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Get the Look: Zephaniah Trousers
In this weeks Get the Look we look at wearing coloured trousers, colour and print on your bottom half has been a trend for a while now but how do you pull it off without looking like you're in pyjamas?
We think it's all about teaming them with more tailored or cropped pieces like this print crop top and smart grey across body bag. It's important to keep makeup and hair sleek too as you'll look less like you just rolled out of bed and more like you took at least a few minutes to get ready.
We love printed crop tops in the summer, they can be teamed with high waisted skirts or jeans for a daytime look or dressed up with a slick pencil skirt depending on where the mood takes you.
Graduate Fashion Week
Over the past few days the London Ethnic team have been visiting Graduate Fashion Week based in the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.
We attended catwalk shows, listened to some great talks and spoke with some young talented designers. There was so much talent on display, we'd loved seeing it all whether it was through sketchbooks and design development or all the way onto the catwalk shows. We're super excited to get some of the designers to work with us and sell their designs on our site.
Chelsea Summer Fashion Showcase
On Friday 27th June, London Ethnic will be hosting an exciting event located within Chelsea's private member club Broadway House. A great spacious venue often featured on Made in Chelsea, with a gorgeous roof terrace overlooking London, perfect for summer evenings.
The event will showcase a fantastic range of products, all made within the UK. It'll be a chance to view our new organic beauty products and jewellery with exclusive discounts on the night.
There will plenty of exciting things taking place; including music and a speed dating event held by Catch Me Cupid.
This will be the chance to be among the first to see new collections by recent graduates with London Ethnic selecting the best from Graduate Fashion Week.London Ethnic's emphasis is on promoting products entirely made in England, boosting British creativity and sustainability in Art and Fashion Design.
Will be a fantastic fashion networking opportunity with the guestlist including celebrities and key members of the press.
Great venue with a fantastic roof terrace perfect for a summer evening, with a complimentary welcome drink upon entry before 7pm, kindly provided by Mandala Wine. There is no World Cup match that evening so why not come and enjoy a football free summer evening.
Early bird tickets limited till 1st June at only £10, after this ticket price will be £24. Tickets available here
No tickets available on the door.
Get the Look: Orange Crush
This week in our Get The Look series we look at how to wear orange, it's the colour of the season and we can't enough of adding orange into our outfits, usually only a accent in the form of either with a bag or a bold orange lip but now we're feeling brave and going for it with an orange dress. Anyone can wear orange and at any age, we'll show you one way to add a flash of orange into your everyday life.
We love the ultra smart feel of this Delice dress, it's eco-dyed by hand so each piece has a unique touch, it has been made within the UK using an upcycled wool. It has been worn by ITV news reader Charlene White.
When teamed with this smart supper bag, this dress can carry you through any work meeting then later on swap the bag for a clutch to head onto drinks in the evening. It's wrap around front means it's super flattering, nipped in at the waist with a semi sheer panel and it's a pencil skirt length so it's good for all body shapes.
Bold colours are not only perfect for summer, they are also offer a fantastic pick me up when the weather gets cold and rainy once again. Pair with simple accessories like this clean simple necklace and minimal hardware bag, so it's the dress that people sit up and take notice of, perfect for showing off your figure.
Graduate Fashion Week 2014
The team at London Ethnic are very excited to attend Graduate Fashion Week this year, with the event showcasing the work of over 1000 graduates from both UK and International universities, we can't wait to get a glimpse of upcoming talent. We'll be attending as many shows as we can to get a real insight into the fresh talent coming out from universities.
At the end of Graduate Fashion Week there is a Gala award show where are a number of awards given including one we're super excited about which is 'The Ethical Award'. In order to be considered for the award students have to demonstrate how their product is beneficial to the environment, culture or community from which the materials are sourced, all of which are of course right up our street. We'll be watching the nominees closely in order to bring our customers the best that new ethical fashion has to offer.
The 2012 winner Sarah Murphy (pictured left), who studied at Northumbria University created her collection using only second-hand tweeds and woollen mixes after a desire to make a collection which was not only ethical but also stylish.
Some of the shows we'll be attending include University of East London, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Salford and UCA Epsom. We'll be around the exhibition on both the Saturday and the Sunday so keep an eye out for us so we can have a chat.
Graduate Fashion Week is responsible for launching the careers of some of the most successful designers including Christopher Bailey, Stella McCartney and Giles Deacon. We've got a sharp eye at London Ethnic for new talent, picking up some of our most popular designers whilst visiting Graduate Fashion Week including Emma Price, Kirin Atwal and Zehra Nas.
We can't wait to get to the shows and exhibitions to see what young designers are up to today, where their inspiration comes from and hopefully work with some of them.
Get the Look: Pencil Skirt
This week our Get the Look series focuses on the Twice Shy Skirt, a London Ethnic team favourite, made from an upcycled British wool in a lovely bright yellow we are always on the look out for new ways to style this piece.
Today we've delved into the minds of our team to look at three different ways to wear the skirt; office, daytime and evening.
Team the Twice Shy skirt with tonal colours to look smart and sleek, the added pop of a bolder orange in the twist lock holdall keeps things modern and fresh. This colourful take on office wear is perfect for any business lunches or meetings.
Get the Look: Faux Leather
We're kicking off our "Get the Look" series today with this rebellious, chic ensemble. Spring has well and truly arrived, and as usual, the weather is behaving spectacularly unpredictably. Glorious sunshine one minute, rain showers the next – so how do we decide on the right, suitable outfit? Something that isn't too heavy and thick because when that sun comes out we'll likely melt, but something that is going to keep you cosy when those chilly winds set in. The answer? Well that lies in our Faux Leather Drape Jacket.
Layered enough that it'll keep you nice and warm, but light enough so that it's not dragging you down, our Faux Leather Drape Jacket is the ideal Spring garment, and with a gorgeous pink floral lining – how could you possibly resist? A timeless wardrobe must-have!
Pulse London 2014
On Monday the London Ethnic team will be heading over to the Pulse trade show to get a feel of what the coming year can offer us, we'll be on the look out for new designers and generally having a browse of other creative visions on offer.
This year the theme of Pulse London is 'First Peek', which aims to provide visitors with the opportunity to be the first to discover new products, future trends and to see the latest market insight. We're very exciting to be among the first to view these new designs and have a chat with those exhibiting.
Pulse runs from May 11-13th and over 500 brands will join the show at London Earls Court, it's a trade only event but if you can pop down we really recommend it.
Ethical Fashion Show
On Thursday 1st May 2014, we guys at London Ethnic went to Hammersmith to participate in the Ethical Fashion Show (with Q&A Panel with Charlotte Instone). The event took place at the beautiful St. Paul's Church and played host to a stunning set-up, with ethical fashion and food and drink stalls dotted around the central catwalk and stage.
The event itself was held for Rehema, a refuge centre which is a project that helps women from all backgrounds living in extremely difficult situations to provide for their children and become self-sufficient. The project teaches women to create jewellery and clothing for a fair wage and runs a cafe. The funds from the project go towards a number of nurseries for children, ensuring they have basic food and education. We were thrilled to be showing our support for this amazing charity, even if it was in a small way.
London Ethnic Fashion Revolution Day Event
On Thursday 24th April 2014, London Ethnic – in partnership with the Fashion Revolution Organisation – hosted one of the official events for globally-participated Fashion Revolution Day, which annually marks the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster where 1133 people who tragically lost their lives (and a further 2500 injured) when a garment factory collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2013. Here at London Ethnic, we firmly believe it's time we take a stand against mistreatment, which often leads to such catastrophes, which is why we strive to promote healthy, positive and equal treatment in our industry.
Our company is born from the desire to give fashionistas around the world the opportunity to acquire authentic London fashion by British fashion artisans – with one simple ethos – equality in the garment-making industry. As part of both the Made in Britain Organisation and the Fashion Association of Britain, we strive to promote not only a healthy relationship between creators and consumers, but also a justifiable and fair attitude towards the treatment of fashion workers around the globe.
London Ethnic would like to thank all of the participants of the evening for getting involved, and for making it a wonderful and interesting event throughout. A huge thank you goes out to the Designers of the evening; Carlotta Actis Baron, Stephen Garvey, Rochelle Loren, Emma Price, Kirin Atwal, Zehra Nas, and Valerie Goode – whose collections were ideal, and really helped highlight the message that not only can your clothes be beautiful, but they can also be ethically-resourced. Thank you to the Hairstylists, Make-up artists, and models of the evening – as this event couldn't have gone through without them, and who made it possible for all of the participants and guests to view the collections. Thank you also to Mandala Valley Wine, who provided us all with beverages as the evening progressed.
London Ethnic's Fashion Revolution Day event 2014 took place at The Cuckoo Club in Central London which featured beautiful, high-end designs created by talented, up-and-coming British designers whose garments graced the cat walk. The event also featured insightful talks the London-based designers, and musical performances by great live bands. Overall, an eye-opening, fun and unforgettable experience for everybody involved.
"It's a tragedy what happened in Bangladesh a year ago. People need to understand that there is an alternative. There are talented fashion designers and fashion workers in the UK and it's really great that London Ethnic showcases them." – Rochelle Loren, Designer.
"My jackets are made in my bedroom… Other pieces are made locally… Everything is made in the UK of course. I feel that the creativity of a designer comes in the pieces more, the close they are to production." – Quote by Stephen Garvey, Designer.
"We empower women who have been the victims of human trafficking or domestic abuse and give them an alternative means of income and bring them back into society with the help of international charities. We have worked in places like Nepal and Africa. We are very pleased to be able to announce that we will be helping victims of human trafficking who have ended up in London with the London Ethnic BACA Jewellery collection which will be available this summer" – Kevin Ackerman, BACA Jewellery.
Designers featured in at London Ethnic's Fashion Revolution Day event:
Carlotta Actis Baron | Stephen Garvey | Rochelle Loren | Emma Price | Kirin Atwal | Zehra Nas | Valerie Goode
For more information on Fashion Revolution Day:
Visit our Facebook page for more details:


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In our fourth episode, Matt Delamater heads to Bissell Brothers Brewing in Portland, Maine, where he fills cans of Bucolia Ale with his bare hands. Then he talks with brothers Noah and Peter Bissell about their flagship beer, a critically acclaimed, danky, highly drinkable IPA that was recently named one of the 100 Best Beers in the World by Men's Journal – The Substance Ale.
After that he jumps in the "Green Bastard" with Sniff (yes Sniff) to deliver kegs of Bissell beer to bars around Portland. They make their last stop at The Thirsty Pig where Matt talks with owner Allison Stevens about her delicious handmade sausages and the Bissell Brothers early days.
Stay tuned for the full length episode, coming in December 2014. Until then, check out our website and grab yourself a cold craft brew. Cheers!

subset: commoncrawl


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The ASE is a trade union with over 150,000 members, and nearly 500 employees across Denmark.
In 2017, one of Denmark's most influential trade unions took on the challenge of redesigning their headquarters. Enlisting a top designer, the new workspace is a model of Scandinavian design; smart and minimalistic, with functionality and well-being at the heart of the project.
When Designer Anne Qvist was approached to take on the job, her brief was to offer the same potential to the employees who work at ASE, and also to help improve their well-being whilst at work. Anne Qvist's design has functionality at the centre. The unique character of each assignment determines the design for each workzone. The task and cooperation around the projects help shape an "Anne Qvist design".
Central to the design is the inclusion of HÅG Capisco chairs. With workers performing desk based tasks for up to 8 hours a day, the company wanted to have a chair that offered the best health benefits. In their previous office, many employees complained of severe back pains, so a true ergonomic chair was needed to help reduce absence due to injury.
With the HÅG in Balance technology offering a greater scope of movement whilst seated, and the overall design inviting regular shifting of postures and positions, the HÅG Capisco was the natural choice. 251 chairs were installed into the main desk areas, with a further 32 HÅG Capisco Puls chairs placed in meeting rooms. ASE chose the black Fame fabric from Gabriel, complimented with a black aluminium base and stem.
The new office is a success, with the complete redesign meeting everyone's expectations, in particular the new seating installed.
"The Capisco is great because it offers so many different seating options… People become more productive when they sit better – their mind becomes more "fresh" and reduces absence due to sickness."


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Hill & Knowlton Merges Marketing Comm., Digital Practices
WPP Group (NasdaqGS: WPPGY) owned agency Hill & Knowlton is merging its New York marketing communications and digital practices into one group. The new team will be called connected marketing and will focus on consumer marketing clients.
H&K recruited Ben Trounson from Ketchum sister agency Emanate to lead the group as senior vice president and director in the New York office.
Trounson has also held positions with Waggener Edstrom and Taylor Global.


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Looking for a FORTIFIED Service Provider? Here's how!
To find a trained FORTIFIED service provider in your area, first select the type of provider you are looking for. Then choose your search parameters. After that hit the SEARCH NOW button to start your search!
FORTIFIED Home™ Evaluator
FORTIFIED Evaluators provide critical, mandatory compliance verification services. FORTIFIED Evaluators are the only FORTIFIED Home service providers authorized to conduct and submit FORTIFIED Home evaluations for FORTIFIED Home designations. Each project must work with a FORTIFIED Evaluator certified by IBHS.
FORTIFIED Wise™ - Associate
FORTIFIED Wise-Associates have attended training and demonstrated an understanding of FORTIFIED Home™ concepts and requirements. FORTIFIED Wise-Associates are qualified to describe the program and how it works.
FORTIFIED Wise™ - Professional
FORTIFIED Wise-Professionals are industry professionals that hold one or more current licenses in the following disciplines:
- General Contractor
- Building Contractor
- Residential Contractor (these are builders, not sub-contractors or trade contractors)
- Architects
- Professional engineers
- National Council of Building Designer Certification (NCBDC)
FORTIFIED Wise™ - Roofer
FORTIFIED Wise-Roofers have attended training and demonstrated an understanding of FORTIFIED Home™ concepts and knowledge of the critical aspects of installation and documentation requirements required for a new or existing home to meet the FORTIFIED standards.
FORTIFIED Service™ Providers
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) shall not be held responsible or liable for any modifications, repairs or replacements with regard to any property, systems, components, or the contents therein. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety is neither a guarantor nor insurer. IBHS assumes no responsibility or liability for any advice or services rendered by any builder, engineer, architect, plan reviewer, plan designer, inspector, manufacturer, or other professional as a result of the certification of such individual as a FORTIFIED Home™ Evaluator, FORTIFIED Wise™ - Associate, FORTIFIED Wise™ - Professional, or FORTIFIED Wise™ - Roofer. Property Owners considering designation for their homes are solely responsible for determining whether to pursue designation and should obtain any additional information necessary to make an informed decision. If the Property Owners is dissatisfied with any aspect of the FORTIFIED Home™ program, the sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue activities relating to this program. No refunds of any fees paid will be provided by IBHS to property owners who fail to obtain any designation under the FORTIFIED Home™ program.
Provider Note: FORTIFIED Home Providers can update their listed information by contacting Karen Yetter at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please make sure your contact information is correct.


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When I started doing SEO 4 years ago, it was already at a stage where everything was starting to get a bit more difficult (May Day, Caffeine and Pre-Panda era). And the way I see it now, it will seriously get a lot tougher in the coming years.
But I guess that was really the perfect time for me to start a career in this industry. I didn't expect for me to be genuinely passionate about SEO – but I think that passion became the one main factor that really made me embrace everything about it, including its most challenging parts.


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A module that formerly worked but now crashes can often be fixed by removing the section for the module in imatest-v2.ini, (or in imatest.ini, multicharts.ini or rescharts.ini prior to Imatest 4.2), as appropriate. Imatest 4.1+ may open an error reporting window when a crash occurs. We recommend sending us the error report before applying the fix.
Note 1: Reinstalling Imatest rarely solves this type of problem.
Note 2: rescharts.ini and multicharts.ini were eliminated in Imatest 4.2+. All settings are stored in imatest-v2.ini, which can be opened for editing from the Imatest, Rescharts, or Multicharts windows. imatest-v2.ini is compatible with non-Latin characters (Asian languages). Changes are described in INI file format changes in 4.2.
Note 3: To help us prevent similar errors in the future, please send the error report. In most cases an Error reporting window will appear. Follow the instructions, making sure to include your correct email and a brief description of what you were doing. If the Error reporting window fails to appear you can click File, Copy current session, then paste the session into an email to email@example.com. If you've closed and restarted Imatest since encountering the error, you can click File, Copy last session.
Click INI File Settings in the Imatest, Rescharts, or Multicharts window. (In Imatest 4.2+ It makes no difference because all settings are stored in imatest-v2.ini.) Then select INI File Editor.
Prior to Imatest 4.2, click INI File Settings in the
Then select INI FILE Editor (Edit/reset module(s) in the Settings dropdown menu prior to Imatest 3.9).
This opens the INI File Editor window, shown below.
The INI File Editor is a powerful tool for editing ini (settings) files.
You can often fix a broken (but formerly working) module by selecting the section
corresponding to the module, then clicking .
Select a section to view, edit, or delete from the Section dropdown menu (near the top). Section names usually correspond to module names. Errors can often be fixed by removing an entire section (this restores the default values) or by editing a single line (if you know what you're doing).
Some section names don't fit the pattern. We are keeping these (for now) for backwards compatibility. We apologize for the confusion.
- Stepchart module:
[q13] is used for the Stepchart module, which originally supported only linear grayscale stepcharts, such as the Kodak Q-13 and Q-14. Note that [stepchart] is used for grayscale stepcharts in Multitest, not for Stepchart.
- Multicharts and Multitest modules
[gamut] is used for settings common to all (or most) Multicharts/Multitest charts. There are also sections for individual test chart analyses whose name corresponds to the chart name (generally abbreviated). Here are the lists of names (taken from the code).
For (mostly) color charts: {'cc24'; 'it8'; 'special'; 'qpcard'; 'ccsg'; 'stepchart'; 'special'; 'cdm28'; 'sfrp20'; 'utt'; 'spydercheckr'; 'hale'; 'te226'; 'mxn'; 'cdm-dc48'; 'colorgauge'; 'rezchecker'; 'cmp'; 'esfriso'; 'iso-16505'}
For multi-row Grayscale charts: {'iso-14524'; 'qa-61'; 'qa-62'; 'iso-15739'; 'ite'; 'oecf-20'; 'sqcirc'; 'eia'; 'qa-79'; 'mxn'; 'sdr-36'; 'sq-20'; 'contrast-res'; 'te269'}
To fix a problem by resetting a section, Select the section, then press.
To fix a problem by editing a line, Select the section that contains the line, select the line in the large window, make the change in the line edit window just above the large window, then press Enter.
When you are ready to save the changes press, which is grayed out until changes are made. If you with to cancel your changes, press either or .
|Example: Checkerboard stops working. Press the INI File dropdown menu, then select INI FIle Editor. Select the [colorcheck] section, then press Delete section, Save, Close.
Other solutions
Sometimes the problem is in the image file itself. Matlab has difficulty reading files with bad header data. Look at the command window to see if there are warnings about problems reading the file. You can often fix such problems by "laundering" the file by reading it into an image viewer/editor such as Irfanview (an excellent free program), then saving it with a similar name.


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Pink Organic Cotton Knit Top Knot Headband
This top knot headband is an everyday essential for any little girl. The fabric is made of a high quality, soft and stretchy organic cotton knit fabric. The fabric pattern is adorable. It is light pink with gold glitter arrow pattern. You may re-tie the knot to adjust the size of the headband. One of our best selling headbands. Perfect for girls of all ages!


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14 Ratings
Di Majo Norante Aglianico Molise Contado
Wine Details
Wine Description
(2003 Vintage) The wine has a ruby red color with a slight hintof orange, a winy bouquet, ample and intensewith hints of ripe fruit. Mellow and velvety, it is very harmonic, full-bodied and with just the right tannic content and hints of almonds.Ideal with savoury foods, starters, game andcheese
very dry with string herbaceous aromas. mid range fruit has a hint of sweetness giving nice layers. good length.


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Texas builders fear fallout of immigration crackdown on workforce
At construction sites across Houston, atop the skeletons of soon-to-be glistening towers, in ditches cut through roadways, amid the frames of rising townhomes and across the burgeoning suburbs, tens of thousands of laborers build or rebuild the sprawling metro region.
Many of them are immigrants in the country illegally.
In Texas, an estimated 400,000 construction workers reside illegally, according to one study. If they were forced to leave the country, contractors say, state construction companies would face a difficult fallout, including higher labor costs, construction delays, and some projects canceled altogether.
"Texas lives on immigrant labor," said Jeff Nielsen, executive vice president of the Houston Contractors Association. "Our economy is the way it is partly because cost of living is cheap and the reason for that is labor is cheap."
Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump advocated a "deportation force" to track down and remove millions of immigrants here illegally. This week, he moved closer to that goal with a memo instructing federal authorities to broaden the scope of targeted deportations.
Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic en el botón de abajo
The president's actions dovetail with a current push in the Texas Legislature to outlaw so-called sanctuary cities, requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement.
RELATED: New guidelines have immigrants scrambling for answers on legal rights
On Friday, the U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association and its Austin-based Texas arm sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, warning that immigrants in Austin have been wary of showing up to work after an escalation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
"Our fear is that because of the perception that the public has on what the elimination of sanctuary cities means," the contractors wrote, "it will be difficult to find and retain experienced workers, which is especially damaging to small businesses."
Labor tight already
When construction slumped after the financial crisis, laborers lost their jobs and out of need for survival, they found other ones in other sectors. Now that construction is returning to life, the experienced workers are hard to get back.
"We do have a workforce shortage in this country for middle-skill workers in construction," said Jerry Nevlud, president of the Associated General Contractors of America Houston chapter. "The people who say the (immigrants here illegally) are taking jobs, you kind of wonder how many of them would have their sons and daughters get in the industry in its current state."
The depth of immigrants illegally here working in construction has been verified in countless studies. In 2013, the Workers Defense Project and the University of Texas at Austin surveyed 1,194 laborers on Texas work sites and found half were undocumented. A Pew Research report from November concluded that 28 percent of construction workers were undocumented, as well as 26 percent of agricultural workers and 17 percent of production workers.
In all, Texas was home in 2014 to about 1.7 million unauthorized immigrants - 24 percent working in construction, according to a study by the Waco-based Perryman Group. Those workers contributed $33.75 billion to Texas construction in 2015, out of a total gross product that year of about $85 billion.
That sort of economic impact can't be replaced, the study concluded. "Even if all currently unemployed persons filled jobs now held by undocumented workers, the state would be left with a glaring gap of hundreds of thousands of workers if the undocumented workforce were no longer available," the researchers wrote.
Texas builders say it's simply too difficult to recruit domestic workers, especially young adults, to consider construction work. Often, they are on the job for about two weeks - sometimes less in the summer - before they quit, said Mike Dishberger, owner of Sandcastle Homes and president of the Greater Houston Builders Association.
"Getting even high school kids, college kids to work outside in Houston heat, in the summer, is extremely hard," he said.
RELATED: Harris Couty Sheriff cuts ties with ICE program over immigrant detention
Nestor Rodriguez, a sociologist who studied immigrant labor for years while at the University of Houston, was more blunt: "The commercial construction companies (say) only Mexicans stay on the roof when it gets to be 104 degrees."
On Friday, the five men building a cluster of townhomes in the Heights were Mexican. They agreed to talk about their work, but not their legal status. One used a forklift to raise a thousand-pound composite wooden beam and set it across the top of the two-story townhome's wooden frame, where the roof would eventually go. The others, standing on the floor below, would carefully scoot it across the length of the roof, using smaller wooden planks to push it.
"This is very dangerous work," said Ramón, a foreman from San Luis Potosí who has worked construction in Texas since 1994. He asked for his last name to be withheld from publication. "Our hands go for very cheap."
Hard work a necessity
Lupe de Leon, an undocumented laborer, has made a career in Texas construction. He grew up in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, crossing the Rio Grande before sunrise daily to pick tomatoes, lettuce, cantaloupe, broccoli or oranges in McAllen.
Back then, he said, it was common for Mexican workers to cross the border daily. He got work pouring in concrete in South Texas in the 1990s, and moved to Houston in 1996 to pursue work opportunities and to follow the woman who is now his wife and the mother of his two teenagers.
Once in Houston, he took on all sorts of construction work - ceilings, painting, framing houses, demolitions and Sheetrock, eventually becoming foreman for a construction company.
"When you have a necessity you learn to do whatever you must. Every time they offer work, you see opportunity," he said. "Difficult is one word that doesn't exist in the Latino community."
On most Houston work sites, he estimated, 90 percent of workers are Latino immigrants, and about half of them are unauthorized to be in the country. "The companies don't want to know if your green card or social security card is fake, they just need someone to do the job," he said.
Now de Leon owns a small company that hangs Sheetrock, plus four homes as investment properties. He sends money weekly to his parents, who he hasn't seen in 18 years because he can't safely leave and re-enter the country. He is getting ready to send his 17-year-old daughter to college.
READ MORE: Businesses across Texas closed in support of immigrants
And yet, de Leon is nervous given his status and current events. He said his best friend got deported last week while going to pick up a colleague who had previously been deported. Officers with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement were waiting outside the man's house.
If that were to happen to de Leon, his family would lack any financial support, and his eight employees would be out of work.
"I have a lot to lose," he said. "A lot of families are going to be destroyed."
Long-needed resolution
Such uncertainty can create all sorts of problems for the construction industry. Many contractors have already committed to large projects years in advance, trusting a reliable workforce won't be disrupted. That's why virtually all associations of builders or contractors have long supported federal immigration reform that would allow Mexicans and others to work in the U.S. without fear of deportation.
"We've been dealing with this for a long time, and we just need to get a resolution," said Nevlud with the General Contractors Association. "Congress refuses to move."
Efforts at comprehensive reform have stalled repeatedly, most recently under the Obama administration, and has been wiped from the agenda under Trump, whose stated goal is to remove immigrants living here illegally from the country. Proponents of hard-line immigration policy have argued that unauthorized workers should simply attain legal status, but experts contend that there is no such option for the class that builds Texas.
"The ability for these workers to come in legally for a temporary work program is about as close to zero as you can get," said Charles Foster, a veteran Houston immigration lawyer who advised on immigration policy for the George H.W. Bush administration. "There is no line to get legal. It's all a myth."
The closest thing, he said, was the H-2B visa program for temporary non-agricultural workers, which allows in about 66,000 people across the 50 states each year - hardly enough to account for the hundreds of thousands of laborers in Texas.
Now as construction picks up in many sectors after a multiyear slump, industry observers wonder what could happen if demand for workers grows while supply stays tight or shrinks.
Michael Berman, an independent financial adviser and fellow at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, cited recent conversations with construction CEOs who worry that the Trump administration's plans for a trillion dollars in infrastructure spending could increase demand for labor while the labor pool shrinks due to tightening immigration rules. That would drive contractors into competition for available workers, pulling workers from across all construction sectors.
"That would be inflationary," Berman said. "And that would end up being passed on to the costs of homes."


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POP Leash – 10 ft.
Strap in and charge swells, cruise around the harbors, or bomb through rapids with a SUP leash from POP Paddleboards. This ultra comfy leash will ensure that your board is always within reach during the most rigorous and relaxing of sessions. Just strap one end to the tail slot of your board and the other to your ankle, and you're ready to have an awesome time on the water. Aside from keeping your board close, our SUP leash will help prevent your paddle board from coming loose and causing bodily harm to others, especially during paddle surfing. After all, everyone just wants to have a good time.
Support your local shop with our dealer locator. If you cannot find a dealer/shop near you, please call or email with any questions or orders you need. We are super easy to get ahold of and are here to help. 888-528-7556 – email@example.com.


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Leonardo DiCaprio's action figure collection
Wikicollecting's report on Leonardo DiCaprio's action figure collection. The actor's collection is best known for a pristine selection of original carded Star Wars action figures, but DiCaprio has a passion for other action figures as well, including a rare 1982 He-Man figure.
Craigie G
2015-06-26 10:11:15
The bookmarklet lets you save things you find to your collections.
Note: Make sure your bookmarks are visible.
Click and drag the Collect It button to your browser's Bookmark Bar.


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End of transitional relief should prompt re-evaluation of health plans
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When you get into the office on Monday morning and go over your priorities for the week, "spend time thinking about health insurance policies" is hardly ever at the top of the list. Let's be honest, it probably isn't on the list at all – and for the past several years, you've mostly been able to keep it that way. The government has allowed small businesses to keep renewing their old health insurance plans, even if those plans don't comply with the Obamacare healthcare reform rules.
That's going to change at the end of 2017 – and while you've still got more than a year and a half before all small business insurance plans will have to meet the new government standards, the time to start planning for it is now. It's finally time to put healthcare on your to-do list for the week.
Here's what's happening. When the government passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, it established minimum standards for health insurance in the United States. Essentially, if an insurer wants to be able to sell you a policy, it needs to provide essential coverage in a number of different areas – such as hospitalization and maternity services – in return for your monthly premiums.
This rule went into effect in 2014, and any new group insurance policies bought after that point were required to be compliant with the new rules. But the government also created a waiver –"transitional relief" in government parlance – to allow small businesses to renew their existing plans without having to switch to a new plan. That waiver has been extended several times, but regulators announced in February that the waiver will be ending on December 31, 2017.
The first step is to figure out whether this applies to your business.
If your business signed up for a new health insurance plan after January 1, 2014 (or in some cases, after October 1, 2013), you're all set. Similarly, if you're in one of 15 states plus Washington, D.C. that have already started enforcing the new rules, your health insurance plan has already been required to comply with the new standards.
At the other end of the spectrum, if your business has been around for a little while and you've been on the same health insurance plan since before the ACA was signed into law (March 23, 2010) you also don't need to worry about the new deadline. Your old policy was grandfathered under the law, and you can keep renewing it. Depending on your specific circumstances, you may want to consider switching to a new plan anyway – as some businesses have found the new policies have saved them money – but the law isn't going to require you to do anything at this point.
But if your business (1) purchased a new, small-group health insurance plan between March of 2010 and the end of 2013, and (2) is located in one of the 35 states that are still granting the waiver for non-compliant plans, you will likely need to make a change. One insurer reported that up to three-quarters of its small group policies – sometimes referred to as "grandmothered" plans – will be affected. It's also possible that your deadline will be even earlier than the end of 2017, depending on what your state decides.
It's time to get started. What should you do?
Take a look at your current plan and assess whether you need to make a change. It's straightforward if you know the government's new healthcare rules and compliance requirements. If you don't, contact a benefits consultant who does. They can help you determine if you need to make the change and what's best for your organization. Then you can get back to doing what you do best: growing your business.


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I see that this is the first question in this post but I do not see an answer....
What do you do with this item?
How do you use it?
[Drops | Comments ]
Drops: This item is found on creatures.
Kurn's Tower
Zone(s) Found In:
Item Lore: A magical stone of power.
Uploaded November 27th, 2008
|Send a correction


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Attempts to resolve the Quandary:
"Ah, the Boys in Blue – better than the Bhoys in Green onywey – collecting for the Police Benevolent Fund again, let me see, how much do I usually give . . . . . ?" but Inspector Ferguson was in no mood for games: "good evening. Mr MacDonald, I have come to ask you a few questions about your late wife's death," the man shook his head, "oh, a tragic accident, such a shock, it fair broke ma heart," and the Inspector consulted his notes: "and it remained broken for two months, was it. no. no. six weeks, well rather less, for that was the date of your wedding to the Second Mrs MacDonald and you presumably met her some time before, because there would be the Posting of the Banns not to mention the acquaintanceship, forming a friendship, the courtship, the proposal, engagement, and you managed all that in less than three weeks, why you must give some young men of the city the benefit of your experience," MacDonald's face reddened and he was about to remonstrate, but MacPherson continued, "no, you are right, I must apologise, it wasn't really such a rush, was it? because Miss Jessie Cathcart was already known to you, indeed had been working for you in your business for two years, so you had plenty of time to go through all that relationship stuff and prepare yourself for the practical steps needed to turn it into marriage, beginning with the fenestration of the only obstacle – the then Mrs MacDonald!" and he was ready for the older man: as MacDonald let out a ripsnorter of protest, and would have jumped to his feet, the Inspector had stepped forward and was now towering over him, his feet in their size 13 boots, standard issue to members of the City of Glasgow Police, pressing MacDonald's slippered feet to the carpet: "don't come the innocent with me, MacDonald – or perhaps Goering would be more correct?" and the tailor's face turned puce and he remained silent as MacPherson let him know what he though of the cowering figure, which, for the sake of anyone of a sensitive disposition could be reduced to "turd-faced meshuggener," for remember that we are some thirty or more years before the "Police and Criminal Evidence Act" which will rather restrict the way Officers may speak to, and even handle, suspects, and MacPherson leaned over, his face now inches away from the other's: "don't worry, Reichsmarshall, I'm not bothered, for it's no odds to me either way – if you are the genuine MacDonald, I'll see you swing for your wife, and if you are actually the Reichsmarshall, then I'll see you swing for MacDonald, so let's get you down to Maryhill Nick and book you in to your new lodgings!" and surprisingly, the man put up no resistance – he was handcuffed and led from the house, taken to the Maryhill Road station where he was advised of his few rights and then transferred in a Black Maria to the Gorbals Cop-Shop where, joined by the Duty Solicitor, Danny Cohen, he was questioned: "on the morning of Wednesday 16th October 1946 you entered the flat of the O'Hare Family here, in The Gorbals, 12 witnesses have identified you as The Intruder and Mr Connor O'Hare has given a statement that he ejected you from the flat; on or around the 30th of October Mrs Jessie MacDonald of Wilton Street, Maryhill, had her first suspicions that while purporting to be her husband, Mr Hamish MacDonald, you were in fact The Imposter previously identified as The Intruder in The Gorbals a fortnight earlier; at around the same date, employees of Mr MacDonald at his business premises MacDonald Gentlemen's Outfitters, were surprised that you were suddenly no longer able to carry out Mr MacDonald's regular work as a Cutter and Sewer and immediately changed to name of the business to MacDonald Ladies Wear and employed new staff to replace you as the Cutter and Master Sewer; Mrs MacDonald has given a statement that there are intimate details of your body which do not match those of her husband and – at an unusual and intimate Identification Parade she was able to positively identify you as The Impersonator who had been passing himself off as her husband; as you deny all of these Identifications the Procurator Fiscal has, this morning, decide to charge you in the following terms: 1: that you, former Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering as The Intruder at the O'Hare Apartment did enter that place for the purpose of Burglary, 2: in a hiding place not yet discovered you countrified yourself to the extent that you would be able to murder Mr Hamish MacDonald and subsequently as The Impersonator of Mr MacDonald pass yourself off as him at home, work, in The Clansman Bar and at Firhill where you used Mr MacDonald's Season Ticket to attend the Partick Thistle vs Celtic Match where you were identified by Masters Thomas and Robert O'Hare and their father, Mr Connor O'Hare, 3: should a jury find these charges 'Not Proven' or 'Not Guilty' you will then be charged as Mr Hamish MacDonald with the Wilful Homicide of Mrs Agatha MacDonald by defenestration for monetary gain and to enable you to marry your long-term paramour, Miss Jessie Cathcart; do you have anything to say? and I must caution you that anything you do say will be taken down and may used in evidence against you in Court?" and MacPherson suddenly noticed that the man was nictitating – the evil bastard was winking at him as much as to say: "if I can be acquitted of the first charge, and the second, I'll damn well get off the third!" and an incipient doubt began to worm it's way through his brain – if this turly was Goering, though how that was possible he did not know, then he would be the most wily and difficult murderer to convict!(by MissTeriWoman)


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Light Weight :: Heavy Duty Aluminum Cigarette Case (100's Size Cigarettes)
Sold OutEW#CH44
These brilliant light weight aluminum cigarette cases give you the perfect combination of style and function and will hold the entire pack of your cigarettes in one convenient hard shell case. This cigarette case is easy to use, simply push the button and it pops open revealing the perfect space to put your whole pack of smokes. Compact in size and light weight this next gen cigarette case works for you! It keeps your cigarettes intact with its crush proof design. This cigarette case looks as great as it works.


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Henrik Stenson Power Tips
In this exclusive instruction feature, we receive Henrik Stenson power tips direct from the man himself
In this exclusive instruction feature, we receive Henrik Stenson power tips direct from the man himself
In this exclusive feature Henrik Stenson offers his tips for hitting the ball further.
There was an interesting stat at Doral a couple of years ago. On the 11th hole there was a big bunker in the middle of the fairway. There was fairway short and past it and so most players were laying up short. However, the stats guys looked at it and found out that the players who hit driver, even if they went in the bunker or missed the bunker and finished in the rough, they were a lot closer to the pin with their next shot. So you gained by whacking it forward rather than laying up. On a lot of courses, the closer you can get to the green the better. Obviously there are some layouts we play where they've been set up with ridiculously thick rough and firm greens where you have to come in from the fairway but in general the further, the better. That shows just how important power is in the modern game.
It's changed a lot as well. As you can see, some of the guys on Tour hit it ridiculously far. I guess I'm somewhere between the average and long hitters and I don't feel like distance is an issue for me. I may have hit it a bit further a few years ago when I was young and strong!
Technical keys
If you are leaking power through your technique then you lose speed and you are never getting optimum pressure on the golf ball. When you are swinging well and playing well you feel like you have that extra bit of clubhead speed. For instance, I did some good work on the range on the Monday of Abu Dhabi week and I felt I added 10 yards to my game just because I was swinging it much better. When you are not quite on and your timing is poor you start to try and muscle it looking for distance. That's when you start losing power. It's a misperception because the guys who hit it far, there are a lot of factors behind it but, they don't go hard at it. It doesn't look like they are throwing themselves at it and yet the ball goes far. If you have an efficient technique, you'll put a lot of pressure on the golf ball and that's essential.
Launch numbers
Power is about pressurising the golf ball in the right way because you have to have the right launch angle and spin to optimise your distance. Amateurs can be very strong – a rugby player or hockey player – and they go at it but they put so much of the wrong spin on the ball that they are never going to get the most from it. So you are never going to be long just because you have big biceps. Getting the right loft, shaft and playing the right golf ball will all help you pick up quite a lot of distance. For me the right launch is spin at 2200 to 2300 rpm and the launch angle is around 12 degrees.
Henrik Stenson Power Tips
My coach, Pete Cowen, uses an analogy of a carousel. As it swings the centre is going the same speed as the outside but if the middle stops the outside wraps immensely. As your arms are coming down underneath your body, if you are in position, then the club will accelerate and in a way you are stopping to accelerate. If you just keep on moving at the same pace you are never going to get that whip effect. Its not easy for me to communicate the message here but at least it's something for you to think about. I know from my own experience that when I'm not swing too well I'm pulling too hard and then you are moving everything at the same time. When you get it right, it's as if your body holds and as a result your arms speed up at the bottom of the swing. That's why it feels easy when you are swinging well and you have that extra power available to you.
Kill your slice
Many amateurs lose power through their slice. I'm not saying you can't hit a strong fade and get it out there but the guys who do that don't hit across the ball too much. Someone like Martin Kaymer, he gets it out there with a fade and Bubba too. To help kill your slice, in general, you want to think about where the lowest point in your swing arc is and tee the ball up a little ahead of that. If you set up with the ball in that position it should encourage you not to chop across it. You also need to stay centred and swing your arms underneath your sternum through impact. If you can do that, you'll hit the ball slightly on the up and get the launch you are looking for. I think it's a misperception as people try to force power out of the swing. The sequence of the movement is lost here and that's where a lot of players struggle. It is easy to start moving with the body and then you chop across it.
Swing, don't hit
Every person who plays has some ability to swing the club but what happens is that players try to hit it and by that I mean they lift the club up and drop it down on the ball. If you told someone to throw a club out onto the driving range no-one would pick up the club and throw it straight down at the ground, they'd release in the way you're looking for in the golf swing. But when the ball is on the ground people often hit down instead of swinging through. So now you know that when I'm throwing a club its not in anger, it's because I'm working on my release!
What's In The Bag?
Driver: Callaway Big Bertha 815
3-wood: Callaway Octane
4-wood: Callaway X Hot
2-iron: Callaway X Tour
Irons: Callaway Legacy Black (4-PW)
Wedges: Callaway Mac Daddy 2
Putter: Odyssey Works Versa 2-Ball
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x


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Ski Doo G4 850 X Package 36" Spring Kit (2017-2019)
Ski Doo G4 850 X Package 36" Spring Kit (2017-2019)
Application: Ski Doo G4 850 (2017-2019)
Fits KYB X Package Shocks Only. *Will not fit on SP Models.
Improve Comfort, Control and Bottoming Resistance. The stock KYB X Package springs will be too soft for most riders and way too soft for aggressive riders. By installing this dual rate kit, you will still get a nice plush ride and allow you to hit jumps and drops without bottoming out.
This spring kit includes:
(2) Spring Reducers
(2) Main Springs
(2) Spring Dividers with built in Crossover
(2) Tender Springs.
Select Rider Weight with Gear when ordering. *If you are a lightweight aggressive rider, select the 220+LBS option.
Zbroz Racing products are fulfilled per order on a first come first serve basis. We strive to fulfil all orders within 48 hours. Should a backorder condition result you will be notified and we will fulfil your order as quickly as possible. If placing an order for a Zbroz Racing Exit Shock product. Please know they are custom built to order and depending upon demand can take 4 weeks or longer to supply.
Zbroz Racing products are built to last and exceed your expectations with quality, performance and durability in mind. Should you have any questions or concerns please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Thanks again for your order and we look forward serving your off-road needs.
Best in the business
You won't regret spending your money with ZBROZ!
Amazing quality from an amazing family Company 🙌
Ryan Thompason
Best suspension in the market
Best suspension and front end kits in the market! My father has been using them as long as I can remember and now I am too!
Gabrielle Marie Hockley
Ride and performance is so much better
Step one, buy a high performance side x side. Step two, have Nate and the crew hook you up with their suspension mods! They changed just a few things from stock on my X3 and the ride and performance is so much better!
Cory Bowers
Top Quality Parts!
Top quality parts with great service at very reasonable prices. What more could you want? Keep up the great work!
Chris Timmony


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HAVE YOU EVER noticed that when you are with a sibling you haven't seen in awhile, the rhythms are suddenly all right? There's something about the pace of language that flows between members of one's immediate family that's whipped cream smooth. You don't have to make an effort to make yourself understood. The sibling gets it. And you get them.
Yesterday, my brother John came to visit me here in Sebastopol. He drove up from Carmel where he spends the summers. He actually lives in Scottsdale Az. But it's too hot there in summers so he comes to Carmel. Anyway, he got here shortly after 1pm. We went to lunch at The French Garden , a restaurant down the road from me with outside dining and superlative BLTs. We lingered over lunch chatting till about 3:30. John asked me if I still smoked dope. I found that an odd question. But I answered that yes occasionally. He wanted to know if I had a medical prescription. I said no never heard of that in France. I just sneak smoke like everybody else.
Then we came home here and sat in the living room chatting some more till 6pm. After a pair of short naps, we set out to Sta Rosa for dinner at a lovely place called "Ca'Bianca" (White House). A charming restaurant in a big old victorian house. We shared a Caesar salad. Then John had salmon served on a bed of zucchini and gratin potatoes. I had gambas (about 8 or 10) which were presented standing proudly on their tails somehow around a hill of black rice in a creamy sauce with a brandy reduction. John's salmon was overcooked. I begged him to send it back. He shrugged and said it was fresh anyway so he'd eat it as is/was. Some people really do not know how to make a proper fuss. My gambas were exquisite. I had never seen black rice. It was scrumptious. When the waiter (James nice guy) came to ask if everything was all right, I ratted my brother out. "My brother's salmon is overcooked." said I. That prompted the waiter to not only apologize, but to scurry away then return to tell us the desserts were on him. We don't eat much dessert so we asked for another glass of wine each. James took care of our final glasses of wine.
We came home, drank a nightcap glass of Sauvignon Blanc that John had brought from Whole Foods and decided to watch Louis CK at the Beacon Theater on Netflix.
Usually I hate comedians.They don't seem spontaneous to me. They're up there like: "I am now going to recite some pre-digested stuff to make you laugh." Louis CK does about that same thing except he can be quite spontaneous-sounding so I don't mind so much. The highlight for me was when at one point LouisCK described smoking dope with some 20 year old kids in a parking lot. He told how he was taking these deep drags on the joint. The 20 year old kids tried to warn him to slow down.
"Mister, you should sip this joint. It's some heavy duty shit." LouisCK didn't listen "What do kids know about smoking dope? I am an old pro." He thinks. Then suddenly he realizes that the last time he had smoked dope was in 1993 in the days when dope was this tame little drug that gave you a tame little high. Louis CK is choking and coughing the way one does when smoking dope.
Then he said, "My head was going to explode right in front of these innocent kids." Then he added, "I realized this was not going to be a jolly trip at all. My stupid "smoke dope with 20 year olds" experiment was going to be "an Ordeal"." Like the creeping new technologies have turned dope into some kind of industrial strength narcotic that cooks your brain. Next thing he said was :"I hadda get out of there. I got in my car. I was driving along when suddenly I realized I had been driving for 40 minutes and had yet to look out the front windshield..." He got funnier from there. If you have ever smoked too strong dope, you know it's not exactly fun. A too powerful high makes it difficult to lift one foot and place it ahead of the other one that is even more difficult to lift. Let's face it. Heavy duty dope slows you down. No. It paralyzes you. You can't dial the phone or pee straight. Anyway my brother John and I ended our evening collapsed together on the couch drowning in that kind of heavy giggly breathy choking laughter you can only share with a sibling you love who gets it.


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My December featured catching up on movies and reading books plus a trip to Cincinnati.
Tag: girlpool
2018.11 November
My November featured a trip to Dallas, TX and visits to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.
2017.05 May
My May featured a tour of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, the Whitney 2017 Biennial, and a live taping of Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!


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The suspense is palatable ahead of Apple's education announcement today at 10am at the Guggenheim in New York City.
CNET: Live-blogging from the Guggenheim
In what's probably the worst kept secret in Cupertino, Apple is expected to announce a partnership with major textbook publishers to produce, publish, distribute and/or sell digital textbooks to the academic market.
The consensus is that Apple will do for textbooks what it did for music, movies, TV, books and magazines: make them digital with an amazing user experience.
While the delivery vehicle is obvious (duh, iPad), it's the creation tools where things get interesting.
Consider this:
On Tuesday The Wall Street Journal reported that Roger Rosner, Apple's vice president of productivity applications (a.k.a. iWork), is "closely involved in developing the new digital-textbook service."
On Wednesday AppleInsider reported that "Bliss" (the project's code-name) will include software tools that will allow publishers to make textbooks more interactive.
iWork '09 includes a word-processor/page layout application called Pages and one of its lesser-known features is that it can create EPUB files. EPUB is a free and open e-book standard by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) that is supported by the iPad (in iBooks) and every other ebook reader on the market.
iWork '09 has been languishing for years without a major update and is long overdue for a refresh.
Since iWork '09 has supported EPUB for three years, and Apple's iWork chief is spearheading its "Bliss" textbook project, it stands to reason that Apple's new textbook creation tool could be Pages '12.
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple demonstrates Pages '12 with EPUB 3 support (and hopefully iWork '12) in New York today. In addition, I also expect Apple to announce textbook rentals (like Amazon did in July 2011) and iBooks 2.0 which will finally work on the Mac.


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Theaters and concert venues are unique spaces designed specifically for performing art use. Acoustical quality is ultimately determined by the will of the client. Many years of hands-on experience together with recent simulation technologies have given us the ability to accurately predict a room's acoustical response. Theaters should enhance a performance by creating and encouraging a connection between performers and the audience. This connection requires expert planning, including proper positioning of the stage compared to the audience. When designed correctly, the relationship between performers and the audience is nurtured into a clear and natural amplification. A good sounding environment will enhance a performer's freedom of expression and intimacy with the audience.
In all modern venues sound reinforcement is planned into the design to offer more flexibility to the facility. Early acoustic planning together with choosing the right sound and projection system is an integrated process that will achieve successful results. The process of AV systems design should coincide with room acoustics and interior design at the onset of a project. An outstanding venue will proudly attract artists and spectators alike to enjoy the virtues of a great spectacle.


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| 11.5°C Belfast
Bafta winner Emma Stone said she was juggling the effects of "cold medicine and incredible excitement" after scoring the leading actress award for La La Land.
Stone, who is now the presumptive frontrunner to take home the Oscar for her performance as an aspiring actress in the whimsical musical, defeated Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Natalie Portman.
Speaking backstage after the ceremony, she said: "I feel very overwhelmed and the jitters are incredible. It's a crazy shaky feeling, that might be cold medicine as well but its cold medicine and incredible excitement, I'm so honoured."
While La La Land triumphed at the ceremony, Stone's co-star Ryan Gosling was conspicuously absent and the film's producer Marc Platt said: "Ryan regrets not being here, he had a family matter and he's sad not to be here.
"He's the consummate actor and prepares to extraordinary ends. He was rehearsing playing the piano by hard work and the tone and inner life he brings, that's all Ryan Gosling.
"La La Land was a whole lot of wonderful challenges all in the name of joy, it was a magical experience from the beginning."
Fellow producer Jordan Horowitz added: "We started this process about six years so it's incredibly rewarding being up here right now.
"I don't know if in our wildest dreams we could have imagined it, it was about the spirit of the piece and every day was an absolute thrill."


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economic institutions
Use this term in a sentence
" There were a lot of economic institutions that I liked a lot and there were a lot of them that I did not like. "
" The economic institutions of the middle states were hit hardest in the violent Civil War battles, as many buildings were destroyed quite indiscriminately. "
" Typically when starting a business, entrepreneurs seek investing or financial support from economic institutions to help cover portions or all of start-up expenses. "


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Stay Informed
Keep up with all of the great things happening at the School, as well as in the lives of your fellow alums through our School news.
- You can also connect with us on Facebook for additional alumni news and announcements, and on LinkedIn for job postings.
- Submit your contact information to be sent our newsletter and event information.


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Explore America's Campgrounds
RVs generally run off of two types of power, 120-volt AC and 12-volt DC. 12-volt AC power uses fuses much like house electricity. These fuses are located in a metal panel located near where the power starts in an RV. DC power can also run off circuit breakers. Getting rid of the old fuses and going to a circuit breaker is a nice upgrade that can even add value to your RV. It's a whole lot easier to flip a switch than to have to replace a fuse. You can buy a new panel at a marine store or some RV shops.
Step 1
Remove each wire from its corresponding fuse if the fuse panel is not part of the converter/charger unit. Be sure to label for polarity and fuse valve.
Step 2
Hook up the new breaker panel in reverse order. Make sure you use the same fuse valve as the breaker valve.
Step 3
Set up the panel yourself using breakers if the fuse panel is part of the converter/charger unit. Turn the shore power off to disconnect the main "hot" supply lead from the fuse block.
Step 4
Run the "hot" supply lead to the new breaker panel. Try to keep the distance as short as possible.
Step 5
Draw new leads from the breaker panel back to each of the circuits the breakers supply. Make sure to keep the panel is closed. The farther they run the more the voltage drops and could cause equipment failure or even a fire.
- Livingston, Bob. "Trailer LIfe's RV Repair and Maintenance Manual." Trailer Life. 2007
- RV Travel: Using Your RV


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STF is committed to creating a strong sports media and journalism community. STF members are encouraged to develop professional relationships that support further advancement and professional growth of its members.
The STF mentorship program is a 12 month-long program connecting higher level sports media leaders with various levels of students, entry-level and mid-level sports industry professionals who seek guidance, direction and advice to support their advancement in their careers.
Mentors and mentees are paired based on several factors including, geographic region, gender, career interest and leadership goals.
STF offers various scholarships to promote and encourage diversity in the sports industry. In a short time, the AAJA Sports Task Force has raised and given thousands of dollars to eligible students looking to pursue a future in sports journalism.
Kevin Negandhi
Do You Need an Agent?
Love or hate them, an agent may be instrumental in helping you find the next "perfect job" or negotiate your salary.


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News from Africa
ECOWAS Urges Law Enforcement Agencies To Close Ranks
West Africa
Law enforcement agencies and operatives in West Africa should close ranks and upgrade their knowledge and tools in order to counter the sophistication of criminals and the rising wave of organized transnational crimes in the region, Col. Abdoulrahmane Dieng, Head of ECOWAS Regional Security Division, has said.
Law enforcement agencies and operatives in West Africa should close ranks and upgrade their knowledge and tools in order to counter the sophistication of criminals and the rising wave of organized transnational crimes in the region, Col. Abdoulrahmane Dieng, Head of ECOWAS Regional Security Division, has said.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the opening of the 8th Annual Meeting of the West Africa's National Central Regional Bureaux of INTERPOL, in Abidjan on Wednesday, 13th September 2012, Col. Dieng noted that transnational organized crimes constituted a major menace to peace and security in the region.
He said the criminals involved in narcotic and human trafficking, money laundering, terrorism, cyber-crimes, counterfeiting, vehicle theft and smuggling, among others, continued to perfect their illicit trade to reduce risks and maximize their profits.
The ECOWAS official therefore called for greater coordination and synergy among law enforcement agencies and operatives using the West African National Central Regional Bureaux of INTERPOL as arrow-head, especially in information sharing and analysis through the organization's I/24/7 network.
Col. Dieng said the creation of the West African Police Information System (WAPIS), targeting organized transnational crimes, should also boost intra-Community police anti-crime cooperation.
Cote d'Ivoire's Inspector General of Police, General Bredou M'bia, spoke in the same vein in his speech in which he also urged law enforcement agencies to redouble their efforts through specialized training in combating crimes such as terrorism and Al-Qaeda activities in the region.
He said the re-opening of the INTERPOL West Africa Regional Office in Abidjan would also boost the sensitization of law enforcement agencies and operatives on the need to step up their game towards making the region stable and safe.
INTERPOL was represented by Madam Salimata Sow, who in her speech, reaffirmed the willingness of the organization to strengthen collaboration with the National Central Bureaux through the provision of adequate training and necessary equipment for effective crime fighting.
Welcoming the participants, the Mayor of Cote d'Ivoire's administrative district of Cocody, represented by Mr. Toure Abdoulaye, stressed the need for law enforcement agencies to pay particular attention to the technical advances and methods adopted by criminals and the need to strengthen regional strategies and cooperation in countering them.
He emphasized the need to demonstrate strong political will in putting in place the necessary mechanism and policies for a stable and safe society that will contribute to the preservation of human lives in the region.
The meeting kicks off four days of gathering of regional security operatives, including the 13th Annual General Assembly of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) on Thursday, 13th September, the Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Security Services (CCSS), on Friday, 14th September and the 9th Meeting of the Forum of Ministers in charge of security in ECOWAS Member States, all in the Ivorian commercial capital.
The Ministers will review the security situation in the region and make recommendations for crime control and how to boost security in the region after considering the reports of the WAPCCO and CCSS meetings.
The Regional Security Division of the ECOWAS Commission, which serves as the WAPCCO Permanent Secretariat organizes and coordinates the different levels of annual security meetings with a view to bringing together the relevant stakeholders to report, discuss, analyze, strategize and make recommendations in line with international best practices on crime trends and Police collaboration in the region.
ABUJA, Nigeria, September 14, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ —
View online : http://appablog.wordpress.com/2012/...


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Sunday, May 22
Trinity Sunday
Focus Theme
Wisdom Calls
Weekly Prayer
God of heaven and earth, before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time, you are the triune God: the Author of creation, the eternal Word of salvation, and the life-giving Spirit of wisdom. Guide us to all truth by your Spirit, that we may proclaim all that Christ revealed and rejoice in the glory he shared with us. Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Focus Reading
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
"To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up, at the first,
before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth--
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world's first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race."
All readings for this Sunday
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Focus Questions
1. What wisdom might be gained in sitting still for twenty minutes and paying attention to our surroundings?
2. What difference does it make to speak of wisdom as something of the heart rather than of the head?
3. What might we learn about God, and about wisdom, "in the most public of places"?
4. Does the universe make sense to you? Where do you see order, and where do you see chaos?
5. What's the "proper" next step after awe?
Reflection by Kate Matthews
An unusual character steps onto the biblical stage this week, so unusual that no one seems to be able to explain exactly who (or even what) she is--except that she is definitely a "she," this "Woman Wisdom," "Lady Wisdom," or, as Eugene Peterson translates it in The Message, "Madame Insight." Rebecca Kruger Gaudino notes this mysterious figure's familiar connections with poetry, creation, and God's own attribute of wisdom. However, scholars also associate this mysterious figure with ancient echoes of goddess worship, as well as with the Word in the Prologue to John's Gospel (that is, with Jesus Christ), and with the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) in that same Gospel.
Of course, those last two associations reflect Christian understandings related to the second and third persons in the Trinity; this is, after all, Trinity Sunday. In our reflections, however, it's important to engage Lady Wisdom first as a powerful Old Testament figure, able to stand there, on the heights and in the crossroads, on her own two feet. We recall that the Hebrew Scriptures were the only "Bible" that Jesus and the first Christians read (or heard), so we are exploring stories and figures with deep meaning for our ancestors in faith, and for our lives as well.
Proverbs and sayings
Most people know what a proverb is, even if they've never opened the Bible to the Old Testament book that carries that name. However, it may be a sign of our culture's biblical illiteracy that many folks confuse sayings from the Bible's book of Proverbs with sayings from early American Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin: perhaps the most familiar example is the saying, "God helps those who help themselves," which does not appear in Scripture but in Franklin's 18th-century Poor Richard's Almanack. There are indeed plenty of proverbs in this book of the Bible, although they don't begin until the stage has been set by nine chapters of a long, introductory poem. This week's passage is part of that poem.
In these introductory chapters, the listener--"my child"--is exhorted to learn the "proper" way to live so that good things will follow: prosperity, success, security, even fairness. The Book of Proverbs is one example of Wisdom literature in the Old Testament, and it balances the very different perspective of another example of Wisdom literature, the book of Job. Rather than contradicting each other, these two books give voice to the paradoxes of life: we all know that there is much that is true--and proven--in Proverbs, but we also share the questions Job has about the mysteries and seeming injustices of life.
Transcendent and yet present
While some of the more familiar virtues commended by Proverbs sound like things that lead more to good citizens than to faithful, holy people--hard work, good discipline (of children), prudent economics--there is a repeated refrain that "the fear of the Lord" is the starting point for right living. This phrase refers not to cowering anxiety about God but to an appropriate and deep reverence and awe before the One who made us, the One who is the source of all true wisdom. Reverence and awe are not easy to quantify or simplify, so it's understandable that this book of accumulated wisdom is introduced by a poem, because poetry frees up--and appeals to--our more expressive, intuitive sense (our right brain) of what is most real and good.
Gene Tucker claims that this text helps us with the larger question of how an almighty, transcendent (and therefore distant) God can also be present and active and known right here, in the physical creation that we can see and touch, a thorny question for theologians in every age. Tucker describes the way the historical books of the Bible (like 1 Samuel) or the prophetic literature (like Jeremiah) answer this question, with an active, intervening God, in contrast to the way wisdom literature finds God in creation and in wisdom. It seems to me that this introductory wisdom poem is a song instead of a lecture (heavy on logic) or a sermon (except for the rare poetic preacher). It's like the songs in a musical, when the message is better delivered in melody, which has a power that we can't quite explain, but it reaches our depths nevertheless.
Calling everyone, not just a select few
Our text this week, then, introduces the source of this wisdom, Lady Wisdom, who stands right in the most public of places--at the crossroads, at the city gate, in the doorways--and not in some secluded place where secret teachings are shared with a select few. No, this teaching is clearly for everyone, for her cry "is to all that live" (v. 4), and she stands not on a lonely mountaintop but right in the middle of the busiest part of town and speaks to the crowds as they go about their business. Again, Eugene Peterson's translation brings this image to life for us today: "She's taken her stand at First and Main, at the busiest intersection. Right in the city square where the traffic is thickest, she shouts, 'You--I'm talking to all of you, everyone out here on the streets!'" (The Message).
Once this scene is set, the lectionary jumps past some long exhortations and claims to the verses in which Lady Wisdom reminds her hearers that she was present with God, and even assisted God, way back at creation itself. Right from the beginning, Lady Wisdom was in on the elegant beauty and the rightness and the purpose of everything God made, so she must understand how it all works, or how it should work.
A closer look at feminine imagery
A word about feminine imagery in this passage. Not only is wisdom personified here as feminine, but the words used by the poet suggest images of a God who gives birth, who brings forth. Rebecca Kruger Gaudino suggests that the text supports a gender-inclusive image of God as the parent of Woman Wisdom. While this inclusive imagery (seeing God as not only Father but also Mother) is quite beautiful, there is also a duality in the text that often marks the use of feminine imagery, with the "good" Wisdom contrasted to "Dame Folly," or what Carole R. Fontaine calls her "evil twin." Fontaine's perspective on our text applies to the entire book of Proverbs, which contains both positive and negative images of women as it teaches what it means to live "the good life."
Because our text this week doesn't provide the content of the proverbs themselves but instead simply establishes their source as trustworthy, we might focus on the story that Wisdom tells of her presence at and participation in creation. After all, this passage is filled with the sense that God's Wisdom established the way things are: not blind chance, or random events, or the outcome of some primeval conflict, or a detached god, or worse, an evil one. Dianne Bergant traces the source of our joy as being created by a good and even orderly God, and she contrasts the Bible's creation story (of blessing) with those of surrounding cultures, stories of struggle and subjugation of the very gifts of nature--including the gift of "a solid world, securely founded and wonderful to behold." The joy and deep awe she describes in beholding creation in its vast grandeur beautifully echoes Psalm 8, the other Old Testament reading for this Sunday, and the questioning wonder of the psalmist, looking up into the sky and beholding the stars and the moon, and feeling how small we mortals truly are.
God dancing with joy at creation
This joy deserves our time and reflection. Here another translation issue is significant, for the same verb mentioned above that was translated as "brought forth" can be translated, according to Jeff Paschal, as "whirl, dance, or writhe." Saying that God created an orderly (and fair) universe does not mean that God did not enjoy God's work, or was sober and serious in that work. Paschal says that "we do not worship a stingy God who grudgingly gives gifts and who grants forgiveness as a divine grump. Not at all. The triune God is a joyous, dancing God who pours out overflowing gifts to humanity with gladness." Eugene Peterson's translation describes Wisdom's response to watching (or helping) it happen: "Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company, Delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family" (v. 30b-31, The Message).
We also read in this text a message that is universal, for Wisdom speaks not to insiders but "to all that live," and she makes her appeal in the most public of places, where everyone could hear her. Richard Boyce suggests that we might learn something ourselves in those public, multicultural spaces, where human beings can share the accumulated wisdom of their lives and of the cultures in which they were raised. Douglas Donley also recognizes the wisdom born of experience, "the perspectives and insights that are part of our core beingÖ[and] an aspect of God's presence in our lives," and he urges "people to remember their own wisdom alongside divine Wisdom," to "hear her beauty, acknowledge her integrity, appreciate her fresh perspective." Like other scholars and many Christians throughout the centuries, he identifies this figure of Wisdom with the Holy Spirit.
What does it mean to be human, and to be wise?
Perhaps this text also calls us to reflect on the relationship between wisdom and being human: Ellen Davis says that the hunger for wisdom is distinctively human and notes that the term for human (homo sapiens) and the word for wisdom (sapientia) share the same Latin root. She laments, however, that in our modern age "technical expertise has greatly outpaced wisdom." Our modern world and its horrors are testimony to the uses to which such expertise have been put and to what happens when Wisdom, with its "essential connection with goodness," is not part of the picture. Not that technical expertise is evil--it's "morally neutral," she writes (not unlike money, we might add). Wisdom, of course, is more than a lifelong project; it's a relationship, something of the heart and not just the mind, because the heart knows things in a different way than our mind does. Davis writes that in the Bible the heart helps us to "know the world altogether. Emotion, rational thinking, observation, imagination, desire--all these are activities of the heart. Wisdom speaks to our hearts. Nothing could be simpler or more democratic--after all, everyone has a heart."
Finally, we might also read this text as a starting point and inspiration for a spiritual practice that is much neglected in our frantic, overly-electronic, preoccupied world: paying attention to creation in order to deepen our relationship with God. Quiet time. Listening. Being observant. Being. (Not "being" on our cell phones, but just being.) Two writers are especially helpful in this area: J. Philip Newell, in his introduction to Celtic spirituality, and Barbara Brown Taylor, in her book on spiritual practices. Both writers remind us that classes, meetings, and even worship services in sanctuaries are not the only (or perhaps even primary) way we might connect with God. In "The Book of Creation," Newell suggests that we don't have to find God by leaving our daily lives to go to church or worship services, or looking to an invisible, "spiritual" realm, but by "entering attentively the depths of the present moment. There we will find God, wherever we may be and whatever we may be doing."
Have you "walked your wisdom" lately?
Barbara Brown Taylor writes evocatively in "An Altar in the World" of twelve different ways that we might encounter God in our everyday lives, in the embodied lives we lead, including practices like walking on the earth (groundedness), paying attention (reverence), getting lost (wilderness), and waking up to God (vision). She also provides a beautiful reflection on wisdom, which comes from practice rather than knowledge: "Wisdom," she writes, "atrophies if it is not walked on a regular basis." And yet she clearly doesn't expect us to take her literally; that is, an excellent form of practice is attentive inaction: "The easiest practice of reverence I know," she writes, "is simply to sit down somewhere outside, preferably near a body of water, and pay attention for at least twenty minutes. It is not necessary to take on the whole world at first. Just take the three square feet of earth on which you are sitting, paying close attention to everything that lives within that small estate."
Ecological disasters like the drought in California or rising sea levels on South Pacific Islands (too little water, too much water!) have once again turned our attention to our fragile relationship with God's good creation, to reflect again on the wisdom, or lack of wisdom, we've shown in applying our technical expertise on behalf of our hunger for more and more resources from the good earth. Trinity Sunday provides an opportunity to stand still, at least for a little while, and perceive God's grace-full hand at work in creation, to reflect on God's love made flesh and living among us, and to give thanks for God's Spirit, whose power sustains us right here and now, in this beautiful but hurting world.
Perhaps Julie Polter's elegant words say it best: "This is the big lie that the world tells us: The world is connected by trade agreements, electronic banking, computer networks, shipping lanes, and the seeking of profit--nothing else. This is the truth of God: Creation is a holy web of relationship, a gift meant for all; it vibrates with the pain of all its parts; its destiny is joy." Even in such a contentious political climate, how might our thinking and the debate about creation care (including global warming) be infused with a greater Wisdom that transforms our everyday practices so that they express deep reverence for the One who has given us such wondrous gifts, along with the responsibility for their care?
A preaching version of this commentary (with book titles) is at http://www.ucc.org/worship_samuel.
The Rev. Kathryn Matthews serves as dean of Amistad Chapel at the national offices of the United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio (https://www.facebook.com/AmistadChapel).
You're invited to share your reflections on this text in the comments on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SermonSeeds.
For further reflection
John Calvin, 16th century
"You cannot in one glance survey this most vast and beautiful system of the universe, in its wide expanse, without being completely overwhelmed by the boundless force of its brightness."
Augustine, 5th century
"True wisdom is such that no evil use can ever be made of it."
Barbara Brown Taylor, 21st century
"The only reality [of God] I can describe with any accuracy is my own limited experience of what I think may be God: the More, the Really Real, the Luminous Web That Holds Everything in Place."
J. Philip Newell, 21st century
"The Celtic tradition invites us to look with the inner eye. In all people, in all places, in every created thing the light of God is shining."
Richard Wagamese, "Indian Horse," 21st century
"'We need mystery. Creator in her wisdom knew this. Mystery fills us with awe and wonder. They are the foundations of humility, and humility is the foundation of all learning. So we do not seek to unravel this. We honour it by letting it be that way forever.' (The quote of a grandmother explaining The Great Mystery of the universe to her grandson.)"
Thomas Merton, 20th century
"Life is this simple. We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent, and God is shining through it all the time."
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Weekly Seeds is a service of Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ. Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version, © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Prayer is from The Revised Common Lectionary ©1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission.
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Conference Paper
"Using vision, acoustics, and natural language for disambiguation", in Proceedings of the ACM/IEEE international conference on Human-robot interaction, Arlington, 2007. Download PDF (2.27 MB),
Conference Proceedings
"Toward Multimodal Human-Robot Cooperation and Collaboration", AIAA 1st Intelligent Systems Technical Conference. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Chicago, IL, 2004. Download PDF (283.05 KB),
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"Collaborating with Humanoid Robots in Space", International Journal of Humanoid Robotics, vol. 02, no. 02, pp. 181-201, 2005. Download PDF (732.08 KB),


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Re: "Maine Voices: Congress Square sale could inspire needed change in heart of the city," Sept. 7:
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the process that the Portland City Council has used in regard to the potential sale of Congress Square to Rockbridge Capital.
There have been many valid arguments for and against the sale, and I respect each side.
Stemming from the debate has been the discussion on how to improve the space as a public park. That has become one of the central talking points for opponents of the sale and has created a lot of excitement about the space's potential.
So the argument isn't simply black and white anymore, because if the sale is stopped the park isn't just going to be left as is — it's going to be developed into an engaging, inclusive park that Portland can be proud of. It's roundly agreed that the space needs improving, but selling it to Rockbridge is only one way of many to go about reaching that end.
Why, then, is the city pushing through a closed-bid sale to a private, out-of-state developer in the face of such enormous public opposition? Is this something we want council members to have the final decision on?
The city councilors of Portland are trusted with making a lot of difficult decisions (Occupy, panhandling, TIFs, marijuana legalization and buffer zones, to name a handful), but the sale of public parks should be one that is left to the voters of Portland. This is, after all, our space that we're talking about.
For that reason, I believe that when the sale comes up for a vote Monday, council members should oppose it and put the issue to referendum so that we might all have a fair say in regard to the land that is supposed to belong to every Portlander equally.
Chris Shorr is an at-large candidate for Portland City Council.
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Lahaina Spring Break Crawl: Hawaii Vacation Ideas on Maui
Get the All-Inclusive Treatment: Grand Luau at Honuaula
Pay one price for a bundled food or drink experience
At the Grand Wailea Hotel's Grand Luau at Honuaula you can gorge on teriyaki glazed steak, macadamia nut crusted mahi-mahi, kalua pig and coconut cake, and drink as many mai tais and piña coladas as you like for $105.21 for adults and $56.25 for children 6-12 (and kids under 5 are free). Costco members can buy tickets for just $79 per person. The best part: The nine-act show, which features hula girls, fire dancers, and Hawaiian bad asses performing hakas on stilts.
See the Green Flash:Sea House
Where to watch the sunset
Sunsets in Maui are legendary, and there are few better places to park yourself for happy hour than Napili Kai's Sea House, which has discounted pupus and drink specials, overlooking glorious Napili Bay. Try the Maui Beach Balls ($9), which are stuffed with rock shrimp, corn, and cheese, and come with a wasabi vinaigrette and remoulade dipping sauce. Feeling more ambitious? Drive to the summit of Haleakala for sunrise or sunset at the volcano's crater.
It's 5 o'clock Somewhere –Here: Lehua Lounge
Where to get a great tropical drink
The Lehua Lounge at the swanky new Maui Andaz has comfy sofas and handcrafted cocktails -- including the best mai tai ($16) you've ever had. Sit by the fire pit for sublime views of the oceanfront infinity pools.
Closer than Disney World: Whale Watching with Pacific Whale Foundation
Every winter, more than 10,000 whales migrate from Alaska to the waters off Maui, and March is the best month to go on a whale-watching cruise. When you're standing on the bow of a catamaran in the sun, watching 40-ton humpback whales frolic in azure waters, you'll forget all about the nightmare winter you've escaped on the mainland. The Pacific Whale Foundation offers whale-watching cruises starting at $25. You can also see the whales for free from many beaches and lookouts on Maui.
Budget Beach Bites: Fish Market Maui
An affordable beachy or seafood meal
Fish Market Maui won't win many points for atmosphere -- it's a counter-service place in a strip mall outside central Lahaina -- but it's a great budget choice for fresh seafood. The fish burgers ($10.99) are Top Chef worthy, and you can't go wrong with the fresh fish of the day burrito ($12.99) or the seared ahi steak sandwich ($13.99).
Planning a Caribbean spring break instead? Check out our island finder >>
Dave Seminara is a writer and former diplomat who is currently wondering why he lives in Chicago, a place with soul-crushingly abysmal winter weather. Each year around this time, he escapes with his wife and children to places like Maui, where he basks in the sun and prays for the start of the baseball season.


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Games Without Frontiers is a new series of short essays about gaming, coffee, and culture designed to celebrate the various facets of Queen and Rook cafe with talented writer Sarah Archer, a design and culture writer, whose new book The Midcentury Kitchen: America's Favorite Room, from Workspace to Dreamscape, 1940s-1970s, is available now.
In this series you'll find deep dives into specific games and game pieces, discover the difference between Vietnamese and Turkish coffee, wax nostalgic about the games you played as a child and learn about some classics you may have missed. One of our aims at Queen and Rook is to connect generations across the gaming table with classic RPG's and board games as well as introduce you to your new favorites, fostering friendly competition outside the digital realm. This series will give you a preview to who we are and what we care about as we get ready to open later this summer.