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News Story
"...I am very thankful for the generous support of the Sloan Foundation."
Also see...
Elaine Shi Awarded 2014 Sloan Research Fellowship
Elaine Shi, who joined the University of Maryland's Computer Science Department as an Assistant Professor in 2012, has been awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship for 2014. This award, granted by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, identifies 126 early-career scientists based on their potential to contribute fundamentally significant research to a wider academic community. Shi joins a growing list of UMD Computer Science faculty members who have received this award: Bonnie Dorr (1994), Bobby Bhattacharjee (2004), and Carl Kingsford (2012).
Shi is also affiliated with the Maryland Cybersecurity Center. Her research focuses on oblivious computation and integrates cryptography, compilers, and hardware for secure cloud-based computation. "I am really excited to receive the Sloan Research Fellowship," said Shi. "It feels great that people acknowledge my research, and the fellowship will also be crucial for bootstrapping my research at UMD. I am very thankful for the generous support of the Sloan Foundation."
"The Sloan Fellowship is one of the most prestigious fellowships for young researchers, and I am exceedingly delighted that Elaine is a recipient," said Samir Khuller, UMD Computer Science Department Chair.
View full article on CMNS website
February 18, 2014
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2008 US OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALIST AND THREE TIME WORLD CHAMPION BMX RACER DONNY "dR" ROBINSON JOINS THE KNOCKOUT PROJECT'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Belchertown, Massachusetts – January 17, 2013- The concussion education initiative, "The Knockout Project", announced today the appointment of Donny Robinson to its board, the "KO Roundtable".
Robinson, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Bronze Medalist in BMX Racing, brings valuable experience, knowledge, and reflection to the table in terms of concussive history. Robinson has suffered over twenty concussions in his two decades worth of racing. Recently, Donny has been speaking out to racers and parents about a subject that he never really thought twice about; while trying to convey the serious nature of identifying concussions, sitting out until healed, and seeking a doctor's advice before returning to action.
Team USA's Donny Robinson on the Olympic Podium in Beijing
"I'm thrilled to add Donny to the fold", said Jay Fraga, Founder of The Knockout Project. "We've been friends for a long time and have had many talks about injuries, symptoms, etc in the last few years. One thing I think we both agree on is that as BMX racers, we just never knew that we shouldn't be pushing through concussive injuries. We hope to usher in a new era of knowledge and understanding when it comes to BMX Racers and all athletes."
Said Robinson, "Injuries are an inevitable part of sport and we all have to live with them- most, with no long-term effects or inconveniences. However, as I learn from others, and from my own personal experience, I see that the effects that concussions can have on individuals may in fact be life-altering. I have been very lucky, but in no way immune to the symptoms of repeated head trauma, so the chance to be a part of The Knockout Project to help myself gain more understanding, but also the resources to better share and protect others, is a priceless opportunity."
Founded in November 2012, The Knockout Project was an answer to an athlete's struggles while dealing with the aftermath of Post-Concussion Syndrome. Those struggles manifested themselves in a number of ways, including physically, cognitively, and emotionally. That athlete was determined to educate others so that they didn't make the same mistakes that he did- in the hope that others would avoid a similar fate.
To know more, visit: http://theknockoutproject.org/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/knockoutproject
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKnockoutProject

subset: commoncrawl


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Tomatoes are considered a fruit (botanically), but they are also considered a vegetable (for culinary purposes). We the Black and Minority ethnic group eat a lot of tomatoes (almost daily) especially to cook our stews and soups. Therefore, knowing the benefits and contents of what we love and eat so much of is very important.
Percentage Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. The red tomatoes have a higher vitamin A than the yellow and green tomatoes, while the green tomatoes have a higher vitamin C than the red and yellow tomatoes. Therefore, if you want a diet rich in vitamins C (which helps the absorption of iron and calcium into our bodies), then go for the green tomatoes, but if you want a diet rich in vitamins A (for good eye sight), then go for the red tomatoes.
Tomatoes contain a chemical called LYCOPENE (the chemical that gives tomatoes and other fruits their red colouring). Therefore, when you eat tomatoes you are eating lycopene.
Tomato products including ketchup, tomato juice and pizza sauce, are the richest sources of lycopene.
Cooked tomatoes (like canned tomatoes, tomatoes sauce, ketchup etc.) contain more lycopene than fresh/raw tomatoes.
1, Prevents Cholesterol:
The consumption of tomatoes prevents cholesterol. A research carried out in April 2011 looks into the effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure. It was concluded that lycopene taken in 25mg daily dose or greater is effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by about 10%.
2, Powerful Antioxidant:
Tomatoes have antioxidant properties, which enable them have anti-aging effect, and are essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. As a result of lycopene's (tomatoes) antioxidated properties, substantial scientific and clinical research has been devoted to a possible correlation between lycopene consumption and general health.
3, Reduces the risk of Cancer:
Eating tomatoes reduces the risk of many cancers. There have been several studies that analyse the anti-cancer properties of lycopene which is found in tomatoes. In some studies, lycopene especially in cooked tomatoes has been found to prevent prostate cancer, but other research contradicts this claim.
4, Reduces the risk of Cardiovascular diseases (particularly tomato sauces)
5, Prevents Skin damage:
Lycopene (which is found in tomatoes) have been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays.
6, Tomatoes are rich in calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
7, They are rich in beta-carotene which is very useful for the eyes.
8, They are a good source of vitamin C.
9, Tomatoes are low calorie fruit which provides adequate nutrients.
Please take note again that cooked tomatoes contain more lycopene than the raw/fresh one, but because vitamins get destroyed with cooking, then raw tomatoes may contain more vitamin C than the cooked tomatoes.
In conclusion, encouraging the consumption of tomatoes (by emphasising its benefits) and tomato products may help us increase its overall intake because they are widely accepted, cost-effective, and the fact that they are in different forms (e.g tomato paste, sauce, raw tomato etc.). This may improve our overall eating pattern and ultimately our health.
Researched and Written by Elizabeth SamCoffie
1, Definition and health benefits of Antioxidants, http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/Antioxidant
Accessed 14th July 2011
2, Links to science
Howard D. Sesso, Simin Liu, J.' Micheal Gaziano, Julie E. buring, Dietary lycopene, Tomato-Based Food Products and Cardiovascular Disease in women', Http://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/7/2336.short
Accessed 21st July 2011
3, Links to science
Reid K, Fakler P, 'Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials.
Accessed 10th July 2011
4, NHS Choices, "Do tomatoes really compare to statins? Https://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/05may/pages/tomato-lycopene-blood-pressure-cholesterol.aspx
Accessed 10th July 2011
5, VITAMINS, H ttp://kidshealth.org/teen/misc/vitamin-chart.html
Accessed 14th July 2011


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पौरोहित्याय भगवान्वृत: काव्य: किलासुरै: ।
षण्डामर्कौ सुतौ तस्य दैत्यराजगृहान्तिके ॥ १ ॥
paurohityāya bhagavān
vṛtaḥ kāvyaḥ kilāsuraiḥ
ṣaṇḍāmarkau sutau tasya
śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca — the great saint Nārada said; paurohityāya — to work as priest; bhagavān — the most powerful; vṛtaḥ — chosen; kāvyaḥ — Śukrācārya; kila — indeed; asuraiḥ — by the demons; ṣaṇḍa-amarkau — Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka; sutau — sons; tasya — of him; daitya-rāja — of the King of the demons, Hiraṇyakaśipu; gṛha-antike — near the residence.
The great saint Nārada Muni said: The demons, headed by Hiraṇyakaśipu, accepted Śukrācārya as their priest for ritualistic ceremonies. Śukrācārya's two sons, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, lived near Hiraṇyakaśipu's palace.
The beginning of the life story of Prahlāda is recounted as follows. Śukrācārya became the priest of the atheists, especially Hiraṇyakaśipu, and thus his two sons, Ṣaṇḍa and Amarka, resided near Hiraṇyakaśipu's residence. Śukrācārya should not have become the priest of Hiraṇyakaśipu because Hiraṇyakaśipu and his followers were all atheists. A brāhmaṇa should become the priest of a person interested in the advancement of spiritual culture. The very name Śukrācārya, however, indicates a person interested in obtaining benefits for his sons and descendants, regardless of how the money comes. A real brāhmaṇa would not become a priest for atheistic men.


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The government has this morning - Easter Sunday - announced a crackdown on rogue letting agents in the shape of a mandatory code of practice and the introduction of a nationally-recognised qualification.
It says criminal charges will be brought against those letting and managing agents who break the code; a new regulator will be set up to police the code, and agents who fail to comply will not be permitted to trade.
Agents failing to comply will be barred from trading, while those who commit serious code breaches will face prosecution.
The government's announcement this morning reads: "With thousands of renters and leaseholders suffering at the hands of rogue agents every day from unexpected costs, deliberately vague bills or poor quality repairs, a new mandatory code of practice is proposed to stop managing and letting agents from flouting the law.
"To further professionalise both sectors, letting and managing agents will be required to obtain a nationally recognised qualification to practice, with at least one person in every organisation required to have a higher qualification.
"A new independent regulator responsible for working practices of agents will be given strong powers of enforcement for those who break the rules – and agents who fail to comply will not be permitted to trade. Criminal sanctions could also be brought in for those who severely breach the code.
Housing minister Heather Wheeler says: 'Most property agents take a thorough and professional approach when carrying out their business, but sadly some do not. By introducing new standards for the sector, we will clamp down on the small minority of agents who abuse the system so we can better protect tenants and leaseholders who find themselves at the end of a raw deal."
Other proposals to be brought in under the code include:
- a new system to help leaseholders challenge unfair fees including service charges;
- support for leaseholders to switch their managing agents where they perform poorly or break the terms of their contract;
- a requirement for all letting and managing agents to undertake continuing professional development and training.
The new code will be developed by a working group comprising representatives of letting, managing and estate agents, as well as tenants and regulation experts. The government says the group will be established as soon as possible and is expected to draw up the final proposals early next year.
The group will also look in greater depth at unfair additional charges for freehold and leaseholders and whether they should be capped or banned. This includes the use of restrictive covenants, leasehold restrictions and administration charges.
The government has also published its response to its consultation on the introduction of mandatory Client Money Protection schemes for letting agents, with legislation to be brought forward to introduce privately-led schemes and civil penalties of up to £30,000 for agents who fail to comply with the scheme.
The government says that according to industry estimates, £2.7 billion in client funds is held by letting agents at any one time.
"Making this scheme mandatory is vital to ensure every agent is offering the same level of protection, giving tenants and landlords the financial protection that they deserve, and will mean they are reimbursed if their letting agent is fraudulent or goes bankrupt" says the government's statement this morning.
The announcement has been welcomed by David Cox, chief executive of the Association of Residential Letting Agents.
"We are hugely supportive of these proposals. After 20 years of campaigning, the government has finally listened to our call for proper regulation of the industry. For the last two decades, successive governments have passed significant amounts of complex legislation on landlords; none of which have been properly policed or adequately enforced" claims Cox.
"These announcements demonstrate a very sensible shift towards focusing on the root cause of the issues affecting the sector rather than trying to find legislative solutions to individual problems. For landlords, their rental property is usually their biggest asset after the home in which they live; and for tenants, it's their home" he adds.
"It must be the right of every landlord and every tenant to have a letting agent who knows what they are doing, is professionally qualified and the money they entrust to their agent is protected. This is a huge step towards creating a level playing field across the industry, and we look forward to working with the government on this."
NALS also backs the measure, with chief executive Isobel Thomson saying: "We welcome the government's recognition of the current contribution that lettings and management firms play within the Private Rented Sector. Creating a level playing field will eliminate the poor practice and dishonesty that currently tarnishes the sector and ensure a safe and fair experience for tenants and landlords.
"NALS has consistently called for regulation and unreservedly supports the Government's announcement of its intentions and strategic goals. Agents who already submit to self-regulation should have nothing to be concerned about.
"NALS will continue to be at the forefront of discussions over the government's route map."


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Forbidden love
By Marea67
About: Kevin and Justin
Rate: G
Disclaimer: Not mine. Kevin/Scotty would be kissing if they were.
Summary: taking place between 207 (36 hours) and 208 (Something new)
Written for: love_bingo
I will post 4 short-stories that should be read in this order: Love at first sight, forbidden love (this story), "Can't take my eyes of off you" and "Wedding in reverse".
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Kevin says, handing Justin a bag of candy.
"I wish someone would kill me." Justin moans. "Forgotten how tough it can be to go through rehab, but at least I'm no longer puking my guts out and wishing to hurt someone to get drugs."
"That's progress, I presume." Kevin answers dryly.
"Enough about my misery. Everyone wants to talk about how I feel and about what I need and I'm getting paranoia over the idea that Sarah, Kitty and Rebecca are conspiring to keep an eye on what I'm using."
"Don't be ridiculous, they're just looking to find Kitty the ultimate wedding-dress…" Kevin sighs, worried that maybe Justin is still taking something.
"Still think it's a cover-up." Justin stubbornly says, but Kevin catches the hint of laughter in his eyes and he no longer feels concerned. Justin is just joking.
Justin adjusts the sheet on the bed. For some reason his leg hurts like hell today.
"Pain?" Kevin asks, seeing Justin wince.
"Can we talk about something else? I believe that thinking about it 24/7 doesn't help. How about your misery? Care to share? It would be nice to listen to someone else's problems for a change."
"Got nothing to tell." Kevin shrugs.
"I may have been drugged up, but I'm not entirely stupid. Plus, the walls are not that thick that I couldn't hear you tell Tommy about Jason and how he never calls you…?"
"Oh." Just that defeated little sound says more to Justin than he'd like to hear.
Justin just stares at Kevin, a trick he learned from Nora.
"I'm not going to screw this up. I'm in love with Jason McCallister." Kevin replies, wishing he would sound more convincing. Justin still stares at him. "Besides, it's not like Scotty would be interested in me anyway."
"That's not the same as you not being interested in Scotty."
"Scotty broke up with me the first time. Then he walked away from me that Valentine's morning. Not that I blame him, but he left… We're just friends. It's all strictly platonic."
"And is that how you'd like it to be?" Justin asks point-blank.
He sees the little change in Kevin's attitude as he tenses up and becomes defensive.
"I'm in love with Jason. I'm not going to screw this up." Kevin replies again.
"Are you trying to memorize those words? So you won't forget them, whenever Scotty is around?" Kevin doesn't answer. He doesn't even get angry, which probably concerns Justin even more. Justin reaches out to him.
"I'm sorry." He says, not sure what he's apologizing for, but he's sure that Kevin just went from 'ready to fight' to 'surrender'. Something Justin has said has hurt Kevin and that's not what he wanted to do. "I guess, I'm just grumpy from the pain and I want everyone to feel miserable too. Besides I really like Scotty."
"I like Scotty too." Kevin replies softly, staring at his hands. "More than I should, I guess." Then he looks up, meeting Justin's eyes. " But I promised Jason I'd wait for him and that's what I'll do. I'm sick and tired of being considered 'not trustworthy' in a relationship. I want to show everyone that I can be a good partner! Scotty and I? It can't happen and it won't."
In the silence that falls between them, Justin wonders if what Kevin feels for Scotty might not be stronger than his feelings for Jason, and if that forbidden love will ultimately destroy Kevin and Jason, because Kevin is staying with Jason for the wrong reasons, but he doesn't want to argue with Kevin any further, so he changes the subject.
Fanfic: Forbidden Love
Forbidden love
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text:
Poker Face: Flotsam The Witcher 2 guide, walktrough
Received from: Sindram (M7, 3)
Step 1: Find dice poker partners
If you want, you can try you can your, you can try your luck at dice poker. A few players can be found by the table in the lower part of the tavern (stairs on the right, beside the tavern entrance). Sindram will play with you only after you defeat two other players sitting by the same table: Bendeck and Casmir
Step 2: Win in poker with other players
The mechanics and rules are very simple. First you place a bet: 5 - 10 orens. If you bet less, the enemy will be able to bet higher. Afterwards you make your throw.
Notice! Try not to throw your dices too strong, as they might fall out of the table! If the dice is on the board, it will count.
After the throw you can select which dices you want to throw again and then comes more betting. After the second throw the game ends and the player with better dices wins.
Possible sets: nothing, one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, four of a kind, straight (1-5 or 2-6), full (three of a kind plus two pairs of a different number), five of a kind.
Step 3: Win in poker with the townsman in the tavern
After defeating Bendeck and Casmir you can play with Sindram. The rules of course are the same as before.
Step 4: Win in poker with Einar Gausel
After defeating the townsman you can challenge another player - Einar Gausel (M7, 11).
Step 5: Win in poker with Sendler
The last enemy in Flotsam is Sendler (M7, 8) - he usually resides in his house. After defeating him, you will be able to choose either orens or traps.
Notice! Sendler is connected with Troll Trouble side mission - you will be able to get the troll head hanging on the wall in his house if you defeat him (only if you started the troll mission and decided to find the murderers). Consider postponing the poker game and starting the side mission, thanks to which you will be able to get the precious troll item.


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THE LAST GREAT PROPHET Reviewed by Thomas Sugrue
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Arnold Yasin Mol
Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 6:48 am
Post subject: THE LAST GREAT PROPHET Reviewed by Thomas Sugrue
Reviewed by Thomas Sugrue
"Mohammed was a prophet, but he never performed a miracle. He was not a mystic; he had no formal schooling; he did not begin his mission until he was forty. When he announced that he was the Messenger of God, bringing word of the true religion, he was ridiculed and labeled a lunatic. Children tripped him and women threw filth upon him. He was banished from his native city, Mecca, and his followers were stripped of their worldly goods and sent into the desert after him. When he had been preaching ten years he had nothing to show for it but banishment, poverty and ridicule. Yet before another ten years had passed, he was dictator of all Arabia, ruler of Mecca, and the head of a New World religion which was to sweep to the Danube and the Pyrenees before exhausting the impetus he gave it. That impetus was three-fold: the power of words, the efficacy of prayer and man's kinship with God.
"His career never made sense. Mohammed was born to impoverished members of a leading family of Mecca. Because Mecca, the crossroads of the world, home of the magic stone called the Caaba, great city of trade and the center of trade routes, was unsanitary, its children were sent to be raised in the desert by Bedouins. Mohammed was thus nurtured, drawing strength and health from the milk of nomad, vicarious mothers. He tended sheep and soon hired out to a rich widow as leader of her caravans. He traveled to all parts of the Eastern World, talked with many men of diverse beliefs and observed the decline of Christianity into warring sects. When he was twenty-eight, Khadija, the widow, looked upon him with favor, and married him. [...] For the next twelve years Mohammed lived as a rich and respected and very shrewd trader. Then he took to wandering in the desert, and one day he returned with the first verse of the Koran and told Khadija that the archangel Gabriel had appeared to him and said that he was to be the Messenger of God.
"The Koran, the revealed word of God, was the closest thing to a miracle in Mohammed's life. He had not been a poet; he had no gift of words. Yet the verses of the Koran, as he received them and recited them to the faithful, were better than any verses which the professional poets of the tribes could produce. This, to the Arabs, was a miracle. To them the gift of words was the greatest gift, the poet was all-powerful. In addition the Koran said that all men were equal before God, that the world should be a democratic state - Islam. It was this political heresy, plus Mohammed's desire to destroy all the 360 idols in the courtyard of the Caaba, which brought about his banishment. The idols brought the desert tribes to Mecca, and that meant trade. So the business men of Mecca, the capitalists, of which he had been one, set upon Mohammed. Then he retreated to the desert and demanded sovereignty over the world.
"The rise of Islam began. Out of the desert came a flame which would not be extinguished - a democratic army fighting as a unit and prepared to die without wincing. Mohammed had invited the Jews and Christians to join him; for he was not building a new religion. He was calling all who believed in one God to join in a single faith. If the Jews and Christians had accepted his invitation Islam would have conquered the world. They didn't. They would not even accept Mohammed's innovation of humane warfare. When the armies of the prophet entered Jerusalem not a single person was killed because of his faith. When the crusaders entered the city, centuries later, not a Moslem man, woman, or child was spared. But the Christians did accept one Moslem idea - the place of learning, the university."
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Arnold Yasin Mol
Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 6:55 am
Post subject:
In addition the Koran said that all men were equal before God, that the world should be
a democratic state
- Islam.
Muslims often neglect to see what others do.....
42:38 They respond to their Lord by establishing Salaat, and conduct their affairs by mutual consultation. And what We have given them, they keep it open for the welfare of others. ('Establishing Salaat' = Establishing the System where following of the Divine Commands is facilitated. 'Nafq' = Open-ended tunnel = No hoarding)
The above review was written in the 1930's, it is a summary on a biography written by Essad Bey. It amazes me every time, how many people from non-Muslim backgrounds who investigate the Quran and the history on Muhammed can see the Truth through the clouds of lies and wrong interpretation. How can we have been so deluded?
Time to unite and pick up where we left....
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text:
Mince Pies
8oz (225g) Bramley apples, cored and chopped small (no need to peel them)
4 oz (110 g) shredded vegetable suet
6oz (175 g) raisins
4oz (110 g) sultanas
4oz (110 g) currants
4oz (110 g) whole mixed candied peel, finely chopped
6oz (175 g) soft dark brown sugar
grated zest and juice 1 orange
grated zest and juice 1 lemon
1 oz (25 g) whole almonds, cut into slivers
2 level teaspoons mixed ground spice
¼ level teaspoon ground cinnamon
good pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons brandy
All you do is combine all the ingredients, except for the brandy, in a large mixing bowl, stirring them and mixing them together very thoroughly indeed. Then cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave the mixture in a cool place overnight or for 12 hours, so the flavours have a chance to mingle and develop. After that pre-heat the oven to gas mark ¼, 225°F (120°C). Cover the bowl loosely with foil and place it in the oven for 3 hours, then remove the bowl from the oven. Don't worry about the appearance of the mincemeat, which will look positively swimming in fat. This is how it should look. As it cools, stir it from time to time; the fat will coagulate and, instead of it being in tiny shreds, it will encase all the other ingredients.
When the mincemeat is quite cold, stir well again, adding the brandy. Pack in jars that have been sterilised (see below). When filled, cover with waxed discs and seal. The mincemeat will keep for ages in a cool, dark cupboard but I think it is best eaten within a year of making.
NOTE: To sterilise jars, wash the jars and lids in warm soapy water, rinse well, then dry thoroughly with a clean tea cloth, place them on a baking tray and pop into a medium oven, gas mark 4, 350F, 180C, for 5 minutes.
It's then just regular shorcrust pastry for the pie bottoms and for the crumble-topping combine the following ingredients and spoon the mixture o top of the mince pies before cooking
25g ground almonds
25g flaked almonds
pinch ground cinnamon
25g margarine , melted
25g soft light brown sugar
I used the truffle recipe under the tags in this comm. (chocolate and cashew cream) to make these...
Christmas Cake
1 lb (450 g) currants
6 oz (175 g) sultanas
6 oz (175 g) raisins
2 oz (50 g) glacé cherries, rinsed, dried and finely chopped
2 oz (50 g) mixed candied peel, finely chopped
3 tablespoons brandy, plus extra for 'feeding'
8 oz (225 g) plain flour
½ level teaspoon salt
¼ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ level teaspoon ground mixed spice
8 oz (225 g) unsalted margarine (I used Vitalite)
8 oz (225 g) soft brown sugar
5 quantities of egg replacer. I used no-egg.
2 oz (50 g) almonds, chopped (the skins can be left on)
1 level dessertspoon black treacle
grated zest 1 lemon
grated zest 1 orange
4 oz (110 g) whole blanched almonds
You need to begin this cake the night before you want to bake it. All you do is weigh out the dried fruit and mixed peel, place it in a mixing bowl and mix in the brandy as evenly and thoroughly as possible. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth and leave the fruit aside to absorb the brandy for 12 hours.
Next day pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). Then measure out all the rest of the ingredients, ticking them off to make quite sure they're all there. The treacle will be easier to measure if you remove the lid and place the tin in a small pan of barely simmering water. Now begin the cake by sifting the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, lifting the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Next, in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the margarine and sugar together until it's light, pale and fluffy. Make up the egg replacer and add them to the creamed mixture a tablespoonful at a time.
When all the egg replacer has been added, fold in the flour and spices, using gentle, folding movements and not beating at all (this is to keep all that precious air in). Now fold in the fruit, peel, chopped nuts and treacle and finally the grated lemon and orange zests. Next, using a large kitchen spoon, transfer the cake mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon and, if you don't intend to ice the cake, lightly drop the whole blanched almonds in circles or squares all over the surface. Finally cover the top of the cake with a double square of silicone paper with a 50p-size hole in the centre (this gives extra protection during the long slow cooking).
Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4½-4¾ hours. Sometimes it can take up to ½-¾ hour longer than this, but in any case don't look till at least 4 hours have passed. Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When it's cold 'feed' it – make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer, then spoon over a few teaspoons of brandy, wrap it in double silicone paper secured with an elastic band and either wrap again in foil or store in an airtight container. You can now feed it at odd intervals until you need to ice or eat it. I ended up with at least 1/4 bottle of brandy in my cake. Use sherry if you prefer
500g blanched almonds... whizz in a blender and add..
100g icing sugar... whizz again and add...
50ml water... knead into a dough on a surface covered with icing sugar.
So much better than the sickly sweet artificial flavoured supermarket stuff!
Brush the cake with boiled apricot jam and roll the marzipan out and cover the cake. Leave it under a dry tea towel for at least two days but up to a week to dry out as it'll otherwise affect the royal icing. when you'r ready to put the royal icing on brush with boiled water or brandy and roll the royal icing on (unless you've found a way to make vegan fondant icing, I haven't yet!_


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A Florida Friday: Some thousand-year-old oaks
Early 1900's camping and hiking for women: the "dos & donts"
Grandma Zillah Trewin (b. 1883), seen in the photo above, was a city girl through and through, but like many city dwellers, both then and now, she loved to escape to the great outdoors, especially in the summer. In 1907, she took numerous photos with her little Brownie camera of her adventures in eastern Pennsylvania, in the verdant, waterfall-festooned landscape in and around Dingman's Falls. Once married, the Great Smoky Mountains and New Hampshire's peaks became her summer playgrounds.
Did she ever "rough it"? I highly doubt it. I'm sure she never set foot in a pup tent, let alone slept out under the stars.
The late 1800s and early 1900s, however, saw lots of women wanting to get in on the action of what was, up until then, much more of a man's activity—hiking out into the woods far away from civilization to truly get away from it all in a primitive camp setting. But one thing top of mind for women, something that was enough to hold them back from such rustic outdoor adventures, was "what to wear?". Long skirts were highly impractical; short skirts verboten. So what was a girl to do? The answer was "knickers" (not the British variant, obviously)—loose-fitting short pants gathered just below the knee.
A visit to a couple of blogs that focus on all things vintage will give you a glimpse of what women were wearing for camping out and going hiking during the first part of the 20th century as they explored our nation's scenic parks and other natural areas.
- Fuzzy Lizzie Vintage Clothing blog – Hiking and Camping Clothing
- The Vintage Traveler blog – 1920's Knickers and Accessories
- Vintage Dancer – Did women wear pants in the 1920s? Yes! sort of…
A woman's first-hand account of her experiences making the switch from home-dweller to outdoor explorer can be found below, as can a lengthy article exploring the essentials a woman must consider when getting together a wardrobe suitable for camping. Both are worth a read if you have time.
For your convenience, I am including the relevant pages here. So I hope you will enjoy, and maybe even get a bit of a kick out of "A Woman's Camping Outfit" by Sara Stokes Baxter (Outing magazine, Volume LIV, The Outing Publishing Company, 1909, pp. 634-638) and "A Woman on the Trail" by Rena N. Phillips (Outing magazine, Volume XLIV, The Outing Publishing Company, 1904, pp. 585-589)—both digitized by Google Books for Archives dot org. (Thank you, Google Books!)


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Michele Steele at Forbes Video Network interviewed Digg CEO Jay Adelson to discuss site usage and acquisition rumors. The video was posted on November 22, 2006.
Steele asked Adelson about the size of the Digg audience (Digg has claimed 20 million uniques a month, v. 1.3 million that Comscore reports). He responded by saying that Digg sees about 1.5 million uniques per day when RSS readers are combined with website traffic, and he claims that third party website monitoring tool are flawed (I agree).
Steele also asked Adelson about the recent rumors that Digg was close to selling for $150 million. He denied the rumors and stated flat out that Digg is not currently in acquisition discussions with anyone.
My favorite exchange is when Steele asks Adelson "What will keep Digg from being a one trick pony?" His answer – "community."


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| 7.8°C Belfast
The family of a Northern Ireland doctor killed during a motorcycle event say they have been heartened by public support.
John Hinds died while providing medical cover at the Skerries 100 race in Dublin on Saturday.
In a statement his partner Janet Acheson, parents and brothers said: " The widespread support and acknowledgement of John's work, both nationally and internationally, has been incredibly heartwarming and a great source of comfort to us all at this terribly sad time.
"We are only now beginning to understand just how many lives John touched during his 35 action-packed years.
"John lived for his family, his patients and the biking fraternity. The world will be a poorer place without him."
Dr Hinds, 35, from Tandragee, Co Armagh, worked as a consultant anaesthetist at Craigavon Area Hospital.
He was nicknamed one of the "flying doctors" of Irish motorcycle racing for the lifesaving support he provided during high speed bike races including the North West 200.
Dr Hinds was a strong advocate for a regional air ambulance and met Health Minister Simon Hamilton to discuss the issue.
His family has vowed to continue the campaign for a doctor-led helicopter e mergency medical service and have urged members of the public to sign a petition in his memory.
Meanwhile, hundreds bikers are tonight expected to accompany Dr Hinds's remains on a final lap of his favourite circuit - the Tandragee 100.
A funeral service is expected to take place at St Patrick's Church in Portaferry, Co Down, on Thursday.


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PurpleMoon Creations has a new gift for group members. The Winter Queen gown in Ice is picture perfect. There is a L$50 enrollment fee to join the PurpleMoon VIP group.
The Violetta hair from Exile is a past sub-o gift that is still available. The hair comes in a fatpack of colors. If you didn't get this gift it can be found in the subscriber history under October 21, 2012.
The beautiful Halo skin is the newest group gift for Aeva // Heartsick VIP members. The gift also includes Divinity lingerie in peacock and rose. The Aeva // Heartsick group is currently free to join.
The "Starry Night" side table, silver mirror, and silver tree are L$5 at [CIRCA] Living for the The Silver Lining Hunt.
*PurpleMoon: Coco Dress (Group/Fee – L$0)
*Mayfly: London Fog Eyes (Group – L$0)
*Exile: Violetta Hair (SOM – L$0)
*Aeva // Heartsick: Halo Skin (Group – L$0)
*Glitterati: Poses (L$0 – L$50)
*[CIRCA] Living: Starry Night Accessory Set (TSLH – L$5):


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Our vacancies are voluntary only. If you are able to spare some time helping raising funds for a worthy cause, especially when times are lean for NLPR, we would be extremely grateful to hear from you.
We are also looking for someone who is good with administration and promotional work. This would involve voluntary work from your home computer. If you are interested then please admin [dot] nlpr [at] ntlworld [dot] com (email ) us.
FUNDRAISERS: We are in desperate need of fundraisers to help compensate the economic slump. We have listed a few ideas below of how to raise funds and have fun at the same time. Please remember, every bit helps and that it is always wise to have one per cent of one hundred rather than one hundred per cent of one - meaning your valuable efforts could contribute to the total effort of many, thus making every ounce of effort worthwhile and indeed very valuable.
- Coffee mornings with your family, friends and neighbours – charging them or allow them to donate a figure for the coffee, biscuits and cake you provide.
- A fundraising meal at home for family and friends – They pay you for the meal you provide.
- Bric-a-brac sale, either from your garage, a public boot sale or amongst your friends, family and neighbours. Items could include: cd/dvd, books, costume jewellery, clothes and those unwanted Christmas or birthday gifts.
- A darts evening in your local pub
- Gambling evenings at home with family, friends and neighbours, i.e. cards, roulette, twister, Wee games etc.
- If you're a sporty-type person, then you might like to use your abiltiy to raise funds through sponsorship challanges.
- Collect loose change in a jar - it's surprising how much this can add up to, especially when competing with family and friends in who can raise the most amount of money within a set time frame.
GRANT WRITER pro bono: We are need of the services of a professional grant writer to help our small charity. We have been successful in the past but with the economic climate debacle, competition is at its highest and we don't stand a chance against wealthy charities who have the money to employ professional people within this area. Animal charities are one of the worst affected, all are struggling for funds - we are no different. Sadly, quite a few have gone under.


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Mission Critical
As the world moves from paper filing to electronic data storage, the need for large capacity mission critical facilities has grown. These facilities have become the backbone of organizations' operations and they must be reliable. At Walter P Moore, we work with owners to find the right balance between system reliability and cost. Whether its tornadic wind forces, secure design or sustainability, we develop design criteria that best suit the owner's concerns, while maintaining the structure's economic viability. These facilities have many unique design considerations. They commonly include large open spaces, which call for longer span structures to minimize column interference. Special considerations are also required in the design of the roof framing to accommodate movement due to temperature and shrinkage effects, while also minimizing expansion joints.
Some owners choose to modify an existing building for their new mission critical facility. This type of adaptive reuse often requires strengthening of horizontal framing members and columns to support the heavy loading of a mission critical facility. Many existing structures also have lower ceiling heights than a typical mission critical facility, which squeezes the room MEP has to run their system. Strengthening existing building's lateral wind resisting system may also be needed.


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- ru·ri·ta·ni·an
English syllables. 2014.
Look at other dictionaries:
Ruritanian — [roor΄ə tā′nē ən] adj. 〚after Ruritania, imaginary kingdom in novels by Anthony Hope〛 of, like, or characteristic of some quaint, romantic, unreal place * * * Ru·ri·ta·ni·an (ro͝or ĭ tāʹnē ən) adj. Of, relating to, or having the characteristics… … Universalium
Ruritanian — utopian, 1896, from Ruritania, name of an imaginary kingdom in The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) by Anthony Hope (1863 1933), who coined it from L. rus (gen. ruris) country (see RURAL (Cf. rural)) + Latinate ending itania (Cf. Mauritania) … Etymology dictionary
Ruritanian — [roor΄ə tā′nē ən] adj. [after Ruritania, imaginary kingdom in novels by Anthony Hope] of, like, or characteristic of some quaint, romantic, unreal place … English World dictionary
Ruritanian — 1. adjective /ˌɹʊə.ɹɪˈteɪ.ni.ən,ˌɹʊɹ.ɪˈteɪ.ni.ən/ Of or having the characteristics of adventure, romance, and intrigue, as in works of romantic fiction. These claims were called the Greater Ruritania by the cultivated classes who regarded Kipling … Wiktionary
Ruritanian — UK [ˌrʊərɪˈteɪnɪən] / US [ˌrʊrɪˈteɪnɪən] adjective a Ruritanian novel is one with an exciting and romantic story • Etymology: From Ruritania, the imaginary central European country where Anthony Hope s novels The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of… … English dictionary
Ruritanian — adjective Etymology: Ruritania, fictional kingdom in the novel Prisoner of Zenda (1894) by Anthony Hope Date: 1896 of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an imaginary place of high romance … New Collegiate Dictionary
Ruritanian — Ru·ri·ta·ni·an || 'rÊŠÉ™rɪ teɪnjÉ™n n. of or pertaining to Ruritania; of or pertaining to an imaginary setting used in fairy tales and romantic stories; of or pertaining to a small out of the way city or region (Informal) … English contemporary dictionary
Ruritanian — [ˌrʊərɪ teɪnɪən] adjective relating to or characteristic of romantic adventure or its setting. Origin C19: from Ruritania, an imaginary kingdom in SE Europe used as the setting for the romantic adventure novels written by the English novelist… … English new terms dictionary
Ruritanian — adj. relating to or characteristic of romantic adventure or its setting. Etymology: Ruritania, an imaginary setting in SE Europe in the novels of Anthony Hope (d. 1933) … Useful english dictionary
Ruritanian romance — A Ruritanian Romance is a story set in a fictional country, usually in Middle Europe or East Europe, such as the Ruritania that gave the genre its name. The popularity of the Graustark novels led to this type of story also being called… … Wikipedia


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Office Pro v4.2
Office Pro is an application for the Android platform, It makes it easy yet professional to Create, View and Edit MS Word documents ( .doc, .docx, .rtf,.xml .txt ), MS Excel workbooks and records(.xls, .xlsx, .csv ) , MS PowerPoint presentations (.ppt , .pptx ).
We obligate that :
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With Office Pro it's easy yet the most professional office suite to create Documents, Emails, Letters,Books, Workbooks using Professional editors with a user friendly and intuitive interface, beautiful presentations and we even added a special painter for special needs.
The main goal was to create a suite that answers to all of your Office files needs, to keep you creative and productive on the go and the design of this app following this rule, All buttons are dynamic (changes according to the text cursor position), easy to navigate between features, easy to achieve your goals, All Editors are very professional and fully featured.
в?… Easy to use (user friendly), Fast and Smooth(great Engine, minimum loading time), Minimum permissions required (giving you the confidence you need to Choose Office Pro).
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в?… Our support team is always willing to help and always here for you.
Tags: Office


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Kevin Lembo: Time for the public option in health care
The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously said this of obscenity: "I know it when I see it."
It's too late to ask Justice Stewart whether the Republican American Health Care Act meets his obscenity test, but I can tell you this: I know health care when I see it, and this isn't it.
The American Health Care Act recently passed by the House of Representatives, and proposals now under consideration by Republican senators, are simply not health care reform — but instead an immoral and outrageous attack on millions of Americans at risk of losing access to health care, particularly those with pre-existing conditions.
All of this to provide tax breaks to billionaires.
I have spent the better part of my life — as the state's first Healthcare Advocate and decades before that — fighting for people who have been denied access to care, beginning with my work in the early days of the AIDS pandemic when I saw people around me dying while our government treated people as disposable.
Hear me now that, having witnessed firsthand the ugly reality of life-and-death health care obstruction, I will never give up the fight for quality and affordable access to care.
For these reasons, I believe the time for a state public option is now.
I am deeply troubled by the state of the individual insurance market in Connecticut.
Connecticut's health insurance exchange is broken. Only two carriers now remain in the exchange and both are considering withdrawal due to financial instability that is worsening due to Republican health reform plans at the federal level.
The departure of these two remaining carriers would be disastrous for more than 110,000 residents who would not only lose coverage, but have no meaningful health care options left.
A public option would avert this increasing threat.
It would ensure the availability of at least one viable option for affordable and quality health care.
There is a path for Connecticut to pursue a public option. Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act allows states to apply for innovation waivers to develop their own insurance and delivery system innovations while still receiving the same level of total reimbursement.
Connecticut could potentially institute a public option by leveraging the purchasing power of its two existing large-scale health plans — Medicaid or the state employee plan — to create a plan with low administrative overhead.
The administrative savings would allow the plan to provide improved benefits and lower premiums.
A public option would set premium rates with the intention of covering all claims and administrative costs, with no cost to the state.
The state could demonstrate its ability to save federal costs by offering a public option — because the federal government could minimize costs on premium assistance that it currently provides. Those federal savings could be used to help protect the state from any financial risk.
The future of federal health care remains unclear — but Connecticut's moral responsibility remains very clear.
The state must pursue every tool available to ensure that all residents have access to quality affordable health care. A public option will ensure, regardless of devastating federal action, that Connecticut residents have a viable health care choice.
Kevin Lembo is comptroller of the state of Connecticut.


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Yesterday I went on a sketchcrawl around the Abbey Quarter of the city with the Reading Sketchers as part of the city's Open for Art week. This was the only event I managed to attend as it was incredibly hot outside! We're in our third week of scorching heat with no end in sight and nothing in this country is set up for that – I'm melting :/
I'm very happy I made it to this though as I wouldn't have found out about the Reading Sketchers otherwise – they've been going for about a year and meet once a month. They've applied to become an official chapter of the Urban Sketchers.
We spent ~40 minutes in each of three locations:


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The plot is simple. The magician introduces the Instapad by saying that it will be important in a few moments. He can put it on the table, or give it to a spectator.
A card is freely chosen and signed. Then, the magician can perform his favorite card routine, keeping the Instapad aside for the big finale.
Magically, the signed card vanishes from the deck. At that moment, the magician picks up the Instapad and tells the spectator that their card is in the pad (they can read "Your Card" on it). There is something more, an arrow pointing to a dot that the magician claims is the signed card. Since it is still far away, the magician brings it closer. Suddenly, he produces the card in an incredibly visual way!
Do you own this product? Write a review.


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From the recording Transformation
In the midst of all the fun over the course of his exploration, Julio finds himself reflecting and exploring himself. A crucial part to anyone's transformation is self-reflection.
Sitting in this room, living in contemplation,
About my vulnerabilities and this transformation,
I seek the answers, very deep within,
only to discover the trouble that I'm in,
These relationships, yea, they've taken their toll,
I really hope that one day, a true love story unfolds,
Till then, I'll travel across these galaxies,
leaving an imprint of who I want to be,
I'm living in the present
Planning for a future, a purpose, there I said it,
But then again, who am I, who am I to say,
when the people in society don't want to see you change,
for the good or for the better, it sparks their insecurities,
those living deep inside, projections of who those people they couldn't be,
yet, I continue to share this love in such a way,
unconditional, genuine, honest,
just don't get in my way
please don't crucify me for being that rare guy you know
Time flies way too fast so I really won't be moving slow,
Embrace me with your mind as I let go of emotions,
Too bad we're up in space, shyt, I haven't seen an ocean,
(Hologram Phone Rings)
Rexie: We have an incoming hologram from Jon-E-Snow
Julio: Sounds good… just a, patch it through
(Hologram Pops Up)
LJ: Yoooooo
Julio: Wassap
LJ: Your new spot is dope.
Rexie: It looks as though you haven't grown one bit Lil Jon.
Julio: (laughs in the background)
LJ: Shut the fuck up Rexie. Your smart ass is shorter than a ruler.
Yo Julio, how'd you program this thing to be so smart?
Rexie: I'm beyond a "thing" Little Jon, aka Jon E Snow. (Rexie laughs)
Julio: Yea, I kind of replicated my intellect and wittiness, leaving out the emotional aspect of myself. (laughter)
LJ: Bullshyt! So what's going on tonight?
Julio: Let's hit the city man. It's a brand new world out there. Time to find myself. You should do the same.
LJ: I been found myself man. You late
Julio: Alright my ninjaaaa, RELAX. How about you uh, play some chords and let me get ready.


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If you use Twitter with any frequency, you are probably already aware of the special sort of stupidity emitted by the Blue Checkmarks, that is people who are verified by Twitter. Since Twitter has a habit of banning Rightists, either directly or through shadowbanning, the number of verified Conservatives is rather smallish. It is non-zero, of course, but it could be said that Twitter wishes there were none. Thus Blue Checkmarks are usually liberals, and a large percentage of them fall into the category of Shitlibs, the special breed of liberals prone to the most idiotic and useless drivel imaginable.
Consider this:
The Blue Checkmarks Strike Again. This appalling level of deceitful filth equates Donald Trump joking about "grabbing 'em by the pussy" with literal sex slavery and mass murder committed by ISIS. This is the mindset of the far Left, any deviation from their narrative is deemed literally Hitler. Or in this case, literally ISIS. As this "genderless male" puts it, it is binary. If you are not with him, you are evil. And as evil, you must be destroyed.
Now, some might say that an out exists. What if the person disagreeing with the narrative is merely stupid? Ah, well Blue Checkmark Twitter has an answer for that, too:
So, stupid and evil are the same. They are both evil. Crass sexual humor is the same as sex slavery and mass murder. Words are literal violence. But violence conducted against Rightists isn't violence at all. These people play very fast and loose with their language. It is language pollution of the highest order. Words mean whatever these cretins want them to mean. And, of course, what they want words to mean is "kill Righty" or maybe it's "kill Whitey." Whatever. In their world, it's probably both.
Here's a great example of that:
Of course, the casual reader might say that I'm cherry picking these. And sure, I've picked a few whoppers for the amusement of my readers. But you can browse for yourself, and see the idiocy and hateful language spewed by Blue Checkmark Twitter. Many of these people have jobs in entertainment, media, and academia. And most of them despise you. For every Sean Hannity with a Blue Checkmark, you'll find a dozen of these cretins. And as we saw with Milo Yiannopoulos, Twitter loves to remove the checkmark, or simply ban a Rightist, if they believe they can get away with it.
This Tweet appears to have been removed, but the Blue Checkmark who tweeted it is still around:
If this were during the days of the Obama administration, and a Rightist posted something like that, he would have been booted off the island with a great deal of media fanfare. This goes right under the radar.
But don't take my word for it. Browse Blue Checkmark Twitter for yourself. You will never find a greater hive of scum and villainy.


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The word "automation" leads many people to believe that they are at risk of being replaced. The irony in the world of sales and marketing is that people are the key ingredient to automation's success.
There are three areas where people in sales and marketing must be aligned for any sales and marketing automation program to be successful:
- User adoption
- Innovation
- Continous transformation
Below are some suggestions to help you take on these areas from within your organization all of which require a little communication:
- Create an annual internal social/PR campaign about your program
- Set and communicate the goals and milestones reached
- Identify your innovators, early adopters, mid-stage adopters and laggards; they all matter.
- Ask for feedback and ideas and recognize anyone that shares
- Communicate successes, gaps or areas that need improvement
Below are several sample internal communications to help get you started:
Internal Communication #1
What is the Sales and Marketing Automation Program?
The Sales and Marketing Automation Program is comprised of two SaaS solutions that connects to a data warehouse.
Key Features of the Program:
- Users have access to fresh business information that covers the entire family trees of their target accounts
- Automated lead progression and qualification based on demographic and behavioral lead scoring algorithms
- Automated delivery of relevant content to clients that's based on inferred or intrinsic levels of interest at the contact and company levels
- Automated trigger alerts with account monitoring to alert end users of sales triggers like executive change, project announcements, mergers & acquisitions, etc. happen
Internal Communication #2:
Goals and milestones reached:
X months have passed since we launched our company's Sales & Marketing Automation Program and our results to date have been strong. Our lead generation rate and impact to pipeline this year is ahead of last year's results by approximately X% [Share your demand generation and pipeline summary details]. It's important to note, that these results were achieved as a direct result of the collaboration between the sales and marketing community. The rollout, to our first group of end users in sales was completed last week. In total, we now have X # of sales and marketing users who are actively using the program. We plan to roll out our solution to the rest of our sales and marketing community over the next X months. Stay tuned.
Internal Communication #3
Identify your innovators, early adopters, mid-stage adopters and laggards:
Driving user adoption took longer than anticipated on our first roll-out. To address some of the challenges posed on our initial roll out, we will host a series of webinars over the course of the year, with the first series of webinars focusing solely on training and best practices.
Internal Communication #4
Ask for feedback and ideas and recognize anyone that shares:
We've identified other risk factors that could become barriers to our success, like budget constraints (content development, telemarketing, training, etc.)
Please communicate and share any challenges or barriers to success that you foresee or encounter during our organization's transformation to the group here.
Internal Communication #5
Communicate successes, gaps or areas that need improvement:
We will monitor program usage, lead acquisition rates, funnel progression, and client interaction throughout our roll out and transformation.
Succinct communications to the users, future users, stakeholders, and leadership is what ultimately drives continuous innovation and adoption to change, and remember that user perception matters in the adoption process:
- Relative Advantage: How improved an innovation is over the previous generation.
- Compatibility: The level of compatibility that an innovation has to be assimilated into his or her life.
- Complexity or Simplicity: If the innovation is perceived as complicated or difficult to use, an individual is unlikely to adopt it.
- Trialability: How easily an innovation may be experimented. If a user is able to test an innovation, the individual will be more likely to adopt it.
- Observability: The extent that an innovation is visible to others. An innovation that is more visible will drive communication among the individual's peers, which in turn will create more positive reactions.
Reference sources: Everett Rogers "The Diffusion of Innovations"


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Let's be honest: coffee is an essential part of life. It makes productive mornings possible, and can keep the mid-afternoon doldrums at bay. Helpfully, it also comes with some serious health benefits -- habitual coffee drinkers are less likely to die of heart failure as those who don't indulge, and research has suggested that caffeine may help prevent cancer, diabetes, stroke, and Parkinson's disease – which makes it super easy to justify pouring another cup.
To celebrate International Coffee Day, which takes place on Monday, PayPal surveyed over 1,000 men and women across the country about their coffee habits and preferences. Apparently, we're a nation that loves us some coffee but we don't all agree on what makes the perfect cup. West Coasters are more likely "to get a little fancy" and order a cappuccino and or a latte, while Midwesterner keep it simple, and prefer their coffee black. Meanwhile, millennials across the country are generally willing to spend more money on their java, and have a penchant for slurping it up in ice form.
Check out PayPal's infographic below to read more coffee facts.
Copyright © 2013 Entrepreneur.com, Inc.


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Bunions are bony protrusions at the base of the big toe. They form when that toe presses against the next toe, forcing the angle of the bones in the big toe to change. This often happens over time as a result of pressure from a shoe that's too tight, particularly a pointytoed or high-heeled shoe. Unless bunions are severe, they can usually be managed without surgery.
(Exercise shouldn't be painful. Here's how you can customize your own walking plan—and lose up to 6x more weight—with Walk Your Way To Better Health.)
Perhaps because of footwear fashions, bunions are nine times more common in women than in men. One study estimated that 23% of women ages 18 to 65 and 36% of women over 65 have bunions. The protrusions can also develop due to limb length discrepancies, arthritis, or foot injuries, or they may be hereditary. Bunions become more pronounced over time unless treated. (Try a pair of these cute, comfortable sandals with arch support.)
Even mild bunions can be painful when shoes press against them. The skin over the bump at the base of the big toe can become callused and red, and sores can occur between the toes. In rare cases, the big toe can move under the second toe, causing severe pain. (Manage bunion pain with these effective solutions.)
While only surgery can make a bunion disappear, you can prevent one from getting larger and minimize pain, inflammation, and skin trauma. To begin with, wear comfortable shoes that don't squeeze your toes. You may consider having the toe boxes of your shoes stretched at a shoe repair shop. You can also cushion the bunion with a small doughnut-shaped pad, sold at most drugstores. To help lessen discomfort, ice the area during the day and soak your feet in warm water in the evening.
3 Common Types Of Bunion Surgery
If other options haven't worked, your doctor may suggest one of these procedures to realign your toe and eliminate the bunion. (Here's what you need to know if you're considering bunion surgery.)
If a bunion has caused severe misalignment, small breaks are made in the big toe. Pins or screws secure the joint.
If a bunion bump is very large, a piece of bone will be cut off the big toe joint before an osteotomy.
If the bunion was caused by severe arthritis, the arthritic surfaces of the joint are removed; screws, wires, or plates hold the joint together as it heals.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can help relieve bunion pain, as can oral turmeric or ginger supplements, which are naturally anti-inflammatory but may work slowly. (Are homeopathic treatments safe? We took a close look.)
If the bunion continues to cause extreme pain or swelling that limits your daily activities, consult a podiatrist or orthopedist. Surgery to realign the toe joint may be your best option. The procedure is typically done on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. It can be expensive and may affect your balance afterward. Recovery takes about 6 weeks and often requires crutches. Some people opt for surgery because they want to wear fashionable shoes or think bunions are unattractive. But I don't recommend having the surgery for cosmetic reasons alone. It should be reserved for instances when the bunion causes significant pain or interferes with everyday activities.


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Portlaoise hospital to be smoke free
From November 1 Portlaoise hospital and grounds will be a complete tobacco free zone.
Smokers whether they are patients, staff or visitors, will have to stand outside the front gates of the hospital to get their fix, as smoking will be banned not just in the carpark, but in cars, doorways, bicycle shelters, or anywhere inside the entrance gates.
Nicotine replacement therapy will be offered to patients being admitted from November 1 onwards, and the hospital say they will be making efforts to inform every patient of the new policy before they are admitted. Patients can also be referred to the Hospital's free Smoking Cessation Service.
Staff at the hospital have also been receiving support and advice on giving up cigarettes in the run up to the ban. A Health Promotion Week took place last month when staff were offered free screening for blood pressure, diabetes and cholestrol, while lunchtime talks dealt with the menopause and women's and men's health issues.
Stella Moran, Manager of Cuisle, the support service for cancer patients in Portlaoise, facilitated the lunchtime talks on women's and men's health.
The hospital's Health Promotion Team are also giving ongoing smoking cessation support and advice to staff.
Mary Fitzpatrick, Assistant Hospital Manager said introducing the Smoke Free policy will support those who want to quit the habit.
"A lot of work is going into implementing this national policy and we are receiving support and encouragement from the staff. We are not telling anyone that they must stop smoking, but we are asking people not to smoke in our hospital," she said.
Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise are following in the steps of other hospitals including St Vincent's, the Mater, Waterford and Limerick Regional Hospitals and Galway University Hospital.
The policy is in keeping with the National Tobacco Control Framework and will ensure that Portlaoise maintains its status as a 'Health Promoting Hospital'.
"Stopping smoking, at any age, is the single most important thing a person can do to improve their health and we are very pleased to be able to provide such an environment in Portlaoise Hospital that is supportive of anyone who wishes to do that." Ms Fitzpatrick said.
For Help to quit smoking, call the National Smokers' Quitline 1850 201 203, Visit www.quit.ie, Join www.facebook.com/HSEquit


text:
|Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying
|Philipp Nicolai
|Catherine Winkworth
|Philipp Nicolai
|Hans Sachs
|Johann S. Bach, 1685-1650
|MIDI file
1 "Wake, awake, for night is flying,"
the watchmen on the heights are crying;
"Awake, Jerusalem, arise!"
Midnight hears the welcome voices
and at the thrilling cry rejoices:
"Where are the virgins pure and wise?
The Bridegroom comes: Awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
With bridal care and faith's bold prayer,
to meet the Bridegroom, come, prepare!"
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
and in her heart new joy is springing.
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious
and strong in grace, in truth victorious.
Her star is risen, her light is come!
Now come, O Blessed One,
Lord Jesus, God's own Son.
Sing hosanna!
We answer all in joy your call;
we follow to the wedding hall.
3 Lamb of God, the heavens adore you,
the saints and angels sing before you
with harp and cymbals' clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
where, joining with the choir immortal,
we gather round your radiant throne.
No eye has seen that light,
no ear the echoed might
of your glory;
yet there shall we in victory
sing shouts of joy eternally!
|Text Information
|First Line:
|Wake, awake, for night is flying
|Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying
|Original Language:
|Philipp Nicolai (1599)
|Catherine Winkworth (1858)
|Publication Date:
|Biblical Names & Places: Jerusalem; Return of Christ; The New Creation(3 more...)
|Lutheran Worship, 1982, rev., alt.
|Tune Information
|Hans Sachs (c. 1513)
|Philipp Nicolai (1599)
|Johann S. Bach, 1685-1650
|C Major
|Cantata 140 (harm. in)
Scripture References:
st. 1 = Matt. 25:1-13, Isa. 52:1, 8
st. 2 = Rev. 22:16-20
st. 3 = Rev. 5:11-13, Rev. 21:21, Isa. 64:4, 1 Cor. 2:9
In 1597 the Westphalian (German) village where pastor Philipp Nicolai (PHH 357) lived experienced a terrible pestilence, which claimed some thirteen hundred lives in his parish alone. Nicolai turned from the constant tragedies and frequent funerals (at times he buried thirty people in one day) to meditate on "the noble, sublime doctrine of eternal life obtained through the blood of Christ." As he said, "This I allowed to dwell in my heart day and night and searched the Scriptures as to what they revealed on this matter." Nicolai also read Augustine's City of God before he wrote this great Advent text and arranged its tune.
The original German text ("Wachet auf! ruft uns die Stimme") and tune were published in Nicolai's collection of devotional poetry, Frewden-Spiegel dess ewigen Lebens (1599), with a title that read (translated into English), "Of the Voice at Midnight and the Wise Virgins who meet their Heavenly Bridegroom." Catherine Winkworth's (PHH 194) English translation was published in her Lyra Germanica (1858). The Psalter Hymnal includes that translation as altered in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978).
The parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1-13) was the inspiration for stanzas 1 and 2, and John's visions of the glory of Christ and the new Jerusalem (Rev. 19, 21, and 22) provide the basis for stanza 3. Erik Routley (PHH 31) says this hymn is filled with "pageantry, energy, light, color, and expectancy"; it is surely a great hymn about the joyful anticipation of Christ's coming again, and one that brings comfort and hope to Christians in all situations.
Liturgical Use:
Advent; other times when our eyes of faith long for the return of Christ; with preaching on Matthew 25.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
WACHET AUF is sometimes known as the "king of chorales," while Nicolai's other famous tune, WIE SCHON LEUCHTET (357) is known as the "queen of chorales." Nicolai's WACHET AUF is based on the "Silberweisse" tune (around 1513) by Hans Sachs, the famous Meistersinger from Nuremburg, Germany. The original form of the melody was more rhythmically varied, but by the eighteenth century, the isorhythmic (all equal rhythms) version is what Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used in his Cantata 140 (1731); the harmonization is from the closing chorale of that cantata. There are also many organ preludes on the tune.
WACHET AUF calls for festive accompaniment, including brass instruments, so that the shouts of "alleluia" and "hosanna" may truly crescendo (as st. 3 suggests). Congregations will probably enjoy singing this hymn in unison, but choirs should try the harmony.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
|Adobe Acrobat image:
|Bulletin Score
|Adobe Acrobat image:
|Bulletin Score (melody only)
|Adobe Acrobat image:
|Full Score
|MIDI file:
|MIDI Preview
(Faith Alive Christian Resources)
|WAKE, AWAKE FOR NIGHT IS FLYING (Gray Psalter 613)
PowerPoint Presentation for Projection
|WAKE, AWAKE, FOR NIGHT IS FLYING (Gray Psalter 613)
PowerPoint Presentation for Projection
|Four Advent Hymn Preludes, Set 2
|The King of Glory Comes (An Advent Suite for Organ)
|More products...


text:
The index is on track to reach or exceed 2,000 points by the end of 2014, but the start of Federal Reserve tapering could provoke a fall of 10 percent or more, warned a senior investment analyst on Wednesday.
(Read more: Don't panic till the last of the bears gives up)
The S&P — a key index of 500 leading U.S.-listed shares — has rallied around 26 percent since the start of the year, boosted by hopes that the Fed will continue its bond buying program of $85 billion per month until the end of 2013.
Assuming the central bank starts gradually scaling back its purchases in March next year, Michael Gallagher of investment research firm IDEAglobal said market projections indicated the S&P would reach or top 2,000.
However, he warned that historical evidence suggested an imminent end to ultra-loose monetary policy could instead provoke markets into a correction, as happened with Tokyo's Nikkei index when the Japanese central bank started its own tapering in 2006.
(CNBC Explains: )
"The Bank of Japan actually started tapering and when it got quite advanced we then saw a Nikkei sell-off, and that sell-off was about 19 percent," said Gallagher, the director of research at IDEAglobal.
"So I think what we are warning is that yes, liquidity is going to be generous into the first half of 2014, but at some stage there is probably going to be a market correction, because the markets run ahead of the fundamentals."
The Bank of Japan was an early instigator of in March 2001, when it began purchasing Japanese government bonds. It quit the policy five years later amid signs Japan was emerging from , but readopted it following the global financial crisis.
The benchmark Nikkei fell 19 percent following the start of Japanese tapering in March 2006, falling from 17,563 points to 14,219 between April and June of that year.
Gallagher said that S&P P/E ratios (the ratio of companies' share prices to their earnings per share) were slightly extended, raising the likelihood of a Japan-style correction come Fed tapering.
(CNBC Explains: P/E ratio)
"The key message is that it is not going to be a straight line (for markets) next year. Tapering is going to cause bumpiness in the U.S. equity market and U.S. bond market, and that is going to have a spill over effect on global markets… If you are talking a correction that is 10 percent-plus, for most people in the market, that is quite a big correction," he told CNBC.
(Read more: Wall Street awaits data deluge ahead of holiday)
The S&P closed at around 1,803 points on Tuesday, having cleared the psychologically important 1,800-mark for the first time last week. A 10 percent correction would see the index at 1,622.
Several analysts and investors have forecast a correction in U.S. markets in recent weeks. Earlier this month, activist investor Carl Icahn sparked fear among investors when he warned of a "big drop" looming for stocks, because earnings at many companies were driven more by low borrowing costs than strong management.
(Read more: Stocks could see new volatility in 2014)
—By CNBC's Katy Barnato


text: It is back to the future time again. This time for messaging apps. It seems that tech giants are finally adopting the ideas from 90's. The "killer" features that include bots that react to the messages were a part of Jabber messaging system right from the beginning. This results, of course, when a system is built by the users, not by marketing department.


text:
TOAS, NM—Heritage Hotels and Resorts, Inc. has opened Palacio de Marquesa, an upscale, eight-room inn located here. The inn pays tribute to famous female artists, who have lived in Taos.
Located a few blocks from Taos Plaza, the inn offers guests luxury private rooms and bathrooms,. The southwestern style inn is designed with contemporary touches including brushed-metal canopy beds with Frette linens, modern furnishings, northern New Mexican original woven bed throws from Chimayo, Saltillo tiles and viga wood ceilings. The rooms, decorated in ivory and silver, offer flat-screen TVs, private fireplaces and luxurious marble bathrooms.
Gourmet breakfasts, made-to-order, are offered in the Community room or delivered to guest rooms in a basket. The Community Room is made up of a living room, dining room, seating areas, two fireplaces and a small library. Activities, demonstrations and classes including health and wellness, cooking and art classes are offered on a seasonal basis in the communal room or in the high desert garden. The inn also offers private picnic lunches for guests who opt to explore Taos or the surrounding areas.
The design of the newly remodeled inn pays tribute to the stories of the women of Taos. The town of Taos began drawing artists in the early 1900s. A number of notable female artists including Millicent Rogers, Mable Dodge Luhan, Agnes Martin and Georgia O'Keefe. Each of the eight rooms has adopted a Taos patron and the rooms design and theme honors the vision and contributions of that particular woman. Every detail from incorporating the artist's signature elements, such as turquoise and fur, to hanging prints of the artists work in the rooms have been thoughtfully planned out by the hotel's signature designer, Adriana Long.
"We wanted to create something unique for guests in Taos. A place that celebrates the remarkable women artists that Taos is so well known for," said Adriana Long, interior designer, Heritage Hotels & Resorts. "We've created a luxury retreat, that blends original art, southwestern culture, contemporary design and modern accommodations in one of the most beautiful mountain havens in the country."


text:
The debut album from our very own secret weapon Weirdo! You've lost the plot to his tunes down the disco, you've worshipped at his vinyl altar and now you can have him all to yourself right in there in your own living room! Weirdo is one of the most exciting artists to explode onto the hard house and trance scene in recent years. 'Curva Peligrosa' his debut release whipped up an incredible storm in the music press and on dancefloors across the world and became one of Tinrib biggest selling releases to date. His distinctive brand of powerful, euphoric trance is vintage end of night stuff sending shivers down the spine. Yet hard trance is just one side of Weirdo's talent. Every release has been backed with a radically different, yet equally as popular hard house tune, making Weirdo one of our most versatile and popular artists. He has added a new dimension to Tinrib and has inspired a fanatical following amongst clubbers who have made his tunes anthems in clubs up and down the country.
Disc One tracks consist of:
A. Exotic Particles – You just can't stop this Weirdo bloke, if you want hard trance that make the kids lose it down the disco he's got it nailed,Take the attitude of Photic Zone, rework it, mix it up with the funk from Make U Groove and add a little bit extra and you have Exotic Particles. 7:42m @ 147 bpm
AA1. Got 2 B Funky – Now give me a beat – thats what he says and thats what he gives ya! The mental percussion adds a great new dimension to his huge chord trance riffs. This is upbeat and avin it! 8:37m @ 147 bpm
AA2. Curva Peligrosa – The original tune that launched Weirdo into the world of Tinrib. Big chords and an even dancefloor response guaranteed. It was given 'Big Beat' of the week on Pete Wardman's for 2 weeks running – not bad for a first effort. This one's for you if you were one of the ones who missed it first time round. 6:58m @ 145 bpm


text:
I'm sure you've all heard of The XX before, but if you haven't I'm not sure where you've been the past two years. Jamie XX has gone solo after a massive world tour and award winning debut album, and I couldn't be more excited about the sound he's creating. His originality really makes it hard to put him in a category, but if I had to I'd say Nu Disco. I'll let you decide for yourself. He has a few shows booked in the U.K., and I anticipate an electrifying tour around The States in the coming months. This is his most recent mix featured on Pete Tong's legendary radio show BBC Radio 1. Welcome to the groove. Hope you brought your dancing shoes.
Location: London, U.K.
Genre: Electronic, Nu Disco
Label: XL recordings


text:
Subject: Re: [xsl] International Characters in attributes
From: "Michael Beddow" <mbnospam@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 20:20:11 -0000
On Friday, February 09, 2001 7:45 PM Michael Storm wrote: [DC] > >You might want to output HTML in iso-8859-1 rather than utf-8. > > That definitely solves the problem, however, I am not able to hardcode the > encoding type into the XSL, since the application could be viewed by two or > more different viewers at the same time (possiby one viewing a french > version, and another in japanese and another in english). Which argues in favour of utf-8 for everyone, provided the clients support it. The apparently strange values you quoted before will display as the correct characters if the browser is set to utf-8. Otherwise you have to get messy and deliver different encodings to different clients (if you are indeed sending Japanese to those Japanese users: if you're simply sending Latin script to people in Japan whose browsers may be expecting Shift-JIS or EUC you'll may get away with it - depends just what accented characters you want to send). Michael ------------------------------------------ Michael Beddow http://www.mbeddow.net/ XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
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text:
Moe, I need your advice... See I've got this friend named Joey J...
Homer: Moe, I need your advice... See I've got this friend named Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo.
Moe: That's the worst name I've ever heard.
Guy: (Runs out of the bar, crying)
Barney: Aye! Joey Joe Joe!
Show Comments
- Characters:
- Homer Simpson, Comic Book Guy, Moe Szyslak, Barney Gumble
- Episode:
- The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 9: "The Last Temptation of Homer"
- Show:
- The Simpsons
- Related Quotes:
- Homer Simpson Quotes, Comic Book Guy Quotes, Moe Szyslak Quotes, Barney Gumble Quotes, The Simpsons Season 5 Episode 9 Quotes, The Simpsons Quotes
- Added by:
- Eric Hochberger
- Added:


text:
It has been revealed what the cast will be for the new Saint Seiya Series. On the voice overs a lot of the dubbing actors are the same that participate with it´s character in Saint Seiya the Hades Saga.
Hideyuki Tanaka as Leo Aioria
Yuusaku Yara as Sagittarius Aioros
Takumi Yamazaki as Aries Mu
Toshihiko Seki as Scorpio Milo
Tesshô Genda as Taurus Aldebaran
Nobutoshi Canna as Aquarius Camus
Yuji Mitsuya as Virgo Shaka
Takeshi Kusao as Capricorn Shura
Ryouichi Tanaka as Cancer Deathmask
Keiichi Nanba as Pisces Aphrodite
Kenyuu Horiuchi as Libra Dohko
Ryotaro Okiayu as Gemini Saga.
On the producting side of things we have Takeshi Furata (Saint Seiya Omega) as the director; Toshimitsu Takeuchi (Ikkitousen: Xtreme Xecutor) in the scripts; Hideyuki Motonashi (Saint Seiya Lost Canvas, B´TX) in the character Design.
They showed a trailer in their website, which is the same they showed us some months ago.
The Story take place after the events of the Hades Saga, and the twelve Gold Saints will return from the death in order to face a new menace.
The Anime will air in the Spring


text:
Matthias Fenner Toolworks
Founded in 2016 as a turnery, I quickly specialized in high-quality hand tools.
At the beginning of 2017 I changed complete to the production of woodworking tools, whereby I specialized on the processing of local woods.
In 2018 I finally found a trusted source of exotic woods and I will now be able to expand my portfolio in this direction.
A look for details and many production steps done by hand, made my tools special. Every tool that leaves my workshop includes solid craftsmanship, perfected design and precise manufacturing.
Let yourself convince from the superior quality of my handtools!


text:
The port has well lit channel aided by leading lights and light house. The operation centre is fully equipped with vessel tracking system along with all major communication facilities to assist all vessels.
KPT is honored to be the first ISPS complaint port of Pakistan with following security measuring systems:
Other facilities includes:
KPT has continued to upgrade computerized port access control system. The system software is integrated with following systems as well :
Copyright © 2014 KPT. All rights reserved


text:
Another Point in LogicIn this part of the website, we will mainly be talking about Christians and their conduct, it is thus important to point out logical pitfalls for the overzealous believer and the impatient skeptic. Most books of Christian history and hagiography tend to play down or completely skip over any dubious actions by the early church fathers, the saints and popes. We will be taking an honest look at many well known Christians throughout history. The picture that emerges from this is not pretty. Thus most believers would probably be mildly shocked by these stories. The most common reaction from them would then be "Surely, these people can't be real Christians?!" And for most, this simple apologetic would suffice for them to go on merrily believing that Christians are good people. To ensure that this apologetic trick does not work, we must first get our definition straight about what constitute a Christian.
A Christian, to this author, is someone who practices the and who believes in many of the religion's basic tenets. By practice, it is meant such activities as: receiving the sacraments (for Catholics and Orthodoxs); attending church services or mass on a somewhat regular basis; follow what his, or her, church teaches on matters of practical life [a]; and the occasional proselytizing. By belief it is meant, as elaborated elsewhere: the acceptance of the existence and unity of God (and for most Christians the Trinitarian dogma); the special position of Jesus in the cosmological order of things (most Christians accept Jesus as God); and the belief in the authority of the Bible. This is the basic definition, to the author, of what constitutes a Christian.
On this definition, we will ask a few questions. Do Christians lead virtuous lives? Are Christians better in the practice of the good life than non-Christians or are they worse? These questions may seem surprising, if not startling, to the believer; after all, aren't Christians supposed to be "good people"? That depends. Let us say, for argument's sake, I point out to a believer a Christian man who professes Christian beliefs, goes to church regularly and yet, say, is a wife beater and a drunkard. If the believer then asserts that this man can't be a "real" Christian because of his behavior, the believer is committing the logical error we were warning about earlier. He had implicitly included in his definition of Christians people who, apart from meeting all the criterion above, lead virtuous lives. Hence, by definition, Christians are "good people".
Many people will find nothing wrong in the believer's implicit definition. [b] But it is wrong, not conventionally perhaps, but logically.
Take as an example, a (naive and not-so-bright) zoologist who wants to prove that "all swans are white". Let us suppose that he found a bird with all the characteristic of a swan except that its feathers are black. What is he to do? There are two options. He can admit to himself that his initial hypothesis was wrong and that would be the end of it: "all swans are white" would be confined to zoological oblivion as a failed hypothesis. Alternatively, perhaps he needs the hypothesis to be right for his Ph.D. thesis, he can perform a linguistic trick. He can assert that one of the fundamental characteristics of swans is that they must be white. Thus swans are, by definition, white. He can therefore refuse to see the black swan as a swan.
Note the change in the meaning of his initial hypothesis that has taken place by this linguistic trick. His hypothesis, "all swans are white" is no longer a statement of fact that can be proved or disproved by observation; it has become a definition. The statement becomes trivial and does not convey any new message, it is in the class of "all triangles have three sides". A good example of how different the definition is in use is to take this case one step further.
Suppose the same zoologist receives a very accurate pencil sketch of a bird that fulfills all the criteria of "swanness"; but it was a line drawing, hence the color of the bird was not given, using the zoologist's definition he cannot call this a swan until he ascertain what color it is. Suppose however that "all swans are white" is a statement of fact, i.e. that no one has found any disconfirming evidence against, the zoologist looking the same line drawing can confidently say that it is a swan and that its color is white.
This, in effect, is what the believer had done when he asserts that "real" Christians are virtuous people. He is simply adding into his definition of the word "Christian" the additional criteria of being "virtuous". Thus the proposition "All Christians are virtuous people" ceases to become a statement of fact; since it tells us nothing more than what is already defined by the word "Christian"; it has become a trivial statement.
What is wrong with that? Some may still ask? What is wrong is connected to the intention of that statement. When the believer says that "all Christians are virtuous people" he normally means it to be more than just to make a trivial definitive explanation. What is implied is that people with the normal external manifestations of being Christians- as we mentioned above: going to church, reading the bible, practicing what they believe to be its teachings- also have a tendency of being virtuous. However, this can only make sense if his initial statement was a statement of fact, not a definition. Remember, the believer has simply refused to call anyone a "Christian" who, although showing all the external manifestations of being one, is not "virtuous". Thus seeing the outward characteristic of being a Christian will not show that a person is virtuous, the very thing the believer wants to show. [1]
The believer's defense, apart from being illogical, is most unconvincing to the skeptic. The main point that interests a skeptic is this: does exposing a person to Christian teachings and practices make him a better human being? In this section of the website we will show that the answer is a definite "No!".
Back to the top
Back to the top


text:
Message from Kevin F. Donohue, Managing Partner at Tower Genius.
What is Cell Tower Lease Optimization? Wireless landlords, have you received a third party LOVE LETTER from your cellular carrier tenant recently, promoting the idea of optimizing your cell site lease?
Optimization, n. is the process utilized or procedures used to make a system or to make a design as effective or functional as possible.
We are the USA's Premier
Cell Site Lease Consulting Services Firm.
Maximize The Value Of Your Cell Tower Lease.
Make Sense Of Confusing Cell Tower Offers.
Speak With One of Our Partners.
Call Steve Kazella or Kevin Donohue at 1-888-313-9750.
Tower Genius, that's who.
That is, leasing optimization is the carrier's way of cutting their operational costs. Now, the carrier could figure out ways to build the towers more efficiently at a lower cost, or perhaps negotiate a better rate to run their T-1 lines to each cell tower, or possibly find a way for cell towers to run greener and cut energy consumption costs, making them more efficient. But NO. The easiest way to cut costs is to go after the lowest hanging fruit. You, the landlord need to receive less money for renting them space on your property.
We need to conclude that OPTIMIZATION is a nice way of saying, "the carrier is now going to squeeze as much as they can legally out of you, their landlords."
Landlords receiving cell site lease optimization solicitations should speak to Tower Genius ASAP.
Funny, they don't call it Network Optimization, but we digress. All cellular carriers, including Verizon Wireless, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro PCS, Sprint Nextel, Cricket Wireless, Clearwire or other wireless or tower site management firms go through considerable developmental and zoning costs to build and operate cellular communication sites. Yet even though a tiny fraction (less than 1% of all cellular sites) have been taken down nationwide due to industry consolidation, there are companies out there calling and writing wireless landlords and causing them to have sleepless nights.
Regardless of location, landlords who have a cell site on their property or building are receiving calls from so-called rental reduction or lease optimization consultants to renegotiate the terms of their cell site leases prior to the expiration of the terms already agreed to with the carrier.
These solicitations go on to inform the landlords that they are receiving the renegotiation offers from the carriers (they put the name of the carrier on the letter in some cases) saying the cellular tower in question may need to be removed because of "New Technology" or "Industry Consolidation". That is... unless you agree to the terms of a "Rental Guarantee" or "Rent Holiday" contract.
The letters state that this is a matter of finance - not a matter of Radio Frequency Engineering. In fact, we know that employees at carrier leasing departments CRINGE whenever they had an angry landlord call in to complain about being harassed.
Tower Genius is seeking RF Engineers who can explain on or off the record what cellular lease optimization has to do with coverage and capacity of a given cellular network, how rental holiday or optimized lease candidate cell sites are selected for possible removal from a wireless network.
Or is optimizing the agreement just a scam?
Find out from Tower Genius how we help landlords and property owners in the USA maximize cell site lease values and get the best possible terms for:
(We value your privacy. Your information will never be shared with any third party.)


text:
Portuguese, picada stands for a light
touch and of the two marchas, the marcha picada is a bit smoother.
It is a broken pace and therefore creates little vertical movement. This gait
is characterized by the movement of the animal's legs in a lateral sequence,
with periods of triple hoof support. The
gait can be sustained for long periods of time, allowing the rider hours of
enjoyable riding with little discomfort. The timing of foot falls is similar to
the pasollano of the
Peruvian Paso Horse.
Batida means to hit and
describes the gait considered to be a broken trot. It is characterized by the
movements of the legs in a diagonal pattern, also with moments of triple
support and a four beat sequence. This
gait, unlike a trot, shows very little suspension (all the legs in the air) as
the horses are always in contact with the ground. This creates stability and
smoothness. The longer and more frequent the moments of triple hooves support
are, the more comfortable the gait will be. On flat ground, performing the batida at a normal speed,
the hind foot overreaches the track of the forefoot on the same side, adding to
the smoothness of the ride.


text:
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