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This week I was invited to speak at a Literary Salon along with four other fabulous female writers. The event was in celebration of International Women's Day, and the theme was OUTRAGEOUS women. What a joy to be our outrageous selves and read aloud our outrageous stories to a receptive and appreciative audience. All while
Category Non-fiction
I could never write a memoir—my life isn't that interesting. Have you ever said that? That's exactly how I felt before I attended my first memoir workshop with Claire Robson, author of Love in Good Time (2003 memoir) and Writing for Change: Research as Public Pedagogy and Arts-based Activism (2012). I signed up for Claire's
I was inspired by Iris at HoardofBooks to take part in Top Ten Tuesday as organized by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Bookish Worlds I'd Want to/Never Want to Live In. Sifting through my bookshelf (physical and Goodreads), I found that I haven't read nearly enough books! Although I did manage to come up
Anyone can self-publish a book nowadays. But self-publishing is a huge undertaking, and it's not easy to do it well. Many authors know they need a "great" editor or a "professional" cover design if they want their book to stand out. But it can be too tempting to take shortcuts and save money with a
Writing That Connects This post is about writing. More than that, it's about connection. Actually, it's about connecting with readers through writing. To be explicit, this post is about how being vague in writing only hints at connection and doesn't create a lasting impression on the reader. Are you with me? Are you getting interested
Truth-tellers and memoir lovers! This book giveaway is for you. The #togetherlive2017 tour in Seattle gave out free softcover versions of Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton, but I already have a copy of this fabulous memoir. I can't wait to pass on this book to an eager reader. But how to choose among all
Mum's Advice Have you ever felt wracked with indecision? Wondering … what to do. What should I do? I don't know what to do. During a particular tricky point in my life when I didn't know what to do, my mother offered me this advice. "If you don't know what to do, the best thing
Chelsea Avery. This woman is the real deal. Living her dreams, sharing her truth and setting an example of leadership in all she does. Chelsea blogs regularly at thenewwifestyle.com, a website dedicated to empowering women and our relationships. She posts about self-empowerment, motivation and motherhood. She posts about acts of kindness, improved communication, and equality
Leonie Croy. In a chapter called Transition in my new book, I describe a vision of bringing people (with a shared interest) together over a theme. Mark and I wanted to contribute to our community by facilitating the connection of people — and get them interested in taking action on environmental or other community-impact projects. A
Shannon Rosnau. What a gift. I met Shannon through our Distributed Learning homeschool program only eight years ago, and it feels like we have packed a lifetime of experiences into that time already. Shared values, shared desires, shared travel, shared spaces and shared meals have all contributed to a supernova friendship. Though we live in separate


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2 minute read
Kettle Foods to invest £2.7m expanding factory
Kettle Foods, who are celebrating their 30th birthday in the UK this year, has announced a £2.7m investment at its Norwich site to develop a new potato intake building. £1.7m is being funded by Kettle Foods, with the full support of their new parent company Campbell's, and almost £1m is being grant-funded through the Growth Programme of the Rural Development Programme for England, provided by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). This is the biggest investment since the site was expanded in 2011.
The new project will enable the relocation and upgrade of Kettle Foods' entire potato reception process to a new building on spare land adjacent to the existing factory. The company owns the freehold of the site and as such has considerable space available both for this development and further expansion in the future. One major advantage is that the new facility will be designed and built with almost no interruption to current manufacturing.
The nature of the potato intake operation lends itself well to a new remote location situated away from the rest of the factory, giving the benefits of separating an agricultural process whilst freeing up internal manufacturing space for new development.
The project comprises a new intake and grading building that includes a bulk trailer bay suitable for housing eight articulated potato trailers. New potato grading equipment will be installed to remove soil, stones and small potatoes, along with a barrel washing machine that cleans the potatoes delivered to site. A water flume system will then transport the checked and washed potatoes to the factory for the next stage in their journey to becoming crisps. Sampling and lab services will be conducted in the new building by a team from the Kettle Growers Group who are involved with sampling, testing, and inspecting the crop to maintain high quality standards during the growing, harvesting and storage cycle.
Ashley Hicks, Kettle Foods Managing Director, said: "30 years ago our founders set up home in Norfolk to be as close as possible to our potato farmers and we still love using locally grown potatoes today. This new intake facility will enable us to expand so that Norwich remains the home of Kettle Foods for many more years to come."
Building work is expected to start this summer and be completed within 12 months.
KETTLE is the UK's leading hand-cooked crisp brand that has been processing potatoes in Norwich for 30 years and for 25 years at the current site in Bowthorpe on the western side of the city. It has a proud history of supporting local Norfolk agriculture, with the majority of its potatoes being grown within 30 miles of the factory. Over the 30 years, KETTLE has become a leading premium food brand, currently worth almost £100m at retail, available through major grocery and impulse customers both in the UK and over 25 countries internationally. The company employs around 450 people but many more jobs are supported in the associated supply chain, through the growing and procurement of around 55,000 tonnes of local potatoes and the onward distribution of products to customers.
Kettle Foods says it is optimistic and confident about its' future, with this project helping to make it more sustainable, embedding its roots firmly in Norwich for the long term.

subset: commoncrawl


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Apple just reaffirmed the theory that new iPods will be announced today by cutting the price of every iPod except the Shuffle. The 32GB touch is now $279 down from $399, the 16GB is now $249 down from $299, and the 8GB model is $189 instead of $229. Also, the 8GB nano is now $129 and the 16GB is $149. And while the rumor is that the Classic will be cut from the team today, it is now cheaper at $229 instead of $249. New models are coming, but why the price drop instead of just shifting the inventory to the clearance department when the models are announced later today?
Well, remember that rumor that the new iPods could be delayed? It's probably true and Apple needs to do something to appease its waiting masses. A modest price drop will likely get some folks to jump while others wait for the new models to because available. As of late when Apple announces new iPods, they have been available immediately at Apple Stores and online, but that might not be the case today. We'll find in a bit.


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By GERARDO RECINOS
Martinez Tribune
It was clear from the get go that Friday night's championship game of the West Coast Jamboree Quartz bracket was not going to go the rest of the tournament had gone for the Lady Bulldogs.
There was no 30-point plus win, but the Bulldog girls battled against a physical Cheyenne-North Las Vegas side that hung tough for four quarters. The Bulldogs' 56-48 win on Dec. 30, clinched them their third West Coast Jamboree plaque in the last four years.
More importantly the girls rebounded from a slow start in the first half to get the win.
"What I told my girls is we knew going in that they're a physical team. We told them that if we don't match their intensity we're not going to get the calls we expect," said coach Jason Bautista. "We kind of went stride for stride with them, basket for basket, turnover for turnover."
Even despite the less than stellar start, Alhambra only found themselves down a single point at the halftime interval.
In a first half that saw 11 lead changes, neither team looked like it was playing its best game. But the aptly-named Desert Shields were dominating the boards and just looked stronger than Alhambra.
However only two scorers for the Bulldogs had more than two points going into the half, sophomore's Bry Waters and Abby Brown. Waters lead the team with 20 points on the night.
At the break Bautista told his team, "'I think we've seen their best.' Our conditioning will kick in, and I think it comes down to basketball IQ."
Aggressive play from the Desert Shields, allowed the Bulldogs to make some adjustments. In the first half they jumped passing lanes in attempt to steal the ball. Bautista said it wasn't about who could make the play, but who could make the better play.
It was his team who made the better play.
Straight out of the gate, the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run after Cheyenne's Marisha Harden nailed a three-pointer for the opening field goal of the half.
It was Brown who sparked the run with a steal and basket, before dishing the ball to a cutting Karissa Wiebalk on the following possession. Then Wiebalk herself delivered the blow that forced a timeout from Cheyenne by hitting an uncontested three-pointer.
"Abby played an amazing game tonight. She sees the floor well, and she made good basketball decisions based on what the defense was giving her," Bautista said. Brown had 15 points on the night.
That 9-0 run opened up the score, but it also created a more free-flowing style of pace to the game that favored the more conditioned Bulldogs. That's what Bautista wanted. The second 9-0 run put the game away.
"Those 9-0 runs definitely stretched the game out. We had to make sure we honed in defensively to stop them from going to the hoop," Bautista said.
Alhambra built up a lead that topped out at 15 points with only three minutes left on the clock, but they were still left with work to do.
They withstood an onslaught in the final three minutes, but because they had built up such a big lead, Cheyenne was forced to launch a ton of jump shots. Something that just wasn't in their arsenal.
So even though they were outscored in the final three minutes 7-2, the Lady Dogs held on to win the tournament and collect their 11th win in a row.
"What we're going to have to do is come back Monday, be humble, and want to be able to get better, Bautista said. "Tonight we got better as a basketball team."


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jordans for cheap
On the hunt for new Air Jordan shoes? Not sure tips on how to tell what's true and what exactly is a fake? The difference among a genuine or replica Air Jordan may in actual fact be not possible to inform. Yes you can find some absolutely terrible replicas of the footwear available being sold by scam artists who're just in company to ripoff buyers but you will find genuine replicas also getting sold by wholesalers that are not supplying fake shoes but true footwear at a reasonable value. It is most likely that with lots of wholesale or discount shoe sales possibilities that the shoes themselves are made in the same factory somewhere in the planet, besides the USA, as the Air Jordan footwear sent for the originating corporation in America (you understand the one particular that starts with "Big N").
This indicates that the footwear produced for the "Big N" and named genuine Air Jordan shoes could in truth be produced within the exact same factory because the replica or so named fake Air Jordan shoes. So the high-quality will be the same but the value just isn't? Which do you go for true fake or fake actual?How do you determine no matter if you're receiving a actual pair of Air Jordan footwear or a replica or knockoff version with the Air Jordan footwear? There are a few things that you could do to make the search a bit simpler but it is not going to be a uncomplicated job to tell fake or actual from every other, unless they may be a total scam operation and selling comprehensive fake knock off footwear. Commonly these types of scam companies do not final extended as well as the scammers are normally busted for selling genuine fake Air Jordan footwear.
This does make your job slightly tough but typically those scam enterprises are rapidly out of business enterprise having been busted and nobody desires to handle a business run by a bunch of liars. If the company has been on-line for a though it is possible to ordinarily consider that they're selling at the least "same factory" created genuine/replica Air Jordan shoes.Firstly you need to ensure you are aware from the styles of the Air Jordan footwear which you want to acquire, you could check on the net for actual shoe data concerning genuine styles and when you have that details it can be a bit less complicated to tell the knockoffs since they are perhaps not in the exact same colour choices or there are actually some other smaller variations, they then will most likely truly be fake Air Jordan footwear. Typically the scammer companies will not answer enquiries at the same time so it's an excellent notion to make contact with the small business in the event you think they might be fake or knockoff footwear.
You need to also verify that all the logo facts that is on an Air Jordan is on the pair that you want to maybe buy in the less expensive web sites which might be promoting genuine replica Air Jordan shoes. Verify out kicksbay.com for style types colors and so on. It is somewhat additional difficult to confirm this facts online but it is possible to ask the wholesaler for additional data in regards to the shoes and after you are contemplating that there may perhaps be a difference of over US$200 in between the shoes, in truth in some situations more, it really is worth undertaking some study. As stated above, ordinarily a scam small business will not answer your enquiries or won't supply adequate information for what you request from them.
The main cause there is such a whole lot of hype about actual and fake basketball shoes, and other solutions in the globe, is that the genuine articles that are regarded as actual are sold for say US$350, when exactly the same report made within the similar factory around the similar production line but shipped to a different wholesaler is then sold for possibly US$89. So what is real or fake, if they are made inside the exact same factory however the value distinction is usually more than US$250 for the shoes made by the same producers? Are they in reality a knock off due to the fact they're created in the very same factory or are they a replica so consequently exactly the same good quality but not genuine because they are not sold straight by the "Big N" for over US$250 a lot more? Jordan ought to be your favourate basketball player,one of the most genous basketball player,You are going to under no circumstances miss this affordable jordan footwear sale on line shop,we provide the affordable jordan shoes sale on the internet,inexpensive jordan basketball footwear wholesale,cheap jordan basketball footwear for men,inexpensive jordan basketball shoes for females,low-cost jordan shoes wholesale,and each of the footwear are No cost SHIPPING. G.


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Casual Sunday OOTD feat. Truffle Shuffle
Sometimes on a Sunday we go out for breakfast. Apparently, it's bad manners to go to a cafe in your pyjamas, so I have to get dressed. Today i'm sharing my Casual Sunday OOTD feat. Truffle Shuffle. Trainers are a good place to start. These rainbow babies have light up… View Post


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Continuous Integration (CI) must be easy, easier to do, than not to. It should reduce the pain of development. However, for many developers and their companies, the idea of running a CI server garners a meek "yeah, I should, but…" or "we did have a CI server running but it died one day and no one fixed it."
In this post I hope to convince you why you absolutely need a full time CI solution for your your team or company.
In a coming post I'll show you how easy it is to run your continuous integration test suite in an environment that matches your production environment. For "Engine Yard AppCloud":http://www.engineyard.com/products/appcloud customers this means you will have a one step solution for setting up and running your applications' CI test suites against AppCloud.
In just two steps that we'll break into two blog articles, you'll have a zero-effort CI solution, one as simple as using Engine Yard AppCloud itself.
Which CI?
I'm going to do this in reverse. You are going to install a CI server and then I'll discuss which one you ought to choose. I know it's weird, but trust me.
Demo Video
Take nine minutes to watch a quick demo of Jenkins CI. The short demo will walk you through the two steps to get it hosted on Engine Yard AppCloud, and how to setup Post-Commit hooks from "GitHub":https://github.com
Host Jenkins CI on Engine Yard AppCloud from Engine Yard on Vimeo.
Hosted CI on Engine Yard AppCloud
Follow these three steps to get setup with a hosted CI server. A summary video is included too.
- "Create":https://login.engineyard.com/signup an Engine Yard AppCloud account.
- Using the Quick Start wizard, create an application for @git://github.com/engineyard/Jenkins_server.git@ with default settings, and boot a single instance.
On your local computer:
gem install engineyard-jenkins ey-jenkins install_server
When this is complete, you've got yourself a running CI server.
Take 2 - Which CI?
I highly recommend using the "Jenkins CI":http://jenkins-ci.org/ as your CI server. Why Jenkins? One simple reason. As demonstrated, it is very easy to set up. If you have Java installed on your local machine, you can also launch it by "clicking here":https://jenkins.dev.java.net/jenkins.jnlp.
Or you can set up a Ruby-flavored Jenkins server using the "Jenkins.rb":https://github.com/cowboyd/jenkins.rb project:
gem install jenkins
jenkins server
open http://localhost:3001
It can be completely configured via its Web UI (see Manage Jenkins on the sidebar), and also from a CLI (the "Jenkins.rb":https://github.com/cowboyd/jenkins.rb project). To add an OSS Ruby project into Jenkins and automatically begin running its test suites:
git clone git://github.com/engineyard/engineyard-jenkins.git
cd engineyard-jenkins
jenkins create . --type ruby
# or
jenkins create . --type ruby --scm git://github.com/engineyard/engineyard-jenkins.git
Use @jenkins help create@ to see the list of options for the @create@ task.
Jenkins CI is a rock solid, open source CI server. It is widely used by many developer communities and is quickly gaining wider adoption within the Ruby/Rails community.
One of the champion features I love about Jenkins CI is that it can be configured to run test suites on alternate target computers. That is, Jenkins can run the unit and integrate my Rails application tests within an Engine Yard AppCloud environment - exactly the same environment as my production application.
This means ZERO setup time for configuring my CI system. A new project can have its tests executed by your CI system within minutes of creating a new Rails application. I want that.
Running CI Test Suites on AppCloud
Stay tuned. Coming soon. The core functionality is working. There is a bit of clean up to make the "getting started" experience ultra-simple. To stay on top of announcements, you can check out our "Engine Yard Ruby on Rails blog":http://www.engineyard.com/blog/, the "@engineyard Twitter account":http://twitter.com/engineyard, our monthly "Engine Yard Newsletter":http://www.engineyard.com/newsletter, or our new "Cloud Out Loud podcast series":http://www.engineyard.com/podcasts.
"Is my Jenkins CI supported by Engine Yard?"
Currently Engine Yard is not offering any Support for Jenkins CI. If you have issues with these instructions, please use the "Issues tracker":https://github.com/engineyard/engineyard-jenkins/issues for the @engineyard-jenkins@ project. For issues with the @jenkins@ CLI tool use the "Jenkins.rb issue tracker":https://github.com/cowboyd/jenkins.rb/issues.
Jenkins is Ugly. Please Help.
Some people with very attuned aesthetic senses might argue that the Jenkins CI dashboard isn't 100% good looking. If you are a designer who uses Jenkins CI, and have some ideas about how to fix the Jenkins UX predicament, and how to improve the look'n'feel, please "email me":mailto:email@example.com. Together, with your help, we can help everyone have a better CI experience.jenkins


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20th Century Fox and IMAX have finally announced how and when you'll be able to get tickets for James Cameron's "Avatar" preview day at participating IMAX theaters and it's this Monday at noon PST on the official Avatar movie website. They're doing it first-come, first-serve, which means it's not going to easy. Also, since there are only 100 IMAX theaters doing the preview at 6 and 6:30pm, demand will far outstrip supply. More after the jump:
If you haven't heard about this preview day, here's what you need to know:
To help raise awareness for "Avatar" and how revolutionary it is, 20th Century Fox and IMAX are partnering up to offer selected audiences 16 minutes of the movie as a way to raise awareness and get people talking. While many saw most of the footage at Comic-Con, by doing this kind of preview all around the country, it's a way to get mainstream audiences and local news outlets talking. Quite simply, it's a brilliant marketing move.
The only negative I can see is not many people are going to get in. So unless you get really lucky next Monday when tickets get released, you'll just be reading more stories of how amazing the footage is.
Obviously I'm going to try and get a ticket and if I get in, I'll write about it. But if I don't, hopefully someone else will. Finally, if you're not able to get tickets or you don't live near an IMAX theater, don't worry, 20th Century Fox is finally releasing the first theatrical trailer for "Avatar" the same day. I'm sure it will be everywhere.


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These new material testing frames from Gilson Company, Inc. offer many options and are very versatile systems to meet many laboratory needs. One or two load frames can often perform many of the strength tests in a laboratory, requiring only a quick change of components. Component sets and accessories required are available for testing of soil, soil-cement and asphalt specimens. Frames can be configured to work with the following tests: Unconfined Soils; CBR; Triaxial, Soil Cement; and Marshall Stability.
Request More Information
Fill out the form below to request more information about Load Frames & Component Sets


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Our homes are an funding so, in terms of property value, the query 'how much is my house worth?' is likely one of the most incessantly requested. Bobi Jensen appeared on an episode of HGTV's House Hunters " in 2006 along together with her husband and kids. Jensen says there were a few things that let her know the show wasn't exactly as it seems on TELEVISION before filming on her episode even began. She remembers being told by producers that they sometimes choose individuals who've already closed on a property. For those who've ever watched the show, you realize that the episodes center around a pair who are supposedly in search of a spot to purchase.
Squeezing in an additional rest room can enhance your property's worth by a typical five per cent – almost £15,000 on the typical residence. En suites are additionally very a lot in demand, as individuals are increasingly looking for consolation and simplicity. The price can fluctuate wildly, from around £2,500 to upwards of £6,000, so don't go too wild with regards to tiles and faucets. Go for reasonably priced high quality slightly than OTT luxurious (except you own a mansion) and think about what may enchantment to consumers wanting in your space, relatively than making selections primarily based on personal style.
Now, although Blogger has quite a bit going for it, it also has quite a lot of disadvantages – nearly all having to do with the power to develop as your blog grows. Blogger can (and does) host a few of the highest-site visitors blogs on the Internet, however it is intentionally limited in many ways. Attention-grabbing post, I feel that if we need to get rich we should be cognizant on how we allocate our funds. I created my very own weblog to create illustrations on the; tax code, banking, loans, revenue, and different points that have an effect on our daily lives. I feel we as citizens need to wake up.
I absolutely LOVE this publish! My son was in transitional kindergarten final 12 months and that clip chart was our family's enemy! My son was 4 when he started TK in August and turned 5 in November those months between August and December have been NOT enjoyable because of that clip chart! My son ended up on orange or red way more days than yellow, blue, or inexperienced. It obtained to the point the trainer put him on a every day conduct chart. I was so upset as a result of I knew h was doing his greatest, but was combating the transition for a personal play-primarily based preschool to a public academically pushed public college. Plus, in his faculty the TK class is mixed with a Okay class so basically thee TK college students are being held to Ok standards, which I did not uncover till a few weeks into college. Fortuitously, my son turned a nook after Winter break and the clip chart was not that a lot of a problem for him.
Keep on par together with your neighbors; too many excessive-end additions and you'll own the costliest dwelling on the block. You can recoup a fair sum of money on a kitchen rework, however expensive, fancy connoisseur kitchens do not assist you to attract that good purchaser. Some home improvements do not have an effect on resale worth in any respect, and others can truly be detrimental when it is time to sell your own home. Listed below are some residence improvements you must make if you wish to, but which you should not expect to increase your own home's resale value.


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News Releases
The Orthodox Church from the outset operates on the basis of the Holy Canons, which have been established by the Holy Apostles and the God-inspired Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Councils. Obedience and observance of the Holy Canons of the Holy Orthodox Church by all Orthodox Christians, both clergy and lay men is obligatory.
According to the Sacred Canons, Bishops and priests should not dare to go from their own Province to another and to officiate Church services in cities that do not belong to them. If it is proven that some priest did just that, he should be unfrocked. (35th Canon of the Holy Apostles, 3rd Canon of the Synod of Sardica that was ratified by the 2nd Canon of the 6th Ecumenical Synod, etc.)
In order to fully understand how important the Church considers this issue, namely that a clergyman should not go to another province and celebrate the Sacraments without the permission of the local Bishop, suffice it to say that even the Ecumenical Patriarch does not go outside Constantinople to another Metropolis, even if that Metropolis belongs to the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, without the consent or invitation of the local Metropolitan!
From this example alone, every reasonable person understands how severe a misconduct is when a priest from another Patriarchate (in this case the Russian) dares to celebrate the Holy Sacraments in Belek, which belongs to the jurisdiction of Antalya (Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate) without having requested the canonical permission of the local Metropolitan.
All these years, we gladly gave permission to all the priests of the Moscow Patriarchate, who contacted us, in order to celebrated the Divine Liturgy in our churches in Antalya and Alanya.
Likewise, the Russian priest, who wishes to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on December 22nd in Belek, should have contacted us and asked us, as he is obliged, to do so. As it seems, however, he does have such an inclination. Furthermore, because he feels he does not have the power to commit this uncanonical act on his own, he has asked for the support of the Russian Consulate of Antalya, if, of course, the online announcement is accurate.
In case this incident truly happened, it makes that Russian priest a transgressor of another holy Canon, that is, the 30th Canon of the Holy Apostles, which declares: "If a bishop (including the priests) uses secular rulers (politicians, statesmen, etc.) to occupy a church (in order to officiate services in it) he should be unfrocked and excommunicated as well as those who will be in touch with him."
We are reminding all these in order to protect any priest from falling into the great error of performing the Divine Liturgy in the limits of our Eparchy, thus despising the local Metropolitan and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in violation of the decisions of the Holy Apostles and of all the Holy and God-inspired Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils of our Holy Church.
Our Orthodox Christians in Antalya and in the surrounding areas have access to a consecrated church and a canonical priest, where they have been attending church for all these years. Let no one try to break their ecclesiastical unity and cause a schism, because on the day of Judgement their responsibility will be huge.
St. John Chrysostom said: "Not even the blood of martyrdom can wash away the sin of schism in the Church" (11th homily, on the Letter to the Ephesians).
Particularly on this Christmas period, during which we expect to hear the Angelic Hymn "Glory to God in the Highest; on earth peace, and good will to men", there is an absolute need for this peace. Let, therefore, no one dare to disrupt it by actions contrary to God's will, by using the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the Sacrament par excellence of Love, Peace and Reconciliation among the faithful and with Christ. Let them not use it as a weapon of lethal injury to the unity of our faithful and of the Church.
May God prevent such a devastating crime against the Holy Body of the Church of Christ.
+Metropolitan Sotirios of Pisidia


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Stages is a drawing that I have drawn with pastel and charcoal on paper. The dimensions are 29 x 42 cm.
5% for charity
If you buy this artwork, 5% of our profits will go to charities that support people from socially marginalized groups. Read more about our cheritable partner organisations.
Invest in a young artist
By buying one of this artist's artworks, you both support this young aspiring talent, as well as make an investment for in your own future.


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Beautiful villa of 205 m2 with impressive sea views, 25 meters far from the beach and 2,5 km. from the village.
Ground floor: living-dining room, full equipped kitchen, one double bedroom with wardrobe built in, bathroom, covered terrace, office-laundry.
1st floor: Great double bedroom siute type with complete bathroom, double bedroom, bedroom with two single beds (one is thrundle type), bathroom with shower, terrace.
Top floor: sun-terrace in the roof with panoramic sea views.
First quality construction, air-conditioning/heating via air ducts, utility-room, storeroom,private swimming pool, garden with barbecue and parking. Fully furnished.


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I can't believe I've failed to post one of The Phenomenauts' great many robot songs until now! Shame on me. When it comes to writing & singing songs about robots, they're probably more prolific than Jonathan Coulton and David Zed and even Gary bloody Numan put together!!! The Phenomenauts landed on Earth in the distant future (the year 2000) and have made Earth's Capital their permanent home. For what reason? We do not know... but what we do know is that The Phenomenauts, unlike The She Creatures are here to help humanity become something more, something bigger, something better and possibly sweatier than ever before.
With a back catalogue as long as my robot arm, The Phenomenauts are on a mission to educate through the medium of entertainment utilising the latest guerilla tactics. Heck! They've even been played on the ISS, and not many punky post punk punksters can lay claim to that! With so many robot themed songs to choose from, it's difficult to chose which one to post first, so I'll go for the one at the top of my ever expanding list of songs about robots, which just happens to be titled I Am Robot.


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NFL Playoff Picture, Week 17: AFC West, NFC East in spotlight
Tony Romo and Eli Manning will square off in Week 17 for the NFC East title. (Matthew Emmons/US Presswire)
Three division titles and one wild-card spot remain up for grabs as the NFL reaches the end of its regular season.
The AFC North, AFC West and NFC East all will be decided in Week 17, as will the final playoff spot in the AFC. As things stand right now, the wild-card round playoff matchups would look like this: Cincinnati at Houston, Pittsburgh at Denver, Atlanta at New Orleans and Detroit at the Giants.
Not a single one of those matchups is set in stone, though, and of the potential playoff teams, only the Texans know their final seed (No. 3 in the AFC) for sure. The end of the regular season should be thrilling.
Here is the current playoff picture:
No. 1 seed: New England Patriots (12-3) — Remaining opponent: vs. Bills
No. 2 seed: Baltimore Ravens (11-4) — Remaining opponent: at Bengals
No. 3 seed: Houston Texans (10-5) — Remaining opponent: vs. Titans
No. 4 seed: Denver Broncos (8-7) — Remaining opponent: vs. Chiefs
No. 5 seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) — Remaining opponent: at Browns
No. 6 seed: Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) — Remaining opponent: vs. Ravens
On the bubble: Oakland Raiders (8-7), Tennessee Titans (8-7), New York Jets (8-7)
The AFC playoffs will run through Foxborough, if the Patriots can knock off Buffalo on Sunday. Otherwise, the AFC North winner will claim the No. 1 seed, provided either the Ravens or Steelers win.
Baltimore would wrap up its division with a victory at Cincinnati, but a loss by the Ravens plus a Steelers victory would flip-flop Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the playoff seedings.
Houston is locked in to the No. 3 spot, no matter what happens against Tennessee Sunday.
Denver can clinch the AFC West with a win or an Oakland loss (or tie). If Denver loses to Kyle Orton and Kansas City, however, the Raiders could claim the division crown by beating San Diego.
There's high drama surrounding the AFC's sixth and final playoff spot too, as Cincinnati controls its own destiny -- beat Baltimore and the Bengals head to the postseason. The Bengals can also survive and advance if the Jets and Raiders or Broncos lose.
Oakland actually remains in the best wild-card position if Cincinnati slips up. If the Raiders win (and don't take the AFC West because of a Broncos victory), a Tennessee loss or Jets win, coupled with a Bengals loss, would give the Raiders a wild-card spot.
The Jets and Titans each need to win and have Cincinnati lose to retain any hope. Even then, the scenarios are complicated -- the Jets also would need a Tennessee loss plus a loss by either Oakland or Denver; Tennessee would need a loss by the Jets plus wins by Oakland and Denver, or a Jets win plus a loss by either Oakland or Denver.
Got all that?
No. 1 seed: Green Bay Packers (14-1) — Remaining opponent: vs. Lions
No. 2 seed: San Francisco 49ers (12-3) — Remaining opponent: at Rams
No. 3 seed: New Orleans Saints (12-3) — Remaining opponent: vs. Panthers
No. 4 seed: New York Giants (8-7) — Remaining opponent: vs. Cowboys
No. 5 seed: Detroit Lions (10-5) — Remaining opponent: at Packers
No. 6 seed: Atlanta Falcons (9-6) — Remaining opponent: vs. Buccaneers
On the bubble: Dallas Cowboys (8-7)
Thankfully, things are a lot simpler in the NFC than in the AFC. Five of six playoff bids are filled, with the sixth reserved for the winner of Sunday's Giants-Cowboys game.
Green Bay will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC, thanks to its win over Chicago on Christmas night. San Francisco still has the inside track on New Orleans for the No. 2 spot and a first-round bye -- if the 49ers beat the reeling Rams or the Saints lose to Carolina, the 49ers would clinch that position. A New Orleans win plus San Francisco loss would leapfrog the Saints past the 49ers.
The NFC East champion will take the No. 4 seed. The Giants tentatively hold that spot and will be at home for Sunday's big game. And just in case it comes to this, the Giants would win the division in the event of a Week 17 tie, based on their earlier victory in Dallas.


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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hamilton, George Alexander
HAMILTON, GEORGE ALEXANDER (1802–1871), politician, was born at Tyrellas, co. Down, on 29 Aug. 1802. He was elder son of the Rev. George Hamilton of Hampton Hall, co. Dublin, who died in March 1833, by Anna, daughter of Thomas Pepper of Ballygarth Castle, co. Meath. His grandfather, George Hamilton (d. 1793), who was a baron of the exchequer from 1777 to 1793, was a nephew of Hugh Hamilton, bishop of Ossory [q. v.] He was sent to Rugby School in 1814, and matriculated from Trinity College, Oxford, 15 Dec. 1818, took his B.A. degree in 1821, and was created D.C.L. 9 June 1853. Soon after leaving the university he settled on his paternal estate and began to take a part in the public political meetings in Dublin. At the general election in 1826 he became a candidate for the representation of that city, but after a severe and expensive contest lasting fourteen days was defeated by a small majority. In 1830 and 1832 he again unsuccessfully contested the seat for Dublin. At the close of another election for Dublin in January 1835 the numbers were: O'Connell 2,678, Ruthven 2,630, Hamilton 2,461, West 2,455. A petition was, however, presented; the commissioners sat from 3 May 1835 to 6 Jan. 1836, and from 29 Feb. to 26 May, when Hamilton and West were declared duly elected. In the following year, 1837, he again contested Dublin unsuccessfully, and although in presenting a petition he was supported by 'the protestants of England,' and a sum of money known as the Spottiswoode subscription was raised to assist him in paying his expenses, O'Connell on this occasion retained his seat. Throughout his career he took the side of the Orangemen, and was a prominent figure in the protestant demonstrations. On the formation of the 'Lay Association for the Protection of Church Property' in August 1834, he became the honorary secretary of the association, and for a long period worked energetically in the cause. In parliament he was chiefly known as having presented the petition of the celebrated protestant meeting of 14 Jan. 1837, which gave rise to much discussion and subsequently to the Earl of Roden's committee of inquiry. On 10 Feb. 1843, on the occurrence of a chance vacancy, he was returned by the university of Dublin, which constituency he represented without intermission until February 1859. To him was mainly due the formation of the Conservative Society for Ireland, which formed the rallying point for the conservative party after the passing of the Reform Bill. On 2 June 1845 he spoke on the subject of the 'godless college bill.' Another speech of 21 Aug. 1848 was printed with the title of 'Education in Ireland. Report of Speech in the House of Commons on Mr. Hamilton's motion on above subject,' 1848. On 21 June 1849 his proposal for an alteration in education in Ireland so as to make it acceptable to the protestant clergy was lost by 162 to 102 votes. He held the financial secretaryship of the treasury under Lord Derby's administration from March to December 1852, and again on the return of the conservatives to power from March 1858 to January 1859. At this latter date he was appointed permanent secretary of the treasury. He was sworn a member of the privy council 7 Aug. 1869, and in the following year was named one of the commissioners of the church temporalities in Ireland. He was a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant for the county of Dublin, and an LL.D. of Dublin University. He died at Kingstown, Ireland, 17 Sept. 1871. His wife, whom he married 1 May 1835, was Amelia Fancourt, daughter of Joshua Uhthoff of Bath.[Portraits of Eminent Conservatives, 2nd ser. (1846), with portrait; Burke's Landed Gentry; Times, 20 Sept. 1871, p. 6; Illustrated London News, 11 Dec. 1852, pp. 517–18, with portrait, and 23 Sept. 1871, p. 283.]


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Women, and occasionally men, never get tired of looking for beautiful, stylish and trendy jewelry. Men, in particular, may feel uncertain and a little desperate when it comes to choosing jewelry, but worries, because we can tell you what all women love. It is no secret and even songs and movies have been dedicated to women's jewelry preferences. Diamonds will always be girls best friends!
Diamonds are among the most expensive jewels in the world, because of their stunning beauty, rareness in nature and the store of value. Since early times, jewels have been used as an expression of one's wealth and status in life, but also have been symbols of romantic love.
Naturally, women adore gemstones and mostly diamonds, although most can't really afford multiple diamond jewelry pieces. Therefore, their best alternative is cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia is considered to be the best diamond look-alike ever created, because of its visual resemblance to the diamond. The distinctive brilliance of this stone is what makes it what one of the most loved and preferred gemstones by ladies. Furthermore, its low cost and durability are essential aspects when purchasing jewelry.
But where to find zirconia in Dubai? You don't need to waste time in wandering around Dubai's almost countless shopping malls and jewelry stores. Online shopping is the best option, quick, convenient and saves money. What's more, the prices are far more affordable than in retail stores.
We have selected a few zirconia jewelry pieces which are perfect for most women collections. They are also available for online purchase and will be delivered to your preferred address in Dubai, or anywhere in the UAE.
The Classical & Luxurious Rhodium Plated CZ Jewelry Set is an extra delicate pearl cut, zirconia set of necklace and earrings combining the luxury look of the stone with the white elegance of polished brass.
Matching ring sets are suitable to complete a stylish outfit. Here is another suggestion for a ring set – the diamond shape of the cubic zirconia in the Rhodium Plated AAA Zirconia Ring Set is absolutely irresistible.


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Village of Antwerp - Water Pollution Control Plant Municipal Wastewater Improvements Project
Location: Antwerp, New York (Jefferson County) | Completion Date: 2014
Aubertine and Currier, PLLC provided Resident Project Representative and Special Inspection services for the Village of Antwerp Water Pollution Control Plant Municipal Wastewater Improvement Project. The project consisted of the rehabilitation of the Village's wastewater treatment plant to protect the water quality of the Indian River. The Village's existing RBC treatment system was beginning to fail, and at the time construction began, only one RBC unit was operational. The plant was required to maintain compliance with its SPDES permit throughout construction, a task that was at times challenging due to the condition of the existing RBC units, construction activities, and weather conditions.
Aubertine and Currier provided Resident Project Representative (RPR) services during construction of the project. The RPR served as the design engineer's liaison, and primary point of contact for the contractors on-site. The RPR was responsible for documenting construction progress daily; interpreting the contract documents, verifying products delivered to the site were as approved, completing daily reports and maintaining as-built drawings. Documentation of work completed was utilized to assist the Engineer in processing payment applications. The RPR was present at monthly progress meetings and reviewed progress schedules, work complete to date, and reported any outstanding issues, or potential problems on-site. To comply with funding provisions, the RPR completed monthly wage interviews and assisted in the completion of monthly reports. The RPR reviewed and inspected work completed on-site and was present during system tests and start up. Aubertine and Currier at key phases during construction of the tertiary treatment building. This included examination of the site during excavation for the footings, masonry inspection at the start of wall connection to the foundation and wall construction, and examination of truss installation prior to installation of the roofing system. Special inspections are required by the NYS Building Code.


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email@example.com Emily is an investment professional and experienced program manager with a demonstrated history of building effective teams and designing innovative investment strategies to solve wicked problems. She holds a Master in Urban and Environmental Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in History, both from the University of Virginia. Prior to pursuing her MBA, Emily spent five years at The Nature Conservancy working on impact investment and private capital strategies to solve water scarcity challenges, as well as honing her expertise in water management and sustainable development. During her MBA, she was a Summer Investment Associate with Laird Norton Company, a seventh generation, family-owned investment holding company. Post-MBA, she plans to continue driving private investment in sustainability challenges with Laird Norton Company, focusing on small to middle market private equity investments. When not in school, you'll likely find her exploring rivers in search of whitewater and trout. As a Peer Advisor, Emily loves to help students determine their new career path, use networking to their advantage, and find jobs outside of the traditional application process.
firstname.lastname@example.com Mallory is focused on marketing and technology strategy. She spent her summer interning as a Product Marketing Manager on the Mixed Reality team with Microsoft. Prior to Foster, Mallory led marketing and operations for a real estate investment and management company based in Santa Barbara, CA. When she's not working, you can find her hiking or volunteering for C4C.
firstname.lastname@example.com Adam is a former educator, recruiter, and social start-up leader. At Foster he serves as MBAA VP for Career Development. He is also co-president of the Foster Business & Policy Group and a board member for Foster Consulting Society. He completed his MBA internship in human capital strategy at HP.
email@example.com Ruchi is currently a second year student at Foster and the current President of the Foster Consulting Society. This summer, she interned in Deloitte's Strategy practice where she worked on a finance transformation strategy project for a high-tech client based in San Francisco. Ruchi began her career in Investment Banking and Client Relationship Management in New York working for hedge fund and private equity clients. Before business school, Ruchi worked at a legal technology startup where she established the Account Management team, led new product development and scaled the company. Ruchi loves boxing, trying new restaurants and traveling - next on her list is Israel in 2020. When she's not in Paccar, she can usually be found grabbing brunch with classmates in Cap Hill, or running on Alki Beach with her husband and Goldendoodle pup, Simba. Ruchi can help with resume & cover letter reviews, behavioral prep and consulting prep (behavioral & case).
firstname.lastname@example.com Pulkit is an engineer turned business professional who worked in the energy industry in the roles of an engineering consultant, project management, and sales manager. This summer, Pulkit pursued his internship as a management consultant at PwC and worked on projects with clients in the tech industry. In his first year, Pulkit utilized the peer advisor program for resume reviews and interview prep. and gained a lot from it during the recruitment season. He is extremely excited to meet the MBA class of 2021 and support them in achieving success.


text: Dälek (pronounced 'Die-a-leck') is an American experimental hip hop duo from Newark, NJ. The group comprises MC Dälek (vocals & Co-Producer) and the Oktopus (Production). They have often toured with artists from radically different genres, such as Godflesh, Isis, Prince Paul, The Melvins, Tool, De La Soul, RJD2, and Lovage. Dälek's music is… Read More


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Garmin® Receives EASA Approval for GTN™ Touchscreen Avionics
Deliveries Begin in Europe
OLATHE, Kan./December 12, 2011/Business Wire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that it has received the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) validation of the U.S. Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the GTN 650 and GTN 750 series touchscreen avionics. With this validation, these avionics are certified and approved for installation in hundreds of makes and models of European-registered general aviation aircraft.
"The GTN has been very well received since its introduction earlier this year, with thousands of units already installed," said Carl Wolf, Garmin's vice president of aviation sales and marketing. "Now, through the validation of the FAA STC, EASA has made it possible, and more affordable, for European aircraft owners to immediately benefit from the latest technology, simplified interface and enhanced safety features that come with installing the GTN series."
The GTN 650 and GTN 750 series are the successors to the popular GNS 430W and 530W series GPS/NAV/COM avionics. They combine the latest in multi-function display (MFD) features with touchscreen data entry and integrated radio tuning, as well as optional remote transponder control. The GTN 750 series can also optionally support remote audio processor control. Other new capabilities include graphical flight planning with victor airways and high-altitude jet routes and the ability to display European electronic terminal procedure charts with optional Garmin ChartView™ (750 series only).
The units are offered in two sizes and a variety of configurations. The GTN 650 series products are contained in a 2.64-inch tall package that replicates the in-stack form factor of the GNS 430W design, while providing a display that is over 50 percent larger. The GTN 750 series is six inches tall with a display that is nearly 100 percent larger than that of the GNS 530W. All products in the GTN series are SBAS-enabled (WAAS and EGNOS) allowing pilots to fly GPSguided LPV glidepath approaches down to ILS-comparable minimums. In addition, precise course deviation and roll steering outputs can be coupled to select autopilots so that IFR flight procedures may be flown automatically.
The GTN series meets current European regulatory requirements including 8.33 kHz VHF Communication, immunity from FM radio broadcasts, B-RNAV, P-RNAV and optional Class B TAWS. The standard GTN 650 and GTN 750 feature a 10-watt COM, and a field upgradeable 16-watt version is also available. The GTN 725 is similar to the GTN 750, but is a GPS only unit. The GTN 625 is also a GPS only unit, and the GTN 635 is a GPS unit with VHF Communications radio. Because the GTN offers a wide array of compatibility with select Garmin avionics and sensors, Garmin has made it possible to have a consistent and intuitive interface to other systems – like audio and transponder – by creating simplified systems management functionality on the GTN display. Saving valuable panel space, Garmin's new GMA 35 remote mount audio processor (optional) interfaces with the GTN 750 and makes it possible for the GTN to be used as a touchscreen control head for the aircraft's audio and intercom functions. Garmin's GTX 33/33D remote transponders (optional) also interface with the GTN 650 or 750 so that pilots can control the transponder function from the GTN's display. Optional versions of the GTX 33/33D mode S transponders are available which support ADS-B/Out.
The GTN 650 is available now at a suggested retail price of $11,495 USD and the GTN 750 is available now at a suggested retail price of $16,995 USD. For additional information visit www.garmin.com/gtn. Garmin's aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin's portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, surveillance, and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value.
Source: Garmin International http://www.trade-a-plane.com/company-search?id=53125


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Jesús Álvarez Carrión studied with Ana Luisa Chova in Spain and with Patricia McCaffrey in New York, and has also worked with Darrell Babidge, Francisco Araiza, Tobias Truniger, Laurent Pillot, Kevin Murphy, Pierre Vallet, W. Rieger, Rubén Fernández Aguirre, Husan Park and John Lidal.
In the 2011–2012 season he was a member of the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo in the Palau de les Arts, Barcelona, where he took part in productions of Amelia al ballo, Le nozze di Figaro, Boris Godunov, Dido and Aeneas, Il trovatore and Tristan und Isolde, working with Plácido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Jean-Louis Grinda, Philipp Himmelmann, Omer Meir Wellber and Zubin Mehta.
His rôles have included Ernesto (Don Pasquale), the lover (Amelia al ballo), Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Gernando (L'isola disabitata), Nemorino (L'elisir d'amore), and Ferrando (Così fan tutte) among others. His career also brings appearances in concert halls in Spain and abroad.


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Augustus Loop v2 is released
Discussion of music production, audio, equipment and any related topics, either with or without Ableton Live
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5 posts • Page 1 of 1
Augustus Loop v2 is released
Go get it!
And make some skins!
http://www.expert-sleepers.co.uk/august ... index.html
What's New in Augustus Loop version 2
For a complete list of changes, please refer to the version history section of the user manual.
Quality Improvements
Great attention has been paid to removing the niggling little clicks and pops that used to occur if you used some features and were unlucky with your timing. Specifically, using the following should now never result in an unpleasant audio artefact:
* Clear Loop
* Changing the Input Level (which includes using the Punch In/Out Set Input Level features)
* Tap Record
Freeze Loop
While Freeze Loop is essentially the same feature as has always been found in Augustus Loop, the new implementation in version 2 transforms this function into something altogether more powerful. Whereas in previous versions frozen loops were prone to clicking and popping unless the audio and plug-in settings were just right, version 2's Freeze Loop is totally bomb proof and will loop anything.
Sync Groups
It is now possible to synchronise multiple copies of Augustus Loop that are running within one host application. You can therefore use Augustus Loop to build complex, multi-channel, multi-loop systems.
Tape Sim
A new audio processing section has been added to further expand the range of sounds you can get out of Augustus Loop, consisting of a new tape-style saturation effect and a new filter section.
Skinnable and Scriptable GUI
In version 2 it's possible to completely replace the Augustus Loop user interface. This goes far beyond other 'skinning' systems where you can only change the superficial appearance of the interface. With Augustus Loop you can move user interface elements around, remove things you don't use, add new buttons to drive your own new functionality. A general purpose scripting language lies behind all this, so your new buttons aren't just limited to setting plug-in parameters - you can build complex systems limited only by your imagination (and programming skill!).
Augustus Loop can now be remotely controlled via the Open Sound Control protocol.
MIDI & OSC Scripting
Augustus Loop's response to MIDI and OSC control can now be completely redefined by scripts written by users. This goes far beyond simply redefining which MIDI CC controls which parameter - you can build elaborate, state-based control systems, driving many copies of Augustus Loop from a single control source.
Waveform Display
A new element has been added to the GUI that enables you to visualise the audio that's recorded onto Augustus Loop's virtual tape. Apart from looking swish, this is a useful tool that helps you understand exactly what the plug-in is doing at any particular time, especially when some of the more complex functions are enabled.
Record Offset
This new feature makes it easy to sync your looping to other performers, even when your computer-based setup is introducing a lot of latency into your audio stream.
Tape Read Mode
Although Augustus Loop remains a fundamentally stereo device, the new Tape Read Mode setting lets you simulate a mono tape echo from days of old.
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There certainly is a demo, so yes, try it out.dj superflat wrote:so how does augustus compare to mobius in terms of being able to customize, do things like multiply/divide, copy time from loop to loop, etc.? (i think i didn't use augustus in past b/c was mac only?) maybe i should just try demo, if there is one. thx.
Augustus and Mobius are different beasts really - they're developed from essentially different points of view. But to answer your specific questions:
* Yes, you can customize Augustus. That's one of the big new features in v2.
* You can multiply/divide, by turning on "inertia free" mode and simply changing the delay time to a multiple/fraction of the current time.
* Augustus only has one loop, so there's no copying. NB using the customisation scripting, you can build a multi-loop setup from multiple Augustus Loops.
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Review: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 – Of Monsters and Men
The Wolf Among Us focuses heavily on "what lies beneath": the darkness, the anger, and the ugly things that lurk beneath our facades; whether they be our actual ones or the ones provided for us by magic, a glamour, or deception.
After a four-month absence following the debut of Episode 1 ("Faith") back in October 2013, things have been awfully quiet in Fabletown: notably, it's been due to Telltale Games having a pretty full plate on their table in the last few months.
With the debut of The Walking Dead: Season Two and the announcement of two upcoming series in 2014, Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones, things were left hanging after a particularly shocking closer for The Wolf Among Us's debut episode. Where were things left off for Bigby? What was the next step in the stylish crime saga of Fabletown?
Luckily, fans that have been patiently waiting to see what comes next for The Wolf Among Us can rest easy – Episode 2: "Smoke & Mirrors," brings back more of the magic that made the series' debut so intoxicating and thrilling in the first place.
Picking up directly where things left off at the end of Episode 1, the next chapter sees Bigby in states of fury, determination, and with plenty of conviction as he seeks to solve the ongoing murders and mysteries in NYC's seedy Fabletown district. After being introduced to some of Fabletown's notable denizens like The Woodsman, Ichabod Crane, and more, Bigby gets drawn further into Fabletown's rabbit hole by encountering and questioning even more of the seedy underworld's big names like Bluebeard and Georgie, owner of Fabletown's strip club Pudding and Pie.
Where much of the delight of The Wolf Among Us (and its original inspiration, Bill Willingham's long-running comic series, Fables) was seeing some of the most beloved fairy tale characters in their various states and occupations within Fabletown, the expanding of the universe and characters in Episode 2 draws players further into Bigby's story, and provides even more suspects and questions with unknown possibilities and answers.
Graphically and gameplay-wise, the game continues to show off incredibly well with the series' strong and stylish visual flair, and performs admirably with the trademark Telltale adventure formula. Notably though, Episode 2 does a great job in particular at establishing itself as its own beast, separate from Telltale's other series like The Walking Dead.
While obviously Telltale's games all feature their renowned refinements on the adventure game formula, Episode 2 continues to up the ante and conforms perfectly to the Telltale canon, but distinct in its own brand of adventuring (and most of all, violence).
Where The Walking Dead focused heavily on survival and the costs of the external pressures of a world in ruin, The Wolf Among Us, especially in Episode 2 with its questions of morality and our own decisions, is more introspective and reflective.
At what cost do we fight for the truth? How far do we have to go for answers? And most of all, how much can we be pushed before revealing the monsters within us? Story-wise, visually, and gameplay-wise, it continues the stride to make the title transparently like its predecessor, but unique and refreshing in a neon-lit and blood-soaked noir-ish world.
Taking things further into Bigby's sleuthing and work as Fabletown's resident sheriff, Episode 2 is certainly very expository compared to the lightning-quick pace of the first episode, "Faith." While things take a noticeably slower turn than the first episode, like the opening encounter with The Woodsman or the Tweedle Dee chase sequence, the detective work and uncovering of clues in "Smoke & Mirrors" heightens up the intrigue while tightening the screws at the same time.
Fables have been murdered, trails need to be followed, and yet the answers don't come easily: take it from the trials that Bigby has had to endure so far. While we're still early into the story of The Wolf Among Us and have three more episodes to go before the season's conclusion, not knowing where Bigby and the rest of Fabletown's citizens will be heading is as captivating and unnerving as it is exciting and involving, thanks to the continued and layered mysteries.
Figuring things out and uncovering the truth in Fabletown surely isn't easy, but with Episode 2 continuing to prove The Wolf Among Us as another excellent addition to Telltale's roster, playing through the latest chapter of the noir crime saga is not nearly difficult at all.


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The Text Revolution: A New Era of Customer Service
- Communication, Customer Service
- BY tracy
- No Comments
Over the past decade, email, social media and instant messaging technologies have ushered in a new method of communication. As with most declining technologies, the exodus from voice communication has been led by millennials and younger generations looking for instant attention and gratification. Text based interactions are fast, responsive and can be utilized consistently across
Contact Centers of the 21st Century
- Call Center, Customer Service
- BY tracy
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With the year coming to a close and 2017 just over the horizon, it makes sense to look to the future in anticipation of things to come in contact centers around the globe. Throughout the 20th century, contact centers primarily supported customers via the telephone. However, as customers have come to expect 24-hour, 7-day-a-week resolution services
Diversity: 4 Ways to Embrace One of Your Biggest Assets
- Call Center
- BY tracy
- No Comments
Your business has a diverse audience, so why shouldn't your team of agents reflect this diversity? Call centers of the 21st century are as diverse as ever, which is why we at Call Criteria believe that teams which maximize the power of differing perspectives, opinions and backgrounds will succeed in today's super competitive global marketplace. For
Frightening Quality Assurance Nightmares
- Quality Assurance
- BY tracy
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With the right information in hand, really good things can happen in your call center(s). Things like better decision-making, improved efficiency, new marketing opportunities and ultimately, higher revenue. But what happens when data goes bad? According to research firm SiriusDecisions, the average company is hopelessly holding on to 25% of bad data in most of their systems. What's more,
The Audi Experience: Climbing the Ladder to Customer Satisfaction
- Customer Service
- BY tracy
- No Comments
Consider this scenario: a company invests significant amounts of money to implement what appears to be an excellent CRM strategy, but it fails miserably. Sound familiar? Well it should, because according to reports, almost half of all CRM projects fail. But why? Here's a clue, the technology isn't the problem. When luxury vehicle manufacturer Audi launched
Technologies That Will Define the Future of Customer Care
- Technology
- BY Ryan
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Although social platforms and cloud computing currently dominate the call center landscape, there are hosts of other technologies that are adept at helping businesses drive value for their call centers. And even with reports from DMG predicting cloud based infrastructures to double in the next 2 years and social media being literally snatched from the


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As a pedestrian, you hope that all drivers in close proximity are paying attention to the road. If they're not, the chance of an accident is much greater.
However, there's something else you need to know: There are steps you can personally take to prevent a car-pedestrian crash. There is no guarantee you'll never find yourself in this position, but you might as well do whatever you can to avoid trouble.
Here are some of the more important steps to take:
- Don't "tune out" what's going on around you, such as by wearing headphones or talking on the phone
- Never ignore the "don't walk" sign at an intersection
- Never jaywalk, but instead use a crosswalk to make your way to the other side of the street
- Don't dart into traffic, as it can be a challenge for a vehicle to stop before striking you
When you follow these tips at all times, it's much easier to feel good about your safety as a pedestrian.
If you ever find yourself injured after a car-pedestrian crash, don't attempt to move from the scene. Call for help yourself or ask someone else to do so. Either way, you need to receive immediate medical attention.
Once you receive treatment and understand your long-term prognosis, turn your attention back to the cause of the accident. You may come to find that the driver was responsible for the crash. In this case, it's important to learn more about your legal rights and the steps you can take to obtain compensation for your injuries and any other damages.
Source: FindLaw, "Pedestrian Accidents Overview," accessed Jan. 23, 2018


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Between the Buried and Me's 2012 concept album The Parallax II: Future Sequence is one of the band's best albums to date. The follow-up to the band's 2011 album The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, it proved to also be one of the best new metal and hard rock albums of that year. Earlier this year, the members of BTBAM went into a studio in the band's home state of North Carolina to record a live in-studio performance of The Parallax II: Future Sequence. The end result was the band's new live recording Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium. Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium is not the first live recording from BTBAM. Regardless, it is still a great addition to the collection of any fan of this band. The central reason for the success of this new release is the very fact that it is a live recording that is live without actually being live in the traditional sense. Another reason for its success is the recording's audio and video mix. It doesn't leave audiences feel like they are just watching a band record in a studio space. And last but most definitely not least of all worth noting is the very fact that Metal Blade Records has presented this recording as a bundle pack with both Blu-ray disc and an audio portion only on separate CD. Of course that isn't to take away from the recording's bonus interviews with the band and the "Behind-the-Scenes feature. The interviews show just how much thought and planning went into the process of recording the presentation here. The Behind-the-Scenes featurette that accompanies the bonus interviews lets audiences follow the process of recording the performance, from the initial planning process to the final rehearsals before the actual recording began. These bonuses round out the whole thing, showing why this recording is a dark horse candidate for any critic's year-end list of the year's best new live recordings.
Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium is, as noted, a dark horse candidate for a spot on any critic's year-end list of the best new live recordings. The main reason for that is that the members of BTBAM have crafted in this recording a presentation that is live without being live in the traditional sense of the term. It is a live in-studio recording rather than being a live recording in front of thousands of fans. Bassist and founding member Dan Briggs explains in the bonus interview segments that the band consciously made the decision to take this route instead of the traditional live route as it would give a different feel. He could not be more correct in that evaluation. BTBAM isn't the first band to ever record a live recording in studio verses at an actual live venue. However, the number of music acts that put out releases in this format is not as large as some might think. Keeping that in mind, it makes this performance all the more enjoyable. Adding even more enjoyment to the performance is that fact that it also isn't just some run-of-the-mill making of the album presentation. It's better than those all too often used featurettes used to sell records. What audiences get in this recording is the band in studio performing its hit album in its entirety. It is like seeing the band record the album without all of the constant stop-start process and useless banter. Keeping that in mind, the recording itself is made that much more wonderful of an experience for viewers. It shows even more why this recording stands out in this year's crop of live recordings as a must see.
The performance recorded by BTBAM in Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium is central to the success of the recording's presentation overall. It isn't just some run-of-the-mill in studio piece that documents the making of a band's album. It is actually a full performance of the band's album The Parallax II. The performance just happens to be held in a studio space rather than a live venue. Being that the performance was recorded in a studio space, the initial thought pattern among audiences might be that the audio will be hollow and that the video might be recorded in somewhat guerilla style. The reason for that is that so many in-studio documentaries end up presenting exactly such audio and video. Luckily for viewers the audio and video mix in this recording are collectively and completely unlike those more raw presentations. The audio in this recording sounds just as good as that of the originally released album. And the quality of the recording's video is just as laudable. What's really interesting about the recording's video is that while presented on Blu-ray, it presents a certain grainy quality. It's obvious that said effect was used intentionally. It adds a certain depth of emotion to the presentation especially when taken into consideration with the music itself. That wise use of video effects and equally impressive audio mix works in combination with the rather creative format of the recording to make Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium even more enjoyable for the band's fans.
The format of Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium along with its production values (its audio and video) both play pivotal roles in the success and enjoyment of the recording. Having examined both of these factors, audiences are left with one more factor to examine in this recording. That factor is the presentation's packaging. The recording is presented to fans both on Blu-ray and CD in one package. Combining both the audio-only and the AV presentation together in one package presents audiences with a complete musical experience. As noted previously, the audio portion of the performance is just as solid as that of the original album on which this performance is based. So listening to the performance on CD whether in the car or at home will leave listeners feel like they are actually listening to the album in question. The inclusion of the Blu-ray disc is the center of the experience. It brings everything full circle. It reminds audiences that they are taking in the album in full and that they are experiencing it in a setting that is rarely used by any musical act when releasing live recordings. Together with the other previously noted aspects of the performance, it rounds out the recording proving once more just why this recording deserves to be not just a dark horse candidate but a viable candidate for any critic's year-ender list of the best new live recordings. It isn't to discount the bonus material included on the Blu-ray, either. The bonus interviews show the members of BTBAM as not just another group of metallers, but a group of talented musicians. The companion bonus "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette follows the band from pre-planning to final rehearsals before taking on the performance presented in the final product. It runs just shy of the thirty-minute mark. Throughout that time, audiences see that preparing for a live in-studio performance takes nearly as much work as prepping for a performance in a traditional live venue. It makes for even more appreciation of this recording and proves to be the proverbial icing on the cake or the show. Together with everything else noted, everything noted here collectively makes Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium a must see by any member of the Metal Nation worldwide.
Future Sequence: Live at the Fidelitorium is available now on Blu-ray/CD combo pack in stores and online. It can be ordered direct online via Metal Blade Records' website at http://www.metalblade.com/us/releases/between-the-buried-and-me-fidelitorium/. More information on this and other releases from BTBAM and all of the latest news from the band is available online at:
Website: http://betweentheburiedandme
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BTBAMofficial
Twitter: http://twitter.com/btbamofficial
To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and "Like" it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil's Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.


text: iancal #26 Posted May 15 (edited) We have tentatively decided on our next trip. Land trip, two months. May/June 2021. I would be surprised if we traveled overseas before this. I would not be surprised if even this is pushed out to fall 2021. Edited May 15 by iancal 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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We often hear statistics about declining numbers in the UK church, yet many local churches are bucking the trend. Why do some churches grow and others don't?
Is this a question of theology and God's sovereign choice, or of geography and population changes, or are there tangible things a church can do to grow numerically?
To be clear, there is no magic formula for church growth, nor is numerical growth the only mark of growing, just the most measureable (what about discipleship, community engagement and commitment?).
Yet there are definitely certain traits within churches which correlate with growing numbers. Whilst correlation does not imply causation, there is a lot we can learn from this, if we do want Cambray to be a church that grows numerically.
The theologian and radio presenter Justin Brierley used statistical surveys and interviews with leaders of growing churches to identify the following seven 'growing traits':
- Prayer – a growing church is always a praying church, and particularly praying for numerical growth and conversions, which raises expectations.
- Sunday Services with broad appeal – growing churches tend to focus services on appealing to a wide range of ages, nationalities, stages-of-faith, dress-codes and even denominational backgrounds, with energy and resources committed to high-quality preaching and thought-through, well-led music.
- Extra services – research indicates that once 80% of the seating in a venue is in use, a congregation stops growing. Cambray's morning services are now pushing towards 350 people in a space for 400.
- A warm welcome – we like to think of Cambray as welcoming, but if we are a regular, our experience may be very different from that of a newcomer: how they are greeted at the door, whether anyone talks to them when they sit down and at the end of a service. The 'welcome team' at Cambray should be all 350 of us!
- Embracing change – a growing church means accepting changing structures, with pastoral support networks allowing everyone in the church to be 'ministered' to without the pastor having to do it all. It also means a willingness for people to step down from roles they may have been doing for years, in order to let new people and new systems have the chance to grow. Often tensions can arise when churches grow and change but individual members do not.
- Encouraging belonging and believing – how evangelistically sensitive is Cambray? Churches that grow create a sense of belonging for people, even before they'd call themselves believers. Yet evangelistically insensitive churches create theological and stylistic hoops for newcomers to jump through before they can feel part of the community.
- Investing in young people – more than 80% of Christians make a commitment to Christ before they reach the age of 18. Growing churches realise what this means, putting a greater proportion of time, money and people resources into Youth and Children's Work. For Cambray, it should also mean young people being placed in visible leadership roles and intentional mentoring of younger deacons, service-leaders and preachers.
Whilst this list is by no means exhaustive, we must ask ourselves whether we are a growing church. How are we responding to Jesus' commission to 'go and make disciples of all nations'?
We are each responsible for Cambray's growth, both spiritually and numerically, for the sake of the Kingdom, and God calls each of us to play our part in making Cambray a community that is praying, accessible, strategically organised, welcoming, open to change, evangelistically sensitive and invested in young people.
Please join the staff team and deacons in making this time of transition a time of real growth.
Every blessing to you,
Tim Martin
Associate Pastor


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Real Name: Travis
Member Since: June 13th, 2008
About Me:
I'm a college freshman who's majoring in English, and hoping to make it as a writer, though I know the field is hard to get into.
I'm a Quaker, specifically a No Choice Quaker (see the works of Philip Gulley and James Mulholland), which, despite the restrictive-sounding name, means I have in a much more pacifistic, hopeful type of theology/philosophy--even by Quaker standards!
I am, in many senses, a nerd, as I greatly enjoy reading both books and comics (of varying national backgrounds), playing video games, watching cartoons (again, of varying national backgrounds, surfing the web, looking up strange and/or trivial information on a whim, and so on, with a rather shy/introverted social attitude. I do have friends in both real life and on the internet though; the latter ones being actually trustworthy, despite the internet often acting as a web of deceit. I also like to write, sketch/draw, discuss interesting topics, or just hang out as well.
I eat meat, eggs, and occasionally dairy products (of which I'm not really that big of a fan, taste-wise), but I'm an animal lover in many senses. I believe that every form of life, from animals to plants, and even bacteria to viruses have a place in the eternal hereafter; eating meat, using animals for medical research, and killing off harmful bacteria/viruses is just business, and nothing to be ashamed of.
I also have ADD, some OCD, and rather poor self-confidence. Unfortunately, the third can be a problem in a number of ways, since I often feel isolated when I have a more peaceful or positive opinion about something (like the later Sonic games, the Star Wars stuff past the original trilogy, the new Indiana Jones, etc.) the majority, even people I admire or are friends with, are much more negative about. What's more, having OCD only makes compulsive negative thoughts more frequent and wearying. Still, I'm still truckin', beating back that flack each day, and reminding myself that not all disagreements should be taken on a personal level and that what should matter the most to me is whether I personally like/dislike something.
But all rambling aside, the bottom line is, I'm Travis, a.k.a. dungeonmaster11.


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Calgary Flames prospect Jakob Pelletier has been short-listed for a spot on Team Canada's roster for the world junior hockey championships.
The Flames' latest first-round draft pick, Pelletier was among 31 hopefuls to earn an invite Monday to Hockey Canada's selection camp next week in Oakville, Ont.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Flames prospect Pelletier invited to Canada's world-junior tryouts Back to video
The 18-year-old left-winger is currently perched third in the QMJHL's scoring race with 18 goals and 30 assists in 25 outings this fall with the Moncton Wildcats.
Pelletier has worn the maple leaf before, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and then shrugging off a high-ankle sprain to represent his country in April at the IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championship.
"Just to be part of that group, of that experience, I think it was amazing," Pelletier told Postmedia last month. "You kind of see yourself when you're younger and cheering for Team Canada. And you're like, 'Now it's me, it's my turn, and most of the people at home are cheering for me.' That's a pretty great feeling."
Team Canada's selection-camp roster also includes a hat-trick of Calgary-area skaters — Bragg Creek's Dylan Holloway and fellow forward Peyton Krebs of Okotoks, plus defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker of Canmore.
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships begins on Boxing Day in the Czech Republic.


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Lucid Links (120909, Morning)
What did Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan know about this, and when did he know it? It would appear that the answers are NOT "nothing" and "never."
Speaking of Duncan, it's more than a little odd that this February story has, as far as I can tell, never gone beyond CBS2 Chicago (video is at link):
Hundreds of students have allegedly been beaten by teachers, coaches and staff at Chicago Public Schools. 2 Investigator Dave Savini continues his ongoing investigation involving the illegal use corporal punishment.
….. An exclusive CBS 2 investigation discovered ….. (that) at least 818 Chicago Public School students, since 2003 ….. allege being battered by a teacher or an aide, coach, security guard, or even a principal. In most of those cases – 568 of them – Chicago Public School investigators determined the children were telling the truth.
….. The 2 Investigators found reports of students beaten with broomsticks, whipped with belts, yard sticks, struck with staplers, choked, stomped on and pushed down stairs. One substitute teacher even fractured a student's neck.
But even more alarming, in the vast majority of cases, teachers found guilty were only given a slap on the wrist.
CBS 2 informed former Chicago Public School CEO Arne Duncan of our investigative findings shortly before he was promoted to U.S. Secretary of Education.
"If someone hits a student, they are going to be fired. It's very, very simple," Duncan said.
Before heading to Washington, he vowed to take action.
"Any founded allegation where an adult is hitting a child, hitting a student – they're going to be gone," Duncan said.
But that's not what happened under Duncan's watch. Of the 568 verified cases, only 24 led to termination. Records show one teacher who quote "battered students for several years" was simply given a "warning" by the Board of Education.
And another student was given "100 licks with a belt." The abuse was substantiated, but the records show the teacher was not terminated.
Does anyone believe that a conservative educator who presided over what appears to have been and may still be a culture of corporal punishment — a practice that has been illegal in Illinois since 1994 — would be getting a pass over this? Apparently in Obamaland, it's a basis for promotion.
There is an obvious point being missed in the UK Guardian's coverage of the latest goings-on in Copenhagen — coverage that is presumptively suspect because the Guardian was the orchestrator of the loony-tunes Chicken Little editorial that 56 papers worldwide published earlier this week.
The Guardian's report claims that Copenhagen's climate talks are in "disarray" because of arguments over whether developing countries should be working to limit CO2 emissions.
Given that the "science" behind alleged human-caused global warming has been discredited, no countries should be entering into any kind of binding agreement that would limit their carbon emissions. Period.
Social Security Train Wreck Update — I observed in early October that it's at the station. Yesterday, Chuck Blahaus at the E21 blog (HT Hot Air) noted that the locomotive is still accelerating. Benefits paid and administrative costs outstripped incoming tax collections for the sixth straight month (Note: Graph should be labeled "Monthly Cash Surpluses/Deficits"):
It seems all but certain that November and December will show cash deficits. Given the continued deterioration in cash collections and the administration's grim determination to do more of what hasn't worked to meaningfully influence job creation, 2010 promises to be even worse, and is an even bet to show a cash deficit for the entire fiscal year.
To the extent that cash deficits occur, "general revenues" coming from a government that is otherwise over $12 trillion in debt are funding today's Social Security benefits.


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OMA, AOMORI PREF. – At the remote northwestern tip of a snowy peninsula, beyond a small road of fishing shacks and empty one-story homes, 600 construction workers and engineers are building a brand-new nuclear plant for a country still recovering from the most severe atomic disaster since Chernobyl.
The main reactor building is already at its full height, though draped in heavy fabric to protect it from the wind and freezing temperatures. A 152-meter crane swivels overhead. A completed power line stretches along a nearby ridge, where it might one day carry electricity down the peninsula and back toward the interior of Honshu — a place still fiercely divided over the long-term role of nuclear power.
In the aftermath of March 2011 meltdowns in Fukushima that contaminated over 1,800 sq. km with radiation and forced 150,000 to flee their homes, most never to return, utilities have halted nearly all nuclear-related projects. The disaster sparked a global debate about nuclear power, but it was especially fierce in Japan, where all 50 operable reactors were taken offline and work was halted on three new plants where building had been under way.
But two of the existing reactors are back in action, and the resumption of construction at the Oma Nuclear Power Plant here — a project that broke ground in 2008 and was halted by the operator, Electric Power Development Co. (J-Power), after the Fukushima meltdowns — marks the clearest sign yet that the stalemate is breaking.
The green light for the new plan was, at its root, a bet by J-Power that Japan will come to again support and rely on nuclear power, which provided some one-third of the nation's electricity before the Fukushima crisis.
Analysts say that predicting the direction of Japan's atomic future is difficult and that J-Power's decision is a risky one — even with a pronuclear party back in power — because a majority of the population opposes long-term nuclear dependence.
Still, experts see modest evidence of nuclear power's resiliency. Japan has traditionally built its nuclear plants in far-flung towns that depend on the facilities for the subsidies and tax windfalls — as well as the jobs — they bring. Consumers and big businesses fear the long-term economic pain of a nuclear phaseout — increased dependence on imported fossil fuels, annual trade deficits, higher energy bills.
At the national level, Japan has cycled through three prime ministers since Fukushima — the first fiercely antinuclear, the next moderately antinuclear, the current one cautiously pronuclear. The Democratic Party of Japan, which was in power when the disaster struck, tried this past fall to plot a nuclear phaseout by the 2030s, but antinuclear advocates say the pledge was watered down to the point of being meaningless. The new prime minister, Shinzo Abe of the Liberal Democratic Party, plans this month to convene the latest in a series of expert panels to help overwrite the phaseout plan, and its makeup suggests he prefers a role for nuclear power.
The antinuclear movement, which swelled after the Fukushima crisis started, could still play a role, but it is politically disorganized and has grown quieter in recent months. Individual activists cite the resumption at Oma as controversial but note the move did not prompt mass protests.
"Right now, the trend is not going in the right direction," said Misao "Redwolf" Shinoto, a leader of the antinuclear movement.
By March 2011, construction at Oma was more than one-third complete, with a 2014 target date for commercial operation. But J-Power voluntarily halted the project after Fukushima. Contractors were sent home or told to find new work. Twenty-three cranes were disassembled and shipped out. Only a skeleton staff stayed behind in Oma. And for the next 18 months, J-Power waited to see whether the central government would reconsider its long-term commitment to nuclear power.
Gradually the country's 50 working reactors were idled, because of safety concerns or for routine maintenance checks. Two reactors in Fukui Prefecture were restarted last July, but others remain in limbo, requiring major reinforcement against earthquakes, tsunami and other disasters.
Oma, a fishing town of 6,200, had sought a nuclear plant since 1976, when an official with the chamber of commerce wrote to the mayor saying it was time to "reconsider the fundamental industry in Oma."
Decades passed before construction began, with delays caused by changes in reactor design and location, but during that time J-Power won support in the town. The company hired three or four local high school graduates every year. It helped fund a new community center with a library, an indoor sports complex and a swimming pool. It sponsored local fireworks shows.
Those in Oma largely maintained their backing for nuclear power post-Fukushima, looking with detachment at 100,000-strong antinuclear protests in Tokyo and watching with concern in July 2011 as then-DPJ Prime Minister Naoto Kan said nuclear power was a risk Japan couldn't afford.
Roughly 15 percent of the town's annual budget comes from government subsidies handed down for its willingness to host the plant. Phasing out nuclear power would be a "sorry thing," Oma Mayor Mitsuharu Kanazawa said.
For its part, J-Power would sustain a "major financial blow" if it could not operate the Oma plant, spokesman Hiroshi Nakatani said in a February interview, though he refused to provide specifics.
With its hydro and thermal stations, J-Power generates 6 to 7 percent of Japan's power, which it sells to the country's nine regional utility monopolies. That supply has become even more important post-Fukushima, as those monopolies have less generating capacity of their own.
But J-Power has long coveted nuclear power, seeing it as potentially cheaper and more environmentally friendly than coal imports, and Oma is its first nuclear project.
Their timing "was terrible," said Hiroshi Takahashi, an energy industry expert at Fujitsu Research Institute in Tokyo. "If I can make some advice to J-Power, it is to get out of nuclear power right now before they encounter even more problems."
J-Power, two company spokesmen say, never considered abandoning the Oma project. The company's announcement to resume construction came on Oct. 1 — just 12 days after the government's vague pledge to phase out nuclear power by the 2030s.
Both J-Power officials and then-energy minister Yukio Edano say there was no conversation between the government and the company about the resumption. But company officials say they took it as a sign of government approval when Edano visited Aomori Prefecture — home of Oma and several other atomic facilities — in mid-September and said he would not stand in the way of construction that had been approved pre-Fukushima.
A nuclear reactor can go online only after an elaborate series of agreements from the host town, surrounding communities and central government. Before it can begin operations, the first reactor at Oma, a 1,383-megawatt advanced boiling-water reactor, must secure another round of approvals and meet still-unfinalized safety standards. J-Power does not have an estimate for when the reactor at Oma will be completed.
For some antinuclear activists and politicians, the construction of a new reactor is particularly worrying because it gives Japan the potential to operate plants into the late 2050s, far beyond the 40-year life span of already completed reactors. Two other reactors were under construction at the time of the Fukushima accident, and at neither has building resumed.
"We should give up building new nuclear plants," Kan, who served as prime minister during the first stage of the disaster, said during an interview in his office, a photo of a wind farm hanging on the wall. "If we cannot get rid of the risk, the safest alternative would be a society without nuclear energy."
J-Power's decision came as polls showed growing support for the traditionally pronuclear LDP, which claimed a landslide victory in the December Lower House election and installed Abe as prime minister. Abe on Feb. 28 said he would seek to restart existing reactors once the country fosters a "new culture of safety" with new measures enforced by a beefed-up regulatory agency.
The new government could, theoretically, order all plants to shut down by the 2030s; in that case, nuclear power would act only as a bridge, providing power while Japan builds up alternative sources. It could also revamp the phaseout pledge created by the DPJ government and allow the plants to run for much longer — not just as a stopgap but as a core pillar. That would also require the construction of new reactors, and experts say finding towns willing to accept the projects could be a challenge, with towns not yet dependent on the nuclear industry wanting little to do with it.
The LDP has said nothing specific about such long-term plans. And even if the party drafts such plans, they could prove irrelevant if the LDP falls from power. But analysts point out that the LDP is the mainstream party, running the country for most of the past six decades and now re-established with Abe's approval rating above 70 percent.
Looking for some clarity, Oma's mayor, along with chamber of commerce chief Kiyotaka Denpo and representatives from several other towns, traveled in mid-February to Tokyo for a meeting at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
They asked the officials to continue to promote nuclear power, Kanazawa and Denpo said. They also asked the government to build a wider and more direct route heading out of town, to enable speedy evacuation in case of emergency.
Finally, Denpo asked if the government intended to stick with the plan to phase out nuclear power by the 2030s, as the now-ousted DPJ had called for. "And they said no."


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