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Making Sense of Math
Alice I.S.D. math newletter for parents
Second six weeks Newsletter!
This newsletter is intended to give parents an idea of what is being covered each six weeks in math and what their students should be learning.
Please contact Anna Holmgreen, Director of Instruction for Math, if you have questions.
What's the Best Thing Parents Can do to Help Students with Math?
- Ask what they are learning in math.
- Ask students to teach you what they learned.
- Work on recall of basic facts addition (and subtraction) for K, 1, 2 and multiplication for 3rd grade and up. Often students difficulties in math start with not being able to recall those facts easily. That makes figuring out problems even more difficult.
- Ask student to explain their thinking. This makes a HUGE difference.
- If you have questions...ask your child's teacher.
Don't forget to contact me if I can help in anyway.
AISD Parent Conference - Be The Hero Every Child Needs
Saturday, Oct. 18th, 8am-1:30pm
Alice High School
I will be doing two math session: Decomposing Numbers Doesn't Mean They are Rotten, and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?.
- They should understand that when counting numbers, the last number said names the number of objects and when objects are rearranged, the number stays the same.
- Students count forward and backward to 10 with and without objects, as well as read, write, and represent the numbers.
- They also compose and decompose numbers up to 10 using objects and pictures (see last six weeks newsletter for definitions of decompose). The goal is to have students instantly recognize a small quantity of numbers.
- Kinder students compare numbers and identify which is less than, more than or equal to a number. Kindergarteners are expected to recite numbers up to 60 by ones beginning with any number.
- Students also solve problems and determine if they are joining or separating and what operation to use and orally explain their strategies.
- Finally in the second six weeks, Kindergarteners begin to analyze data and graphs. They use the data to create both real-object graphs and picture graphs. Then they examine these graphs. Students draw conclusions to answer questions and summarize the data represented in real-object and picture graphs.
Decomposing a Number
Breaking a number into parts or smaller values
Addend and Sum
An addend is a number being added or joined to other numbers. The sum is the total when two or more addends are added.
Minuend, Subtrahend and Difference
The minuend is the number from which another number is subtracted. The subtrahend is the number being subtracted. A difference is the remaining amount.
Addend and Sum
An addend is a number being added or joined to other numbers. The sum is the total when two or more addends are added.
1st Grade
- Students compose and decompose numbers through 20 as a sum of so many tens and so many ones.
- They use concrete objects which include base-10 blocks and place value disks, pictorial models, and numerical representations, which include expanded and standard forms.
- Students generate numbers that are more or less than a given number using tools (e.g., a hundreds chart, calendar, base-10 blocks, etc.). They use place value to compare whole numbers up to 20 and using comparison language and comparison symbols (< , >.)
- Students are also introduced to using place value and open number lines to order whole numbers.
During the second unit, students represent and solve real-world problem situations involving sums and minuends up to 20 using spoken words, objects, pictorial models, and number sentences.
- They explore and explain a variety of strategies to solve problems involving joining and separating problems, and problems involving comparing problems.
- Students are expected to use a number sentence to represent the problem and explain that the equal sign means that the values on each side are equivalent.
- Students begin to recognize basic fact relationships.They also use these relationships to determine the unknown whole number.
- Finally students develop addition and subtraction problems when given a number sentence of numbers within 20.
Any numeral from 0 to 9.
The number 26 is a two-digit number and 459 is a three-digit number. Students often confuse number and digit.
Expanded form
The representation of a number as a sum of place values.
Standard form
The representation of a number using digits.
Open Number line
An open number line is an empty number line where tick marks are added to represent landmarks of numbers, often indicated with arcs above the number line (referred to as jumps) demonstrating approximate proportional distances.
Associative Property of Addition
The associative property of addition means that when more than two addends are used, they can be grouped in any order to get the same sum.
(2 + 4) + 3 = 9 and
2 + (4 + 3) =9
Equation and Expression
Equations are mathematical statements with an equal sign. Student must realize that the value on one side is the same as the value on the other side.
Expressions are mathematical statements without equal signs.
Open Number line
Associative Property of Addition
(2 + 4) + 3 = 9 and
2 + (4 + 3) =9
2nd Grade
Students explore flexible methods and models to solve and represent addition and subtraction situations within 1,000.
- These including mental math, concrete models, pictorial representations, number sentences, and open number lines.
- Addition and subtraction situations, where the unknown may be any one of the terms in the problem, should include numbers that require regrouping to solve the problem.
- Students also experience developing addition and subtraction situations when given a number sentence involving addition or subtraction of numbers within 1,000.
- Students continue to work on automatic recall and fact fluency.
- They also determine the value of a collection of coins up to one dollar and exchange coins to create sets of equivalent values.
3rd Grade
They use real-life experiences to construct multiplication models (concrete, pictorial, and area models), equal groups, arrays, strip diagrams, and equations in a relevant way. Students also explore the properties of multiplication to help learn and apply basic facts up to 10 x 10. These include:
- commutative (if the order of the factors are changed, the product remains the same),
- associative (if three or more factors are multiplied, they can be grouped in any order, and the product will remain the same), and
- distributive properties (if multiplying a number by a sum of numbers, the product will be the same as multiplying the number by each addend and then adding the products together)
Although not expected to learn these properties of multiplication by name, students are expected to be able to analyze, describe, and represent these strategies.
- Students understanding of multiplication is strengthened by solving one-step problems, including problems involving area of rectangles, and making sense of meaningful, efficient representations and strategies.
An array is a set of objects arranged into rows and columns.
Area Model
An area model is an arrangement of squares/rectangles into a grid format.
Factors and Product
A factor is a number multiplied by another number to get a product.
Associative Property of Multiplication
Factors can be grouped and still get the same product.
Commutative Property of Multiplication
Factors can be rearranged and still get the same product.
Distributive Property of Multiplication
The Distributive Property says that multiplying a number by a group of numbers added together is the same as doing each multiplication separately.
Ex: 3 x (2 + 4) = 3 x 2 + 3 x 4 -- the three is "distributed"
Fourth Grade
- Students are expected fluently solve one and two step division problems including remainders.
- This unit also includes representing division problem situations using strip diagrams and equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity.
- Students use estimation, rounding and compatible numbers, to find estimates and justify reasonableness for solutions to problems involving division.
During the second part of the six weeks, students apply previously learned concepts to solve one-, two-, or multi-step problems involving:
- addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals to the hundredths place,
- multiplication of whole numbers up to two-digit factors and up to four-digit factors by one-digit factors, and
- division of whole numbers up to four-digit dividends by one-digit divisors with remainders in appropriate contexts.
Students calculate a profit and learn to distinguish between fixed and variable expenses.
Fourth graders also represent problems using a input/output table and numerical expressions to generate a number pattern that follows a given rule.
Quotient - the size of each group or the number of items being divided.
Dividend- the number being divided
Divisor - the number the group of items is being divided by
Input- Output table
Input - Output tables represent how the application of a rule results in a different value.
5th Grade
- They define types of taxes including income tax, sales tax, property tax, and payroll tax.
- They investigate the differences between gross income and net income and compare and contrast various methods of payment including, checks, credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payments.
- Students develop a system for keeping financial records with regards to income and expenses and balance a simple budget.
This six weeks students are formally introduced to the thousandths place.
- Students understand that each place-value position is one-tenth the value of the place to its left and 10 times the position to the right.
- Students are expected to use expanded notation and numerals to represent the value of a decimal through the thousandths and use symbols (<,>, =) to compare and order decimals to the thousandths place and round decimals to the tenths or hundredths place.
- Students represent multiplication and division in problem situations with products and decimals with concrete objects, pictorial models and area models.
- Students are expected to estimate to determine products and quotients,
- solve for products and quotients, and
- simplify numerical expressions that include multiplication and division of whole numbers and decimals.
Division is limited to four-digit dividends and two-digit whole number divisors. For example 4567 / 26.
Sixth Grade
- They understand that absolute value can be represented on a number line as the distance a number is from zero, and that absolute value is always a positive value or zero.
- Students will work with concrete and pictorial models (not just memorizing the rule as their teachers and parents may have done). This is foundational to student understanding of operations with integers. The use of concrete and pictorial models for integer operations is intended to be a bridge between the abstract concept of operations with integers and their standardized algorithms.
- Sixth grade students are formally introduced to proportional reasoning with the building blocks of ratios, rates, and proportions.
- Students generate equivalent forms of fractions, decimals, and percents using ratios, including problems that involve money.
- They solve and represent problem situations involving ratios and rates with scale factors, tables, graphs, and proportions.
- Students also represent real-world problems involving ratios and rates, including unit rates, while converting units within a measurement system.
Students solve real-world problems using part, percent and whole.
- They find the whole when given part and percent.
- Find the part given the whole and the percent.
- Find the percent given the part and the whole.
The concept of proportionality is vital to future understanding of upcoming math concepts in this grade and beyond.
Absolute Value
Absolute value is the distance of a value from zero on the number line
Integers are the set of positive and negative whole numbers and zero
A ratio is a multiplicative comparison of two quantities. For instance, suppose you were going on a field trip and students and teachers were split into groups. There are 20 students and 4 teachers, so each teacher has 5 students. The teacher to student ratio is 1:5 or 1 to 5.
A rate is a multiplicative comparison of two different quantities where the measuring unit is different for each quantity. For instance, miles per gallon is considered a rate.
The number of people per square mile is also a rate.
Scale Factor
Scale factor is the multiplicative ratio between two sets of data.
For example, suppose School A has 5 sixth grade classes and School B has 10 sixth grade classes. The scale factor comparing A to B is 2.
The number of people per square mile is also a rate.
Seventh Grade
Seventh graders are studying proportional reasoning with ratios and rates through the lens of constant rates of change.
- Students are expected to represent constant rates of change given pictorial, tabular, verbal, numeric, graphical and algebraic representations, including d = rt.
- Students solve problems involving ratios, rates, and percents.
- They calculate unit rates from rates and determine the constant of proportionality within mathematical and real-world problems.
- Students use proportions and unit rates to convert units between customary and metric measurements.
- Students are also solving problems involving percent increase, percent decrease, and financial literacy and identify the components of a personal budget.
- Students use data with two variables, to determine constant rates of change given pictorial, tabular, verbal, numeric, graphical and algebraic representations.
- Students are formally introduced to the slope intercept form of equations, y = mx + b, to represent linear relationships.
Constant rate of change
Constant rate of change is a ratio when the dependent, y-value, changes at a constant rate for each independent, x-value
Constant of Proportionality
Constant of proportionality is a constant positive ratio between two proportional quantities denoted by the symbol k
Variable Expenses
Variable expenses change from time period to time period, such as groceries and clothing, or even cell phone expenses.
Fixed expenses are those which stay the same month to month such as rent, or car payment.
Constant rate of change
Constant of Proportionality
A coefficient is a number that is multiplied by a variable.
Ex: 3x....3 is the coefficient
The constant is a fixed value that does not appear with a variable
Linear Relationship
A linear relationship is a relationship with a constant rate of change represented by a graph with a straight line.
Ex: 3x....3 is the coefficient
Similar Shapes
Similar shapes are those whose angles are congruent and whose side lengths are proportional.
The slope is the rate of change in y (vertical) compared to the rate of change in x (horizontal), or or , denoted as m in y = mx + b
The y-intercept is y-coordinate of a point at which the relationship crosses the y-axis meaning the x-coordinate is equal to zero, denoted as b in y = mx + b.
Similar Shapes
Eighth Grade
- Students use similar right triangles to develop an understanding of slope using the change in y-values and x-values.
- Students use data from a table or graph to determine the rate of change or slope and the y-intercept.
In the next unit students extend their previous understandings of slope and y-intercept to represent proportional and non-proportional linear situations. Students
- distinguish between proportional and non-proportional linear situations.
- examine the relationship between the unit rate and slope of a line that represents a proportional linear situation
- Students examine graphs of linear equations and the intersection of graphed equations and identify the values of x and y. Students must also verify these values algebraically with the equations.
They use this understanding to explain how small amounts of money, without interest, invested regularly grow over time.
Students also examine how periodic savings plans can be used to contribute to the cost of attending a two-year or four-year college after estimating the financial costs associated with obtaining a college education.
Students are formally introduced to functions and must identify functions using sets of ordered pairs, tables, mappings, and graphs.
Direct Variation
When two variables are related so that their ratios are always the same, they are said to be in direct variation.
For example, if a gallon of milk costs $3 and I buy 10 gallons, the cost is $30. The total cost of milk and the number of gallons are in direct variation--the ratio of cost to gallons is always 3.
If y varies directly as x, then the graph of all points that describe this relationship is a line going through the origin (0,0) whose slope is called the constant of the variation.
A function is a relation in which each element of the input (x) is paired with exactly one element of the output (y)
Direct Variation
For example, if a gallon of milk costs $3 and I buy 10 gallons, the cost is $30. The total cost of milk and the number of gallons are in direct variation--the ratio of cost to gallons is always 3.
If y varies directly as x, then the graph of all points that describe this relationship is a line going through the origin (0,0) whose slope is called the constant of the variation.
Algebra 1
Representative equations and inequalities are formulated for problem situations, solved by a method of choice, and solutions justified in terms of the problem situation.
The next unit, Investigating Linear Functions, has students investigate the linear parent function and the effects of parameter changes on the linear parent function.
- Students represent problem situations involving linear functions and linear inequalities with tables, graphs, and algebraic representations.
- Students also identify characteristics such as domain, range, slope, and intercepts. Connections are made between representations and characteristics in terms of the problem situation.
- Comparisons are made between direct variation and linear functions.
Parent Function
This is the simplest graph of a function family with similar characteristics (e.g., linear parent function y = x)
We call these basic functions "parent" functions since they are the simplest form of that type of function, meaning they are as close as they can get to the origin (0, 0).
The rate of change in y (vertical) compared to change in x (horizontal),
Parent Function
We call these basic functions "parent" functions since they are the simplest form of that type of function, meaning they are as close as they can get to the origin (0, 0).


text: Politics / Jared Lee Loughner Giffords Boasted of Her Prowess With a Glock Startling comment highlights Arizona passion for weapons By Mary Papenfuss, Newser User Posted Jan 11, 2011 3:05 AM CST Copied Fans pause during a moment of silence for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other Tuscon shooting victims before the BCS National Championship NCAA college football game in Phoenix yesterday. (AP Photo/Matt York) (Newser) – Assassination target Rep. Gabrielle Giffords boasted in an interview last year: "I have a Glock 9 millimeter and I'm a pretty good shot." The startling comment coming from a woman who would soon be a shooting victim of the same gun model reveals perhaps the one thing she has in common with her attacker: gun possession in a state obsessed with Americans' right to pack a weapon. Giffords' ability with a gun didn't save her in the attack by suspected gunman Jared Lee Loughner, but likely won her votes and is a testament to "the passionate gun culture in Arizona, which crosses political lines and is notable for its fierceness, even in the West," reports the New York Times. story continues below The federal judge killed in the Tucson shooting regularly took pistol lessons at a shooting range, and a doctor who operated on Giffords is a member of a shooting club where law enforcement officers regularly practice. Arizona's gun laws are among the loosest in the nation—the state doesn't require a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Many Arizonans see the tragedy as more reason, not less, to pack a gun. The big mistake the judge made, one gun owner told the Times, is that he "probably didn't have his gun" because he'd just been to church. (Read more Jared Lee Loughner stories.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Launching new services is rarely a silky smooth process, especially for a large enterprise. Take for example my recent "experiment" with Fancast:
A few weeks ago, I tweeted about the streaming service from Comcast called Fancast. While other streaming services allow you to watch videos from the major networks, none give you streaming content from premium channels like HBO, Cinemax and Stars. So when my DVR started being flaky this past Saturday night, I decided to give it a try.
The log-in process was painless and the search functionality worked well. To watch premium content, the service required a special Adobe AIR player, which I promptly downloaded and installed. Everything was smooth sailing until up to the point when I tried to start Watchmen. For some reason, the service kept displaying a message that I was an HBO subscriber thought I was. After reading the FAQ's, I confirmed that was I logging in with my primary Comcast.net account, which is a requirement, so I decided to call in to Comcast's local customer service. After waiting on hold for a short while, the representative confirmed that all of my account settings were correct but indicated that another department would be better equipped to handle the issue. She tried to switch me to that department by I kept getting disconnected.
When I called in to customer service again, I spoke with another representative but the second one didn't even know about Fancast. Yikes! Even though I explained to her how the service worked, she questioned me whether it was something that Comcast offered. My wife, who was sitting in the room, was rolling on the floor laughing as I attempted to convince the woman to help me. When the rep tried to switch, I was promptly disconnected again. So, I searched Fancast and (finally) found the toll-free number for support. When I called it, the Fancast rep informed me that my account was working correctly but error that I kept getting was due to an issue that Comcast/Fancast has been having for a week. And there's no ETA for when it will be fixed. Now that's a bummer!
While most would chalk this up to Comcast's poor service, I think that the issue is actually a combination of poor user experience and internal communication/training. NOTE: I challenge you to name a cable television provider that you think is doing a great job these days! While the integration between Comcast and Fancast isn't where it should be (and there's a myriad behind the scenes reasons why that's the case), I would have liked to see a simple error message that indicates that the service is currently down and that they're working on it. Also, it would have been nice if the customer service reps at Comcast get training on Fancast so that customers like me don't have to feel like I've just made a prank call. Lastly, both Fancast and Comcast should communicate on a regular basis about system status — it would have been much better if the Comcast rep told me that the service was down and to try again later instead of trying to fix my when in actuality it wasn't the problem.
Comcast must be feeling the pressure to adapt to shifting consumer behavior and increasing pressure from competitors. According to eMarketer, nearly 25% of all TV content watched each day will be time-shifted, on-demand, on the Web or on a mobile device by 2012 (source). Viewers are abandoning television for the internet. Also, both Apple and Google are looking to challenge traditional video distribution channels by offering their own subscription services (source and source). While the service is still in Beta, it is just a shame that Comcast wasn't able to deliver on the concept.
After spending more than an hour trying to use Fancast, I've decided that I need to give Comcast another few weeks to work out the bugs — eventually this service is going to be Comcastic.


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Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?CorpCons08 Jan 8, 2008 3:24 PM (in response to taylor7007)We found that they charge very high up front fees. A lot of people reported it as a scam.1 of 1 people found this helpful
Use it at your own risk.
Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?Buffalo Jan 8, 2008 3:30 PM (in response to taylor7007)Their website doesn't inspire confidence in me...so there's that.1 of 1 people found this helpful
I would find out what their interest rates are.
Most of all I'd give serious consideration to CC08's reply.
Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?LUCKIEST Jan 8, 2008 4:09 PM (in response to taylor7007)7007, Try FactorGirl
Jan 8, 2008
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Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?CorpCons08 Jan 8, 2008 4:10 PM (in response to taylor7007)Taylor,
I would be interested in speaking to you.
You can send me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?LUCKIEST Jan 8, 2008 5:50 PM (in response to CorpCons08)CC08. Nice talking with you. Waiting for those contacts you talked about, LUCKIEST
Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?taylor7007 Jan 8, 2008 11:24 PM (in response to CorpCons08)thanks everyone, I'm just looking for money for start-up and can't seem to find it anywhere being on limited credit. I'll e-mail you right now CC08. Thanks again everyone, just wanted to know if it was a scam or not.
Re: www.ez-financial-solutions.com----trustworthy or not?Lighthouse24 Jan 8, 2008 4:12 PM (in response to taylor7007)
I would not say it's a "scam" because they tell you in black and white (actually in red and white, which is even more appropriate) how it works:
You give them $2,500. They acquire what's called an "aged shelf corporation" -- a company that was created and basically put on a shelf (it hasn't actively conducted business, but the attorney who created it filed taxes, paid license fees, maintained a telephone number, applied for credit cards, etc. in the business' name -- so over a period of time, the business has built value). Obviously, the older the entity, the more it's worth. (An attorney in the office next door charges about $750 for one he created last year, about $4,000 for one that's two years old, around $30,000 for one that's 20 years old.) For $2,500, these guys probably aren't getting you a company that has a lot of credit already.
So . . . next you get an upsell. For $2,500 more, they can get you a two-year-old company with a S&P listing and a D&B rating -- it's even already on the federal government's list of approved bidders and contractors! Sounds good, so you pony up the extra bucks.
They acquire the company, amend the corporate filing to transfer the firm to you, and set up a $100,000 line of credit. "Is that satisfactory?" they ask (explaining that more is better and why not get a half million dollar line of credit if you can?). You go for it.
They set up the $500,000 line of credit, you confirm that it's satisfactory, and they bill you for the fee that is just plain as day on their website -- 5 percent of the amount of the credit line they obtain for you, less your initial $2,500 deposit. In other words, you paid them $5,000 already and now owe them another $20,000 (and you haven't made a penny in revenue yet).
There are probably some "can't miss" business scenarios where doing this might make sense . . . but not many in my opinion.
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I was looking at this and was wondering what everyone thought about this site. Not too sure but I did find them as a registered business when searching on yahoo. And they do offer a 100% satisfaction garuntee. Would this be false advertising and lawsuit material if they stole your money? Look and tell me what you think please.....Thank you!


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Alex McLeish felt Steven Naismith was destined to have the biggest say in his Scotland side's 2-0 victory over Albania in their UEFA Nations League opener.
Naismith was only called up to the squad seven days earlier following injury to Oli McBurnie but he and Johnny Russell were preferred to Leigh Griffiths up front and the Hearts forward was at the centre of the Hampden action.
Naismith endured a frustrating first half – heading against the post from two yards and being denied a goal by a marginal offside decision.
But the 31-year-old helped give Scotland a deserved lead a minute into the second half when his header bounced in off an Albanian head. And the former Rangers and Everton forward claimed the second when he headed home after John McGinn's corner.
Scotland were comfortable winners in Glasgow (Ian Rutherford/PA)
McLeish, who brought on Griffiths with 20 minutes left, said: "I work with the players every day. I see them, you guys don't. So I think I'm pretty well qualified to select who I choose to. And I feel those two did very well for us, Johnny Russell and Naisy.
"If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. I said that to Naisy. It's happened to me – I was dropped by Scotland and got called up again and never looked back.
"I spoke to Naisy in the summer to come on the trip and he was suffering with a heel injury and he asked if he could stay at home and let it recover. I said if you start the season well then we'll consider you for selection. I didn't call him in initially but when he arrived I said: 'It's meant to be'."
McLeish added: "Johnny was lively in the Mexico game and he was always in my mind. I like his skills and his powerful running at defences.
"I wanted to play a pairing and Steven Naismith was showing up well in training also. But he's continued the good start he has had.
"We got Leigh on, we wanted to get him minutes. He is still very important to us.
"Sometimes the system doesn't suit the player. I know there's been a lot of talk bout me playing players out of position and I would have had to have done that tonight to keep other players happy.
"But we love them all, we want them all to be involved and there will be times we change the system to suit certain players who were on the bench."
McLeish had suffered four defeats in his first five games since being reappointed – the latest a 4-0 reverse against Belgium. But his return to competitive action could not have gone much smoother.
"It was a very good performance," he said. "The players played at a great tempo, they were very versatile in wide areas and the centre-backs joined in at times. But we did it with good defensive discipline as well.
"Albania did come into it a little bit when they settled down but we hit them with a whirlwind. We never quite got that early goal and you can't keep that pace up forever, and it was very nice to see that first goal go in."
Albania head coach Christian Panucci was unhappy with his side's defending.
The former Italy defender said: "Scotland definitely had more chances than we did but the manner which we lost the goals… I'm struggling to find the right words to describe it.
"I'm not exactly happy about it but I don't want to take anything away from a great performance from Scotland."
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Environmental Factor, August 2009, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Combined Biomarkers Improve Accuracy of Prostate Cancer Detection
By Robin Arnette
August 2009
According to data from 2004-2006, the National Cancer Institute (https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html) estimates that one in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Since early detection of the disease increases the likelihood of survival, physicians routinely use serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening and subsequent tissue biopsy to determine whether a patient has prostate cancer. However, recent findings (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19371911?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum) from a team led by NIEHS grantee Shuk-mei Ho, Ph.D., suggest that a dual marker test comprised of a-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) and prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) provides increased sensitivity and accuracy compared to PSA testing alone.
These promising results appeared in the June 2009 edition of The Journal of Urology. This study was the first to examine the applicability of the combined biomarkers in the detection of prostate cancer in urine.
Ho (http://healthnews.uc.edu/experts/?/2290/), chair of the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, knew that a percentage of men with elevated PSA levels in their blood - a key indicator of prostate cancer - also have negative biopsy results. Her goal was to develop a sensitive test that would prevent these patients from having to undergo repeated biopsies. "Not only will this assay save billions of dollars in unnecessary biopsies each year, but it will be particularly useful for men over 70 years old who have high PSA numbers, but negative biopsies," Ho said. "Because of their advanced age, do we really want to subject them to continuous biopsies?"
AMACR regulates peroxisomal beta-oxidation of phytol-derived branch chain fatty acids and PCA3 is a noncoding mRNA that is only expressed in the kidney and prostate epithelial cells. Previous studies from other laboratories determined that these and several other proteins were found in urine samples of patients with prostate cancer, and therefore had great potential as diagnostic markers for the disease.
For the study of the combined AMACR-PCA3 assay, 92 patients, 43 with prostate cancer and 49 without, were recruited from the urological clinic at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The patients gave urine samples after digital examination, but before receiving an ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. Ho's team isolated RNA, used reverse transcriptase to convert to cDNA and then subjected the samples to quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Ho used several statistical analysis tools to resolve the sensitivity and specificity of AMACR and PCA3 scores in urine.
AMACR alone had 70 percent sensitivity and 71 percent specificity, while PCA3 alone had 72 percent sensitivity and 59 percent specificity. However, using the two together increased the sensitivity to 81 percent and the specificity to 84 percent. In contrast, serum PSA readings indicated 77 percent sensitivity and 45 percent specificity. Because the urinary AMACR- PCA3 test was superior to the blood PSA test in detecting prostate cancer, Ho suggests that the dual marker could be used as a surveillance test after repeat negative prostate biopsies or as an adjuvant to the serum PSA test to improve prostate diagnosis.
Ho is currently continuing patient recruitment to generate a larger sample size for future testing. "If the AMACR-PCA3 screening method becomes a standard in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, it would have a profound effect on millions of men," she said.
Citation: Ouyang B, Bracken B, Burke B, Chung E, Liang J, Ho SM (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19371911?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum). 2009. A duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay based on quantification of alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase transcripts and prostate cancer antigen 3 in urine sediments improved diagnostic accuracy for prostate cancer. J Urol 181(6):2508-2513.
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August 2009 Cover Page


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event & party
Luna2, Seminyak is perfect for meetings, events and celebrations with a range of distinct venue options
– Orbit restaurant, Space rooftop bar, Pop! lounge bar, Lunaplex 16-seat cinema and meeting room, and poolside. there is an in-house event planning service and menus can be customised by our executive chef. guests can select a venue, or take over the whole 14-room hotel as exclusive-use, where they can accommodate all guests 'under one roof' and keep the party going.


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Fight Back Against Autoimmune Disease
2 Feb
Autoimmune dysfunction take YEARS to develop! When I was growing up I remember going with my mom to the local plant nursery to escape into the lushness of perfect tropical plants. Mom and I loved plants. We used this adventure as a … Read More »


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First Person: Israel Basketball State Cup Action
By: Daniel Levine
As I approached the gate from outside the Menora Mivtachim Arena, I could already a feel a special kind of energy coming from the arena. Having only been to one game in this arena before, the Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Maccabi Rishon game about a week ago, I knew I was soon in for an experience like I've never experienced before.
Immediately, I took notice to how the fans were isolated in their own areas, opposite of their opponents' fans. I was unable to understand the meaning of their cheers and chants (I don't speak any Hebrew), but they seemed to be of the call and response variety. As I watched an incredible game between Ashdod and Tel Aviv, chants were bouncing back and forth on both sides of me, similarly to how the game itself was one of many lead changes. Many expected for Maccabi Tel Aviv to blow out Maccabi Ashdod, but this was not remotely the case. Midway through the 3rd quarter, not only was a blow-out out of the question, but it was becoming feasible that Ashdod may actually pull off the upset. With a growing sense of anxiety coming from the Maccabi Tel Aviv section as well a growing sense of excitement coming from the Ashdod section, the fans of Jerusalem and Holon began to file in to catch the 4th quarter of action between these two ball clubs.
In their home arena, Tel Aviv fans were vastly outnumbered. After any play in favor of Ashdod, the entire arena minus the Tel Aviv section erupted in cheers. It was no secret that Holon and Jerusalem would much prefer to see Ashdod across from them on Thursday, having of course won their semifinal match against each other first. Unfortunately for them, thanks to an incredible 4-point play from Pierre Jackson in the final minute and a very close half-court desperation heave from Sek Henry just missing, Maccabi Tel Aviv earned their bid to the Championship game tomorrow night.
Within the span of 20 minutes between games, the arena transformed from yellow and blue to purple and red. Both Holon and Jerusalem brought twice as many fans with them as Tel Aviv and Ashdod did combined. I already thought the arena was loud for the first game but I could not have been more wrong. Simply put, my ears were ringing when left the arena after sitting and observing for 5 hours straight.
Although the game between Holon and Jerusalem was less exciting, no one would make that assumption based on the noise of the crowds. Leading or trailing, both fan sections were constantly in cheer mode for the duration of the contest. Only once Holon began to pull away in the second half did the Jerusalem section begin to quiet down, but Holon fans made up for Jerusalem's quietness by chanting louder. Due to a dominant performance from Glen Rice Jr. combined with a poor display of shooting and sloppy turnovers from Jerusalem, Holon is heading to the Championship round on Thursday night where the still favorites Maccabi Tel Aviv await.


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If you're in U.S city, Milwaukee, lucky you!
The 25th August is One Diection Day in Milwaukee.
For years now, you have dreamed of an entire day that consits of One Direction.
We, at Fun Kids, have also seen this dream, and wished it were true!
Well, for one U.S city, Milwaukee, in the state of Wisconsin, IT IS TRUE!
For the city, the 25th August is officially One Direction Day.
It was declared by the Mayor, more or less after this moment –
That's the mayor and his daughter after a One direction gig in Milwaukee on the 25th August this year.
The Mayor of Milwaukee loved it so much, he declared the 25th August is officially One Direction Day.
Now, the people of Milwaukee can dance all night to the BEST MAYOR EVER! (get it…)
Explore more…
[related tag="one direction" limit="8″]
Fun Kids is the UK's children's radio station
Tune in on DAB Digital Radio in London and the South East, on mobile and online at funkidslive.com
Click here to listen!


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Amanda L. Myers, Esq.
Amanda L. Myers is an attorney at Anderson, Crawley, & Burke, PLLC and primarily defends employers and insurance companies in workers' compensation claims. Along with actively handling a variety of cases, she has also been a presenting member of the Multi-State Committee of the Workers' Compensation Institute in Orlando now for three years and currently presents seminars on Mississippi workers' compensation law to various companies and insurers throughout the state and southeast.
Ms. Myers is a native of Sebring, Florida. She received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Pre-Law from the University of Central Florida in 2009 and received her Juris Doctor degree from Mississippi College School of Law in 2012.
While in law school, Ms. Myers received a scholarship through the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Educational Association. She served as Treasury-Clerk Chair of the Moot Court Board and Vice-President of the Women's Student Bar Association. She was also a member of Phi Delta Phi and Mississippi Association of Justice.
Ms. Myers received the American Jurisprudence Award in both Workers' Compensation and Appellate Advocacy. While serving on the Moot Court Board, she was a semi-finalist in the 2011 E. Earle Zehmer Workers' Compensation Moot Court Competition and won 1st place for Best Written Brief.
Amanda is currently Chair of the Defense Research Institute's Workers' Compensation Committee Webcast Program. She is admitted to practice before all Mississippi courts, United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Amanda is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, Capital Area Bar Association, Jackson Young Lawyers Association, Madison County Bar Association, and Mississippi Women Lawyers Association.
In addition to her work as an attorney, Amanda is active in her local community as the Mississippi Community Advocate Volunteer for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, as both her Father and Grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer at young ages. She travels to Washington, D.C. every June to speak with members of Congress about funding for pancreatic cancer research and to advocate for awareness for the disease. Amanda currently resides in Madison, Mississippi and attends Pinelake Church. She enjoys playing golf, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Reese.


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It's that time of year for our family Christmas letter. I'm a little late because I suffer from a major case of something called "Procrastination." I've added that to my New Year's resolution list in the past, but I've always procrastinated working on my procrastination. So, I replaced it with "exercise more." That one at least lasts halfway through January.
2018 was the year of ailments.
I am now into my fifties and my body knows it. It did not need a memo, reminder, or even a gentle nudge. Some things are just very reliable. I should be proud.
My knee is giving me more problems and the other feels like it needs to follow suit. I guess it has "FOMO" syndrome. Thanks to my twenty-year old daughter, I know FOMO means "Fear Of Missing Out." My body may be old, but my brain is young and cool. Although, if I didn't have a twenty-year old kid, that may not be the case.
Hmm, it makes me wonder if my life has just been a big sham the last seven years or so.
I threw out my back recently which is something I've never really done before. I'm not sure how I did it. I do know I was in the basement after my twelfth trip from bringing Christmas decorations up the stairs when the pain struck.
There's nothing like a limping, bent over fifty-one year old woman, who pees her pants with every sneeze, giggle, and cough. I should have asked for a cane and a case of "Depends" instead of an iPhone for Christmas. Oh well. There's always next year. But by then I may need a walker and bladder reconstruction.
I had a kidney stone episode this year. I thought it was ovarian tumors at first and went and got poked and prodded, tested and scanned by at least three different specialists. The bills for all that are just now arriving. The gift that keeps on giving. Thanks, Santa.
DH is good. If you recall, he lost the peripheral vision in his left eye a couple years ago. The downside is he can't see my loveliness when I'm standing to the left of him. The upside is I can do amazing tricks, like flip him the bird when he's pissing me off. It's really quite fun.
He had his very first kidney stone episode this year. He now knows what childbirth feels like. Hearing him say, "how do women have more than one baby," while doubled over the toilet bowl from pain-induced nausea was a proud moment.
The Kid got the flu at the beginning of the year. Even though she had the flu shot. She recovered from that after some motherly love and care. That was not fun for me. Seeing your kid suffer doesn't have the same satisfaction of watching a man in kidney stone hell.
Oh, did I just say that out loud?
DH gets more handsome every year. What kills me the most is his pant size. That hasn't changed in twenty years. Umm, can I pray for another kidney stone attack?
The Kid is doing really well in college. Can you believe she just finished her first half of Junior year? And I thought my knees made me feel old. I think I should start letting my hair go grey so I can get the full effect.
I started to bond with our German Shepherd. Finally. After four years, he no longer looks at me like I'm a pork chop. Now I can sleep with both eyes closed without worrying he might want a midnight snack.
We went on a nice holiday again this year. Two years in a row. Ireland was our choice this time. I've been before and fell in love, so I couldn't wait to show my family how beautiful and green it was.
But like Turks & Caicos last year where it rained the entire week when it never rains, Ireland was in the middle of a drought when it never has a drought.
I was really upset when DH proclaimed that Ireland reminded him of New England in August. if you've ever seen New England in August, then you'll understand what he meant. I argued with him and told him he was wrong, but brown is brown no matter what country you're in.
I believe I need to stop planning vacations. It just doesn't seem to work out for us. Next summer it will be feet in the kiddie pool on the back deck.
I just realized we never put the deck furniture away for the winter. Chores. They are the bane of my existence.
Speaking of chores, I pretty much got out of all of mine. I hired a house cleaner, use a grocery-delivery service, and DH decided he likes to cook so there is dinner on the table pretty much every night when I get home. Having a husband who works from home certainly has its perks.
That about sums up 2018 for our family. I gotta close this letter as I have presents to wrap, cookies to bake, and…eh. There's always tomorrow.Mo


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Hello, I'm Molly and let me introduce you to my website and myself.
I live in the UK and have set up Shutter Studios, a company based around photography, film and design. I set this company up after finishing my A-Levels.
I have a passion for media and anything creative. On this site, you will learn more about my Youtube journey, Music and Shutter Studios. I've always been a person to be creative and do things and hopefully, I can do that for a long time.


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Amoeba Music is proud to sponsor the US tour for modern classical pianist Nils Frahm. His exceptional tenth album, Spaces, is out now on Erased Tapes. Make sure to catch Frahm, who has incorporated a Juno synthesiser, Rhodes and tape delay to his live set, in Los Angeles at the El Rey November 13 with guests Dawn Of Midi.
Tickets for the El Rey show are on sale now at Amoeba Hollywood. (See the full list of tickets we have for sale here.)
Nils Frahm - Says (Official Music Video)
Watch and comment on YouTube


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ICYMI: In case you missed it – Ivanka Trump Plastic Surgery featuring Dr. Franklin Rose was reviewed by Yahoo Lifestyle/ Beauty Yesterday
Ivanka Trump is the new plastic surgery pin-up
People are requesting the 'Ivanka look'
Review the story https://au.be.yahoo.com/beauty/a/35387102/ivanka-trump-is-the-new-plastic-surgery-pin-up-yahoo7-be/#page1 by Alison Yee May 10, 2017, 3:57 pm
In the cosmetic enhancement world, there's always been favorites like Angelina Jolie and her incredible lips, and Kate Middleton's perfectly straight nose.
Now there's another celebrity lookalike request plastic surgeons are being inundated with, and it's none other than Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka.
Ivanka Trump & Plastic Surgery by DrFranklinRose
"It's both facial and body features," Beverly Hills surgeon Dr. Gabriel Chiu told The Hollywood Reporter. "People talk about [Ivanka's] cheekbones, how proportionate her face is, the combined features of her eyes, nose and lips."
For Dr. Frank Lista, it's all about the mum-of-three's lowered brow.
"When you have someone who's extraordinarily beautiful, like a fashion model, they often fall outside the norms of measurement [and symmetry] that dictate conventional beauty," medical director of The Plastic Surgery Clinic Dr. Lista told Global News.
"But that anomaly makes the face beautiful and interesting. With Ivanka, her lowered brow, [which bucks convention], makes her face look even more attractive to us."
Getting Ivanka's look doesn't come cheap. Just ask Tiffany Taylor who has spent over $80,000 and had a facelift, eyelift, cheek injections, two nose jobs and two breast enhancements to look like the POTUS' daughter.
"I liked her classic features," Taylor told People. "I feel more refined and polished, and ready to conquer the business world."
Texas mum-of-two Jenny Stuart has spent $40,000 in her bid to get the 'Ivanka look' with her surgeon Dr. Franklin Rose confirming he's received more requests from patients. Her surgery entailed liposuction to harvest fat for a Brazilian butt lift, a nose job, breast implants and injectable fillers for her face.
"This might be the 1000th very, very beautiful patient that I've operated on," Rose said. "In an odd way, it's sort of more enjoyable because you can take the beautiful into the hyper-beautiful."
Review the original story on Yahoo Beauty featuring Dr. Franklin Rose & patients Jenny & Tiffany https://au.be.yahoo.com/beauty/a/35387102/ivanka-trump-is-the-new-plastic-surgery-pin-up-yahoo7-be/#page1


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Then Jerico first found fame in 1987 with the release of their debut album 'First (The Sound Of Music)'.
The record featured hit singles 'Muscle Deep' and 'The Motive' which remained in the UK Top 40 chart for three months, becoming the most-played record on BBC Radio 1 in 1987.
The track brought Then Jerico worldwide recognition and saw them selling-out headline shows along with support tours with Iggy Pop and Propaganda, amongst others.
Their follow-up album, 'The Big Area', cemented their status as one of the greatest bands of the 1980s. Selling over 100,000 copies within the first 40 minutes of its release, 'The Big Area' immediately attaining Gold status and consequently reached Platinum sales.
In depth history
Mark Shaw formed the band at the age of 21, recruiting bassist Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer Steve Wren and poaching guitarist Scott Taylor from Belouis Some.
The band played The Limelight Club in NYC in 1983 and signed to London Records in 1984. The single"The Big Sweep" was recorded for London but they objected to the lyrical subject matter (an anti-Robert Maxwell/Rupert Murdoch statement).
It was initially released by the track's producer Martin Rushent on his own Immaculate label in 1985 and then, subsequently, as a limited edition by London Records along with the new song, "Fault", both of which attracted attention in the clubs.
A handful of subsequent singles and a growing live following continued to raise Then Jerico's profile and the band's first real chart success came in early 1987 with the song "Muscle Deep". "The Motive" followed that single into the Top 40.
They enjoyed success with two albums, First (The Sound Of Music) (1987) co-produced by Mark Shaw and Owen Davies, which reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart, followed by The Big Area in 1989 that went gold and reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart.
Producer Rick Nowels took care of about more than half of the tracks on that album which also lead to the appearances of Belinda as side vocals on the single "What Does It Take".
The single "Big Area" was produced by Gary Langan (who was also a member of Art of Noise), and preceded the album The Big Area selling 35,000 pre-release copies. It played throughout Europe. The album itself featured several producers including Shaw.
"Big Area" was the greatest success the group would have, peaking at number 13 in the UK Singles Chart. It was featured in the 1989 science fiction film, Slipstream (starring Mark Hamill), and was used by Irish national broadcaster RTE as the theme music for its televised golf programming throughout the 1990s. The hit singles "Big Area" / "Sugar Box" and "What Does It Take" (ft. Belinda Carlisle) are the best known songs from the album.
As of September 2012, a hugely successful &, original "Big Area" album line-up reunion tour was completed in the UK.
Official website www.thenjerico.com
Rob uses
R10 Roto Yellow 6 String Electric
Jasper uses
RS66LD Swing Bass


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Discontinued Online
This item is discontinued and no longer available for purchase. You may want to search our site for a similar item.
COVID-19: We ask for your understanding as you may experience delivery delays.
The Chakra Plus builds on the wildly successful Chakra line of helmets. Featuring Composite Fusion protection, a lower polycarbonate wrap, and an integrated bug liner.
This product was added to our catalog on April 25, 2019


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We are on the lookout for part-time Coaches and Teachers to deliver fun-based lessons in our Swimming Programs located in high-end venues throughout Hong Kong.
For over 10 years successful JQS programs have nurtured swimmers of all ages and abilities while instilled love and passion in swimming as a sport and lifestyle.
We look for experienced and enthusiastic individuals with good communication skills who love working with children from over 2 years of age, up through all levels to adults. We offer effective training to successful applicants.
REQUIREMENTS: To be considered Candidates MUST
- Have experience teaching swimming to infants of 2+ year, and/or experience with adults in Private/Group settings.
- Have a Hong Kong Identity Card and Valid CPR.
- Have some qualification in swimming from a recognized institution.
- Be well-groomed, reliable and in good health.
- Be able to benefit from our staff training, which is aimed at providing fast-paced and enjoyable lessons, while instilling a love of swimming in students of a wide range of ages and ability.
Hourly rate is dependent on teaching experience and supportive references are an advantage.
Please email your Resume/CV and a recent photo to firstname.lastname@example.com
Successful applicants will be contacted within 14 days
A World–Class Swimming Coaching Service
We are Hong Kong's leading Private Boutique Swimming Coaching Service


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Giving second chances is sometimes a good idea in the legal system, but never in basketball.
The Celtics gave the Hawks far too many of them last night and fell, 97-86, at the Garden.
Atlanta dominated the boards, 47-29, and outscored Boston, 22-4, in second-chance points.
The Celtics rank only 28th in the NBA in rebounding, but they were dominated on the boards even more than usual. Too often, they played tough defense, only to have the Hawks tap the rebound of a missed shot back out to teammates, giving themselves another chance to score. Atlanta grabbed 16 offensive rebounds to Boston�s six.
�It is demoralizing,� Kevin Garnett admitted, �but what are you going to do? Are you going to stop? That�s not the way you play around here. You�re not going to start any kind of trend like that.�
The Hawks aren�t bigger than the Celtics, but they�re quicker and more athletic. They also turned Boston�s 15 turnovers into 21 points.
Paul Pierce led Boston with 24 points, six after he sat out the final 3:15 of the third quarter with a bruised left knee. Pierce isn�t sure how the knee will feel tonight when the Celtics visit Indiana.
�The knee is a little tender,� Pierce said. �I�m just going to rest it. Usually it kicks in when you slow down. So hopefully, it�s not too bad.�
Garnett scored 14, but grabbed only five rebounds after collecting just four in a win over Utah Wednesday.
�Rebounding is a group effort,� Garnett said. �It starts with the bigs so the bigs got to do a better job of just that.�
Kendrick Perkins was the only Celtic who had any luck under the boards, grabbing nine rebounds to go with his 14 points.
Rajon Rondo dished out nine assists, but took only four shots, scored just four points and missed two foul shots in the fourth quarter. He has missed his last seven free throws. The Celtics made only 1 of 15 3-pointers.
The Hawks took the Celtics to seven games in the opening round of the playoffs two years ago, but the Celtics had dominated them during the regular season. The Celtics had beaten Atlanta seven regular-season games in a row overall and nine straight in Boston, including playoffs. Joe Johnson shot poorly during those games, but he paced the Hawks with 24 points last night. Jamal Crawford poured in 18 off the bench. Al Horford had 12 rebounds and a game-high 13 boards.
Zaza Pachulia�s two fouls shots capped a 10-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter and built Atlanta�s lead to double digits, 82-72, with 8:24 left. The Celtics never got closer than seven.
The Celtics fell to 8-2, and Atlanta improved to 7-2. Marquis Daniels lost his dribble off the back of a Hawk, and Atlanta converted the turnover into two Josh Smith free throws that pushed Atlanta�s lead to 70-64 late in the third quarter. The quarter ended with the Hawks on top, 72-70.
The Celtics led, 42-41, at the half behind 10 points each from Pierce and Garnett. The Hawks hung tough by outrebounding the Celtics, 25-10, and outscoring them, 8-0, in second-chance points. Perkins grabbed five boards, but the rest of the Celtics combined for only seven � as many as Horford. Garnett snared only one rebound in the first half.


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Putting the $48,500 Pajero Sport to the tow test
WORDS Sam Purcell images Anthony Warry
A one-time staple of the tow-rig scene, Mitsubishi's venerable Pajero is getting knocked on the head. Caught up in a tough cycle of a fast-moving car scene and being caught fudging fuel economy figures, Mitsubishi has told the press that it's simply not worth trying to recycle the ageing platform into something clean and efficient enough to meet current rules.
For images, videos and the full RV Daily experience, read this in our online magazine.
Now that Toyota has brought the 4.5-litre V8 diesel into line with a DPF and injectors, I find such excuses hard to fathom. Sure, the LandCruiser is far and away not efficient – but it still sells well.
Anyhow, there is no point crying over spilt milk (or killed cars). More than just a successor in terms of name, it's important to see the Pajero Sport as a replacement for the Pajero we once knew. Something like Ford's Ranger-based Everest taking on the seven-seat Prado and Grand Cherokee, the Pajero Sport is offering a seven-seat diesel-powered wagon based on the 4X4 ute. But Mitsubishi is doing it a little different. The cheap entry point works well for the strong-selling Triton, so they have continued that across on the wagon.
The end product is a pretty sharp-looking vehicle, from the front at least. It's a big redesign over the Triton and that runs to the interior as well. It's really well specced and nicely finished but does feel a bit pokey with that big centre console that feels like it takes up way too much space. It's hard to knock though… because of that impressive buy-in price.
This is a GLS model which sits between a top-spec Exceed and a five-seat GLS. Prices start at $45,000, and then go up to $48,500 and $53,000.
The Engine
The Pajero Sport has the 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel motor in the same guise as the Triton. This is a new diesel engine for Mitsubishi, taking over from the long-serving 4D56 2.5-litre turbo-diesel. The new unit is the 4N15, and uses Mitsubishi's MIVEC valve timing for the first time on a diesel engine. It has lots of other new technology smarts as well – like piezo injectors and an offset crank to make it as efficient as possible.
It's also one of the few diesel engines with an alloy block and crank, made possible through a lower compression ratio than other diesels (15.5:1). This makes the whole deal much lighter overall, meaning there is less inertia to overcome (meaning it becomes more efficient). So, you've got 133kW @ 3500rpm, and 430Nm @ 2500rpm.
The engine is a good one. It's impressively
efficient, a segment leader for both the Pajero Sport and Triton. Daily driving in good conditions can see you in the seven-and-eight litres per hundred range without too much worry, but that obviously quickly goes out the window when you start towing.
Peak torque comes in at a relatively high 2500rpm for this motor, making it having to spin fairly hard for good progress. This is the main difference compared to something like Ford's 3.2-litre, or Holden's 2.8-litre; this motor simply needs more revs to make similar progress, which means it doesn't feel as relaxed. Otherwise, it's hard to fault the engine as a towing unit. What it lacks in outright capacity and kilowatts, it makes up for in willingness and urgency.
We used roughly 15L/100km on our test,
but it's worth noting here that this included a
lot of hill climbs and low-speed off-road work,
which definitely didn't do the figure any favours.
Another big difference between the Triton and the Pajero Sport (other than the body, duh) is the gearbox. Instead of a six-speed manual or five-speed auto, you have the exclusive choice of an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Extra ratios are always grand, especially when you have a hard-working diesel without wholesale displacement to rely on. This Aisin gearbox is a pretty slick unit and does a good job of eking out the best from the motor.
Towing, it's much the same story. You can feel the engine working to keep the pace up, but the gearbox stays quite resolute and decisive. It lets the revs run out to that 4000rpm mark – giving you as much performance as possible.
Being based on the MQ Triton, the Pajero Sport has an independent front end and live-axle rear end. In place of leaf springs in the bum, the Paj gains a three-link coil-sprung set-up. It runs on a slightly shorter wheelbase, down to 2800mm
(or 110 inches, in the old money) which is 200mm less.
This makes the Pajero Sport quite nimble, with an impressive turning circle. The springs and shocks are fairly soft off the bat, negating any bouncing in the ride. Steering input is light and easy.
Load up the van, and that plush ride does get knocked around by the increased weight. The back end sat down a little with the Coromal Element hanging off the back, and the ride was noticeably affected. Steering got a bit lighter, and you could feel the factory shockies not keeping up with the extra work. If you're thinking about using this as a tow rig for any extended period of time, it will serve you well to fit (at least) some aftermarket shocks, and think about some upgraded springs.
Coromal Element 553
To test the Pajero's capacity as a tow vehicle we borrowed the Element 553 from Coromal, the 553 is part of a range that extends to 10 models. Check out the slideshow for a look around. Thanks to the Acton Lifestyle Centre in Penrith, NSW for the loan of the caravan.
Overall Length: 7.36m
Interior Length: 5.03m
Overall external Height: 2.88m
Exterior Body Width: 2.49m
Tare Weight: 1850kg
ATM: 2145kg
Price: RRP$53,490
As a tow vehicle, the Pajero Sport is good but not great. The engine does a fine job, but it can't help being outgunned by larger engines in the Trailblazer, MU-X and Everest. The kicker here is that you can get better economy out of the Paj when you want it, but you have to drive accordingly. The suspension and steering don't really stand up that well in my eyes, but could be easily fixed with some aftermarket mods.
Which is great… because you'll probably have some spare change if you buy one of these units. The Pajero Sport is easily the most cost-effective way to get into a seven-seater diesel wagon with a decent tow rating, which makes it hard to go past. It's a reasonably good car – and for the price, it's great.
Model: Mitsubishi Pajero
Sport GLS
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power: 133kW @ 3500rpm
Torque: 430Nm @ 2500rpm
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Length: 4785mm
Weights: 2100kg kerb, 2710kg GVM, 610kg payload
Towing: 3100kg towing capacity, 5400kg GCM
Tyres: 265/60R18
Fuel used on test: 15.2L/100km
- Probably the best value
for money seven-seater
wagon on the market
- Towing does impact
the suspension and engine


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The admit cards for the UPSC Preliminary Exam 2017 has been released by the Union Public Service Commission. Candidates can download it from the official website.
In total, 980 bureaucrats will be selected this year through UPSC Civil Services Exam 2017. UPSC had invited applications in February this year.
When is UPSC Preliminary exam 2017?
According to the Commission, the preliminary examination will be held on 18 June 2017.As per the rules published by the Department of Personnel & Training in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated 22 February 2017, the preliminary exams will be conducted earlier than last year.
How to download the UPSC Preliminary Exam 2017 admit cards?
In order to download the UPSC Preliminary Exam 2017 admit cards, candidates can follow the steps given here:
- Log on to the UPSC official website www.upsc.gov.in
- Click on the relevant link
- Enter your log in credentials
- Click to submit
- The admit cards will be displayed on the screen
- Save it to your computer and take a print out for future reference
The last date to download the admit card is 18 June 2017. Candidates are advised to download it as soon as possible to avoid last minute tension.
Changes in the UPSC admit card to be notified
The UPSC has urged candidates to check the entries made in the admit card, immediately after downloading it. Issues if any must be brought to the notice of the Commission.
Why is the admit card important?
The admit card is mandatory to be carried along with on the exam day. Other exam day rules can be found from the instruction booklet released by the Commission.
Also Read:TS EAMCET 2017 Results Published: Check Now!


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Central Alberta's Commercial Real Estate
RE/MAX real estate central alberta
October 15, 2015 - Market Update
|Posted on November 2, 2015 at 4:35 PM
The question we are asked most often lately is "How is the market? Are prices going down? Where is the market going? To answer the first question, the market so far this year has been very normal when compared to the last five years. Answers to the other two questions are a little more difficult.
There are two major components that make up every real estate market – Supply (sellers) and Demand (buyers). There are many factors that influence those two components, but the economy is the most important. Most people rely on the media to tell them how the economy is doing. The way the media represents the economy can influence consumer confidence. When consumers are confident in the economy, they make buying and selling decisions. When they are not confident, they tend to delay making those decisions.
The federal election campaign has no doubt impacted consumer confidence. Every political party has been telling us that if the other guy wins, we are doomed. Whichever one you believe, if you aren't convinced they are going to win, it's possible your confidence is low.
Sales so far this month in central Alberta have been generally normal for this time of year, but we have noticed that the number of pending sales are down, suggesting that the market has slowed a little just recently. It is certainly possible that the election campaign and the uncertainty of the result has caused people to hold back until the election is over.
We can't predict whether prices will go down or where the market is going. The relationship between supply and demand will determine what prices do. We do know that it takes much longer for prices to go down, than it does for them to go up.
ATB Business Beat: Optimism drops, but businesses still happy, by Nick Ford, Economist at ATB Financial
ATB Financial's third quarter Business Beat survey shows a decline in the number of small- to medium-sized businesses that believe Alberta's economy will be stronger in six months. When asked about the province's expected general economic performance, the index fell from 39.0 in the second quarter of the year to 25.2 in the third quarter.
This was the sixth consecutive quarter that there was a falling-off in the ATB Business Index, too. This particular measure of future business performance sat at 46.6, nearly seven points lower than the last round of polling and about 24 points lower than this time last year.
There's no doubt that falling optimism is related to uncertainty clouding the energy sector. This last round of surveying was conducted in August, the month that saw the price of oil fall to around $US 38 per barrel. Given this, the drop in optimism is not surprising.
But, this latest version of the Business Beat survey focused on happiness, and despite the tension and frustration overshadowing our province's oil and gas sector, over half of small and mid-sized business owners in Alberta report being pretty happy with nearly a quarter reporting that they are very happy.
So while oil prices remain suppressed and continue their battle in the marketplace, small- and medium-sized business owners in our province remain pretty happy.
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Toilets to solar panel scams: What the money trail on the policies implemented in a Bundelkhand village reveals
In Paprenda, a Bundelkhand village, budget upon budget allocated for development — from roads to hand-pumps — has disappeared down the drain.
We know what a scam smells like, now that we've followed the paper crumbs in Paprenda village in in Tindwari block, in the district of Banda, Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, which has led us to a house of evil that can only thrive in UP. A deep look into and some legwork on the local policy execution has revealed glaring gaps in actual on-ground work, complemented with a tick-mark on the official checklist. And glaring gaps are the good news; in several cases, the gaps are replaced by zero work, which makes it clear that somebody somewhere made a lot of money.
From 2010 to 2018, a total of 1,011 fully functional toilets have been constructed in Paprenda, on paper. In the vein of Amitabh Bachchan exhorting rural India to 'darwaza bandh karo', 'fully functional' translates into doors and locks, besides the required mechanisms indoors. But it's hard to find even one such toilet in all of Paprenda. Ward member Vineet, equal parts angry and cynical, plays the role of an anti-guide as he takes us on a tour of Paprenda, "Dekhiye," he says, pointing out the sarvjanik shauchalay (community toilet), "Yeh aane jaane vaalon ke liye hai. Lekin use nahi kiya ja sakta (This is for visitors, but unusable)". Kamlesh, a Paprenda resident recalls the celebratory air that was vibrant in the village late last year, "They had dhols playing, declaring that our village was finally shauch-mukt (ODF). Nothing could be further from the truth." Swachch Bharat and ODF come at a price, and it's hard to reckon who's actually paying those entitled.
But these are not just the flagship policies and the crores of rupees pumped into them that have borne the brunt of corruption. In Paprenda, budget upon budget allocated for development — from roads to hand-pumps — has disappeared down the drain. Rs 3, 60, 000 was sanctioned for the installation of hand-pumps between 2016 and 2018 for the express purpose of solving a 20-year-old water problem here, but as local ward member Ramnaresh Yadav puts it, "The water that this hand-pump spews out is not fit for drinking for either our animals or us. This has been the scenario for over six months now." Funds that came in for repair work were to the tune of 3 lakhs, while an exclusive Rs 75,000 had been set aside for reparation of street lights alone. In Paprenda, you're hard-pressed to find even one decent streetlight that does its job properly.
Records-digging revealed more, turning out to be an exercise in peeling the layers of corruption. We learnt of slightly bizarre budgets, such as the one allotted for solar panels — in the collective lifetime history of Paprenda's residents, not once has a solar-powered machine been introduced here, and yet the funds allocated under it until 2018, were Rs 3, 37, 000. Asking the locals about suraj urja and its face in their village, is like playing a tragic round of Never Have I Ever.
The laying of khadanjas (brick roads) and reparation work for 2016 has until now been sanctioned Rs 3 lakh. This is, hands down, Paprenda's own favourite grouse in the scam saga, given the abysmal state of connectivity the village has due to lack of proper roads.
Vineet highlights another big Paprenda peeve – the corruption around the Mukti Dham, the space demarcated for burials and funerals that has not been built according to standard norms. There is no rest for the dead either, it seems. "This was during the SP reign that 25 lakh rupees had been allocated. But nothing happened then. And look at the state now."
As we decide to visit the panchayat bhawan, the state of Paprenda is crystal-clear: The bhawan is filled with shit, literally. Shit and "afsaron ki manmaani", says Vineet.
Meanwhile, all we have to do is the Math.
Khabar Lahariya is a women-only network of rural reporters from Bundelkhand.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
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Hathras case: Late night cremation infringed upon human rights, says Allahabad HC; CBI team visits crime scene
The court said the Hathras district administration failed to show "any good reason" as to why it could not hand over the victim's body to the family members, say for even half an hour, to enable them to perform their rituals at home
Akhilesh eyes UP bypolls as springboard for 2022 Assembly election, says BJP govt 'hides crime rate'
The Samajwadi Party chief and Leader of Opposition also questioned the ruling party for its promise to double the income of farmers saying that it was a mere slogan
Allahabad HC raises concern over misuse of anti-cow slaughter law in Uttar Pradesh
Granting bail to one Rahmuddin who was allegedly involved in cow slaughter, Justice Sidharth said the misuse of the Act has been leading to "innocent persons languishing in jail"


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All Your Rogue One Questions Answered! PEOPLE and Twitter Are Hosting a Q&A with the Cast — All the Details
Star Wars fans, send your questions on Twitter using the hashtag #AskRogueOne
Pick up PEOPLE's special issue, Star Wars: The Secrets of Rogue One, on newsstands now — including a special Star Wars virtual-reality bonus with goggles included! (Or click here to order now.) And watch People Special: Star Wars Rogue One on the new People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). Go to PEOPLE.com/PEN, or download the PEN app on Apple TV, Roku Players, Amazon Fire TV, Xumo, Chromecast, iOS and Android devices..
Get ready for a lightspeed ride back to that galaxy far, far away when Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first-ever standalone movie set in the iconic Star Wars universe, hits theaters Dec. 16.
For now, the mysteries are swirling: Just who is heroine Jyn Erso? What should we expect from Darth Vader's return? Is that shiny droid any relation to C-3PO?
On Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, Rogue One's stars and filmmakers will answer your questions when PEOPLE's deputy editor J.D. Heyman hosts a Q&A in collaboration with Twitter and Disney.
Fans will get a glimpse of a never-before-seen clip from Rogue One — which takes place shortly before the events of 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope and focuses on a group of unlikely heroes who steal the plans to the Death Star. Then director Gareth Edwards and cast members Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed and Ben Mendelsohn will chat about the film.
RELATED VIDEO: 'Rogue One' Director Gareth Edwards Talks Working With Darth Vader
Star Wars aficionados can send their questions on Twitter using the hashtag #AskRogueOne.
The livestream will be available worldwide at RogueOne.Twitter.com, Twitter Moments and through @StarWars and @People.
PEOPLE's Rogue One celebration kicks off on Nov. 30 with the release of a special newsstand edition, Stars Wars: The Secrets of Rogue One, featuring a virtual reality bonus including goggles. To watch the full experience and explore more exclusive virtual reality content, download the LIFE VR app for iOS and Android or visit time.com/lifevr.
In addition, the original special Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will premiere on Nov. 30 on the People/Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN).


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Ski Simulator
Tags: Sports Games / Simulation Games / Skiing Games
Publisher: Gamer.com.tw
Video Walkthrough
The aim of Ski Simulator is to go between the two poles and avoid hitting trees on your way down. Please don't worry about the track, it's automatically generated randomly every time you restart the game. Use your mouse to move left/right and click the left mouse button to jump. Tip: if you encounter a problem with the game right click and press play.
· Ski Around = Use Mouse · Jump = Use Mouse (left click button)
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Frigidaire FAD504TDD 50-Pint Dehumidifier Review
The Frigidaire FAD504TDD 50 pint dehumidifier will help you control the comfort in your home. It will remove up to 50 pints water effortlessly so that you don't have to worry about mold and mildew. Along with removing moisture from the air it will also remove most allergens as well as bacteria. It comes with a 17 pint bucket with convenient carry handle for easy dumping when full. An alert system warns you when the water bucket needs to be emptied.
We found Amazon.com to have the best prices on all Frigidaire portable dehumidifiers including the Frigidaire fad504tdd dehumidifier. Click here to check it out.
Frigidaire FAD504TDD Dehumidifier Features
The Frigidaire 50 pint dehumidifier will help make any room more livable; it removes excess moisture, harmful bacteria and allergens. It is capable of removing up to 50 pints of water out of any medium sized room. It also has an antimicrobial filter that is able to trap the bacteria and other allergens floating in the air and return clean fresh drier air back into the room.
As it removes the water from the air it puts it into a removable 17 pint bucket located inside an access door in front of the unit. When the bucket is full an alarm will sound and the unit will shut off telling you that the bucket needs to be emptied. The bucket has a carry handle attached and a splash guard to prevent accidental spilling while removing the bucket from the unit.
The filter that traps the allergens and bacteria from the air as it passes through unit is washable and therefore does not need to be replaced every time it is filled with contaminants. You will definitely smell the difference in the room after the Frigidaire fad504tdd dehumidifier has been running.
A few other facts about the unit, it is very compact (17.75 x 25 x 15.2 inches) and it has casters and handles on the side to make it easy to move from room to room.
Frigidaire FAD504TDD Review
While conducting our online research for the Frigidaire FAD504TDD 50 pint dehumidifier we discovered 304 consumer reviews posted online. While looking through the reviews we saw that it received 4.4 stars out of a possible 5.0 stars from the consumers that purchased it. The majority of the comments were very favorable with only a small number of reviewers left some not some glowing comments. One of most talked about points made about the Frigidaire dehumidifier was that it was not as loud as many expected it to be. Another great point was mentioned was that it was really energy efficient. Another reviewer really liked the casters mounted on the bottom which allows it to be moved easily. Click here to read more reviews on Amazon.
We found that only a few negative comments posted and they seemed to center around the water bucket and that some found it to be a little cheaply made. Another reviewer thought that it was too difficult to remove the water bucket so it can be emptied.
When our research concluded we discovered that the Frigidaire fad504tdd dehumidifier was a really well made product and that the overwhelming majority of the consumers that reviewed it really liked it and despite a small number of negative comments we would have to highly recommend it.
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48th Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts (& Giveaway!!)
PhoenixBites is all about local love and there is nothing that falls more in line with that than the Tempe Festival of the Arts. Twice a year the Downtown Tempe Authority gathers artists from all over our state, and the country, to share their artistry with us. This year will mark the 48th Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts and the planned event is said to be better than ever.
What Can You Expect From the 48th Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts?
This year there the Fall Festival of the Arts will boast more than 300 artists from around the country. The Fall Festival will stretch from 3rd Street to University along Mill Avenue and anticipates as many as 225,000 guests this year.
What Kind Of Artists Are Featured at the Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts?
There will be artists on hand featuring pretty much anything that you can think of. From buttons to children's clothing, upcycled furniture to watercolors, metal work to handmade jewelry and everything in between.
What's New at the Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts This Year?
• Beer & Wine Gardens | There's nothing better than relaxing with a glass of wine or cold brew after a day of soaking up some culture and shopping. Thankfully, the Beer & Wine Garden has been expanded after it first being introduced at this year's Spring Festival. There will now be 3 separate gardens that have partnered up with Tempe-based Pedal Haus and Four Peaks Breweries as well as Gordon Biersch Brewing Company to make sure everyone stays "hydrated."
• Food Truck Alley | Here's where our expertise comes in! You know we love a good local food truck, I mean its like a grown up ice cream truck! The Spring Festival hosted a few food trucks and the success of that addition required some more options and space, hence Food Truck Alley was born! Over the course of the Festival weekend, you're bound to see as many as 10 different food trucks serving up great dining options. Have a light snack in the morning, walk around enough to work up a good appetite and then hit up some of your favorite trucks or try a few new ones.
• Kid's Block | The Fall Festival of the Arts is a great way to introduce your kids to new forms of art and expression. The Kid's Block is the icing on that culture cake. There are a dozen community organizations that have come together to create a completely interactive experience for the kids. There will be student art exhibits along with a number of creation stations for your kids to delve into their inner artist. Your littles will love this new addition.
Need a Refresher of the Other Aspects of the Festival?
• Chalk-a-Lot-Street | This aspect of the Festival has been a feature for several years but the space and popularity have grown each year. Over the three-day festival, you'll be able to see the chalk mural grow and expand while the artists labor over their creation.
• Entertainment | You'll find a variety of local and regional music throughout the Festival as well as on 3 stages throughout the Festival. From musicians and group to street performers, the Festival has it all.
The Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts is taking place December 2nd through the 4th and will be open from 10am until 5:30pm each day. The event is 100% free to attend and is open to the public. Gather up your family and friends and make a day of it.
Fall Tempe Festival of the Arts Giveaway
To add a little more fun to the weekend, we have a great giveaway for you. The prize package features a variety of goods from DTA vendors and is valued at $165.
If selected, you will win the following:
1 K&R Fudge Gift Basket
2 Large Bags of What's Poppin' Kettle Korn
1 $8 Coupon Redeemable at Luu's Italian Ice
2 32 ounce Stainless Steel Mugs from Eureka Old Fashioned Soda
1 Growler from Gordon Biersch
2 Beer Koozies from Gordon Biersch
1 $25 Gordon Biersch Gift Card
1 Pair of Glasses from Pedal Haus
1 Pedal Haus Refillable Growler
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Congratulations to our winner, Judith! Enjoy the festival!
*This announcement is part of a sponsored series. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.
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I'm looking forward to all the food!
I'm looking forward to some of the new features like the Cottage Edibles and the Sixth and Mill Makers.
Looking forward to the nice weather and unique gift items
The food and drinks!
I am looking forward to buying gifts!


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Derbyshire asks:
What do people actually mean by any of this? Do they actually conduct their lives on the working assumption that the next stranger they meet may be an angel, a ghost, Satan, or a UFO crewman? (Ans: Obviously not.) How many could give a coherent account of the theory they reject? (Ans: Vanishingly few.) What does "believe" actually mean in this context? (Ans: Nothing very functional.)Douthat's answer is, I think, very much on base. He concludes:
But if you want to understand what, if anything, a person means when he says he believes in demons or angels or ghosts, the simplest baseline answer is this: He means that if confronted with an encounter or an experience that seems demonic or ghostly or angelic and asked to rationalize it, he will be inclined to give credence... to the possibility that the encounter is, in fact, what it appears to be.I think this is one of the basic areas in which materialists and non-materialists talk past each other a great deal. There's a sort of creation myth of mythology, religion and folklore that moves about in secularist/materialist circles (perhaps given that these are materialist circles we really should use Dawkins' terminology and call it a meme) that all forms of "superstition" are in fact attempts explain how the world works. Thus, belief in God is really just an attempt to explain "how things got here" in the absence of scientific knowledge on the topic. Belief in angels or demons or ghosts or any number of folkloric characters is simply a way of explaining phenomena which people didn't understand the physical causes of. Or perhaps a way of reading causation into something which is actually random -- an over-active sense of pattern recognition.
However, I think part of the real difference here is that people have strongly different ideas about how unlikely it is to experience something that is non-material. For some people, the idea that the sun danced at Fatima or that late stage cancer could completely vanish as a result of miraculous means is so unthinkable that even if one receives multiple testaments to such a thing having happened, one concludes that there must be some completely unknown (or highly unlikely) physical explanation which is what "really happened."
But the difference is not so much between people who look for "real explanations" for things and people who don't, but rather between people who discount all non-material explanations and those who don't.
Needless to say, there is still plenty of room for disagreement. I've often had fellow Christians relate to me small "miracles" which I would tend to assign as simply being coincidences. But again, that's a difference primarily attributable to my placing a different likelihood on supernatural intervention in certain issues than some other people do.
One of the primary charges often leveled against religious believers is that they are irrational -- but I think the key difference to understand here is that believers in various forms of non-material creature or phenomena do not fail to understand cause and effect, or fail to look for rational explanations, it's simply that their ideas of what is a possible cause for a given effect are difference from those of the committed materialist. Whether the materialist's commitment to all phenomena having material explanations is justified by anything other than choice is less clear to me.


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Bank Lending Fell By £300m In Q1
Net lending by banks under the Government's Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) fell by £0.3 billion in the first quarter of the year, data from the Bank of England (BoE) shows.
Just 13 of the 40 participants in the FLS made drawdowns from the scheme in the three months to 31 March 2013, at a value of £2.6 billion.
The FLS aims to encourage more lending to businesses and individuals by allowing banks to reduce the cost of providing new loans by borrowing at lower rates from the BoE.
The BoE's executive director for markets, Paul Fisher, said:
"The picture of flat lending growth overall is broadly as expected at this stage reflecting reductions in some legacy portfolios being roughly offset in aggregate by expanding new lending. The plans of the FLS participants suggest that net lending volumes will pick up gradually through the remainder of 2013."
The news follows figures from the BDRC SME Finance Monitor report, which showed that just 39 per cent of SMEs are using some form of external finance despite Government schemes such as the FLS and the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.
Commenting on the BDRC figure, John Longworth at the British Chambers of Commerce said:
"The latest figures from SME finance monitor are concerning because they show a continued deterioration in companies' confidence when dealing with financial institutions. It is disheartening to see that the availability of external finance remains a barrier to growth for many businesses. Although it is understandable that first-time applicants remain among the least successful when applying for loans, many of these will be young and fast-growing firms who aren't getting the funding they need to expand. This is why we need to see a swift delivery of the British Business Bank with both the scale and the infrastructure needed to help dynamic businesses to grow."


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WOW | Life Inspiration
Text by: Mannat Shrestha
wow photo file © Ram Tandukar
Nidhee Rana has sparkling eyes and fire in her soul. She is the Founder and proprietor of The Empress, a jewellery store, that specialises in fashion jewellery, imitation jewellery and semi-precious jewellery. A beautiful woman who knows her mind, Nidhee shares what makes her life beautiful.
What are you currently busy with?
Lately, I've been very busy travelling and exploring places to expand my business
What do you love about your work?
I love what I hate about my work: competition
What makes a person beautiful?
Character and discipline
What makes you beautiful?
No matter where I am standing or may stand in the future, I'll always make sure that I don't let myself get carried away by pride
What tickles your funny bones?
I can never get enough of the comedy reality TV show Just for Laughs
Favourite comedian
Jim Parsons
What makes you smile
The best therapy for happiness…
Balance is the key to success and happiness. If you learn to balance every aspect of life, happiness follows itself. If there is misbalance in one area, all areas can get equally affected; it's like a domino effect
Current perfume
Laya by Ne'emah
I am addicted to
Music. Good music always cheers me up!
On my wish-list
To visit Italy
I stay fit by
Regular exercise and controlling my diet. I make sure that I have dinner before 7.30 pm
Best year of my life
2012. This was the year I started my jewellery brand: The Empress
Latest splurge
My watch
I follow a regular day and night regime. I never go out without sunscreen. I avoid alcohol
My Bose QC35 headphones
Style Icon
Marilyn Monroe
Always in my handbag
Life advice
Be determined and make something out of your life, so that when you are older and look back, you can be proud of yourself
Favourite holiday destination
I always struggle with
Pushing myself to work out every morning
The best thing about being me
I am a very far-sighted person
Makeup… can't do without
Lipstick. Even if you're not wearing any makeup, one lipstick is enough to brighten your entire face
Favourite makeup brand
Fenty Beauty
Three things I do to look my absolute best
Dress up, makeup and put a smile on my face
On a bad hair day
I take the entire hair on top and make a bun; it looks really cool
One tip I learnt that makes me photo-ready
Stay fit