text:
- B.8.1 Literacy (Old Number 50.6)
- B.8.2 Service to Detention Facilities and Jails (Old Number 52.1)
- B.8.3 Preservation (Old Number 52.2)
- B.8.4 School Library Media Programs (Old Number 52.2.3)
- B.8.5 Confidentiality of Library Records (Old Number 52.4)
- B.8.5.1 The Rights of Library Users and the USA PATRIOT Act (Old Number 52.4.1)
- B.8.5.2 Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information about Library Users (Old Number 52.4.2)
- B.184.108.40.206. Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices (NEW)
- B.8.5.3 Immigrants' Rights to Free Public Library Access (Old Number 52.4.3)
- B.8.5.4 Retention of Library Records (Old Number 52.4.4)
- B.8.5.5 Support of Immigrant Rights (Old Number 52.4.5)
- B.8.6 Library Services for Youth (Old Number 52.5)
- B.8.7 Instruction in the Use of Libraries (Old Number 52.6)
- B.8.8 Privatization of Publicly Funded Libraries (Old Number 52.7)
- B.8.9 Disinformation, Media Manipulation and the Destruction of Public Information (Old Number 52.8)
- B.8.10 Library Services to the Poor (Old Number 61)
- B.8.11 The Role of Libraries in Providing E-Government and Emergency Services (Old Number 50.16)
B.8.1 Literacy (Old Number 50.6)
B.8.1.1 Literacy and State Library Agencies (Old Number 50.6.1)
The American Library Association supports the achievement of national literacy through educational activities utilizing the historical and cultural experience of libraries and librarians.
The American Library Association urges state library agencies to address the problems of illiteracy and give high priority to solutions in their short and long range plans for library development and use of federal and state funds.
B.8.1.2 Literacy and the Role of Libraries (Old Number 50.6.2)
The American Library Association reaffirms and supports the principle that lifelong literacy is a basic right for all individuals in our society and is essential to the welfare of the nation. ALA advocates the achievement of national literacy through educational activities utilizing the historical and cultural experiences of libraries and librarians.
ALA confirms that libraries of all types, as appropriate to their mission, have the responsibility to make literacy a high priority in planning and budgeting for library services. As pioneer and equal partners in the national literacy movement, libraries will continue to take a strong leadership role and must join with other literacy providers to urge local, state, federal, and private agencies to promote active development of literacy on a policy level and to support funding of the literacy services in libraries.
B.8.2 Service to Detention Facilities and Jails (Old Number 52.1)
The American Library Association encourages public libraries and systems to extend their services to residents of jails and other detention facilities within their taxing areas. ALA instructs its Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies in cooperation with the Public Library Association, The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, and other interested units to design a plan to assist public libraries in extending their services to local jails and detention facilities.
B.8.3 Preservation (Old Number 52.2)
B.8.3.1 Definition of Digital Preservation and the Revised Preservation Policy (Old Number 52.2.1)
Digital preservation combines policies, strategies and actions to ensure the accurate rendering of authenticated content over time, regardless of the challenges of media failure and technological change. Digital preservation applies to both born digital and reformatted content.
Publishers and distributors of content in digital form must address the usability and longevity of their electronic works. The Association encourages publishers to provide metadata that will facilitate the life cycle management of works in digital formats and to deposit digital works in repositories that provide for the long-term persistence and usability of digital content. The Association will work with the publishers to develop guidelines on digital preservation to help ensure that such information will not be lost when publishers can no longer retain and disseminate it. The Association encourages research on metadata, software, operating systems, and life cycle management techniques that may affect the preservation of digital works.
ALA affirms that the preservation of library resources protects the public's right to the free flow of information as embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights.
The Association supports the preservation of information disseminated and published in all media and formats. The Association affirms that the preservation of information content and information resources are central to libraries and librarianship.
The Association will actively support its Divisions and other organizations in developing preservation guidelines and best practices that may serve as catalysts for official national and international standards.
It is the Association's official position that publishers, information distributors and manufacturers have an obligation and responsibility to libraries and to the public to report appropriate information about the usability, durability and longevity of media. The Association strongly urges publishers to use paper and other media that meet standards promulgated by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization (ISO) for all publications of enduring value. Publishers should include a statement of compliance on the verso of the title page of a book or the masthead or copyright area of a periodical, and in catalogs, advertising, and bibliographic references.
The Association will engage in active education and public relations efforts to develop, promote, and publicize standards for the usability, durability, and longevity of information media; to engage both librarians and information producers in the preservation process; and to produce educational materials devoted to promoting the longevity of information resources. The federal government must provide leadership in developing an expansive and inclusive national preservation policy. The Association urges the federal and state government to take responsibility for the longevity of information that it publishes on paper, in microform, and in digital formats.
The Association, through its ALA Washington Office and its Legislation Agenda, will strongly support the efforts of librarians to increase Federal and state government funding for preservation programs.
The preservation of primary source documents is integral to our right to know about and understand ourselves and the communities in which we live. Libraries have an obligation (a) to inform donors, users, administrators, and local officials about the ephemeral nature of primary source materials, (b) to promote strategies for the proper care, handling, and storage of these materials, and (c) to recommend the use of durable media and methods of documentation.
(See "Policy Reference File" 2007-2008 CD#55, Resolution Adopting the Definition of Digital Preservation and the Revised Preservation Policy for the American Library Association.)
B.8.3.2 Recycled Paper (Old Number 52.2.2)
The American Library Association urges all publishers, including the government, to use recycled paper for publications normally issued on nonpermanent paper and urges librarians to dispose of discarded paper so that it is available for recycling.
B.8.4 School Library Media Programs (Old Number 52.2.3)
B.8.4.1 Instruction in the Role of Libraries in Teacher Education (Old Number 52.3)
The American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians Division recommend instruction in the role of libraries and the use of information resources as an integral part of all teacher education programs.
B.8.4.2 The School Library Media Program (Old Number 52.3.1)
The purpose of the library media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. Within the program, the school library media specialist serves as an information specialist, teacher, and instructional consultant.
B.8.4.3 School Library Media Programs: Materials Selection Policy Statements (Old Number 52.3.2)
The American Library Association recommends that every school district have a written materials selection policy-formally adopted by the school board that includes criteria and procedures for the selection and reconsideration of resources, following the principles of the Library Bill of Rights. The Association recommends that each school building have its own collection development plan that supplements the district selection policy and provides specific guidelines for developing the school's collection.
B.8.5 Confidentiality of Library Records (Old Number 52.4)
B.8.5.1 The Rights of Library Users and the USA PATRIOT Act (Old Number 52.4.1)
The American Library Association opposes any use of governmental power to suppress the free and open exchange of knowledge and information or to intimidate individuals exercising free inquiry. All librarians, library administrators, library governing bodies, and library advocates are encouraged to educate their users, staff, and communities about the process for compliance with the USA Patriot Act and other related measures and about the dangers to individual privacy and the confidentiality of library records resulting from those measures. (See "Policy Reference File" The USA PATRIOTt Act and Related Measures That Infringe on the Rights of Library Users: 2002-2003 CD #20.1 - PDF, 8 pgs)
B.8.5.2 Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information about Library Users (Old Number 52.4.2)
The American Library Association strongly recommends that the responsible officers of each library, cooperative system, and consortium in the United States:
- Formally adopt a policy which specifically recognizes its circulation records and other records identifying the names of library users with specific materials to be confidential.
- Advise all librarians and library employees that such records shall not be made available to any agency of state, federal, or local government except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of, and pursuant to, federal, state, or local law relating to civil, criminal, or administrative discovery procedures or legislative investigatory power.
- Resist the issuance or enforcement of any such process, order, or subpoena until such time as a proper showing of good cause has been made in a court of competent jurisdiction.
(See "Policy Reference File": Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information About Library Users: 2003-04 CD#19.9 - PDF, 2 pgs)
B.22.214.171.124. Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices (NEW)
ALA urges all libraries that implement self-service holds to protect patron identity by adopting practices and procedures that conceal the library user's personally identifiable information in connection with the materials being borrowed; and, urges libraries, librarians, and the responsible bodies of ALA to work with vendors to incorporate applications into integrated library systems that enable libraries to conceal a library user's identity in a cost-effective manner. Adopted AC 2011.
(See "Policy Reference File" Resolution to Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices: 2010-2011 ALA CD#19.3-PDF, 4 pgs.)
B.8.5.3 Immigrants' Rights to Free Public Library Access (Old Number 52.4.3)
The American Library Association in cooperation with REFORMA and other affiliates works to inform and educate public libraries and member constituents about alternate forms of identification that will encourage the use of free public library services by all immigrant populations. (See "Policy Reference File": Resolution in Support of Immigrants' Rights to Free Public Library Access, 2004-2005 ALA CD #65 - PDF, 1 pg)
B.8.5.4 Retention of Library Records (Old Number 52.4.4)
ALA urges all libraries to:
- limit the degree to which personally identifiable information is collected, monitored, disclosed, and distributed;
- avoid creating unnecessary records;
- limit access to personally identifiable information to staff performing authorized functions;
- dispose of library usage records containing personally identifiable information unless they are needed for the efficient and lawful operation of the library, including, but not limited to data-related logs, digital records, vendor-collected data, and system backups;
- ensure that the library work with its organization's information technology unit to ensure that library usage records processed or held by the IT unit are treated in accordance with library records policies;
- ensure that those records that must be retained are secure;
- avoid library practices and procedures that place personally identifiable information on public view;
- assure that vendor agreements guarantee library control of all data and records; and
- conduct an annual privacy audit to ensure that information processing procedures meet privacy requirements by examining how information about library users and employees is collected, stored, shared, used, and destroyed.
ALA also urges all libraries and the library community to:
- adopt or update a privacy policy protecting users' personally identifiable information;
- communicate to library users how their information is used;
- explain the limited circumstances under which personally identifiable information could be disclosed; and
- advocate that records retention laws and regulations limit retention of library usage records containing personally identifiable information to the time needed for efficient operation of the library.
B.8.5.5 Support of Immigrant Rights (Old Number 52.4.5)
ALA strongly supports the protection of each person's civil liberties, regardless of that individual's nationality, residency, or status; and that ALA opposes any legislation that infringes on the rights of anyone in the USA or its territories, citizens or otherwise, to use library resources, programs, and services on national, state, and local levels.
B.8.6 Library Services for Youth (Old Number 52.5)
B.8.6.1 Youth Services (Old Number 52.5.1)
The American Library Association recognizes that the future of libraries and of society itself depends upon the preparedness of youth to carry adult responsibilities for business, government, parenthood and other leadership. Children and young adults cannot fulfill their potential or that of society without high quality library opportunities through both public and school libraries. ALA is committed to the support and development of resources and services for children and young adults through both school and public libraries.
B.8.6.2 Sex Education Materials in Libraries (Old Number 52.5.2)
ALA affirms the right of youth to comprehensive, sex-related education, materials, programs, and referral services of the highest quality; affirms the active role of librarians in providing such; and urges librarians and library educators to reexamine existing policies and practices and assume a leadership role in seeing that information is available for children and adolescents, parents, and youth-serving professionals.
B.8.6.3 Selective Service Information in Libraries (Old Number 52.5.3)
Librarians should have available information on the full range of alternatives within and without the military services for those young persons who are facing the prospect of conscription.
B.8.7 Instruction in the Use of Libraries (Old Number 52.6)
In order to assist individuals in the independent information retrieval process basic to daily living in a democratic society, the American Library Association encourages all libraries to include instruction in the use of libraries as one of the primary goals of service. Libraries of all types share the responsibility to educate users in successful information location, beginning with their childhood years and continuing the education process throughout their years of professional and personal growth.
B.8.8 Privatization of Publicly Funded Libraries (Old Number 52.7)
ALA affirms that publicly funded libraries should remain directly accountable to the public they serve. Therefore, the American Library Association opposes the shifting of policy making and management oversight of library services from the public to the private for-profit sector.
B.8.9 Disinformation, Media Manipulation and the Destruction of Public Information (Old Number 52.8)
The ALA opposes the use by government of disinformation, media manipulation, the destruction and excision of public information, and other such tactics, and ALA encourages its members to help raise public consciousness regarding the many ways in which disinformation and media manipulation are being used to mislead public opinion in all spheres of life, and encourages librarians to facilitate this awareness with collection development, library programming and public outreach that draws the public's attention to those alternative sources of information dedicated to countering and revealing the disinformation often purveyed by the mainstream media. (See "Policy Reference File": Resolution on Disinformation, Media Manipulation and The Destruction of Public Information, 2004-2005 ALA CD #64 - PDF, 6 pgs)
B.8.10 Library Services to the Poor (Old Number 61)
The American Library Association promotes equal access to information for all persons, and recognizes the urgent need to respond to the increasing number of poor children, adults, and families in America. These people are affected by a combination of limitations, including illiteracy, illness, social isolation, homelessness, hunger, and discrimination, which hamper the effectiveness of traditional library services. Therefore it is crucial that libraries recognize their role in enabling poor people to participate fully in a democratic society, by utilizing a wide variety of available resources and strategies. Concrete programs of training and development are needed to sensitize and prepare library staff to identify poor people's needs and deliver relevant services. And within the American Library Association the coordinating mechanisms of programs and activities dealing with poor people in various divisions, offices, and units should be strengthened, and support for low-income liaison activities should be enhanced.
B.8.10.1 Policy Objectives (Old Number 61.1)
The American Library Association shall implement these objectives by:
- Promoting the removal of all barriers to library and information services, particularly fees and overdue charges.
- Promoting the publication, production, purchase, and ready accessibility of print and non-print materials that honestly address the issues of poverty and homelessness, that deal with poor people in a respectful way, and that are of practical use to low-income patrons.
- Promoting full, stable, and ongoing funding for existing legislative programs in support to flow income services and for pro-active library programs that reach beyond traditional service-sites to poor children, adults, and families.
- Promoting training opportunities for librarians, in order to teach effective techniques for generating public funding to upgrade library services to poor people.
- Promoting the incorporation of low-income programs and services into regular library budgets in all types of libraries, rather than the tendency to support these projects solely with "soft money" like private or federal grants.
- Promoting equity in funding adequate library services for poor people in terms of materials, facilities, and equipment.
- Promoting supplemental support for library resources for and about low-income populations by urging local, state, and federal governments, and the private sector, to provide adequate funding.
- Promoting increased public awareness through programs, displays, bibliographies, and publicity of the importance of poverty related library resources and services in all segments of society.
- Promoting the determination of output measures through the encouragement of community needs assessments, giving special emphasis to assessing the need so low-income people and involving both anti-poverty advocates and poor people themselves in such assessments.
- Promoting direct representation of poor people and anti-poverty advocates through appointment to local boards and creation of local advisory committees on service to low-income people, such appointments to include library paid transportation and stipends.
- Promoting training to sensitize library staff to issues affecting poor people and to attitudinal and other barriers that hinder poor people's use of libraries.
- Promoting networking and cooperation between libraries and other agencies, organizations, and advocacy groups in order to develop programs and services that effectively reach poor people.
- Promoting the implementation of an expanded federal low-income housing program, national health insurance, full-employment policy, living minimum wage and welfare payments, affordable daycare, and programs likely to reduce, if not eliminate, poverty itself.
- Promoting among library staff the collection of food and clothing donations, volunteering personal time to antipoverty activities and contributing money to direct-aid organizations.
- Promoting related efforts concerning minorities and women, since these groups are disproportionately represented among poor people.
B.8.11 The Role of Libraries in Providing E-Government and Emergency Services (Old Number 50.16)
The American Library Association urges governments at all levels to acknowledge and support the essential role local libraries play in providing e-government and emergency response/recovery services, and to include libraries in relevant legislative or other policy actions. The American Library Association also encourages continued research documenting library needs and capacity to provide effective e-government and emergency response/recovery services, and help libraries develop best practices and train staff to deliver these essential services.


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Gosh, my story is SO similar to yours!
We needed a nipple shield for 3-4 weeks before we eventually weaned from it, and we were very worried about SIDS and heard about the whole pacifier thing and ultimately waited until our son was 8 weeks to try.
He never took to the pacifier. I'm not sure if things would have been different if we had tried to introduce it sooner, but that is what happened in our situation. All of the previous posters bring up very valid points about SIDS and the risks. I would make a decision based upon how well your baby is nursing now. My son was still having trouble nursing at 6 weeks, but we were both a lot more comfortable around 8-10 weeks.
In some situations it would be helpful if he would take a pacifier, but mostly, I'm happy he is not attached to one. You sound like you are very committed to breastfeeding, so if you decide to introduce one now, and it causes trouble, you would be able to take the correct steps to get your baby back on the breast. Obviously avoiding any "nipple confusion" would be best, but I think whatever decision you make is a good one!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Liberty City Port Authority (LCPA) in the HD Universe, is responsible for all waterways and ports of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
They use the same uniforms and vehicles as the Liberty City Police Department. They have jurisdiction in Port Tudor, Alderney, East Hook, Broker, and Liberty City. The LCPA is based on real-life Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)
Protecting the ports and waterways of Liberty City is their mission. Making sure that the people of Liberty City are safe from harmful threats such as terrorism. Drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms dealing and protecting the areas near the water from litter and speeding boats. They are also responsible for the maintaning of the piers and docks located all around Liberty City. Many of their booths can be found all around port areas densely populated with people.
If the player is arrested by a Port Authority officer, they will be processed at the nearest precinct. Just like regular police officers if killed the player automatically gets three stars.
Locations of LCPA booths and officers are in areas of Westminster near Golden Pier the booth is located at the Golden Pier and across the street. Another location is near the dock where the mission Babysitting is started from. The sign reads all information on them. They can also be found patrolling in helicopters and in police Predator boats.
The flags in the upper right part of the logo shown above spell "SWIM CANT" using the maritime signal flag alphabet.


text: SHOOT MANY ROBOTS by UBISOFT and DEMIURGE STUDIOS does exactly what it says on the box (if it had one that is). This side scrolling feast of carnage is, for my simple mind, very entertaining. OK so it's not up to the quality of Rayman, but it doesn't aspire to it. I reckon it knows . . . → Read More: Shoot Many Robots- Go On You Know You Want Too !


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It's like Plague Inc. online on your PC: Infect the world in this epic simulation game!
In each level, Paperama provides you with a square piece of paper: Fold it to create the outlined shape!
Enjoy the tasty word puzzles of the game Word Snack Online. Discover the hidden words and try to pass all levels!
Enter the soccer field and play a game of soccer with dozens of world famous (but bodyless) soccer players!
Tank.io (or Tank.ai) is an epic MMO tank battle arena. Upgrade your tank and try to defeat all enemy tanks!
Craft some decadent, mouth-watering, hot-from-the-oven Cookie Sundaes in Papa Louie's new restaurant: Papa's Scooperia!
Run, jump, slide, and rush through the temple in this online version of the game Temple Run!
Command your elven army and defend your lands from waves of sea serpents, evil sorcerers, and gnoll tribesman!
Jump from train to train, make sure not to get caught and try to get as far as you can in this free online PC version of the hit-game Subway Surfers!
Drift the red mini car around the corners for as long as possible without crashing in the fun an addictive online game Mini Drift!
Can you help to make the Kawaii Miimos happy? Hop up and buy costumes in this super fun online Happy Hop game!
Dodge lethal saw blades and other obstacles and try to reach the top of each challenging level in the game Flying Ball!
Slide down the helix and dodge all pits and obstacles in this megaddictive online Helix game!
Connect joints with lines and construct a bridge that does not collapse in the super fun game Construct a Bridge!
Take control of your very own airline and merge you planes to earn money in this online edition of the popular game Merge Plane!
Help bartender Miguelita to shake, pour, and serve the perfect cocktails at a wedding party in Bartender: The Wedding!
Slide the cannon, fire up a lotta balls and break as many blocks as you can in the ultraddictive Ballz-ish shooter game Shoot Up!
Start bouncing, perform awesome backflips and frontflips, and become the world's number one Trampoline Stickman!
Click to hop through as many rings as possible in this challenging and super addictive online Flappy Dunk game!
Grab your motorbike and ride and flip along the never-ending neon tracks of the game Rider!
Your father was a great adventurer, but as his son you do not possess the same skill or fortitude. Build up a Hero Agency to keep adventuring in the family!
Dodge traps and steal gold in this online version of the unique and award-winning platformer game King of Thieves!
Rule the snow in this fast-paced snowboard game. Shred your way to riches and glory!


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Traffic safety officials regularly warn us of the risks of driving while drunk or distracted.
But Americans still need to wake up to the dangers of getting behind the wheel when sleepy, according to a recent study of crash rates.
A report released Tuesday by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety suggests that drivers who sleep only five or six hours in a 24-hour period are twice as likely to crash as drivers who get seven hours of sleep or more.
And the less sleep the person behind the wheel gets, the higher the crash rate, according to the findings. For instance, drivers in the study who got only four or five hours of shut-eye had four times the crash rate — close to what's seen among drunken drivers.
"If you have not slept seven or more hours in a given 24-hour period, you really shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car," says Jake Nelson, director of Traffic Safety Advocacy & Research for AAA.
Prior research has shown that about 20 percent of fatal accidents in the U.S. involve a drowsy driver. Last year, a total of 35,092 people died in auto accidents in the U.S, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This was a 7.2 percent increase in fatal crashes over 2014.
The foundation based its current report on data from the NHTSA's National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey. The data were drawn from police-reported crashes in which at least one vehicle had to be towed away from the accident scene, and/or emergency medical services were summoned. Drivers involved in these crashes were asked to report how much sleep they got in the 24-hour period preceding the crash.
As a nation, we tend to give shut-eye short shrift, many studies find. More than one in three Americans don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, according to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to highway accidents, sleep deprivation has been linked to weight gain and depression. Sleep specialists generally recommend that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.
"Sleep is a bigger priority for me now," says Karen Roberts, a nurse in Cincinnati who fell asleep behind the wheel several years ago after working an overnight shift. She crossed the double line while driving home and caused an accident. Sleep is not a luxury, Roberts now knows. "It's a necessity," she tells Shots.
Roberts says she did consider stopping for a soda or another pick-me-up that night as she was driving home. "I remember feeling so tired," she says. But she was only a few miles from home and convinced herself that she could power through the fatigue.
"It happens in an instant," Roberts says. "I struck someone head on."
Fortunately, the driver in the other car walked away with only minor injuries. Roberts says she recovered from her own injuries but has continued to struggle with health problems related to the crash, including headaches.
Nelson has this tip for drivers: If you're feeling sleepy, stop and take a nap.
"Taking a 10 to 20 minute nap every couple of hours on a long drive has huge safety benefits in terms of your ability to drive without crashing," he says.
It's also possible to catch up on missed sleep — to a point. If you get only five hours of sleep during a night, you can make up the deficit by sleeping two hours during another part of the day.
"As long as you get seven to eight hours of sleep within a 24-hour period before you get behind the wheel of a car," Nelson says, "you're OK."
If you're planning a big road trip for the holidays, make sure you get plenty of sleep first. A new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds drowsy driving can be as risky as drunk driving. Missing just a few hours of sleep significantly increases the risk of crashing. NPR's Allison Aubrey reports.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: If you happen to be behind the wheel right now and you skimped on sleep last night, getting less than the recommended seven hours, AAA has calculated your risk of crashing. Here's AAA's Jake Nelson.
JAKE NELSON: So if you sleep only five to six hours in a given night, your risk of causing a traffic crash has been essentially doubled.
AUBREY: That's a lot - a doubling of the risk. Is that a surprise?
NELSON: Yeah, I don't think that people realize how important sleep is to their ability to safely operate a car.
AUBREY: Nelson says crash rates continue to spike with every hour of lost sleep. So if you got only four or five hours, your risk of crashing quadruples compared to drivers who got a full night's sleep. And this means...
NELSON: You are equally as impaired as driving while legally drunk.
AUBREY: Last year, 35,000 people died in car crashes in the U.S., and AAA estimates that about 1 in 5 fatal accidents involves a drowsy driver. The AAA report is based on crash investigation data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It draws on interviews with thousands of drivers involved in police-reported crashes and included questions about how much sleep they got preceding the crash.
Karen Roberts is a nurse in Cincinnati who knows the risks all too well. Years ago after an overnight shift, she crashed while driving home.
KAREN ROBERTS: Never in a million years did I ever think it would happen to me.
AUBREY: Roberts says in the miles before the crash, she was feeling woozy, so she jacked up the volume on the Christmas music she had playing to stay awake. She says she almost stopped to get out of the car and buy a caffeinated drink, but...
ROBERTS: I thought, no, I'm on the home stretch. I'll be home within minutes.
AUBREY: Roberts crossed the double line and struck another driver head on. Both cars were totaled. The driver of the other car walked away with a thumb injury, but Roberts' injuries were much worse, and she still has not fully recovered.
ROBERTS: I have been left with double vision. I have chronic excruciating headaches that I experience.
AUBREY: Given the risks, AAA's Jake Nelson says the bottom line is this.
NELSON: If you have not slept seven or more hours in a given 24-hour period, you really shouldn't be behind the wheel of a car.
AUBREY: And this means lots of Americans may want to rethink their sleeping habits. The CDC says 35 percent of adults in the U.S. usually sleep less than seven hours a night. The good news for drivers, Nelson says, is that you don't need to get that sleep all at once. Naps can help.
NELSON: Taking a 10- to 20-minute nap but not to exceed 30 minutes every couple of hours on a long drive has huge safety benefits in terms of your ability to drive without crashing.
AUBREY: Because once you've dozed off behind the wheel, it's too late. Allison Aubrey, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Lonely Planet Mandarin to Czech Phrasebook
iOS iPhone Travel
Czech can be a challenge, but once you're in the swing it's as easy as a stroll across the Charles Bridge in Prague. Get Lonely Planet's Mandarin to Czech iPhone phrasebook and you'll be talking the talk in no time. With 630 spoken phrases, you'll never be lost for words in shops, bars, hotels, taxis, you name it.
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•No internet connection needed
•Audio phrases spoken by locals so you know what they really sound like
•Multiple search functions to find phrases quickly and easily
•Kill time on a bumpy overnight bus ride and use the app to test your language skills
Lonely Planet's iPhone phrasebooks - they love a journey as much as you do!


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If there was a winner among the piles of gifts given to children this Christmas, Barbie certainly wasn't it.
The fashion doll — possibly the best-known player in
"We just didn't sell enough Barbie dolls," Mattel Chief Executive Bryan G. Stockton said Friday in a conference call with analysts.
Several other brands from the El Segundo toy maker also fared poorly.
Mattel, the world's largest toy company, emerged from the holiday quarter with net income up 23% to $1.07 a share, or $369.2 million, from 87 cents a share, or $306.5 million, a year earlier.
But the fourth quarter of 2012 had been dampened by a massive litigation charge, making it easier to beat in 2013. Analysts had expected Mattel to reap a profit of $1.19 a share last quarter.
The toy giant's revenue also missed the mark, declining 6% to $2.11 billion and falling short of Wall Street's projections for $2.37 billion. Inventory levels are higher than they were a year earlier. Of the top 50 toys in the U.S. last year, 12 were Mattel brands, down from 14 the year before, according to research from the NPD Group.
Mattel even failed to meet its own expectations, Stockton acknowledged.
Investors reacted by dumping Mattel's stock, which closed Friday at $37.84, down $5.17 or 12%.
The holiday season was unusual in several ways: Foot traffic into toy stores fell, while online researching and purchasing grew, with
Mattel's product innovation and marketing programs weren't strong enough to drive growth in core categories like dolls and vehicles, "unlike prior years," Stockton said.
"By every account, 2013 was a challenging and transformative year at retail," Stockton said.
Toy sales in the U.S. were down 1% from 2012, according to NPD. Toy expert Jim Silver of TimetoPlayMag.com pegged the decline at 2% to 2.5%.
Most of the 10 largest toy companies had a weak year, starting with "lousy weather" in the spring that depressed sales of outdoor toys, Silver said. And fewer children's movies in 2013 successfully translated into popular toys.
Then came the holiday season, which was the shortest Thanksgiving-to-Christmas period in more than a decade, chopping a full week out of Americans' shopping schedule compared with 2012.
"The consumer was trained by the retailer to wait until the last minute to get great deals," Silver said. "And people bought so late that it was hard to replenish toys once they sold out."
The slow economic recovery didn't help either.
"People were more careful in what they were spending," Silver said.
Sales of action figures and infant and preschool toys declined the most last year — 6% and 4% respectively, according to NPD.
The youth electronics category enjoyed an 18% surge, in part because of strong demand for tablets and the popularity of robotic and interactive toys such as the Zoomer dog and the flying Flutterbye Fairies, according to NPD.
Arts and crafts products rose 8%, plush toys advanced 2%, and building sets were up 1%. In September, the
And despite the decline in Barbie sales, the doll remained one of the country's bestselling toys, along with Disney Princess dolls, Monster High dolls, Nerf products and Star Wars playthings, according to NPD.
Mattel has also seen strength from its American Girl brand, which enjoyed a 3% boost in revenue during the fourth quarter.
The toy giant is looking abroad for better news after gross sales slipped 10% in the U.S. during the period. Full-year sales tripled in Russia and saw a double-digit upswing in China.
"There is solid growth in other emerging and developing markets," Stockton said.
Twitter: @tiffhsulatimes


text:
An Exhibition of Personal Archives Descends upon Den Haag
Artsy Editorial
Dimension variable
Image rights: Image courtesy of the West Den Haag and the artist.
Versed in the history of painting, Paul Branca draws from many approaches to the medium—including abstraction, photorealism, and conceptualism—for his own work. The sights, social structures, and relationships that define the places where he lives and visits make their way into his compositions, which have featured images of food, poker-faced cats, and renderings of the illustrations on the international calling cards that are ubiquitous in his New York City neighborhood. In addition to canvas, Branca has painted on umbrellas and other unlikely supports. By bringing the stuff of daily life into his paintings, Branca aims to address his interest in the relationship between art, its viewers, and the outside world. "I like working alone in the studio making things . . . all the while considering how my works may appear outside of the studio, to a certain public and context," he says.
American, b. 1974, New York, New York, based in New York, New York


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by danah boyd
This solo presentation will cover the culture of fear and the consequences of visibility. Acclaimed researcher danah boyd will weave together the predator panic and bullying phenomenon with the socio-political dynamics around otherness, the rise of fear alongside the increased ability to connect with others around the globe, the empowering rhetoric of the Arab Spring along the rise of local networks of power. She will call into question some of our utopian assumptions about all of the automatic democratic possibilities of technology and offer a challenge to folks about the need to step out of our techno-bubble and engage with people who are fearful of technology.
United States United States, Austin
9th–13th March 2012


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For my upcoming atheist pilgrimage I've been thinking more and more about walking the camino instead of biking it. I don't have a singular reason for this, but it just seems more in the spirit of a pilgrimage if it is by foot. I think that walking the road will give me a greater relationship with the elements around me as opposed to the contraption I would be riding.
Of course changing my mode also requires other considerations. I was looking at doing the Arles route in southern…Continue
Added by mistercliff on September 27, 2011 at 11:42pm — 1 Comment
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text:
Al Gore Comes Out Against SOPA/PIPA
from the and-he-invented-the-internet!-(joke) dept
"... are now able to be shared digitally. There is a growing concern on the part of the companies and individuals who create that content, that they're not getting compensated in a fair way, and so they want to impose a new set of requirements on those companies who provide access to the internet, like the browsers, the search engines, etc. And some of these new requirements, according to the experts on the internet, would very probably have the effect of really shutting down the vibrancy of the internet. As in all things, some compromise must be possible. The content creators and owners have a point and a legitimate complaint... But, in our country, in our world today, there is hardly anything more important -- whether you want to solve global warming, as I do, whether you want to reinvigorate democracy as many of us do, whatever problem you want to fix -- there is hardly anything more important to getting the right things done than to save and protect the vibrancy and freedom of the internet. The internet is bringing life back to democracy. We saw it in Egypt. We're seeing it in Russia now. We've seen it in so many places.... If you look at the reform movements around the world, and in the US, more than likely they're based on internet forms of organization. And anything that would threaten the vibrancy and freedom of the internet, I'm against!"There's very loud applause at the end. If you watch it, you see he gets more and more animated and worked up towards the end. He's also clearly familiar with the details, since he knows the real impact of the bill. Rather than just focusing on "foreign" sites, as supporters of these bills would like everyone to, he points out that the way in which this is done is to put new requirements on tons of domestic internet companies. He may not have invented the internet (and yes, I know that was taken out of context, but it's a meme at this point, so live with it), but he certainly understands its importance... and he's clearly not a fan of SOPA/PIPA.


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Attending two political conventions back to back is like visiting two parallel universes: one conservative, one liberal; one overwhelmingly white, the other emphatically multiculti; and each one strangely confident that its candidate is on a steady course to victory.
In Tampa, Fla., Republican strategists insisted their faith was grounded in arithmetical determinism: the math of the sluggish economy. No president has ever been reelected when unemployment was stuck as high as 8%, they pointed out.
Democratic strategists put their faith in a different branch of political mathematics: the arcana of the electoral college. President Obama, they said over and over, has "more paths" to 270 electoral votes than Mitt Romney; more states that he could plausibly win.
POLL: After the political conventions, what's left to debate?
Both campaigns can't be right, of course. But their mutual conviction that they have the advantage meant that neither side felt it had to move toward the middle. Instead, with both parties focused more on mobilization than persuasion, the conventions were aimed mostly at rousing the faithful.
That's why, in a year when the public's overriding concern is the economy, so much time at the conventions was devoted to the social issues that both define and divide right and left in America. The Republicans didn't shy away from talk about restricting abortion and defending traditional marriage, because so much of their base wants that message. The Democrats were a mirror image, defending abortion rights and applauding as Obama reiterated his support for gay marriage.
And what didn't we hear from either side? Talk about getting along, healing divides or working across the aisle to end partisan gridlock.
Four years ago, Republican nominee John McCain was graceful in his acceptance speech. "You have my respect and my admiration," he said in words directed toward his opponent. "Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us."
Obama was tougher on McCain, but he also made a plea for finding areas of agreement. "The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook," he said. "So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain."
This year, those courtesies were missing in action. "I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed," Romney said, but only as a set-up line for his point: "His promises gave way to disappointment and division."
Obama's only nod toward bipartisanship was equally barbed. "No party has a monopoly on wisdom. No democracy works without compromise," he said. "But when Gov. Romney and his friends in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficits by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy, well, what did Bill Clinton call it? You do the arithmetic."
Neither candidate even attempted to explain how he might try to work with the other party if elected. Granted, that's a hard case for Obama to make after the last three years, but it would have been worth a try. It's a theme Romney could turn to his advantage, but it might get in the way of GOP mobilization; hard-line conservatives don't want to hear even a hint of enthusiasm for compromises with Democrats.
Voters who tuned in hoping to learn more details about where each candidate would take the country didn't learn much. Romney has embraced running mate Paul Ryan's astringent budget in principle, but he still won't say exactly how much of it he would pursue in practice. Obama's campaign promised a concrete plan for the president's second term, but all he delivered was a list of ambitious goals (1 million manufacturing jobs, 100,000 science teachers).
INTERACTIVE: Outside spending shapes 2012 election
With less than 60 days remaining in the campaign, the arguments do appear, as the strategists say, "baked in." The candidates will debate three times in October, but that's more an opportunity for committing gaffes than for proposing new initiatives. And billions of dollars worth of television advertising will flood Ohio, Florida, Virginia and other unfortunate battleground states. The two parties' vast machinery of mobilization will hector voters to fulfill their civic duty.
But the biggest factor may simply be unexpected events. "In any campaign, at least three things will happen that you don't expect," former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo used to instruct aides. "How the candidates react to those events will determine how the election turns out."
We might see an unanticipated turn in the economy, up or down. It might be a crisis with Iran, which could help or hinder either campaign (a sitting president usually gets a boost from a foreign crisis, but this one could come with a spike in the price of gasoline). Or, because we're thinking about the unexpected, it could be something that can't be guessed at.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS: Presidential Election 2012
Neither Romney nor Obama managed to use the conventions to open a commanding lead. That doesn't mean that their time was wasted. But it does mean that this campaign is likely to remain close, divisive and joyless. It's going to be a long 59 days.


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Priests for Life: No Catholic Lawmaker Can Support Abortion;
Partial Birth Abortion Practitioner: No Medical Reason for Procedure
Priests for Life has called for a ban on partial-birth abortion from the
beginning, and in light of the failure of the Senate to override the President's
veto of the ban on this procedure, will continue to educate the public and call
on government officials to ban it.
Fr. Frank Pavone, who has led the Priests for Life movement since 1993, made
the following statement:
"Some have opposed the ban because they do not want the slightest crack in
the wall of the "right to choose." But saying that "abortion rights include
partial-birth abortion" actually reveals how morally bankrupt the whole notion
of abortion-rights is.
"Some lawmakers who oppose the ban identify themselves as Catholic. As an
association of Catholic clergy teaching in union with our bishops, we clearly
and vigorously repeat what the US bishops said in their 1989 Resolution on
Abortion, 'No Catholic can responsibly take a "pro-choice" stand when the
"choice" in question involves the taking of innocent human life.' We are
also ready pastorally to assist such individuals to overcome their difficulty in
embracing Church teaching.
"Building on the momentum of the present controversy, we are preparing
educational efforts to awaken the public to the realities of another abortion
procedure, the D&E (dilation and evacuation), in which a child is dismembered
and decapitated, and her head crushed, while in the womb."
Priests for Life has a long involvement in the fight against partial-birth
abortion. Fr. Frank Pavone was preaching about the procedure all over America
before it even had its name, having discovered Dr. Martin Haskell's paper in the
course of his research. He is one of the few pro-life leaders who has had
personal discussions with Dr. Haskell about the procedure, and Dr. Haskell told
him there does not seem to be any medical reason for it. At the beginning of the
public controversy over this procedure, Priests for Life spearheaded a joint
commitment of over 100 national pro-life groups to educate the public about this
Fr. Frank Pavone is a priest of the New York Archdiocese and an Official of
the Pontifical Council for the Family at the Vatican where he helps to
coordinate pro-life activities throughout the world. He has led the Priests for
Life movement throughout the world since 1993. Priests for Life is an
association recognized under the Canon Law of the Catholic Church
Press Releases


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Sunday, July 12, 2009
creative collaboration celebration
Posted by we heart creative at 10:33 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
non-traditional photographer consultants. a team comprised of a photo rep agency owner + ad agency insider. we're creatives collaborating with creatives. and building a talent collective in the process. we have a 360 view of the industry and are tapped into what's going on. we use this info to bring your work to highest level possible and make sure it's relevant for the now. working with us you'll get an amazing portfolio, learn the business details and get marketing creative + direction that's trend setting.
we are:
dara siegel * photographer rep * 10 years of experience in the commercial photography industry ** Cynthia Held Represents * DS Reps, * Emilie Muller Production * I HEART REPS * we heart creative
*rep agency owner. career director. extraordinary negotiator. silly goose*
rebecca cascio * creative + marketing professional * 10 years of experience in the ad + photo industry ** Kirshenbaum + Bond * SelectNY * DS Reps * plaid creative * we heart creative
*ad agency insider. creative wrangler. idea generator. cowgirl*
we heart services:
work review
branding + marketing direction
business side review
creative services


text:
Experienced Lawyers Serving Western Massachusetts
Annino, Draper & Moore, P.C. represents small and medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, governments and individuals.
If you have a legal question or problem, whether large or small, business or personal, we can help. Our attorneys have many areas of expertise, and within our collaborative environment, we freely share our knowledge for the benefit of each client. We place a high priority on personalized attention and responsiveness to client concerns.
Annino, Draper & Moore has offices located in Springfield, Westfield, and Northampton, Massachusetts. Practice areas include business and corporate law; residential and commercial real estate purchase and sale transactions; real estate development, finance, and permitting; environmental and land use law and litigation; insurance law; business, real estate, construction and other civil litigation; alternative dispute resolution; divorce and family law; and estate planning and elder law.


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Papir – Responsive Email Template
"Great template! I like it very much."
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Papir – Responsive Email Template
Various cover style combine with color scheme. make your newsletter more gorgeous. Want your own image for cover right? just replace and image link at a few code line and done. (more info in document file).
- Template Builder by StampReady
- Compatible with FreshMail
- 6 color style (Blue, Cyan, Red, Pink, Purple, Yellow.
- Commented HTML.
- Responsive for your mobile device.
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- 3 style header
- Compatible with awesome WordPress plunin MyMail
Modular template
Modular style template easy to realign, build your own layout for the template. just select your prefer module and copy/delete/replace as you want. (all html code are commented.) you can make the template be more variable with modular style.
file for Campaign Monitor and Mail Chimp
– include Campaign Monitor tag : singleline, multiline, editable, repeater, layout.
– include MailChimp tag: mc:edit, mc:repeatable, mc:hideable mc:variant.
- Regular html – None MailChimp or Campaign Monitor TAG.
- Photoshop file – PSD file all layers are names and well organize with group and color label.
- Documentation – include how to upload to Campaign Monitor and MailChimp.
- MyMail – compatible html file. include both index.html and notification.html for plugin
- Revamp template code. - Support StampReady builder.


text:
Maggie Q charmed everyone at The CW's 2010 Upfront presentation with her sweet, funny introduction of her first TV series, "Nikita."
At the time, Q had appeared in mostly action films, and rarely in a lead role. She was new to TV, and new to being the center of attention in a room full of executives, advertisers and oh-so-many young, gorgeous stars.
"They threw me on stage and I didn't know what the hell to do or what to say in this room full of very serious people, you know," she said during a recent phone interview. "Not only had I never done TV; I'd just never even been around that."
Flash forward to the present: For three seasons, Q had led a group of actors that includes Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca and Aaron Stanford while kicking butt as rogue assassin-turned-world saver Nikita Mears. She's doing press for the action series' final six episodes, a mini-season Q and creator Craig Silverstein have been granted "because our fans have been so wonderful," she said. It's a rare chance for a perpetually endangered series to wrap up its story.
"The fact that we kind of kept going and going and we're able to end it is great," Q said. "A lot of times you don't get that opportunity.
"OK, maybe six [episodes] wasn't ideal; maybe 13 would have given us a little more story. But with six you don't have the fat on any episode. You just go for it and every single one is a movie. So we are going out with a bang big time on this show."
The final season, debuting at 7 p.m. Friday on The CW, kicks off about three months after the U.S. government launched a worldwide manhunt for Nikita, who has been framed for the assassination of the president. She's on the run, purposefully separated from the fellow spies who have become her family, as well as her fiance, Michael (West).
Nikita's new family will suffer this season even before what she teases is an epic finale Dec. 27. "There's gonna be some loss this season that is really gonna kill people who love the show," she said.
Q, who shot the film "Divergent" in Chicago this summer, returned to the city this week to film an indie movie called "Broken Benches" with John Leguizamo. It's a small role, she said, which is just fine with her.
"I've been a main person for four years," she said last week from Los Angeles, where she was hiking with her dog, Caesar. "I'd like to take a little break from that."
That doesn't mean she isn't already missing her "Nikita" family. Likening her "Nikita" experience to having a "really great meal," she says she is satisfied with what cast and crew have accomplished.
"It's exactly like that. 'Are you missing it? Do you want it back?' 'No, I don't. I've had this really great meal and I'm full and totally satisfied and happy to wrap it up and walk away at this time,'" she said. "I think it's great timing."
Q talked more about the final episodes, why Nikita and Michael can't communicate and what we can expect from Nikita's nemesis, Amanda.
You have six episodes to wrap Nikita's story up. Did it make things more difficult or were you just happy to have six episodes?
Well, both. It was weird because in the beginning we thought, "Great, six." And there's no sort of filler episodes. There are no bottle episodes. We could just go for it. We're just going to write six little movies and it'll be all good. Then you start getting into the logistics of it and you realize that writing six is probably the hardest thing you could do when you're wrapping up a show.
It can be explosive and exciting but it is really, really hard to wrap up everything that you've built in three years in six episodes. So 13 would have been easier but I think we're gonna go out with a bang. I'm really happy with what we've done.
It was a fun process sort of getting the six and going, "OK, how do we make this work?" And it was actually a lot harder than we imagined.
But you're happy with what's going on with what you ended up with?
Yeah. I think we really brought it. I think we did what we felt we needed to do in the time and I also think that the audiences who do love the show are going to be satisfied. And that matters a lot to us.
As somebody who's watched it from the very beginning I was sad you weren't sticking around but happy you get to end it properly.
Absolutely. You bring up a good point and I was just saying to someone that you don't often get that gift of, "OK, here is what we're gonna do. We're gonna go again but this is where it's gonna end."
Not only did I have the time on the hiatus—well, I was doing a movie—but the time to emotionally sort of detach and go, "Oh, OK. So we're ending her here. So this is where we can go. This is how we're gonna get there." Because that's a bit of time. And I was able to kind of get that sort of mental emotional block out of the way because I knew where we were going and there was a plan for it. And I think that really, really helps to wrap up the show and just feel really happy and good about it.
What her headspace like? She took off and left her ring and everybody behind.
Well not just everybody and not just the ring—even though those are huge things. But they're smaller in the scope of over the past three years Nikita's actually built something she's never had.
Nikita was rogue when we found her. She was a singular sort of unit. She had one thing in mind and that was a revenge mission and that was it. And she was willing to go for it. Her own demise didn't matter. That's how we found Nikita when we met her.
And from there till the end of the third season, she in a very substantial way had changed her mental, emotional, sort of spiritual state of living and being and built this family of people, found love. She was able to not just do what she wanted to do but also find the right channels—she went through all this. So every single thing that she's built in her love and in her life she walked away from. She's walked away from things before but there wasn't any foundation that she had built that she was walking away from. This is the first time she had ever done that. So it was really, really kind of the biggest decision she's made in a long time.
She's sort of back to her season one or like when we first met her of being a loner, except she now cares about other people I guess.
Totally. Except now there are people in her heart that she wants to protect, which is what her motivation is. But you're absolutely right and I said that to Craig, our creator, when we were designing the fourth season. I said, "Oh, I'm really excited actually to throw back to the first season. Nikita's now alone again." The stakes are really high but they're much higher in her heart because there's so much more at stake than there ever was for her. And that was really exciting to me because I think one of the interesting things about Nikita is her sort of rogueness that she will never get away from.
She also must have in her head that Amanda's still out there and Amanda (Melinda Clarke) knows how to push her buttons. And, you know, go after her friends.
Absolutely. Yeah, that's the biggest thing. She comes back in the fourth season wanting to clear her name because she knows that once this goes away for her it will go away for Michael and for Alex and for Owen, for Ryan and Birkhoff. And that's really the point. That's really all it is for her—to be able to make that happen and that the people that she loves will be safe from her or free also from her for the rest of their lives. And that's really the goal. It's not about her and her name and her face and people knowing or caring. I mean it's really about them still.
When she does come back she and Michael have—things are a little chilly. Michael's a little mad.
Chilly. It's so cold in that room. Yep.
So what is the deal with them? Why can't they just tell each other how they feel?
You know, I mean, why—indeed? And I find that in life as well. It's very real. It's the strangest thing in the whole world how you can love someone so completely but in a moment where you don't understand something, everything becomes so internal for people. And I think Nikita's always sort of had a problem being righteous. I mean if it were me, if it were Maggie—like forget Nikita—if it were Maggie I'd walk up to him and like, "Dude, I get it. You're mad but you know what? I give a shit about you and everybody else and I was just trying to do the right thing." I mean that's what I would say.
But Nikita isn't that person. It's sort of like if you can't understand that I was given no choice and I was backed into a corner and what I did was so big and more out of love than anything else I could have done, then you just don't get it. And that's not something she's gonna push onto Michael because he has to go through his process.
There is a character who comes in later in the season who becomes the catalyst for Michael's little sort of emotional transformation that he needs to make because, you know, I think he's living in his own little bubble. "I'm Michael and I'm hurt and this is my bubble that I'm gonna live in and I'm not gonna get out of it or try to see it as something bigger than something she did to me personally." Even though it was very personal, it wasn't done to hurt him.
Is that person a big surprise?
It's a character that I really, really loved in Season 2 and I've been trying to find a way to bring him back forever. And he weirdly even in longer seasons we didn't have a space for him. And then in this sort of short, truncated six we found a place for him and it was really funny. So he's going to be a character that we've seen before.
Does everyone get a happy ending?
No, everyone does not. It's not what you'd expect, but wow, it's gonna be very effective. ... But it's gonna be so brave and so sacrificial in that way that there's something that makes you proud about it. It's almost like a military death, or somebody who's in a war zone. It's one of those things where you're so torn between this sort of sense of duty that they had and how proud you are of somebody that they could sort of have that and then dealing with the sadness of them being gone. So it's in that vein. You'll understand when you see it.
Will Nikita ever be able to reconcile that no matter how careful she is in everything she does to try to do the right thing, that there's always some kind of collateral damage?
Kind of. I mean she's sort of forced to do that. ... She has to do that and face that in this season so it's funny that you brought that up. It's not defeatist, but it is a little bit like at some point you have to just give in to the fact that you don't and you won't control the outcome of everything. And no matter what you do, like you said, there's always gonna be that thing that comes up, you know, a wrench in your plans.
I think we do see Nikita kind of acquiescing to that in a way this season and sort of going, "OK, I can't win but here's what I can do." And there's that one last thing that she's gonna do. And it's really pretty epic man. I can't say anything about the finale without giving it away but let's just say she is very purposed. She's got one thing in her head and she wants to do this one thing and she's done.
You don't have to answer this but I'm guessing it has something to do with Amanda.
Yeah, exactly.
Because I just can't wait for Amanda to get hers.
Oh yeah. Oh, and it's gonna be so great.
All right.
You're gonna love it.
All right.
It's gonna hurt you from your core. You know, it's not like oh she's gonna slap her around. It's so much bigger than that.
Are you going to miss all your "Nikita" friends?
Oh yeah. Already I miss them so much. They're my family. They're closer than family because I see them more than family. ...
Do you feel you've done what you wanted to do with it?
Absolutely. ... A lot of times you don't get that opportunity. It's sort of like you get canceled and you don't even know it's coming blah, blah, blah. But it was very important to the studio, Warner Brothers was very adamant about it because our fans have been so wonderful and because the story is something that people cared about a lot. They were very, very adamant about really giving people a satisfying end to this character and this show. So they give us that.
I'm glad about that. I remember you on stage at the upfront the first year that "Nikita" was happening. You were so funny.
I'm backstage with, I don't know, the who's who of like Barbies and Kens. And it was all very strange because it's the network. They don't hire ugly people—let's put it that way. I'm sort of back there and going, "Is this for real? What's happening?" I thought I was at a pageant. ... Even my movies I was always the youngest person in my films. They're rated R. They're action. I just never had been around that crowd. So, to me it was just very, very funny. The whole experience was very funny.
You were in Chicago for "Divergent," in which you play Tori. And that's kind of familiar role for you in that she's a mentor like how Nikita was with Alex.
It is. It totally is. It's sort of like Tori's a little bit of an unwilling mentor because Shailene's character sort of puts her in that position where Tori's sort of trying to run away from being that person, does not want to be involved with this girl and does not want to advise her on anything. It's something that she wants to be 10 miles from but this young girl sort of seeks her out and she won't leave he alone about what she knows.
Did you have fun in Chicago or was it just all work?
Yeah, I really like it a lot. It's funny because I have a certain role in the first "Divergent," but in the second one my role's a lot bigger. So if we do come back to Chicago, which we will if we do the second one, it'll be there a lot longer.
And you're coming back next week? It's going to be a lot colder than it was when you were here this summer.
I'm coming back next week; it's going to be freezing. But because I've been in Toronto for four years making "Nikita" I've got all my sort of Canada gear, my Arctic wear, so I'm bringing that. Because your city is cold.
What's the movie you will be filming here next week?
Oh, it's a little movie called "Broken Bench." It's basically about this team of finance people who were one of the few groups of people who were able to actually hack the New York Stock Exchange. It's a movie about finance. It's very topical right now obviously.
It's this little character actually. I wasn't even in the main movie. John Leguizamo had created the character who is now a paraplegic and because of that he created this character he wanted who's this woman who's very close to him who cares for him but they have this sort of very strange and funny relationship. ... The producer called me and she's like, "Would this be fun for you?" And I just thought that would be fun because I love John and it'd be funny to just kind of come in as not one of the main people. ...
So just come in and sort of do a bunch of improv with John and just kind of create this dynamic between these two people. And I think it'll be really fun.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.


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India's economy is likely to grow 4.5-5 per cent in the second half of the ongoing fiscal year (FY14), according to a survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The industry body does not see any possibility of a significant improvement in the GDP growth for the October-March period as against the first half of the current fiscal year. It has asked the government to take necessary steps to improve investment climate in the country and boost domestic demand.
In its survey report, the CII has predicted "the economy in the second half would grow in the range of 4.5-5 per cent".
India's economy grew by 4.6 per cent in the first six months of the current financial year.
"The economy may have already bottomed out in the previous quarter and recovery process may already be in place, albeit fragile," the report said, adding that political uncertainty was the biggest concern.
To hasten the clearances of the held-up projects, the government should halve the threshold limit of fast-track projects from the current level of Rs 1,000 crore, it said.
"High food inflation, growth uncertainty and rising borrowing costs have all impeded consumer demand. With inflation showing some signs of moderation, it is time that the monetary policy is now directed at stimulating growth," CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee said in a statement.
It, however, said that exports are likely to increase at a moderate pace during the current quarter.
For the April-December period, exports aggregated $230.3 billion and imports $340.3 billion, while the trade
deficit stood at $110 billion.
India's GDP growth in 2012-13 was the lowest in a decade, with the previous low of 4 per cent recorded in 2002-03.


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Summer Getaway: Rihanna Vacations in Italy!
Rihanna has ended up in Capri, Italy once again this summer, and is sharing the memories from her lovely adventure with everyone via her instagram account. Click next to check out photos of the Bajan bad girl relaxing seaside and engaging in antics with her group of friends.


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Morning Links: Einhorn Wants Apple to Make Moves With Cash
Einhorn urges Apple Inc. to do more with cash — Deal Journal
The path to record highs has hit some resistance as the Dow struggles around 14000 — Morning MarketBeat
Are LBOs coming back? — Free Exchange
Wave of large buyouts unlikely to follow Dell Inc. deal — WSJ
H-P stocks seeks life after debt — Heard on the Street
Corporate insiders are aggressively selling their shares — Mark Hulbert
Are you part of the "dumb money"? — A Dash of Insight
The question is maybe not what is a good investment right now, but instead what is the least bad investment — James Hamilton
Download this and thank me (again) — Abnormal Returns
Does an "A" in business ethics have any value? — Melissa Korn


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Our Accord publication series informs and strengthens peace processes by documenting and analysing the practical lessons and innovations of peacebuilding. Accord examines specific conflicts and common peacebuilding themes, and presents the experiences and insights of local and international experts, as well as people affected by conflict.
Please do browse our Accord series. We provide this service free of charge. If you are interested in offering a small donation towards the running of the publication please click here.
Accord publications
Latest publications
Incremental Peace in Afghanistan
Two steps forward, one step back: the Nepal peace process


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CHICAGO (AP) — Keith Cozart, better known as Chicago rapper Chief Keef, has been released from juvenile detention after serving 60 days for violating probation on a gun conviction.
Cozart left Cook County Juvenile Court after a brief hearing Thursday. Officials say there are no court restrictions on his activities.
The 17-year-old was sentenced last year to 18 months' probation after his conviction on aggravated unlawful use of a weapon charges for pointing a gun at police officers.
In January, Cook County Juvenile Court Judge Carl Anthony Walker ordered Cozart's arrest for a promotional video that showed the teen firing a semi-automatic rifle at a New York gun range.
Chief Keef's first album, "Finally Rich," was released last year to mixed reviews.


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This page covers:
This page does not fully cover how to make a complaint or the specific steps you should take if your property has been cited.
After we receive a complaint, we send an inspector to the property to see whether there is a violation. If we do not find a violation, the inspector closes the case with no further action.
If we do find a violation, the inspector will tell the property owner and/or the person causing the violation by issuing a warning, citation, or notice of violation. We will also give you other information that tells you about the violation and how to fix it, and whether you have to make repairs, stop an activity, or get a permit.
For very serious violations, we may issue a "Stop Work" or "Emergency Order."
Depending on the type of notice, you may be given a certain amount of time to fix the problem before being subject to penalties, or penalties may begin immediately. Compliance dates can range from the next day to up to two months.
We will conduct a second inspection on or after the date given in the warning or notice. If you have fixed the problem by the time the inspector re-inspects, we will close the case. If you cannot fix the problem in time, you may be able to request an extension. If you do not fix the problem in a reasonable amount of time, the case may be referred to the City's Law Department. We will continue to conduct inspections and fines will continue to accumulate until the matter is resolved.
Note: Life-threatening emergencies and/or after-hours noise complaints should be reported to 9-1-1.
We treat emergency conditions differently. The compliance timeframe is very short, usually a few days. If your violation is not corrected, we may close your building and require all occupants to leave, and charge you fines. If you violate a "stop work" order, you may face criminal charges.
Emergencies include:
We may also treat certain construction violations as emergencies, such as those that create a danger to public health and safety. In those cases, we may issue a stop work order, or a hazard correction order for the most serious violations. We may also issue a stop work order for working without a permit.
Citations are like parking tickets: they state a violation and assess a fine right away. Your options are to:
Notices of Violation (NOVs) provide a specified amount of time, usually 30 to 60 days, to correct a code violation. You can request a review of the NOV if you disagree with the notice. If the violation is not fixed in time, your fines will accumulate.
We will inspect your property twice, for no charge, on a housing or land use complaint. We will charge you for all subsequent inspections until you fix the violation. These charges are billed to the property owner and are in addition to any fines or penalties. We may refer unpaid fines to the City's collection department.
(For more detailed information on our complaint process, visit our Make a Property or Building Complaint page.)
To obtain the status of your complaint, you will need either the address of the property or the case number. You may track our investigation process by:
Ask Us


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Innovations in Space. For Small Business
CargoBay is the revolutionary new campus for small business. Imagine value-added office space, premium storage solutions, and a shipping and fulfillment hub all in one location. CargoBay provides all of the physical infrastructure you need to run your business with affordable pricing and short-term lease solutions that make sense for entrepreneurs.


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Lindsey Vonn Airlifted to Hospital After Skiing Accident
Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to a hospital in Austria today after a frightening crash during the Alpine World Championships in Schladming.
Vonn lost her balance after landing awkwardly from a jump ... losing her ski and skidding into a gate. Doctors evaluated Vonn for more than ten minutes on the slope before she was loaded on to a helicopter and flown to a nearby hospital.
According to reports, the doctor who examined Vonn says he believes she suffered a tibial plateau fracture -- also known as a break in the shinbone.


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Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - Vladimir and Milan RAW - FULL CONTACT
Vladimir and Milan RAW - FULL CONTACT
We paired Milan Zrzek with Vladimir Kruty for a lovely scene. Milan has a very large cock, which is quickly on show as he drops his towel and gets on the bed with the naked Vladimir. They begin to kiss each other and Vladimir works down Milan's body. Milan grabs Vladimir's cocka nd wanks it. Then he bends over and sucks on the hard cick. The cock is standing up so straight and hard and Milan wanks and sucks on it. His own cock gets hard too and soon Vladimir is getting a taste of it in his mouth. Both cocks are rock hard and standing straight up. Milan gets wanked a bit as he sucks on Vladimir again. Then, kneeling up on the bed they kiss some more before Vladimir starts sucking again. When they have sucked each other enough Milan lays on the bed and Vladimir sits right down on his massive cock. He wanks himself as he rides Milan's dick. With Milan fucking that hot ass Vladimir's cock stays rock hard. Vladimir turns around and sits back down on that big cock. His ass takes it so well, as it goes in deep. Moving to spoon they fuck some more, with Vladimir wanking himself. Then as he gets fucked in missionary position he shoots his cum all over his belly. Milan's cock is throbbing in that hot ass and he fucks hard until he is ready to cum too. Then he pulls out and shoots his load too. His cum lands over Vladimir, on his cock, balls and belly. Milan leans over and kisses Vladimir after a very good scene.
... more about Vladimir and Milan RAW - FULL CONTACT further in this newsletter
Our Coming Soon Set Preview
Milan Neoral is one very sexy guy. We brought him in for a Czech Up with Jiri Tucek. Milan arrives, to have some treatment on a damaged knee. Jiri tells him to strip down to his underwear so that he can check him out. Milan lays on the examination table and Jiri gets to work checking his legs. He oils the legs and massages them working his way up to Milan's groin and, pulling the underwear aside, massages that as well. Jiri takes his work seriously, and likes to make his patients feel comfortable. So he massages Milan's chest as well and also kisses his nipples. At the same time Jiri slips a hand into Milan's underwear and gropes him. Then he moves down and kisses his balls. Milan's cock gets very hard and soon Jiri pulls it out and sucks on it. He removes Milan's underwear and really sucks on that hard cock. Then Jiri gets naked as well and his own cock his rock hard. As he continues to suck on Milan's dick he wanks himself. Milan then grabs Jiri's cock and wanks it. Milan is moved onto his knees, and bent over so that Jiri can rim his sexy ass. His tongue works on the hot hole for a while. Then Jiri moves Milan again and begins to fuck him. Jiri's dick slides in and out of Milan's ass, stretching the hole real good. Milan turns over and wanks himself and Jiri fucks him some more. Soon Milan shoots his cum all over one leg as Jiri's dick is deep in his ass. Jiri continues his fucking until he is ready to blow too and then pulls out and shoots his cum all over Milan. It seems he is fully rehabilitated.
You can watch my Vlog for this Newsletter by clicking above or by going over to the Blog :
It's still quite cold in Prague with about two inches of snow sticking to the ground. It's quite pleasant to be outdoors. Winter usually starts in Feburary in the Czech Republic. We'll see. We've hardly had any winter weather so far this season.
Meanwhile, tomorrow Mr. President will appoint the new government. Commentators have noted that the 'crony' government has been in office longer than any caretaker government in the history of the Czech Republic. I guess 'the Castle' can't find any more possible reasons to drag its feet further. Stay tuned for the infighting between the government and the Castle. All part of the Prague Circus.
A wonderful duo with Milan Zrzek and Vladimir Kruty gets things off to a great start today. We follow that up with Roman Madlec in his massage. Then Jan Sedina and Robert Kral together in their erotic video. Last up today is Simon Beber in his session stills.
We have a great line-up in castings today too, with Sergio Vosa, Petr Nitra, Simon Beber and Mirka Cerny. They all look good, but I opt for Simon Beber as my pick for today.
MESSAGE ABOUT LINKS TO THE OLD WH WEBSITE - WILLIAMHIGGINS.com ARCHIVES:
Please be aware that the link www.williamhiggins.com takes you to this brand new website now. If you bookmarked our old website in the past and you want to keep the bookmark as a shortest way to access the old WH website you need to change the link in the bookmark to:
You do not need to remember this link, you can conveniently get to the old WH Website - WilliamHiggins.com Archives anytime you need through the "WH 2001-2010" in the top menu of the new WilliamHiggins.com website.
Today's Weather in Prague
We have launched our all new Kink only site with no solos. It's not for the feint hearted. Do take a look (if you dare):
At present, Members of CzechGuysNextDoor will be able to access the new site with their user information. If you have problems, write email@example.com
Latest Sets At Our NEW STR8HELL.com Website
Open Set "Tonda vs. Lubos - WRESTLING"
Open Set "Simon Beber - SPANKING"
Members of CzechGuysnextDoor.com - to log in the member's section of the new STR8HELL website use your present username and password, if you forgot your password or encounter a log in problem please feel free to contact us at: email@example.com
Non-members - you are welcome to browse our complete content - each regular set contains free video preview and free photos, if you decide not to become a member of our website you can also buy sets separately (we huge, well organized and easy to search library of models - there is always few models you may like) you can pay only for what you really want see ;-). You are always welcome to come back.
All members of www.CzechGuysNextDoor.com get a free access to STR8HELL.com till the end of November 2011!
Please use your present CzechGuysNextDoor username and password to log into the members area.
We have terminated updates to CzechGuysNextDoor.com website. CzechGuysNextDoor.com website will stay online, but now only as an archive of all CzechGuysNextdoor.com sets. Anyone who wants to access CzechGuysNextDoor.com Archives needs to have a STR8HELL.com membership. STR8HELL.com will continue with most of the czechguysnextdoor.com projects. Anyone who joins STR8HELL.com will gain access to two websites STR8HELL.com and CzechGuyNextDoor.com Archives which contain 2500+ sets. STR8HELL.com has exactly same features and controls as NEW WilliamHiggins.com website.
Direct access to CzechGuysNextDoor.com website is now through the link: archive.czechguysnextdoor.com or through "Archive Sets 2004-2011" links on the new STR8HELL website.
Thank you for your loyalty to CzechGuysNextDoor.com website,
William Higgins
BurnDVD.tv Website Latest Updates
Starting today you can download our videos in Full HD quality 1920x1080px!
Please remember that most of the videos available on BurnDVD are easily able to be downloaded with a single link, but some of the very large files, such as the newsletter DVDs have to be split into three separate links, as detailed below.
The videos with very large file sizes are now split into more than one part, using a program called HJSplit. If you wish to buy one of these larger videos to Burn to DVD, you will receive a link for file and then it is a simple process to join the downloaded files together to make the .iso file for Burning to DVD.
You can see all the available videos at www.burndvd.tv
Before downloading any videos to burn to DVD I advise you to read the BURNDVD Manual, which explains how you can burn the file to DVD. The file is an ISO file which contains all the required DVD files. The process for burning to DVD is fully explained.
The BurnDVD manual is easy to follow, with a step by step guide. Burning a DVD is easy to do, though it is helpful if you have previously burned DVDs or CDs.
The manual can be viewed here: BURNDVD Manual
Anyone who has any problems understanding the manual, or burning their download to DVD, or indeed any questions about this service please email email@example.com . Geoff will be happy to assist you.
You can view all the available downloads at www.burndvd.tv, by clicking the on the categories. A direct link to the latest files available will be published in each newsletter.
Our Latest Sets at www.BurnDVD.tv
Today we have Vladimir Kruty & Milan Zrzek and Massage – Roman Madlec, Hot Ass – Mark Kalo and CFNM – Photoshoot – Part.
The direct link to "Vladimir Kruty and Milan Zrzek"
The direct link to "MASSAGE - Roman Madlec"
The direct link to "HOT ASS - Mark Kalo"
The direct link to "CFNM - Photoshoot - Part 3"
Special Offer for William Higgins Newsletter Readers
William Higgins Newsletter readers are able to obtain a discount on the price of BURNDVD downloads by using the coupons that we will be publishing in each Members Newsletter. The coupon published in each newsletter will be valid for a period of 7 days.
Copy today's coupon code here: vqm55ko
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The 678-bed hospital system hired an infection-control director, retained an expert consultant, implemented a new cleaning system and curbed unnecessary use of antibiotics.
DAYTONA BEACH — In the wake of scathing reports citing Halifax Health for inadequate infection-control practices, hospital officials say they are now leading the area's fight against deadly drug-resistant bacteria.
The 678-bed hospital system hired an infection-control director, retained an expert consultant, implemented a new cleaning system and launched a program to stop the unnecessary use of antibiotics.
All these measures will help protect patients from what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned is a troubling emerging health threat — untreatable bacterial infections that resist even the strongest antibiotics, said Dr. Tanuja Nemani, who took over as director of infectious control at Halifax Health in January.
"We are in total compliance when it comes to infection control and all the recommendations of the Volusia County Health Department," Nemani said. "We are actually going above and beyond what is required of us."
The problem of drug-resistant bacteria is widespread. The CDC estimated 10 years ago 1.7 million health care-associated infections contribute or cause the deaths of nearly 100,000 people every year.
Public records show Halifax Health struggled to control a pesky drug-resistant bacteria called Acinetobacter baumannii. Infections typically occur in intensive-care units and can either cause or contribute to patient deaths.
State inspectors visited the hospital in June and noted Halifax Health didn't have adequate infection-control procedures and staff in place to deal with the outbreak of Acinetobacter. The hospital reported 21 cases of Acinetobacter in 2011 and 17 cases from January to May 2012.
In September, a Halifax Health spokeswoman told the News-Journal the hospital was working diligently to address the problem.
Federal inspectors visited the hospital a month later and found several deficiencies. The hospital did not have a surveillance program to test for drug-resistant bacteria and had not followed the recommendations of epidemiologists to screen patients being admitted to at-risk units, inspectors wrote.
It also hadn't established an electronic list of infected patients, wasn't reporting weekly to the Health Department and wasn't following proper cleaning practices in the laundry room, despite having 14 cases of Acinetobacter from July through the first three weeks of October, according to the inspection report.
Inspectors wrote the hospital's failure to take action "continues to put all patients in the facility at risk of infections that are preventable." The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration subsequently fined Halifax Health $5,000 for the violations.
Dr. Don Stoner, Halifax Health's chief medical officer, said the hospital has invested substantially in its infection-control department in response to the cluster of Acinetobacter cases.
"We all said this is something we really need to focus on," Stoner said. "We really committed ourselves to getting ahead of this curve."
In addition to Nemani, the hospital employs three infectious-disease preventionists. It retained the services of Dr. Dennis Maki, an infectious-disease expert who has served as a consultant for the CDC, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Under Nemani's leadership, the hospital implemented an antimicrobial stewardship program. Physicians now must consult with Nemani when prescribing antibiotics, a measure designed to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics that produces resistance.
Hospital officials also screen at-risk patients for problematic bacteria and quarantine them if they could infect others, Nemani said.
Halifax Health has started using a hydrogen peroxide vaporizer, which disperses a germ-killing mist that has been shown to be more effective than traditional cleaning methods.
Nemani is also stressing a routine but effective way of avoiding infections – hand washing. Staff are using an iPhone application called iScrub that allows them to digitally record hand-washing practices.
Halifax Health has done a good job correcting the deficiencies and is working well with public health officials, said Bonnie Sorensen, director of the Volusia County Health Department. Nemani said the Acinetobacter problem is now under control.
Combating drug-resistant bacteria ultimately will require the community's entire health care system working together, Nemani said, and Halifax Health is reaching out to other providers for a coordinated approach.
"This is a global issue," she said. "This is not just about Halifax."


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Style # 219567
AVAILABILITY: Unavailable for immediate shipment.
The new season calls for city-chic layers like this bebe blazer, featuring luxe exaggerated shoulders and an easy soft lace. Try yours over a sexy bodycon dress and a pair of simple pumps.
- 73% nylon, 27% polyester
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Center back to hem: 19" (48 cm), sleeve length: 28" (71 cm)
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Lace Cowl Waterfall Jacket is rated out of 5 by 2.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Fashionjunky from AMAZING! I bought the black right away... Runs slightly big so u can go down a size but its fabulous! The color on the black does seem to have a blue tinge in it but it one snot change my mind on the unique look of these jacket. I got the 12 but I will get the purple in 10.
Date published: 2013-09-24
Rated 5 out of 5 by yakgirl from love it lovely unique and very flattering....can't wait to wear w a black dress for the holidays
Date published: 2013-09-22