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|2012-07-12, 00:51
|Link #41
Senior Member
A well-done cliffhanger is awesome, but for a cliffhanger to truly work you have to avoid spoilers.
It's not often anime can pull something off close to what Star Trek did with that 2-parter, but there are a few I can think of, such as at least one instance in Fate/Zero. and the recent final mahjong match in Saki Achiga-hen. Thankfully, Fate/Zero novel fans kept spoilers down to a minimum for that, while everybody was going in blind for Saki Achiga-hen's last episode thankfully.
So I do appreciate the efforts you've gone to recently with Muv-Luv (even splicing off the geopolitical stuff from the more general Muv-Luv source material thread). That's been pretty amazing work, really.
|2012-07-13, 10:31
|Link #42
I don't give a damn, dude
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In Despair
Age: 32
Actually, I do have something for which I don't see any reason why it cannot be done (apart from the fact that it would be more work for the mods, and we all know the whole lotta 'em are lazy jerkoffs )
Open two episodic threads, one with a spoiler-free environment for newbies, and one with a substantially more cavalier attitude towards spoilers for the source material veterans. Summarise the rules for each thread in a few words in the thread title itself, and it's as visible as it gets, no?
Hell, it might not even turn out to be that much more work; after all, there's not even any need to moderate spoilers in the spoiler episodic thread. Only the spoiler-free episodic thread need be moderated for spoilers.
This way, the newbies get their risk-free environment, and the source vets get their vigorous spoilen-laden equivalent, and the mods won't have to juggle between the needs of the two groups. Sounds like a win-win-win to me.
|2012-07-13, 10:57
|Link #43
Senior Member
Your suggestion also strikes me as a logical extension of what Anime Suki has been doing lately anyway (i.e. it's now typical to see a Spoilers and Speculations thread for source material fans, and a different one for anime-only viewers).
relentlessflame's recent splicing of Muv-Luv conversation also strikes me as being philosophically in-line with your suggestion.
|2012-07-13, 14:11
|Link #44
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
This has been proposed before, and was rejected, and not for being more work for the "lazy jerkoff mods", thank you very much.
There is a certain benefit in having momentum for discussion. Splitting the discussion into two separate threads, whether per episode or per show, only dilutes the amount of people involved in any given thread and makes it harder for a discussion to sustain itself for most shows. People who know the source material generally want to participate in the episode discussion with the anime-only viewers, and it will become increasing confusing to carry on two different conversations about the exact same topic in two different simultaneous threads (and to avoid cross-posting and cross-referencing). Since some people will still want to participate in both threads, there will still be the same temptation to give things away when confronted with questions or speculation. In another sense, you could say that this segregates our community into two different groups even beyond what it currently is, and you could see members who only participate in one "side" of the forum or another. This also goes against our overriding principle of "one topic, one thread", which applies throughout the site; it also makes it that much more difficult to find the right thread when performing a search. And it still doesn't really offer enough granularity in some cases -- in a case like Fate/Zero, would you really say we need to have three different threads for each episode to reflect the different groups? (The same could apply for currently-airing Total Eclipse.)
When the topic is sufficiently distinct, we can create a new thread for it. For example, we separate "speculation and theories" from "spoilers & speculation" in sub-forums because the topics discussed within will be sufficiently different. I also did create the thread for the background of Muv-Luv because it's a special case where the adaptation of the spin-off assumes some familiarity with the original material that not all will want to spoil themselves on (since the show can be watched standalone as well).
So anyway, I believe our overall community philosophy should be "united when possible, split only when necessary". I don't think knowledge of the source material is sufficient justification to require duplicating all anime discussion threads when we already have threads on other topics that can be used for all needed discussion.
Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-07-13 at 14:34. Reason: add missing word...
|2012-07-13, 15:26
|Link #45
Senior Member
I would estimate that your average episode thread on a series subforum runs about 8 or 9 pages. There's some that are less (a mere 3 or 4 pages), and there's some that are massive (SAO's first episode thread having 25 pages), but almost all of them have a very good amount of momentum.
So I don't think that having two episode threads (one for anime-original viewers, and one for source material fans) would really have that much impact on momentum.
But under Ascaloth's suggestion, they could also discuss spoilers to their heart's content on the episode threads dedicated to source material fans.
The benefit here is obvious: Source material fans get the comparison-based discussion out of their systems in the episode threads structured for them, better enabling them to refrain from posting spoilers on the anime-only viewer episode threads.
Source material fans and anime-only watchers are often looking for very different things in an anime show. This will inherently cause many discussions to become segregated. I think it's better to accept reality here, and do what can be done to please both groups of fans, rather than fighting that reality by some futile attempt to get all fans on the same page.
One for no spoilers at all, and one where any and all spoilers are fair game. It's simple, and fair, as long as its clear and upfront. Even as a person who would admittedly be caught in the middle, I'd prefer that over what we did have for Fate/Zero (episode threads were you couldn't even make comparisons between Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night the anime).
Let's face it, people love series subforum episode threads. They tend to be major hubs of activity here on Anime Suki. By all indications, source material fans would most like to discuss the anime episodes they just watched with total openness on episode threads. At the same time, viewers who are experiencing a narrative for the first time often don't want to be spoiled on what is to come. Trying to force these two groups together unto the same thread is often counterproductive, and can cause great dissatisfaction for both groups.
Ascaloth's suggestion would address that dissatisfaction, which I personally think is a larger issue than any of the potential downsides that you've raised.
|2012-07-13, 16:15
|Link #46
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
Within sub-forums, there is already a thread for speculation & spoilers, which is in fact a thread where people familiar with the source can discuss what they think will happen next in the anime after watching each episode. Comparisons for what has already aired are allowed within spoiler tags. So this isn't really an issue in series sub-forums most of the time. At the beginning of each new show, we have to remind people of the spoiler rules, and it takes a while for people to get used to them, but then it generally settles down for the most part. I don't think this season will be any different in that regard. I don't see a great demand from anyone to have duplicate threads for every episode to segregate the discussion, so long as there is a place where all the needed topics can be discussed (and, there is).
Arguably, the place that has a greater need for this differentiation is shows that don't have sub-forums, because they don't have the extra threads; the only choice is either the anime thread or the source material thread. This is less than ideal, but I don't think most franchises really warrant the creation of that many more threads which will generally be underutilized.
So anyway, I don't agree with your understanding of what the problems actually are, and I don't think you've really properly thought through the implications of what you're suggesting. I do not support the suggestion.
P.S. Making such a major change has huge ramifications, and such a change isn't likely to be adopted all of a sudden just because a few people think it would be a good idea. If you want to pursue the concept, rather than argue back point-by-point, please try to think of an alternate suggestion that would address both your concerns and the concerns I've stated. That said, I think it needs to begin by a clearer understanding/definition of what the problem is. From my point of view, it still seems to me that the current policy isn't well understood by some (not all). I'm more likely to support a suggestion that makes the policy clearer than I am to support a policy that fractures the threads even further, but that's just me.
Last edited by relentlessflame; 2012-07-13 at 16:45.
|2012-07-15, 10:39
|Link #47
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
Okay, well, I'm going to defy convention and double-post in this case. I was hoping that someone would come up with a compromise, but I've still been thinking about it anyway. I still don't think that having double episode threads is necessary in most cases, and probably isn't what we want as a rule. However, I do see that in certain cases (Sword Art Online is a current example), there is so much novel comparison discussion that it could potentially fill a thread on its own, and it can distract from the topic at hand (and be annoying for people who just don't care about the novels).
So, just throwing this idea out there (it's not committed or agreed; just an idea). What if we did create two threads, but the topics for each were better-defined:
This would basically sift the discussion into two categories so that even source material readers can participate in the regular anime discussion thread but comparisons to the source material have to go to the other thread. So if source material readers want to participate in the episode discussion, they have to try to discuss the episode on its own merits. The episode poll itself would still be in the anime episode thread. If anime-only viewers want to see the comparison discussion, they can make that choice. In the hypothetical comparison thread, spoiler tags would not be required for comparisons to the current episode, but you still wouldn't be allowed to discuss future spoilers (which would still go to Spoilers & Speculation).
The main thing I didn't like about the earlier proposal was the segregation of people based on their knowledge, but this segregates the conversation based on topic which is what we do already. From a conceptual standpoint, it's something I could live with. I also didn't like the idea that we would do this in every case as some sort of a rule, but I'd be okay in theory with doing this on a case-by-case basis when the situation requires it.
Would this be an acceptable compromise? (Again, keep in mind that this is only an idea at this point, and not a commitment.)
|2012-07-15, 11:18
|Link #48
Join Date: Dec 2011
Age: 24
I can also see some novel fans thinking that future spoilers are allowed, as this thread is basically for them.
Of course, simply reading the first post (and reporting posts that break the rules) would solve both these problems, but a lot of people seem to prefer to jump straight into the discussion without reading anything.
|2012-07-15, 18:54
|Link #49
Senior Member
Sword Art Online is a big part of the reason why I strongly supported Ascaloth's suggestion. It's also a factor in why I created this thread to begin with.
I get that Ascaloth's suggestion is pretty radical, but what Anime Suki is now facing with Sword Art Online is pretty radical itself.
It's been ages since I've seen an anime generate the level of instant discussion that Sword Art Online has. It even dwarfs the likes of Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, and Nisemonogatari (if you compare where SAO is now to where those shows were at after only two or three episodes).
Sword Art Online might be the most heavily talked about new anime here on Anime Suki since a well-received Gundam show or Code Geass R2. The difference being, though, that those were at least anime original. SAO isn't, so it poses real challenges in trying to accommodate both anime-only viewers and source material fans.
All of that being said, I support your compromise proposal, at least as it pertains to SAO. I also certainly understand the value of testing an idea out before considering more wholesale changes. And it is true that not every series will present the challenges that SAO does.
|2012-07-15, 20:50
|Link #51
Senior Member
And I'm not that excited about SAO. Geez, I was even somewhat critical of its first episode. And I only just then watched its 2nd episode. That's hardly reflective of somebody who's "blinded" due to hype over a new anime.
|2012-07-15, 21:01
|Link #52
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
Well, the quantity of posts may be different, but the issues are fundamentally the same. I would also point out that it's not very often that a sub-forum is created before the first episode, and it stands to reason the people most excited and with the most to discuss after the first few episodes will be the novel readers. Creating the sub-forum at that juncture was itself an experiment, and it had some positives and negatives. We'll learn from it going forward.
In discussing the situation with the staff, we will not go for the comparison thread option at the moment, though that doesn't mean the issue won't be revisited again in the future. We are still obviously open to ideas about how to make the spoiler policy clearer and easier to follow, along with making it easier/more-straightforward to enforce.
|2012-07-15, 21:39
|Link #53
Senior Member
You even said it yourself!: There is so much novel comparison discussion that it could potentially fill a thread on its own, and it can distract from the topic at hand.
Very nicely and succinctly put. You are 100% right there.
That makes SAO different. Just compare SAO to, say, Hyouka. Hyouka is definitely not causing the same issues that SAO is causing. The difference is like night-and-day. And a lot of it is due to quantity of posts.
Why not wait to get more feedback from other AS members? Or if the moderating staff is so strongly against the idea, then why don't they publicly present their reasons for why they're against it so we can have a fair, open, and transparent discussion about it?
|2012-07-15, 22:25
|Link #54
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
I regret to inform you that this Forum is not a democracy. We do value the input we receive, but that is not necessarily always going to decide how things go.
|2012-07-15, 22:36
|Link #55
I don't give a damn, dude
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In Despair
Age: 32
I actually like relentlessflame's compromise suggestion for a spoiler comparison thread, and would support it being put into practice.
I actually suggested the dual episode threads as something of an extension on the Spoilers & Speculations threads. The way I see it, the reason why people tend to post spoilers on episode threads despite the presence of the S&S thread is because... well, just look at the S&S thread. When you expect spoilers from an entire franchise to go into a single thread, what you get is a humongous mess spanning millions AND MILLIONS of pages' worth of posts. Let's say somebody wants to know the answer to a particular question regarding a previous episode... good freakin' luck finding it, man.
So, I'll make a different, but related suggestion; how about simply turning the current S&S thread into an episodic format, instead? Like "S&S - Episode 1", "S&S - Episode 2", and so forth. Keep the general guidelines of the current S&S threads, and this way perhaps you'd get people more willing to divert their spoilers to the episodic S&S threads instead, knowing their answers won't get lost in the morass.
|2012-07-15, 23:07
|Link #56
a small cat
|2012-07-15, 23:17
|Link #57
Senior Member
I definitely think a sub-forum like SAO would benefit more from relentlessflame's compromise proposal than a sub-forum like Hyouka's would, primarily due to the wide disparity in episode thread activity between the two.
So yes, I'd be satisfied with a case-by-case approach.
|2012-07-15, 23:18
|Link #58
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
So yeah... my idea definitely had flaws; that's what I get for posting without fully vetting it and thinking it through.
|2012-07-15, 23:33
|Link #59
Senior Member
I haven't seen many people complaining about what you did there. In fact, I was very thankful for it, and I still am. You made the right decision there - A smart, quick, and effective decision that was to the benefit of anime-only Muv-Luv watchers and source material Muv-Luv fans alike.
The thing is that by the time that the Moderators discover comparison-based posts on episode threads (and then edit, move, or delete them), it's often too late for us anime-only viewers. We've been spoiled already.
The current situation is bad for both groups of viewers. It would be better if we went with your compromise idea, or with Ascaloth's latest suggestion.
Those ideas, if implemented, would likely shift most of this comparison-based discussion off of the "main" episode threads.
Anime Suki going with your idea would make things much better than they are right now, imo.
|2012-07-15, 23:36
|Link #60
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 36
|Thread Tools


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BU fraternity suspended after NH student's death
March 04. 2013 11:58PM
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Requests up for gun licensesBy MICHAEL COUSINEAU
New Hampshire Sunday News
January 19. 2013 11:31PM
Since the Connecticut school massacre in mid-December, New Hampshire State Police have been conducting record numbers of background checks for handgun purchases, and local police departments are seeing a sharp rise in how many pistol licenses they are approving for people to carry concealed firearms.
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On Dec. 13, the day before New Hampshire native Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and six educators in a Newtown, Conn., school, New Hampshire State Police completed 173 background checks. The day of the school shooting, Dec. 14, there were 259 checks. The day after the shooting, there were 468. Dec. 22 saw 555 checks, said Haggerty, commander of the state police permits and licensing unit.
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Bedford police investigated a well-publicized home invasion on Nov. 24, prompting security concerns among some residents. The police department in December issued 91 pistol licenses, compared with 29 during December 2011.
From Jan. 1 through Wednesday, Bedford police issued 38 licenses and had an additional 14 applications being processed. For all of January 2012, the department issued 28 licenses.
In Nashua, police approved 168 pistol licenses between Dec. 14 and Wednesday, compared with 87 for the same period a year earlier, according to David Lavoie, the department's records manager. The city has 3,511 active licenses.
At least two police departments said they saw a shift in demographics among those seeking pistol licenses.
Over the past six months, Willard said, "I have noticed there are more females that are applying for pistol permits. I'm also seeing a lot more couples, a lot more married couples that are requesting pistol permits."
Salem police detected a similar demographic trend.
"It seems like there's more husbands and wives requesting pistol permits," said Salem police Detective Sgt. Michael Kelly.
Between the day of the Connecticut shooting and Thursday, Salem police approved 78 permits, with 35 more applications pending. That compares with 32 approved and about five pending for that period a year earlier.
"I think it's based on the facts of what happened with the Newtown shooting," Kelly said. Others fear a "crackdown on the gun laws," he said.
The owner of Riley's Sport Shop in Hooksett said he has been experiencing "unprecedented" sales since many government officials started calling for gun restrictions soon after the school shooting. Ralph Demicco said sales have never been higher in his 39 years owning the store, adding it's difficult to keep shelves filled with ammunition, and he is limiting how much people can buy.
"What's driving this is law-abiding citizens fear the government is going to irrationally implement some firearms restrictions," Demicco said Friday. "The demand (for firearms) is off the charts. Supplies are limited and everything that does come in goes out as fast as it can."
But former Sen. Burt Cohen, D-New Castle, who backed bills calling for firearms restrictions, said the federal government is not going to take away guns people use to hunt or to protect their homes. He blamed the leadership of the National Rifle Association.
"There is this fear the government is going to take away their guns, so people are going to gun shows buying every gun that they can get," Cohen said.
Rochester police actually saw a decrease in licenses issued since Newtown.
Between Dec. 14 and Friday, the department issued 54 permits, compared with 63 for the same period the previous year. For all of 2012, police issued 478 licenses, almost 100 more than the 387 approved in 2011, according to Capt. Paul Toussaint.
In Plymouth, police issued 11 pistol licenses between Dec. 14 and last Thursday, compared with six for the same period the previous year.
Don Gorman, a Deerfield pistol-shooting instructor, said his advance bookings now stretch a month longer than they did a year ago, with people afraid for their personal safety or concerned the government will restrict access to firearms. Within three days of the Bedford home invasion, Gorman said three people from Bedford signed up for his class.
"All of this gets back to one word: fear," Gorman said. "People are scared to death."
Crime, law and justice Politics Public Safety Social issues Top Section Stories


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***Similar to acupuncture as a treatment, but no needles required ;)
What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?
Street parking. Mcgill metro.
How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
438 322 1275


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Nov 6, 2006 at 4:56 am
Thanks for checkin it out. I've been a Rieger fanatic since before most of these new VW drivers had a licence. Rieger is very euro and agressive for most peeps taste. Only reason it hasnt been driven is cuz of the bodyshop. Friends tend to take their time when giving you a hookup. $500 for all that work...
Oct 3, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Nice Jetta, wheels look good, i'm not ashamed to have you as my brother any more. LOL


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Updated at 8 a.m.
DENHAM SPRINGS — Two oil tanks that have been on fire for more than 8 hours will have to burn for another two to three hours before firefighters can smothered the blaze with foam, authorities said Friday morning.
An explosion at a ruptured oil tank on Linder Road, between Denham Springs and Watson, caused the fire which spread to a second tank that cracked and expanded the blaze. The two oil tanks hold about 2,300 barrels of crude oil, said Mark Harrell, director of Livingston Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security.
No one was injured, Harrell said.
Harrell said about 30 homes within a 1 mile radius of the tanks were evacuated.
Harrell said people in nearby residences were not in any immediate danger from chemicals resulting from the fire. He estimated that the flames were as high as 30 to 35 feet Thursday night.
Harrell and Livingston Fire District No. 5 firefighter Capt. Charlie Weaver both said residents should be able to go back to their homes later Friday afternoon or Friday night.
Harrell said Ferrara Fire and Apparatus, which is based in Holden, was bringing in three pallets of fire suppressive foam. Each pallet has 27 five-gallon buckets, he said.
The company that owns the tanks is Denbury Offshore Resources, Weaver said. Denbury has a private crew that is leading the firefight with assistance and backup from District 5, Weaver said.
Harrell said the oil was contained in a 50-foot berm, which is standard procedure for this type of incident.
Harrell said Thursday the fire was encompassing about a 200 square foot radius in the vicinty of Linder Road and Arnold Road just northeast of Denham Springs.
Harrell said authorities do not know what caused the explosion and fire. The company that owns the active well and the nearby tanks, Denbury Offshore Resources, followed all the rules for containing the oil leak and the resulting fire, Harrell said.


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The revisions found in the Jan. 10 USDA reports for corn (CBOT:CH14) may have altered the bearish landscape for this market.
First, the estimate for quarterly stocks came in at 364 million bushels below the average guesstimate. In itself, this was not the biggest headache for bears, because the figure has been notoriously volatile, with the USDA first "finding" and then "losing" – or vice versa – a couple of hundred million bushels here or there.
While the quarterly stocks report was more damaging to the ending stock figure, the final estimate for the harvested U.S. 2013-14 crop was probably a greater disappointment for bears. The street was confident that yields picked up in the late going, but were off the mark by a wide margin. The average guesstimate for the bushel-per-acre (bpa) yield was 161.2 bpa, above the 160.4-bpa December estimate, but the actual figure was 158.8 bpa, below the low end of the range of analysts' guesstimates. The estimate for harvested acres was revised upward from the December estimate by 436 million acres, to 87.668 million acres, and was above the guesstimate. That, however, was not enough to mitigate the lower yields. The final crop estimate was 13.925 billion bushels, down from the 13.989-billion-bushel December estimate, and below the average of analysts' guesstimates for 14.066 billion bushels.
The demand side was bullish as well. Despite the fear that the U.S. ethanol market will shrink without the crutch of government subsidies, the estimate for ethanol usage in the new marketing year was revised upward by the bushel equivalent of 50 million bushels, to five billion bushels, just below the record set in the 2010-11 marketing year. The feed estimate was revised up by 100 million bushels, to 5.3 billion bushels.
Ending stocks will fall to 1.631 billion bushels, or 12.4% of consumption, down from last month's 13.7%.
On the international front, the only material revision was a 2.8% increase in the estimate for Chinese production. Still, with lower stocks in the U.S. and some minor bullish revisions for other countries, the estimate for global ending stocks fell to 17.05% of consumption, down from the December estimate of 17.34%. Traders greeted the reports with a 20¢-per-bushel rally, erasing a couple weeks of losses (Chart 1).
Although prices have been in a precipitous downtrend, we shied away from the short side in our Dec. 8 article on corn for two reasons. One was the likelihood that farmers will make a significant acreage shift to soybeans because of better returns. The other rationale was a strong export market. Both factors are still operative.


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Meet the Staff
Spring 2011
See all articles from this issue
Life cycle
Luminous beauty and the delight of discovery in a photo essay by Susan Middleton '70.
The Pause for Coz
A much-beloved Jesuit, Fr. Richard Coz touched the lives of generations of Broncos—who established a scholarship in his honor with the goal of raising $1 million.
Mission Matters
Here's the plan.
It's a new strategic vision for Santa Clara University. And a road map for the years ahead.
Taking innovations to scale
An inaugural conference on the Mission Campus draws the best of the Tech Awards. The goal: Take brilliant ideas, then replicate.
Bronco Profile
Man in motion
Rich McGuinness '89 is a football force to be reckoned with. He's the man behind The Ride and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.


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42 U.S. Code § 247b–3 - Education, technology assessment, and epidemiology regarding lead poisoning
prev | next
(a) Prevention
(1) Public education
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry out a program to educate health professionals and paraprofessionals and the general public on the prevention of lead poisoning in infants and children. In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall make available information concerning the health effects of low-level lead toxicity, the causes of lead poisoning, and the primary and secondary preventive measures that may be taken to prevent such poisoning.
(2) Interagency Task Force
(A) Not later than 6 months after October 27, 1992, the Secretary shall establish a council to be known as the Interagency Task Force on the Prevention of Lead Poisoning (in this paragraph referred to as the "Task Force"). The Task Force shall coordinate the efforts of Federal agencies to prevent lead poisoning.
(B) The Task Force shall be composed of—
(C) The Task Force shall—
(i) review, evaluate, and coordinate current strategies and plans formulated by the officials serving as members of the Task Force, including—
(I) the plan of the Secretary of Health and Human Services entitled "Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Lead Poisoning", dated February 21, 1991;
(II) the plan of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development entitled "Comprehensive and Workable Plan for the Abatement of Lead-Based Paint in Privately Owned Housing", dated December 7, 1990; and
(ii) develop a unified implementation plan for programs that receive Federal financial assistance for activities related to the prevention of lead poisoning;
(iii) establish a mechanism for sharing and disseminating information among the agencies represented on the Task Force;
(vi) annually carry out a comprehensive review of Federal programs providing assistance to prevent lead poisoning, and not later than May 1 of each year, submit to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate and the Committee on the Environment and Public Works of the Senate, and to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, a report that summarizes the findings made as a result of such review and that contains the recommendations of the Task Force on the programs and policies with respect to which the Task Force is established, including related budgetary recommendations; and
(b) Technology assessment and epidemiology
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall, directly or through grants or contracts—
(1) provide for the development of improved, more cost-effective testing measures for detecting lead toxicity in children;
(2) provide for the development of improved methods of assessing the prevalence of lead poisoning, including such methods as may be necessary to conduct individual assessments for each State;
(3) provide for the collection of data on the incidence and prevalence of lead poisoning of infants and children, on the demographic characteristics of infants and children with such poisoning (including racial and ethnic status), and on the source of payment for treatment for such poisoning (including the extent to which insurance has paid for such treatment); and
Source(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 317B, as added Pub. L. 102–531, title III, § 303(b),Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3488; amended Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2008(i)(1)(B)(i),June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 212.)
1993—Pub. L. 103–43made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 102–531, § 303(b), which enacted this section.
Change of Name
Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.
Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) ofPub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Version: 1.0
Platforms: Series 60, Series 80, Series 90, Symbian OS, UIQ
Developer: Ishwar.com
Distribution Type: Freeware
Downloads: 5309
File Size: 483 Kb
Holy Quran (Mohammed Pickthall) is a sacred text of Islam.
This is the english translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall in Mobipocket Reader PRC format.
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text: I think you are really courageous. And we ALL have regrets about things we did, or did not do, or did wrong with our first child (and every subsequent one too). Whether it's breastfeeding or something else. Don't give in to mommy guilt! You just do the best you can with what you have.


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A while ago there were 4 (bootleg?) 7" represses which were released together -the 2 Roy Dobson tunes, Ricky Storme & a 4th one...anyone remember what it was ? (just trying to remember if it was something i'm after )
Also how is the sound quality on the Roy Dobson tunes ?


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10 Years Ago: Led Zeppelin's 'How the West Was Won' Album Released
Forget 'The Song Remains the Same.' Led Zeppelin's 1976 live album/soundtrack is bloated, boring and filled with zero musical tension. The best Led Zeppelin live album available (at least legally) is 'How the West Was Won,' the three-record set culled from two concerts the world's biggest rock band performed in California in June of 1972. It was released ten years ago on May 27, 2003.
Maybe it had to with the earlier tour ('The Song Remains the Same' was recorded during three shows at Madison Square Garden almost a year later), or maybe the audience just fueled the band better; whatever the case, Led Zeppelin sound like unbeatable monsters of rock on 'How the West Was Won.'
Released at the same time as the excellent career-spanning self-titled DVD set that compiled tons of Zep concert footage, 'How the West Was Won' marked the band's first album of all-new material since 1997's lackluster 'BBC Sessions.' You have to go all the way back to 1982's odds-and-ends swan song 'Coda' for a Zeppelin album as relevant. Bootleg copies of the 1972 live shows had traded for years, but the remastered music on the three discs – supervised by Jimmy Page – brings them into a whole new light.
There aren't too many surprises here. The 18 songs are common to Zeppelin set lists from the early '70s. 'Heartbreaker,' 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'Dazed and Confused,' 'Whole Lotta Love,' 'Rock and Roll' -- they're all on 'How the West Was Won.' But these are epic, mammoth performances, not just in length -- 'Dazed and Confused' checks in at more than 25 minutes, and 'Whole Lotta Love,' stretched out with some blues and pop oldies, tops out at 23 -- but also in scope. Songs like 'Since I've Been Loving You' and 'Bring It on Home' never sounded more monumental.
In the album's booklet, Page notes that Led Zeppelin were at their peak during this era. And he may be right. 'How the West Was Won' debuted at No. 1, making it the band's first chart-topping album since their last studio record, 1979's 'In Through the Out Door,' and their seventh overall. It also went platinum, joining almost every other record in the group's legendary catalog. And like those classic records, it's a hallowed part of the band's storied history.


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It was a hectic summer for Francis Marion Military Academy administrators, who have been converting the defunct Hale Academy into a lean, mean, educational machine.
It was a hectic summer for Francis Marion Military Academy administrators, who have been converting the defunct Hale Academy into a lean, mean, educational machine.
In July, the military charter school began moving off the old Phoenix Center property owned by the Marion County School District off Northeast 35th Street.
Last week, during the run-up to the start of the school year, teachers and volunteers scrambled to get classroom portables ready for 170 cadets.
Col. Bill Archibald, the academy's principal, said he based his 2013-14 budget on receiving funding for 155 cadets. But thanks to the new, more visible location behind College of Central Florida on Southwest 20th Street, new recruits keep marching in to sign up.
"We're getting two or three new cadets every day," said Archibald of the academy, which opened in the 2007-08 school year with only 40-plus cadets.
Although the past five years have been rocky, officials believe the new digs will provide the shot in the arm that the academy needs to survive.
Francis Marion board member Charles deMenzes said his mission has been to fight hard and keep the dream alive.
"I'm totally committed to this school," deMenzes said. "We'll make it work through hell or high water."
The prospects are looking so good now that the school will soon file an application with the Marion County School Board to add a middle school — grades 6-8 — next fall.
"We will have to bring in many portables, but I think we can find the room to make it work," deMenzes said.
The summer has been a challenge. New Internet lines had to be installed. They had to create a makeshift kitchen — called "The Swamp Fox Cafe" — to meet state standards.
Archibald said after Francis Marion's move to the new campus over the summer, every portable on campus was packed from ceiling to floor with supplies from the old Hale Academy. Hale opened in 2000 and lagging enrollment was blamed for its demise in June.
Francis Marion staff has been sorting through all the items, storing some furniture at another location to be used for the middle school.
"It is going well, but we have a lot of work to do," said Archibald, who sat behind the desk in an office once occupied by Hale Academy administrators.
Francis Marion and the CF Foundation agreed to a $2,500 monthly lease. The three-year lease will have an option for Francis Marion to add three more years.
School officials had hoped to build their $2 million campus just west of Northeast 19th Avenue, about a mile north of Northeast 14th Street, by now. But getting financing has been difficult.
Leasing the old Hale Academy will give officials time to plan and get financing for the new campus.
The seven-acre Hale campus is not big enough to support long-term plans for the military school. One day, school officials hope to include barracks on campus.
The move is also good news for the school district, which is planning to open its own alternative school at the Phoenix Center site once the board can find startup funding.
Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.


text:
This design is easy & quick to stitch.
Full color photo and hand charted color chart.
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For E-patterns you must have Adobe Reader ( free download) and be able to receive large files. Please allow 24 hours ( usually will be sooner) for your E-pattern to arrive by email- to save us both time, please check your spam/junk folder before contacting me if the pattern doesn't seem to be arriving.
We now have stitching services- if you have patterns but no time to stitch them- we can help!
Prices vary depending on chart size- for more info contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Due to the nature of this product all sales are final.


text:
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Meredith Vieira is looking to connect.
"Authenticity," she said, "is the key word" for what she hopes to bring to her new daytime talk show, "The Meredith Vieira Show," which premieres in syndication Sept. 8.
Speaking of the daytime audience, she said, "They want real, and they want to connect with somebody. They feel a connective tissue (with daytime personalities) that I don't think you find other times of the day.
"That's the power of television," she added — "you can do so much to help people."
Speaking to reporters on Monday at the summer TV critics' gathering, Vieira said she'll tape at NBC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, also home to such programs as "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," ''Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "Saturday Night Live." She said she'd welcome drop-ins from any stars from those shows who might be roaming the halls.
She'll have a house band led by Everett Bradley, a percussionist with the E Street Band.
And her set will be an exact replica of her own living room — "I want people to feel they're coming into my house" — with an easy chair actually lifted from her home.
"It's a little like me," she said of that chair. "It's a little worn-in, but it's been loved."
The 60-year-old Vieira presides over her own daytime talk show after accumulating a varied resume including "60 Minutes," the "Today" show, "The View" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."
She acknowledged that the syndicated-talk world can be treacherous, as evidenced by the ratings flameout after just two seasons of the show hosted by her "Today" predecessor, Katie Couric. Speaking of her own upcoming venture, she said, "If it fails, I'm not gonna die. But I'm hoping for the best."
Contact Frazier Moore at http://twitter.com/tvfrazier


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Dr. Warren Larson Weighs in on Sanctions Against Iran
April 05, 2010
What to do about Iran.
A number of Christian leaders in the United States are concerned about what a nuclear armed Iran would mean for the security of the world. Sanctions against Iran are being proposed, but what would that mean for the Christians who live in that nation? Dr. Warren Larson, director of the Zwemer Center for Muslims Studies at Columbia International University weighed in on the topic in an article in the online edition of "Christianity Today" magazine. Read about it at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/april/6.16.html
Also check out Dr. Warren Larson's website at: http://warrenlarson.wordpress.com/
Learn more about the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies at: http://www.ciu.edu/muslimstudies/


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text:
The New York Post is now reporting that the Mets will be getting stud pitching prospect Zack Wheeler in the deal. Wheeler was ranked as the No. 35 prospect in the game by Baseball America in that publication's midseason rankings.
Phillies top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart, who likely would have had to have been part of any Beltran deal, was ranked 43.
Any hope of Carlos Beltran batting behind Ryan Howard for the rest of the season has apparently vanished. Multiple national reports say the Mets and Giants are close to a deal that would send the switch-hitting slugger to San Francisco in exchage for minor league outfielder Gary Brown, who entered the season as the organization's third-ranked prospect according to Baseball America.
Brown is hitting .317 with an .853 OPS, eight home runs and 39 stolen bases for High-A San Jose this season. He is 22 years old.
The Phillies are hesitant to part with top prospects for rental players. Beltran will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Phillies' top two prospects are righthander Jarred Cosart and first baseman Jonathon Singleton, both of whom are at High-A Clearwater.
The Phillies have apparently focused most of their recent efforts on Astros outfielder Hunter Pence, although a deal still appears to be a long shot. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported that the two sides were close to a deal earlier this week that likely revolved around Cosart and Singleton, but that the Astros backed away.
The Phillies do not seem likely to move outfielder Domonic Brown, although they would likely end up having to demote him to Triple-A in the result of a player such as Pence.
Last night, Fox's Ken Rosenthal reported that the White Sox were looking to cut salary and floated outfielder Carlos Quentin as a potential trade target, but such a deal seems far fetched for the Phillies, given the level of talent it would take to convence Chicago to part with an MVP-candidate outfielder making $5 million who is under control through next season.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for easy access to all of our Phillies coverage, plus app-exclusive videos and analysis. Get it here.


text: It is Dance and Electronic music. The modern dancing rhythm and various sounds of a synthesizers make this music popular. Search rhythmical music? Welcome to my portfolio. There you will find many rhythmical loops and songs. Do you want to break away from the fat? Download this track. This is electronic, energetic, rhythmic, boombastic, modern, cheerful, danceable mega-corporate track, intended for people in club parties.


text:
The Transportation Security Administration is loading its full-body scanners with new software that will eliminate detailed and potentially graphic images of travelers.
In a July 20 announcement, TSA said that the software upgrade will enhance privacy for people going through millimeter wave Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines at airport security checkpoints.
According to the TSA, the new Automated Target Recognition (ATR) software automatically detects and highlights the location of possible threat items that resemble weapons against a generic human outline, rather than a detailed image of the person. Over the coming months, the agency will install the upgrade in all AIT machines in U.S. airports.
Related coverage:
Texas tries again to criminalize some TSA pat-downs
TSA might back down some on pat-downs
Texas tries again to criminalize some TSA pat-downs
TSA might back down some on pat-downs
The new software is a response to complaints and leaked images of AIT images of passengers' naked bodies. TSA also said the software upgrade will also eliminate the need for a separate officer to view scanner images in a separate room.
Like the current version of AIT, if the upgrade detects a metallic or non-metallic item that may be a weapon or explosives, a TSA agent will then pat down the passenger.
"This software upgrade enables us to continue providing a high level of security through advanced imaging technology screening, while improving the passenger experience at checkpoints," said TSA Administrator John Pistole in a statement.
In February 2011, TSA tested the new software at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Las Vegas McCarran International and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports.
There are currently about 500 imaging technology scanners at 78 airports across the U.S. While the upgrades apply only to millimeter-wave AIT units, the TSA plans to test similar software for its backscatter units in the fall.
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TSA has never caught any "terrorists". Somebody is making a whole bunch of money on this scam.
Personally, I don't trust this software to do what a human could do so much better. Look at OCR software, or speech-to-text, or text-to-speech software. Software isn't good at doing very basic human things like looking and listening, and identifying what you found. And we're entrusting software to do exactly that, because we're scared that a human doing the job might see other things too. This isn't security; it's the illusion of security. "A false sense of security is worse than no security at all"
So,the machine still does or can take the same image - there's been no clarification on that point. Unless they change out the hardware (not going to happen... $$$$) the assertion above is true. Just how the machine processes that output is just window dressing. It seems fairly certain that the same electrons/bits are being processed from the imaging hardware - mayvbe more-, sent to a computer, and processed to provide the graphical output. I will gladly fly naked. That's not the issue here. Anyone who believes that the images cannot be stored, or that the system is impenetrable to malicious (government or non-government) activity needs to become informed about the state of computer [in]security. Any imprint (data record) you leave in your daily activities can and will [someday] be used against you. Assuming the risk that "probable cause" will be required in the future to use this data is ripe for an "a**_u_me" outcome.
The scanners are just another fact that we are losing the battle on terrorism. The US Government has missed that fact and taken steps that affect the US citizen. We are being treated as if we are the terrorist. TSA needs to look at the definition of Terrorism... use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governmentsRead more: http://www.answers.com/topic/terrorism#ixzz1TUdKB7V0
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Men's K-Swiss Tennis Shoes - Tennis Express
Since 1966, K-SWISS has represented innovation, quality, performance and style. Its signature K-SWISS "CLASSIC" made its debut at Wimbledon in 1966 as the first leather tennis shoe, and more than 40 years later, is still a staple both on and off the court. Today, K-SWISS' premium sports heritage has expanded from tennis footwear, to running, training, lifestyle and free-running footwear that stands up to the performance demands of world-class athletes and trendsetters alike. Whether you live on the tennis courts or are just a recreational tennis player, K-Swiss shoe technologies will help enhance and improve your game with better durability, stability and maneuverability. With so many different types of styles to choose from, there is definitely a tennis shoe that is tailored to your needs.


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June 1996, Vol. XIII ,Issue 6
Paraphilias as defined by DSM-IV, are sexual impulse disorders characterized by intensely arousing, recurrent sexual fantasies, urges and behaviors (of at least six months' duration) that are considered deviant with respect to cultural norms and that produce clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of psychosocial functioning. The common paraphilias described include exhibitionism (exposure of genitals to a stranger), pedophilia (sexual activity with a prepubescent child, generally 13 years of age or younger), voyeurism (observing others' sexual activities), fetishism (use of inert objects, such as female undergarments), transvestic fetishism (cross-dressing), sexual sadism (inflicting suffering or humiliation), sexual masochism (being humiliated, beaten, bound or made to suffer) and frotteurism (touching, rubbing against a nonconsenting person).
Although several of these disorders can be associated with aggression or harm, others are neither inherently violent nor aggressive (e.g., fetishism, transvestic fetishism).
Paraphilias are predominantly male sexuality disorders with an estimated sex differences ratio of 20:1 in sexual masochism. (The other paraphilias are almost never diagnosed in females, although some cases have been reported-Ed.)
There is a second group of sexual impulse disorders not currently classified as paraphilias because the particular sexual behaviors affected are not considered "deviant" with respect to contemporary cultural norms. I have proposed to designate these disorders as paraphilia-related disorders (Kafka 1994a) based on the following clinical data:
- The boundary for social as well as sexual deviance is largely determined by cultural and historical context. As such, sexual disorders once considered paraphilias (e.g., homosexuality) are now regarded as variants of normal sexuality; so too, sexual behaviors currently considered normal (e.g., masturbation) were once culturally proscribed.
- Paraphilia-related disorders have been diagnosed in male paraphiliacs (Longo and Groth; Langevin and others), and men selected for studies of paraphilia-related disorders are reported to have paraphilias as well (Carnes).
- Paraphilia-related disorders can produce a pattern of sexual frequency and intensity with concomitant psychosocial impairment that does not readily distinguish them from nonviolent paraphilic disorders (Carnes, Kafka and Prentky 1992a).
- Analogous with paraphilias, the presence of a single paraphilia-related disorder increases the likelihood of occurrence of a multiplicity of these behaviors in an affected person.
- Paraphilias and paraphilia-related disorders can both be ameliorated by antiandrogens and serotonergic antidepressants, especially serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Disorders of sexual impulsivity can be pleomorphic and may include sexual arousal to behaviors that are socially "deviant" as well as "normal." In fact, inasmuch as paraphilia-related disorders may be common in paraphiliacs and also occur without the companion of the latter, paraphilia-related disorders may be the more prevalent form of sexual impulsivity. In addition, although the estimated sex difference ratio for paraphilia-related disorders is unknown, protracted promiscuity (e.g., "nymphomania") and compulsive masturbation are not uncommon behaviors described by women.
Although this article is written to highlight pharmacotherapy, most males with sexual impulsivity disorders treated with pharmacotherapy should have a concurrent psychological treatment including such modalities as a specialized sex offender program, group therapy, a 12-step "sexual addiction/compulsion" recovery program or a therapist familiar with this complex's disorders.
While there is no single unifying theory to adequately explain the pathogenesis of sexual impulse disorders, there are currently two distinct classes of psychopharmacological agents, antiandrogens and serotonergic antidepressants, that are prescribed during the treatment of paraphilias and paraphilia-related disorders.
The antiandrogens cyproterone acetate (CPA) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA [Amen, Depo-Provera) are the most commonly prescribed agents for the control of repetitive deviant sexual behaviors and have been prescribed for paraphilia-related disorders as well. Although neither drug has been specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of paraphilic disorders, both agents are used in Canada and Europe and medroxyprogesterone is available in the United States. Both agents, available as oral or parenteral preparations, have been shown in multiple studies to reduce recidivism rates in male sexual aggressors (for review, Bradford 1995a), the group most commonly prescribed these drugs.
Common side effects of antiandrogens include weight gain, fatigue, hypertension, headaches, hyperglycemia, leg cramps and diminished spermatogenesis. In addition, there may be an increased risk of thromboembolism in men (and women) with risk factors associated with clotting disorders and rare feminization effects such as breast swelling and changes in hair distribution during prolonged treatment.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate, an analog of progesterone, lowers serum testosterone by reducing the production of testosterone from its precursors, and by significantly increasing its metabolic clearance rate from serum by interfering with the binding of testosterone to a serum sex-hormone binding globulin. It is most commonly prescribed in the parenteral depot form and injected weekly or biweekly in doses ranging from 100 to 800 mg (usually 200 to 500 mg). Although less clinical data exist on oral medroxyprogest-erone, encouraging results have been reported (Gottesman and Schubert) using doses from 20 to 100 mg per day.
Cyproterone acetate inhibits testosterone directly at androgen receptor sites and also exhibits antigonadotrophic effects. In its oral form, the usual prescribed dosage range is 50 to 200 mg per day. Parenterally, it is usually administered every one to two weeks at dosages of 300 to 600 mg per injection.
Testosterone, the principal androgen (sex hormone) produced by the testes, is considered the most important androgen affecting male sexual behavior. The role of testosterone as a primary etiological factor in physical and sexual aggression in men, however, remains ambiguous. The majority of studies of testosterone in male sex offenders reveal that serum total testosterone (i.e., protein bound and unbound) is within normal limits in all but a subgroup of the most violent paraphiliacs (Hucker and Bain). In fact, there are reports of male paraphilias with low baseline serum testosterone (Seim and Dwyer). Despite these data, most men prescribed antiandrogens report a calming effect in both sexual aggression and general irritability, and these agents have become the standard biological intervention for sexually aggressive paraphiliacs. Since the prescription of antiandrogens for paraphilias is still considered an off-label use (i.e., not FDA-approved for that specific use), it is prudent to document informed consent in a patient's record before antiandrogen administration, and to obtain baseline fasting glucose, liver functions, vital signs, serum FSH and total testosterone.
The effect of antiandrogens on sexual desire and associated fantasies, erections, urges and other sexual behaviors is usually evident by two to four weeks after the initiation of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacological tolerance to their effects has not been described, and either agent can be tapered without a rebound increase in sexual or aggressive behaviors. After a period of symptom stabilization, a lower maintenance dose can sometimes be titrated to minimize side effects, and in some cases, to permit a more selective mitigation of deviant sexuality in comparison with conventional sexual desire.
Sexual fantasies and erections usually return approximately two to four weeks after an antiandrogen is gradually tapered, although in some men it may take longer for the effects to be fully reversed.
Although there may not be a linear relationship between lowered serum testosterone and diminished deviant sexual behavior, some investigators seek to lower serum testosterone to prepubertal levels (100 ng per dL) and others target a 50-percent reduction of circulating testosterone as adequate for a therapeutic effect with less side effects. This clinical feature of monitoring circulating testosterone as well as the parenteral administration of these agents provides a means to assure compliance in men who are court-mandated, are sexual predators or are incapable of taking oral medications reliably to assure that compliance with treatment had been maintained should an offense reoccur. On the other hand, oral MPA or CPA can be utilized with highly motivated males with paraphilias and paraphilia-related disorders (Gottesman and Schubert).
In oral preparation, the daily dose of antiandrogens can be more readily titrated to perhaps preserve "conventional"sexual arousal. Compliance is enhanced because the patient is afforded improved self-efficacy, and the dose can be more easily adjusted during a slow taper phase.
It is common practice that antiandrogen pharmacotherapy is utilized as a therapeutic modality early (e.g., three to 12 months) during cognitive, behavioral and group therapies in the treatment of sex offender paraphiliac patients. In some circumstances, however, antiandrogens have been prescribed for more than a decade with no significant untoward effects and with continued beneficial mitigation of deviant sexual arousal.


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Polyhedron Garden House by Manuel Villa
Yesterday, I posted a bizarre Octagonal Carriage House in Hoboken — today, I'm stepping it up with a polyhedron garden house on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia.
Really an "outside room" the detached polyhedron and teak deck are in the backgarden of a larger house. Architect Manuel Villa designed the geometric structure as a daytime escape — the primarily pine structure features windows for light and ventilation, a domed skylight, desk and sofa.
You can see more pictures and architectural drawings on ArchDaily's sister site: Plataforma Arquitectura | Poliedro Habitable / Manuel Villa.
Via: notcot.org
(Images: Manuel Villa, Sergio Gomez)


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City Commissioner Don Selvage said he walked into the local bar-restaurant called The Heights recently and said to himself, "Whoa, this joint is jumpin'!"
LAKELAND | City Commissioner Don Selvage said he walked into the local bar-restaurant called The Heights recently and said to himself, "Whoa, this joint is jumpin'!"
But maybe, Selvage said, the lounge at the city-owned Cleveland Heights Golf Course is jumping too much, particularly at night when most of the golfers are gone.
The restaurant-lounge operation at the course was taken over in November 2012 by Natalie Oldenkamp, formerly the owner of Natalie's on South Florida Avenue. She's a part-time city employee making $20.50 per hour, a payment city officials consider a bargain for her knowledge and following.
City officials and commissioners rave about Oldenkamp, saying she's revived the formerly stagnant food and bar operation. But there are some worrisome problems attached to The Heights:
On Sept. 8 about 5 p.m., police say 75-year-old Ronald Lee Akins, who had been drinking at The Heights, drove into and killed Byers Levy, 59, as Levy pedaled his bicycle around Lake Hollingsworth. Akins, whose blood-alcohol content was slightly above the legal limit, was charged in January with driving under the influence manslaughter. Levy's family has sued the city, charging that The Heights served a "habitually addicted" drinker.
People can buy drinks on city property in a variety of locations, including two overlooking Lake Mirror, the Peggy Brown and Magnolia buildings, which feature weddings. It also includes Joker Marchant Stadium, The Lakeland Center and Garden Bistro, inside the Magnolia Building.
But the operation at The Heights is the only location where the city holds the alcoholic beverage license and where city workers do the pouring. This exposes the city to greater liability than if the license were in the name of a caterer or vendor and someone other than city employees served the drinks, lawyers tell The Ledger.
One dollar amount, $985,000, jumps off profit and expense records. In the 2013 fiscal year, the city sold more than $1 million in beverages and food.
That's considerably better than any of the past 10 years. But Lakeland spent $985,000 in mainly food, beverage and labor costs to take in that $1 million, for a meager profit of $23,000. City officials say 2013 was an experimental year, and expenses will come down.
Some bar owners in the city say they're forced to compete with a taxpayer-financed operation at The Heights.
Patrons at The Heights are often wall-to-wall.
Happy hour, from 4 until 7 p.m., features half-priced drinks. On Thursdays, from 6 to 8 p.m., women drink free. Drinks are served in the lounge until 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. in the restaurant adjoining the lounge. They stay open later for a big crowd or special events.
Customers at the 60-seat lounge sometimes spill into the restaurant area or perch outside close to the golf course. Oldenkamp said she'd like to see the city move one of the walls in The Heights lounge to make room for more patrons.
The Ledger visited on a recent Thursday evening when women drink free. The place was packed. At one corner table, eight women sat with their drinks. Three women sat at each of the two tables close to the large table of women.
City officials, including Parks and Recreation Director Bob Donahay, say the lounge is an amenity for golfers, and without it, far fewer golfers would play at Cleveland Heights. Nobody disagrees.
But the people at the lounge after dark hardly looked like golfers that night. They looked much more like working-class, middle-aged people who got off work at 5.
Selvage says the question of whether the city should be in the alcoholic beverage business, particularly at night, is a legitimate one and a conversation he wants to have in public with the other commissioners.
Mike Brossart, the city's finance director, said Donahay has a mandate from city commissioners to revive the food-and-beverage business at The Heights. He said the subsidy paid by the city to the golf course averages about $900,000 per year. The food and beverage operation at the course "is an asset," Brossart said. "Bob would be a fool not to take advantage of every asset he has."
Donahay makes no apologies for trying to lower the subsidy the city puts into the golf course operation every year by having a profitable food and lounge operation.
He said the profit of only $23,000 on more than $1 million in sales in 2013 is the result of first-year growing pains with Oldenkamp that includes some experimenting to see what works. This fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, the food and beverage operation shows a profit so far of $37,000. But the upcoming hot-and-stormy summer months are expected to put a dent into business at Cleveland Heights.
"We try to stay afloat in the summer, Donahay said. "We try to break even."
The best fiscal year the food and beverage operation ever experienced was 2005, when, in the wake of hurricane damages that wiped out its quarters, the restaurant Gosh! relocated temporarily in the Cleveland Heights clubhouse. The profit from the city's food-and-beverage operation that year was $223,000.
Rock bottom for the food and beverage was the 2011 fiscal year, with a profit of just $8,000.
Oldenkamp, who was recruited by Donahay, says the situation at The Heights was "a real mess" when she arrived late in 2012.
The arrival of Oldenkamp produced a $272,000 jump in food and beverage sales in 2013. Oldenkamp also acknowledges that the uptick in business at The Heights has produced some animosity from other bar owners and managers of other local alcoholic beverage establishments.
Henry Tucker, owner of Southside Package and Lounge, is one of them.
"I don't believe that the city should be in competition with an individual that pays city taxes," Tucker said. "Basically, they're using my money to compete with me."
Oldenkamp said she was surprised to hear Tucker's comments. She said Lakeland isn't a one-light town and businesses create more business for each other.
"When we close, we send a lot of people to the Southside," Oldenkamp said.
She said she told another establishment owner miles away who complained about The Heights that if his business was off, "you need to look in the mirror" to find the problem.
Commissioner Justin Troller said he'd understand the argument that the city competes with private business for alcoholic beverage dollars "if we were giving away drafts for $1. But we're not."
City supervisors and commissioners say the crash that killed Levy was tragic and unfortunate. "It was horrible," Brossart said.
But it hasn't stopped Lakeland from going full-speed ahead at Cleveland Heights.
That the Heights is operated by the city exposes Lakeland to liability that would otherwise be directed to a vendor or caterer, said Joe Mawhinney, a former Lakeland city attorney now in private law practice.
The city has ''sovereign immunity" and would have to pay a court judgment of no more than $200,000 for someone who successfully sues. A judgment of more than $200,000 would have to be approved by the state Legislature, which is a rarity.
"The landlord (the city) would have no liability if a tenant who has his own license and is operating his own business" were to be sued, Mawhinney said. "If a landlord is only the owner of the premises, then the landlord is not liable, in my opinion.
"But if the folks working in the bar are city employees, then any issue over the license doesn't matter. It's who is supposed to make the judgment of who has been served enough and who is impaired. If you are aware of a patron's inebriated state, you have a legal obligation to stop them from driving."
Assistant City Attorney Palmer Davis said the city asserts sovereign immunity, with that $200,000 threshold, in any lawsuit.
The city has an insurance policy for $1 million in a lawsuit stemming from an incident at the golf course. The policy cost is a yearly $3,109. The extra liability coverage is for the possibility that the Legislature would take the rare step of making the city pay more than $200,000, Davis said.
"There's always the possibility of a claims bill. It's rare, but it's conceivable," he said.
The Polk County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving has a long history with Lakeland police. An LPD captain, Rick Taylor, serves on MADD's Board of Directors.
Mary Dean, a MADD victim advocate, said the organization won't pass public judgment on the city serving alcoholic drinks. She said she hopes The Heights encourages designated drivers.
That's something Oldenkamp said she has done for 25 years.
But, Dean said, "as a taxpayer, my concern is that (The Heights) makes the city liable."
City spokesman Kevin Cook said the city, until a few years ago, allowed charitable organizations to sell drinks at some downtown events. It stopped, he said, "because the city didn't receive any proceeds, but we carried all the liability."
Vendors are used at most government-owned property where alcohol is served.
The reason for that is liability, said Chris Wrenn, associate general counsel for the University of North Florida.
He said alcoholic drinks are served by an outside company, Chartwells, in a variety of campus locations, including student and faculty lounges, a soccer stadium, a gymnasium, an art gallery and various scattered receptions.
"It transfers liability," Wrenn said.
City Commissioner Jim Malless, sworn into office in January, said he hasn't formed an opinion yet on The Heights.
Five commissioners, including Mayor Howard Wiggs, say not only that they're fine with The Heights operation, but they're encouraged by it.
"I believe we're on the right track," Commissioner Edie Yates said.
"The accident was unfortunate, but we have a business model," Commissioner Phillip Walker said. "We have to stick with it."
[ Rick Rousos can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 863-802-7509. ]


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Nearly a week has passed since the presidential election, and hopefully, by now, some of the emotional disappointment has worn off.
Based on the popular vote, the election was pretty close, and what that tells me is half the country is happy, the other half is not. While I, like many, had my opinion on who would be best to turn around the economy, that no longer matters. I, and all others, have to look at what to do now and going forward for the next four years. I'm confident the country will not fold or collapse, although many times it feels that way because our mainstream media has become so good at stirring up emotions.
Over the last 75 years, the average stock market return is around 10 percent. If you look at the current scenario with a Democratic president, the stock market return climbs to 15.4 percent.
Maybe our forefathers had a good plan and knew what they were doing.
I've followed billionaire investor Carl Icahn for years. Sometimes I agree with him, sometimes I wonder what in the world he is thinking. Just like other investors, he has his wins and losses, but when he loses, it's pretty big. However, so are his wins. Icahn has increased his stake in video game maker Take-Two Interactive Software (Nasdaq: TTWO) to 10.6 percent from 9.5 percent, and this is the second time he has stepped in to acquire shares.
My 30 years of experience tell me he sees something and has some plans for this company to increase its value, so I decided to take a look and see if I agree with Icahn this time.
Founded in 1993, Take-Two is based in New York City and has 2,235 full-time employees. Over the last year, the company has seen a 52-week high of $16.99 and a low of $7.37. The stock currently trades around $11 per share and has a market cap of $1 billion.
The company is a purveyor of many video games and best known for the game "Grand Theft Auto." With losses over the last 12 months, the company has no PE compared to an industry PE of 18.4. Price to sales looks good for the company at 1.1, one-third the industry average of 3.7. Price to book value for the industry is 8.5 compared to the company at 5.6.
Take-Two does carry about $308 million in goodwill and intangible assets, which is $175 million below the equity. While that makes me a little nervous, I also understand this is a software company, not a manufacturer, so the asset makeup will be a little different and the price to tangible book is better than the industry.
Sales for the company declined year over year at a rate of 8 percent, while the industry experienced a 4 percent increase. Earnings per share year over year fell by 312 percent when the industry declined 15.9 percent. Looking at the income statement over the last two years, I noticed that in comparing the most recent 12 months to the previous 12 months, there was a drop in revenue in the fiscal first quarter of this year and the fiscal fourth quarter of last year, yet cost of revenue and selling, general and administrative expenses stayed roughly the same.
The balance sheet looks OK with a current ratio of 2.4, slightly above the industry at 2.3. Debt to equity is higher for the company at 67.2 when compared to the industry average at 20.4. Remember that the industry is carrying roughly 50 percent more in intangible assets, which could be written off, causing the debt-to-equity to increase.
Return on equity for Take-Two is a negative 33.5 percent compared to the industry of 20.4 percent. Net profit margin is also negative for the company at 19.8 percent while the industry has a positive net profit margin of 20 percent. These were affected by the causes I outlined in the previous paragraph.
Take-Two has done a good job of managing their account receivables, turning over 10.1 times over the last 12 months, well above the industry average of 6.3. The inventory turnover over the last 12 months was 11.1 times for the company, not quite as good as the industry turnover of 13.1.
The big change came when I looked at the analyst estimates. For fiscal year ending March 2013, the mean analyst estimate is 29 cents. However, looking at March of 2014, it is up nearly 10-fold to $2.25.
You must be wondering, "What is going on?"
The huge success of "Grand Theft Auto" was delayed and will come out next year, hence the bad past 12 months and the huge jump in EPS estimate. With the stock trading around $11 per share, the forward PE is only 4.9. The range of estimates for the 18 analysts go from a low of $1.03 to a high of $3.18, and if the company has a 50 percent miss on the March 2014 earnings per share, the stock would still be trading at a PE of around 10, still very good.
So Icahn, I like your thinking here. I'll be watching, maybe even participating in the near future.
Have a question or a company you'd like me to take a look at? Email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
All contents herein copyright San Diego Source ® 1994-2018


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Good for a laugh or just plain stupid? Only you can answer that one.
From his hobbies page:
"I like to watch the little birds that fly around because how do they do that? I cant fly but maybe I can!!! Okay little bird show me!!!! No! they dont show me I hate them!!"
(back to my homework)
Go Finland!
Deviant Gallery
Ant yet another rip-off of the one and only NON HAX0RING PEACEFUL FELLOW JEFFK!.
It's a good one, though
Forum Rules


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From LAX, nonstop service to Chicago is offered on United, American and Virgin America; direct service (stop, no change of plane) on US Airways and connecting service (change of plane) on United, American, Delta and US Airways. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $446.
Public Hotel, 1301 N. State Parkway, Chicago; (312) 787-3700 http://www.publichotels.com. Ian Schrager's newly designed minimalist Gold Coast digs has a Mac-equipped communal business center and breakfast room service that arrives guaranteed within 10 minutes. Doubles from $105.
Hotel 71, 71 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago; (312) 346-7100, http://www.hotel71.com. Conveniently located in the Loop. Doubles from $135.
Hotel Palomar, 505 N. State St., Chicago; (312) 755-9703 http://www.hotelpalomar-chicago.com. This spring the hotel will launch a bedside cocktail program, where Sable's bartenders will wheel up bar carts for in-room service. Doubles $179.
The Bedford, 1612 W. Division St., Chicago; (773) 235-8800, http://www.bedfordchicago.com. Vegetarian and vegan comfort food in a supper-club setting that's housed within a former 1920s bank vault. Dinner entrees, $10-$28.
The Publican, 837 W. Fulton Market, Chicago; (312) 733-9555, http://www.thepublicanrestaurant.com. Cured meats and craft beer are the name of the game at this restaurant, which is operated by the folks who own the Violet Hour. Dinner entrees, $14-$40.
Mrs. Murphy & Sons, 3905 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago; (773) 248-3905, http://www.irishbistro.com. This Irish bar was formerly a funeral home where gangsters hid bodies during Prohibition. It has a massive whiskey selection as well as amazing house-smoked barbecued ribs. Dinner entrees $12.50-$28.50.
The Sable, see listing above under Hotel Palomar.
The Bedford, see listing above.
The Aviary, 953-955 W. Fulton St., Chicago; (312) 226-0868, http://www.theaviary.com
Twin Anchors, 1655 N. Sedgwick St., Chicago; (312) 266-1616, http://www.twinanchorsribs.com
Pump Room 1301 N. State Parkway, Chicago; (312) 787-3700, http://www.pumproom.com
Violet Hour, 1520 N. Damen Ave.,, Chicago; (773) 252-1500, http://www.theviolethour.com
The Whistler 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago; (773) 227-3530; http://www.whistlerchicago.com
Explore Chicago, http://www.explorechicago.org


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Buying a car is typically the second most expensive purchase someone makes, next to buying a home. Making such a large financial decision in a weekend will increase the chances you'll be unhappy with your purchase in the long run. Coachella Valley VW is here to offer a few simple...[read more]
Category: California Volkswagen dealer
The 2016 VW CC Performs At A Higher Level Of Sophistication – Palm Springs, CA
With striking good looks and an upscale interior, the 2016 VW CC is a study in style, luxury, and sophistication that knows how to perform. Its striking style and sporty performance show the CC was built to steer itself straight into your heart. Lines that draw attention When it comes to design,...[read more]
The 2016 VW Beetle Is Breaking The Model Every Chance It Gets – Palm Springs, CA
The 2016 VW Beetle is breaking the model every chance it gets with a sleek twist on an iconic shape, the Beetle has the looks and performance to turn heads and corners equally well. The Beetle is no stranger to attention but when you consider it also has tech-savvy advancements...[read more]
Simple Test Drive Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Car Purchase – Palm Springs, CA
According to recent research the average consumer visits 23 websites, watches almost an hour of online video and spends approximately 12 hours in total shopping time before even entering a car dealership. The test drive is one of the most important parts of the car buying process so it is...[read more]
The 2016 Volkswagen Golf Is A Perfect Example of How A Modern Hatchback Can Think Outside The Box – Palm Springs, CA
Get in the ever-versatile 2016 Volkswagen Golf and experience just how much style, craftsmanship, and fun-to-drive turbocharged performance it delivers. Because the 2016 Golf comes with a turbocharged engine standard, you can be sure that it's going to deliver exciting performance on curves, corners, and straightaways. Technology makes our world better....[read more]


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Golden Stairs
Wide angle lens. Natural light made the photo. Time exposure. Garfield Memorial (he's really buried there).
Uploaded on 5/16/2007 10:42:45 PM
Camera: Nikon D200 Digital SLR Camera
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Dee Riley. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
Log in to follow or message this photographer or report this photo.


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World stock markets struggled Friday despite encouraging Chinese economic figures as fears persisted over the so-called U.S. "fiscal cliff" that's seen as a big threat to the economic recovery.
In early European trading, the FTSE 100 index of leading British companies was down 0.3 percent at 5,757.69 while Germany's DAX was 0.7 percent lower at 7,152.63. The CAC-40 in France slipped 0.1 percent to 3,404.89.
U.S. stocks were also poised to edge down on the open. Dow futures were down 0.1 percent to 12,759 while the broader S&P 500 futures were down the same rate at 1,373.80. Asian markets closed lower.
Markets have slumped worldwide as investors have refocused on challenges to the world economy following President Barack Obama's re-election. Many worry that gridlock in Washington will prevent the president and Congress from reaching a deal before $800 billion of tax increases and government spending cuts kicks in on Jan. 1.
Investors also have renewed fears about Europe's lingering debt crisis. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi warned that the economy of the 17 nation grouping that uses the euro remains weak and will struggle to grow even with "visibly improved" confidence among the currency union's financial markets.
Those fears offset somewhat upbeat indicators in China that provided signs of a possible recovery in the world's second-largest economy. The latest data showed that Chinese factory output rose, investment growth strengthened and inflation eased in October.
Looking ahead, investors will focus on consumer sentiment survey out of the U.S. Analysts say the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index will likely dip because of the impact of Superstorm Sandy, but remain at relatively strong levels.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.9 percent to close at 8,757.60 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.9 percent to end at 21,384.38. South Korea's Kospi retreated 0.5 percent to 1,904.41.
The Shanghai Composite Index closed down 0.1 percent to 2,069.07 and the Shenzhen Composite Index edged 0.4 percent lower to 828.46.
Australia's S&P ASX 200 dropped 0.5 percent to 4,462.00 after the central bank released a downbeat assessment of the country's economy.
Australian stocks fell after the country's central bank said in a quarterly report it was trimming growth forecasts as mining companies scale back investment plans because of declining iron ore and coal prices and the strong currency.
In currencies, the euro weakened to $1.2723 from to $1.2750 late Thursday. The dollar was roughly unchanged against the Japanese yen at 79.22 yen.
Crude oil for December delivery was down 48 cents to $84.61 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 65 cents to close at $85.09 on Thursday.