c) greater psychological, health, social competence, and self-esteem.
Overuse of Cooperative Learning
Opponents of cooperative learning often point to problems related to vague objectives and poor expectations for accountability. Randall (1999) who has taught elementary, high school, and college level students, cautions against abuse and overuse of cooperative learning. She says that making members of the group responsible for each other's learning can place too great a burden on some students and that cooperative learning encourages only lower level thinking and ignores the strategies necessary for the inclusion of critical or higher level thinking.
Cooperative Learning Engages Active Learning
Perhaps the most compelling argument for cooperative learning is that it actively engages students in learning. Each student has an opportunity to contribute in a small group and is more apt to claim ownership of the material.
Here are the references for this article and additional links to articles on cooperative learning:
- Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1989). Cooperation and competition: Theory and research. Edina, Minn. : Interaction Book Company.
- Randall, V. "Cooperative Learning: Abused and Overused?" The Education Digest 65, no. 2 (October, 1999): 29-32.
- Roles and Social Interaction - Essay about cooperative learning as a structured instructional strategy that emphasizes active learning through interpersonal interaction, where students act as partners with the teacher and each other. By Trudi Joubert, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
- Classroom Compass: Cooperative Learning (1998) - Includes an overview of cooperative learning, successful models, and a related reading list. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
- The Jigsaw Classroom - This site provides an overview of the jigsaw method for cooperative learning in the classroom. Social Psychology Network Web site.


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Government term
Displaying 1 - 24 of 32 results.
Auckland's growing screen sector is the catalyst for a new partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and Auckland's economic development agency Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED).
The first stock-take of the Government's Families Package shows families are getting real support to raise their children after a decade of being left behind," Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said.
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran's Pension Legislation Amendment Bill.
A surge in the number of registered social workers will contribute to improving the wellbeing of New Zealanders and their families, Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said on New Zealand Social Workers' Day.
An innovative, grass-roots approach to addressing financial hardship in our most vulnerable communities has been officially launched by Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni.
Hon Carmel Sepuloni will travel to Apia tomorrow to represent New Zealand at the Women, Peace and Security Summit, in Samoa from 22-23 August.
The Government has announced additional measures to prevent and reduce homelessness focused on ensuring at-risk individuals and whānau have access to stable housing and continue to stay housed.
Construction businesses in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development will start using virtual reality technology to prepare people for jobs in the industry, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today.
The new Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) facility was opened by Minister of Defence Ron Mark, and Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams, at Trentham today.
The expansion of an iwi, community and government initiative will improve the wellbeing of 450 of our most vulnerable Manawatū-Whanganui families Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni and Minister for Whānau Ora Peeni Henare announced today.
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is leading an initiative in Auckland to help people gain their driver's licence, Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, announced today.
The Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft has had his appointment extended until 30 June 2021, Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said.
Defence Minister Ron Mark and Associate Social Development Minister Peeni Henare have today officially opened the new Youth Development Facility at Whenuapai Air Base.
A Wellbeing Budget boost for New Zealand's largest study of child development will help the Government design the best possible services and policies to increase the wellbeing of our children and families, Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni announced today.
The Wellbeing Budget will continue the Government's drive to make New Zealand into the best place in the world to be a child, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
Breaking the cycle of family and sexual violence and better supporting survivors is a major feature of the Wellbeing Budget, with the Government delivering the largest ever investment in family and sexual violence and support services.
The Government has today announced it is taking action on the long-term challenge of Māori reoffending rates and delivering on its target to reduce the prison population by 30 per cent, with the creation of a new Māori Pathway at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison and Northland Region Corrections Facility.
Five children and families research projects will each receive funding in round 3 of the Children and Families Research Fund.
The Government is taking immediate action to support people into work and improve income security for New Zealanders on benefits, in response to the release of the Government's Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) report today.
A construction programme giving young people on benefit training and work experience building community houses was formally launched by Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni, today.
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will invest almost $7 million in the Top of the South's ocean economy and also support the first economic growth strategy for all communities in the wider region, the Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today.
More than four and a half thousand people from around the country have contacted the national sexual harm helpline: Safe to talk Kōrero mai ka ora, by phone, webchat, text, or email, since the service became available a year ago.
The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni today announced changes to the Government oversight of the children's system, designed in particular to support the experience of children in the care of Oranga Tamariki.
The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, has formally received the Report of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group into the future of New Zealand's social security system.


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Let us define the nth smooth homotopy group of a smooth manifold $M$ to be the group $\pi_n^\infty(S^k)$ of smooth maps $S^n \to S^k$ modulo smooth homotopy. Of course, some care must be taken to define the product, but I don't think this is a serious issue. The key is to construct a smooth map $S^n \to S^n \lor S^n$ (regarded as subspaces of $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$) which collapses the equator to a point; we then define the product of two (pointed) maps $f, g: S^n \to S^k$ to be the map $S^n \lor S^n \to S^k$ which restricts to $f$ on the left half and $g$ on the right half. To accomplish this, use bump functions to bend $S^n$ into a smooth "dumbell" shape consisting of a cylinder $S^{n-1} \times [0,1]$ with two large orbs attached to the ends, and retract $S^{n-1}$ to a point while preserving smoothness at the ends. Then retract $[0,1]$ to a point, and we're done.
Question: is the natural "forget smoothness" homomorphism $\phi: \pi_n^\infty(S^k) \to \pi_n(S^k)$ an isomorphism? If not, what is known about $\pi_n^\infty(S^k)$ and what tools are used?
In chapter 6 of "From Calculus to Cohomology", Madsen and Tornehave prove that every continuous map between open subsets of Euclidean spaces is homotopic to a smooth map. Thus every continuous map $f$ between smooth manifolds is "locally smooth up to homotopy", meaning that every point in the source has a neighborhood $U$ such that $f|_U$ is homotopic to a smooth map. However it is not clear to me that the local homotopies can be chosen in such a way that they glue together to form a global homotopy between $f$ and a smooth map. This suggests that $\phi$ need not be surjective.
In the same reference as above, it is shown that given any two smooth maps between open subsets of Euclidean spaces which are continuously homotopic, there is a smooth homotopy between them. As above this says that two smooth, continuously homotopic maps between smooth manifolds are locally smoothly homotopic, but I again see no reason why the local smooth homotopies should necessarily glue to form a global smooth homotopy. This suggests that $\phi$ need not be injective.
I am certainly no expert on homotopy theory, but I have read enough to be surprised that this sort of question doesn't seem to be commonly addressed in the basic literature. This leads me to worry that my question is either fatally flawed, trivial, useless, or hopeless. Still, I'm retaining some hope that something interesting can be said.