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There was something I learned by the time the meeting was over.
There were more unknowns in this case than I had first anticipated.
When Claudia should have headed to the scene on the 10th, why were the security camera footages swapped to make her appear on the 11th?
Who delivered the letter to Claudia's house?
Why was the victim chosen in the first place?
What was the holy sword supposed to be to begin with?
And more than anything, what irritated me most was… the demon lord.
He was supposed to have come to an end fifty years ago, in a world war this country didn't even take part in, so what relation did he have to a brutal present-day murder case?
And there was one more unknown… the hero.
For some reason, the demon lord and hero were involved in this case. Both sides were major players in the Great War. They definitely did once exist in the world, and were true flesh and blood. But both of them were somewhat shady.
By the time I noticed it, it was already passed noon, and the sun was beginning to make its way downwards. Even when there wasn't a cloud in the sky when I entered the detention center, now large black rainclouds were making their way to cover the sun.
… It would be best I hurried.
I broke into a jog as I made for the station. If I used a taxi, it wouldn't take much time at all, but thinking of what was to come, it was best I economized as best I could.
Demon lord and hero, demon lord and hero, demon lord and hero…
They were already dead, the both of them. The dead don't come back. Humans gone from the living could never lay hands on the world.
Yet why were the living so insistent to cling to the deceased? They should just forget about them already.
Time-wise, perhaps it took around thirty minutes? I arrived at the station-front.
The rainclouds had completely covered the sky, and the moment I reached, a light downpour began to fall.
A step ahead of being soaked by the rain, I reached my destination building. Approachign the entrance, the sensor reacted, and automatically opened the door.
'Welcome. You have reached dispatchable soldier corp DSC.'
As the door shut behind me, a mechanical voice flowed in out of nowhere.
Yet the building was quiet. There were few human traces, the floor tiled of black and white marble well-polished, with a majestic air drifting about.
… I felt I had gotten the wrong place. As the thought crossed my mind, a voice called over.
"Welcome to DSC. Do you have an appointment?
Looking around, I found a woman in her twenties. With a rugged title like dispatchable soldier corp, I had imagined a scarier person to come out, but the person standing before my eyes was a meek woman eternally unsuited to a shady atmosphere, as she politely gave her greetings.
"Um, no, the truth is today would be my first time using your services. I would like to hire a soldier…"
"So you're a first-time customer."
The woman gave a soft business smile. "Then let me explain our company's system. Please come over here," she said, leading me to the white counter.
Wearing what was likely the company's uniform- a gray vest and skirt over a white dress-shirt- she said, "Please sit here," as she urged me towards a counter seat.
"Our firm is a private soldier dispatch company. Warriors, knights, magicians, body guards, rescue squads, hunters, we possess excellent soldiers who can fulfill all sorts of missions."
"Um, if possible, I'm searching for someone strong… who would be the strongest?"
"A strong soldier? If you don't mind me saying, sir. Our firm employs experts of every genre. Warriors skilled in combat, hunters specializing in monster hunting, guards who will protect you from all sorts of danger. Based on what sort of strength you are looking for, the appropriate soldier will differ."
"Ah, I see.
I ended up agreeing.
Dispatchable Soldier Corp. I'd know its name for a while now, but this would be my first time using it.
It was hard to say the world was always safe. Grimbeld was a country with comparatively high public safety, but if you took a step out you'd find extraterritoriality. There, what protected everything wasn't the law, but overwhelming power.
This alone, no matter how many ideals you spoke of, would never lead to anything. Since I was doing something dangerous, I couldn't help but require adequate power.
There was a mountain of things I had to investigate to solve this case.
The crime scene, the camera's footage, the victim… and the Dark Forest.
If I were only investigating within Grimbeld, I wouldn't have to worry so much for my safety.
But the Dark Forest was different. That was the most dangerous no-man's land in the world.
It wasn't the sort of place a single lawyer could leave unscathed. In order to investigate it, I needed the support of someone powerful.
"Truth be told, I'm going to be travelling abroad for work-related purposes."
I tried explaining my circumstance in a nutshell.
"I'll be making a business trip to a bit of a dangerous place, so I'm searching for someone who could act as a guard on site."
The female staff made her business smile, placing an A4-size slim touch panel display on the counter.
Touching the display with her slender index finger, the dark screen suddenly lit up.
After the company's logo popped up, a muscular, stern-looking man appeared on the screen.
"He is our company's new guard we have high hopes for. Before signing a contract with our firm, he spent five years as a mercenary on the front lines of a conflict zone. He's a specialist of weapons and combat, and will eliminate any sorts of danger for his client. He's the best sort of person to accompany you overseas. Also owing to his long career in foreign lands, he is well versed in a number of languages."
"Hmm, how reliable."
I looked at his history, a little excitedly. But seeing the item on the very bottom, meaning his contract fee of a 20000 gold hourly wage, I turned despondent.
… His salary is higher than mine… I can't hire him.
"U-um, I'd like to browse a few more options…"
"Certainly. By the way, do you have any requests?"
"Yes, theirs is a limit on my budget, so if possible, someone with a lower hourly fee."
For a moment, I felt her business smile twitch, but she immediately returned to her original gentle face.
"Understood. Then let's see, how about this one? A female magician, Radya. She's a user of the ancient dark magic Hades, and if it's within a one kilometer radius of her, she can completely erase any lifeform in five seconds."
… I get the feeling she's even more amazing than the previous person, I thought as I looked at witch Radya's overly-exposed, voluptuous chest.
"Um, I do understand that she's amazing, but isn't she expensive as well."
"As expected of our esteemed customer. You've good eyes."
I got the feeling I was subtly stirring her up. It was a bit of a nice feel.
"Female magician Radya's contract fee would originally be 30000G per hour, but if it's now, I'll give you a special discount of a whole 15000G."
She said it frightfully cheerful, but I didn't let the small print at the very bottom of the display slip by.
※Magician Radya's special package includes a two-year plan.
… I ain't hiring her for two years.
By the way, cancelling the contract part-way through would cost 1000000G, or so was written.
I recalled my account's balance, and reaffirmed that the world ran on money after all.


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I was naughty a while ago, after saying that I wasn't going to buy anything from the New Look sale I caved and picked up this white jacket and a vest top.
I wasn't sure at first because me and white don't usually go well together, I can guarantee by the end of the day I will have either a food stain on me or a pen mark!
I don't think its available anymore as I picked it up in September but they do have this lovely little number available now.
Here is how I styled it for a casual Saturday outing!
Much Love

subset: commoncrawl


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For some reason, people seem very comfortable assuming they know as much as anyone trained in marketing, advertising or public relations. Whereas few people would feel comfortable second-guessing a
physician's assistant physician assistant, or telling an engineer how to do their job – they are more than willing to micro-manage communications professionals.
To them, I say "thanks but no thanks." If you've not in the field, and you've ever offered up any of the following advice to a colleague in the field, please check yourself.
1. You think we should advertise somewhere because you consume that media.
In all liklihood *you* are not the demographic being targeted. *I* am not the demographic being targeted either.
This happens all the time – I guess it has to do with some desire we have to feel as though we understand the average person's mindset and that we represent the common opinion on the street. The problem is – it's increasingly hard to identify "the average person" anymore.
Not only that, but whomever he/she is, none of us is likely representative of them (particularly where I work where most of the employees have advanced degrees – relegating them to a tiny ten percent of the US population, not at all representative of the median).
Instead of going with your gut – trust the data instead. Save your gut for the creative portions of the campaign where it will be needed.
2. You think we should advertise somewhere because it's a "special" promotion targeted right at our industry.
I hate to break it to you, but every two-bit media entity worth its salt has created bogus "special interest" offerings as a marketing ploy to appeal to advertisers. There are "special editions" for everything now – and they even come out more than once a year.
To make matters worse, there are even entire organizations created solely for the purpose of selling worthless advertising to rubes who think they're reaching someone.
A great example of this is the "Who's Who" listings or "Internet Directories" for special topics. When was the last time you looked anyone up in a "Who's Who" book? Carter was probably president. The same goes for special "directories" online; as the power and accuracy of search has improved, it has rendered the need for curated directories obsolete. You're far better off taking all of that time and money and putting it into writing a blog to push up your rank in Google.
On Payola: By the way – if the "special promotion" includes freebies to the people buying the advertising (say, event tickets) – if you take those, it's unethical and potentially grounds for firing at many institutions. It constitutes a conflict of interest for you to spend money that isn't yours in order to get something free. You may even want to check with your Purchasing department because you may be legally-obligated to notify them or turn over that item.
3. You think we should advertise somewhere because they have special pricing available only for a limited time.
The amount of exclamation points that usually accompany the emails for these sorts of requests could fuel a mid-sized city. Understand that these offers are invariably overvalued. The reason they're discounting the air time/ad space is because NO ONE ELSE WANTS IT (and there's a reason no one else wants it).
The reason these "opportunities" are "special" is because no one else will advertise on them because they don't reach enough people (or they're not effective at converting eyeballs into sales). They're the advertising equivalent of the bargain DVD bin at Wal-mart – no one wants to own Battlefield Earth which is why it languishes even with a $2.99 price tag. You're literally throwing your money away – money that could be better spent with 30 seconds and a credit card on Facebook.
4. You think we should advertise somewhere because our competitors are doing it.
To be sure, there is absolutely value in benchmarking what one's competitors are doing. However, following the herd can be problematic for a variety of reasons.
- First, if the herd is already there – it's a diluted marketplace for ideas. You'll be trying to make noise while everyone else is trying to make noise – no one is going to hear it. The Law of Diminishing Returns absolutely applies to advertising.
- Second, the herd doesn't know anything you don't already know. They're not privy to some mystical insight – particularly the more members of the herd are engaging in this communal behavior the more likely it is to be outmoded because the soft middle has arrived.
- Third,
5. You think we should advertise somewhere whether or not we can track the response.
Measurement is just as critical as Communication in a marketing/pr plan. If you're not worried about how we're going to gauge the response to our efforts – I'M worried about your fitness for your job.
If you can't find a way to verify whether or not something worked – why would you do it? Would you have a surgery if you had no way of telling whether or not it was successful? Would you enter a competition that didn't track how you placed?
It's not fun and it's not sexy, but it is an imperative that we develop some way of measuring how many people are converted by our efforts. Given how wildly media consumption habits are shifting right now – it's even MORE important than any time in the past half-decade.
Moreover, ENTIRELY NEW forms of advertising are emerging all the time. What worked this year may not work at all next year – and it's important to track that progress.
In Summary
So "Backseat Marketers," please – we need your input but keep it constructive and focused on the content that you are experts on. Recycle the faxes you get with radio discounts on them instead of forwarding them to us. Defer questions from ad sales reps to us and let us handle them (instead of allowing them to create confusion, conflict and division within our organization just because they work on commission).


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Dont Buy Coke! The largest Coca Cola union in Colombia has called for an international campaign against Coke to stop its violence against workers, which has included a half-dozen murders at one plant alone in the mid-1990's. Reports of these crimes sparked a historic lawsuit against the Coca Cola Company and their Colombian bottler by the International Labor Rights Fund and the United Steelworkers of America on behalf of the Colombian union.
Coca-Cola has formally stated that the "Company does not anticipate supporting in any way any form of 'independent fact-finding delegation to Colombia,'" and has even refused a preliminary meeting with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), an objective monitoring group created by college and university administrations, students and labor rights experts.
There is also an intense struggle being faught by people in India against the Coca-Cola Company.
An independent media website called Inida Resource Center charges that Coca-Cola is guilty of:
– Causing Severe Water Shortages for Communities Across India
– Polluting Groundwater and Soil Around its Bottling Facilities
– Distributing its Toxic Waste as "Fertilizer" to Farmers
– Selling Drinks with Extremely High Levels of Pesticides
I downloaded the above photo from the Indian Resource Center photo page. The photo features anti-Coke demonstrators who clashed with police in Mehdiganj, India.
Currently, there are many local students working to get coke banned from their campuses and to get their school administrations to endorse an investigation by the WRC into the allegations of violence in Columbia.
Here are some visual resources (poster and flyer designs) that have been used to rally oposition against Coke. If you want to start organizing around this issue, or if you already have, please feel free to download these images or to send us images you've made yourself.
I got most of these images from www.cokewatch.org and www.killercoke.org. These websites are also a great way to find out updates on the anti-Coke campaign.


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Wellness and relaxation park
Relaxing under the South Tyrolean sun
Our generous park is an oasis for guests looking for rest and for romantics. In the midst of trees and lush green meadows there are some outdoor highlights to discover: the 20 m long outdoor swimming pool, the bio natural outdoor swimming pond, the Alpine hut sauna, our large event terrace, and first and foremost a large lawn area to relax in the South Tyrolean sunshine. In the many quiet zones you can kick up your heels surrounded by nature.


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Gold Price Close Today : 1277.90
Change : -12.90 or -1.00%
Silver Price Close Today : 19.409
Change : -0.514 or -2.58%
Gold Silver Ratio Today : 65.841
Change : 1.051 or 1.62%
Silver Gold Ratio Today : 0.01519
Change : -0.000246 or -1.60%
Platinum Price Close Today : 1411.60
Change : -14.50 or -1.02%
Palladium Price Close Today : 734.35
Change : -0.15 or -0.02%
Change : 4.65 or 0.28%
Dow In GOLD$ : $250.26
Change : $ 2.80 or 1.13%
Dow in GOLD oz : 12.106
Change : 0.135 or 1.13%
Dow in SILVER oz : 797.08
Change : 21.50 or 2.77%
Dow Industrial : 15,470.52
Change : 18.67 or 0.12%
US Dollar Index : 82.644
Change : 0.111 or 0.13%
The GOLD PRICE coughed up $12.90 (-1%) to $1,277.90. Silver backed away 51.4 cents (2.6%) to 1940.9c.
Bernanke said he would continue unraveling the dollar, but silver and gold prices dropped. Welcome to Wonderland, Alice.
Oddly enough, the GOLD PRICE remained in the range that has reigned for the last five days. Still, today's fall counts as a failure at $1,300 resistance, and forecasts gold may fall further. Should gold hold above $1,270 and advance, it would gainsay that outlook.
The SILVER PRICE, on the other hand, fell out of its trading range (bottom was about 1970c) to a low at 1929.2c and a close at 1940.9c. That closes silver also below the 20 day moving average. Expect more downside, unless silver contradicts by closing higher tomorrow.
Here's a measure of how much I love y'all: I willingly watch video clips of Ben Bernanke so I can write for y'all. Yes, I watch him, even though my Hogwash Detector is blaring its klaxon in my ear and you could see its red alarm blinking from outer space. Still, I watch him.
But I am not edified. Poor man is succumbing to Greenspan's Disease, so every sentence he says he pulls right back with the next sentence. Clearly the import of today's performance is that he roiled the markets with his June statement and is trying to calm them with this -- "calm them" being code words for assure them he will create more money by buying more bonds.
This is just so wrong I don't know where to start. I had a friend in Memphis who was a policeman back in the 1970s. About 2:00 a.m. he got called out on a domestic violence call. He noticed that several small children were playing out on the street. He went and knocked on the door, and while he was waiting for an answer a little 5 year old hand tugged at his sleeve: "Hey, (12 letter word), give me a nickel!" There's so much wrong in that situation, like Bernanke's speechifying, that you just don't know where to start. Just let it lie. Anybody who thinks you can inflate your way to prosperity is so ignorant of history and economics there's just ain't no point in messing with him.
In spite of all Ben the Beneficent (of all the many words I could choose that begin with B) bloviating, stocks traded jaggedly today, and ended up minimally.
Dow gained 18.67 (0.12%) to 15,470.52. S&P500 scratched up 4.65 (0.,28%) to end at 1,680.91.
Dow measured by silver and gold jumped up today, but still below past lows. Dow in gold added 1.15% to close at 12.106 oz (G$250.25 gold dollars) versus a June high of 12.56. Dow in silver jumped 21.5 oz (2.77%) to 797.08 (versus June high at 819.52). Still rolling over downward.
US dollar index rose 11.1 basis points (0.14%), but on what grounds no sane person might say. Just rose because Bernanke failed to say he intended to nuke Washington, DC.
Dollar's short term trend remains down, but this is likely only part of a longer term rise.
Euro lost 0.26% today to $1.3125, still climbing, though. Yen lost 0.41% to 100.47 cents/Y100 -- moving sideways.
Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and silver must be bought.
- Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger
10:00am-5:00pm CST, Monday-Friday
© 2013, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including electronically, without our express permission.
To avoid confusion, please remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least $3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66; stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate bubble has burst, primary trend down.
WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and warned:
Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not as a timing service for futures.
NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps.
NOR do I recommend trading futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not for the inexperienced.
NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or with debt.
What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your own hands.
One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose. No, I don't.


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So You Want to Learn how to Start Lucid Dreaming?
But Before that, what Is Lucid Dreaming?
So, you want to learn about lucid dreaming? If you don't know what lucid dreams, are, they're basically being "awake" or conscious while being sleep. There have been few studies on lucid dreams, but it is entirely possible. My first experience with lucid dreaming was amazing, not because of what I did while within that dream, but because of what I felt. I felt free. I know I could do anything without any repercussions whatsoever. Once you truly get better at lucidity, you'll be able to fly in your dreams. You can actually learn how to do something while dreaming; you can practice writing, skateboarding, drawing, etc. Cool, huh?
How to Begin Lucid Dreaming
Now, in my other article; "Understanding your dreams" there is already a tip to start lucid dreaming, you will need a dream journal, no doubt about it. Let me explain what a dream journal does. It increases your dream recall. You might be able to have a lucid dream without one, but you will most likely won't remember it. It also give you "signs" on what to look out for. Remember them from my other article? Yep, look out for your signs, but instead of trying to think about what they mean, remember them. That way you might see it again when you're dreaming and think, "Wait, am I dreaming?" while dreaming. Usually asking yourself "am I dreaming" while in a dream will cause a lucid dream. Moving on to my next tip, do reality checks.
Reality checks.
Reality checks can be anything, most common is just asking yourself; "Am I dreaming." I recommend doing more than that. Here are a few other things to do while you say that, like look at your palms. When dreaming there would be something wrong with them, they might only have 3 or 4 fingers or maybe even more than 5. You can look at a digital clock, look away, then look back. Usually the time would change when you're dreaming. You can hold your breath, in dreams you would still breathe normally. Reality checks for beginners should be done every time you: you go out of a room/open a door, often dreams take place inside, so if you make a habit out of that, you'll walk through a door in your dream and ask "am I dreaming." You should do reality checks when ever you remember. When you get into the habit and had lucid dreams for a while, you can start doing it only when something weird happens.
Don't expect much for a while. It will happen though, just not overnight. Make sure to keep that dream journal by your bed side, under your pillow or where ever you can get it easily. I hadn't had a dream that I could remember in months that I could remember before I started my dream journal.(Not counting small things. Write down every little thing.) Now I can remember several dreams at night. Keep doing those reality checks, those are important too, your dream journal is just there to increase dream recall, not too induce lucid dreams. Well that's about it. See ya next time.


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Does the aam Indian recognise his netas?
With photographs of some of India's top politicians, Rediff.com's Mukhtar Ahmad travelled across Srinagar to test if the common man knows his leaders. Here's what he found out.
Continuing our series.
The media spotlight notwithstanding, shocking as it may sound most of country's top politicians are unrecognisable -- at least to the aam aadmi.
Read Part I here
Read Part II here
Here's the proof. Rediff.com's Mukhtar Ahmad went around Srinagar carrying photographs of some of India's best-known politicians along with that of the film stars. While the common man from Srinagar took no time in identifying the actors, many of them appeared confused when shown "never-seen-before" pictures of our netas.
Most of them recognised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a handful Sonia Gandhi. The rest were all unfamiliar faces.
Narendra Modi was confused with Atal Bihari Vajpayee! So much for all that advertising and campaigning blitzkrieg. Sushma Swaraj, one thought was Mayawati, the other Mamata Banerjee.
More shockers from Srinagar…
Click NEXT to read further…
Does the aam Indian recognise his netas?
Abdul Aziz Kasba is a 50-year-old chestnut seller from the busy Residency Road in Srinagar.
He had a good look at the photographs shown to him by this correspondent and was quick to recognise Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch L K Advani. He answered with a smile.
Kasba tried hard to recognise Dr Singh and Sonia. Staring at the photographs of the United Progressive Alliance duo he said, "I have seen both of them on the TV making speeches, but I don't know their names."
"Frankly speaking, I cannot recognise the others at all," he said looking at the pictures of Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi, sister Priyanka, President Pranab Mukherjee, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, among others.
And he took barely a second to exclaim, "Amitabh Bachchan," when shown a photograph of the Bollywood superstar.
Click NEXT to read further…
Image: Abdul Aziz Kasba takes a look at the photographs of India's politicians
Photographs: Umar Ganie
Does the aam Indian recognise his netas?
Mohammad Abdul Salam, 65, from downtown Chattabal locality answered promptly when show Dr Singh's photograph. "He rules he country," said Salam.
"And she lives in New Delhi," he added on seeing Sonia Gandhi's picture.
All he knew about Rahul was that "he is Sonia Gandhi's son." The 65-year-old was clueless when asked to name him.
Priyanka Gandhi, said Salam, is "Dr Farooq Abdullah's daughter." Even more shocking is this. Pointing to Modi's photograph, he said, "That's Atal Bihari Vajpayee."
Click NEXT to read further…
Image: Mohammad Abdul Salam from Srinagar's Chattabal locality
Photographs: Umar Ganie
Does the aam Indian recognise his netas?
Abdul Rahman Wani, 57, from south Kashmir's mountain resort of Pahalgam wasn't as ignorant, if we may say. He correctly identified Dr Singh, Sonia and Modi.
He even identified Pranab Mukherjee as India's President.
But when shown a photograph of Sushma Swaraj, he confidently said, "She is Mayawati; she's a tough woman."
Click NEXT to read further…
Image: Abdul Rahman Wani takes a look at the pictures of politicians in Pahalgam
Photographs: Umar Ganie
Does the aam Indian recognise his netas?
Mushtaq Ahmad, 40, an auto driver in capital city identified all the leaders in no time expect Swaraj.
Pointing to the BJP leader, he asked, "Isn't that Mamata Banerjee."
Image: Auto driver Mushtaq Ahmad in Srinagar
Photographs: Umar Ganie


text:
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As the DMN points out, no matter what other priorities have come and gone these past few years, the city council and city manager have found the money to hire 200 more police officers per year. It was Mayor Tom Leppert's election battle cry, as I recall, and the initiative to hire more officers each year appears to have been effective in helping reduce crime. Now that the city budget is bleeding red ink, though, city manager Mary Suhm told the DMN she's recommending that about 120 officers be hired this year instead of the budgeted-for 191. She cites the budget woes, but she also offers up the excuse that cutting back on the hiring is a good thing because the police department needs more time to integrate the rookies on the force hired the past couple of years during the 200-cops-per-year push.
I don't have a problem with cutting back the hiring for a year; almost everything else is being cut downtown, so it only makes sense to dial back hiring cops for a bit. But to say that we need more time to integrate rookies seems suspect; after all, weren't the number of rookies on the force taken into account when the budget was put together in the first place?
There are going to be plenty of tough budget decisions made downtown in the upcoming six months. Why not just play it straight — say that we simply don't have enough money for this or that — rather than look for excuses to try and save face?


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It can often seem like renters get a sour deal. This is especially true in London, where demand usually outweighs supply. On too many occasions, those looking for rental homes have to stump up hundreds - if not thousands - of pounds before they've even got the keys to their shiny new home.
With a holding deposit, security deposit, first month's rent and agent fees needed, we wouldn't begrudge you for robbing a bank to get the funds required to move in (disclaimer, please don't rob a bank). Fortunately, the luck of renters took a turn for the better in 2017 when Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out a plan to ban agents from charging tenant fees 🎉
Don't start singing "you are my sunshine" to ol' Philly boy just yet, however. Here we are two years on, and agents still charge renters admin fees. But everything is about to change - from 2019, tenant fees will finally get the boot thanks to the Tenants Fee Draft Bill.
Here's what it means for you and your pockets.
What Exactly Are Tenant Fees
If you're a first-time renter in the UK or coming from overseas, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. To clear things up, tenant fees are payable in addition to the rent and security deposit, which is often six-weeks' rent but can be as much as eight.
Some of the admin fees that agents charge for include credit checks, referencing and assigning a guarantor. These fees cost anywhere between £300 and £1,000 depending on the amount of work needed to secure a tenancy and the agency's pricing structure.
With private renting accounting for 4.7-million households in the UK, it's easy to see why these fees are causing such a problem. Especially in London, which houses the most expensive property rental stock in the country.
Direct Impact on Renters
Currently, you might have to pay £300 for admin charges, £30-75 on referencing, £60-plus on guarantor charges (if needed), and £150 on check-in fees. That's over £500 and all you've done is say you want the property. While the exact amount you pay varies, Citizens Advice claim the average amount a renter can expect to pay in fees is £400.
As of June 1st 2019, agents will no longer be able to charge for these fees, or credit checks, property inventories, cleaning services when vacating the property, gardening services, renewal and exit fees, defleaing a property as a result of tenants having pets, and requirements to having specific insurance companies.
Not only will you save before you move into the property; you will also keep the pennies in your bank account during your tenancy, which could be as much as an extra £500 when you factor the cost of renewals and cleaning fees.
That's All Good But How Will Agents Make Up For The Lost Revenue?
When the announcement was made regarding the tenant fees, many predicted that agents would make up for the lost revenue by charging landlords higher fees. Landlords having to pay more to agents would then have a knock-on effect that would see them raising rental prices to cope with the higher fees.
And what happens if landlords raise rents? The poor renter has to front the cost, which would essentially make this whole Tenants Draft Bill redundant. Before you go and tell yourself it was all too good to be true, don't fret just yet.
Scotland implemented the ban on tenant fees in 2011, and just two percent of landlords raised their rents as a result. There will most likely be a similar trends in England, with a very small percentage of landlords upping their fees. It's not as simple as dictating market trends - unrealistic rental prices will lead to vacant properties, which is a landlord's worst nightmare.
In reality, agents will have to find smarter ways to increase their revenue, ways that don't result in landlords or renters having to pay more.
What Will I Still Have to Pay For?
While the news of banned tenants fees is likely to see you jump for the stars ⭐ some renters have been left confused about what they will have to pay for exactly. Those renting homes will still be responsible for paying the rent (that was a given) and a security deposit.
Under the new rules, deposits can't be over six weeks, so there is still potential for more saving. You will still be required to pay a holding fee to secure the property, although this will be deducted from the security deposit you have to pay once you move into the property.
If you don't keep up with the rent, you may also be liable to pay fees for late or non payments. Utilities, council tax and TV licence will also be your responsibility, unless stated otherwise.
Here is a complete breakdown of what you are liable to pay as a renter:
- Rent
- Security deposit
- Holding deposit (if the holding deposit is £500, and the security deposit is £1,500, £500 will be deducted from the security deposit before you move in)
- Defaulting on the rent
- Assigning a new tenant (capped at £50)
- Termination of tenancy at the tennant's request
- Council tax
- Utilities like gas, electric and broadband
- TV licence
Still got questions about what you need to rent in London? Check out our blog about the documents needed to rent a place in London.
Happy Times
Most things that seem too good to be true often leave you feeling disappointed. But in this case, it really is a win for renters 😃 The Bill marks the end of upfront fees and provides more clarity, which means you will know exactly what you do and don't have to pay for.
All that's left to do now is find a fabulous new home to move in to. Why don't you start your search today?


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Skills, What Skills?Over the past year and a half I've developed a serious personal interest in making things. It has come from the realization that as a student of our public school system that preaches to the average kid that they must get a degree to be successful. This was echoed at home, both my parents got degrees, my dad is a adjunct university instructor and is currently working on his Phd in Petroleum Engineering. Not going to university wasn't even a question for me. So in high school I didn't take mechanics or industrials arts, it wasn't seen as a valuable option in the eyes of people around me. I took that advice and stayed away.
Now I'm a grown man and I find that I'm not comfortable doing a lot of handy-work, repairing, installing etc around the house. There is a disconnect between the ideas in my brain and my abilities to execute them with my hands and the tools before me.
Learning From A Community
It's not all doom and gloom here people. I am fascinated by the maker movement, the idea of fab labs in schools and how students of all abilities can benefit greatly from these environments. Learning by doing is an amazing motto that I've taken to heart. With the internet I can take an idea and almost certainly someone else has done what I want to do (or close to it) and has shared their experiences online, often with detailed how to's with photos and valuable advice. Many people are very candid about this and even share their 'failures' and what they have learned from them. I see mistakes as learning opportunities.
One common aspect of a lot of maker projects is the incorporation of technology. There is something immensely satisfying in using technology to make a design and then make something that you can physically touch, hold and use. Last year I did this by building 2 Makerbots. I documented the entire process (nerd). I made a ton of mistakes, but in the end they are amazing machines to make ideas become physical objects.
Building these machines gave me a lot of confidence to tackle tasks, and in the past 5 months we've acquired a laser cutter at our school that has opened up a ton of options for making in my classroom.
Shiny Machines Don't Equal Quality Learning
Fast forward to the next design project where students had to scrounge materials and use a mouse trap I supplied to make a mousetrap car that had to travel as far as possible down the hallway. No specific technology was the focus. Students make their cars from materials they dug up from home and the school. They put them together in the shop, with duct tape, string, K-Nex, Lego. Some use the laser cutter to make the body of the car, others, laser cut acrylic wheels. Some sketched their plans out and others used Sketchup. The technology was used when it was needed. I found students' were much more involved and focused.
Be wary of the shiny technology people, the latest app, the gadget that seems to be the answer to solve everything. ( I must add a disclaimer here that I'm as big a 'technology whore' as the next nerd so I'm in no way saying that technology shouldn't be used in classrooms. Technology is integral to my program at my school.)
Inspiring Student Makers in Schools.
Bringing the Maker Movements into schools has been talked about a lot over the past couple years. I would argue that it has always been in the many schools in one form or another. It's only now getting more press. One thing I want to add to the experience of making for my students is an audience, some real purpose, or big problem that needs to be solved. Essential to this is integrating design thinking and the design process as a guide for student to attack these problems. (There's another post brewing for that topic!)
One of my favourite phrases to tell students is "Hmmmm, I'm not sure, where do you think you could find out about that?" It frustrates students who sometimes want the answer right away. I'm hoping that relentless pursuit of the 'right answer' is something that will fade away, because when you are making there are no right answers. I didn't learn how to build a Makerbot by taking a 3 week course on Wednesday nights. I didn't learned how to use a laser cutter with formal training. I learned as I used them. Yesterday I needed to learn how to cut anodized aluminum for plaques in our school. A colleague took 15 minutes to show me how the foot shear in the IA lab worked and presto! I was cutting sheet metal and was able to take my design and etch it into it within 30 minutes. Pretty cool!
What I want students to do is to think of their 'final product' as not an ending, but just the most current and likeable iteration of their designs. You might come back months or weeks later to revise it. So with this in mind, in semester 2 we are going to do a lot of making, designing, analyzing, and making some more.
What are your thoughts about the making in schools?


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The Blonde Society's Autumn Show and Sale held at Carlisle today saw a top price of 4600gns for the Junior Male Champion and Overall Reserve Silverwood Noah from Norman McKnight. This May 2017 born bull is a son of Ardmore Gargoyle and out of the homebred Silverwood Gloria. He was purchased by Messrs Sweetmore from Derbyshire.
The next lot into the ring Hallfield Nobleman from P Weightman and Sons sold for the next best price of 3600gns. Sired by Aaron Jaigo and out of Hallfield Izzy this bull had been 4th in his class at the pre-sale show and went on to be purchased by Messrs Scrymgeour from Kirriemuir.
The Reserve Senior Male Champion Ramrig Nimbus from G & A Hamilton sold for 2600gns. This bull is no stranger to the show ring having won Overall Male Champion at Border Union show this year. Sired by Ramrig Jumping Jack and out of Ramrig Halo he was purchased by Messrs Henderson from Annan.
Two females sold for the joint top price of 2000gns. The first was the heifer Everingham Nora from NT & JH Barrett, a daughter of Everingham Incredibull out of Brianne Gloria. This heifer was purchased by Messrs Horn from Richmond.
Also at 2000gns was M Savage's Female Champion Gledney Leigh sired by Drumraymond Grafter and out of Silverwood Flora. She was purchased by the judge Mr Mycock from Derbyshire.
Averages – 3 bulls £3780.00; 6 Females £1627.50


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About Falcon Fibreglass CC
Falcon Fibreglass has been lining pools in KwaZulu Natal with fibreglass since 1984, under the expert direction of Hennie Wiegand. After 33 years at the helm, Hennie is taking a well deserved back seat and handing over to Pieter Swanepoel, who will now be supervising Falcon's highly experienced team of workers.
Falcon's attention to quality and service remain unchanged, with all work carried out quickly, cleanly and efficiently. In addition to relining domestic pools, Falcon Fibreglass also has the expertise and experience to take on considerably larger pools. Over the years, the company has undertaken work for a variety of commercial establishments and has successfully relined numerous school pools as well as a wide variety of pools in residential complexes, resorts and hotels in and around Durban.
Although much of Falcon's work is concentrated in the greater Durban area, the team also travels further afield in KwaZulu Natal and sometime even beyond. All depending on the size and scale of the project.


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Everyone ought to know that the three pillars to good health are food regimen, exercise and sleep. Please notice that Samsung Health is meant for fitness and wellness functions only and is not meant for use within the analysis of illness or different situations, or within the remedy, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of illness. But for our bodies to operate at their greatest, for us to feel healthy, energetic and keep slim, we want greater than just a glass or 2. A lot of water can help to forestall many ailments similar to headaches, heartburn, kidney problems, raised blood strain, skin complaints and problems with dental and oral health.
1 The World Health Group (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in its 1948 structure as "a state of full bodily, psychological, and social effectively-being and never merely the absence of illness or infirmity." 2 three This definition has been topic to controversy, in particular as lacking operational value, the paradox in developing cohesive health strategies, and due to the problem created by use of the word "full".
One quite simple why to begin working on our coronary heart health is to only cut back on our consumption of saturated fat. They may assist the medical doctors in diagnosing and giving remedy to folks with head accidents, strokes, mind tumours, infectious ailments, epilepsy, sleep problems and different medical circumstances. Our medical docs prescribe these "symptom treating" medication, and, while they help us really feel higher, they have to be taken on and on. There are growing efforts within the standard medical establishment to encourage us to practice preventable medication, but these efforts are usually not enough to help us keep healthy.
We reside in a society, right now by which far too many people aren't healthy, and sadly, our typical health care suppliers aren't serving to to make us healthy. These devitalized and demineralized foods lower the vitality and sap the health of the people who thereby fall a prey to numerous illnesses and epidemics. Over ninety{ba601f4eef6dcf29d4bac3f598dd469f673e7fd3da074874c4f69300aea6539e} of the people who are available in for medical doctors visits due to heart disease wish to take a tablet to treatment their blood stress, decrease their cholesterol, or prevent getting blocked arteries of the guts.
Adequate sleep is a key a part of a healthy life-style and might benefit your coronary heart, weight, mind, and extra. Who're these combatants, and the way can we enlist more of our heroes – antioxidants – to enter the fray, so we are able to really feel better and dwell a longer, healthier life? Samsung Kesehatan menyediakan fitur inti untuk menjaga tubuh Anda match dan sehat.


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If You Saw His Heart: Love on the edge
- TORONTO 2017: Gael García Bernal, Marine Vacth and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart star in an adaptation of the novel The Halfway House, from French first-time director Joan Chemla
The Platform section of the Toronto International Film Festival played host to the world premiere of French filmmaker Joan Chemla's feature debut. If You Saw His Heart [+see also:
film profile] is the story of a pair of lovers who find each other in a motel run by the local mob, and the loneliness and self-destruction that ravages them both.
Unjustly blamed for the death of his best friend Costel (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart), Daniel (Gael García Bernal) finds himself cast out of his Roma community, taking refuge in one of the most notoriously dicey motels in the city. There he meets a fragile woman (Marine Vacth) and becomes consumed with the desire to possess and protect her. Taking place almost exclusively within the walls of an establishment that serves as a refuge for the most degenerate of outcasts and drifters, If You Saw His Heart is a kind of Bukowski-esque portrait of those on a mission to self-destruct within this infernal microcosm.
This dark cinematic adaptation of The Halfway House, a 1987 novel by Cuban author Guillermo Rosales, opts for an intriguing fusion of genres. A cross between film noire and romantic melodrama, the aesthetics approach of If You Saw His Heart is reminiscent of the Wong Kar-Wai of In the Mood for Love and 2046 [+see also:
film profile]. As Wong did before him, Joan Chemla portrays the love that rises from the flames of this earthly perdition as an antidote that will alleviate the feelings of guilt tormenting the two lovers.
Gael García Bernal shines as never before as the hero of this tragic tour de force, the quest of a man willing to pay any price to lay his past to rest.
If You Saw His Heart was produced by Nord-Ouest Films. MK2 Films International is handling international sales.
(Translated from Spanish)
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text: To complement the palette of natural essential oils Berjé offers a comprehensive profile of aroma chemicals. We maintain an inventory of some 2,500 aromatics for flavor, fragrance and pharmaceutical applications. These encompass the full spectrum of those derived from turpentine to natural isolates of essential oils. Our offerings of rare pyrazines, thiazoles and diverse sulfur compounds expand monthly. If we do not have what you want in stock, we will make all efforts to find a product for you. Our sourcing knowledge is extensive.


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The Delaware Bay, Delaware Estuary and their environs are in trouble, according to a report released today.
But it's believed that the trend can be reversed if our impacts on the vast ecosystem are managed as a whole, not site-by-site, the report says.
Ten nonprofit environmental groups endorsed the report.
They are the American Littoral Society, Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, Environmental Defense Fund, Environment New Jersey, Sierra Club's New Jersey Chapter, New Jersey Environmental Federation, New Jersey Environmental Lobby, New Jersey Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, NY/NJ Baykeeper and Surfrider Foundation.
Here are some of the report's points:
– The Delaware Bay and estuary are one of the earth's most complex and diverse ecosystems. Vast stretches of subtidal sands, mud, oyster reefs, beaches and salt and freshwater marshes support more than 200 species of migrant and resident fish and shellfish, including oysters, blue crabs, striped bass, shad and bluefish.
– The ecosystem also supports the largest population of spawning horseshoe crabs in the world. It's an important link in the international migratory path of a variety of shorebirds and waterfowl. The estuary is one of world's four most important shorebird migration sites and has the second-highest concentration of shorebirds in North America.
– More than 6.4 million people live in the estuary's watershed and about 15.2 million people get drinking water from the watershed and Upper Delaware River Basin.
– Increases in population, development and water use, as well as disjointed land-use decisions and poor resource management, have led to: decreased water quality, losses of forests and wetlands, drinking water shortages, threats to plant and animal species, flooding and the arrival of destructive invasive species.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Environmental Protection has posted information on its 2009 Delaware River fish survey and water quality over the years.


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Mark Penn on Hillary Clinton: 'One of Those People That Every Word Has Been Parsed'
Burson-Marsteller CEO and former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign chief strategist Mark Penn appeared on Fox News' 'Fox and Friends' this morning to discuss Clinton's performance over her first nine months as Secretary of State as well as the eternal question: will she run for President again? "I think she has no interest in doing it again. It was a grueling experience," said Penn.
In reference to the challenges Clinton, and most public officials at her level face, Penn stated that she is "one of those people that every word has been parsed for years and years and years."


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Earth Sea and Sky
Welcome to Earth Sea and Sky.
You will find fused glass , textiles and more ,
All hand made originals.
My work is inspired by the enhanting beauty of the natural world.
Work is being added all the time so please call by again. I hope you enjoy your visit!
Please use the contact page for enquiries etc


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« Raise Your Own Darn Bar | Main | Heard of Google? »
Teaching About the Test
Doug Noon tries to explain to his middle school studentsand himselfwhy they have to take standardized tests. The response he gets when he mentions that all students are expected to pass the tests by 2014 is notable:
Loud guffaws and unsolicited comments broke out all around. ...


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from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In mining: The heaving or rising of the floor.
- noun The emitting of a hollow sound when struck.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb Present participle of
Sorry, no etymologies found.
And many of our listeners have told us, they're kind of bumming out, too.
That was in the days when they called it "bumming," you know.
Oral History Interview with Arthur Little, December 14, 1979. Interview H-0132. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007)
You are always "bumming" cigarettes and I won't stand for it anymore. '
John Davis coolly sat on a powder-keg from which the top had been shot off, and was so found by an officer, who hastily censured him for his loafing -- "bumming" during recess.
Work he will not under any circumstances, but subsists on the hospitality of the whites until he has entirely worn it out and then removes to the natives, mushing from camp to camp and "bumming" his way as he goes.
Ten Thousand Miles with a Dog Sled A Narrative of Winter Travel in Interior Alaska
It turns out, in this age of consumerism and gadgetry, that all this stuff we buy isn't really making us any happier -- in fact, it's kind of bumming us out.
"Enjoyed your article, very amusing, us Scots with our 'bumming' ..."
There was actually one thing that I heard going into this movie that was kind of bumming me out.
There was actually one thing that I heard going into this movie that was kind of bumming me out.
Following the accusations of homophobia levelled at the sketch show, here lesbianism is largely confined to extras tickling tonsils in the background while Fletch's fear of 'bumming' is just one more instance of crass, sniggering dialogue in a script that's wretched with it.


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For a simple spring dish, chef Cindy Pawlcyn folds penne with asparagus and sweet English peas, then adds a little cream for richness.
How to Make It
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and asparagus and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and boil over high heat until reduced by half and the asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the peas and cream to the skillet and boil over high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the penne and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, sage and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve right away, passing additional cheese at the table.


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Generalizations of the Volatility-Stabilized Markets
Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 10:15am - 11:00am
Keller 3-180
Radka Pickova (Columbia University)
We consider models which generalize the Volatility-Stabilized Markets introduced in Fernholz and Karatzas (2005) in the context of Stochastic Portfolio Theory. We show how to construct a weak solution of the underlying system of stochastic differential equations, express the solution in terms of time changed squared-Bessel processes, and argue that this solution is unique in distribution. Moreover, we discuss sufficient conditions for existence of strong solution, and show that strong relative arbitrage opportunities exist in these markets.
MSC Code:


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Coin-Op Commercial Laundry Equipment
Whether you are operating an established card or a coin operated laundry operation, it is critical to select to the optimal mix of equipment to maximize your investment. RJ Kool will evaluate your coin-operated laundry room equipment offerings, layout and service offerings.
RJ Kool's coin-operated washers contain numerous exclusive features that work seamlessly with card technology, offering unparalleled performance in all coin-op laundry environments. RJ Kool's coin-operated dryers deliver optimal programmability, durability, efficiency and ease of use. For laundries with limited space, RJ Kool offers coin-operated stack washer dryers that provide a full laundry solution in a smaller footprint.
RJ Kool offers the following coin-op commercial laundry equipment:
RJ Kool's Coin-Op products are equipped with innovative technology, including DexterLive that allows users to manage their businesses remotely from a smart phone. This gives you the ability to start, reboot, or remove any machine from service at anytime. DexterLive also offers remote management capabilities to track error code alerts and send remote starts when needed.
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Discover more coastal holidays in England
The Isle of Wight is enjoying a moment. Whether it's the fabulous festivals, the gentle pace of life, the enviable sunshine record or the allure of taking the slow boat on holiday, this charming island off the south coast has become a cool place to visit.
"It's impossible to imagine a prettier spot," said Queen Victoria of her beloved Osborne House at East Cowes – and she could have been speaking of the entire island. I admit to being biased, having grown up there but, for me, there is no lovelier place in England.
Like me, Queen Victoria had a happy time on the island, staying with her family at Osborne House. Now owned by English Heritage and open to the public, it is a temple to high Victorian style – the Indian-influenced Durbar wing is wonderful and the domestic detail in the bedrooms is touching.
Wide lawns and high trees sweep down to the sea, and visitors have access to Victoria's private beach and bathing machine. The Swiss Cottage in the grounds, once the playhouse of the royal children, will reopen this year with improved displays, and there are new nature trails in the lovely grounds.
Meanwhile, Charles I's visit to Carisbrooke Castle wasn't exactly a holiday choice. He was imprisoned in the 800-year-old building while awaiting his trial and execution and you can still see the window from which he tried unsuccessfully to escape.
Like all the best islands, the Isle of Wight takes things at its own pace. It's a journey of less than an hour to cross the Solent – and only 10 minutes if you catch the passenger hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde. Step off or drive down the gangplank and 60 miles of beautiful beaches and diverse coastline are waiting to be discovered – on foot, by bike, on horseback or from the sea.
If you're travelling around by car, accept that you're unlikely to reach for top gear more than a couple of times a day. Instead, get into pottering mode and take time to enjoy the views from the Roman-built Military Road which stretches from Blackgang to Freshwater Bay and curves Corniche style across grassy cliffs that dip and roll down to a white-flecked sea. Or follow narrow lanes through leafy chutes, past medieval manor houses, ornate Victorian mansions, rose-swagged cottages – even the remains of a Roman villa.
In the space of an hour you can travel from the high chalk downs that form the spine of the island to bird-rich salt marshes at Newtown, from the bucket-and-spade cheerfulness of Sandown and Shanklin to the open sands of Compton Bay, backed by National Trust countryside.
There are red squirrels in the ancient woods, Mediterranean plants flourish among the dramatic landslips of the Undercliff, and fleets of sailing dinghies bob on their moorings in the chipper little sailing centres of Seaview, Bembridge and Yarmouth.
Catching waves: visit Compton Bay for a spot of surfing
Children love the adventure of travelling to an island – and there's plenty here to fire their imagination. There's a spectacular Needles Park chairlift ride at Alum Bay, a brilliant new Train Story Discovery Centre at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and at Blackgang Chine (one of the leafy, ferny gorges that are a feature of the coast) is England's oldest theme park. It boasts a cliff-edge roller coaster, life-sized Pirate Ships, Cowboy Town, Fairy Land, Dodo Valley and, new for 2014, the Restricted Area 5 dinosaur adventure.
There are hundreds of real dinosaur remains at Dinosaur Isle in Sandown. The island's crumbling cliffs make it one of the best places in Europe to find fossils and dinosaur bones, and many of the most impressive are on show here, among clever interactive displays designed to appeal to all ages. Museum staff lead regular fossil walks on island beaches, searching for new finds.
Happily the island's hotels, B&Bs and cottages are not of the Cretaceous age but very much of the 21st century. Some, such as the excellent Hillside at Ventnor and Little Gloster, right on the water in Gurnard, are furnished in light, bright seaside style.
Good hotels include the Seaview Hotel, in the smart little sailing resort of Seaview, Priory Bay, just along the coast, the Royal Hotel in Ventnor and The George in Yarmouth.
Much of the island is farmland and restaurants make the most of local produce. The Taverners Inn at Godshill swaps pints of beer for home-grown fruit and vegetables from regulars' gardens and allotments. And why go abroad when you can eat alfresco at The Crab Shed at peaceful Steephill Cove?
Last July, I discovered The Hut, a new bar and restaurant right on the beach at Colwell Bay with panoramic terrace views of a yacht-filled Solent. It's a great spot for an evening drink.
My favourite way to explore the island is on foot, whether it's walking beside the crashing waves on Compton Beach, on the blustery heights of Culver or Tennyson Downs or among the reeds and watery marshes of quiet Newtown creek. This is the way to see the Isle of Wight at its best. And it's better than anywhere I know.
The Isle of Wight festivals from 1968-70, when Jimmy Hendrix and Bob Dylan wowed the tie-dyed crowds, established an island tradition. There are now countless year-round festivals. Some examples...
May 3-18
Isle of Wight Walking Festival
Guided fossil, foodie, family, ghost and even speed-dating walks, as well as more conventional rambles. isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk
May 30-June 1
Yarmouth Old Gaffers festival
Yarmouth harbour fills with gaff-rigged yachts; on shore are market stalls, a real ale festival, vehicle display and funfair. yarmouth-harbour.co.uk/yogaff
June 12-15
Isle of Wight Festival
Biffy Clyro, Kings of Leon and Red Hot Chili Peppers are among this year's headline acts. isleofwightfestival.com
June 16-23
Festival of the Sea
A celebration of all things maritime with pirates, musical events boat trips – and the spectacular JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. visitisleofwight.co.uk
August 2-9
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week
Enjoy the glamour of one of the world's great international sailing regattas. The end-of-week fireworks are magnificent. aamcowesweek.co.uk
September 4-7
Bestival Music Festival
Outkast, Beck and Busta Rhymes are among this year's line-up. bestival.net
September 13-28
Isle of Wight Cycling Festival
A programme of more than 60 rides for all levels, from the Chevy Chase Enduro to the Tiny Tots Adventure. sunseaandcycling.com
October 16-19
Isle of Wight Literary Festival
Attracts literary heavyweights yet maintains an intimate feel in venues such as churches and small theatres. isleofwightliteraryfestival.org
For more information on the Isle of Wight, go to visitisleofwight.co.uk


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Actor Fred MacMurray retired to his Russian River Valley ranch as often as he could, eager to remove his growing family from the artificial hustle of Los Angeles and to get his own hands dirty working the earth. Set low in a tree-lined bowl that emphasizes the pure blue of the coast-cleared sky above, MacMurray Ranch is the kind of jewel that reminds North Bay residents how lucky we are to live every day where other people come to vacation.
Fred's daughter Kate is the custodian of the ranch's legacy, and she graciously opens the home, which is a time-capsule of rustic 1940s-style "ranch" living, to the public a few times a year. The Sonoma County Wine Weekend and the Showcase: Taste of Sonoma events have become signature times to enjoy the rural elegance that the MacMurray family has cherished for some 60 years. The weekend itself is a dizzying trot of winemaker and specialty dinners that culminate on Sept. 6 with the 17th annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction, this year held at Cline Cellars and hosted by the longtime growers the Sangiacomo family, who are in their 80th year of making wine in Sonoma. The auction raises thousands for charity each year.
Mere mortals may prefer the still-pricey-but-man-do-you-get-a-lot Showcase event, slated for Sept. 5 at MacMurray Ranch. A celebration of our natural wonderland, Showcase has literally hundreds of vintners pouring and some 100 restaurateurs offering artful tastes of their wares, includes a celebrity chef cooking competition, a "bubble lounge" hosted by Gloria Ferrer Sparkling Wines, and has a true educational bent, with a crushpad area matching local winemakers with the public and their questions as well as sommelier Christopher Sawyer's individual tours of the pouring tables.
MacMurray Ranch gets hot in the summer, so hats and fans are advised, as is the consumption of plenty of water. But this semi-dressy event is as much fun for the locals as it is for the out-of-towners who will be eating and drinking for three days straight, enjoying the kind of down-home real food experience that sticks to more than just the ribs.
Sonoma County Wine Weekend runs Friday&–Sunday, Sept. 4&–6. Winemaker lunches Friday, $75. Showcase Saturday, $150. Winemaker dinners, Friday&–Saturday, $160; signature dinners, $175. Auction Sunday, $450. MacMurray Ranch, 9015 Westside Road, Healdsburg. www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com.
Quick dining snapshots by Bohemian staffers.
Winery news and reviews.
Food-related comings and goings, openings and closings, and other essays for those who love the kitchen and what it produces.
Recipes for food that you can actually make.


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We at the CDCW are glad you have decided to entrust us. To assist in making your first appointment run smoothly and efficiently, the following files can be downloaded and filled out in advance. Please look over all the applicable treatment consent forms and have any questions or concerns you may have ready to discuss at the time of your appointment. You may also wish to organize your thinking regarding the issues that are bringing you to treatment. Please bring all completed paperwork to your appointment and be prepared to discuss your background history and/or your family, children, etc.
We look forward to meeting with you at your first appointment!
CDCW New Client Forms (PDF format)
- Patient Information Form
- Medication Form (needed for all clients, even if not taking medications. – Coming soon.
- General Treatment Consent Form (needed for all clients, regardless of age. – Coming soon.
- Child and Adolescent Treatment Consent Form – Coming soon.
- Financial Hardship Form – Financial Hardship Form
- HIPAA Release of Protected Health Information (PHI) Form Adult. – Coming soon.
- HIPPA Release of Protected Health Information (PHI) Form Minor. – Coming soon.
- Psychological/Neuropsychological Testing Consent Form. – Coming soon.
- Developmental Questionnaire


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Making this sweet and spicy beverage--known as gnamacoudji--is a thrifty way of using leftover pineapple skins. A tablespoon of grated lemon rind may be substituted for lemongrass.
How to Make It
Remove peel from pineapples; cut peel into 3-inch pieces (reserve pulp for another use). Combine peels and 6 cups water in Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Drain in a colander, reserving 4 cups cooking liquid; press peels to release moisture. Discard peels.
Combine ginger, lemongrass, and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Place ginger mixture on a dampened double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely. Place cheesecloth bag and 4 cups water in a medium bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Strain reserved pineapple cooking liquid and ginger mixture into a large pitcher; discard cheesecloth bag. Add sugar; stir well. Chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.


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A Supreme Court case 35 years ago yields a supply of emboldened DACA students today
Four immigrant families sued the Tyler, Texas school district in 1977 after their children were kicked out and required to pay for a public education. Five years later the court ruled in favor of the families, citing equal protection. It allowed generations of undocumented children to learn next to American-born peers and have a fair chance in life, say experts. And their journeys contributed to a presidential order in 2012 that protected undocumented immigrants from deportation and allowed them to work.
When Alfredo Lopez was 10 years old, he and his siblings were kicked out of school.
"All I can remember that we were sent home one day," said Lopez, 49. "And they said we couldn't come back to school."
It was 1977, and schools in Tyler, Texas were expelling children who didn't have U.S. birth certificates.
"All of a sudden, they could not go, because they were undocumented," Alfredo's mother, Lídia Lopez, said in Spanish.
Texas passed a law in 1975 cutting off state money for undocumented students in public schools. The Tyler Independent School District had only a few dozen undocumented children, and at first, it let them attend. Two years later, though, those children were sent home.
Four families sued the district and eventually won a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case. In 1982, the court said states cannot deny undocumented children a free public education.
The case, Plyler v. Doe, has withstood several attempts over the years to overturn it or erode its protections. Today, school officials in K-12 public schools can't ask about a child's immigration status and must treat them similarly to students who are U.S. citizens.
Harvard professor Roberto Gonzales, who studies immigrants and education, said the Plyler case led to powerful changes in the lives of undocumented children. "They're able to grow up alongside of American-born peers," Gonzales said. "They internalize ideals about democracy, about meritocracy. They grow up to a daily Pledge of Allegiance."
The case led to generations of educated, English-speaking, undocumented young people who were better able to advocate for themselves than their parents. It also helped create a sympathetic and persuasive narrative: stories of young undocumented people succeeding in school and graduating yet being unable to go to college or find legal work in America. Those stories helped create pressure on President Barack Obama to act in support of young undocumented people. In 2012, he used his executive powers to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA.
The program doesn't give them citizenship, but it temporarily shields from deportation some young people who came to the U.S. as children. Nearly 800,000 young immigrants have received DACA status since the program began. President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals on whether he will rescind DACA, but so far has allowed it to continue.
Vilma Martinez, who ran the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) in the 1970s, considers Plyler one of the most important cases the agency took on during her tenure. "What made it so important is that a generation — and I guess now more than a generation — of students are educated," she said. "And that is something no one and nothing takes away from you."
Over the years, MALDEF has invited members of the families involved in the court fight to celebrations to thank them for braving the risk of deportation to bring the case. This year, the group is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the landmark ruling.
The plaque MALDEF gave Lídia and Jose Lopez a few years ago is still on a wall in their house.
Lídia said she and Jose weren't looking for fame or recognition when they went to court. They had no idea the case would have such far-reaching implications.
"We did it for our children," she said.
Risking deportation
Lídia Lopez crossed the border from Mexico in 1975 to join her husband Jose, who had come to Tyler looking for work. The city, about 98 miles southeast of Dallas, had a thriving rose industry, and the couple found jobs in the nurseries. "It was better here than in Mexico, right?" Lídia said. "Here, there was work, even if it was little."
Their four children stayed with grandparents until the Lopezes sent for them. Money was tight, and sometimes the children worked in the rose fields. They also attended school — until they were kicked out in 1977, just as the school year began.
The Tyler school district said the children could return to class if the family paid $1,000 per child. The Lopezes couldn't afford it.
The superintendent of the Tyler schools, James Plyler, told Education Week a few years ago that the district "didn't have a choice" about charging tuition, because the state was no longer providing support for undocumented children and more of them were moving to the district. (Plyler died in 2016.)
Soon after their children were expelled, the Lopezes met Michael McAndrew, a Catholic social worker who worked with immigrants and was looking for families to fight the new policy. "I just found it completely and totally out of the ordinary that you'd take a child and keep them from going to school," McAndrew said. "It just makes no sense to me."
He had trouble finding willing families, though. "They were afraid to even be involved. They thought they were going to be deported," he said.
But the Lopezes and three other families agreed to sue, and McAndrew found them a lawyer, civil rights attorney Larry Daves.
"I don't think they had in mind trying to change the world or anything," Daves said. "All they wanted to do was to get a basic education so they would have a fair chance in life."
Daves warned the families that the fight would be hard.
"Every client I've ever had, particularly in a civil rights case, I've tried to dissuade them from pursuing the case," he said. "You have to have extraordinary will to actually want to go in there and take on the system and expose yourself to everything you're exposed to in litigation, and of course in this situation on top of that, this worry about being deported."
William Wayne Justice, the federal district judge in Tyler who presided over the case, said he couldn't shield the families from deportation if immigration agents learned of the case, but he agreed to let them proceed anonymously as "John Doe" plaintiffs. The judge also set the time for their court hearing before dawn so it would attract less attention.
On the morning of the hearing, the Lopez family arrived with their car packed with their most valuable belongings, in case they had to go back across the border quickly.
But no one stopped them as they entered the courtroom.
Laura Reyna — at the time, Laura Alvarez — was in court, too. She had been kicked out of third grade for not having papers, and her parents had joined the legal fight.
"I remember sitting in there," Reyna said, speaking with a soft Texas twang. "We didn't know enough English to know what's going on, but we just sat there with the adults."
Daves was struck by seeing all the children lined up on the courtroom bench.
"These were kindergarten and first grade-age kids, and they were just the most well-behaved kids I had ever seen," he said. "They were so quiet. They were just so sweet and adorable."
Judge Justice ordered the district to re-admit the children while both sides prepared for trial. Alfredo Lopez, Reyna and the other undocumented children went back to school. They said later that they didn't give the case another thought. But the lawyers kept fighting.
Innocent children
At the trial, MALDEF and Daves squared off against lawyers for the school district and the state of Texas, which had asked Justice to let it be a defendant in the case. The U.S. Justice Department filed a brief on behalf of the families, arguing that Texas's law violated the 14th Amendment, which says a state may not "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
Lawyers for Texas argued that the equal protection clause did not apply to undocumented people.
They told the judge that in border cities, large numbers of undocumented children were enrolling in schools. They said those children were expensive to educate because they were often behind in their schooling and needed help learning English. Providing an education for undocumented children meant there were fewer resources for children who were in the country legally, the lawyers said.
But Justice was not persuaded that the schools could save much money by excluding these children. In 1978, the judge ruled that the law violated the 14th Amendment, and he barred the school district from enforcing it in Tyler.
In his decision, Justice pointed out that the families paid property and sales taxes, which supported the schools (Texas has no income tax). And he said the law would have dire consequences.
"Already disadvantaged as a result of poverty, lack of English-speaking ability and undeniable racial prejudices, these children, without an education, will become permanently locked into the lowest socio-economic class," he wrote.
The district appealed, and the case landed in the Supreme Court, where it was combined with a series of other cases challenging the law from around Texas. The high court heard arguments in 1981.
Texas assistant attorney general Richard Arnett told the justices that free education was drawing people across the border from Mexico. "We would like to reduce the incentive for illegal immigration, particularly of families and school-age children," Arnett said.
Advocates for the families said immigrants were coming for work, not school. MALDEF lawyer Peter Roos told the justices that the law "has minimal impact on keeping undocumented people out of the country." He argued that once immigrants are in the United States, they are entitled to equal protection of the law.
But figuring out precisely what that meant was tricky. Must the government treat undocumented people as citizens? Under questioning, Roos acknowledged that he wasn't arguing that undocumented adults were entitled to pay in-state tuition at colleges. His argument was more narrowly focused on "innocent children."
In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the families. Writing for the majority, Justice William Brennan said it wasn't right to punish children for the actions of their parents. He said these young people were likely to stay in the U.S.
"It is difficult to understand precisely what the State hopes to achieve by promoting the creation and perpetuation of a subclass of illiterates within our boundaries, surely adding to the problems and costs of unemployment, welfare, and crime," Brennan wrote.
'Such a gift to me'
In the years since the Plyler decision, attempts to bar undocumented children from school have failed.
One was in California in 1994. Voters there passed Proposition 187, which would have barred undocumented people from receiving many state services, including public education. The courts blocked the measure.
During the debate, reporters from the Los Angeles Times became interested in the Plyler case and talked to some of the families in Texas. "That's the first time that I knew that the case had made it to the Supreme Court," said Alfredo Lopez.
Lopez had graduated from high school in Tyler and today is a truck driver. He still lives in Tyler and is a U.S. citizen. "My parents and the other three families, what they did, I guess, ended up being pretty important," he said. "For that we are thankful."
Reyna graduated in 1987 and is now a citizen. For a time, she worked as a teacher's aide for the Tyler school district. She was an adult before she learned what her parents had done. Her voice chokes up when she talks about it.
"Kids take so much for granted," said Reyna, 48. "But when I found out about the case and everything, it was such a gift to me. It was! It was the best gift anyone had ever given me, because I wouldn't be who I am today without that education."
In 2007, Plyler said he was glad the district had lost the case.
"I'm an educator, and I knew those youngsters needed an education," he told Education Week. "I'm glad we could receive them in the school district and be reimbursed from the state, and then they were getting an education, and that's what we were in business for."
The 2017 season of four education documentaries can be heard via the Educate podcast.
Subscribe now: Apple Podcasts | RadioPublic


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This article was originally written for blavity.com by Valerie Robinson. It has been given minor edits before re-posting.
About a month and a half ago, I went on my first job interview in more than six years. A major opportunity came up and I definitely needed to jump on it. It was super nerve-wracking as it had been so long and I didn't quite remember how to prepare or answer any of the go-to questions anymore. I was a huge ball of nerves.
I immediately did my due diligence (thanks Google) and researched the hell out of the position and field to not be thrown off guard.
The night before the interview, I was pretty sure I would have it in the bag and walk out of the building like:
But LISTEN. When I got to the facility, I was handed an agenda with time slots of each of the people I would be individually meeting with that day. Not to mention, I would be grilled in a full-group meeting at the end of it all.
In full-out panic mode, I knew I had to make something magical happen regardless of the monkey wrench that was thrown in my perfectly planned out presentation and study notes. The interview game surely has changed over the past few years.
The first person I met with was actually over coffee at the company cafe, so it was pretty casual, yet still professional. With each allotted visit, it was interesting how they were all in different settings and formats. For a by-the-book person like me, it was a nightmare. But I handled it pretty well, I think. The full group meeting was a bit awkward because I felt like I was literally on trial. OK, I'm being dramatic.
Just when I thought it was all over and that I could breathe a sigh of relief, one of the interviewers said, "This was great. We will be contacting you for a second interview, as well as a phone interview with one other member of the staff because they work remotely on the West Coast."
In my defense, it has been a while, but the process was quite an experience. The last interview I went on, I met with a couple of senior leaders, not the whole staff. I guess you can say that's a positive thing that companies are making the process like a courtship and allowing everyone's input. Besides, they do need to see if you would actually be a great fit with the people you would be working with, should you get the offer.
Now that I've shared my experience, hopefully these notes will help you ace your interview and get the job you've wanted! And if the interview game seems a bit different than you remember, don't let it discourage you. You've got this!
Related: 14 DOs and DON'Ts for Landing Your First Job After College


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Garmin-Barracuda sports director Charly Wegelius is blogging for Cycling Weekly from the Giro. Or at least he will be when he gets there…
I should be writing this from Italy, but force majeur has kept me at home in Finland until an emergency has passed. I wonder how my team, Garmin-Barracuda is managing without my vast knowledge and skill? Wasn't I irreplaceable? Although grateful that I can take care of things here, I miss the Giro.
Yesterday's team time trial is one of the days that I am most sad to have missed. A Sports Director concerns himself on a daily basis with the collective strength of the team, attempting to get the maximum from each athlete. And that is exactly what a successful TTT boils down to: allowing each rider to make his best contribution possible, however big or small that may be.
Arriving at such a fluid state of harmony between the riders takes more than a little tinkering from the staff. At Garmin-Barracuda, where the TTT is less a passion and more of an addiction, this process starts many weeks before the event. Our resident rocket scientist (that's not a joke) Robby Ketchell works tirelessly to deliver the latest technology and course data.
There is a constant discussion amongst Sports Directors and team manager JV on the order that the riders ride in. We want to give the weakest riders the most sheltered ride so they have a chance to contribute as much as possible. This means analysing each rider's strengths and riding style to find the best fit. This isn't always easy. Before Tirreno-Adriatico I had laminated name tags of our riders on my desk. Every day I would walk by and reshuffle the order that only the day before had seemed perfect. This went on for weeks.
Every member of the team, from mechanics to masseurs and chefs, pull out a little something extra for the TTT. A massed start race can be won with a touch of individual brilliance from one person – but not a TTT. Everyone has to give his best, and when it comes right it is beautiful to watch and thrilling to be part of.
Yesterday's win was a brilliant collective performance for the team. Despite knowing that he could have ended up in pink, it's worth noting that Ramanus put in so much work for the win that he had risked getting dropped. That's teamwork for you.


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Securely erase up to four SATA drives simultaneously with this standalone hard drive sanitizer. This hard drive eraser provides standalone, simultaneous drive erasing for up to four 2.5 in. or 3.5 in. SATA hard drives or solid-state drives.
Unlike hard-drive docking stations or adapters that require a computer connection and software to erase drives, this hard drive sanitizer features standalone erasing that doesn't require a host computer. This avoids the hassle of connecting your drives to a host computer and protects your drives from external security threats like remote data access.
The four-bay design maximizes efficiency by batching multiple drives in single erase projects, saving you valuable time. The hard drive eraser supports USB 3.0, also known as USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps).
Using industry-recognized erase modes, the hard drive eraser securely sanitizes the data from your 2.5" or 3.5" SSDs or HDDs. It supports nine erase modes including Quick Erase, Single and Multi-pass Overwrites, Custom Erase, Secure Erase and Enhanced Secure Erase. The Multi-pass Overwrite (3-Pass Full Disk Overwrite) erase procedures meet the requirements of DoD (5220.22-M) standards.
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Just because Cramer likes a stock doesn't mean he's married to it. He understands investors must stay flexible as the market changes. So if a certain play isn't working at the moment, he's not afraid to drop it.
Case in point: As much as he's touted agriculture's strength, last week the sector was a sell, he said. The leading stocks – Deere and Monsanto , to name a couple – had climbed too high, and it was inevitable they'd come back down to earth. Homegamers who didn't take profits when they had the chance probably lost some sizable gains.
"This is why we always keep price in mind," Cramer said. "Price comes first." There's nothing wrong with buying a stock at $70 and selling it $100 – even if it means you buy back your position later at a lower price and pocket the difference. Apple and Mastercard were great examples of this. Cramer loves the companies, but the stocks were just too hot.
Cramer said his willingness to bend and move is often mislabeled flip-flopping. But to him, it's just smart investing. And all that talk about paying more in commissions and taxes for the constant trading is wrong, he said. In the end, buying low and selling high is the best investing strategy no matter how often you do it.
This works on the buy side, too. Just look at Cramer's index of some of the worst stocks in the market before Tuesday's rate cut: the homebuilders, mortgage lenders, mortgage insurers and banks. Two weeks ago, Cramer rated these stocks a buy because, as bad as they were, they'd gone too low. Now, just like he predicted, these companies are up.
So what's the takeaway here? Don't let your enthusiasm for a stock get in the way of your investing discipline. When it's time for a stock to go, let it go.
Questions for Cramer?
Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? firstname.lastname@example.com