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American Fasteners Inc. shut down one Friday and reopened the next Monday as a unit of The Whitesell Group of Companies.
The business, which distributes nuts and bolts to industrial users across the country, still operates out of the old headquarters on Rockville Road in Avon. There is one big difference, however. It's no longer saddled with $15 million in debt and other liabilities, including $5 million owed to various unsecured creditors.
Among those creditors are local suppliers who say American Fasteners' demands for inventory in the weeks before it shuttered made their losses worse. The suppliers blame Whitesell, which worked in the background at AFI for a year before the company closed on Dec. 16.
"They had been pushing us like crazy for deliveries," said Jesse Alexander, a co-owner of Alexander Screw in Indianapolis, which AFI owed $300,000.
Richard Hauser, controller at Whitesell's office in Avon, said the company doesn't comment publicly on its business. Messages left at Whitesell headquarters in Muscle Shoals, Ala., were not returned.
Whitesell makes and distributes metal parts to automotive and other industries. Acquisitions are a major part of the growth strategy, and the company advertises on its website that it can make a deal with a distressed firm in less than 60 days, helping it avoid bankruptcy.
Whitesell acquired AFI's assets in December through an out-of-court liquidation.
That transaction surprised local suppliers, who were expecting a merger of operations that would result in their getting paid.
AFI's suppliers learned about the so-called Article 9 sale in a Dec. 16 notice to potential creditors. Under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, a bank may foreclose on personal property—such as manufacturing equipment—without going through the courts.
Three days later, Dec. 19, Whitesell sent a letter to AFI's suppliers saying it had bought most of the assets, including customer accounts, inventory and equipment in Avon, Plainfield, St. Louis, Tucson, Memphis and Mexico.
Whitesell scooped up the assets of MKM Machine Tool in Jeffersonville in early December, also through an Article 9 sale. According to the Dec. 2 notice to creditors in that case, MKM also had $15 million in liabilities, including $4 million to "general creditors."
The notices from MKM and AFI said the company "previously attempted to sell the operations but the debt load and multiyear sustained operating losses were too great for any potential buyer or investor to risk." Both notices were unsigned.
There's nothing unusual about a company going out of business, through bankruptcy court or not, and leaving its creditors empty-handed.
What seems unusual about Whitesell is the way it was involved with AFI before the business went under, said Henry Efroymson, chairman of the bankruptcy practice at Ice Miller LLP.
Creditors could argue that Whitesell was managing AFI's business, and therefore should be liable for its debts, Efroymson said.
A judge may or may not agree, depending on what facts surface, he said. "It looks like an appropriate case for investigation."
Uniform Commercial Code filings with the Indiana secretary of state show AFI's bank debt was assigned to a Muscle Shoals entity, Indiana Fasteners Inc., on Dec. 27, 2010. So Whitesell, which may have bought out the bank's position at a discount, became AFI's main secured lender. (The filings don't reveal the amount of AFI's debt, nor how much Whitesell actually paid.)
That could be another factor a court would consider in whether to hold Whitesell liable, Efroymson said.
"This is just one of those factors, but it's an interesting one," he said.
Dakota Engineering in Indianapolis supplied both AFI and MKM, and was owed about $30,000 when MKM shut down, Dakota owner Alan Jones said. The amount isn't worth taking legal action, he said, but he's more cautious in dealing with Whitesell.
Jones found out Whitesell was involved with MKM's business last year, after the company fell behind on payments. He contacted MKM's former president, who told him Whitesell was making the financial decisions.
Jones said Whitesell arranged for MKM to pay some of what was owed at the time. Then the company ramped up its orders.
"I cannot believe it's legal to expedite parts in, knowing you're going to take it to receivership," Jones said.
Whether Whitesell knew MKM and AFI were on the verge of going out of business would take a lot of investigation and a court battle that small vendors probably can't afford, said Michael Alerding, a partner at the law firm Alerding Castor and Hewitt LLP.
Alerding had heard about the Whitesell acquisitions from two suppliers, but has no plans to represent them in a lawsuit. If nothing else, Alerding said, their stories reinforce the need for business owners to be cautious about extending credit to their customers.
In the end, Whitesell may be just another much-needed customer, Alerding said.
"It was a business decision to keep working with them," he said. "Business decisions are a large part of why this happened."•


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Extreme Couponing Education: Sale Cycles
Because they don't tell you everything on reality television we are here to reveal the secrets of Extreme Couponing.
The Secret of the Stockpile:
You really can't make your stockpile work for you until it is well rounded. Take for example this photo below…
This is a picture taken after one of my successful couponing trips a few summers ago. If I only couponed in the summer my poor family would have to live off of hot dogs and marshmallows year round. So for true coupon success you have to coupon through out the year so you can hit all of the different Sale Cycles!
Brief Summary of Sale Cycles:
- January: Diet foods, medicines, Quaker products, party foods, and Christmas clearance
- February: candy/chocolate, canned foods (veggies, fruit, tuna.)
- March: Frozen Food Month, Easter candy/baskets, cleaning supply sales begin,
- April: Easter dinner foods, Easter clearance
- May: Party foods, BBQ/Camping supplies
- June: National Dairy Month, BBQ/Camping supplies will continue, Gift Card Promotion (use the money you're saving for Christmas and buy gift cards to use later, get free groceries NOW).
- July: MORE BBQ foods, school supply sales begin.
- August: School supply sales continue, school lunch items, Kraft
- September: Labor Day BBQ items and the end of school supply sales, Campbell's sale, more "school food" items
- October: Halloween candy, toy sales begin
- November: Halloween clearance items, and all Thanksgiving dinner and baking items, Gift Card Promotions,
- December: Thanksgiving clearance items (decorations, napkins, etc.) and all Christmas dinner and baking items.
Visit our Sale Cycles page for a full list of the sale cycles and a free downloadable version for your coupon binder.
- Read more tips to help your Extreme Couponing Education.
- Get a quick start on Extreme Couponing done right with our coupon class on DVD!
OK, help me out here. I don't find any great sale prices/coupons/discounts on oatmeal- at least nothing better than previous months. Am I missing something?
Any ideas if their will be a good oatmeal/quaker sale this year. It seems like last year it wasn't very good and I'm thinking this year probally won't be any better. BUT I hope I'm wrong….whats it lookin like. Anything coming up in the last week of Jan for ALbertsons?
Ok, so I know this extreme couponing show stuff is definitely not reality, but what I'd like to know after watching one show….is how the heck to they get those high value coupons? I rarely see one for more than a couple of dollars off something, and they were using coupons in the $7-11 range? Am I missing something?
The high value coupons often come straight from the manufacturer. You can write some of your favorite manufacturers and request coupons. Tell them how much you love a product and they will often send you coupons for it.
I personally have revived high value coupons at expos I have been to where the manufacturer is personally handing them out.
Yes email the maufacturers but don't ask for coupons directly. Tell them a personal story on how their product is part of your daily routine or how much your family loves their product and they will send you more.
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Welcome to New Life Chiropractic
2018 is a New Year for a Healthy New Start!
Do you want to attain a better level of health?
"Our Mission Is To Help You Feel Your Best!"
Click on the link to request a FREE Get Acquainted Evaluation
or to request an appointment or email our office.
Dr. Janet McCaffrey, D.C. & Dr. Julia Mason, D.C.
Call us today so we can develop a corrective care-plan specific to your needs, because you deserve better health!
San Carlos Chiropractors | New Life Chiropractic | (650) 598-5414
NEW ADDRESS: 1100 Laurel St., Suite B | San Carlos, CA 94070
Offering Chiropractic, Massage & Cold Laser. Serving the Bay Area; San Carlos, Redwood City, Belmont, Redwood Shores, San Mateo & Foster City for family, pediatrics and senior care, automobile accidents, sports injuries, prenatal care and breech baby conditions.


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Heart Breakfast Podcast
Matt & Sarah wake up Suffolk every weekday morning from 6am. But don't panic if you miss a show, you can catch up with the best bits every week with the Heart Breakfast Podcast.
Just click on the links below to hear the best bits from the week gone by.
Friday 27th August - The texting champ, Matesgate, Mum's on film, what have you caught your parents doing? Men in the shower and school caretakers!
Friday 20th August - Felixstowe Carnival, blending in at school, big bunny, men's pants, Vampires and Sarah won't be coming to the buffet.
Friday 13th August - The Car Vac Kids. Christmas shopping already? Airbrush weddings, befriending a courgette and Bubbles are in charge!
Friday 6th August - Sarcastic Road Rage, Superhero weddings, Freddie Mercury works at Homebase! Injuries that are too ridiculous to explain, and we no speak Americano!
Friday 30th July - Trolley help lines, what's in his shorts? Olympic volunteers, birthday Fajitas, Dyno- Rod and Matt's Surprise party!
Friday 23rd July - Soap barmaid of the year, skin tight pants, odd compliments, the Lil family, ride to work, and don't touch the giant strawberry!
Friday 16th July - A whole lot of Linen, The seagull nappy thief, National Health tummy tucks, nudist holidays and Dads love shredding!
Friday 9th July - Rafael wins Wimbledon, National Kissing Day, George Michael at Snappy Snaps, Wedding reception dances and have you got a fear of lifts?
Friday 2nd July - Sarah's back from Glastonbury, Is Fabio in Orford, Matt's forming a club, A mushroom in the bathroom and the saddest Vuvuzela.
Friday 18th June - Matt's been taken advantage of, Lucky pants, Sarah's Kidney stones, The Cornhill Rangers and how symmetrical are you?
Friday 11th June - Matt's a lottery winner! Topless sunbathing. The lawn mowing record breaker. Who's the tallest in Sainsbury's? Corrie versus 24, and the Prime Ministers Flag.
Friday 4th June - Spray tan abuse, what's in your bathroom? Suffolk's youngest phonejacker, Holiday flings and Hotel extras.
Friday 28th May - Shirt of pain, Anthea's cheese wire, Sarah's unusual chat up lines, Is Matt getting eyed up? What's in your Childs school bag?
Friday 21st May - The sinister Animal list continues, pickled onion record breaker, Bin Crime, The Ferret Headmaster, Sex and the City vs. Die Hard, and Jubbly's
Friday 14th May - Bedtime story stress. How clean is your workplace? Dressing up is the new dressing down. Matts got beef with Robin Hood, and a job for Ghandi.
Friday 7th May - Why men and women really need each other, Nan loves Snooker, Are you a Weamer? Matt's up all night, and odd couples.
Friday 30th April - Sarah tries to get Matt dancing, iPod embarrassment, Matt's Twitter gift, 80's loves and hates, and are mums the best drivers?
Friday 23rd April - Bogus braces. What's so lucky about John and Margaret? Who's hanging out by the Pick n Mix? Hot air ballooning and what embarrassed you as a kid?
Friday 16th April - Is Matt's baby Clairvoyant? Sarah does Mother in law gags. How Baboons could ruin the World Cup. One big reason to smile and spare a thought for Thelma.
Friday 9th April - What spoilt Matt's week off? Who's in David Jason's house? Never trust a one legged seagull. How whiney is your girlfriend? An accidental mugging!
Friday 26th March - Easter egg rules, the top 5 awkward situations, never trust a talking owl, going giddy over bras, the people in life you never meet, and a naughty word search.
Friday 19th March - What's made Matt's 'Bitter' page this week? What makes Nuns so happy? The Pregnancy con, dodgy home videos and what are you in love with that's not even real?
Friday 12th March - Hotel let downs, Matt's lacking Turtle Power! What is a Twitten? Buble's awards, the instant lift and watch out for Sarah on the roads!
Friday 5th March - Naked weekend, Matt launches 'Bitter', Who's got your jewellery? Sarah's home is not so sweet and were turn ups ever cool?
Friday 26th February - Half terms over, what Matt's coming to terms with, Sarah's fake award, top 5 smiles, Cheryl takes all the headlines….nearly, and naked sport!
Friday 19th February - Sarah uncovers her roots, the latest Jackson reunion, a guide to queuing, Matt's model baby and teen idols
Friday 12th February - The giant Valentine's Monkey, Barbie's had a makeover, Gleek or bleek? Stan gets lonely and When Valentine's Day goes bad!
Friday 5th February - The questions you really want answered on a first date, a dancing prince, frog snogging, who dropped Sir Cliff in it? And buniongate!
Friday 29th January - Matt's rockin brush with the law, how fast do you have to run to catch Mr Right? What's up with Rhianna? TV scruffs and big pants versus thongs!!
Friday 22nd January - The worst time to cough, Confusing Brits nominations again, Eating in class, The worst thing you ever forgot and Sarah's weapon of choice…
Friday 15th January - When good bargains turn bad, Deleting stress, What takes 7 seconds, A Tixy Lix OD and the Strangest thing you've woken up to.
Friday 8th January - Matt's motoring madness, why we've all forgotten Bad Girls, predictive text gone mad and where last years Heart mugs actually vanished to!
Friday 11th December - The rules of festive shopping, Why men and women can never get on when it comes to driving, What Brits are doing in the bath, Flying Vicars and Radio's only 4 year old compiles his Christmas list...
Friday 4th December - December arrives, Things you've learnt you can't do whilst texting, Bunionectomy's?, Turning down proposals in public and it's amazing what you learn about cabbies on a short journey...
Friday 27th November - The annual Christmas budget chat, Who's selling Trees, Pony's in disguise, A week of counting down to Sarah's (moody) Birthday, Bath pain and our Wheel Of What Will?!?...


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Adapting to Stress: Early Exposure Gives Amphibians Higher Tolerance To Pesticides
Extinction is part of life. Nearly all species that ever lived are extinct, with new species arising as old ones disappear. But we've been losing species so fast over the past several decades that a field once dominated by paleontologists pouring over evidence spanning millions of years, now commands the attention of ecologists grappling with the global hemorrhaging of species in real time -- right before our eyes.
No class of animals dramatizes the magnitude of the biodiversity crisis better than amphibians. Ecologists first reported their disappearance from protected areas in the 1980s. Today, a third of Earth's 6,000 frog, toad, salamander, newt and caecilian species face extinction. With as many as 122 species presumed lost forever and 43 percent in decline, amphibians are vanishing faster any other animal class in human history.
Biologists with the U.S. Geological Service delivered more bad news in May, reporting that American amphibian populations are vanishing at an average rate of 3.7 percent a year. Echoing the first reports of serious trouble more than three decades ago, the researchers found losses even in protected parks and wildlife refuges managed to conserve biodiversity.
As amphibians continue their downward spiral, ecologists struggle to understand the animals' responses to the likely agents of their destruction, including habitat loss or disturbance, disease, climate change and contaminants. It's extremely difficult to tease apart which of these factors, acting alone or in combination, are driving declines in any one region.
Sponsored By
But a recent study from the lab of aquatic ecologist Rick Relyea, a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Pittsburgh, shines a small ray of light on a very dark picture. In an earlier study, Relyea found that glyphosate (otherwise known as Roundup), an herbicide widely used to control weeds in agriculture, killed 98% of tadpoles in his study within three weeks and 79% of juveniles in just one day. But pesticides can also cause defects without killing. Maybe stresses that don't kill offer enough of a cushion for individuals to cope with the stress until more enduring adaptations can emerge in a population.
With more than 500 pest species now resistant to the insecticides used against them, Relyea reasoned, maybe frogs, and other unintentionally exposed species, could adapt to these chemicals over time too.
Earlier this year, Relyea found that frogs living close to farms were less sensitive to the insecticide chlorpyrifos (but not Roundup), suggesting an ability to evolve resistance to at least one pesticide. In the recent study, Relyea and his team probed the roots of resistance by seeing how individual frogs living farther afield from farms would respond to different concentrations of insecticides early in development. They reasoned that exposing frogs to low levels of pesticides as embryos and tadpoles could induce tolerance to a subsequent higher dose.
To test this possibility, they collected wood frog eggs from four different ponds around agricultural fields, two populations close to farms and two about half a mile away. They exposed embryos and hatchlings first to low levels of the insecticide carbaryl and then to (typically) lethal doses to assess tolerance, indicated by how many survived the follow-up lethal dose. As expected, frogs taken from ponds farther away from fields responded with increased tolerance to the insecticide—not as many died—after an initial exposure, while early exposures had little effect on frogs born near farms. These frogs were likely selected for greater tolerance or resistance to the pesticide after generations of exposure.
Michelle Boone, an associate professor of zoology at Miami University of Ohio who studies pesticide effects on amphibians, finds reason for cautious optimism in the results, which suggest that individual tadpoles may respond to a given stress in a way that helps them later in life.
"We know amphibians have amazing abilities to respond to their natural environmental conditions—they can alter their rate of development, their coloration and even their body shape," Boone says. "So it's very cool to see that they may be able to respond to some of the stressors we inadvertently throw at them."
It remains to be seen whether this induced tolerance is widespread in tadpoles or helps amphibians deal with pesticides in ecological communities.
The ability of an individual organism to adapt to pesticides and other environmental stresses—a phenomenon called "phenotypic plasticity"—could play a critical role in helping species tolerate and then adapt to rapid changes. But species will benefit only if the traits that help the individual cope with stress are passed on to the next generation. And evolving resistance to pesticides could come at the cost of other traits, such as increased susceptibility to pathogens or predators.
How these results can help current conservation efforts isn't clear, says Gary Fellers, a USGS research biologist who contributed to the May report showing amphibian declines across the country and to a recent study that measured two common agricultural fungicides in Pacific chorus frogs collected from parks across the Sierra Nevada.
It's a really good first step toward understanding frogs' capacity to tolerate pesticides, Fellers says, though he would have liked to see how populations much farther from farms respond. Pesticides can travel on winds and rains and likely reached the Sierra Nevada chorus frogs from Central Valley farms. And though amphibians encounter a slew of pesticides (and other contaminants) on a daily basis, Fellers thinks the crisis calls for triage.
Sponsored By
We need to figure out if we can find one or two pesticides that are driving amphibian declines, he says. "Then we can work with agriculture folks to try to find out if there are alternative pesticides that might work just as well for them but don't have such a significant impact on nontarget wildlife."
With some estimates placing contemporary amphibian extinction rates at more than 200 times the historic rate seen in the fossil record, reversing the decline of Earth's amphibians will require herculean efforts, and all hands on deck.


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Why You'll Love It
Safe Snacker™ stainless steel lunchbox containers. Favorite features include a single flap collared lid that is easy for little hands to open and close, lid attached on one side and won't get lost, the lid is also removable for easy washing, stainless steel base, and silicone gasket. - Sandwich size (dimensions 5.5"L x 5.5"W x 2.5H) - Single Walled 18/8 Stainless Steel - Attached Lid won't get lost and is removable for cleaning - Silicone Seal to keep food fresh - BPA and Phthalate Free - Dishwasher Safe
About This Brand
New Wave Enviro
Shop The Brand
New Wave Enviro is a family owned company, wholesaling environmentally friendly products since 1993. Our complete line of Enviro Filters, BpA Free Enviro Bottles, Seriously Safe Stainless® Steel Bottles and Litter Free Lunch™ Products help to improve the quality of life while creating earth-friendly alternatives.
Disclaimer: Information, statements, and reviews regarding products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Results vary person to person, and there is no guarantee of specific results. Thrive Market assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.


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The combined use of duplex ultrasonography and magnetic resonance angiography most accurately diagnosed carotid artery stenosisPDF
ACP J Club. 2003 Mar-Apr;138:54. doi:10.7326/ACPJC-2003-138-2-054
Source Citation
Nederkoorn PJ, Mali WP, Eikelboom BC, et al. Preoperative diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis: accuracy of noninvasive testing. Stroke. 2002;33:2003-8. [PubMed ID: 12154253] (All 2003 articles were reviewed for relevancy, and abstracts were last revised in 2009.)
What is the accuracy of duplex ultrasonography (DUS), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and DUS and MRA combined, compared with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for the diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis?
Blinded comparison of separate and combined test results of DUS and MRA with DSA.
3 medical centers in the Netherlands.
350 patients (mean age 67 y, 76% men) who had symptoms of carotid artery disease (transient ischemic attack, minor disabling ischemic stroke, or amaurosis fugax) in the previous 6 months. Exclusion criteria were contraindications to MRA.
Description of tests and diagnostic standard
DUS, MRA, and DSA were done within 4 weeks. The degree of stenosis on DUS was based on the peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the proximal internal carotid artery; analysis of DUS was based on a threshold of 70% stenosis, represented by a PSV of 270 cm/s. DSA was the diagnostic standard: A positive test result was defined as severe stenosis (70% to 99%) in the internal carotid artery on DSA. In the analyses, only stenosis measurements of the carotid artery on the symptomatic side were used.
Main outcome measures
Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios.
Main results
Test characteristics for DUS, MRA, and the combined strategy of DUS and MRA are in the Table.
Magnetic resonance angiography was slightly more sensitive than duplex ultrasonography for diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis, but the combination of both tests had the greatest accuracy.
Source of funding: Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sports.
For correspondence: Dr. Y. van der Graaf, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
Table. Diagnostic characteristics for duplex ultrasonography (DUS), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and combined DUS and MRA for detecting severe stenosis in the internal carotid artery*
|Sensitivity (95% CI)
|Specificity (CI)
|88% (82 to 93)
|76% (69 to 82)
|92% (86 to 96)
|76% (68 to 96)
|Combined DUS and MRA
|96% (91 to 99)
|80% (73 to 87)
*Diagnostic terms defined in Glossary; LRs calculated from data in article.
Noninvasive vascular imaging for carotid stenosis would be useful if a minor loss of accuracy could be traded for avoiding DSA. Nederkoorn and colleagues found high accuracy for combined MRA and DUS in diagnosing 70% to 99% carotid stenosis.
Assessing the accuracy and effect of noninvasive tests is difficult and varies with patient selection and the proportion with tight carotid stenosis (1). The method of patient selection in this study is not completely clear. The proportion of patients with 70% to 99% stenosis is not as high as would be expected if some prescreening had been done (2).
It is unusual to use DSA in patients with no or only minor stenosis on DUS. Rather, DSA is reserved to confirm the precise degree of stenosis in those with DUS-diagnosed, high-grade stenosis. Currently, the most frequent use of MRA is to confirm DUS-diagnosed, high-grade stenosis before carotid endarterectomy. Thus, it is crucial to know the accuracy of MRA in these patients. The evidence on the usefulness of MRA is not generally of high quality (3) but suggests that the tighter the stenosis, the more difficult it is to interpret the MRA (4).
MRA is more expensive than DUS, takes longer to do, and is less practical to use and patients do not prefer it to DSA. In many clinics, using MRA on every patient with carotid territory ischemic symptoms is impossible.
Other studies also suggest that a combination of noninvasive tests could replace DSA to confirm tight stenosis (5), but it is important to consider the effect on patient survival as well as accuracy. 1 study suggested that loss of accuracy with noninvasive tests might reduce quality-adjusted life-years gained after carotid endarterectomy (5).
Noninvasive technology is continuing to improve. Physicians and radiologists need to consider the context in which they would use noninvasive tests before replacing DSA. 1 strategy is to use DUS as the first-line test for identifying high-grade stenosis and MRA as a second noninvasive test to confirm tight stenosis, reserving DSA for patients in whom the noninvasive tests disagree.
Joanna M. Wardlaw, MD
University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
1. Brenner H, Gefeller O. Variation of sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and predictive values with disease prevalence. Stat Med. 1997;16:981-91. [PubMed ID: 9160493]
2. Mead GE, Wardlaw JM, Lewis SC, et al. Can simple clinical features be used to identify patients with severe carotid stenosis on Doppler ultrasound? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1999;66:16-9. [PubMed ID: 9886444]
3. Westwood ME, Kelly S, Berry E, et al. Use of magnetic resonance angiography to select candidates with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis for surgery: a systematic review. BMJ. 2002;324:198. [PubMed ID: 11809640]
4. Wardlaw JM, Lewis SC, Humphrey P, et al. How does the degree of carotid stenosis affect the accuracy and interobserver variability of magnetic resonance angiography? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2001;71:155-60. [PubMed ID: 11459885]
5. Patel SG, Collie DA, Wardlaw JM, et al. Outcome, observer reliability, and patient preferences if CTA, MRA, or Doppler ultrasound were used, individually or together, instead of digital subtraction angiography before carotid endarterectomy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002;73:21-8. [PubMed ID: 12082040]


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Each participant used in a study differs completely from another; these differences need to be taken into account when carrying out research, to explain both links or anomolies between data collected from each individual. For our study into motor control and learning in older adults, we will need to discover a way to explore the individul differences, in order to explain what happens when the 'up and go' task takes takes different formats, and how people react to them.
Firstly, a reliable measure for individual differences needs to be established. There are hundreds of apporaches in research, and using previous studies I have selected a few that I think would be appropriate for the up and go task.
The mini mental state exam (MMSE) is a 30-point questionnaire that looks at arithmatic, memory and orientation all in the space of around 10 minutes. It is currently used as a screen for dementia or as an indicator of cognitive function, and was developed by Folstein (1975). Scores of above 25 indicate the particiapnt is of sound mind, whereas scors below 9 indicate severe cognitive impairment. This would help research as it would be made clear how cognitive functionality affects how a task is carried out.
Furthermore, Rolfson et al. (2006) developed a valid and reliable version of the Edmonson Frail scale, where frailty as a seperate varible from disability and ageing. A number of tests were carried out on each patient, all aged over 65. The 'up and go' task was included, to test function and mobility, and a clock task to test for cognitive impairment. The results from both of the tasks helped give an indication of both cognitive and physical function, and the results show that despite people being on a similar level of cognitive function, that didn't neccessarily mean they were similar in physical function. this highlights that every individuals needs and personal details differ, and that it is of utmost importance to take these differences into account when trying to correlate data.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Individual difference measures.
1 comment:
Good; a couple of minor points:ReplyDelete
1. People don't differ completely from one another; if they did you couldn't do science. People cluster around some average performance, and then differ some from that as a function of some of these individual differences.
2. Are there really hundreds of individual difference measures?
Finally, keep an eye on your sentence structure. Lots of these sentences should have been broken up. Take it slow, and one thing at a time.
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Raheem Sterling reckons he will have to start all over again at Anfield this season after experiencing the despair of England's World Cup failure.
Yet the good news for Liverpool fans AND disillusioned Three Lions supporters, is that the Premier League's most exciting young talent reckons the best way to steer his country to Euro 2016 success is by delivering silverware to his club.
Sterling emerged as a true star of English football in the second half of last season, when he was arguably the Reds' best player, and was one of the few successes for Roy Hodgson in an otherwise woeful tournament in Brazil.
Yet the 19-year-old refuses to get carried away by his new-found status, insisting he is still a Premier League rookie, really... with plenty to prove before he can regard himself as a regular for Brendan Rodgers' new-look Reds.
"I have definitely got to prove myself again and try to achieve more than last season," he said as he joined the club's pre-season tour of North America.
"I have personal and team goals I have set myself, and the main aim is to help this team go one step further this year.
"I definitely feel more a Liverpool player now, especially on the back of having made it to a World Cup, but I still have to keep focused on working hard and doing everything to keep progressing at Liverpool."
Sterling knows nothing is guaranteed at Anfield, even though he is now widely regarded as the most promising young talent England have turned up in years.
His took his chance in Brazil - dazzling in defeat against Italy in England's opening game - to prove he belongs on the biggest stage.
And the good news for Three Lions fans is that he believes the national team are good enough to overcome the misery of this summer and prove a credible force at the Euros in France in two years' time.
"I definitely relish the chance to propel England forward. It's massive to be part of England's future and that is something I want to work on through Liverpool," he explained.
"I want to work hard for my club and then the nation, so that hopefully we will do everyone proud.
"It was a great experience going to the World Cup, coming on the back of a decent league season for me, sadly just missing out on the Premier League title. But it was a good experience and another learning curve for me on a world stage in front of millions of people.
"Now I have to keep striving from here and get better."
Sterling knows he'll have to do that just to command a first team place at Anfield in the coming campaign, with boss Rodgers determined to increase the depth of attacking talent at the club.
With a deal for QPR striker Loic Remy now in place , and the France international set to be unveiled in Chicago this weekend, there is real competition for places in the forward positions even though star man Luis Suarez has been sold to Barcelona.
Loic Remy's career in pictures:
Rodgers has already signed almost £60m of talent capable of playing Sterling's position in Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic and Emre Can, and has promised more transfers with a creative flavour.
That means the teenager can hardly rest on his laurels, and he acknowledged that - even after being praised as England's best player in an otherwise disappointing world finals.
"That's nice to hear (that he came out of the World Cup well) but to be in the most exciting tournament in the world and go out of the group stages, you can't really be looking at the positive for yourself," added Sterling.
"The idea was to go as far into the tournament as possible, and we didn't really do that.
"I've come a long way in two years and it's gone past so quickly but has been really enjoyable and a big learning curve. I have learnt a lot in this past few years and now I have to keep learning and growing."


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Paul Wild knew something was wrong when he heard a symphony of chain saws one morning last May.
By the time he and other curious residents reached the dirt track at the edge of their West Covina neighborhood, workmen were already loading the logs onto trucks.
Gone, like fingers chopped from a hand, were 30 healthy native oaks, which for decades had graced the undeveloped slopes just north of the San Bernardino Freeway. Some of the trees were 100 years old or older.
Wild and others phoned City Hall to complain--"but it was a day late and a dime short," Wild said bitterly. A developer had big plans for the site, he learned.


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Multilevel marketing: How selling your way out of debt can sink you deeper
Consumer finance expert, author and "Opening Credits" columnist.
If you're in debt and looking for ways to generate more income, selling products such as Amway, Herbalife and LuLaRoe may seem like the perfect solution. But all too often, consumers end up relying on credit cards to fund their new multilevel marketing (MLM) venture and find they've accumulated new debt on top of the old.
While the products vary, the business model is constant. You buy in to become a consultant or distributer, sell what's offered, then keep a percentage of the proceeds. To really get ahead, you recruit other people to do the same. They become your "downline" distributers and you make commission based on their sales.
The ability to jump right in and begin earning has made multilevel marketing wildly popular. According to the Direct Selling Association, the trade group that represents these businesses, approximately 1 in 6 U.S. households is involved in one, generating $35.56 billion in revenue annually.
But before plunking down your card, especially if you're already overwhelmed with financial obligations, remember the adage: buyer (but in this case, seller), beware.
Can it work? Yes
Eva Palacios is a San Francisco consultant for Ambit Energy, which touts being "your journey to financial freedom," by providing low-cost electricity and natural gas services to businesses in deregulated markets. Palacios, however, has nothing but rave reviews for the company and multilevel marketing in general.
"I'm an advocate," she says "I invested $429 and made more money in four short years than I did in 17 years with my previous company." This year, she expects to break the six-figure annual income mark. The current enrollment fee is $75.
Palacios would appear to have plenty of company. Success stories abound on websites dedicated to getting people involved with and learning how to prosper from MLMs.
For example, Jason Lee's website, which claims to help "network marketing professionals unleash their potential" and offers tools for network marketers, is peppered with accounts of insolvent yet motivated people who made their American dream come true.
However, according to research published by the Federal Trade Commission, the median income from multilevel marketing endeavors ranges from about $200 to $400 a month.
Does it usually work? No
As compelling as the life-changing testimonials on many mutilevel marketing sites can be, they're dramatically uncommon. According to a 1999 paper written by Jon M. Taylor, of the Consumer Awareness Institute, and published by the Federal Trade Commission, 99 percent of those who participate in multilevel marketing lose money.
With such abysmal success rates, why would anyone take the chance? Not being aware of the reality is one reason, as multilevel marketing companies don't publicize their failure rates.
Regina Lopez, from Salinas, California, joined the nutritional supplement company Herbalife expecting to support her three young children and her unemployed husband who is sick with diabetes. The family was in a bind. She couldn't secure a flexible job, their credit card balances were in the $15,000 range, and bills were piling up.
"My cousin said I could make a lot of money and took me to his meeting," says Lopez. "It was so exciting I signed up that night. I definitely thought it was going to be great, the answer to my prayers."
Lopez immediately bought $700 worth of product with her credit card. As with many MLMs, the more inventory you purchase, the greater the profit margin you'll earn on those items. Consequently, buying in bulk can seem like a sensible decision.
Unless the demand for it isn't there, as was the case for Lopez.
"I tried, but could not sell it because, honestly, people did not want to buy it," says Lopez. "It's too expensive. Nobody wanted to be my distributor either, so that didn't work for me."
After a year, she wanted to stop and return the remaining product, but the value had eroded because the company deducted fees.
"They would not let me give back what I paid, so I got even more behind with my credit cards," says Lopez. "It made me feel very dumb, embarrassed. I got depressed. I hated myself."
Dreams are an easy sell
There's no cause for self-loathing, though, says Stephen Barrett, retired psychologist and founder of MLM Watch, a guide to combat fraudulent multilevel marketing companies. Multilevel marketing appeals to people who want to do the right thing with their finances. And it's natural to trust loved ones who've come out ahead.
"It looks attractive because the person approaching you may be your best friend, mother, brother," says Barrett. "They made a little bit of money; they're not trying to mislead you, they want you to get ahead, too.
"It's easy for a lot of people to be fooled. If the claims sound plausible, you may invest. People can sound very convincing, and a lot of people are vulnerable. They make it sound simple."
Another reason multilevel marketing sparks the interest of so many is that the companies tend to focus on specific demographics.
"Herbalife is very big in the Spanish-speaking community now," says Barrett. "Two years ago, they started going into these neighborhoods and they would have people come in and taste it, then sign them up to sell."
Soon the whole neighborhood is involved.
"These companies know what they're doing," says Barrett.
Clothing and skin care multilevel marketing companies typically have female consultants who sell to other women. AdvoCare, a health and wellness company, appeals to men with its marketing campaign integrating NASCAR drivers, sports teams and athletes, such as New Orleans Saints football star Drew Brees.
Upfront costs can lead to debt spiral
The amount you'll need to spend on initial product ranges from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. Those costs can turn into debt and increase existing liabilities. Multilevel marketing companies offer no guarantee you'll turn even a meager profit, and you may even be encouraged to invest ever more into the venture. The result, as Jaclyn Reifsnyder, of Seattle, attests, can be disastrous.
Reifsnyder spent $6,400 to start with LuLaRoe, the athletic apparel MLM. Someone in her social circle introduced her to the company, and it felt like a great fit.
"I love the clothing, and my friend was doing really well," says Reifsnyder. "My husband is in the army and we have a child, so we could have used the money. I sold him on the idea, and he eventually agreed.
'This is going to get me out of debt,' I thought. But you have to keep buying to make money. I spent a lot on it."
In the beginning, the clothes were an easy sell.
"I was making money because the company was very selective with consultants," says Reifsnyder. "That was a few years ago, but by the time I quit in March 2016, there were over 80,000 consultants and the market was oversaturated."
Today, Reifsnyder is fighting with the company to return thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise. Because the clothes are quickly becoming last year's fashion, they are less likely to be sold at full retail cost.
The Better Business Bureau details a history of the same types of complaints as Reifsnyder's.
In response, LuLaRoe introduced a temporary waiver allowing people who wished to leave the company the option to resell their remaining inventory for the full wholesale cost, including shipping.
Yet, due to what the company describes as abuses of the system (clothes being returned in poor condition), as of Sept. 13, 2017, it adjusted reimbursement to 90 percent of the net cost of the original wholesale purchase price, and an adherence to the rules regarding condition of the garments.
LuLaRoe and Herbalife did not respond to interview requests.
Never take a MLM's advice to take on more debt
The upfront and continuation costs of working for a multilevel marketing company are often beyond the means of many hopeful distributors. Absent of sufficient savings, you'll have to fund your initial outlay for products, which is often with credit cards.
In fact, LuLaRoe's website openly encourages cash-strapped consultants to get and use credit cards for inventory on its FAQ page, with wild assurances of swift repayment from earned revenue:
"Traditionally most of our consultants who seek financial assistance have been directed to go with a 0% interest rate credit card for 15-18 months. They typically find success with Chase, Citi or Capital One. If you are working your business like a business you should be able to have your initial investment paid off WELL before you have to start paying interest."
"That's what happened to me!" says Reifsnyder. "They told me to get a credit card, pay with it, saying I'd pay it off in three weeks with the money I made. That did not happen. And you have to keep charging because in order to make money you have to spend money.
"You can't stop ordering because people wanted to see the latest clothes, not what you have already. I felt so pressured."
Eventually, Reifsnyder ran out of cash and maxed out her credit cards. To keep her head above water, she borrowed from her husband's paycheck, wanting but unable to pay him back.
Is multilevel marketing right for you?
If you understand the risks and have extraneous money to "invest," trying your hand with multilevel marketing may be worth the gamble. Low startup and ongoing costs are also important considerations.
Palacios is earning an impressive income, and since she is selling energy plans rather than merchandise, she doesn't have to purchase and stock tangible items. She does pay a monthly marketing website fee of about $25, which she finds reasonable.
Still, multilevel marketing is never recommended for people who don't have a knack for sales or who can't afford to waste precious resources and time.
"Just don't do it," says Barrett. "Look at the mathematics. The majority of people who become MLM distributors don't make any money and most lose it."
As for Reifsnyder, even with her history, she's not entirely against multilevel marketing.
"For me it was all a pipe dream, but if you can't work outside the home, it's a way to work," she says. "But you have to know that it's a lot harder than it looks.
"A lot of us who are struggling are going to believe the promises. Be realistic and definitely don't take out credit cards for it. I have cards that I racked up debt on," she says. "Now we're picking and choosing who gets what, and we're selling our house to get out of debt."
See related: 6 ways NOT to pay off holiday credit card debt, You did WHAT to pay off your debt?
- How to create a budget, stick to it and save using apps and card rewards – If you want to create a budget, start by breaking down your expenses into four major categories. Then use apps and online tools to stick to your budget and save. Here's how ...
- Finance expert advice for the new year: 'If you only do one thing, do this' – Want to improve your finances in 2019? We asked personal finance experts for advice, and this is what they said: "If you only do one thing, do this." Read on to see the tips they offered ...
- Tips for maximizing rewards in 2019 with a January spending reset – The new year is a great time to examine your past spending and plan ahead to boost your rewards earnings in the upcoming months. These tips will help you maximize savings in 2019 ...


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Facebook scamming advertisers out of billions of dollars, alleges science site
Facebook is scamming advertisers out of billions of dollars, according to a popular science blog that put the social network's money-for-followers system to the test.
The world's biggest social network recently reported record earnings for its 10th birthday, but some of those profits come from questionable practices, according to science video blog Veritasium.
A video posted to Veritasium's YouTube channel Monday alleges that Facebook's ad-purchasing mechanism — designed to generate page likes, views and interaction — is full of flaws and fraud.
The vast majority of likes generated by purchasing Facebook ads are fake users, Veritasium alleges, most likely spawned from click farms attempting to conceal their presence by clicking on random pages as well as those they're paid to like.
Veritasium made the discovery after purchasing Facebook ads for its own page, increasing its likes from more than 2,000 to 70,000 in just a few days, while noticing no change in site views or engagement.
Veritasium continued to experiment with purchasing Facebook ads for bogus websites with no content, which still earned likes from fake users in multiple developing countries, with thousands of liked pages listed on their accounts.
"Wherever you're targeting, advertising your page on Facebook is a waste of money," the video states. "I wish Facebook would remove the fake likes from my page and from all the others — but that would mean admitting that they've generated significant ad revenue from clicks that weren't genuine."
The current system suppresses the reach of pages with already low engagement, according to the video, which forces the page administrators to pay again to reach more fake fans in hopes of reaching a few real ones.
"So the truth is, Facebook benefits by maintaining this status quo," the video said.
Facebook is said to be worth in the vicinity of $100 billion.


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We master imaging so we keep innovating, is the only way. We play.
We search for solution for you. Your experience is our reward and our motivation.
Your experience is our goal.
Capturing reality in different ways is allowing the most entertaining game of imagination.
New playgrounds for imaging are possible now.


text: Scientists are harnessing the cosmos as a scientific "instrument" in their quest to determine the makeup of the universe. The University of Chicago's Evalyn Gates calls the instrument "Einstein's telescope." The instrument is actually the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, which acts as a sort of natural telescope. Gates' new book, "Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe," explains how it works. (See a video of Gates explaining gravitational lensing here.) Galaxies can warp space and time, distorting our view of distant objects, much the way this plexiglass lens distorts the appearance of University of Chicago astrophysicist Evalyn Gates. Astrophysicists use this effect, called gravitational lensing, in their studies of the cosmos. Gates explains how in her new book, "Einstein's Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe." (Photo: Dan Dry) Although based on Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, the effect is easily demonstrated. Look at a light through the bottom of a wine glass, Gates recommends, and see the resulting light distortion. "Einstein's telescope is using the universe itself as a lens through which we can seek out galaxies that would otherwise be too faint to be seen," said Gates, assistant director of the university's Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. Long ago, Einstein recognized the potential existence of gravitational lensing, a consequence of his theory of general relativity. According to general relativity, celestial objects create dimples in space-time that bend the light traveling from behind. Einstein realized that the gravitational influence of a foreground star could theoretically bend the light of another star sitting almost directly far beyond it, producing two images of the background star. "Gravitational lensing magnifies things as well as making multiple images and distorting the shape of images, so you can actually use it as a magnifying glass," Gates said. But, assuming that the effect would be too weak to detect, Einstein immediately dismissed its significance."What he didn't anticipate, among other things, were the incredible leaps forward in telescope technology," Gates said. Astronomers now use gravitational lensing to look for dark matter and the imprint of dark energy, two of the greatest modern scientific mysteries. Dark energy, which acts in opposition to gravity, is the dominant force in the universe. "We can't see dark energy directly by any means, but we're looking for how it has sculpted the matter distribution of the universe over the past few billion years, since it's been the dominant factor, and also how it has affected the rate at which the universe is expanding," Gates said. The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of galaxy cluster Abell 1689. This view shows the cluster bending light from galaxies that lie behind it to produce multiple, curved images of the distant galaxies. (Image: NASA, N. Benitez [JHU], T. Broadhurst [Hebrew University], H. Ford [JHU], M. Clampin [STScI], G. Hartig [STScI], G. Illingworth [UCO/Lick Observatory], ACS Science Team and ESA STScI-PRC03-01a) And gravitational lensing is essentially the only method astronomers have for tracing out the web of dark matter that pervades the universe, and for determining how dark energy has impacted the evolution of this web. "It's really hot scientifically," she said. As with dark energy, dark matter also is invisible. It accounts for most of the matter in the universe, but exactly what it is remains unknown. Scientists know only that dark matter differs significantly from normal matter (which is essentially composed of protons and neutrons) that dominates everyday life. "What we're made of is just about five percent of everything that's in the universe," Gates said. In the 1990s, scientists wondered whether a significant quantity of dark matter in the halo consisted of MACHOs (Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects) – faint objects such as dim stars, Jupiter-size planets or stellar-mass black holes that are all composed of normal matter but hard to see. Gates and her collaborators were among the researchers who used gravitational lensing to search for MACHOs within the halo of the Milky Way galaxy. "We have seen MACHOs, but what we found is that they make up, at most, a small fraction of the galactic halo," Gates said. Scientists also use galaxy clusters as gravitational lenses to probe 13 billion years back into the history of the universe. "They're seeing some of the very first galaxies," she said. Gravitational lensing offers astrophysicists a tool comparable to magnetic resonance imaging and computing tomography, which have provided health professionals with unprecedented new views of the human body. "Gravitational lensing is going to allow us to image the universe in ways that wouldn't have been possible even 50 years ago," she said. During the 20th century, quantum mechanics and general relativity radically altered scientists' view of the universe, Gates said. Investigations of dark matter and dark energy may do likewise. "It may lead us to another revolution in our understanding of the most fundamental aspects of the universe, time, matter, and energy," she said. For more information, visit: http://cfcp.uchicago.edu


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For men of a certain age, the concept of taking an active interest in fashion may seem somewhat alien. Shopping for clothes would be seen as a necessity, rather than a passion, but the statistics show that men are fast catching up with women in the fashion stakes, and indeed (if the trend continues), could soon overtake women as the biggest spending gender on the high street.
A 2014 UK wide study, commissioned by the Westfield Group (the world's largest shopping centre operator) makes for interesting reading.
As well as gathering statistics on the size of the industry, the study included a survey, which questioned 3,673 men and 4,082 women aged between 18 and 49.
Here are the key takeaways:
Men's Fashion Is Booming
The study valued the UK men's fashion industry at £13bn a year, working out at an incredible £998 for every male in the UK.
This is backed up by information from Statista, which shows the total retail spend on menswear in the UK growing steadily from £9.34bn in 2008 to £10.64bn in 2013.
According to the study, this spend of £998 per man, is just £99 less than women, who in the same period spent around £1,087 each per year.
This gap is even smaller for the 18-34 age group, with a difference in spending between men and women on fashion in this demographic of just 1%.
Most Men Say They Enjoy Shopping
Contrary to popular belief, that shopping is somewhat of a chore to be endured for men, the vast majority of the men surveyed said that they enjoyed shopping.
In fact, around 70% said they enjoy the high street experience, which is the same number who said that they enjoy watching sport, and just 7% less than those who said they enjoy a visit to their local pub.
One difference between men and women that was raised by the survey is that men are not so keen on browsing as women; preferring to have a strong idea about what they are looking for, get into the shop, locate it, and complete the purchase as quickly as possible.
Indeed, 59% of those surveyed said that they would decide on a purchase within the first few minutes of entering a store.
Men Are More Attracted To Designer Labels Than Women
Surprisingly, men were also found to be more label concious than women, with 41% (compared to 34% of women) saying that they would rather purchase a small amount of designer clothes, than larger quantities of cheaper, non brand labels.
In terms of the actual brands, Nike topped the popularity list for men, with Adidas, Next and M&S also proving popular. Indeed, Marks & Spencer currently has the biggest market share of men's clothing sales in the UK.
The majority of those surveyed stated that they would rather save up for an expensive, genuine designer item, than purchase a fake – bad news for holiday market traders, but good new for the high street!
It's Not Online Shopping That's Driving This Boom
It may seem logical to assume that the explosive growth of online shopping is behind the increase in spending on men's fashion, but half of the men surveyed said they preferred shopping on the high street to purchasing online.
That being said, around three quarters of those surveyed admitted that they would browse online first to check prices, availability, and store opening times before venturing to the shops to physically make their purchase.
Of course, with the increased use of smart phones for internet browsing, and apps which give users the ability to compare prices in a locale, this percentage is only likely to increase.
But Technology May Be Driving The Trend Nonetheless
While the spend may not actually be online, one prevalent theory behind the rapid growth of men's fashion, is the modern dot-com workplace having a more relaxed 'unbuttoned vibe' when it comes to work-wear.
Whereas in the past, all a man would need for his work week wardrobe was 2 or 3 shirts and ties, which didn't allow for much individuality, nowadays, with many offices and workplaces allowing more casual dress, men may be increasingly feeling the need to spruce up their wardrobe to 'keep up with Joneses'.
Of course, aside from the workplace, men are not immune from the modern day celeb obsessed culture, and if a popular male movie star rocks a certain outfit, you can be sure that sales of that style/look will quickly increase.
So Will Men's Fashion Overtake Women's Fashion?
Well, while nothing is certain, the trend is certainly heading that way.
For the modern man, a couple of pairs of jeans and a handful of t-shirts no longer cuts the mustard, and you can be sure that over the next few years brands will be doing all they can to ensure they secure a slice of the lucrative male fashion pie – with more and more ads and campaigns directly targeting men.
This should only serve to accelerate the trend.
So, in the future will it be the man dragging the woman round the shops on a Saturday afternoon instead of the other way round? Time will tell.
Jordan is the owner of Mr Style – collating the best in men's fashion for the modern gentleman.


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Heart #37 - Day of the Triffids
Heart #37 is complete. I love it. This one is going to stay with me. I do have a previous one that I decided to keep, so maybe I will swap that one now. I love the way this has turned out.
The paisley are from the designs that Sharon offered a week or so ago. Over at The Stitching Post Blog, one of the members had inverted the 'flower' which I thought looked very effective...so I have done that here with the big one.
Linda at Chloes Place, left a comment on Sharons blog about seeing the progress of a piece. This reminded me that I really love to see a piece develop, then see all the pics in a row , from the blank block to the finished piece. I am going to try to remember to photo as I go. Especially with this heart, it would have been interesting, for me, to look back and see at what point I added what, and where.
I will post pics of the paisley to the EM group, so for closeups, go see there. Very simple motifs these ones, I wanted the colour to do the talking. The outline is stem stitch, with the inside being chain stitch done in a verigated thread.
There are some really fantastic motifs being posted to the group, so if you have a block with a space to fill, go and have a browse, you are sure to find something you like.
I visited Pat Winters Etsy shop yesterday, and just HAD TO HAVE her selection of 100+ , yes,100+ printed images. I am very excited, I was just talking to Mum yesterday about using her fabric softner, and printer to give this a go...oh and freezer paper, and lets be honest, probably her fabric too!!! , to do some images. I don't think I will ever need worry about images again in my life...all for the princely sum of $6.50 US (about $11 NZ). I recently spent $10 on trade me for 7 images (sold as imperfect). Pat said that the quality is not 100% and she would not use them in her work, but they looked pretty good to me, and probably no worse than what I would achieve with my first few tries. Pat very generously offered to send me some, but I am more than happy to support (all $6.50!) such a fantastic artist...so thanks Pat, you rock.


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It's almost impossible to avoid hearing about Donald Trump's latest exploits via rolling news headlines every day, but until now, I hadn't read any books detailing the whole sorry saga of the Trump administration to date. However, 'Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House' is very much the book of the moment and seeing its author Michael Wolff in conversation with Armando Iannucci (creator of some of the best TV political satires including 'The Thick of It' and 'Veep') at the Friends House near Euston in London on Friday night was simply too good an opportunity to miss. Continue reading
Tag Archives: President
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
I enjoyed reading Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld a couple of years ago and as part of my ongoing efforts to read other books by authors I have discovered since starting my blog, I turned to Sittenfeld's best known novel 'American Wife' which was published in 2008. It is a portrait of Alice Lindgren and her path towards becoming First Lady of the United States in 2001, from her youth in Wisconsin, to marriage and motherhood in her thirties through to her life in the White House during her husband's unpopular presidency. Knowing that the story was inspired by key events in the life of Laura Bush means it is difficult not to picture Alice's husband Charlie Blackwell as George W. Bush who took office in the same year. Continue reading
Filed under Books
The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick
I hardly ever read two books or more at the same time but with 'The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama' by David Remnick I had to make an exception. It is a beast of a book and I would never have finished it if I hadn't been reading some fiction alongside it over the last few weeks. As I mentioned in my post about political biographies, almost all books about political figures are extremely weighty tomes which are crammed with more detail than you will ever need to know. 'The Bridge' is no different but even though it definitely isn't aimed at the casual reader, it is still a highly readable account of Barack Obama's truly extraordinary life and path to the White House. Continue reading
Filed under Books


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Image By Paper
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text: Prof. (Dr.) Manish Verma is working as Director at JICM (Jagran Institute of Communication and Management) Bhopal, India's first practice school for communication management .Prof. Verma was heading the School of Communication at Amity University India before joining JICM as Director in 2011. He was awarded Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) by UGC in Media Studies and he completed his Ph.D. in Advertising. Prof. Verma is on the examination panels of various universities and also a member of Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Singapore. Prof. Verma conceptualized and organized India's first International Conference on Digital Media in March 2011. He has published various articles and chapters on Advertising & Media Production. Prof. Verma is the Founder Editor of Amity Journal of Media and Communication Studies and designed curriculum for new programmes like MBA (Media Management) and Masters in Film and TV Production. He has also worked in Advertising & Electronic Media industry before shifting to academics. He loves Photography and trekking.


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Ford Transit Connect Electric – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford has big plans for electrification of its fleet over the next decade, and while most of the emphasis has been on North America so far, Europe will be joining in on the party starting in 2011. Nancy Gioia has announced that between 2011 and 2013, Ford of Europe will get five new hybrid and battery electric models added to its lineup. About six to nine months after each of the new models rolls out in North America, they will be introduced in Europe.
Ford's first new battery-powered vehicle, the Transit Connect Electric goes on sale this fall in North America followed by a European launch in the middle of 2011. The battery-powered van is just the beginning of Ford's global electrification plan. Read more about it after the jump.
Photos by Drew Phillips, Sebastian Blanco / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Ford]
The Transit Connect is built at a Ford plant in Turkey, and EV models will be shipped to Detroit as gliders (sans powertrain). When they arrive here, Azure Dynamics will install the batteries, power electronics and electric drive system. Azure will be setting up a facility in Michigan to do the up-fitting.
It doesn't seem like it would make sense to ship TC gliders to the U.S., install the electric drive bits and then ship the finished vehicle back to the continent. Gioia told ABG that a final decision has not yet been made on how or where to install the TC's electric components for the European market.
Come 2012, Ford will add the new Focus Electric to the European lineup as well. Ford has developed the new C-segment platform to accommodate conventional internal combustion engines, hybrid drive and full battery electric powertrains. Like the Transit Connect, Ford has not announced where the Focus Electric would be sourced from for Europe. Because all of Ford's factories are using the same manufacturing processes, the European plants should be able to build the EV. North American market Focus Electrics will come from the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, MI.
The Focus Electric will use 23 kWh lithium ion battery pack, which should provide a nominal range of 100 miles.
Next-gen Ford Focus live unveiling – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ford is already participating in an ultra-low carbon vehicle test program with prototype Focus electrics in the UK. Testing is now being expanded to the E-Mobility program in Cologne Germany. There the Focus will be joined by the full-size Transit van converted to electric drive by Smith Electric Vehicles.
Because both of Ford's current hybrid models, the Escape and Fusion (along with their Mercury siblings) have been based on North American models, they have not been available in Europe. That changes when the next generation hybrid system arrives in 2012. The first two non-plug-in variants to use the new hybrid system will be on the global C and C/D platforms. The C is of course the Focus, and we are expecting the replacements for the Escape and the current European market Kuga to be commonized and offered as hybrids.
The C/D platform will be the basis of the Fusion and Mondeo replacements, which will also be commonized. A plug-in hybrid will also be build at Michigan Assembly based on an as yet unannounced body style... maybe the Escape/Kuga. The plug-in and non-plug hybrids will debut in Europe in 2013.
In developing its next-generation hybrids as well as the battery electrics, Ford is targeting as much systems commonality as possible. For example, the plug and non-plug hybrids will use the same power-split transmissions and power electronics. Even the battery pack systems will be common with the same management system. Only the cells inside will be different with the plug-in using higher capacity lithium ion cells in place of nickel metal hydride. Ford already announced earlier this year that, like General Motors, it would bring its pack manufacturing in-house beginning in 2012, only relying on suppliers for the cells.
With the expansion of hybrid and electric vehicle availability, Ford is definitely planning on higher sales. How high those sales go is hard to predict. Gioia projected that various electrified vehicles will comprise from 10-25 percent of Ford's global sales by 2020. The wide range is due to a lot of unknowns regarding fuel prices, battery prices and incentives.
Among those electrified vehicles, Gioia expects about 70 percent to be non-plug hybrids, 20 percent plug-in hybrids and only five percent battery electrics with each of those possibly varying by plus or minus several percent. While Ford is working on battery electric vehicles, the automaker clearly isn't as bullish on the prospects as companies like Nissan-Renault or Mitsubishi. Ford is only projecting BEVs to comprise about 0.5-1.5 percent of total sales, nowhere near the 50 percent that some are hoping for.
Despite some pessimism on the commercial prospects, Ford is engineering all of its highest volume vehicles to allow them to be fitted with gas, diesel, HEV, PHEV or BEV powertrains. Similarly, the manufacturing processes are being developed to provide Ford the flexibility it will need to respond to market demands. Only time will tell how EVs ultimately succeed or fail. Either way, Ford expects internal combustion engines to remain part of the automotive landscape until at least mid-century.
Ford commits to introduce five full-electric and hybrid models in Europe by 2013 as part of its global electric vehicles plan
To start, zero-emission Ford Transit Connect Electric to launch in 2011, followed by Focus Electric in 2012
Two new hybrid-electric models and a plug-in hybrid-electric model will follow in 2013
Collaborative efforts with governments and partners in European-based trial initiatives provide invaluable experience to help Ford bring full-electric vehicles to market
Geneva, March 2, 2010 – Ford Motor Company is confirming today that its global electric vehicles plan is extending to Europe with five full electric or hybrid vehicles across its C, CD and light commercial vehicle ranges coming for European customers by 2013.
Specifically, Ford will launch two zero-emission full battery-electric vehicles including the Transit Connect Electric light commercial vehicle in 2011 followed by the Ford Focus Electric in 2012. Three other vehicles – two next-generation petrol hybrid-electric vehicles and a plug-in hybrid – will be introduced in 2013.
Ford's global electrification strategy will deliver a suite of electrified vehicles to a variety of markets and build on the company's overall vision of offering the widest possible range of technology solutions – instead of a single vehicle or technology – to improve fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions for customers around the world.
"We recognize that one technology does not work for all our customers," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of Global Product Development. "Our electrification strategy and plans include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles to best meet our global customers' needs. Leveraging our global platforms is also central to this strategy and allows us to build on our strong product line-up in the most customer-driven, affordable way."
As Ford's global product vision accelerates to ensure that all the company's vehicles competing in global segments become common in Europe, North America and Asia, the resulting efficiencies will allow a global portfolio of environmentally friendly transportation solutions to be developed based around hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and all-electric vehicles.
"Our goal is to provide consumers with access to significant fuel economy improvements and reduced CO2 emissions to meet their functional needs and without compromising their driving experience," said John Fleming, Chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe.
"There is increasing interest among a number of customers in Europe for electrified vehicles and we are responding by stepping up our efforts to bring these models to the marketplace alongside our latest-generation, fuel-efficient petrol and diesel powered models," Fleming added. "This is further evidence of how the ONE Ford global product vision is transforming our business. European consumers will not have to wait too long before they can choose from a range of electrified alternatives from Ford."
The first models to be launched in Europe will be zero-emission, full-electric versions of two significant models in Ford's global product portfolio.
The Focus Electric will be based on Ford's next-generation Focus model and is one of at least ten vehicles that will be developed from the company's new global C-car platform. Focus Electric will be introduced in the US and Canada in 2011, followed by Europe in 2012.
The Ford Transit Connect Electric is a zero-emission, pure electric-powered version of the award-winning Transit Connect light commercial vehicle and goes on sale in North America later this year. Ford is aiming to make the Transit Connect Electric available for European customers from 2011.
Future Hybrids
While Ford has considerable experience in the North American market with full petrol-hybrid vehicles, the company also is planning to expand its presence in Europe with two all-new, next-generation hybrid passenger cars based on global platforms following in 2013.
In addition, European customers will be able to opt for a plug-in hybrid model, also coming in 2013.
"Thanks to the global economies of scale afforded to us by our ONE Ford initiative, I am delighted we are able to make the commitment now to deliver these models to customers in Europe, particularly as the demand for hybrid vehicles grows," added John Fleming.
Further details of Ford's hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will be revealed closer to launch.
Prototype Trials in Europe
Ford's Product Development team is participating in two specific European trial initiatives to demonstrate the technology in real world driving conditions, and generate feedback to help develop further the Focus Electric and the Transit Connect Electric for market acceptance in Europe.
In the UK, a consortium of Ford, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Strathclyde University is preparing later this year to run a fleet of zero emissions prototype Ford Focus Battery Electric Vehicle prototypes, based around the current Focus model sold in Europe and using elements of the technology under development for the new Focus Electric.
The vehicles will be used for evaluation by both SSE and a number of fleet and private customers based in Hillingdon, Middlesex from mid-2010.
This new UK-based BEV demonstration fleet is being created partly with public funding from the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board (TSB), which promotes innovative industry-led projects that reduce CO2. The BEV research programme aims to test the technology's suitability and to gain greater insight into customer charging behaviour.
In Germany, Ford has recently announced its participation in the colognE-mobil project. This initiative will research the impact of electric vehicles on urban air quality, traffic safety and the electricity supply infrastructure. Scientists will then scale up the results to examine the true benefits an electric future could deliver for German cities.
Ford is one of four partners in the colognE-mobil project and will provide an early fleet of next-generation Focus Electric vehicles in late 2011.
The other partners are utility company RheinEnergie AG, the City of Cologne and the University of Duisburg-Essen. The colognE-mobil project is partly funded by the German Government and coordinated by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
"These initiatives are a revolution for both the utility and automotive industries," Fleming said. "Collaborating across sectors is essential to ensure customer focused products that provide the right value along with the readiness of the infrastructure. We need to work and learn together and Ford is very pleased to be a part of these important trials."
Portfolio of Technologies
Ford Motor Company is committed to offering customers affordable environmental technologies in the vehicles they want and value.
To do this, Ford is introducing a range of global environmental technologies, including electrified vehicles that provide customers with more fuel-efficient models emitting fewer greenhouse gases without compromising safety, interior room or performance.
"Ford is focused on solutions that reach not just hundreds or thousands of cars, but millions of vehicles – because that is how Ford can truly make a difference," Derrick Kuzak said.
Near- and longer-term advancements include the new Ford EcoBoost global engine family featuring turbocharging and direct injection technology, Ford's ECOnetic range of low- CO2 technologies in Europe, and multi-speed transmissions such as Ford PowerShift.
Also, Ford is developing a range of other environmentally focused features, including advanced electric power steering, weight reduction and aerodynamic improvements, plus biofuel-capable vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
"Electrification is a key element in the effective use of Ford's global resources and talents to provide a portfolio of affordable and fuel-efficient technologies for customers," said Fleming. "In particular our fleet trials in the UK and Germany will give us vital experience and insight into how fleet and private customers for these niche models will use them on a daily basis. This will ensure that the five models we bring to market are fully developed to meet their expectations."


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i am really excited for this one.
i cut my hair after the wedding last year thinking it was going to be a blast.
but it wasn't. i bawled.
i vowed to never cut my hair again. ever.
so no cute little bob cuts for me.
i figured out an alternative guys!!
the hair ladies always say, i can always cut off more, but i can never make it come back.
well this time you can!
today i am going to teach you how to go:
now i realize my hair isn't even that long in the first place, but you get the idea right!
i tried to get my sissy to come from utah, but she was working.
you make do with what ya got!
and since i thought it would be hard to do this one taking pics of myself,
i made you all a drawing.
no laughing.
if you want the image bigger just double click on it :)
isn't that fun!
don't forget to join in on the GIVEAWAY!!!
it ends on letter p!
the more people the better the prize.
(are you sick of me saying all this yet!?)


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Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Real Life Wedding #3: Shareen's Nikah
If you would like to help other sisters wear hijab and plan their wedding/walimah/nikah please send your photos to firstname.lastname@example.com
3 comments:
- Iman (Lifes Balance Beam) said...
i LOVED this!! Mashaallah it was so beautiful! I have a question, I can't find the ruling anywhere but is it mandatory to have a walimah? Because honestly i don't want one. i rather go all out for my henna party and nikah, and the money i'd spend on the walilah would be used towards something like a trip to umrah or something. i was thinking just getting a cake for the people there, and then me and my entire family go out to dinner, and call it a night!
- June 1, 2011 at 11:40 AM
Wow thanx for sharing this...
- June 1, 2011 at 12:03 PM
- Pixie said...
Iman (Life's Balance Beam): Wa alaykom e salaam ramatullahi wa barakato, the walimah is a sunnah, not fard, but you can certainly do your walimah simply. The point of the walimah is to publicize the marriage to the Muslim community so sevring food to family and some Muslims at the Mosque suffices. Rasoolulah hated large bridal feasts to show off. ;) so enjoy your henna and nikah:)
Hind: thank the sis whose blog this came from, her bridal pics are amazing:)
- June 1, 2011 at 12:13 PM


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Emmys 2014 Winner Cary Joji Fukunaga Just Became an Internet Sensation & Everyone's Emmy Crush!
Director Cary Joji Fukunaga became an Internet sensation after winning big at the 2014 Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Monday (August 25) in Los Angeles.
The 37-year-old True Detective director won the Outstanding Directing award for his work on the show – and the Internet now loves him because…he's hot! Fans instantly began commenting on the super cutie and his fancy braids when he accepted his award on stage.
"I am ROLLING at the Cary Fukunaga thirst on my timeline. We are all in this together," one Twitter user wrote. We love it!
A little about Cary: he is half Swedish and half Japanese, and he dated actress Michelle Williams for a bit back in 2011! He's currently working on Beasts of No Nation, a piece he wrote and directed, starring Idris Elba.
DO YOU AGREE with all the Internet hype about Cary Joji Fukunaga??
FYI: Cary is wearing a Dolce&Gabbana tuxedo.
10+ pictures inside of Cary Joji Fukunaga at the Emmys…


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Farmers given 30 days to leave Nyae-Nyae Conservancy
Contributed by NAMPA.
WINDHOEK, 11 MAR (NAMPA) Farmers who invaded the Nyae-Nyae Conservancy in 2009 have asked President Hage Geingob to intervene after they were officially ordered by the Ju/hoansi Traditional Authority to leave the area.
Close to 30 Herero-speaking families invaded the conservancy under the jurisdiction of the traditional authority with about 1 000 head of cattle, purportedly because their cattle were dying because of a poisonous plant in the Gam area. The plant however also grew in the conservancy.< ...


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The Casio HR-100T is a printing desk calculator that does come with a user's manual. The manual is available for download for a small price at User-Manuals.com.
Anyone looking for the manual can simply go to the User Manual website and use its search engine to find the needed guide. Search for "hr 100t," and it appears as the first option in the results.
Manuals Center also offers the Casio HR-100T manual for a small fee. A user can also find this by searching "hr 100t" on the Manuals Center website. The Manuals Center also offers a free preview of a few pages of the manual itself.


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Work Out Spirit Day - Wear your favorite workout clothes or sportswear (school appropriate, please).
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Carpool Reminders
At both drop-off and pick-up - Enter the carpool line on New Avenue from Chatsworth Avenue, NOT Bond Avenue. Do NOT enter from Bond Avenue and make a LEFT into Chatsworth. This holds up traffic and blocks our buses from leaving the school and delivering the students home on time.
Do not block the driveways of our school neighbors on New Avenue while waiting in line for carpool. If waiting for the carpool line to begin moving, leave a gap between cars for the driveways of residents of New Avenue!More
- Monday, January 21
- Wednesday, January 23
- Friday, January 25
- Tuesday, January 29
- Wednesday, January 30
- Friday, February 1


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Goodge Street may sound like something out of a children's book, where a friendly giant might live, however it's history is more serious than that. The Goodge Street Station was one of either deep level air raid shelters during World War II and helped house many people during this time. It's also been the setting for Dr Who and the inspiration to a Donovan song. Now Goodge Street has a new lease on life. Cheap Goodge Street Escorts are beautiful women in the area who are ready and waiting to spend some quality time with you. Whether you need someone to unwind with, or someone to have a big night out with, Cheap Goodge Street Escorts is the first and only place you should be going if you want some female attention.
Have you had a hard week, maybe you had to meet a lot of business deadlines, perhaps flown to a few overseas countries, closed some business and are now back in town pining for some company but too tired for dinner parties with friends and too disappointed from too many blind dates gone wrong? An evening with a cheap escort in Goodge Street is exactly what the Dr ordered and more. The Goodge Street escort is there to listen to how your trip went, and to give you a nice relaxing back rub. She will dine with you in a nice restaurant and share a bottle of wine with you.
Or maybe you want something a little more casual a Goodge Street escort could meet you in the park with a picnic and you could laze in the sun. The choice is yours. And cheap London escorts are full of choices. No matter how you like your women there are women for every taste imaginable. Whether you like your women curvy or busty or even curvy AND busty, Goodge Street Escorts can provide. They also have black women if you like your women dark, English women if you happen to want to date the girl next door (dependant on who you live next door to, of course!), Asian escorts if you want a taste of the Orient, Latina escorts for some salsa lessons, mature escorts and young escorts, the list goes on. Why limit yourself to one beautiful woman when it is completely affordable for you to enjoy the evening with two beautiful women? It's all up to you and how you want to spend your time unwinding.
All you really have to do is visit the site and follow the online instructions. Find a girl you want to spend your evening with and who you think you'll hit it off with. Before you know it you'll be living it up with a beautiful Goodge Street escort on your arm.


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Welcome to Joshua Waller's JMU Site.
Hi, it's not very interesting. It's mainly for people on my HND Computing course, with some other useful stuff thrown in. There are three main sections... there's the [God] section, there's the [Uni Stuff] section and there's the [Many Links] section. There is a [mirror] of this site. But it is not always as up-to-date as this one.
If you want to visit my other web stuff then goto : www.josh.org.uk
p.s. This site is meant to look retro. Having this JMU site is also an awesome opportunity to make a really rubbish/pants site, just for fun, as all my other one's I take too seriously.
Ever thought about God? [top]
JMU luckily has a Christian Union, which meet every Tuesday evening at 7.15pm at the Haige Building. If you want to know more, check out this short page I have done here. If you want to know more about what Christian's believe about God, then why not check out www.josh.org.uk. Cheers.
The JMU info. [top]
look at my timetable [126k]. You can check your email. You can email me on firstname.lastname@example.com and send me any feedback etc. That seems to be all for the time being. Ah! But you can download some Visual Basic Programs I've done in HN1203! For HN1204 [the Internet module], I've done this home page for the 2nd Tutorial, and a form you can try. I'd like to say thanks. I have started a "university life" page.
Notices. deadlines for
Many Links [top]
Some UNI . Our Lecturers Sites : Paul Vickers [HN1201], John Willitts [HN2205], Andy Symons [HN1204/HN2206] erm... some more to come? JMU Links : JMU Ext. Home , JMU Int. Home , JMU School of Comp. and Maths.
Best Links : JillaJang , i-dentity.org.uk cool identity website , HotMail , lycos.co.uk FREE SMS! , AltaVista , mp3.com get awesome tunes! , www.philthy.co.uk , ben waller, m1.homepage.com , dream.htm a different version of tom's dream page.
FUN! Links : boltblue.com free images and tunes for your fone. monkeyslots.com , prawnography.com
Other Links : Good C Resource , On-Line Dictionary/Thesaurus , www.orange.net , do some SETI , trace an ip address , read the anti-spam howto , download some training docs [things like fp/office/windows/c/etc], submit your site to a search engine , check your rc5 stats , see the Waller Seti Effort Stats , search a map , download AVG anti-virus software , download swishzone a cheap alternative to flash.


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In my interview with Samuel L. Jackson in December, ahead of the release of Django Unchained, he mentioned that one of the projects on his slate was a live-action adaptation of a Japanese anime film called Kite (Yasuomi Umetsu's 1998 work), which was to be directed by David R. Ellis (who also directed Mr Jackson in Snakes On A Plane).
However, as some of you may know, David R. Ellis died on January 7 (this year). Taking over for him, revealed this morning, is South African director Ralph Ziman.
Ziman's last film was 2008's Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, a film I wrote about on my old blog (S&A wasn't around at the time), which follows the rise of a young, small-time hoodlum who rises to become a crime lord, tracing his journey from the years just before and after the end of Apartheid in South Africa.
Kite, in short, centers on a young girl named Sawa, orphaned in her early teens, after her parents are brutallty murdered, who is trained to become a hitman (or is it hitwoman?) for a pair of detectives who control her.
The DVD description of the original Kite states: "College student by day, vigilante by night, Sawa protects the innocent and mercilessly kills criminals in this intense Japanese anime."
It was banned in some countries due to its depictions of extreme violence, strong sexuality and nudity, including graphic rape scenes involving a very young Sawa.
However, this English-language remake will reportedly be a character-driven action film, that charts the story of Sawa (to be played by India Eisley), who lives in a failed state, where a corrupt security force profits on the trafficking of young women. When Sawa's policeman father is killed, she vows to find and take out the murderer, with the help of her father's ex-partner, Karl Aker (played by Samuel L. Jackson).
There's a surprising twist that I won't reveal, although you could probably find it online if you searched.
It looks like it'll be Jackson's next work, as principal photography is set to begin this month in Johannesburg.
Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.


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Most Helpful Guy
Well... I really enjoyed being in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. Its a fun musical :) and I was in the Charlie Brown Musical which was a blast as well. As far as watching Les Mis is always crazy good to watch professionals do. Wicked is kinda fun too :) Mostly I just hate Cats haha Oh and Fiddler on the Roof is good too
I love Fiddler on the Roof my school just did it for the spring musical i auditioned, but I didn't get in
- Show AllShow Less
I actually won't be able to do any school theater I just got accepted in a school for the performing arts
Haha awesome though I am sure they have plenty to keep you occupied there :) sounds like fun


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February 1, 2011
No Publicity for Cruelty
Chinese designer rejects seal skin
by Peter Li
An attempt to use seal fur in an evening dress designed for a nationally famous television host of China's most celebrated Chinese New Year extravananza (to be live broadcast across the entire Chinese mainland for five hours on the eve of the Chinese New Year) has been foiled by one of HSI's local partners in Beijing.
Our local partner disclosed the info of the design idea to the media and public and called on the public to voice their opposition. Under mounting pressure, the designer apologized for her ignorance and decided not to use the controversial material.
The Canadian Embassy in Beijing had earlier sent a congratulatory letter to the designer encouraging her and other Chinese fashion designers to make full use of Canada's "traditional" products.
The Chinese New Year's Eve extravaganza is hosted by China's national CCTV and attracts arguably the world's biggest number of television viewers. An estimated 900 million Chinese will sit down to enjoy the show, which will last until midnight. Seal fur on the dress of the hostess would have sent a very bad message.
HSI sent a letter [PDF] (Chinese, English) to the designer, Ms. Guo Pei, thanking her for her compassionate change of heart.
Dr. Peter Li is HSI's China Specialist.
Support our efforts to end the commercial seal hunt
- Sign Up
- Take Action


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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Sonny Smith story just won't die, not that Sonny seems to be putting much of a chokehold on it.
No, he'll say at first, he'd much rather talk about his Auburn basketball team or North Carolina's or the NCAA tournament's Southeast Regional in general. But then he talks about what it would take to get him to return to Auburn, whether it's a new financial package or just junior Chuck Person coming to his office to plead with him four times a day.
He seems to like talking about it, too. "It writes real good," the lame-duck coach admitted. "And my mom is enjoying the heck out of it."
Who isn't? Win one for Sonny? It's positively irresistible. It's possibly the best thing to happen to NCAA tournament basketball since Al McGuire was washed from the game on a tide of tears, all his own.


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The District Department of Transportation has halted pedestrian-based enhancements to Connecticut Avenue NW, an organizer of the group pushing for the improvements said. Continue Reading »
Posted in public safety, transportation | Tagged Connecticut Avenue, Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action | 1 Comment »
Cleveland Park Irish pub Ireland's Four Fields, also known as 4P's, may close soon. Continue Reading »
Posted in restaurants and bars | Tagged Ireland's Four Fields | 4 Comments »
Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh will hold a "Chat with Cheh" constituent event Sunday at Cleveland Park's Firehook Bakery and Coffeehouse, she announced on Facebook. Continue Reading »
Posted in politics | Tagged Firehook, Mary Cheh | 3 Comments »
Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to open its Cleveland Park location in the first half of next year, a spokesman said. Continue Reading »
Posted in restaurants and bars | Tagged Chipotle | 8 Comments »
My only visit to the new Cleveland Park Tackle Box was on June 1st when I was able to attend the restaurant's Wait-in-line-for-free-drinks-and-limited-menu Event. The restaurant generously offered this Friends and Family event as a way to introduce people to the new restaurant, as well as a way to train their staff on the doomsday scenario that would become opening night. The restaurant was packed when I arrived at 6:30, and the response by the ten people dining at my table was overwhelmingly positive, though the most recurring compliment was toward the service. The new employees were running around for hours and seemingly keeping everything under control. It was quite impressive. Continue Reading »
Posted in restaurants and bars | Tagged Tackle Box | 2 Comments »
D.C. Council chairman Kwame Brown (D) and at-large member Phil Mendelson (D) send their children to John Eaton Elementary School in Cleveland Park, and are the only council members whose children attend non-charter public schools, the Washington Examiner reported Monday. Continue Reading »
Posted in politics | Tagged John Eaton Elementary School | Leave a Comment »
Fast-casual seafood restaurant Tackle Box will open its Cleveland Park location tonight, it confirmed on Twitter. Continue Reading »
Posted in restaurants and bars | Tagged Tackle Box | 1 Comment »