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This article by James Scott Bell was first published in the Writer's Digest. I read it this morning on Books Go Social Authors Group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/booksgosocialauthors/?fref=nf ) and thought it was worth sharing. Even if were not writing a thriller we may want to add a touch into whatever we're writing. Enjoy. Shirley
Remember when Tommy Lee Jones holds up the empty shackles in The Fugitive and says, "You know, we're always fascinated when we find leg irons with no legs in 'em"? It makes me think of readers who pick up thrillers and find no thrills in them. Or at least not as many as there could be.
I'm not just talking about plot here. It's possible to have guns and bombs and hit men and terrorists and black helicopters and still not have a novel that grips the reader in the gut.
For a healthy, fully functioning thriller, try some literary vitamin C. Dose your book with these five Cs and it will stand strong, chest out, ready to give your reader a run for the money.
- Complex Characterizations
The first place to fortify a thriller is its cast of characters. A critical mistake made here can undermine even the best story concept.
Is your protagonist all good? That's boring. Instead, the thriller hero needs to struggle with issues inside as well as outside. She's got to be a carrier of flaws as well as virtues. These roiling conflicts make her survival an open question.
When we first meet Detective Carol Starkey in Robert Crais' Demolition Angel, she's flicking her cigarette ash on the floor of a therapist's office, "pissed off" because it's been three years and her demons are still alive and well. Quite an introduction, especially for someone on the LAPD bomb detail. We know she has a short fuse. And we want to watch to see if it goes off.
Brainstorm a list of at least 10 inner demons your hero has to fight. Ten. Get creative. Then choose the best one. Work that demon into your hero's backstory, and show how it is affecting him in the present—and could hinder him even further in the future. Give him actions that demonstrate the flaw.
Move on to the rest of your cast. Avoid the "stock character" trap, which can be especially perilous in this genre—e.g., the cold, buttoned-down FBI agent; the police detective with a drinking problem. Here's a good habit: Reject the first image you come up with when creating a character. Entertain several possibilities, always looking for a fresh take.
Then, give each character a point of potential conflict with your hero as well as with the other characters—especially those who are allies. Look for ways friends can become enemies or betrayers. Short of that, create more arguments.
To help you add complexity, make a character grid like this:
Mary Steve Cody Brenda Julio
Steve x
Cody x
Brenda x
Julio x
Now, fill in the blank boxes with possible relationships, secrets and areas of conflict. For example:
Mary Steve
Hates him because he abused her sister
Steve Knows that Mary had a child by Julio
If possible connections are eluding you, try running this exercise for each of your main characters: The police come to the character's residence with a search warrant. In his closet is something he does not want anyone to find, ever.
What is it?
What does this reveal about the inner life of the character? Use the secrets and passions you discover to add another point of conflict within the cast.
Standout thrillers need complexity and webs of conflict, so that every page hums with tension.
- Confrontation
I call the main action of a novel the confrontation. This is where the hero and antagonist battle over the high stakes a thriller demands.
When it comes to the antagonist, writers can easily make the opposite of the "all-good protagonist" mistake: They make their bad guy all bad. Worse, they make him all bad because he's crazy.
More interesting confrontations come from a villain who is justified in what he does.
You mean, in doing evil things?
Yes, that's exactly what I mean—in his own mind, that is. How much more chilling is the bad guy who has a strong argument for his actions, or who even engenders a bit of sympathy? The crosscurrents of emotion this will create in your readers will deepen your thriller in ways that virtually no other technique can accomplish. The trick is not to overdo it—if you stack the deck against your villain, readers will feel manipulated.
Start by giving your antagonist just as rich a backstory as your hero. What hopes and dreams did he have? How were they dashed? What life-altering hurt did he suffer? Who betrayed him? How did all of this affect him over the course of his life?
Write out a closing argument for him. If he were in court, arguing to a jury about why he did the things he did in the novel, what would he say? Make it as persuasive as possible:
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my name is Hannibal Lecter. You've heard a lot of lurid tales about me from the prosecutor. Now you will hear my side of the story. You will hear about a world that is better off without some people being in it. And you will hear about the conditions I endured inside the horror of a place called the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane …"
It can feel a bit disturbing to try to understand someone you might hate in real life. Good. You are a writer. You go where angels fear to tread.
Now take all of that material and use it to strengthen the antagonist's position in the story. A stronger confrontation can only result.
- Careening
There's nothing like a stunning twist or shock to keep readers flipping, clicking or swiping pages. Part of the fun for readers is thinking a story is going one way, and getting taken completely by surprise.
Harlan Coben is one of the reigning kings of the art of surprise. "I've rarely met a twist I didn't like," he has said. His method, if it can be called that, is to write himself "into a lot of corners" and see how things work out.
That's one way to go. Forcing your writer's mind to deal with conundrums is a great practice.
But there is another way. Pause after every scene and ask yourself: "What would a reader expect to happen next?" Create a list of at least three directions the story might take.
Then discard those three and do something different. I call this unanticipation.
Another method is the old Raymond Chandler advice: When things slow down, bring in a man with a gun. It doesn't have to be an actual man with an actual gun, of course. It can be anything that bursts into a scene and shakes things up. Here's the key: Get your imagination to give you the surprise without justification.
Make a quick list of at least 10 things that just pop into your mind. For example:
- A woman runs in screaming.
- The lights go out.
- A car crashes through the wall.
- Heart attack.
- SWAT team outside.
- Marching band outside.
- TV announcer mentions character's name.
- A baby cries (what baby?).
- Blood drips down the wall.
- Justin Bieber comes in with a gun.
Some things on your list will seem silly. That's OK. Don't judge. Look back and find the most original item, and only then find a reason for it. In this case, No. 8 creates the most interest for me. I have no idea where that came from or what it means. But I can make it mean something.
And so can you.
- Coronary
The best thrillers stab the heart, throughout. They do it by getting readers to experience the emotions of the scenes.
How can you do that? First, by experiencing them yourself. Sense memory is a technique used by many serious actors. Here's how it works: You concentrate on recalling an emotional moment in your life, and recreate each of the senses in your memory (sight, smell, touch, sound, etc.) until you begin to feel the emotion again. And you will. The actor transfers that to her role; the writer, to the page.
When I was getting to the heart of one of my own thrillers-in-progress, a story of two brothers, I needed to feel what the younger one was experiencing when the bad guys came. I recalled a time when I was 6 or 7, and some bullies were holding me hostage on a hill. Terrified, I finally made a break for home and sobbed to my big brother about what had happened. He left me at the house.
I never saw those bullies in our neighborhood again.
When I wrote the scenes with the younger brother, I focused on feeling those moments again, and transferred those emotions to the page.
They're going to kill Chuck and they're going to do the same thing to me. That's why they have me tied up and they put another thing in my mouth and they won't let me talk. … They hit me. I'm in the back of some truck. They're taking me somewhere. I hope they take me where Chuck is. If they do anything to Chuck I will bite them. I will do anything I can to hurt them. Maybe I'm going to die but I will not die until I hurt them because of what they're going to do to Chuck.
Another way to tap into your character's heartbeat is the run-on sentence. Interview the character at the height of an emotion. Write down his reaction for at least 200 words without using a period. Then explore that text to find gems of emotional description. You might actually use some of it, as Horace McCoy did in his 1938 noir thriller, I Should Have Stayed Home:
All Dorothy's fault, I thought, cursing her in my mind with all the dirty words I could think of, all the filthy ones I could remember the kids in my old gang used to yell at white women as they passed through the neighborhood on their way to work in the whore houses, these are what you are, Dorothy, turning off Vine on to the boulevard, feeling awful and alone, even worse than that time my dog was killed by the Dixie Flyer, but telling myself in a very faint voice that even like this I was better off than the fellows I grew up with back in Georgia who were married and had kids and regular jobs and regular salaries and were doing the same old thing in the same old way and would go on doing it forever.
- Communication
The original storytellers spun thrillers. When heroes went out into the dark world to confront monsters and demons and great beasts, the tribe vicariously lived the tale. But there was something more—they learned how to fight, act courageously and survive.
The first thrillers carried a message and helped bring a local community together.
Readers still seek that kind of story. So you ought to spend some time asking yourself what your thriller is really about. Does it offer hope for justice? Does it end with justice denied?
In short, what will the reader take away from your book?
Many aspiring thriller writers, perhaps seeing the genre as action-driven, avoid thinking about theme (or meaning, or premise). They prefer to let the characters duke it out, and leave it at that. There's nothing wrong with this approach, as long as you realize that you will be saying something. Why not be intentional about it?
Here's an exercise I call "The Dickens" (named for Charles and his time-traveling story A Christmas Carol): Go forward in time 20 years after your story ends. Your lead character is now 20 years older and has had time to reflect on all that happened in the story you told. You're now a reporter, and you track down the character and ask, "Looking back at everything that happened to you, why do you think you had to go through that? What life lesson did you learn that you can pass on to the rest of us?"
Let the character answer in a free-form way, for as long as possible, until you sense that it's right.
Now use all your skills to demonstrate that lesson at the end of the story itself, without necessarily using words. Give us Clarice Starling sleeping at last, the lambs of her nightmares silenced. Or Harry Bosch in Lost Light, holding for the first time the hands of the daughter he never knew he had.
Those are the moments that will take your thriller from entertaining to unforgettable.
Here's to the health of your thrillers.
—By James Scott Bell


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1. It is possible for someone to survive getting shot in the chest during an intense fight on top of a moving train, fall about a thousand feet into the river below, and appear to have drowned. However, it is not necessary to address how.
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GL3000 is an 8 group live sound console, designed for use in front-of-house, monitoring or combined roles. Feedback from GL3000 users led to the creation of the GL3300.
- Dual functionality. GRP/Aux mode switches reverse aux master section with the group faders, giving up to 8 monitor sends with inserts on 100mm faders
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- 12×2 matrix fed from groups, LR busses and stereo returns
- 4 band EQ with separate sweep and cut/boost on mid bands. HPF @ 100Hz is switchable
- Stereo channels. 16 channel versions had all mono channels. All other models had 4 stereo inputs to the right of the master section. Mic or line source on 2 XLRs or 2 TRS jacks
- 2 stereo returns on TRS line inputs with 60mm fader and routing to group, LR and matrix
- 12 segment bargraph meters on L&R. 4 segment leds on GRP/Aux masters. 3 segment leds on channels. Optional VU meterbridge was available for 24-40 channel versions
- Lamp socket (BNC)
- PSU. Console was supplied with RPS9 rack mounting (2U) linear power supply
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Episode #14: Batman: Under the Red Hood Review
Posted on: August 4, 2010
Written by: admin
Daeho and Grady review DC comics latest direct to DVD Batman animated feature. Hear about how the Joker messed up much more than Jason Todd's life.
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10-15-2005, 11:17 PM #1tommywho70x Guest
When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
This one is a laugher and will probably be even funnier if our armchair generals and experts on clandestine intelligence gathering and spy satellite high-resolution digital image hot flash-botting put their ePinions in on it.
Google's cop-out is pretty funny too. Even 2 year old hi-res shots are going to be pretty useful to forces on the ground and their strategic planners. It's interesting to note that Microsoft's similar program, 'Virtual Earth', which has been around longer hasn't raised the same kind of alarms.
There are some interesting passages in Bob Woodward's Veil on the subject of satellite intel, who we share it with and who we try to prevent from getting any that I'll dig out if this thread gets any action
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051016/...bmNhdA--Google Satellite Photos Worry India Leader By OMER FAROOQ, Associated Press Writer
Sat Oct 15,10:34 PM ET
HYDERABAD, India - Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam expressed concern Saturday about a free mapping program from Google Inc., warning it could help terrorists by providing satellite photos of potential targets.
Google Earth, an Internet site launched in June this year, allows users to access overlapping satellite photos. Although not all areas are highly detailed, some images are very high resolution, and some show sensitive locations in various countries.
At a meeting of top police officials in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, Kalam said he worried that "developing countries, which are already in danger of terrorist attacks, have been singularly chosen" for providing high resolution images of their sites.
The governments of South Korea and Thailand and lawmakers in the Netherlands have expressed similar concerns.
South Korean newspapers said Google Earth provides images of the presidential Blue House and military bases in the country, which remains technically at war with communist North Korea. The North's main nuclear facility at Yongbyon is among sites in that country displayed on the service.
The Google site contains clear aerial photos of India's parliament building, the president's house and surrounding government offices in New Delhi. There are also some clear shots of Indian defense establishments.
Debbie Frost, spokewoman for Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, noted that the software uses information already available from public sources and the images displayed are about one to two years old, not shown in real time.
"Google takes governmental concerns about Google Earth and Google Maps very seriously. Google welcomes dialogue with governments, and we will be happy to talk to Indian authorities about any concerns they may have," Frost said in an e-mail statement Saturday.
Kalam, a scientist who guided India's missile program before becaming president, called for new laws to restrain dissemination of such material. He said existing laws in some countries regarding spatial observations of their territory and the United Nations' recommendations on the practice are inadequate.
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Last edited by tommywho70x; 10-15-2005 at 11:34 PM.
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
I'll bite.
Googsters gotta shut down free info-flow of any military installation/command and control/national security site of any soverign nation. This does not fall into the free information act. national security trumps free information. ;)
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
I'll dive in too... why not :)
I've got Google Earth and, for my purposes, it is exceptionally handy... mapping out local highway web-cams so I can check road conditions for myself this Winter. From an educational point of view it is outstanding... for example, Rome and it's famous ruins, Cairo & the remnants of ancient Egypt. As military intel... sure... it presents images of sites that could be targets... especially in the U.S.... but so do maps available in the phone-book or at the gas station. I needed a map of Ft. Knox and got it from the local phone book. The information/images are 1 to 2 years old. A potential attacker would need up to date info for the intel to be of any value. A 2 year old image just doesn't get it. If India has a concern then they need to talk with the people @ Google Earth to straighten it out.
10-16-2005, 11:14 AM #4tommywho70x Guest
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
As one of the hands that has been at least peripherally involved in the creation of the hardware encryption code GENERATOR (s) for the past 35 years that make this kind of imaging possible, I'm still giggling...(~$~MSN Flying Dollar Signs for Windows NT~$~$~)
Why Google and not Microsoft? What exempts their "SOFTWARE PRODUCT.~??"
For an insurgent force, hi-res satellite imagery does not have to be the latest shots for it to be valuable in the same way modern armies use them for spotting troop build-ups, movements, supply depots and other infrastructure installations.
I should think the Indians would want nice shots of places like the Taj Mahal available to potential tourists and it wouldn't be so difficult for them and other concerned nations to smudge up the shots of sites that they don't want so clearly delineated for potential attackers.
The advent of handheld radio telephones, PDAs and GPS transceivers has put access to orbiting computers into the hands of the common man. No turning back the CLOCK on that.
The Military Intelligence Personnel (Mips) are just going to have to find a 'Creative Workaround' to deal with the background noises and possible security vulnerabilities resulting from all those new 'Blips' on their INTERNET RADAR SCREENS........................................... ..:) IRS.~?? IrXfer Performance Monitor.lid)dy)GORDON16.DAT(1-800-GGLIDDY! WJFK.COM+G-ManRadio?)
Degauss! Degauss! Degauss!
User! User! User!
Arials! Arials! Arials!
Read! Read! Read!
Write? Write? Write?
* Adobe Systems, Inc., FONT MANAGER Win32hlp.sys Acrobat Reader 5.1 *
Last edited by tommywho70x; 10-16-2005 at 11:19 AM.
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
Very true there Tommy... plainly put & clear to understand...
If a terrorist/insurgent/radical... whatever... force wanted to attack a target they don't need up-to-date images... the basic lay-out will do nicely. The images were available long before Google Earth came out. Anyway... Google Earth, at least the free version... has much more blurred sections than clear.
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clashOriginally Posted by Raider
:eek: :p :rolleyes:
10-16-2005, 04:02 PM #7tommywho70x Guest
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
I'd sure like to see what you get with the $400 Professional Version! hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe! (HTMLHELP.BAT/MAPI/MAPX)
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
Another thing potentially related, the military satellites that geosynchronously orbit our globe providing 'global-positioning' coordinates are designed with built-in "wander". This "wander" is due to go off-line in 2010. This would mean pin-point accuracy of GPS within 17 feet. GPS essentially is anywhere from +/- 5 feet to +/- 250 feet. I prefer the wander to be left intact from a national security standpoint. :cool:
10-16-2005, 05:03 PM #9tommywho70x Guest
Re: When Hi-Tech Entertainment and National Security clash
Gosh, Raider, where do you get your STI NET STATS from in SAE measurements?
The only stuff I get to read has all those awful metric measurements.
Is that something Karl Rove has arranged for his semi-literate spooks with limited education in Physics?
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Rising exports to China open door for frank exchange on human rights
December 01, 2009
News release
For Immediate Release
Rising exports to China open door for frank exchange on human rights
(Montreal, Tuesday, 1 December 2009) – As Prime Minister Stephen Harper departs for China, the Canada Tibet Committee (CTC) urges him to look beyond the gloom and doom scenarios painted by Canadian business leaders regarding Canada's trading relationship with China.
"Prime Minister Harper has no reason to shy away from a frank exchange with Chinese leaders over China's dismal human rights record because of trade," said CTC executive director Dermod Travis today. "When it comes to waving trade as a stick, the record shows that China is all bluster and no bite."
According to the
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from 1997 to 2008, Canadian exports to China increased 635 per cent. In real terms, trade rose from
$2 billion to nearly $12.7 billion and exports to China, as a percentage of total Canadian exports, tripled to 2.71 per cent. During this period Canadian exports to the United States rose 204 per cent. Statistics Canada reports that exports to China have risen a further seven per cent in the first five months of 2009.
During the 1997 to 2008 period, Canadian imports from China also rose over 920% to $42.2 billion, demonstrating that Chinese companies have little inhibition in selling to countries that their leaders may view unfavourably due to those governments criticism of Chinese policies.
former Canadian ambassador to the United States Derek Burney noted this year in the Globe and Mail,
"We do not have to camouflage our differences (with China). Nor do we have to 'go along or kowtow to get along'. That is a juvenile concept that has nothing to do with fundamental foreign policy analysis. A more adult approach to the relationship by both countries would allow for honest disagreements on issues such as human rights."
The CTC believes it's too easy for Canadian businesses to blame human rights criticism of China for their own indifference in developing new opportunities in unfamiliar emerging markets. It's a position at least partially shared by the Canada China Business Council (CCBC).
At a Fraser Institute Forum last month, CCBC executive director
Sarah Kutulakos
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It's so easy to come back and export to the U.S. We really need to convince more Canadian firms to include China in their strategies while welcoming more Chinese investment to Canada."
The CTC noted that even when the Canada China Business Council hosted its third annual business forum in Toronto this past September, they ultimately gave away free tickets to sessions, despite declining the CTC's paid registration.
The Canada Tibet Committee
is an independent non-governmental organisation of Tibetans and non-Tibetans living in Canada, who are concerned about the continuing human rights violations and lack of democratic freedom in Tibet.
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text: I put my hands on Anna's shoulders, stopping her. "I would love to go. After all, what's better than spending the day with my sister eating chocolates?" I asked with a smile. "Just give me a couple of minutes to change into some outdoor clothes, and I'll meet you downstairs so we can go."


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There's a simple rule about "enterprise" software: if the word "enterprise" is used in any way to describe the product, it's a terrible product. Enterprise products are usually pretty special purpose and serve a well-capitalized but usually relatively small market. You aren't going to sell licenses to millions of companies, but maybe tens of thousands. Often hundreds. There are some extremely niche enterprise products that have only two or three customers.
Lots of money, combined with an actually small market in terms of customers, guarantees no real opportunity for competition. Couple that with the fact that each of your customers wants the off-the-shelf product you're selling them to have every feature they need for their business case, you're on a fast track to bloated software, inner platforms, and just general awfulness.
Today, we're not talking about Oracle, though. Jacek is in the healthcare industry. Years ago, his company decided to shove off their patient scheduling and billing to a Software-as-a-Service enterprise product. Integrating that into all of their other systems has kept the development teams busy ever since, and each successive revision of the API has created a boatload of new work.
Currently, the API is on version six. V6 is notable because this is the first version which offers a REST/JSON API. V5 was a SOAP-based API.
Here's an example message you might send to their scheduling services:
"Id": 12,
"StartDateTime": "2018-06-16T11:00:00",
"EndDateTime": "2018-06-16T11:30:00",
"Description": "Lunch"
That schedules a blackout window during which a service provider might be unavailable. Nothing about that seems too bad, does it?
What if, on the other hand, we wanted to schedule a wellness class, on say proper nutrition?
"siteId": 7,
"locationId": 2,
"classScheduleId": 9,
"classDescriptionId": 15,
"resources": [
"id": 2,
"name": "Conference Room 3"
"maxCapacity": 24,
"webCapacity": 20,
"staffId": 5,
"staffName": "Sallybob Bobsen",
"isActive": true,
"startDate": "2018-07-22",
"endDate": "2020-07-22",
"startTime": "10:30:00",
"endTime": "11:30:00",
"daysOfWeek": [
Well, that message on its own doesn't look terrible either. But when you combine the two, you'll notice that whether you use
PascalCase or
camelCase varies based on which endpoint you're invoking.
If you want to create a client, you'll post a document like:
{"FirstName": "Suebob", "LastName": "Bobsen"…}
I've skipped over a giant pile of fields- address, relationship to other clients, emergency contacts, etc. They're not relevant, because I simply want to compare creating a client to updating a client:
"Client": {
"Id": "123456789",
"LastName": "Bobsdottir",
"CrossRegionalUpdate": false
So we send different shaped documents to perform different operations on the same resource.
And it's important to note, none of these resources have their own endpoints. In a RESTful webservice, I'd want to send my updates as a post to
https://theservicehost/clients/123456789, while a create would just be a post to
Here, we have different routes for
addclient and
updateclient. So this isn't a RESTful API at all- it's a shoddily assembled RPC API, probably just a JSON wrapper around their SOAP API. It has no concept of resources. Fine, we can accept that and move on, and hey, the documentation at least lays out the correct shape of the documents, and what the fields mean, right?
Well, look back at that update message. See the
CrossRegionalUpdate field? Well, per the documentation:
When CrossRegionalUpdate is omitted or set to true, the client's updated information is propagated to all of the region's sites.
So, it sounds like if you have a region that contains multiple sites, you want to set that to true (or omit it), right? Wrong. Most customers should set the flag explicitly to false. When Jacek talked to a technical support rep from the company, they said: "You would know if this should be set to true. Just set it to false."
With all that, you can imagine how their error handling works, which is to say, it doesn't. There are two things which happen when an error occurs: it either returns a
400 status code with no body, or it returns a
302 status code which redirects to another endpoint which serves up a plain-text version of your request. Your request, not the response to the request.
This nearly created a serious problem. The requests contain personally identifiable information about patients. Their initial naive logging approach was just to dump error responses to a log file, assuming that the API would never return an error with PII in it. At first, it looked like they should just treat a
302 as an error, and log the response, but they discovered in testing that would basically be dumping PII into an insecure store reviewed by IT support personnel.
Jacek is "eagerly" looking forward to v7 of this API, which is certain to contain more "improvements". The real question is: if this is their sixth attempt to get it right, what did v1 look like, and did anyone survive attempting to use it?


text:
NET News earned 19 awards including 7 first-place awards in the 2013 Great Plains AP Broadcast Contest for radio stations in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
NET News' Fred Knapp earned first-place honors for his continuing coverage of the 2012 legislative session and for the talk/public affairs program "Nebraska Child Welfare Reform." Senior producer Bill Kelly also won two first-place awards. He won in "General Reporting" for his story "Drunken Driving Case Raises Questions about Lenient Sentencing." Together with Emily Kreutz and David Hughes, he also won a first-place award in "Best Use of Sound" for "Nebraska Burn Training Underway as Colorado Temporarily Bans the Practice."
Grant Gerlock of NET News earned a first-place award for his sports story "Nebraska Horse Racing Losing Stride with Loss of Lincoln Track." Reporter Hilary Stohs-Krause also earned top honors in the "Feature" category for her story "Omaha Interfaith Project Tries New Approach in Religious Cooperation." NET News won a first-place award for its website as well.
Jerry Johnston, who passed away in February, was honored with two awards for his feature stories "The Doodlebug" and "Wauneta Flour Mill -- The Last Family Run Flour Mill in Nebraska is Looking Forward."
Mike Tobias, Knapp, Gerlock, Kelly, Stohs-Krause, Johnston and Hughes each won two or more awards for their work.
A complete list of the winners for radio and television in all categories follows:
Non-Commercial Radio
Continuing Story
1st - NET Radio, "Legislature opens 2012 session; Legislature asserted its independence in 2012 session," by Fred Knapp
2nd - NET Radio, "Drought reveals water issues in Nebraska," by Grant Gerlock, Fred Knapp, Mike Tobias
3rd- SDPB, "Criminal, Legal Path to Robert's Execution.," by Cara Hetland, Kealey Bultena
1st - SDPB, "Guest Workers Get Unequal Treatment in State," by Charles Michael Ray
2nd - NET Radio, "Barroom Video Game Expands Gaming Potential after Court Ruling," by Bill Kelly
3rd - NET Radio, "Smoking Key to Closing Racial Gap in Lung Cancer In Nebraska," by Grant Gerlock
1st - NET Radio, "Omaha Interfaith Project Tries New Approach to Religious Cooperation" by Hilary Stohs-Krause
2nd - NET Radio, "The Doodlebug," by Jerry Johnston
3rd - NET Radio, "Wauneta Flour Mill - The Last Family Run Flour Mill in Nebraska Is Looking Forward," by Jerry Johnston
General Reporting
1st - NET Radio, "Drunken Driving Case Raises Questions about Lenient Sentencing," by Bill Kelly
2nd - NET Radio, "Is Bingo Dying? Nebraska Charitable Gaming Revenue Continues Decline," by Billy Kelly
3rd - NET Radio, "Ethanol Debate Looks beyond Short Term Gain," by Grant Gerlock
1st - SDPB, Newscast Entry, by Gary Ellenbolt
1st - NET Radio, "Nebraska Horse Racing Losing Stride with Loss of Lincoln Track," by Grant Gerlock
2nd - NET Radio, "National Soccer Fan Club Has Roots in Unlikely Place," by Clay Masters
3rd - NET Radio, "Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium Disappearing Piece By Piece," by Fred Knapp
1st - SDPB, "Preparing for the Boom (hash)1_Oil Exploration's History in the Dakotas." by Gary Ellenbolt
2nd - SDPB, "1972 Flood Remembered," by Charles Michael Ray
Spot News
1st - SDPB, "Woman, Gunman Dead In SF Shooting," by Kealey Bultena
2nd - SDPB, "Senator George McGovern Dies in Sioux Falls," by Charles Michael Ray
Talk/Public Affairs
1st - NET Radio, "Nebraska Child welfare reform," by Fred Knapp
2nd - SDPB, "Governor Daugaard on Health Insurance Exchange," by Karl Gehrke
Best Use of Sound
1st - NET Radio, "Nebraska burn training underway as Colorado temporarily bans the practice," by Bill Kelly, Emily Kreutz, David Hughes
2nd - SDPB, "Air National Guard Memorial Service montage," by Charles Michael Ray, Amy Varland
3rd - NET Radio, "Young and Overweight: AN Omaha School Battles Youth Obesity," by Mike Tobias, David Hughes
1st - NET Radio, "Net News Website," by NET News Staff
2nd - SDPB, "South Dakota Public Broadcasting," by Staff
3rd - COJMC, "NewsNetNebraska," by Staff
1st - SDPB, "Free speech at work: Limbaugh's hate speech countered by protests," by Victoria Wicks
2nd - NET Radio, "Some lost everything: Wildfires in Nebraska leave the future uncertain," by Hilary Stohs-Krause
3rd - NET Radio, "Nebraska lynch mobs not always a 'wild west' creation, says historian," by Bill Kelly
Commercial Radio Large
Continuing Story
1st - KLIN, "Fairness Ordinance Controversy," by Kevin Thomas
2nd - KFOR, "What really happened to Charlie Roger?" by Jeff Motz
3rd - KFAB, "Decline of a police chief," by Staff
1st - KFOR, "Afghan farming," by Dale Johnson
2nd - KLIN, "Lincoln Family still searching for their son," by Jack Mitchell, John Bishop
3rd - KFAB, "Last days of Rosenblatt," by Tom Stanton
1st - KLIN, "A Different Kind of Strength," by Kevin Thomas
2nd - KFAB, "Next for NU," by Jim Rose
3rd - KFAB, "The Cost of the Bird," by Karla James
General Reporting
1st - KFOR, "What really happened to Charlie Roger?" by Jeff Motz
2nd - KFAB, "Pelini Health Scare," by Tom Stanton
1st - KLIN, "KLIN News with Jane Monnich," by Jane Monnich
2nd - KFOR, "7am News," by Dale Johnson
3rd - KFAB, "Tony Wike," Tony Wike
1st - KLIN, "Team Jack: Prayer, Teamwork & T-shirts," by Kevin Thomas
2nd - KLIN, Lincoln, "Imani Cross Profile," by Chris Whitney
3rd - KFOR, Lincoln, "New Athletic Director Is In Town," by Jeff Motz
1st - KLIN, "Thanks Coach Osborne," by Kevin Thomas
2nd - KFOR, "Great Plains," by Dale Johnson
Spot News
1st - KFOR, "Severe Weather," by Jeff Motz and Chris Goforth
2nd - KFGO, "Campus Evacuation," by Bonnie Amistadi, Don Haney, Jim Monk
3rd - KLIN, "Tom Osborne Retires," by Chris Whitney, Jane Monnich, Dane Ross, Kevin Thomas
Talk/Public Affairs
1st - KFOR, "Museum of Government Waste," by Dale Johnson
2nd - KFOR, "Valentine's Day Is For Lovers of All Ages," by Dale Johnson
3rd - KFOR, "Growing Cities," by Dale Johnson
1st - KLIN.com by KLIN Staff
2nd - KFAB Website by Staff
Commercial Radio Small
No winners
1st - KWBE, "Homesteading Panel," by Doug Kennedy
2nd - KWBE, "Czech President Going Strong," by Doug Kennedy
3rd - KWBE, "Pork Debate: Pens vs. Stalls," by Dave Niedfeldt
General Reporting
1St - KOKK/KIJV, "James Harris Sentencing," by Zach Nelson
2nd - KORN, "Impaired Driving Experience" by J.P. Skelly
3rd - - KOKK/KIJV, "Springs Auto Fire," by Zach Nelson
1st - KORN, "KORN News Radio 5 pm Newscast," by J.P. Skelly
Spot News
1st - KWBE, "Rape Charges Dismissed," by Doug Kennedy
2nd - KWBE, "Abusing the Vulnerable," by Doug Kennedy
Talk/Public Affairs
1st - KOKK, "One Year of Cameras In South Dakota Courts With Chief Justice David Gilbertson," by Zach Nelson
2nd - KORN, "Lead Bullets and Raptors," by Clayton Mick
3rd - KOKK, "Huron's Texting Ban with Police Chief Gary Will, Jr." by Zach Nelson
Best Use of Sound
1st - KORN, Mitchell, "Impaired Driving Experience," by J.P. Skelly
2nd - KOKK, "Huron PD Citizen's Police Academy Night Time Ride-A-Long," by Zach Nelson
3rd - KOKK, "Black Friday," by Zach Nelson
1st - KORN, "Impaired Driving Experience," J.P. Skelly
Television Non-Metro
1st - KLKN, "Elderly Farmer Reacts to Drought," by Cole Miller
2nd - KXMB, "Spring Wheat Harvest," by Sarah Gustin, Juan Thomas
3rd - KDLT, "Urban chicken farmers focus on eating local," by Jenna Mann
1st - KOLN, "No Water in Platte River," by Nate Kramer, Dave Roberts
2nd - KOLN, "Death Row Inmate Faces Execution," by Chad Silber, Nate Kramer, Nick Bohan
General Reporting
1st - KDLT, "Madison Cleaning up after Flood," by Jeff Rusack, Jill Johnson
2nd - KOLN, "School Arsonist Sentenced," by Owen Jensen
3rd - KXMB, "Orgaard Funeral," by Donnell Preskey
1st - KOLN, "Newscast: 12-20-12 6pm," by Staff
1st - KOLN, "Boxing Gym," by Lance Schwartz
2nd - KLKN, "Cardinal Mooney," by Ian Hest
3rd - KLKN, "'72 Rockets," by Matt Lothrop
1st - KDLT, "KDLT Sports," by Mark Ovenden, Max Jensen, Adam Huntimer, Nick Lenz
2nd - KOLN, "Sportscast 3-9-12 pm," by Kevin Sjuts, Matt SantaMaria
1st - KLKN, "Joplin Tornado, 1 year Anniversary," by Megan Palera
2nd - KDLT, "Navy Week: Life aboard an Aircraft Carrier," by Jeff Rusack, Adam Huntimer
3rd - KOLN, "Horse Rescue," by Cassie Anderson
1st - KLKN, "Pinball Wizard," by Keith Stueven
2nd - KLKN, "Victory Course," by Keith Stueven
3rd - KEVN, "Soldiers take to the Mickelson Trail," by Zach Nugent
1st - KOLN, "1011now.com," by Amber Smith, Stephanie McGowen, David Jespersen
2nd - KDLT, "KDLT News," by KDLT Staff
1st - KOLN, "Weathercast 4/14/12 10pm," by Ken Siemek, Staff
2nd - KDLT, "Kelly Smith Weathercast," by Kelly Smith
1st - KDLT, "Horses Help Healing at McCrossan Boys Ranch," by Tom Hanson
1st - KOTA, "A little girl with a big heart: 7-year-old buys gifts for needy family," by Chris Davis
2nd - KOLN, "Skateboarding Professor," by Lance Schwartz
3rd - KDLT, "Tea Boy Who Lost Limbs Starts Kindergarten," by Jenna Mann
Spot News
1st - KXMB, "New England Fire Update," by Amber Schatz
2nd - KOLN, "Neighborhood Shooting," by Owen Jensen, Stephanie Morrissey
3rd - KLKN, "Shickley Tornado Damage," by Cole Miller
Television Metro
1st - KETV, "Lake Concerns," by Todd Andrews, Andrew Ozaki
2nd - KETV, "Fields full of sand," by Melissa Fry
3rd - KETV, "Drilling deeper," by Amanda Crawford, Matthew Lathan
1st - KMTV, "Exotic Pets for Sale," by Jake Wasikowski
2nd - KETV, "Hidden Identity," by Ryan Luby
3rd - KETV, "KETV Omaha: SIDS Recommendations Out of Date," by Brandi Petersen
1st - KETV, "Bat in the Newsroom," by Todd Andrews, Matthew Lathan, Justin Tatum
2nd - KETV, "Waiting for Heart," by Rob McCartney
3rd - KETV, "Surrender your Social Sites," by Julie Cornell
General Reporting
1st - WOWT, "I thought I was done," by Chase Moffitt, Christian Champoux
2nd - WOWT, "Reverse Parking," by Jeff Sabin
3rd - WOWT, "Ice Cream Man," by Brian Mastre, Jeff Olson
1st - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7 at 10:00, 12.5.12," by Andrew Bein, KETV Staff
2nd - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7 at 10:00, 4.14.12," by Staff
3rd - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7 at 10:00, 4.15.12," by Andrew Bein, KETV Staff
1st - KMTV, "AP Sports Hector the Hero," by Chase Williams
2nd - KETV, "How the Huskers Eat," by Andy Kendeigh, Andrew Ozaki
3rd - WOWT, "Swimming Couple," by Ross Jernstrom, Greg Ortiz
1st - WOWT, "WOWT Sportscast," by Greg Ortiz, Ross Jernstrom
1st - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7 Chronicle: Words to live by," by Julie Cornell
2nd - WOWT, "Baby Christian Organ Donation," by Malorie Maddox, Jeff Olson, Christian Champoux
3rd - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7 Chronicle: Raising Successful Children," by Julie Cornell
Spot News
1st - KETV, "Widespread Storm Damage," by Andrew Bein, Staff
2nd - KETV, "Tornadoes Strike Region," by Renee Ludvik, Todd Andrews, Staff
3rd - KETV, "Cattle Roundup," by Ryan Luby, KETV Photographers
1st - KETV, KETV.com by Jonathan Garcia, Anna Ripa
1st - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7 Weather Now 4.14," by Bill Randby, Holly McCarthy
2nd - WOWT, "Blizzard Coverage," by Greg Armbrecht
3rd - KETV, "KETV NewsWatch 7Weather Now," by Bill Randby, Holly McCarthy
1st - WOWT, "Old habits die hard," by Brian Mastre
2nd - WOWT, "Rescued Rescuing," by Chase Moffitt


text:
Creating a Dedicated 5GHz AirPort Network
AirPort base stations released after 2009 are capable of operating over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. That means that when you connect a Mac, iPhone, or iPad to an AirPort's wireless network, it will automatically select and use one of the bands for the best speed, consistency, and range.
That should be fine under normal circumstances. The choice is made for you automatically, and you'll probably never notice the difference. However, there may be certain instances when you want to manually select one band or the other. For people who need the flexibility to manually select a band, we recommend configuring the AirPort base station to create two wireless networks: One for the 2.4GHz band, and the other for the 5GHz band. (If you're also operating a guest network, you'll have a total of three separate wireless networks.)
Understanding the Difference Between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Bands
The 2.4GHz band is heavily "polluted." Other devices operating on the the 2.4GHz band - like your microwave, for instance - can interfere with your 2.4GHz wireless network. The 5GHz band is not heavily utilized, so you won't experience interference problems while using that band, which means you'll have faster wireless connections. The downside to using the 5GHz band is range. It doesn't travel through walls very well, so if you're on the other side of the home or office, you'll probably want to use the 2.4GHz band.
Generally speaking, you should use the 5GHz band under nearly all circumstances. You can reserve the 2.4GHz band for those times when you're working in area located far away from the AirPort, and for older devices that don't support 5GHz. This tutorial explains how to create separate networks for each band.
How to Create a Dedicated 5GHz Network with an AirPort Base Station
Ready to take the plunge and create seperate wireless networks for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands? Here's how to create a dedicated 5GHz network with your AirPort base station:
- Open the AirPort Utility application. (It's in Applications → Utilities.) The window shown below appears.
- Click the AirPort Extreme's icon. The status pop-up window appears.
- Click Edit. The settings window appears.
- Select the Wireless tab. The window shown below appears.
- Click Wireless Options. The window shown below appears.
- Select the 5GHz checkbox.
- Enter a name for the new 5GHz network in the 5GHz network name field. Make sure you use a name that easily distinguishes it from the primary network.
- Select your country from the Country menu.
- Click Save.
- Click Update. The AirPort will restart to apply the changes.
Once the AirPort restarts, you'll see the new 5GHz wireless network. All of the password and encryption options are the same. Remember, we recommend that you connect to this network all of the time, unless you're working far away from the base station or you're using an older device that doesn't support the 5GHz band.
Meet Your Macinstructor
Matt Cone, the author of Master Your Mac, has been a Mac user for over 20 years. A former ghost writer for some of Apple's most notable instructors, Cone founded Macinstruct in 1999, a site with OS X tutorials that boasts hundreds of thousands of unique visitors per month. You can email him at: [email protected].


text:
What is Machine Pitch?
(Or as it is formally known "MINOR LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL")
Machine Pitch is a fabulous crossover between tee ball and baseball. It is for girls and boys aged 7-10 years and gets them used to hitting a moving ball.
The ball is "pitched" or flicked from a simple lever machine, operated by an adult. The first half of the season sees no penalties for 3 strikes. The coach will kneel next to the batter and "soft toss" a slow ball until it is hit, allowing the game to proceed for both batters and fielders.
Have a look at this quick training clip to see the "machine" flicking balls for a batter.
By the end of the season the kids will be hitting like a pro!
This second clip was actually from the Grand Final at the State Championships and Carine Cats won!
Be a winner and come give Machine Pitch a try!
Registrations are through the Baseball 'Register' page.
For additional information, please contact Brendan or Anisia at firstname.lastname@example.com
Check out the information below to see when is the right time to move on from Tee-Ball and what is involved.
Machine Pitch
Little League Baseball / Little League Softball
|Playing ages at Carine Cats Ball Club
5–13 year old boys
5–13 year old girls
7–10 years
We recommend tee-ball players register to play Machine Pitch in addition to registering for tee-ball if interested in playing baseball or softball. May be able to play in Little League if interested.
|9-12 years
|Brief description/skills
Tee-ball is a transition diamond sport to baseball and softball. Tee-ball teaches the children the mechanics of throwing, fielding and batting. Hitting a stationary ball. Pitcher and catcher are 'name' positions only.
|Machine Pitch is very similar to tee-ball in rules and uses all the same skills of fielding, throwing, base running. Introduces a 'pitched' ball, consistently 'flung' by a pitching machine. Introduces position of catcher.
|All fielding/batting skills, including full position of pitcher and catcher.
6/7 & 8/9 – One hour weekly games on Saturday at Carine from 8:30am, arrive 30mins before game for warm up.
10-13* – One hour weekly games on Saturday at Carine or other club home ground, arrive 30mins before game for warm up.
Total 14-15 games/season.
One hour weekly games on Fridays.
Times: TBA
Total 16-18 games/season starting the second week of tee-ball season.
1.5 hour weekly games on Saturday from 10.30am
Additional night games to be determined.
Arrive 1hr before game start time.
|One session/week (depending on coach availability). Parents are expected to stay at training for all children aged U12, unless otherwise arranged with coach/manager. Min 4 parents at 10-12 years olds.
|Optional training on Wednesdays @ 5 - 6:30pm
1-2 sessions/week depending on Wed night games.
'Round robin' training with club imports and team coaches to support development.
|Elite opportunities – by tryout
|Little League State championships - Easter Long weekend.
Development Shield: 8-11 years only. LL State championships, Easter long weekend LL – 11-12 year olds, State championships, potentially National championships (late May/early June) in QLD – winners progress to LL World series in USA in mid August.
All Stars: club based competition, best of Carine LL play against best of other clubs in a Saturday night series of 6-8 games, finishing prior to Christmas.
|Extra camps/training available
October school holidays
Tee-ball camp run by BWA and TBAWA at Carine
January school holidays
Tee-ball camp run by BWA and TBAWA at Carine
Lightning Carnival
Available to all Sat morning teams, excellent opportunity for additional games, team bonding. Held on first Sunday in December.
October school holidays
Baseball camp run by BWA and TBAWA at Carine
January school holidays
Baseball camp run by BWA and TBAWA at Carine
October school holidays
Baseball camp run by BWA and TBAWA at Carine
January school holidays
Baseball camp run by BWA and TBAWA at Carine
Elite - Charter Academy
By invitation usually for charter/ development shield team members - usually at Dale Softball Complex
|Structure of competition
6/7 & 8/9: Play at Carine only within the club. Ungraded competition.
10 to 13: Boys/mixed play against Wanneroo Joondalup.
Senior girls option to play mixed or girls only comp @ Carine.
Charter based.
All baseball clubs are divided into 'charters' of 3-4 clubs who play against each other during the normal season. We are part of the North Metro charter along with the North Coast Ball Club (Gumblossum Reserve) Quinns Rock, and Wanneroo Giants Baseball Club who play at Kingsway Reserve. Ungraded competition.
|Parent assistance required
|Parental assistance is always important – coaches, umpires, scorers, managers and a base coach are required for each team. Coaching and umpiring courses are available, funded by the club. We encourage all coaches and umpires to make use of this resource.
Teeball: $120
States: $tba
|$140 for season plus pre purchase of $20 of raffle tickets, which player and their family can elect to sell. Playing jersey is provided.
State championships incur additional costs and are to be decided upon nomination.
|$235. Will need to purchase white playing pants, athletic box. Playing jersey provided. Development shield/Charter additional fees/costs.
|Sponsorship opportunities
|Sponsorship opportunities are available - click here for more information.
|Sponsorship opportunities available – please email email@example.com for more information.


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O'Connor's World of Wonder based in Tralee is a family business originally set up over 40 years ago by Liam O'Connor & now run by his son Daithi O'Connor. They now have stores in Killarney, Clonmel, Mallow, Ennis & Nenagh. While the business is primarily toys we have a thriving Nursery business which caters for all the essential equipment you need for baby. We pride ourselves on quality & value because we believe having a baby doesn't have to cost a fortune!
We carry a large range of products from all the leading nursery brands but unfortunately because of limited space we cannot showcase all our range in each store so we decided to set up an online store www.worldofwondernursery.com to allow all our customers access to all our products, we have our nursery buyer Nicola with over 20 years experience in the nursery trade on hand to give advice if required.
We developed a Nursery Outlet Store at our Nenagh branch giving customers an opportunity to grab a bargain on clearance lines as well as stocking your nursery essentials.


text: I ended up making dinner last night and was unsure what to have as the main feature of the meal. I knew I was doing roasted sweet potatoes with Parmesan and asparagus as the accompaniments and that I had tilapia in the freezer. I didn't know how I was going to season the tilapia so I raided the cupboards and had some cajun spice mix left over from our honeymoon! I mixed it with some plain flower then dipped the fish in the dry batter mix and shallow fried it on medium-high heat. It was tastylicious!


text:
Cool Sounds Share Cassandra
Soon to be coming across the oceans is Cactus Country, the brand new album of hits from Australia's Cool Sounds. Today we get to share with you what it's all about, with this energetic, popping track. It takes on a bit of a warbling folk number to kick things off, soon rolling into a full on bounce by way of the rhythm section. Twanging guitar and keys jump in and out of the tune all along, illustrating the group's penchant to just craft, dare I say, cool sounds. Love the natural sun shining from the chorus, and I bet you will too. If that's the case, grab Cactus Countryfrom Osborne Again on October 26th.


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Dubai Firm Bows to Public Outcry
Under Pressure, DP World
WASHINGTON – The Dubai-owned company at the heart of the brawl over port security decided to sell or spin out its U.S. holdings, averting a showdown between a bruised White House and the Republican-controlled Congress.
The move by Dubai Ports World, under heavy political pressure, offered a lifeline to President Bush and Republican leaders in Congress, who had been on an extraordinary collision course over a national-security issue. But Republicans are worried about the political and economic fallout of the fight, and...
To Read the Full Story


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Institut für Technik und Bildung, Universität Bremen
The Institute Technology and Education (ITB) is a research institute within the University of Bremen with a staff of more than 60 employees, 50 of whom are faculty and research staff. It is one of the leading research institutes in vocational education and training and runs its research committed to the idea of shaping the triangle of work, technology and education. The ITB aims at a close connection with the reform of vocational education and training as well as innovation in the field of work and technology. Therefore, not only an interdisciplinary but - in times of globalisation - also an international research-approach is necessary. For that reason educators, engineers, sociologists, economists and specialists from several other disciplines are engaged in the research of the ITB, which often is embedded in national or international networks.
The ITB covers a wide range of research and development projects on a regional, national and international level. Most projects are run in co-operation with industry and other VET institutions. In addition, the ITB acts jointly with relevant institutions in Europe, the United States, China, Thailand, Japan and several other countries. The institute's particular expertise lies in the field of qualitative methods and in the assessment of competences acquired in the work process. These qualitative methods are sensitive of occupational domains and based on criteria of professional work.
For further information: www.itb.uni-bremen.de
Prof. Georg Spöttl


text:
Job Description
Our client is an award winning company specialising in the design and build of creative and effective exhibition stands, display solutions and equipment. Established for over nearly 30 years the company has an enviable reputation for quality and knowledge of the global exhibition and display industry.
Role Overview
Working alongside one of their most experienced and respected members of staff it will be your responsibility to call customers and prospects on their CRM to find additional sales opportunities whilst learning the entire sales process on the job. This is predominately a telephone role but you may be required to visit clients at their premises or at the companies own offices.
You will be responsible for calling up to 100 customers and prospect each day, finding new opportunities whilst updating records and adding new contact details. You will be shadowing an experienced member of staff so that you will eventually become equipped to sell and deliver a complete range of exhibition and display related solutions in the future. This will include producing and following up quotations, raising purchase orders, speaking to suppliers and accurately managing the CRM.
Candidate profile
With excellent customer service, sales and administration skills you will have a personality that puts customers first and have an ambitious appetite for success and progression. Capable of multitasking and working accurately at speed, you will have a larger than average work rate and be proud of your success and enjoy your customer's delight in your efforts. Proficient user of Microsoft Office and CRM is essential.
What we offer
For the right candidate the company offer a competitive salary and an uncapped profit related commission scheme. You will be working in a friendly yet professional environment where hard work and persistence is the norm. Further career development is available for ambitious candidates that can show entrepreneurialism and a determination to succeed in a creative and dynamic environment.


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Nassau Breezes All Inclusive Resort Day Pass
- Unlimited Drinks ( alcoholic and non)
- All You Can Eat Buffet and Snack Cafe
- Non Motorized Water Toys including Sailing, Kayaks and Paddle Boats
Welcome to Nassau Cruise Excursions, your guide to shore excursions in Nassau Bahamas. Whether you will be visiting Nassau or Paradise Island for a day or a week we can help you make the most of your vacation time.
Nassau offers an abundance of activities and tours both above and below the turquoise waters that surround this tropical island.
Whether you are searching for the perfect beach or All Inclusive Resort to soak up the sun, the perfect snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing or deep sea fishing excursion we can help you find the tour that right for you. If you are organising a special day for a group we can help you arrange private or custom excursions.
Nassau Island Tours are a great way to learn about the Bahamian culture and history and see some of the popular island attractions of Cable Beach, Paradise Island, Atlantis Resort and so much more.
Booking your own Nassau shore excursion will not only save you money but it will provide you with the option of unique and diverse excursions, small groups, individualised itineraries and the freedom and knowledge to go off on your own if you so choose.
Cozumel Excursions
Caribbean Shore Tours
Belize Excursions
Bahamas Excursions
Puerto Rico Excursions
Hawaii Excursions
Barbados Excursions
St. Thomas Excursions
St. Maarten Excursions
Jamaica Excursions
Roatan Excursions
Costa Maya Excursions
Grand Cayman Excusions
Cabo San Lucas Excursions
We guarantee a full refund of your excursion deposit if your ship can not make it into the port of Nassau and/or Freeport, Bahamas.


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San Francisco School Spending Investigated
New investigations into the alleged mishandling of facilities funds by San Francisco school administrators may help clear the fog surrounding the district's troubled spending history, officials there say.
The city attorney's office, the FBI, and the district attorney's office are conducting separate investigations into how millions of dollars in voter-approved bond funds for new facilities and renovations were used, and whether there was criminal wrongdoing.
San Francisco schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman requested the investigations earlier this month after a report by a private consultant blasted the district's fiscal-management practices.
The report found that money was moved between accounts without proper authorization, key management positions were empty, undisciplined accounting practices occurred, and purchasing policies for real estate were ambiguous.
"Our tough actions for these tough problems are based on data, not supposition," Ms. Ackerman said in a statement included with the report.
Added to the mix is a controversial and expensive technology plan conceived by a former $1,000-a-day consultant who was released by the district last fall and is now suing the district for character defamation. The technology plan was also scrapped.
David Campos, San Francisco's deputy city attorney, said that the three agencies were "working together," although he could not provide details of each agency's role in the reviews.
"The process is pretty broad and pretty thorough," he said. The agencies hope to finish their work as soon as possible, though Mr. Campos would not speculate when that might be. "This covers a lot of things," he said.
Loss of Public Trust?
School board member Dan Kelly agreed that the investigations are essential to getting school construction projects back on track.
"We can't seek new bonds till the facilities accounts have been completely audited and reconciled, but we don't have that information yet," he said. "There is easily $500 million to $1 billion in deferred maintenance, renovations, and new construction needed."
Unless the current questions over fiscal anomalies are cleared up, however, Mr. Kelly is not sure if the public will trust the district enough to pass new bonds.
Recently, the city's Board of Supervisors, which directs some city funds to the 60,000-student system, tried to come up with some answers by holding a rare hearing on the district's finances.
According to most accounts, however, the hearing produced more finger-pointing than revelations.
Ms. Ackerman, who is in her first year as the chief of San Francisco schools, did not attend the hearing. But her predecessor, Waldemar "Bill" Rojas, did show up.
Mr. Rojas left San Francisco in 1999 to head the Dallas schools. But he was fired from that Texas job after a year of mostly strained relations with the school board.
He attended the May 16 hearing to counter allegations that much of the mismanagement occurred during his watch.
"How long, when budgets are produced year to year, are you going to blame Bill Rojas?" he asked the board, according to news reports. "I may not have been the most popular superintendent, but you don't have a single audit saying we weren't solvent."
Mr. Kelly said that while there may be "ample reason to suspect mismanagement" in previous years, the board refrained from questioning or criticizing the prior administration.
"This debacle is a case study of a board's abdication of responsibility," added Mr. Kelly, who has been a member of that body since 1990.
Vol. 20, Issue 38, Page 6Published in Print: May 30, 2001, as San Francisco School Spending Investigated
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Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is located within breath-taking panoramic mountain views at the foot of Germany´s highest mountain, the Zugspitze. It offers perfect conditions for our visitors´ excursions or vacations, and for us it is: home!
Garmisch-Partenkirchen: that is the embodiment of spectacular and untouched nature, typical Bavarian lifestyle, Bavarian culture and four seasons of outdoor sports – frankly: Garmisch-Partenkirchen is always worth a visit.
We strongly recommend a sight-seeing tour after a visit to our shop: you will immediately get to feel our region´s savoir vivre. Typical house paintings will be your guide, explaining the history and tradition of its people.
The region´s cuisine is also a mirror of its peoples way of living: you will find everything from Bavarian classics to organic regional food and selected gourmet restaurants.
Our staff will enjoy to share any hot-tipp, so just feel free to ask.
The region also offers world-famous historic Bavarian cultural monuments like Linderhof castle, the village of Oberammergau or the Benedictine abbey of Ettal.
A whole variety of cultural events is offered: the musical highlight is the Richard-Strauss-Festival in commemoration of the world-famous composer, who chose Garmisch-Partenkirchen for his home. Our impressive mountain views were once the inspiration for his famous "Alpensymphonie".
Winter in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is all about Wintersports: On New Years Day you can witness world class ski-jumping at the famous Olympic ski-jump.
Our highlight of this winter will be when the alpine skiing elite is back in Garmisch- Partenkirchen. There will be four races held on the worldfamous Kandahar speed track. For more information please visit www.skiclub-garmisch.de.More regional information can be found on Garmisch-Partenkirchen´s official tourist-information: www.gapa.de.


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Short Version: The EOS wireless audio system is dead simple to set up and use, although a high price tag and so-so sound quality might keep some people away.
Overview and Features:
- Base station with iPod dock transmits audio to wireless speakers up to 150 feet away
- Features 3.5-inch auxiliary input for connecting to other music-playing devices
- Speakers are 2.1 stereo — left and right channel, plus back-firing subwoofer
- Uses proprietary 2.4GHz transmission to avoid interference
- Core kit comes with base station and one wireless speaker for $249 – additional speakers are $129.99 each
Setting up the EOS system couldn't have been easier — if you can plug things into wall outlets, you're 95% there. The speakers are designed to either plug directly into an outlet and "float" or you can detach the AC adapter from the back of the speaker if you want to move it away from the wall to, say, a bookshelf or countertop. I had everything set up and playing in about five minutes. It's super easy.
Wireless audio transmission was absolutely interference-free, which is refreshing for a wireless system. The EOS speakers sounded pretty good, although it was still somewhat obvious that they were wireless. You'd probably be able to fool regular folk, though, as each speaker features both a left and right channel and a subwoofer, which is far more ambitious than most wireless speakers setups.
First and foremost, the EOS system is a bit pricey. The kit I tested consisted of the core system – which consists of the base station and one speaker – plus three add-on speakers. Total out of pocket cost for that setup would be $249.99 plus $129.99 per extra speaker ($389.97), for a grand total of $639.96.
Granted, you can just buy the base system and add speakers as you go, but keep in mind that the system only supports up to four total wireless speakers, so you'd be somewhat limited in your coverage if you have a big house.
And the sound quality, while free of interference, is still a bit tinny on the high end and songs with deep bass end up sounding pretty muddy. I ended up testing some bass-heavy songs with an iPod Touch, with the EOS plugged into my computer, and with the EOS plugged into a SanDisk Sansa Clip and the speakers bottomed out and distorted with each device when trying to handle songs with low, low bass.
If you're not put off by the price tag and you'll be listening to relatively tame music at moderate levels (or podcasts and other voice-only stuff), then the ease of use as far as setup and functionality are concerned make the EOS system worth a closer look.
Product Page [EosWireless.com]
Like this video? View more here…


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Yacht Charters
The Perfect Vacation
The Caribbean is the home to a wide range of charter yachts that vary in size, shape, cost and focus. A boat of any size is called a "yacht" when its purpose and function is pleasure. So come to the islands and discover the pleasure! Also, discover why a yacht charter is such a great way to explore this vacation paradise. The temperature here is close to perfect from around 70ºF – 82ºF in the winter. Slightly higher in the summer when the winds are lighter.
The most popular destination for chartering a yacht is the Virgin Islands, and for good reason; it is a relatively small cruising ground with an incredible variety of beautiful bays and beaches, crystal clear waters, with great snorkeling and diving. Ashore there are many fine dining, casual, and local food restaurants, entertainment, and beach bars. From St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands is 35 miles and 92 bays that you can anchor in. The trade winds average 20 - 25 knots in winter throughout the Caribbean. Protected by the islands, this cruising ground provides superb sailing and comfortable power boating.
When you step aboard "your" yacht, your dedicated crew will greet you with a warm smile and a cool beverage. The best part of a charter yacht vacation is that your itinerary is totally flexible. You decide, with the captain's input, where you would like to go then sit back, put your feet up, and relax. Should you want to take the helm that is okay too. Each day you will sail or cruise to a new anchorage and another adventure. On board all of your delicious meals will be prepared by the chef, especially for you. Whatever you would like to do, the crew will arrange it for you, whether it is a game of golf game or simply relaxing on board. All you have to do is enjoy!
Let Ship to Shore help you select the perfect Caribbean yacht charter, and just as important, the perfect crew for an unforgettable vacation.
Residing in St. Thomas and being on boats for more than 25 years, Capt. Jan Robinson represents only those yachts she or her associate Ellen of Stewart Yacht Charters, have personally been aboard and thoroughly examined. They know the yachts and their crews personally, and will assure you of their qualities when recommending them to you
Service begins with your initial charter inquiry, and continues as you select your yacht, itinerary, meals, and any special requests you may require to make your vacation the best ever!
For detailed information about your "perfect yacht vacation" please call Capt. Jan today at 704-277-6521, email firstname.lastname@example.com or complete our Online Request Form.


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Western Colorado Outfitter & Guide Service
First an foremost here at Carney's Guide Service, our number one goal is to offer the highest quality hunting experience anyone could ask for. We will do nothing less than go to the ends of the earth to ensure your hunt was the hunt of a lifetime and do everything possible to send you, as a client and a friend, home satisfied and longing for your next hunt with us. We treat every hunt as if it is a once in a lifetime hunt because every hunt is a once in a lifetime hunt.
We are a Western Colorado based outfitter. We specialize in trophy Colorado cougar hunts along with some of the finest trophy Mule deer hunting that Colorado has to offer. We conduct our hunts from elevations starting near 5,500 feet in the subtle valley farm ground to the high mountain vistas reaching near 9,000 feet. This allows us to build the hunt to accommodate any hunter with near any physical ability. Carney's Guide Service strives to accommodate anyone. Give us a call so we can set up a hunt that is right for you. We also offer help with the annual tag drawing application process.
Our guided hunts are conducted from a house style camp where a hot meal and shower can be found, we also offer exclusive private land drop camps if this is what you are looking for.We can accommodate any style of hunting desired for your hunting adventure.The price of our hunt includes travel to and from the airport, All meals during the hunt and 1x1 or 2x1 hunts, whichever is specified. Lodging is provided for most hunts.
Carney's Guide Service hunts a wide range of animals including Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mountain Lion Hunts, Black Bear, and Desert Sheep .
Our Colorado Hunting Seasons
Archery Season is the longest season, running from late August through September. The weather is generally milder during archery season. The elk rut typically occurs during archery season.
Muzzleloader Season is one week in mid-September. It is generally around the elk rut. Muzzleloader licenses are all limited draw licenses.
First Rifle Season is fully limited and elk only, so this season offers the least crowded hunting option for elk hunters. With the first rifle season following the archery and muzzleloader season, hunters have a very good chance of harvesting a trophy bugling bull elk.
Second and Third Rifle Seasons have elk and deer draw licenses and offers over-the-counter elk licenses. The availability of over-the-counter elk licenses makes second and third rifle an easy option for hunters that missed the draw, didn't draw, are saving preference points, or are just looking for a no-fuss hunting opportunity that allows you to "buy a license and go hunt" in the units we outfit in.
Fourth Rifle Season is in mid-November and is limited draw for deer and elk. The winter weather has set in so there are fewer hunters in the field but the animals are generally concentrated and moving toward winter range so they're often easier to locate. This season is a great opportunity to find the trophy mule deer still in the rut.
Thank you for visiting our website, please continue to check back regularly as we will be updating and adding content.


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Inside a tiny red berry hailing from Africa lives an untapped magic most of us have never heard of. Miracle berry or Mberry takes normally sour foods and makes them taste sweet. Mberry changes the shapes of your taste buds, confusing them as to what is sweet and what is sour.
When you eat Mberry you are experiencing the same natural wonder first found by West African tribes. They used the magic of Mberry to give a full, delicious flavor to their otherwise bland and bitter foods.
To enjoy the most magic while using Mberry, simply suck on the berry until it softens then chew on the bit of flesh. Be careful to not bite the seeds in the berry or your experience will be much less miraculous. After eating the berry and having a friendly spitting contest with the seeds, try the sourest foods in your kitchen. Suddenly lemons become lemonade, limes are fantastic limeade, and grapefruit tastes like candy. Find your own ways to confuse your taste buds!
Contains 25 individually wrapped Freeze Dried Miracle Berries.
Free USPS First-Class shipping within the US.
Additional costs and transit time for international purchases.


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Administrative agencies make decisions that affect people's lives every day, and you might believe an agency erred when making a decision affecting your professional life.
An appeal might be your next step if you were:
- Denied admission to an examination
- Denied the issuance or renewal of a license
- Denied registration of a licensee
- Given a revocation or suspension of your license
- Denied the opportunity to pay a forfeiture
An appeal must follow Ohio statutory guidelines and requirements, including where to file an appeal.
Are appeals not all filed in the same place?
No. Ohio law specifies where you file your appeal. The court of common pleas where the business is located receives appeals, except the following appeals, which Franklin County handles:
- The state medical board
- The state chiropractic board
- The board of nursing
- The liquor control commission
- The bureau of workers' compensation (health partnership program participation)
In addition, anyone conducting business or residing outside Ohio would also file an appeal in Franklin County.
What does an appeal entail?
You and your attorney must send a notice of appeal to the appropriate agency and the court. This document outlines the details of the order upon which you base your appeal and why the denial fails to comply with the law and that no probative, substantial or reliable evidence supports the decision made by the agency.
Unless the court finds that an agency's order causes you undue hardship, it remains in effect during the appeals process. In determining whether to suspend the order, the court also considers whether suspending the order puts the public at risk.
The agency must submit its records regarding the case within 30 days of receipt of the notice of appeal. The court may grant an extension of no more than 30 days if the evidence suggests the agency is attempting to comply. To get a copy of the records, you pay a deposit with the filing of the notice of appeal.
The hearing on your appeal is based solely on these records, which is why, if the agency fails to provide the records within the allowed time, the court automatically rules in your favor. If the matter goes to hearing, the court could allow additional evidence.
The decision of the court is considered conclusive and final. However, further appeals are possible under the same system as other civil actions.


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ARTWORK - Hair Perms & Neutralisers
harmonizer volumes - without thioglycolates
Standing next generation that makes it sweet and great result on natural hair, colored, permed. In fact, does not contain the thioglycolate and, therefore, can be used on treated hair since it limits to the maximum damage of the treatment. Leave your hair colored or permed already good looking, both visually and to the touch, as they were before treatment permanentante. For all types of hair, colored, permed or natural.
This product is spread more evenly than the permanent classical and minimizes swelling of the scales without damaging the cuticle. The shutter speeds are variable and allow you to control the action permanentante of the product vary according to the conditions and treatments to hair.
box: each kit contains :
- Prepermanente (20 ml)
- Permanent (80 ml)
- Neutralizing (100 ml)
- Headset plastic
- Instruction sheet


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Barring any deflation after a San Diego football preemption is factored out, The Big Bang Theory ticked up a tenth this week to a 5.1 demo rating, which would mark a season high.
In total audience, the CBS hitcom was steady at 15.7 million viewers.
UPDATE: Big Bang in fact improved to a 5.2 rating per the Nielsen finals, clinching that season high.
Fleshing out CBS' night, Two and a Half Men (12.6 mil/3.6) was flat, Person of Interest (13.5 mil/3.0) ticked up a tenth in the demo and Elementary (10.5 mil/2.4) rose 9 percent.
Trailing Big Bang, ABC's coverage of the CMA Awards drew Thursday's second-largest audience (13.6 million) and rating (with a 3.8), albeit with all-time lows for the kudoscast.
* The X Factor results show did 6.2 mil and a 2.3, down 15 percent from Wednesday night and placing third in all ours.
RELATED | The X Factor Top 16 Results Recap: Did the Right Acts Go Home?
* The Vampire Diaries rose 10 and 15 percent to 3.2 mil and a 1.5 — its best tallies since the season opener — while Beauty and the Beast held steady with 1.7 mil/0.6. UPDATE: TVD's final audience of 3.3 mil marks its best draw since 1/5/12.
RELATED | Vampire Diaries Recap: Saving Elena Gilbert…?
What were you tuned into this Thursday night?


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Spring has finally sprung and for many of us, the first quarter of the year is over. Whilst the nights are getting lighter and the days warmer, you've noticed some of your initial optimism and enthusiasm from the New Year has started to wane…
It seems odd because you started the year energised and focused but things don't seem to have quite hit the mark. Perhaps you're not reaching the financial targets you set, or customers are coming in but not as many as you'd like?
And that big AMBITIOUS vision you set now seems a million miles away.
The problem is when you create a vision or set a goal that is big, ambitious and inspiring – it can feel too big because it's too vague.
If you don't think about the HOW you're going to practically achieve it and what steps you need to do each month, quarter and year, then it will always seems like something far away in the distant horizon.
And if you're still growing, then at best it can feel ambitious but unrealistic and at worse, too far away that it's demoralising.
What can you do?
Tip 1. Get specific on the detail
When the vision starts to feel too big and unachievable you need to add in the detail around it.
For example…if you want to be the No.1 agency in the UK, then think about what does being No.1 really mean?
What does it look like?
Ask yourself:
- What does achieving your vision or aim look like?
- What type of clients/customers are you working with?
- What type of work are you doing and NOT doing?
- How many people in your team? How many offices and countries are you in?
- What are you spending YOUR time doing? And importantly, what are you NOT spending time on?
- And by when? 3, 5, 10 years away? Whatever it is – put a date on it.
The clearer you are on the detail of what your vision looks like, the easiest it becomes to starting planning the way there.
Tip 2: Identify what needs to change
If you're going to achieve your vision in 3 years, then you have 36 months starting from now to get there.
- What are your priorities?
- What do you need to start doing differently?
Tip 3: Break it down into sizeable chunks
The problem with the big aim is that it was too big to bite off! Once you've focused on priorities, you need to start focusing on creating actions that you can actually ACHIEVE.
- What are the 3 most important things you need to do this year, this quarter, this month, this week?
- What's the ONE small step you need to take NOW?
Tip 4: Keep up the momentum
Once you've started, you'll want to keep up the momentum
Whether this is an action plan online, a coach, a mentor, an industry buddy – something or someone to help keep you on track, help make you accountable and celebrate your successes with.
- Who or what is yours? Choose one.
What small steps are you taking towards achieving your big ambitious vision? How are you making it achievable? Would love to hear your thoughts….


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A study based on over 100 waste audits conducted by Great Forest nationwide shows that 77% of what a typical office throws out as trash is really NOT trash at all, but commodities that have been mistakenly discarded. That is a lot of lost value.
Our waste assessment will provide you the data you need to start optimizing your programs, measuring success, and improving operations. Talk to us today.
→ Customized waste and recycling solutions
→ Ongoing education and support
→ A full range of supporting sustainability services, including waste brokerage, metrics, reporting and certification (including LEED, zero waste), energy efficiency, and more.
Great Forest has conducted waste audits and assessments not only in corporate offices and buildings, but also in schools, universities, VA hospitals, factories, stores, and even in NYC's Penn Station.


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Massage can be a useful facility for Sports and work place events. Please contact Mary to discuss your requirements.
Sports Events
Races, triathlons, tournaments and competitions demand the highest levels of performance. I can provide pre-event massage, to prepare athletes physically and psychologically for the strain of competition and post-event massage to accelerate recovery and detect any injuries resulting from the event. Typically, the treatments take 10 minutes per athlete and you don't have to be a professional to benefit! So, if you're an event organizer or a team coach, consider including sports massage on your big day.
Corporate Events
Corporate events can be made more enjoyable if participants are given an opportunity to relax and experience new treatments as part of the program. This could take the form of individual treatments or demonstrations to groups with everyone participating e.g. learn how to give a simple neck and shoulder massage to your colleagues. You could also consider giving Gift Vouchers to prize winners.


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Since this is the celebrated hundredth article and the fiftieth book, I happened to find a impressive book at the bottom of my shelf while thinking who I should choose for this time. It might be seven years ago that I heard her lecture. At that time it's about Poetry and Life written with Yasuhiro Yotsumoto and I do remember it was so much impressive. Masayo Koike is one of my favourite poets indeed.
I'll quote a passage from "Like a mandarin orange".
One mandarin orange,
Without something like that
We always live.
Tender is foreignness,
A ragged, unfamiliar chunk,
A gift, from far, dropped on the lonely spot.
I put my fingers into a deep pocket
To touch a mandarin orange, timidly.
This is for those who like a mandarin orange indeed. Akutagawa also wrote a short story of a mandarin orange as well. Is it quite particular to Japanese since I can't find it is used as a motif in literary works in other countries (at any rate in European literature, because of their cultural background, "an apple" is primary one). The poem begins with description showing "he" puts a mandarin orange into my pocket when leaving the room. The narrator realises that is his tenderness which we lack. She might think it "foreignness" due to his sudden tenderness. And this might be the parting poem that we can tell his tenderness, the weight of a mandarin orange, is not to be given again.
Furthermore, in another poem "Fruit", the fruit offers another motif.
Peel doesn't tell
Its inside full of incidents
Cool morning of the inside flesh
If you peeled it
One says it should be rotted
I tastes it which is fully ripen
Which is like a laugh when eating
Something essential is the inside flesh which is recognised as a secret not easily revealed. Spilling out the inside is just a moment — so that it tastes sweet beyond description when you catch the moment and eat. Nobody doesn't leave his inside opened as it would be getting "rotted".