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"democratization of data" entries
We need open models, not just open data
If you really want to understand the effect data is having, you need the models.
Writing my post about AI and summoning the demon led me to re-read a number of articles on Cathy O'Neil's excellent mathbabe blog. I highlighted a point Cathy has made consistently: if you're not careful, modelling has a nasty way of enshrining prejudice with a veneer of "science" and "math."
Cathy has consistently made another point that's a corollary of her argument about enshrining prejudice. At O'Reilly, we talk a lot about open data. But it's not just the data that has to be open: it's also the models. (There are too many must-read articles on Cathy's blog to link to; you'll have to find the rest on your own.)
You can have all the crime data you want, all the real estate data you want, all the student performance data you want, all the medical data you want, but if you don't know what models are being used to generate results, you don't have much. Read more…
Curiosity turned loose on GitHub data
Ilya Grigorik's GitHub project shows what happens when questions, data, and tools converge.
1. Ask the question, "I wonder what happens if I do this?" and then follow it all the way through.
2. Start a project on a whim and open it up so anyone can participate.
Ilya Grigorik (@igrigorik) did both of these things, which is why our recent conversation at Strata Conference + Hadoop World was one of my favorite parts of the event.
By day, Grigorik is a developer advocate on Google's Make the Web Fast team (he's a perfect candidate for a future Velocity interview). On the side, he likes to track open source projects on GitHub. As he explained during our chat, this can be a time-intensive hobby:
"I follow about 3,000 open source projects, and I try to keep up with what's going on, what are people contributing to, what are the new interesting sub-branches of work being done … The problem I ran into about six months ago was that, frankly, it was just too much to keep up with. The GitHub timeline was actually overflowing. In order to keep up, I would have to go in every four hours and scan through everything, and then repeat it. That doesn't give you much time for sleep." [Discussed 15 seconds into the interview.]
Grigorik built a system — including a newsletter— that lets him stay in the loop efficiently. He worked with GitHub to archive public GitHub activity, and he then made that data available in raw form and through Google BigQuery (the data is updated hourly).
This is a fun project, no doubt, but it's also a big deal. Here's why: When you shorten the distance between questions and answers, you empower people to ask more questions. It's the liberation of curiosity, and that's exactly what happened here. Read more…
Every company has a big data issue
GoodData's Roman Stanek on how big data applies to all businesses, including the small ones.
When you bandy about a term like "big data" often enough, it tends to lose its meaning. But big data is much more than a marketing term, although it is that, too — it's a means of trying to understand and control the sheer volume of information we are seeing inside and outside our organizations.
It's easy to dismiss this as a problem for companies like Google and Facebook, which are gathering mountains of data from users. However, as GoodData CEO Roman Stanek (@RomanStanek) points out in the following interview, the growing amounts of data from a variety of sources makes big data an issue that has an impact on every company, regardless of size.
Stanek, who has been an entrepreneur for more than 20 years, started GoodData in 2007 as a way to simplify business intelligence by putting it in the cloud. Today, he sees big data as more than a business intelligence problem, and as he has watched his business evolve, he believes companies like his can take big data out of the realm of data scientists and put it into the hands of ordinary business users.
There is a perception that big data is a big company problem. What role does big data have in small- to medium-size organizations?
Roman Stanek: Big data comes from hundreds of sources, most of which are outside a company's firewalls, such as customer interactions, social media and emails. A company's size is irrelevant to the volume of big data it has to manage and understand. For example, a company with 100 employees may have to answer thousands of customer-support calls coming in from Facebook, Twitter, email and telephone. That's a massive amount of data it has to deal with.
In addition, big data represents tremendous potential wealth for all companies, no matter how small or large those enterprises are. When businesses are smart about leveraging data, they can make better and faster business decisions. Read more…
Data as seeds of content
A look at lesser-known ways to extract insight from data.
Visualizations are one way to make sense of data, but they aren't the only way. Robbie Allen reveals six additional outputs that help users derive meaningful insights from data.
Data's next steps
RedMonk's Steve O'Grady weighs in on data's pressing issues.
Redmonk analyst Steve O'Grady discusses the demand for data scientists, the problem of using data to asking the right questions, and why you shouldn't rush into a NoSQL investment.
Data's next steps
RedMonk's Steve O'Grady weighs in on data's pressing issues.
Redmonk analyst Steve O'Grady discusses the demand for data scientists, the problem of using data to asking the right questions, and why you shouldn't rush into a NoSQL investment.
Top stories: February 20-24, 2012
Data for the public good, the coming health IT revolution, big data in the cloud.
This week on O'Reilly: Alex Howard examined data's civic role, Dr. Farzad Mostashari discussed health IT and patient empowerment, and Edd Dumbill surveyed big data cloud offerings.


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Oakland, Berkeley, And East Bay News, Events, Restaurants, Music, & Arts
In our July 17 Best of the East Bay 2013 issue, our award for "Best Yoga Studio" incorrectly stated that Heather Haxo Phillips is among the highest certified Iyengar yoga teachers in the Bay Area. She's one of the highest certified Iyengar yoga teachers in the East Bay.
And our July 17 news story "Proposed Minimum Wage Hike Sparks Conflict" misstated the name of an organization that works to unify restaurant workers and advocate for workers' rights. It is Restaurant Opportunities Center of the Bay — not Bay Area Restaurant Opportunities Center.
Contact the author of this piece, send a letter to the editor, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.
News - October 22, 3:09 PM
News - October 22, 4:00 AM
News - October 21, 1:32 PM
News - October 20, 4:00 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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The 2013 edition of SXSW Interactive promises to be bigger and better than ever, and we're more than a little psyched to be in on the action. With our two partners, Ford Motor Company and The Weather Company (formerly The Weather Channel), we're hosting SHFT in Austin, a tech and innovation event featuring the Green Gadget Lab, a Year on the Road travel photo exhibition, an expert panel on climate change, and a music showcase presented by the Wreckroom.
We'll also be announcing the Earth Day launch of Food Tripping, our latest collaboration with the good people at Ford. Food Tripping is a free app that points users to a broad range of fresh, local, seasonal, healthy food options on-the go.
The festivities take place on Monday, March 11th from 11AM to 6PM at Bourbon Girl, 212 E 6th Street in downtown Austin.
The panel discussion, "Climate Change and the Individual," kicks off at 2:30PM. It features SHFT honchos Peter Glatzer and Adrian Grenier, TWC Chairman and CEO David Kenny, and TWC Director of Meteorology Dr. Jeff Masters, with moderation from Fast Company's Ellen McGirt.
Peter and Adrian will also be taking part in an official SXSW panel discussion, "Power of Good: Activate Your Audience for a Cause," alongside Stephen Fox from Drink Water and Lisa Pike Sheehy from Patagonia. That's on Monday eve at the Austin Convention Center from 5-6PM.
Whew, lots of stuff happening. This is going to be good. If you're in town, come through and check it all out!


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Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Darmstadt (Germany) lodged on 11 December 2019 — EP v Kreis Groß-Gerau
(Case C-905/19)
Language of the case: German
Referring court
Verwaltungsgericht Darmstadt
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: EP
Defendant: Kreis Groß-Gerau
Questions referred
Can it be inferred from the prohibition of discrimination in Article 64 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Tunisia 1 that a curtailment of the period of validity of a residence permit because the conditions for the grant of that residence permit are no longer satisfied is prohibited if
the Tunisian national was in employment at the time when the retroactive curtailment of the period of validity of the residence permit was notified,
the decision to curtail the period of validity is not based on grounds relating to the protection of a legitimate national interest, such as public policy, public security or public health, and
the Tunisian national did not possess authorisation to take up employment (work permit) that was independent of the residence permit, but was entitled by law to take up employment during the period of validity of the residence permit?
Does the legal status of a foreign national arising from the prohibition of discrimination in Article 64 of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Tunisia require, in addition to the residence permit, the grant of an administrative authorisation to take up employment?
What is the relevant point in time for the assessment of legal status under the law on residence and work permits? Is the relevant point in time the date of adoption of the administrative decision withdrawing the right of residence or the date of the judicial decision?


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A new kind of traveller is emerging. They're leaving their safe and settled lifestyles, to travel the world – indefinitely.
And yes – I am one of them. However quite frankly I don't feel too 'new' – I've been living like this moving around now from place to place nomadically for 6 years.
When Travel and Escape, Canada's television channel dedicated to travel and adventure, approached me to be a part of the web series, I was a bit skeptical. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to be in a video series – I'm not really the television type. And quite frankly I was in the middle of putting on the Meet Plan Go! career break events so I didn't really think I had to time to participate. But the director was more than willing to come to New York to film so I decided I would try to squeeze it in. Then I found out that many of my peers were involved – Barbara, Charlie, Dave & Deb, Anil, Christine, Stephanie and Michael – and I decided I was in good company.
The nomadic lifestyle is something that I've always been interested in. It is in fact why I love Mongolia so much. But I also find that extended travel, location independent living, and virtual offices have become more popular and accepted over the past years. And I believe this younger generation will continue to push this change and more nomadic style living into the mainstream.
It really was fun to be a part of the show. I traveled all over NYC filming with the crew for the afternoon and as you can see in the video we even took a trip to my storage unit – the only 'home base' I really have. So go on, grab a cup of coffee, and take 5 minutes to learn about why I'm considered a 'New Nomad'. Let me know what you think about the episode! Would you like to be a New Nomad?
The New Nomads Web Series:
This generation of travellers is shaping a whole new way of life. Featuring some of the world's most avid travellers, this series uncovers the behind-the-scenes lives of real people who dared leave everything behind to travel the world nomadically, each for their own reasons, each in their own way. How do they do it? Watch the full 9-episode series to find out what it really takes to travel the world, untethered and unleashed.
Want to watch more new nomads? Check out all of my nomadic friends!


text: Wi-Fi (Invention) Archives – World NewsAugust 1, 2020Tag: Wi-Fi (Invention) :Advertising Top Posts Related Posts Lahu Munh Lag Gaya – Song Video – Ram-Leela – 5 Tips for Selling a Successful Business Idea Working from home helps mum | work at home jobs About The Author Aly ChimanAly Chiman is a Blogger & Reporter at AlyChiTech.com which covers a wide variety of topics from local news from digital world fashion and beauty . AlyChiTech covers the top notch content from the around the world covering a wide variety of topics. Aly is currently studying BS Mass Communication at University.Add a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Current ye@r * Leave this field empty


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Feast your gadget-starved eyes on the Samsung Trace aka the T519 from T-Mobile. It's thin, light, and magical.
It's very SLVR-like – which is what T-Mo is going for here – and very inexpensive ($99). Unfortunately, it's made of Samsung plastic and feels pretty chintzy but if you're looking for something to slip between the pages of a book to hold your place, you can't go wrong with this thin Lizzie.
Product Page [T-Mobile]


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Skip to 0 minutes and 18 seconds A very good example of this kind of dynamics and the different uses of heritage by different opposing political forces is probably the story of Istanbul and Gezi Park. Because you have in Istanbul, in Turkey, you have a ruling party which is the AKP, the justice and development party, which is a populist Islamist party which has both banked on an Ottomanist ideology. And this idea of returning to the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire, which has been inscribed in the urban landscape. Because the various AKP's administrators have pushed for a progressive, heritagisation of cities like Istanbul to go back and rediscover the Ottoman past. Which was said to have been forgotten or silenced during Kemalism.
Skip to 1 minute and 22 seconds So you have the AKP administrators pushing for a revival of the Ottoman past, both in the urban space, in the urban fabric, and as a sort of general ideology of the party. And at the same time you have movements that go against Erdoğan's authoritarianism by mobilising a different heritage. For example, the people in Gezi Park were first of all fighting to maintain a piece of urban heritage, which was the modernist Gezi Park, against Erdoğan's plan to rebuild the Ottoman barracks. So there you have Erdoğan wanting to rebuild the Ottoman barracks against the protesters who started by saying,
Skip to 2 minutes and 11 seconds we want this piece of urban heritage to stay: the park.
The case of Gezi Park in Istanbul
Chiara de Cesari discusses the case of the Gezi Park uprising in late spring 2013 to illustrate how heritage can be a factor in popular resistance.
In this interview, she explains how this protest movement denounced the heritage vision of the political party in power in Turkey (the AKP: Justice and Development Party). The Gezi Park movement emerged in opposition to a project aimed at wiping out a park to build a reconstitution of former Ottoman barracks.


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Where's the milk? School lunches no longer sacred cows
Last Saturday was the start of Gakko Kyushoku Shukan (School Lunch Week), an annual celebration of the meals that public elementary and junior high school students in Japan enjoy every day by force of law.
School lunches have been a point of pride for Japan's education institutions, a means of integrating lifelong health maintenance into the standard curriculum. On another level, mandatory school lunches, as the late writer Kuniko Mukoda once famously pointed out, was the basis for the widespread idea that all Japanese belonged to the "middle class."
Several years ago, the government said it wanted to reinforce "food education," though it hardly seems necessary since the school lunch program already does that, and very effectively. According to law, all public school children below high school must buy lunch, and those who cannot afford it receive subsidies from the authorities. Each school will have its own nutritionist to make sure the children receive properly balanced meals. In terms of cost, the ingredients for the meals will be paid for by the students, meaning their parents, while labor, maintenance and other related expenses are taken care of by local governments with help from the central government.
This latter element has lately been challenged as more local governments look for ways to cut their budgets. Last summer, Sanjo, a city in Niigata Prefecture, "experimentally" stopped serving milk with lunches at 30 public schools. The ostensible reason, according to the mayor, was that parents complained that milk doesn't fit in with the Japanese cuisine the schools served.
The experiment happened to coincide with the consumption tax hike that went into effect last April, and the mayor conceded that one reason for cutting milk was to "prevent further increases in the cost of school lunches." At the time, parents were paying ¥250 for elementary school children's lunches and ¥300 for junior high school. The carton of milk that came with every meal cost the city ¥50.
Naturally, the Hokuriku Dairy Association protested strongly against Sanjo's decision. Last year, Niigata dairy farmers produced 53,600 tons of milk, 14 percent of which was used in school lunches. The association challenged the opinion that milk doesn't go with Japanese food, as did nutritionists, who pointed out that the absence of milk on a daily basis could have a negative effect on a child's development, since a carton contains 200 of the minimum 300-400 grams of calcium required.
Even the education ministry found the experiment strange, saying it had "never heard of a school giving up milk for lunches." Sanjo countered that the calcium could be made up easily by, for instance, fortifying soup with fish stock. In any event, the city received 61 messages from residents, with 43 supporting the experiment.
As the dairy association's reaction shows, school lunches are an important source of revenue for local producers, and often local governments tweak menus to help farmers. Six years ago, Sanjo stopped serving bread and noodles in its school lunches and replaced these staples with rice full time in order to promote the area's rice farmers.
The city of Kyoto recently did something similar, increasing the use of rice in its bid to promote "Japanese food culture" in line with UNESCO's plan to register washoku as a cultural heritage item. Previously, Kyoto schools served rice four days a week and on the remaining day bread or noodles, but they decided to do rice all the time. Bolstering Sanjo's claim about milk, Kyoto by the same token wants to promote green tea as the standard lunch beverage.
As Asahi Shimbun pointed out, school lunches have always had a political dimension. After the war, food was scarce, and U.S. relief agencies and UNICEF provided Japanese public schools with powdered milk and wheat. Some people believe it had less to do with charity than with getting Japanese children hooked on bread, so that U.S. farmers could sell more wheat to Japan.
In any event, Japanese of a certain age remember vividly the white bread loaves (koppe-pan) and cups of lumpy, yellowish milk they consumed every day until the mid-60s, when fresh milk was finally introduced. White rice didn't become common in school lunches until around 1975. Similarly, the Japanese whaling industry had a kind of captive market for its wares.
Since then, Japanese school lunches have become the envy of the world and are considered instrumental in putting children on a path to avoid the obesity that plagues so many industrialized countries where school lunches are optional and discretionary.
Nevertheless, cost is a concern. According to the education ministry, average monthly fees for school lunches in 2013 ranged from ¥3,691 for the first three years of elementary school to ¥4,628 for junior high school. The ministry also found that labor, maintenance and other costs borne by local governments tend to be more than twice the cost of ingredients. The average cost of a meal is now between ¥880 and ¥920, which means the local government has to pay the difference when the ¥250-¥300 fee paid by parents is subtracted.
As Sankei Shimbun once pointed out, the cost of providing one meal to a child is higher than it is for the average salaryman, which in 2007 was ¥650. But maybe that isn't so strange when you consider the general feeling that school lunches are held in such high esteem. Some local governments even serve school lunches to the general public in restaurants. They are very popular, and not just for nostalgic reasons.
Tags: dairy products, obesity, rice, washoku


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WIN - Tights Please
We have a wide range of great brands and products to suit all your hosiery needs!
2. If you are already a subscriber just leave a comment that you are a subscriber along with your email address.
Extra entries for each:
**We received a complimentary Tights for review no financial compensation was received.
Labels: Giveaways


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Welcome to Birthday Catering - Canberra
So, you're having a Birthday party around Canberra and surrounding areas... well us here at Birthday Party Catering specialise in planning your special event. All you need to do is click on the "FREE QUOTE" button below and we will get back to you ASAP. You can either create your own menu or we can advise you with our Chef's special selections. So what are you waiting for? Get yourself a free quote today!
Birthday Caterers can provide catering services for all suburbs in the Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. Including the following areas: Belconnen, Gungahlin, North Canberra, South Canberra, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek, Woden Valley.
Fabulous menu combinations for you to choose from
Whatever you're after we have something suitable for you which can be adapted for your budget. We also cater for vegetarians. Book online today so that you can relax and enjoy your birthday whilst we sort out all the arrangements. online today so that you can relax and enjoy your birthday whilst we sort out all the arrangements.
Delicious Fingerfoods
We're confident we have a menu for you. We have a great variety of party food to choose from. Our delicious gourmet menu selections are a very popular choice.
Fancy a Spit Roast for your Event
How about having a spit roast for an amazing feast for your event. Having a spit roast is great for any birthday and will help you provide succulent meat to feed your guests. succulent meat to feed your guests.
We cater in the following areas of Canberra and the ACT:
Belconnen Party Catering - Gungahlin Expert Caterers - North Canberra Birthday Catering Company - South Canberra Professional Party Caterers - Tuggeranong Party Caterers - Weston Creek Birthday Catering - Woden Valley Birthday Caterers - Canberra Party Catering
Not in Canberra? We also offer catering services in:


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Hypoallergenic, cosmetic grade quality paints, glitter and gems. Reasonable rates, prompt, reliable, very friendly. Serving the Treasure Coast...Stuart, Jupiter, Port St Lucie, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. For booking information contact Face Painting by Joanne Soper at 561-346-4607.
Submit your own free listing! It's easy. Just click here to return to Florida Vendors.


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Hield feeling the heat in New Orleans, and liking it
METAIRIE, La. (AP) When Buddy Hield flew into south Louisiana on Friday to begin his NBA career, among the first things he noticed was how hot it was - and he had no complaints.
''As soon as I came off the plane, it felt hot, it reminded me of home,'' said Hield, who grew up in the Bahamas. ''It's the same feeling, a feeling I'm used to.''
The 6-foot-4 Hield also got used to putting up a lot of shots from the perimeter - and making them - when he was leading Oklahoma to the NCAA Final Four last season. He'll be expected do that and more as a pro with the Pelicans, who made Hield the NBA's sixth overall draft pick Thursday night.
''What everybody's trying to do is put him in this label as just a shooter and he's much more than that,'' Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said, emphasizing what he saw as the shooting guard's potential to be a strong defender. ''He wants to be a complete player.''
Hield, who averaged 25 points last season and made about 46 percent of his 3-pointers, said he figured he'd be a good fit in New Orleans because even the threat of his outside shot would create more space for All-Star forward Anthony Davis on the offensive end. Hield also likes Gentry's up-tempo system that yields a lot of shot attempts during the course of a game. And Hield said he became even more comfortable with the idea of playing for the Pelicans after working out for the club in southern California before the draft.
''The workouts were serious, but after workouts they were just joking around, so it felt like family and I felt comfortable and I felt welcome,'' Hield recalled. ''It was the perfect fit and I'm glad I'm here now.''
Hield was joined at Pelicans headquarters Friday night by second-round pick Cheick Diallo, who turned pro after one season at Kansas. Hield had one of his more memorable games against Kansas this past season, scoring 46 points in a triple overtime loss to the Jayhawks.
''I was like, `Wow, No. 24 is good''' Diallo recalled. ''I was like `Wow, someone needs to stop him' ... He was getting buckets everywhere.''
Unlike Hield, the 6-9 Diallo has much to prove after averaging only 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds during his lone college season. He did, however, demonstrate potential by hitting 57 percent of his shots and blocking 23 shots in 27 games. The Pelicans had scouted him since high school and felt comfortable enough with his potential that they traded up to get him, dealing the 39th and 40th overall picks to the Clippers in exchange for Loss Angeles' 33rd pick.
''A lot of people doubt me and think, `He wasn't playing at Kansas because he wasn't good enough.' So I have to prove people wrong because I know people don't know who I am,'' Diallo said. ''People don't know what kind of things I do. People say, `Oh, second-round pick.'
''I'm so happy to be here. I have a lot of opportunities and I want to do anything to get better.''
Hield, who turns 23 in December, brings to the Pelicans a game that is more refined after a four-year college career. New Orleans is hoping his maturity and work ethic combine to help him make a smooth and quick transition to the pros.
''I feel like staying four years (at Oklahoma) helped me. I could have left early, but I wanted to be there four years under coach (Lon) Kruger. He's a great coach, great coaching staff,'' Hield said. ''I was really able to learn and watch film and learn from my mistakes each and every year. After my junior year, coming into my senior year, I just attacked all my workouts and was more mentally focused. It was now or never, so I had to make that jump.''


text: Last week Flower Girl baked the best Ginger Snap's Ever! She got the recipe from All Recipes.com , Mom's Ginger Snaps. Love that site, great resource! She made the first batch with a little help from me. Then the following night she made a double batch all by herself. Half for her class and the rest my workplace X-Rated Dining Divas luncheon. The third night when I got home from work she had made another batch independently once again. Not to shabby for an 8 year old. Last night she made peanutbutter cookies. Now I just need to train her to do the dishes after ;) Hoping her love for cooking continues!


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The screening on Sun 5 Mar will be accompanied by a free, informal post-screening discussion led by Maggie Hoffgen, Freelance Film Educator.
Film details
Two guests at a Tokyo hotel – a middle-aged actor and the young wife of a popular photographer – strike up an unusual friendship, one that provides a welcome escape from their boredom and loneliness. Beautifully played by Murray and Johansson, Coppola's second feature is not without controversy yet remains one of the most poignant and fondly remembered films of its age.


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Subtotal: US $0.00
Choose your preferred currency
The crème de le crème, the cream of the crop,
the brown sugar line puts the cream in your shop.
Our objective was to stand out from the rest and
we can say without a doubt that we have accomplished
just that. From breakfast staples like cereal to the
cheesecake enjoyed after a good meal,
brown sugar strives to collect the hearts of those
who are looking to satiate their sweet tooth.
Not only does our e-liquids contain naturally extracted flavors,
but are Gluten-Free, Alcohol-Free, and non-allergenic.
Showing all 3 results


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Gloves ArchFGS142 0 Reviews
Highly ventilated summer gloves
Neoprene cuff and stretch at the fingers
Visco-elastic knuckle
Temperfoam® palm slider
The Arch gloves are minimalist in design yet packed with some great features. The combination of drum dyed goatskin, 3D air mesh, neoprene, corduroy and a PU coated fabric work together to create a strong and attractive exterior appearance. Furthermore, hands are protected no matter where you find yourself on the road thanks to the inclusion of a Temperfoam® palm slider, Temperfoam® underneath knuckle and PWR|shield knit at the palm. To keep hands comfortable when temperatures rise, ventilation panels can be found at fingers, thumb and back of the hand. And for the perfect fit every time, there's an adjustment tab at the cuff.
goatskin drum dyed
Tanned leather made from goatskin is considered extremely durable, and is often used for gloves and other products that require a soft hide.
- corduroy
3D air mesh
This knitted fabric has an open, 3-dimensional structure that ensures good ventilation while riding. 3D air mesh is a must-have for long touring riders.
Neoprene is a synthetic rubber useful for protective gear. It is abrasion-resistant, chemical-resistant, waterproof, somewhat stretchable, and buoyant.
- PU coated fabric
PWR|shield knit
PWR|shield is created with a unique knit technique which results in a fabric with unsurpassed cut, tear and abrasion resistance level. This product is equipped with PWR|shield at the palm for extra safety in case the palm of the hand comes in contact with the asphalt.
visco-elastic knuckle
These knuckle protectors are made from visco-elastic rubber. This material ensures the knuckles are protected, while the elasticity allows the hand to move naturally and in full comfort.
- Temperfoam® palm slider
- adjustment tab
- short cuff
- stretch lips
- city fit
ventilation panels
The ventilation panels on this garment allow for optimal airflow to keep the body cool while riding.


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Amazon.com Inc. said Prime members in Florida will get an additional 10% off of Whole Foods Market sale items starting Wednesday, with the offer expanding nationwide this summer.
The discount will apply to what the company said are hundreds of products and weekly discounts on best-selling items. Shoppers will also be eligible for discounts on best-selling merchandise. Customers can take advantage of the offer by signing into their Amazon account and scanning a Prime code at checkout, or by using their phone number.
When the discount is applied nationwide, it will also go into effect at Whole Foods' smaller 365 markets. Among the items on sale in Florida from May 16 through May 22 are Kind brand granola, organic strawberries and sustainably-sourced, wild-caught halibut steaks.
Since acquiring Whole Foods Market last June, Amazon
Read:Amazon Prime's 100 million members can get this credit card — but it comes with pitfalls
And: Tyson is betting that consumers will — eventually — crave lab-grown meat
Amazon has been slowly pulling Whole Foods into the Prime universe, with anticipation for a full integration ramping up after Whole Foods discontinued its rewards program.
Amazon also launched its Prime Now service at Whole Foods. In addition to value pricing, grocers of all stripes including Walmart Inc.
Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos recently announced that Prime membership totals more than 100 million.
Amazon shares are up 35.5% year to date, while the S&P 500 index is up 1.6% for the period.


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- Thesis/Dissertation [All Chapters)
- Thesis/Dissertation - Abstract Chapter
- Thesis/Dissertation - Introduction Chapter
- Thesis/Dissertation - Literature Review Chapter
- Thesis/Dissertation - Methodology Chapter
- Thesis/Dissertation - Analysis/ Discussion Chapter
- Thesis/Dissertation - Conclusion Chapter
- Thesis/Dissertation - Proposal
- Research Proposal
- Thesis/Dissertation - Editing and Proofreading
- Thesis/Dissertation - Formatting
- Any Other Assignment Writing
The methodology chapter in a dissertation is meant to give an insight into the methodology that was used to write the dissertation. The tools that have been employed by the student in writing the dissertation will be revealed in this chapter. This is a very important chapter as it adds credibility to the dissertation. It requires a tremendous amount of research to write a good dissertation. The student will have to employ many tools to ensure that the material that is collected is up to date and relevant to the dissertation at hand. The methodology chapter describes the methodology that was used to collect the data. It usually will consist of a statement of research. The rationale that was employed for the selection of research approach will be given. Every instrument that was used to collect the data will have to be revealed. Any studies that had to be carried out will also be mentioned. Other aspects that are included in the methodology chapter will be sampling instruments, details of the subjects and most importantly the limitations of the research. Any use of computer programs will also have to be mentioned with a note as to the relevance and necessity of the same.
When you order a dissertation paper with Laustan you can rest assured that your methodology chapter will be in accordance with the standards that are set by your educational establishment. Our writers will work with you to work out the relevance of every point that has been discussed above. The topic of the dissertation and the methodology need to suit each other and our writers will take every step necessary to suggest a viable methodology for the dissertation.
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Abstra(kt) Studio is a salon located in one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, Frisco Texas. We consider ourselves the best of the best, not just in Frisco, or the state of Texas, but the country. Several of our team members are national educators, and we believe to our core, that we have a mission in this industry: To create a culture of education, a sense of community that extends beyond our four walls, and a place of work that respects and promotes art in all forms.
We have a few guideposts in how we conduct ourselves as a team, and as a business:
Education: If we are known for nothing else, this is what we hang our hat on. We believe in the power of education. In our first four months in business, we sponsored our team in numerous formal learning experiences. That doesn't include the day-to-day learning that happens. We look at our junior team members as our greatest potential, and invest in them heavily (and secretly wish that we had the career beginnings they are getting). We open our doors regularly to our peers across the industry and share information openly.
Community: We are a big believer in fostering relationships in our community, and define community in several different ways. We closely identify—even though most of us come from somewhere else—with the north Dallas community base. We love them, for their willingness to be trend-setters, invest in looking their best, and their loyal commitment. We don't stop in defining community as just our north Dallas marketplace. Our community extends to the stylist community beyond our local area. Whether they interact with us on social media (we're some big followers ourselves) or we participate in or lead a class with them in attendance, we love these professional, creative, individuals and are believers in supporting vs. undercutting… frankly, there's more than enough to go around and we want to be demonstrated leaders in being supportive and respectful of each other.
Art: Each of us are artists at heart. We don't just "do hair", but rather, we create works of art, otherwise known as our awesome clientele. We like going one step further and as such are a working art gallery supporting our local artist community here in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. We rotate the art on our walls periodically, to promote each artist. All art is for sale, and we love the fresh look this gives our space and the inspiration our team gets from the beauty around them.
Music: We. Love. Music. It started when salon owner Katie Tellor went to her first NKOTB concert when she was 8. We get high praise for our secret playlists and consider our sound to be an extension of our brand.
Originality, always: We love being different. We love surprising. We love breaking new ground. We're not the biggest, and haven't been around the longest, but here's what we do have. Originals. We celebrate each of the original works of art—not the ones on our walls, although those are pretty spectacular—but, the people behind the chairs. You'll notice it in our online presence…check out how we talk about them on our bios page at abstrakt.studio.com/bios and you'll notice, we're not your run of the mill joint. And we're more than ok with that.
What inspired you to work in this business?
There are so many reasons why at an early age I wanted to make this a career. I could see the business potential, and knew a couple of things about myself that would make it lucrative for me. First, my work ethic. I knew that if I could leverage that and create my own destiny I would be successful. And, now, with social media, that potential is truly unlimited. Second, from the first time I stepped into the Aveda Institute where I went to school, I knew that was it. I've seen what a good education can do it has inspired me to keep learning, every day, and support others in their educational process as well.
Why did you choose IN?
I was trained and educated at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis, so I have a special place in my heart and my professional beliefs tied to Horst Rechelbacher. When he started Intelligent Nutrients he applied everything he learned in the creation of Aveda and combined it with his vision for how we treat our planet. This is something that is really important to me and I'm proud to showcase this product line in the salon. Several of the Abstraktors are also Aveda-trained, and this product line was one of the key reasons why they joined our squad. Intelligent Nutrients has a strong presence in the northern part of the country, and I'm excited to bring the product line to Frisco.
What is your favorite memory of working in a salon?
"In my 10+ years of salon experience, my favorite moments land in the first week Abstra(kt) Studio was open! I never could have imagined how quickly we would gel (no pun intended) as a hair family. The trouble-shooting, starting everything fresh and new, the, "Where's the _____?" moments. I truly feel grateful to be a part of such a talented group of people!" – Emily A.
What is your most hilarious/embarrassing hair moment?
"My most embarrassing moment came teaching a two-day class at the Aveda Institute on perming. All the students thrilled because I was teaching a few alternative wrap methods, and they couldn't wait to get to the hands-on portion. With my sister as my model, (Aveda had just come out with a perm that you can use under heat) I wrapped her beautiful red hair, put on the perm solution and placed her under the dryer. After 5 minutes under the heat, the big reveal. Voila! Bright yellow hair. I panicked and quickly rinsed the perm solution out of her hair, only to find that with the over-processing her hair was breaking off on the perm rods. The end result was a very short cut. My embarrassment turned into a great teaching moment. Always do a proper consultation; especially if it might be the last perm you ever do!" – Holly W.
What is your favorite hairstyle to create and what IN products do you use in creating it?
"I love creating loose beach waves, starting with a leave-in Conditioner. It gives me just enough slip in my blowouts to help create the curl I desire. After I finish curling the hair, I love to add in the Matte Texture Paste to give it a lot of texture and an effortless look." – Cerah C.
What is your favorite IN product and why?
"I LOVE the Volumizing Spray! It gives just enough hold and lots of volume and works so well with round brush work. It is so versatile—perfect for my clients with fine hair because it doesn't add any weight, and works just as well for dense hair because you still get lots of lift—I can use it on all of my clients." – Kathy M.
"It's too hard to pick just one! I'm really liking the Styling Gel for blowouts. It gives just enough texture for fine hair to create a lot of volume, and helps control frizz. In a climate where we can go from humid to dry from day to day this is a plus. I'm also very impressed with the Hair & Scalp Treatment Remedy. I've used it on several clients and it gives immediate relief to dry, itchy scalp—perfect for the winter months!" – Betty C.
"I love the Matte Texture Paste. It's great for every guy, which says so much—products have a different meaning for them—they are so particular! I also love the Destress Express line. I was so excited to join a salon with Intelligent Nutrients as its product line as I'm a big fan of plant-based products. I use it to start off my haircuts. The smell relaxes every client!" – Erin S.
"I have my own special combos I've created to come up with the perfect blowout scenario. You've heard the expression, "Don't mess with Texas?" That may have come from a woman getting her hair done in Dallas. I love the Styling Gel, but here's my tip: I mix it with the Shine Spray for fine hair, and the Straight Hair Serum for thinker hair." – Angie S.
Abstra(kt) Studio
6950 Lebanon Rd., Suite 101, Frisco TX 75034
(972) 704-3421


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Why Expectations Matter and What to Do About It
Do you have high expectations?
When you've been faced with a difficult situation or taken on a big challenge in the past, have you ever been given the advice "just think positive" or "just think how great it will feel" once you've accomplished your goal. As I've discussed in a previous post, positive thinking can actually work against you if all you do is fantasize about how great it will be to have your desired outcome. Instead, you need to have a realistic, balanced view of what success looks like and the obstacles that could prevent making that outcome a reality. But there's another piece of the puzzle that plays a vital role in determining your level of motivation, and therefore your ability to achieve your desired outcome. That missing piece is your expectations of whether you can and will achieve the goal.
Research by Professors Gabriele Oettingen, Ph.D. of New York University and Doris Mayer, Ph.D. of the University of Hamburg found that positive expectations predict higher effort and successful performance, which means they enable the motivation that produces those efforts. The opposite is true for positive fantasies, which lead to lower motivation and less success than negative fantasies. I discussed why that happens in my previous post. Thinking about a desired outcome and then the reality of what could realistically prevent you from achieving it (known as mental contrasting) can sometimes motivate you to take action to address the discrepancy between the two. But it doesn't always work that way, which is where expectations come into play.
When do expectations matter?
Expectations are "activated" only when you create that mental discrepancy between the desired outcome and your current situation and you believe you have a high probability of success. If you believe that your probability of success is low, you tend to disengage from the desired outcome, reducing your motivation to do anything that will attempt to move you toward your stated goal. This makes sense because, no matter how badly you may want something, if you know it's completely unrealistic for you to achieve or acquire it, you won't even waste your time and energy trying.
There are two primary reasons for this behavior. The first is purely an instinctive, energy-conservation reaction. Your brain naturally tries to preserve your body's limited resources for situations where they are truly needed. If it believes that your energy would be wasted by pursuing that goal, it won't mobilize the physiological and psychological resources to move you in that direction.
The second reason is social. As I've discussed in other posts, human beings are strongly influenced by the opinions, behaviors and expectations of other people.
Social Proof – What Are Your Neighbors Lying About?
Social Proof – Should You Drive After A Public Suicide?
Pluralistic Ignorance – Why Crowds Make You Stupid
Your brain is hard wired to submit to social norms and to avoid anything that may result in being rejected by your "tribe", which it essentially equates to a death sentence. So your brain will resist the pursuit of any goal that it knows is a losing proposition because that means not only a waste of precious resources, but the potential for social ridicule.
When you look at it from an extreme, black-and-white perspective like this, it's very easy to see how expectations would influence your motivation. Where it gets much more gray and, consequently, difficult to predict is when you're less sure of your confidence level. Or even worse, when your confidence is high at a conscious level, but you have something that subconsciously resists pursuit of your goal.
Does this really apply to me?
This study isn't the only one to arrive at this conclusion, either. Professors Albert Bandura, Ph.D. of Stanford University and Edwin A. Locke, Ph.D. of the University of Maryland published a review of the scientific literature on the topic in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
Albert Bandura
Edwin A. Locke
They performed nine large-scale meta-analyses of research covering a diverse range of contexts, in both laboratory and field settings.
Note About Meta-analyses
A meta-analysis is a statistical method that combines the results from multiple studies. There are a variety of reasons meta-analyses are performed, but some of the primary ones are to identify general trends that apply to different contexts and population groups, to resolve uncertainty when studies disagree, and to minimize the effect that a bias in any one study will have on the broader conclusions.
Drs. Bandura and Locke's analysis found "converging evidence" that self efficacy contributes significantly to a person's motivation and the resulting level of effort expended.
Note About Self-efficacy
Self efficacy is a term for your general belief in your ability to bring about things or changes in your life that you desire.
One somewhat surprising conclusion of this review is that self-efficacy has an even stronger effect on your actions than your past performance does. So, even if you haven't always had success on something in the past, if you genuinely believe in your capacity to make it happen, your motivation to keep trying will not be dampened significantly.
It's important to note, however, that expectations for success do not necessarily mean that you currently possess the skills or abilities necessary to achieve the goal. It simply means that you believe you will be able to figure it out as you go and, just as importantly, sustain the energy, focus and positive outlook to make it through the challenges you will undoubtedly encounter along the way.
...but that's not all
Your expectations can be influenced by other people, like when you witness someone doing and achieving the thing you aspire to. It makes the possibility of your success seem much more tangible and realistic. They can also be influenced by people with experience or perceived authority on the topic or whom you trust. Have you ever watched an informercial or sales video online for a new fitness program or work-from-home business? You've probably noticed that they focus heavily on two things: building authority by showing you their "credentials" (i.e. the results they've been able to get) and examples of other "regular people" who have had success using their program.
The research shows that this boost in expectations is short-lived, though, which is part of the reason those videos push so hard to get you to buy now. They use all kinds of incentives and scarcity tactics to take advantage of your temporary belief that it is possible to get those six pack abs or to double your income while working from home. Once that high wears off, however, and the reality of doing the actual work kicks in, you're left with the strongest determinant of your motivation: whether or not you genuinely believe it's possible to accomplish. If you don't, you can't significantly change that belief, at least not quickly.
So what can I do about it?
You may be able to shift your expectations slightly by educating yourself about what it takes to be successful. But the only way to change it significantly is to overcome whatever you think is currently preventing your success. Changing that belief may be as simple as developing a skill that you don't currently possess. But it could also mean overcoming limiting beliefs that stem from your childhood. As such, the amount of time it takes can vary dramatically. Ultimately, you need to decide how important your goal is to you and whether it's worth the investment of time and energy it will take just to get to a point where you believe you can start working toward the goal.
Assuming you don't have some kind of limiting belief that makes your goal a non-starter, what should you do? You need to think about how realistic it is that you will be able to commit to and do the things that are necessary, and whether those actions will ultimately produce the desired result. High expectations of success lead to strong performance, and strong performance leads to high expectations of success. It's a self-perpetuating cycle, but it relies on you genuinely believing that you are capable of accomplishing your desired outcome.
So the key take away from the research discussed in my previous post and this one is that there are three components that all support and interact with each other to improve your motivation. Those components are to:
- Clearly visualize your goal and define success
- Evaluate your current situation and the obstacles that you are likely to face
- Make an honest assessment of your expectations that you will succeed
When you have a goal or desired outcome that's important to you, if you follow this process, you will greatly increase the likelihood that you will develop and sustain the motivation necessary to make it happen.
If you liked this post or know someone who could benefit from it, please share it with them.


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On God and Dogs, by Stephen H. Webb
By Stephen H. Webb, On God and Dogs: A Christian Theology of Compassion. (Oxford University, 222 pp.)
I hoped this book would help me resolve two animal issues that have been plaguing me: the decision to "put to sleep" our old and ailing dog, and our town's rampant deer population. I found much more than I had hoped for.
Stephen Webb presents a powerful and persuasive vision of God's peaceable kingdom, in which humans and animals live together in harmony. He challenges our tendency to dismiss animal concerns; he critiques our present animal rights discourse as inadequate to describe God's creation; and he presents an alternative story of gift and grace. This is less an ethical handbook on animal care than an outrageously faithful proclamation of the gospel: God's loving gift of creation is good, and harmony will prevail, despite the fall; Christ's death and resurrection redeem all creation from sin, suffering and death. These are truths worth living by.
Living in hope of the coming kingdom means working toward that kingdom's harmony. Our relationships with pets allow us to experience the excess of God's love, to respond with care, and to catch a glimpse of that which is beyond our own limitations. Therefore, according to Webb, "To pet a dog is not such a bad way to practice theology."
Rather than trying to adjust traditional readings of the Bible and theology to accommodate animal rights concerns or to dilute concerns about animals to fit traditional interpretations and teachings, Webb begins with his experience of grace through animal companionship. He explores the mystery of "our graceful relationship with companion animals, a relationship that is, significantly, linguistically constructed, so that what we say about our pet animals shapes what we actually do with them."
Along the way, Webb engages such thinkers as Stanley Hauerwas and John Berkman on a biblical foundation for animal welfare; Andrew Linzey on a theology of animal rights; Carol Adams on animals, feminism and rhetoric; Vicki Hearne on training; and Karl Barth on self-righteousness in regard to vegetarianism. He portrays the Hebrew Bible's presentation of animals as respectful and caring, and acknowledges the paucity of animal references in the New Testament. Webb extends Paul's end-time theology, including all of creation in the conviction that how we interact with each other matters.
Webb understands the Eucharist not as "a commemoration of animal slaughter" but as the last sacrifice, in which Jesus overcomes suffering, pain and death for all who suffer and die, including animals. "If the Eucharist is a messianic banquet, and if the eschaton means total harmony, then the Eucharistic anticipation of the end time simply must be vegetarian," Webb states.
Webb writes about his appreciation for the genre of animal fiction, his understanding of the significance of the incarnation for animals, his thoughts on animal afterlife, and his guidelines for making sense of nature. His book sparks the imagination, shifts the reader's perspective, and sets the stage for the Good News, so that we are better prepared to work through the specific responsibilities of our relationships with animals and each other.


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Dow's specialty films business has over 50 years of expertise in providing film solutions used in medical, packaging and industrial markets and specializes in the production of blown oriented polystyrene films and co-extruded multilayer barrier and polyolefin films for global customers, through manufacturing facilities in Hebron, OH, and Drusenheim, France. The business is an industry pioneer for many medical and packaging applications and is considered the leading global producer of high-value and technically complex medical films for ostomy bags. In packaging and industrial segments, Specialty Films enjoys strong brand recognition with SARANEX™ Barrier Films, PROCITE™ Films and OPTICITE™ Films across many applications including beverage closure liners, ostomy appliances, window envelope films, labels and protective fabrics.
"Dow's film technologies, market focus and geographic presence support accelerated growth and global expansion in Transilwrap's strategic market segments including healthcare and packaging." said Andy J. Brewer, President & CEO of Transilwrap. "Dow's specialty films business is well regarded in the industry for strong technical expertise and globally recognized brands associated with quality, reliability and leadership and we look forward to working with their existing management team to drive new business opportunities forward."
"We are excited for the new opportunities that this acquisition will bring," said Spyro Petsalis, Global Business Director for Dow's Specialty Films business. "Transilwrap's complementary products, capabilities and extensive geographic foot print will allow us to offer customers additional solutions with an enhanced service platform, while renewed investment and focus will allow for continued innovation to fuel future growth."
In November 2013, The Jordan Co., in partnership with the existing management team, acquired Transilwrap as a platform to build a leading global specialty films company. Dow's Specialty Films business represents a meaningful acquisition under Jordan's ownership as it supports accelerated growth and global expansion in Transilwrap's strategic market segments. Dow's specialty films' facilities and employees will continue to operate as they do today as part of Transilwrap Co., Inc.
About Transilwrap
Transilwrap is the premier value-added manufacturer, converter and distributor of specialty film products, customizing plastic film structures to provide customers with film materials that meet the needs of each market application. Transilwrap provides specialized manufacturing and converting services including liquid and extrusion coating, sheet extrusion, specialized compounding and a wide-range of precision converting including slitting, sheeting, embossing, perforating, magnetic striping, security and specialty printing. Transilwrap serves a diverse customer base for a wide range of end markets including Packaging, Industrial, Security ID, Healthcare and Display Advertising. Transilwrap is headquartered in Franklin Park, IL, and operates 10 manufacturing and converting facilities throughout North America and three in Europe. More info: www.transilwrap.com


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Dear honeyandvinegar
I've managed to write a little something for you. Hope you like ... though it's just the first chapter of the story. I promise, I will try to write more as soon as possible ;)
Title: Car-Stealing (1/2)
Fandom: Zeke & Casey
Rating: R
Disclaimer: of course, not mine
Author's notes: remember this post aliensouldream made some time ago? I always thought it makes a good premise for a new story ;)
Monday. School was almost over. Still a double lesson biology left. As much as Casey hated mondays, biology was like a bright spot for him since three weeks. Mondays meant to go back to school, back to the Jocks who always seemed to come back with new ideas to bully him after every weekend. Today he had managed well to stay out of their way, apart from this little incident with Gabe during Lunch. And now the day was almost over.
Casey dropped down onto his chair and put his books onto the table. The place beside him was still empty. Which didn't make him wonder. Zeke was always late ... and sometimes he didn't even bother to show up at all.
Zeke Tyler. The 'bad boy' at school. The reason why Casey liked biology. Since Mr. Furlong three weeks ago had asked Zeke to sit down beside Casey and not at his usual spot in the back row of the class he shared a lab table with him. Not that they did talk much. Not to mention the team work. Casey did what he always did - he worked quick and thoroughly. Zeke just smirked, pulled out his books and started to do small caricatures of the teachers or the other students. Or to read the secret notes he always got. Notes with painted hearts and lipstick kisses from the girls. Notes with only a few incoherent words from the guys.
It was obvious what the girls wanted from him - a date - even if it would be only for one night. Everyone knew it: Zeke Tyler didn't like serious relationships. The boys ... Casey was not sure about them. Zeke made his dealings. He sold them whatever they wanted: booze, porn, home-made drugs. But there were rumors that there was even more between Zeke and one of the guys ... of course, no one would dare to call Zeke 'gay' 'queer' or even 'a fucking fag' ... like they did to him ... but it was possible ... Everything was possible.
Zeke was so unfathomable. As much as everyone admired and respected him, Casey was not sure if he really gave a shit about it. He only seemed to use everyone, he took all the money and the kisses, but there was no one he really cared about.
Mr. Furlong tore him out of his thoughts when he entered the classroom, closely followed by Zeke.
"Oh, Mr. Tyler, nice to see you here," said Mr. Furlong and smiled slightly.
"Would you do me the favour and sit down now, so that we can start with our lesson? Wednesday we've talked about amino acids. Today ... "
It was the same as ever. Mr. Furlong talked about proteins and enzymes and how it worked together. As always he tried to make a little joke now and then because he knew it was not the most interesting stuff. He was a nice guy, though Casey was sure, most of his classmates didn't care in the slightest. They learned this stuff by rote, just to get through the next test but they would have forgotten most of it at the end of the year.
"And now lets have a look at this formula," the teacher told the class and reached for a piece of green chalk.
"Who can mark the most important part of it? Simon? Come on up here, please."
When Simon took the chalk and marked a part of the formula Zeke groaned loud.
"Geez! What a dumbhead!"
Casey glanced at the scribbling in his book - a half finished caricature of Mr. Furlong - a good one that made him almost giggle. But as uninterested as Zeke always acted, he knew more than most of the others in class. Casey was sure he could go to the black board and mark the right part without hesitation. He could get a straight A in every test. He could be one of best in class. If he only ...
Mr. Furlong couldn't finish his anew explanations about the formula because of a sharp knock at the door before it was opened. Everyone looked up from their books, the interruption was welcome. Mrs. Johnson, the schools principal entered the room, followed by two unknown men. She looked tense when she turned to Mr. Furlong and talked to him shortly. He nodded.
"I understand," he murmured.
"Zeke ..."
Zeke looked up and his eyes met the two men beside principal Johnson. He smirked.
"Oh, Officer Bennett! Nice to see you. So, what is it this time?"
Officer? Casey frowned. These two men were police officer? And they wanted to talk with Zeke? What could be so important that it couldn't wait until after school?
"We need to talk, Zeke," the man answered.
"Let's go into Mrs. Johnson's office!"
Zeke leant back into his chair and stretched both arms up into the air. He didn't bother to stand up.
"I've nothing to hide. So, talk here!"
The second man looked annoyed.
"This is no fun, Mr. Tyler. Not anymore. You've gone too far. This time there will be serious consequences."
Casey knew that everyone was staring at their lab table now and though he had done nothing wrong, his hands suddenly felt clammy. Only Zeke was not nervous in the slightest. He looked highly amused.
"Consequences, huh," he mocked.
"Like the last time when you tried to arrest me because I helped a friend out with a few Advil?"
"Zeke," the first man, Officer Bennett, said.
"Don't be like that! I know, you're not a bad guy. But this time you've crossed the line. What the heck is gotten into you? How could you steal a car? You didn't even need one."
For one moment the world seemed to stop to run around. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop at class, only one girl from the back row was giggling nervously. It was Zeke who found his words again first.
"What kind of car? I hope it was worth it!"
"You can play dumb, I know you like doing this. But we will supply evidence this time. You were spotted near Miller's Garage last Wednesday afternoon. At the same time someone broke down the gate to the yard, destroyed half of the garage with blind rage and finally drove away with an almost brand-new Audi," said the second officer sharply.
"You don't need to say anything, Mr. Tyler, we already know enough. This time you will not get off cheaply."
Casey swallowed. It was evident that the man was more than pleased with all this. As if he had waited for such an opportunity all too long. He dared a quick glance at Zeke. He didn't act as if he was guilty. But ... he never did, right? Even if he got caught red-handed at school ... because he was smoking at the parking lot, cheating at a test or handling whatever sort of business ... even if he got detention or suspension for some days ... he always came back with the same 'I give a shit-grin' onto his face as if nothing had happened.
"Well, I guess, we should go to the police house now," Officer Bennett stepped in once again.
"This is nothing we should discuss at school."
Zeke shook his head and grinned.
"Am I arrested?"
But Officer Bennett stayed serious.
"Zeke, really, this is not a monkey shine. Maybe you should call your parents ... I guess, you could need some help this time."
Zeke stiffened, Casey could feel it, and snorted slightly.
"Yeah, sure!"
Finally he got up and started to threw his books into his backpack.
"They will jump into the next airplane and fly in in an instant. Pfft. No, thanks! I don't need their fucking help.
Okay, I'm ready. We can go now!"
Officer Bennett still looked concerned, but Zeke already turned to the door, the second officer close behind him, as if he was afraid that Zeke suddenly would take his heels and run. Casey almost wished he would. His heart was in his mouth. Why did no one step in? Mr. Furlong. The principal. Someone needed to help Zeke. They were going to put him into prison, Casey was sure of this.
"Mr. Furlong?"
The teacher turned round.
"Yes, Casey?"
He took a deep breath. This was stupid. What was he going to do? But it was too late, there was no holding him back anymore.
"Zeke didn't steal the car. He was not even near to the garage!"
Mr. Furlong raised an eyebrow and looked at him surprised. Zeke and both police officer turned back to him too. Officer Bennett looked curious, but the other one was outright glaring at him with dark eyes. It made him shiver and almost regretting what he had done.
"What do you mean, Casey?"
Principal Johnson sounded as calm as ever.
"What do you know?"
Casey swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in his throat.
"Zeke ... he's not guilty. He can't be! It happened last Wednesday, right? But last Wednesday Zeke was ... he was together with me.
We worked for school. Math. We had a test next day and Zeke ... he asked me to help him."
He could feel it how everyone was staring at him now. And he refused to look up, preferred to stare at the lab table in front of him. He knew it anyway. Mr. Furlong would look at him sceptical. The officers would be confused ... almost furious, at least the second one of them ... because he just had given Zeke an alibi. And the other students ... oh yes, this would be the number one topic of conversation for the next few weeks. Zeke ... and Casey. Zeke Tyler, the most wanted boy from school and Casey Connor, the town's greatest geek. Zeke ... no ... he would not start to think about him now. Anyway ... Zeke would probably kill him!
"I guess there is someone who can prove this true?"
The voice of the officer was sharp. And Casey started to feel annoyed. What gave him the right to suggest that Casey was not telling the truth? Finally he looked up, with defiantly sparkling eyes.
"No! We didn't want to be seen together. So we met at my house. My dad has a computer and I can use it for my homework. We didn't even need to go to the library."
"Your dad was at home?"
"Of course not. He was at work and so was my mom. We were alone."
"Alone, huh? That's interesting. So you could leave the house whenever you wanted for a little trip. Like ... to go to Miller's Garage and ... Do you own a car, Casey?"
Casey's eyes widened when he realized what the officer tried to imply. But before he found his words again, Mr. Furlong stepped in.
"Now officers, I think, we should finish this conversation here. Casey isn't even legal. He should not talk to you without his parents any more."
It looked as if the officer wanted to protest, but Officer Bennett nodded quickly.
"Yes, that's right. Casey, I just need to beg you, to come to the police house as soon as possible, together with one of your parents. We need to record your information."
He smiled at him reassuring when Casey murmured: "Yeah, okay."
"Don't worry. As long as you tell us the truth there is nothing you have to be afraid of.
Zeke, let's go now! There are still some things we need to solve."
Suddenly Casey's knees felt like jelly and he needed to look for hold at the lab table. His eyes met Zeke's who stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"You are such a stupid dumbhead," he hissed before he followed the two officers out of the classroom.
His dad had been shocked when he got the call that Casey was released from school for today because he had to show up at the police station. Principal Johnson tried her best reassure him that Casey has done nothing wrong.
"It's great how much he cared about others," she said.
"I guess it's not always easy to deal with Zeke. And how he stood up for him today ... you can be proud of him!"
But all this had not calmed his dad down much. In silence they drove to the police office and on their way back home, he had told him, that Casey would be grounded for indefinite time.
"And no matter what Mrs. Johnson says, I don't want you to help this boy again. He definitely has a bad influence on you. You never did lie to us before. Do you understand me, Casey? I don't want to see you even talking with this boy again!"
All Casey had done was to shrug with his shoulders.
He knew, it would be easy to keep this promise. He just needed to think of Zeke's killing look.
Part 2


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Hearst Sells 'Cycle World'
Motorcycle title goes to Bonnier
Hearst Corp. has completed the sale of Cycle World to Bonnier Corp. Cycle World is a small title for motorcycle buffs that Hearst inherited, along with Elle, Car and Driver, and Road & Track, when it acquired Hachette Filipacchi Media earlier this year.
At the time, there was external speculation that Hearst might also spin off the two auto titles. Instead, the company has signaled that it plans to use them to build out its male-targeted business. With a circulation of 242,341, the monthly Cycle World was unlikely to contribute much to a company that's focused on mass-reach magazines like Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan, however.
At the acquiring company Bonnier, Cycle World will be part of a portfolio of more than 50 other special-interest brands. Cycle World will become part of Bonnier's Outdoor Group, which is led by group publisher Eric Zinczenko. Bonnier said the title's current staff would remain in place.


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Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has recently approved the third phase of a project on the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Quang Binh province, which is being funded by the German Government through non-refundable official development assistance of €2 million ($2.13 million).
The Quang Binh Provincial People's Committee is responsible for reciprocal funding of €175,000 ($186,060). The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2016 and will apply conservation experience to the policy making of local management agencies.
The project will facilitate the construction and implementation of information systems and the managing and monitoring of changes in biodiversity to help implement management and protection of the forest in an effective manner.
New models for improving livelihoods and conserving biodiversity in the buffer zones of the National Park will also be carried out with support of agricultural promotion networks and which highlight the role of women and ethnic minority groups.
Solutions for strengthening cooperation between Phong Nha-Ke Bang and the Hin Nam No Protected Area will be identified, while human and financial resources will be supplemented to improve information exchange to minimize the dangers to important natural resources in both areas.
The Prime Minister also asked the Provincial People's Committee to carry out the project in accordance with existing regulations and to take responsibility for allocating sufficient reciprocal funds to ensure the project's progress.
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was recognized as a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. It received its second UNESCO recognition on July 3 this year.


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In 1967, Ken Smith's Buffalo River Country introduced the general public to the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas. The book is richly illustrated with photos and drawings and is divided into three sections: the river, the land, and Smith's vision for protecting the river. Throughout the several printings of the book, Smith provided updates on the status of the proposed legislation to keep the river undammed and free-flowing—legislation which, in 1972, established the river as the Buffalo National River—the first National river in the U.S.
The Buffalo River Country, Kenneth L. Smith
Softbound, 176 pages, 8½ x 11. ISBN 0-912456-02-7
Additional information
|1.5 lbs
|8.5 × 11 in


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Chick peas (soaked overnight) – 2 cups
Potatoes (medium sized) – 2 nos.
Gram flour – 10 gms.
Chilli powder – 1/2 tspn.
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tspn.
Coriander and cumin powder – 1/2 tspn.
Tamarind – 10 gms.
Asafoetida – pinch
Green chillies - 3 – 4 nos.
Ginger – 1/2″ piece
Oil – 2 tblspn.
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 1/4 bunch
Salt - to taste
1. Soak the chick peas in water overnight in sufficient water as the chick peas grow in size after soaking them.
2. Make a bouquet garni- in a white muslin cloth, place 2 cloves, 1/2 inch dalchini, 2 cardamoms, 1 tsp. loose tea or one tea bag and 2 peppercorns. Gather the cloth and close its mouth so that these ingredients don't fall out.
3. Pressure cook the chick peas and the chopped potatoes with the bouquet garni and some salt.Pressure cook to 2-3 whistles or till the chick peas become tender. Keep the cooked chick peas aside and retain the water in which it is cooked.
4. Take a pan, add oil to it and place it on a slow flame. Then add asafoetida, keep on stirring it while adding gram flour. Stir it till it changes color to become light brown. Then add chillies, ginger, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander and jeera powder.
5. Squash the tamarind soaked in water with your fingers so that the pulp gets dissolved in water. Strain this mixture and pour it in the above pan.
6. Now add the cooked channa with the retained water to the pan. Add little salt and mix it well. If required add a cup of water to it. Adjust the seasonings if required.
7. Let this mixture simmer for 15-20 minutes till the gravy becomes thick. Mash the channa a little with the kevai ( round spoon).
8. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
1. Finely chopped mint leaves can also be added to the channa in the last boil to add flavor.
2. Half a teaspoon of jaggery can also be added to the gravy to give it a tangy taste.
To Serve:
Channa can be eaten with Chokha for lunch. It can be served with Puri or Phulko for dinner.


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I have always felt a special connection with animals, and dogs have always held a special place in my heart. I have grown up with dogs my whole life and I can honestly say there has never been a time when dogs were not a part of my family.
In a way I have been a dog walker my whole life! What can I say, I love dogs! I love the way they tilt their heads when you are telling them a story; I love how they shake with excitement when you come to their house; I love how they remember you and look forward to your return; and finally I love knowing that I am helping them stay happy and healthy by providing the exercise and socialization they truly need in a safe environment. Simply put, I love walking dogs!
I graduated Cum Laude from Tulane University with a degree in Marketing and Psychology. After graduation I worked as a marketing executive for a leading software sales company. I then switched careers and worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative at one of the most prominent pharmaceutical companies. Even though I was financially successful at these "corporate" jobs, I always felt empty and unfulfilled. I missed my dog, Newton, and couldn't wait to come home and whisk him off to the park.
My family, seeing how I would light up around dogs, knew I had a special way with animals. They were amazed at the way dogs gravitated to me and encouraged me to follow my dreams and become a dog walker. My friends, witnessing my dedication to Newton, began to ask me to include their dogs during my daily visits to the park. Word soon spread and after several requests and at the urging of several friends, I left corporate America to open "Wags 4 Walks!". I am now a full time dog walker and have found my calling!
I hope you will allow me the privilege to walk your dog when you are not able to do so. I promise to treat each pet as if they were my own and to provide them with a safe environment to romp around and wag their tail! Remember, it's their walk and they can wag if they want to!! – Kimberly Katz, Founder


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10 Signs You're Pregnant That You Will Probably Miss
If you're trying to get pregnant and it's taking a bit longer than you'd like, you're probably looking for any and every sign — no matter how obvious or subtle — that you might finally be pregnant. In that case, you might over-think things a bit, willing little things into major signs that things are going the way you so badly wish they would. If you're not actively trying to get pregnant, however, you're likely not examining the signs as closely, and, in that case, there are some signs you're pregnant that you will probably miss.
Some very early pregnancy symptoms can mimic PMS symptoms, which can complicate matters. Are you really pregnant? Or are you just about to get your period? That's a letdown if there ever was one for women trying to conceive and honestly seems a little cruel. But it's the hormonal changes happening in your body (in both instances) which lead to some of these signs and symptoms.
Whether you're ardently hoping to spot the earliest possible sign that you might be pregnant or are satisfied just knowing with time, there might be signs that are evident sooner than you think and that — if you don't know what to look for — you'll probably not even realize are signs that you just might be pregnant.
1. Sore Breasts
If you've ever experienced breast soreness along with your other hellish PMS symptoms, you know that it's not something that's solely reserved for pregnancy, which means you might not realize that this time, the pain is pointing to pregnancy, not your period. OB-GYN Dr. Michele Justice told The Bump that the difference between PMS breast soreness and pregnancy breast soreness is that with PMS, breast soreness goes away, while with pregnancy, it sticks around. If you seem to be experiencing breast tenderness for longer than usual, it could mean that there's a baby on the way.
2. Spotting And Cramping
Spotting or cramping between periods (or anytime things are different than they normally are) can be stressful because you aren't quite sure what's going on. According to WebMD, you can experience spotting and cramping between six to 12 days after the egg is fertilized. The pain and slight bleeding is associated with the implantation of the embryo and mimic what you can experience leading up to your period, which can make it hard to discern that it's actually a pregnancy symptom instead.
3. Nausea
Because your hormones can change suddenly after you become pregnant, you might feel a little nauseous right away without knowing why. Dr. Maria Sophocles, a gynecologist and the medical director at Women's Healthcare of Princeton, told Cosmopolitan that human chorionic gonadotropin is the hormone responsible for the nausea in early-pregnancy. Whether it's confined to the morning hours or lingers all day, nausea can be a sign that you're pregnant. If it lasts longer than a typical case of food poisoning or a stomach bug, it might be worth checking out.
4. Moodiness
Yet another pregnancy sign that mirrors what you experience when PMSing. According to Healthline, the way to tell if your moodiness has to do with PMS or if it might be indicating pregnancy is that during pregnancy, your mood swings last (in many times, for the full length of the pregnancy). If you seem to be more emotional and can't seem to shake it, it might not be your period — or lifestyle stress — after all.
5. Headaches
If you're prone to headaches, your first thought will definitely not be that you might be pregnant whenever you get one, but it could be signaling just that. Dr. Mary Rosser, the division director of general obstetrics and gynecology at Montefiore Medical Center, told Redbook that you might get headaches as soon as a week after getting pregnant. Like most other pregnancy symptoms, a spike in frequency of headaches is because of your changing hormone levels. If there are other reasons you might be getting more headaches (work stress, anyone?), pregnancy will be the furthest thing from your mind.
6. You Always Have To Pee
Notice that you have to swing by the ladies' room more often than usual? It could be a sign that there's a bun in the oven. According to another Healthline article, you might notice more frequent urination four to six weeks into your pregnancy. If you can't sleep through the night any longer without getting up to go to the bathroom, even if you didn't drink a lot before bed, it could be a sign that you need to take a pregnancy test.
7. Constipation
Constipation can happen for lots of different reasons, but it's not uncommon when you're pregnant. An increase in progesterone is to blame, according to the aforementioned article from WebMD. If you eat a healthy diet, drink lots of water, exercise, and aren't on any medication that might make you constipated, it could be a very subtle signal that you're pregnant.
8. Your Nails Are Growing Faster
I'm not sure about you, but I don't really have a good handle on exactly how long it takes for my nails to grow. Sometimes they seem to grow faster and sometimes it takes awhile, but if you notice yours seem to be picking up speed, it could be because you're pregnant. Dr. Irina Burd, both an OB and maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Johns Hopkins, told Fit Pregnancy's website, "Faster nail growth may been seen before a positive pregnancy test." Maybe it's time to pay a little bit closer attention to that kind of thing.
9. Dizziness
All of sudden find that a hearty breakfast is absolutely essential after years of being a coffee-only kind of gal? Rosser told Redbook in the previously-mentioned article that some women experience a sort of nauseated lightheadedness very early into their pregnancy because their body is demanding more calories than they might be used to. Sure, there are a number of reasons why you might all of a sudden wake up wanting breakfast, but if it's extreme and consisten, you might want to talk to your doctor.
10. Vaginal Discharge
There are lots of reasons why you may notice a bit of vaginal discharge, ranging from completely benign to serious and alarming, but it can also be an early sign that you're pregnant. Milky white discharge can indicate pregnancy, as WebMD noted in the previously-mentioned article. This is due to the thickening of your vaginal walls, which begins to happen right after you get pregnant. It's subtle, it's so easy to miss.
Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:
Watch full episodes of Romper's Doula Diaries on Facebook Watch.


text: Johanna Adorjan, author of An Exclusive Love, was born in Stockholm and now lives in Berlin. She is an editor of the culture section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, and also writes theater and screenplay works. Peter von Felbert hide caption toggle caption Peter von Felbert Review Book Reviews After They're Gone, Understanding An 'Exclusive Love' February 16, 2011 Translated from German, Johanna Adorjan's An Exclusive Love reconstructs the day of her grandparents' joint suicide. Adorjan wonders what led the two Holocaust survivors to take their own lives together after years of marriage.


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This story really got me thinking about how desperate people are to find a way to lose weight but still be able to eat as much as they want.
Pepsi has introduced a drink in Japan that is specifically designed to help the population of Japan lose weight. The Japanese government has officially labeled it as a "food for specified health uses."
The drink is called, "Pepsi Special" and will have an ingredient in it called dextrin, which apparently prevents fat from being absorbed by your body.
If this makes it to New York, Bloomberg should let you get a big gulp size.


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The 12-hour national strike in Venezuela succeeded in virtually paralyzing the South American nation in protest over President Hugo Chavez' policies. But the populist leader does not appear ready to back down, opening up the prospect for further strikes and unrest. .
Monday's strike shut down 90 percent of Venezuela's businesses, leaving the capital and other major cities almost deserted. The country's largest business association, Fedecamaras, was joined by opposition-led labor unions, professional associations, and other groups.
The cause of the strike is a series of economic laws decreed by President Chavez last month which will affect vital areas of the economy ranging from agriculture to the petroleum industry. Mr. Chavez says the measures - like the Land Reform Law which allows for land redistribution - will promote economic growth, while redressing decades of social injustice. But Fedecamaras and its allies say the laws undermine free enterprise and violate the concept of private property.
On Monday in the midst of the national shutdown, the Venezuelan leader vowed to carry out the laws despite opposition. He said what he called his peaceful and democratic revolution will not be stopped. He says, let those who want to see and hear, and those who do not, know that this revolution will not be reversed. Mr. Chavez went on to warn his political opponents against trying to stop him, saying he will buy a pair of pliers to, as he put it, tighten the screws against his opponents.
Fedecamaras President Pedro Carmona, who led the successful strike, deplored Mr. Chavez' rhetoric and hard line. Speaking on local television Tuesday, Mr. Carmona said it is now up to the Congress, which is controlled by the President's party, and the Supreme Court to modify the President's laws. He says, these institutions need to play a historic role, and correct the negative posture by the executive. He went on to describe Mr. Chavez' reaction as irrational.
If this does not happen, Venezuela may face further strikes and unrest. Political analyst Eric Ekvall says Mr. Chavez may have put himself into a box. "Chavez has turned this into a personal issue, jutting his jaw out Mussolini-like and saying he won't back down on, for example, the Land Reform Act. It is now no longer a matter of reviewing the laws, or having the laws changed or something," says Mr. Ekvall. "Implicitly the opposition to Chavez is calling for his removal and that's the implicit message of the strike, because he says he's not going to budge and that the laws aren't going to change. So that ups the ante. It's no longer the laws but Chavez himself."
For now, it's not clear how or if the opposition can drive Mr. Chavez from office. Under the constitution, they can gather signatures to hold a referendum to recall him, but not until 2004, two years short of the end of Mr. Chavez' term. What is clear is that after the success of Monday's strike, Venezuela's opposition feels it is strong enough so that it will not have to wait that long to effect major changes.


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Billabong Pipe Masters: Full Results | Heat Analyzer
World Title Central: Medina, Fanning and Slater Heat Analyzers here.
Watch LIVE when Round 3 action continues: See matchups here.
Two rounds are complete at the Billabong Pipe Masters and the stakes couldn't be any higher. World No. 1 Gabriel Medina (BRA), No. 2 Mick Fanning (AUS) and No. 3 Kelly Slater (USA) have all managed to stay in the game but the next battle, Round 3, will have major implications for who becomes the 2014 ASP Champion. Here's what to watch for when the action kicks off again:
If Medina and Fanning win in Round 3, Slater will be out of the race.
If Medina wins and Fanning loses in Round 3, Medina will clinch the 2014 ASP World Title.
If Medina loses Round 3, Fanning and Slater will still have a shot if they each win their heats.
Medina won his Round 1 heat, but with a minimal two-wave points total. It remains to be seen how the young Brazilian will perform under pressure in his first elimination round. Nonetheless, his family and country are all hopeful about his odds.
The 2013 World Champ came out swinging, but only narrowly won his Round 1 heat. Aritz Aranburu (ESP) earned a nine-point ride and seemed likely to send Fanning to the elimination round. However, with fewer than two minutes on the clock, Aranburu failed to find the necessary score and Fanning won, allowing him to jump to Round 3.
The 11-time World Champ surfed well in Round 1, but his run of tough luck continued when Australian Adam Melling (AUS) sent him to Round 2 on a massive Backdoor barrel in the final seconds of the heat. In Round 2, however, Slater's Pipe skills were back in full effect. He earned a 9.57 in the last five minutes, the highest single-wave score of the event so far.
See the full breakdown of men's Title scenarios here and watch LIVE daily at this site for more action from the Billabong Pipe Masters.


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This is the first of a weekly three part serie of posts about Nullable
- Why not just use SQL semantics for null?
- Why null == null doesn't imply null >= null and null <= null?
- Why inside a generic class with a type parameter t the expression t == null will return false, when t is a nullable type and the value of it is null.
Let's start from the first question as the answer is shorter. We'll get to the other two in the coming weeks.
The first question relates to the reason not to have the same semantics as SQL for relational operators. The SQL semantics have been commonly referred to as three-value logic where null == null returns null. Introducing such logic in the C# language would be problematic. The main reason is that the language already contains the concept of null for reference types and it does have the programming languages traditional two-value logic where null == null returns true.
Granted that we cannot change this definition, then the addition of three-value logic just for some types would be confusing. We would need, for example, to create a new NullableString class to be able to apply three-value logic operators to it. More generally, the presence in the same code of two value logic and three value logic operators would make the code quite difficult to write, read and maintain.


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- Product Information
Product Information
Face seal to suit the 3M™ Speedglas™ 9002 respiratory welding helmet (part number 434001).
- The Speedglas™ 9000 face seal helps to maintain positive pressure while welding
- Made from durable and comfortable material for all day welding
- Look to replace your 9002 face seal once every two months or whenever it becomes unhygienic
- This is for the 9000 series helmets only
- If you have a 9100 series, please see part numbers 534000 (9100 FX Air), 534100 (9100 Air) and 534200 (9100 MP Air).
NEW 3M™ Speedglas™ Welding Helmet G5-01
Heavy-Duty Welding ProtectionTake Control - Learn More
- Product Literature
- Product Videos


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Harper's Island Contest
Seat42f and CBS have teamed up to give ONE lucky winner a Harper's Island Prize Pack. For a chance to win leave a comment below with why you want to check out the new CBS series Harper's Island. Only one entry per person. Contest ends April 7th. Winner will be notified on April 8th via email so make sure to use a valid email address when you post your comment. Open to US residents only.
Prize Pack Includes :
(1) Men's 100% cotton vintage soft t-shirt w/ Harper's Island logo & premiere date (color: gray)
(1) Women's 100% cotton vintage soft t-shirt w/ Harper's Island logo & premiere date (color: purple)
(1) Harper's Island poster (11" x 17")
See Also
Signing up for a gravatar.com account is FREE. Once you've signed up you can upload your avatar image and soon after you'll start seeing it on gravatar enabled sites!


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It's big, it's mobile, and it's here for a short time.
"The Island Wheel" is the biggest mobile Ferris wheel in the country, and it just opened at Coney Island in Cincinnati. We got a behind-the-scenes look at the construction to see how this famous wheel got made.
It's a pretty wild thing to consider that something this big is essentially portable. This footage really captures the immense size of the thing, too.
Yeah, you wanna check it out ASAP right? Get $1 off your ride by claiming this offer in the Connect Cincinnati App.


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Here's an email I got the other day
Hi Jim,
I was doing some Google searches yesterday with the following key words:
Employee benefit services
Benefits consultants
Employee benefit consulting
Employee benefits consulting
Benefits consulting group
Employee benefit consultants in [my state]
Health insurance agent
Group benefits
Group health insurance benefits
None of them resulted in Our Agency, Inc. popping up. What can we do to change that?
First, it's not exactly like no one has ever used these keywords before. I looked up the number of results for each keyword and put it next to the keyword below. The numbers are huge.
Employee benefit services (14,900,000)
Benefits consultants (1,670,000)
Employee benefit consulting (1,270,000)
Employee benefits consulting (928,000)
Benefits consulting group (6,230,000)
Employee benefit consultants in [my state with a population of approx.10 million] (1,430,000)
Health insurance agent (58,200,000)
Group benefits (868,000,000)
Group health insurance benefits (95,000,000)
How can any agency expect to rank when there are this many pages competing for the first page? Even the least popular of all these keywords, employee benefits consulting, has 928,000 pages competing with each other for top ranking!
Well, here's a couple of things to consider.
Domain authority – the more DA you have the more likely you'll be higher ranked. To get DA you need links from lots of other websites that are high authority. PLUS you need high quality content that people come and stay to read.
Sorry, but not a likely scenario for most agencies. The lowest DA appearing on page one for most of these keywords was 40. The average agency has a DA of about 12. This is a logarithmic scale, so getting from 12 to 40 is just not a very likely possibility for the vast majority of insurance agencies. Especially if you're not hard at work creating back links and writing epic posts for your website.
Long tail keywords – Here's where the picture gets a little brighter. You may not rank on page one for "Employee benefits consulting" but you can pretty easily rank for "Employee benefits consulting Dodge City Kansas," if you try.
That is a long tail keyword. If people in Dodge City, Kansas are looking for an employee benefits consulting firm and that's what they type in, which you might expect. It would work.
For example, when I searched this keyword phrase, Professional Insurance Consultants of Kansas appeard #2 right below www. yellowpages.com. Its DA is only 4! Wow! But it has a pretty high Page Ranking of 20. I won't go into Page Ranking right now. But that's a well optimized page.
Of course there are lots of other long tail keywords you might want to use, but this is just a short lesson.
If you'd like me write more about how to improve your website's SEO ranking, please let me know.
By the way, let me take this opportunity to clear something up about newsletters and SEO. Unless you write your newsletter yourself, placing a newsletter on your website — no matter who provides it, Smarts or any other publisher — unless you have written the newsletter yourself and it's original content, IT WILL NOT improve your search engine rankings.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't have an insurance client newsletter. There are so many other good reasons to have one, such as making your clients think about you often.
Teach, build Trust and keep in Touch with clients and prospects.


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If you're looking for an opportunity to:
1. Docent (teach the public/visitors) about marine mammals in their natural habitat - not captured in a swimming pool.
2. Meet other people who love animals and care about the environment
3. See wildlife in an urban environment (La Jolla's Children's Pool Beach) and have the opportunity to watch harbor seals through pregnancy, birth, and the raising of pups by their moms, as well as their every day lives.....
Then look no further!
There is a colony of approximately 200 harbor seals in La Jolla that need our protection. These seals rest, give birth to, and raise their pups on a small stretch of public beach that is visited year round by local residents, as well as visitors from around the world!
As a volunteer docent you will educate the public about this harbor seal colony. You will inform people that seals are wild animals, very shy and frighten easily. In order to prevent unintentional harassment, staying off the beach is best. Also, you will call and report any incidents of intentional seal harassment that do occur to the National Agency responsible for protecting wildlife.
November through May is a critical time for the seals as the females need more uninterrupted rest during the final trimester of their pregnancies, and once the pups are born (January through April), they need approximately four to six weeks to bond with, teach, and wean their pups. We had a very successful pupping season this year, with 50 pups born. Please contact us today!
Volunteer shifts are generally for two to three hours, 2x per month. You are free to sign up on the group's calendar based on your availability. The flexibility is incredible!
Every extra minute of rest the seals get because of your time volunteered helps to increase their survival. Please contact us today!