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Describing emotion: how does that make you FEEL? (via Anne-Mhairi Simpson)
Fantastic thoughts and insights from Anne-Mhairi Simpson's blog site. Some real food for thought about showing emotions within your characters.
Fantastic thoughts and insights from Anne-Mhairi Simpson's blog site. Some real food for thought about showing emotions within your characters.
A good piece of poetry with profound feelings and imagery. A great sense of passion and intensity is brought across with a great use of words and a real vivid imagination.
Last night (Saturday March 19) saw the arrival of the 'Lunar Perigee', or 'Supermoon'. This is when the moon is at its closest to the planet Earth during its orbit (roughly once a month). Last night, however, saw the moon reaching the closest to our world since 1992. This caused some dramatic apocalypse talk which turned out to be (shock shock) false.
For a set of pictures and reports see here: http://www.space.com/11179-supermoon-photos-full-moon-2011-skywatchers.html (report) and here http://www.space.com/11178-supermoon-photos-2011-skywatcher-images.html (pictures).
I was at work at the time but did manage to catch a glimpse of it out in the yard – very bright but no bigger than usual which was a bit of a let down but it was still beautiful.
This perigee is a major source of inspiration for novelists, poets, song writers, etc. of that I have no doubt. The moon has been linked with mankind's superstition, beliefs, religions and the like throughout the entirety of its history, producing some scintillating stories and pieces of work down the line.
When I looked at the moon last night going past the massive park not far from me, I caught its gaze through the canopy of many deciduous trees and there it was – the reflective inspiration; the fertile moment that my mind kicked into action. Needless to say it was glorious.
For some interesting facts about the title of this phenomenon look here: http://hotword.dictionary.com/supermoon/?rh=thesaurus.com&__utma=1.2137485882.1300446056.1300622310.1300633121.10&__utmb=18.104.22.1680633121&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1300446056.1.1.utmcsr=directutmccn=directutmcmd=none&__utmv=-&__utmk=44592804 (A bit long I know but the short link was a dud)
Hope you all enjoyed the spectacle 🙂
Hello everyone,
I am taking a moment from my writing schedule to pose a question to all of you who read my blog: What improvements can be made to make my blog more interesting?
I know that my blog is to do with what I want to talk about, but I feel as if it is lacking something. Any thoughts? Such as:
If you take the time to comment and let me know then my thanks go to you 🙂
Thanks to the wonders of Twitter I have come across yet another book trailer that looks and feels quite epic in my opinion.
Tree of Life by Elita Daniels. Watch and enjoy!
Pretty good eh? 🙂
Her website is here: http://elitadaniels.com/treeoflife
Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/elitadaniels
I have been debating this – like any writer I am never pleased with what I have done… maybe a fear of getting bad feedback. However, without it how am I to pick up on things?
Anyway here is the Prologue from my upcoming piece.
There was only one thing going on.
A sudden attack was laying waste to this small village on the eastern island of Xenoc. The thatched homes burned with a raging intensity as if the flames themselves were possessed. The night air was filled with a thick, acrid haze that was choking both villagers and attackers. Blood soaked the ground. All was lost.
Kasten dived through a gap before the stable ceiling collapsed under the fiery plague. He scrabbled like a startled animal for his sword. He was the village leader and protector of the ancient Lupian sword that was regarded as a treasure worth dying for.
The blade was in danger and Kasten was desperate to seal it away with the incantation. He was one of the last in a line of 'Casters' – the people who infused mystic powers into objects to make them unusable by anyone other than themselves. Trusted by the ancient mystics, these people had been hunted and killed; many of them failing to cast anything into the objects they protected.
He swung the endangered sword around and caught his pursuer, slicing the long silver and green blade across his gut and spilling his entrails onto the ashen floor. Kasten's leg was a mess from a couple of arrows and was slowly festering from the noxious poison that had been on the tips. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he gripped a beam of wood to hoist himself over a flaming corpse – so many had died in this slaughterhouse.
Screams echoed from the heat; the souls of many villagers already trapped in the middle realms between life and death. A single tear parted the dirt on Kasten's face as he ran, the sword held firmly in his burnt hand. More attackers, dressed in heavy leather armour, charged at him emitting deep howls that wrenched his stomach with a sense of despair.
He felled them all with clumsy slices and stabs before falling forward, his head flickered with searing pains. The people of the village were lost – sealing the sword was his only concern now. No evil-minded force was allowed to lay their hands on any mystic object, especially one with immense destructive powers.
Towering sheets of flame crept in upon him. His eyes were fuzzy and oozing from the fast-acting poison of the arrows. He breathed heavily; his legs were like stone. The stench of death was ever near as Kasten staggered forward still, the casting shrine within reach.
He toppled carelessly over the small slate wall surrounding the sacred grounds in the western part of the village – a place of much history and magical wonder. The shrine itself was a sturdy, cylindrical granite structure rising to six feet. Silver lines were wrapped around like vines on a tree trunk and they emitted an ethereal glow which was almost hypnotic.
Blood splattered onto the flattened grass as he vomited, saliva trickling down his chin as thickened rouge. He hacked up violently as the sword fell from his grip. His mind whipped from side to side, the voices creeping up on him calling his soul. The ashes that had blackened his light brown hair tumbled onto the floor as he coughed.
The sword – he had to cast the seal quickly.
His lips trembled as he stood up, the weapon held to his side. The words jumbled through his mouth haphazardly. He swore. The attackers were closing in fast.
'Come on Kasten,' he mumbled to himself gruffly. He could hear the screams.
A sudden surge went through his spine as ancient words spilled out into the murky atmosphere.
The shrine glowed.
Kasten lifted the sword above his head and his eyes went pale and filmed over. The silver vines ebbed mystically, vibrating the air around the stone column. Infusions of lost magic whirled around in elegant, mist-like forms, but remained intangible to mortal fingers.
An arrow split the harmonic ambience causing time to stand still. The sword fell and clattered onto the ground, sending ripples through the night as Kasten's chest crumpled from the impact. He flopped to the ground, his lungs wheezing out gargles of terror. The casting was incomplete.
A heavily armoured figure shadowed into focus outside the shrine, two archers poised behind him. He let his crossbow fall to his side. He sniffed the air from underneath his dark green helmet, the subtle sound of purring perforating the thick metal. His yellow eyes squinted through the visor.
'Stop him,' the figure roared to his people.
'Malkieu Delkhat.'
The arrow quickly pierced Kasten's forehead, delivering the fatal blow with god-like precision. The armoured figure swore continuously before he turned to the archers.
'If you two morons hadn't missed the first time then we would have that sword in our possession and completely unsealed.' His howling, raspy voice grated the inside of his helmet as he scathed them.
They both apologised profusely.
He removed his helmet to reveal a mound of short fur. His ears twitched on the top of his head as he smoothed out his whiskers. He purred harshly as he walked over to the dead caster, his paw-like fingers slipping around the hilt of the sword.
The mists cleared swiftly with a soft whoosh; the disturbance of the feline warrior's presence bringing the airs of evil to the shrine. The silver glow dissipated from the column as if wilting like an elderly flower.
Regardless of the casting he smiled; his small fangs sliding out over his bottom lip menacingly. He rested the cast blade on his shoulder, the gentle clang of metal on metal resonating against the silence. The air was clearing slowly.
One of the archers stood to one side as the warrior walked away without a look to either of them. The other slung his reflex bow over his shoulder and stepped after him.
'Sir? What do we do now?' he asked nervously. He was obviously scared of him.
The leopard-spotted figure stopped and held his head upwards. 'We are withdrawing,' his voice boomed. 'This casting is incomplete – at most it will last a few decades. For now we will add it to the collection.'
Constructive criticism is highly encouraged! As many feedback comments as possible would be highly appreciated!
NB. The first part needs to be read! 🙂
This post is via an aspiring writer from France who is partaking in the 'A Round of Words in 80 Day' challenge: http://aroundofwordsin80days.wordpress.com/
I personally enjoy the 'erotic simplicity of this piece' (as I put it :-P). It has been a while since I have read a love scene as lengthy and in-depth as this (we're talking years since I read one) so it is a refreshing read! 😀
Good flow and (dare I say it) rhythm in this piece makes for a good, uninterrupted section of reading. The rest of her writing as well as the progression of her work can be found on her blog site: http://mariewolfwritings.wordpress.com/
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Marie_Wolf
Best of luck to you, Marie, in the RoW80 challenge! 🙂


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NFL Schedule - Week 4:
Baltimore @ Buffalo
Cincinnati @ Cleveland
Chicago @ Detroit
NY Giants @ Kansas City
Arizona @ Tampa Bay
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville
Seattle @ Houston
Pittsburgh @ Minnesota (Split)
NY Jets @ Tennessee
Washington @ Oakland
Philadelphia @ Denver
Dallas @ San Diego
New England @ Atlanta
MONDAY - SEPTEMBER 30th
Miami @ New Orleans
Saintsational Scoregasm @ Kelly's Heroes
D-Town Destroyers @ Rockyn Rollers
The Precious @ Team Hunter
Merciless Mel @ Wichita's Burfict Storm
Team Cindy's Team @ Wichita's MagicMikeDitka
Derby Panthers 45 - Salina Central 14
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subset: commoncrawl


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Yesterday, I posted here the "matrix" of the project... I've now finished it :
What do you think guys?
Thank you for reading
A tale of a french guy's vision in the mini's universe. From Warhammer fantasy battles to Warhammer 40 000 with a pinch of Inq28 and Bloodbowl. Be pleased, take a seat, enjoy and don't hesitate to review.


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Solo Bike trip Bangalore to Vellore
Man & Machine: Samaresh Biswal & Bajaj CT 100
Trip Stats:
Total distance: 531 Km
Total Expense: Rs 450 (petrol) & 60 (food)
No of days: 1
Stardate: [-28] 02535.00
Highway: NH 7, NH 46, SH 9, SH 59
States: Tamil Nadu
Route: Bangalore – Hosur – Krishnagiri – Vellore
Album link: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/samareshbiswal/Vellore#
As soon as the alarm clock buzzed, I got ready & @ 4.10 AM I left home. On my way towards Vellore & was surprised the electronic city flyover is complete & I was zipping @ 80 Km .On reaching the border I got the real feeling of riding in the highway & for the 1st time I touched 85Km in my bike on NH 46. This stretch of road I think is one of the most beautiful with flowers in full bloom. Refuel myself at krishnagiri BPCL dhaba. Reached Vellore early morning & asked for the direction towards fort. As I reached I was captivated by the perfect specimen of military architecture. The fort is well maintained & inside there is a temple, church & mosque. 1st I went 2 c the Jalakantesvara temple the architecture is of vijayanaga style build around 1566 & awestruck by the intricate work done on the stone pillars .Then I went 2 see the ST john church built around 1846 AD ,from there I asked the way towards cemetery . As I prayed for the departed soul who were killed while gallantly defending the garrison .With tears rolling in my eyes with the random question coming in my mind which side of the coin am I, should I be happy that we are independent now or should be sad for the soldiers who died with the belief of protecting, the turf of his majestic Queen Victoria the Empress of India .I called up Mahesh that I am in town & he told me to come directly to campus ,as soon I reached I was mesmerized by the sprawling campus of VIT .He showed me around the whole campus & also went to see preparation that was going on for the college fest Riviera the students were performing as like professional dancer . Had my scrumptious lunch at the cafeteria & Mahesh gifted me a VIT college fest T-shirt, I left the campus late afternoon for my way back to home .With the memories of meeting an old friend & praying for the fallen comrade. In short a day well spent.


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Kolkata: Veteran author and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Mahasweta Devi has been hospitalised, sources said on Thursday. Her condition is stable.
"She was admitted a few days ago since she was feeling unwell and was feverish. She is fine now," said a representative of the Belle Vue Multispecialty Clinic.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the 89-year-old social activist on Thursday.


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Low latency counter event indication
United States Patent Application
|View the Complete Application at the US Patent & Trademark Office
|A hybrid counter array device for counting events with interrupt indication includes a first counter portion comprising N counter devices, each for counting signals representing event occurrences and providing a first count value representing lower order bits. An overflow bit device associated with each respective counter device is additionally set in response to an overflow condition. The hybrid counter array includes a second counter portion comprising a memory array device having N addressable memory locations in correspondence with the N counter devices, each addressable memory location for storing a second count value representing higher order bits. An operatively coupled control device monitors each associated overflow bit device and initiates incrementing a second count value stored at a corresponding memory location in response to a respective overflow bit being set. The incremented second count value is compared to an interrupt threshold value stored in a threshold register, and, when the second counter value is equal to the interrupt threshold value, a corresponding "interrupt arm" bit is set to enable a fast interrupt indication. On a subsequent roll-over of the lower bits of that counter, the interrupt will be fired.
|Gara, Alan G. (Mount Kisco, NY), Salapura, Valentina (Chappaqua, NY)
|11/ 507,308
|August 21, 2006
|STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Contract. No. B542702 awarded by the Department of Energy.


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Mobile application for Android
myMOBILE 7 for Android finally released!
We are glad to introduce you a younger sibling of application for iOS – myMOBILE 7 for Android. This new version has a lot of technical advantages such as new component "active areas", new animations or complete protocol support. The application works on operating system Android 5.0 and higher. On the other hand, myMOBILE 7 for Android offers a free 5 Tag testing option to try the features with no money spending. That brings our customers a freedom of choice.
Download now and test this unique application in your tablet or smartphone.
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Here at Parkinson's Wake we like to generally keep things on the light side, However, any mention of a cure or effective treatment, and our focus is dead serious. So when we heard from the Swedish company Aprilskämt about their the new liver therapy (denna fruktansvärda hems orgel köttaaz)we were all ears. The company specializes in finding drugs and therapies that can be repurposed to treat conditions other than the ones they were designed for.
Baby boomers may have not-so-fond memories of this organ meat - a mainstay of the dietary punishmnent movement (found most commonly in correctional institutions and large families) which capitalized on the void created by the banishment of the "Whackers"" a group comprised of adherents of corporal punishment - who in turn had replaced the demeaners" a cult-like group whose followers favoured such barbaric parental behaviour mod practices as sticking a child's nose in the corner.
An es. timated 8,000 Canadians are diagnosed with Parkinson's every year, and over 10 million people worldwide are living with the disease. The hallmarks of the disease are tremors, a propensity to fall down more often than a soccer player, and a strong urge to broadcast your innermost thoughts to complete strangers, whilst in your pjs until well into the afternoon. The disease is relentless - And accordig to Lars the spokeman for Aprilskämt, she can be a real bitch
This therapy has already been proven safe in humans, and its production process is already established on the Tuesday night menu: because of this, the path through clinical trials and into widespread use is shorter and simpler to navigate. Recent trials in a mouse model of Parkinson's have provided positive results, and trials in humans are now set to begin next year.
Little is known about the exact mechanism the therapy utilizes. Side effects are minimal, and for the most part manageable. (Nausea, increased gag reflex , upset stomach, (and thats just while watching it being cooked.)
While not a cure, Liver Therapy should be considered as just one more tool in the Parky's therapeutic toolbox. *Disclaimer Pakinsons Wake has no stake in Aprilskämt, nor the beef. Industry. The info provided here is not deemed to be complete nor factualy correct. Please consult with your doctor or neurologist before embarking on a course of liver treatment


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Clementine Womens The Racerback Terry Tank
Clementine Women's The Racerback Terry Tank
I really like this Clementine Racerback Terry Tank. This tank can be used for everyday wear or when going out for a special occasion.
This Tank is soft and it's not a heavy tank so it is comfortable on the hot days. It is easy to wash and dry. It did not shrink when I washed it. You have 16 colors to choose from. I choose black because I wanted to be able to wear it with everything. I love the back of the shirt also.
This tank top is only $7.99 on Amazon and that is a great price for a great tank top that will last for years. Order your's today by clicking here.
Here is some information from the seller:
- Lightweight and luxurious… this French terry tank feels amazing!
- 50% ring-spun combed cotton/50% polyester French terry lightweight jersey
- 4.9-oz.
- fabric laundered for reduced shrinkage
- 30 singles for extreme softness
I received this product as a complimentary and this is my honest and unbiased review Keep in mind that all thoughts reflected in this review are solely my own.


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This item is noncancelable and nonreturnable.
The ID60DT Compression Driver with Transformer is a 60W driver for re-entrant horns which is equipped with a 2" diameter voice-coil, and a 25/70.7V line-matching transformer. It is designed for medium-power and high-level acoustic output P.A. applications. The driver features a weather-resistant phenolic diaphragm, and a 1" screw-on exit. It is enclosed within a hinged cycolac rear housing for easy access and connection to a sound system, via a BX conduit connector, which is provided together with a plug-in, field replaceable diaphragm assembly. The ID60DT features a rim centered ferrite magnet structure, and a screwdriver operated power-tap select switch. It is suitable both for indoor and outdoor applications.
Rugged diecast housing with weatherproof finish
1 x 3/8"-18, 1/2" long thread
|Horns: Coberflex IIB, Coberflex III, PH, 2WP, SMH, SH
|Connectors and Control
1 x Power tap, select switch (screw driver operated)
1 x "com" connector terminal
1 x Connector for 25 V distributed systems
1 x Connector for 70 V distributed systems
|Frequency Response
|300 Hz - 4 kHz, ±5 dB
|Maximum Power Handling
|60 W (8 hours, 500 Hz - 5 kHz pink noise)
Nominal: 8 Ω
Minimum: 7.5 Ω (Cobraflex horns above 500 MHz)
|107 dB SPL for 1 W @ 1 m
|Voice Coil Diameter
|2.0" (5.1 cm)
Weight: 1.06 lb (0.48 kg)
Material: Strontium ferrite
|Flux Density
|1.17 Tesla
|Dimensions (Ø x H)
|5.6 x 6.4" (14.3 x 16.2 cm)
|7.4 lb (3.4 kg)


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from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- Carleton, Sir Guy. First Baron Dorchester. 1724-1808. British general and colonial administrator who repelled an American attack on Quebec (1775-1776) and captured the fort at Crown Point, New York (1776).
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- proper n. An English surname, a variant of Carlton
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Carleton is executive director of the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at University of Texas-Austin, home of personal papers and documents donated by Cronkite and CBS.
I hope that Carleton is able to recover from President Roseann Runte's disastrous leadership.
Carleton is inclusive, he says, "to a near-fault."
"My dear," said Mr. Evelyn, "Mr. Carleton is too much of a philosopher to care about beauty – every man of sense is."
"You would like to know, perhaps," observed Mr. Rossitur, in rather a low tone, "that Mr. Carleton is an Englishman."
Some of the limitations in Carleton's case are fixed.
How much does environment affect women's sense of belonging in CS? « This is what a computer scientist looks like
Mrs. Baltzer, now 60, still lives in Carleton and is not pleased with the Army's decision.
It operated as a secret facility for 33 years before it was "decommissioned" and the land sold to the Township of West Carleton, which is now part of the city of Ottawa.
I ended up getting into a place called Carleton in
"She gives it as her judgment that Mr. Carleton is the most of a gentleman, because he keeps his promise."


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Audi points to the high demand for its SUVs as a major contributory factor to a 3% increase in its worldwide sales in March 2013 to a record 147,700 units. For the first quarter of 2013, it posted a record of 369,500 units sold, which is 6.8% higher than its sales during the same period the previous year.
In a statement, Audi revealed that global sales of the Q3 SUV increased by 58.2% in the first quarter to about 28,550 units. Meanwhile, sales of the Q5 increased by 15.6% in the same period to around 56,350 units. In March 2013, Audi's sales in Europe decreased by 3.2% after having sold 82,800 units. However, it was still able to achieve a 0.7% increase in the first quarter with sales of 187,600 units.
Audi posted an 8% increase in UK sales in March to 24,913 units. In Russia, it sold 3,753 units to have a 10.3% increase. Because of these results, Audi was able to post high sales improvements in the first quarter in the UK with a 9.7% increase to 39,242 units while Russia sales increased by 15.7% to 8,278. Audi's sales in Germany last March dropped by 1.7% to 24,701 vehicles while its first-quarter sales grew 2.0% to 59,116.
Audi sales boss Luca de Meo said via a statement that the company is optimistic that this positive sales trend will continue in the next months. De Meo added that Audi is depending on the new A3 Sportback to influence growth in the future.
This compact-sized wagon has reported strong sales ever since it had its market debut last February. Audi continued to post increases in the U.S. and China. Its sales in the U.S. increased by 14.4% to 13,253 units in March. For the past quarter, Audi was able to deliver 34,186 cars in the U.S. for a 16% increase. This set a new record for Audi in this market, where it still falls behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz by a big margin.


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The purpose of rehabilitation after injury is to restore muscle tissue, ligaments and tendons function to the best possible form after injury. A major part of rehabilitation, specific to those physically active is exercise therapy.
Exercise therapy, aims to develop an exercise plan or series of activities to achieve a specific therapeutic goal. This form of treatment is client specific and has the purpose of restoring normal musculoskeletal function and to reduce pain caused my injury.
At loominous sports therapy a range of techniques and equipment are used when developing client specific plans, including;


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I downloaded the petition and saw, to my dismay, that a church I attended on weekends while visiting my family during college had 5 signatories on the list. Tonight I finally decided to do something about that. So I located the email addresses of 4 of them (the fifth eluded me) and I typed up the following email in an effort to let them know that their signatures as church staff has consequences for those in their congregation. It read:
Dear (staff member),
I'm (Topher), a graduate student currently at the University of Illinois. I'm originally from the Iowa City area, where I often visit my dad and mom and sisters. I spent many Sunday mornings at (church name) during weekends at home during my undergraduate at Iowa State University, and my family has often visited as well.
I was dismayed to learn, however, that recently you were a signatory of the "petition to the Iowa legislature from Iowa clergy and church leaders" that advises legislators to establish the legal definition of civil marriage as between a man and a woman. I and other gay persons I know from college have directly benefited from the ability to have same-sex marriage in the state of Iowa. This includes the entitlement to medical information in an emergency, sharing health insurance through their employers, and a stable legally-binding relationship to support their adopted children. But most of all, these people are Christians who are now legally permitted a relationship already sanctioned by their churches.
I hope that you, having stated your opposition to the Court's position have undertaken your civic duty to understand why the court reached its conclusion. If you have not read any of the Court's opinion, I have attached a summary released by the Court last spring. In particular, I would ask that you read the section "Religious opposition to same-sex marriage" in the document, which reads:
Recognizing the sincere religious belief held by some that the "sanctity of marriage" would be undermined by the inclusion of gay and lesbian couples, the court nevertheless noted that such views are not the only religious views of marriage. Other, equally sincere groups have espoused strong religious views yielding the opposite conclusion. These contrasting opinions, the court finds, explain the absence of any religious-based rationale to test the constitutionality of Iowa's same-sex marriage statute. "Our constitution does not permit any branch of government to resolve these types of religious debates and entrusts to courts the task of ensuring government avoids them . . . . The statute at issue in this case does not prescribe a definition of marriage for religious institutions. Instead, the statute, declares, 'Marriage is a civil contract' and then regulates that civil contract . . . . Thus, in pursuing our task in this case, we proceed as civil judges, far removed from the theological debate of religious clerics, and focus only on the concept of civil marriage and the state licensing system that identifies a limited class of persons entitled to secular rights and benefits associated with marriage."
In the future, I hope that you would strongly reconsider attaching the name of (church name) and your staff position behind your individual petition signature. For while it may momentarily seem to increase the strength of your signature, it also demonstrates that because of political beliefs, rather than theological beliefs, that I, my parents, and my sisters are not welcome in your congregation.
Thank you for your time.
I will let you know if and when I hear back from any of them.
(Day 731)


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Hands has spent the last 10 years assembling a critical overview of scientific orthodoxy in an attempt to answer the fundamental questions "what are we?" and "why are we here?"
The author, who has had managerial responsibilities in the British government and has tutored in physics and management studies for the Open University, acknowledges the help of more than 50 accredited scientists with expertise in the fields he explores. The first target of his scrutiny is modern cosmologists, who face the dilemma of attempting to explain the putative origin of the universe in a big bang. Hands finds their efforts to be fundamentally inadequate due to their necessary reliance on both Einstein's general relativity theory and the Standard Model of particle physics. Even though "each has been extremely successful in making predictions that have been verified by observation and experiment within its own realm," they are incompatible theoretically. Another of the author's bones of contention concerns the rate of expansion of the universe and whether it is constant or cyclical. He examines various attempts to explain the process, including string theory, loop theory, and the existence of undetectable dark matter and energy. In the author's view, an even more fundamental issue is that scientists today mistakenly "conflate mathematical theory with scientific theory." Moving on to the origins of life on Earth, Hands suggests that Darwin's reputation is overblown and finds fault with the current "gene-focused paradigm." Although the author refutes the claims of intelligent design proponents, he accepts the views of the Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin that the evolution of self-reflective humans has created a new stage in the evolution of the biosphere by our use of tools, artistic creations, and philosophy. Hands speculates on new stages of development involving "psychic" energy, and he provides an extensive glossary, which is helpful given the amount and depth of the material, much of which is esoteric.
A compendious work that will intrigue serious readers; others may find it overlong and too comprehensive.


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The Rotary Club of Carlton is holding their annual second hand book sale on 5th & 6th May.
Over 10,000 books will be available at prices starting at $1. All sorts of books available including: novels, children's books, cook books, thrillers, literature, sport, romance, family.
Funds raised go to support mental health research via the Australian Rotary Health Foundation and to the Rotary Club of Carlton's local community programs.


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On 30. 11. Pipistrel was featured in "The Economist" magazine in an article about electrification of global aviation
in November Pipistrel was listed among "Most reputable employers of the year 2017" by a large-scale national survey of labour market
Ivo Boscarol was featured as the sole protagonist in one-hour documentary film by Croatian Television about himself and factory PipistrelÂ
Ivo Boscarol was chosen as recipient of the Italian honorary knight's order "Ordine della Stella d'Italia"
In June the first aircraft was produced at the new Gorizia factory
On 24. May 2014, the Slovene Reader's Digest magazine announced the winners of the "Trusted Brand" awards. Ivo Boscarol won the award for the "Most Trusted Businessman" for fifth time.
In April 2017 Uber signed a partnership with Pipistrel for a large-scale development project for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicles
In March Pipistrel was nominated for one of the most prestigious aviation awards "Aviation Week Laureates"
Ivo Boscarol was chosen by the Res Publica, Visegrad Fund, Google and Financial Times, as a member of the "New Europe 100 list" of outstanding innovators from Central and Eastern Europe.
The "HY4", world's first four-seat passenger aircraft powered by a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell propulsion, made a successful first public flight on 29. September.
The researchers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California decided to test several Pipistrel's electric propulsion systems of Taurus Electro G2 as part of their electric flight research in preparation for the NASA's new X-57 experimental airplane with 14 electric motors.
In June 2016 Pipistrel completed the 800th aircraft from the Sinus/Virus family, adding up to more than 1500 different aircraft produced over 27 years. The aircraft will be shipped to Argentina.
In the middle of April, five Chinese inspectors of the Agency for Civil Aviation (CAAC) visited Pipistrel for a "validation audit" of three aircraft models - Virus 912, Virus SW and Sinus 912. On 26. April a delegation from the Embassy of the P.R. China awarded certificates for the three models to Pipistrel. All those aircraft can now be legally sold and registered in the Chinese market.
On 21. April Pipistrel received the EASA Full Type Certificate for the aircraft SW 121 LSA TC from the hands of EASA Executive Manager Mr. Patrik Ky.
Ivo Boscarol received the award "Gospodarstvenik Primorske" (best businessman of Primorska region) for special achievements
Pipistrel employs 100th worker
As the result of project HYPSTAIR, the world's most powerful hybrid power-train in aviation to date is turned on for the first time.
Pipistrel wins the contest to supply 194 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Indian Navy (IN) and National Cadet Corps (NCC)
The special service aircraft Surveyor is revealed to the public at the InterGeo Fair
Team Hungary becomes European Microlight Champion with their Virus aircraft, with a lot of help from the Pipistrel Hungary team.
Pipistrel aircraft participates in a Volkswagen marketing campaign for Chinese market, viewed by one billion people
Pipistrel unveils the proof-of-concept WATTsUP 2-seat electric trainer
Aircraft no. 700 is made
Pipistrel's celebrates 25th anniversary of existence on 25 Nov 2014 by arranging an Open-Door day. Over 1000 people from the entire country come visit the factory HQ.
The foundation for the new factory in Italy is laid.
Greek team breaks world altitude record with Sinus in its category
Beginning construction works for the new production facility in Italy are starting
Pipistrel wins the IDC Innovation excellence award
Ivo Boscarol receives his second "Trusted Brand" award
Pipistrel successfully completes FAA LSA audit
Taurus sets an altitude gliding record of 8,800 meters.
Pipistrel Academy, a new course for online Virus SW training becomes available.
The Pipistrel publicly announces the SURVEYOR, an aircraft model specialised for airborne surveillance missions.
Pipistrel's Alpha Trainer was selected as "The best light aircraft of the year 2013" by the aviation newspaper Fliegermagazin
Pipistrel's Panthera received the Aerokurier award for innovation
Pipistrel produces aircraft no.600
Pipistrel introduces new model - Sinus Flex
Pipistrel launches the "Pipistrel Academy" flight school program
The French team "Wings for Science" successfully concluded their flight around the world in a Pipistrel Virus SW aircraft, on 14 June 2013.
Pipistrel CEO Ivo Boscarol receives the Slovenian Trusted Brand 2013 Award by the Reader's Digest magazine
The pilot Matevz Lenarcic flies over the North Pole on 22 Apr 2013 with his aircraft Pipistrel Virus SW
Pipistrel Panthera goes to AERO Expo in Germany - by air!
Pipistrel Panthera successfully accomplishes its maiden flight on 7 April 2013
The Wired Magazine exposes Pipistrel's electric aircraft as "One of seven big ideas that will change the world"
The aircraft with serial number 500 leaves the production.
Pipistrel team receives two awards at Oshkosh Airventure (13 Jul 2012).Michael Coates, the Pipistrel USA distributor, receives the Dr. August Raspet Memorial award in the name of the Pipistrel Team,for "contributions to the advancement of the design of light aircraft and the experimental aircraft association".
Pipistrel's R&D engineer, Tine TomaĹľiÄŤ, receives a prestigious PADA Trophy for "outstanding design of personal aircraft which achieved progress in performance and efficiency" at Oshkosh on 13 Jul 2012.
The Alpha Trainer takes off for the first time
20 Apr 2012 - Panthera wins the Fliegermagazin award for the best aircraft of the year
Beginning of the construction of the new factory in Gorizia, Italy.
Pipistrel gets a new department for fast prototyping, reverse engineering, computer modeling and simulation and graphic design - the 3D studio
Taurus G4 is nominated for the prestigious Collier Trophy.
Pipistrel Taurus G4 is chosen among the nominations for the "2012 Designs of the Year" by the Design Museum in London
On 9. January 2012 Ivo Boscarol wins the "Personality of the year" title by the most influential Slovene magazine "Delo".
Pilot MatevĹľ LenarÄŤiÄŤ flies with his aircraft Pipistrel Virus SW 914 turbo around the world, over Mt.Everest and lands on the Antarctic.
Pipistrel Taurus G4, world's first 4-seat electric aircraft, wins the NASA Green Flight Challenge 2011.
Pipistrel Sinus wins the Pariz-Madrid Green Air Challenge and Pipistrel Virus SW ends third.
Panthera - the four-seat aircraft with hybrid propulsion - is introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen fair
Pipistrel's Taurus Electro wins the Lindbergh Prize for the best Electric Aircraft
The second generation of the improved electric-powered two-seat self-launching glider Taurus Electro enters serial production.
Toyota Slovenia lent a new Prius Plug-In hybrid to Pipistrel to be used for the period of one year and charged at the first solar-powered charging station for electric aircraft.
Pipistrel branched out to Italy and founded a subsidiary company Pipistrel LSA.
Pipistrel d.o.o. Ajdovščina has been declared the winner of the 2010 European Business Award in the category UKTI Award for Innovation.
Taurus Electro received gold medal at the Biennial of Industrial Design in Ljubljana.
Pipistrel unveiled the first solar-powered charging station for electric vehicles in Slovenia.
Pipistrel d.o.o. Ajdovščina has been selected as a recipient of one of the ten prestigious Ruban d'Honneur awards for The UKTI Award for Innovation in The 2010 European Business Awards, after being chosen as a Country representative at the same competition.
Virus SW 100 approved by EASA as the LSA PermitToFly with 600kg MTOW.
The editorial boards of Radio Koper and Primorske Novice newspaper awarded Ivo Boscarol the title "Gospodarstvenik primorske" ("Best Economist of Primorska region").
Vizionarna, the Pipistrel's multi-purpose gallery for culture and educational events, opens with the art exhibition "portraits of the universe".
The year 2009 was the most successful year in the 22 years of Pipistrel's history.
The development of the new 4-seat aircraft begins
The new Pipistrel's Research and Development Institute in the adjacent building begins operation.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia awarded Pipistrel the title of "Best E-company" of 2009.
The improved model of the Apis/Bee single seat self-launching glider enters serial production.
On 15. May 2009, the aircraft Sinus serial number 300 and Taurus 50 left the production facility!
Mr Kent P. Misegades, a journalist of Experimental Aircraft Association, the World's largest organization dedicated to sport aviation, visited the AERO 2009 in Friedrichshafen in the spring. In his report he listed the appearance of Pipistrel at AERO 2009 among the Hottest 7attractions of the fair.
The first Pipistrel Sinus, built from kit by Mr. George Powers, takes flight.
Introducing VIRUS SW: Double NASA challenge winner now in serial production.
The start of development of Hydrogenius, a hydrogen-powered plane, in cooperation with University of Stuttgart.
The Popular Science magazine lists Taurus Electro among Ten Best Innovations of 2008.
Pipistrel receives an award at Slovenian Forum of Innovation.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II meets Pipistrel CEO, Ivo Boscarol.
Pipistrel is the overall winner of NASA General Aviation Technology Challenge 2008 for the second consecutive year.
Pipistrel opened the largest private solar power plant on the Balkan peninsula and also also became officially qualified for production of electric energy.
Ivo Boscarol and Tine Tomazic lecture on CAFE's Electric Aircarft Symposium 2008 in San Francisco, USA.
Pipistrel enters China MarketRead more: here
Ivo Boscarol receives "Gospodarstvenik Primorske", a special recognition award for Entrepreneurship
Pipistrel European Meeting (PEM) at Valdera
Tine Tomazic receives Presernova nagrada award
20th Anniversary of Pipistrel
Acquisition of complete Apis project
Maiden flight of first two-seater electric powered self launching glider in the World - Taurus Electro
Virus claims the Nasa Centennial PAV Challenge as the BIG winner
ICAO Aircraft Type Designators obtained for Sinus (PISI), Virus (PIVI) and Taurus (PITA).
Development of Electro Taurus, World's first 2-seat electrical powered self-launching glider, starts.
Construction starts for the Scientific Institute of Aircraft Design & Applicative Technologies.
First flight of glider version of Taurus, called Taurus PureGlider.
Joe Sutter, Father of Boeing 747 and son of Slovenian blood, visits Pipistrel in July.
New website launched. www.pipistrel.si gets a new look and offers much more to visitors, owners and distributors.
200th aircraft from Sinus / Virus aircraft family is delivered, while Taurus serial production begins to ramp up.
Members of Slovenian Government led by Prime Minister Mr Janez Janša visit Pipistrel.
President of EU Parliament Mr Josep Borell visits Pipistrel on invitation of friend and pilot Mr Lojze Peterle, also member or EU Parliament.
Mr Phillippe Zen of France becomes the world vice-champion in RAL 2 category on Sinus ultralight motorglider.
Ivo Boscarol is awarded one of the highest FAI recognition awards, the Paul Tissandier Diploma, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of ultralight aviation.
In 2005 Pipistrel obtained the following homologations: the all new German homologation, all new Austrian homologation, upgraded French homologation, upgraded Slovenian homologation, upgraded Australian homologation and the upgraded Hungarian homologation.
Ivo Boscarol successfully defends the Champion title at Slovene RAL-1 national championship 2004 with the Virus.
The assembly of the aircraft is moved into the new factory premises at the airfield of Ajdovscina
Ivo Boscarol became member of the Strategic Council for National Economy development, Government of the Republic of Slovenia
Matevz Lenarcic accomplished the record-breaking flight around the world with the Pipistrel Sinus 912
Entering in the markets like Australia, USA, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan etc Pipistrel became a global producer
Test flights of the ultralight two-seater self-launching glider Taurus start.
Slovene Chamber of Commerce award to Ivo Boscarol the title "Businessman of Slovenia"
In september the construction of the new factory at the airfield of Ajdovscina starts after years of endeavour and preparations.
Ivo Boscarol continues his successful competing career and claims the Champion title at Slovene RAL-1 national championship 2003 with the Virus.
100th aircraft has been produced.
Ivo Boscarol is declared Slovenian Entrepreneur of the year 2003.
Ivo Boscarol wins the ultralight single-seater (RAL-1) Slovene national championship 2002 flying the Virus.
Development of a revolutionary 15-meter wingspan two-seater ultralight glider Taurus with L/D ratio 1:40 and a self-launching capability started.
Philippe Zen and Thomas Knowles become world champions at World Air Games 2001 in Spain, flying a Sinus ultralight motorglider.
Great interest for our products and large number of orders forced us to increase the production capacities. We decided to start building a new factory placed on the airfield of Ajdovscina. We hoped for the best-case scenario, in which we would be able to move there in the year 2001.
UL single seater glider "Apis" using the wings of Sinus and produced by Albastar in 13 and 15 m version started to fly. Its flying results demonstrated once more geniality of Orlando's profiles.
The development of new revolutionary small UL aircraft with speed range 63-380 km/h called Arcus started.The main designers are: Franco Orlando, Pino Milito and Ivo Boscarol.
Serial production of Virus started.
Philippe Zen, the several times UL world champion, was so fascinated after testing the Sinus that he decided to become our dealer in France. The result was expected: 32 units sold in one year!
Virus started to fly.
Trike model "Twister" was born. Pipistrel was the first world producer who represented the trike with engine Rotax 912. This engine was presented in AERO 1993 like prototype of the model Twister. Serial production started in 1998.
Vida Lorbek, the general manager of the Pipistrel company, died. Ivo Boscarol took her place.
Presentation of "Sinus" at the AERO 97 of Friedrichshaffen in Germany and flight presentation of "Sinus" at the air show of Bassano in Italy.
The development of Virus - brother of Sinus - light 3-axis ultralight aircraft started.
The prototype of motorglider "Sinus" started to fly.
Slovenian CAA issued the permits to fly for various types of trikes.
The two hundredth trike was produced.
First public presentation of "Sinus" at the AERO 95 of Friedrichshaffen in Germany. The interest was incredible.
Ivo Boscarol won the Slovenian 3-axis microlights Championship and the title of Microlight sportsman of the year.
Austro Control issued the type approval for trikes.
First trike was exported to Poland.
Viktor Wyklicky flew a trike to the European championships from Slovenija over the Alps and Channel to England and back. He took the seventh place in the competition.
The beginning of "Sinus" development. The wing & fuselage aerodynamics designer was Franco Orlando, other members of group were: Ing. Rado Kikelj, Pavel Potocnik, Bojan Sajovic and Ivo Boscarol.
For Slovenian CAA Ivo made the first teaching and examination program for weight shift UL flight in Slovenia, and started prepairing the official rules for UL flight in Slovenia.
Viktor Wyklicky won the German Championship with Spider trike.
First trike was exported to Austria. First trike was exported to Greece.
First trike was exported in France.
Presentation of trikes at the AERO 93 in Germany.
The company Elisport, the producer of ULM helicopter ANGEL gave us the rights for distributing in Yugoslavia. The cooperation later stopped.
Italian army decided to buy our trikes for their special units.
Company Rotax, the leading world small aircraft engines producer, gave us the rights to be the general distributor for Slovenia. We also got the licence for an authorised service center.
Ivo founded Slovenian Ultralight Association and he conduced it for several years as the first president.
The company Rodaro, the producer of ULM "Kangaroo", "Wallaby" and "Storch" gave us the dealer rights for Yugoslavia and the eastern countries. We are also still in good relations with the new owners of Blue Sky and Fly Synthesis.
The hundredth trike was made.
DULF enacted the first German certificate.
The company PIPISTREL d.o.o. was established on 18th november 1992 by Ivo Boscarol and Vida Lorbek who was the first manager.
The first powered trike called Spider was made. This type is in fact a better version of model Plus which was meant to be sold in the European markets. 150 trikes were made till 2000 , when the production was stopped.
The Mauri Walter project of first ultralight glider calld "Dream" and later "Silent" started. Ivo's help on this project was significant.
Boris Velikonja, Pipistrel`s production chief, won the Slovenian trike championship.
The beginning of production of quiet 3 or 4 blade propellers LN with adjustable pitch on the ground. More than 800 propellers were made until 1998 and we still produce them.
The Sirio company producer of wings Hazard gave us the rights to represent them in Yugoslavia and eastern Europan countries. These ties are still strong today.
Yugoslavian CAA released the type certificate for the model Basic and Plus.
The production of special trikes for the Croatian army. These trikes were the first war aircraft for the new born country.
First trike was exported to Germany. First trike was exported to Hungary.
First Hydro version trike was made. Only a few such trikes were made. The production stopped when the war started in Croatia, which was at the time our largest market for such trikes. Croatia was our main customer because of its specific coastline.
We took part to the exhibition in Bassano for the first time.
Bojan, Boris and Ivo got the test pilot licences for weight shift aircraft.
The Pipistrel Group received the innovation premium at the exposition in Celje.
Trike model "Plus" was born.The main constructor was Bojan, the landing gear in glass fibre was designed on Atari ST computer by Ivo. Until the year 2000 more than 200 units were sold, but the production has been discontinued.
Preparations for the Yugoslavian Type certificate: All the calculations of trikes "Ajdovscina" and "Plus", propeller "Pipistrel Bam", and wing "Sirio Hazard 15" were made by two engineers Petar Brcin and Misa Bajovic in Zarkovo institute. Ground and flight tests were made by: Ivo, Bojan, Boris and Marjan on the airfield in Ajdovscina, under the control of the engineers Valter Kucara, uncharged supervisor delegate of Yougoslavian CAA.
First trike was exported to Africa.
Department of Internal Affairs of former Yugoslavia confiscated all trikes which were on the way to Libia. The trikes are still in the port Bar in Montenegro. Pipistrel organized the first championship with trikes in Yugoslavia, called Pipistrel cup in Ajdovscina. 18 competitors took part. The head judge was Mr. Dejan Gajic from Belgrade. The winner was Marko Kocevar from Nova Gorica.
The beginning of the production of ground adjustable pitch propellers (2 and 3 blades). They were made in carbon fibre. Until 2000 more than 1400 units were produced and they are still in production.
First serial trike called "Ajdovscina" was produced. The constructors were Bojan and Ivo. The name was later changed to "Basic". 32 units were built, the last was delivered in December 1992.
First trike was exported from Yugoslavia to Italy. Pipistrel was the first Yugoslavian private aircraft exporter. Italian company Sirio was first foreign Pipistrel`s general distributor .The beginning of collaboration with company "Albatros" which ended soon after. The work was partially continued by the manager Pavel Potocnik (Albastar).
Ivo met Diego Rodaro the owner of Officine Rodaro, producer of ULM "Cangaroo", "Wallaby" and later the Storch.
22.6.88, Ivo received from the Yugoslavian authorities a trike pilot licence and a paragliding pilot licence.
Ivo met Walter Mauri the owner of Sirio. The result of their friendship was the long cooperation between Pipistrel trikes and wings Hazard.
Ivo Boscarol got the official licence from the authorities to produce small aircraft. He became the first Yugoslavian private aircraft producer. (10. November '87). The name Pipistrel (a Latin word for a bat) appeared for the first time.
The story began when two Slovenian sailplane pilots and good radio control model aircraft manufacturers Ivo Boscarol and Bojan Sajovic started to look for new ways of flying. They got in touch with Mr. Salvatore Stefano, who later became famous for his air shows in Bassano. Salvatore Stefano influenced them to try alternative ways of flying (trikes, microlights, etc.) They spent several years together researching different ways of flying and building some experimental aircrafts.
Ivo wentto Janko Bezjak to make a pass to trike way of flying. Soon he started to teach his friends to fly on French trike "Denise".
When Marjan Bozic joined them they started to build some trikes, together with some friends to help them. The owners were satisfied, the trike was a success and there were more and more orders.


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A short update on the Connecticut screening, the Cerise DVD, EgoFest and the onset of the 2nd Crusade.
THIS PAST SUNDAY, Cerise screened to a very appreciative audience at The Palace Theatre in Danbury, Connecticut for an afternoon of indie cinema sponsored by Film Snobbery – LIVE, hosted by Nic Baisley.
Cerise, the second film amongst 2095, Meth, and The Crimson Mask, was followed by a brief Q&A with myself and Cerise producer Camiren Romero. Then I had the opportunity to partake in my very first spelling bee––a "cinema spelling bee" to be precise, spelling words related to filmmaking (I spelled "Macguffin" right, but almost tripped on "distribution.") Go figure!
FOR ALL OUR INDIEGOGO BACKERS: I'll be working on the Cerise DVD this month and am hoping to have them authored, packaged, and signed by April, which as many of you might know is National Poetry Month. I'd like to include the film, audio commentary with Camiren and I, two deleted scenes, and a couple other surprises.
The DVDs are a limited edition disc specifically for our $50 and up IndieGoGo backers.
IN MARCH, Cerise will screen at EgoFest in Brainerd. Marinell Montales will be heading out to EgoFest to be a part of the festivities put together by good friend and supporter Phil Holbrook. More information coming soon!
S-U-C-C-E-S-S-! I'm proud to announce that our 1st Crusade for Cerise was a colossal success thanks to Brenden Fogle, Ben Gerber, Eric Damon Walters and James F. Broderick for becoming Film Festival Crusaders in the name of our little short film.
We'll begin a 2nd Crusade this week, so if you'd like to show some chivalry to Cerise and sponsor a festival, which will include some big, big festivals. We've a long year and change ahead for submissions, and the recognition has begun with our acceptance to EgoFest, and who knows how many other festivals we'll spell out by the end!
Nacarat [nac-a-rat] noun – A pale, red color, with a cast of orange. (from Dictionary.com)


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Welcome to Karma Living
Welcome to Karma Living, a new start but one that is connected to what came before. Look at us now but also remember our old favorites and best sellers: use them to inspire and update your mix.
We are introducing ten new stories detailing new colors, embroideries and prints in Re-Patch techniques. Our catalog images tell you in visual form the lifestyle concept we have created for your inspiration which must evolve into your vision and application.
We are looking forward sharing these collections with you!


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This book is a compilation of the abstracts of in-house and external publications produced in the year 2001 by CIFOR scientists and their collaborators. The abstracts are grouped into seven themes: general, biodiversity, forest governance and community forestry, forest management, non-timber forest products, plantations and rehabilitation of degraded forests, policy and extrasectoral issues that represent CIFOR's research activities. Indexes are provided by author and keyword.
Topic: bibliographies,research,forestry,forest management,CIFOR
Pages: 208p.
Publisher: CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia
Publication Year: 2002Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Altmetric score:


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Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, in Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England. He was the elder of the two sons of lord Randolph Churchill and lady Churchill, an American girl whose maiden name was Jennie Jerome. Winston Churchill had a memorable career in politics, the military, and as an author.
In 1900, he ran for parliament as a Conservative and won a seat. A few years later he would change to be a Liberal. Under Prime Minister Asquith, he served England as President of the Board of Trade and Home Secretary. Churchill overcame old age pensions and was active in setting up a new series of labor laws. In 1911 he was named First Lord of the Admiralty and presided over the British navy before the outbreak of World War I.
In 1908 Churchill married Clementine Hozier. They had five children, one of which died before adulthood. The marriage was a long and happy one.
The Dardanelles expedition, a plan to outflank the Germans, was a disaster for the British military. It had been his idea and as a result Churchill lost his admiralty post in 1915 and was sent to serve on the front lines in France. In January 1916 he was appointed as Lieutenant Colonel of the 6th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Between 1922 and 1924 Churchill left the Liberal party and rejoined the Conservatives. He was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was a position he held until the election of 1929. He was defeated in the next election.
Between 1929 and 1939, Churchill was out of office but wrote much and stayed in the public eye. He warned many about the coming threat from Nazi Germany but no one was listening. When World War II started Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain appointed him first lord...


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In an effort to brush up on my American popular culture skills, and get some of my husband's totally random references, I decided that I need to know more about Dr. Seuss and his body of work.
Trevor often forgets that I did not grow up in America, and he's genuinely surprised when I tell him I have no idea who Yertle the Turtle is. Obviously, I need an education.
So we grabbed The Cat in the Hat at a yard sale, and Trevor read it to me in mischievous voices.
It is the story of two very bored children with nothing to do on a cold and wet day. That is until a tall cat with an even taller top hat shows up and tells them they can have "lots of good fun that is funny". The cat proceeds to show them tricks and cause havoc in the house until the children's mother comes home. The story in verse was written by Dr. Seuss as an effort to promote literacy to beginning readers, by using an entertaining plot and a limited vocabulary made up of short words.
Here are five things I learned from The Cat in the Hat:
1. Get a bossy fish that will take you to school. If you want to make him shut up, hold him up on a rake.
2. When a cat says "That's not all!", the cat means it.
3. Cats are attention-starved pretty much every second.
4. Beware of things called Thing One and Thing Two. They'll wreck your house.
5. Stand up to your cat and make him clean up.
After we read the book, I started noticing this hipster cat everywhere. Here he is on the door of the local elementary school, on the first day of school. The cat cleans up after himself, so I guess he sets a good example with that.
But we couldn't stop here. On one of our walks, we went into the library, went downstairs to their children's room (yep, they keep the kids the basement), and looked for more Dr. Seuss books. They had a whole shelf full of them, and we picked Oh, the Places You'll Go!
We sat down at one of their small colorful tables, and I started reading in a whimsical voice. After we finished the book, we got up and walked out. Needless to say, the librarian had a good story to tell to his buddies that day.


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|by MoinMonica
Next Kyoto Uke Club/Singing Around the Table: Saturdays October 1st, 29th
Thank you very much to everyone who came to club last time (August 27th), and to our hosts at Gnome! It was great. Enjoy the arrival of autumn! Next dates: Saturday October 1st, and Saturday October 29th.
Posted by FJG at 8:33 PM
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Endless possibilities
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GameSir, is a leading worldwide brand of game controllers with more than 2 million users in over 30 countries, including USA, Asia, S. America, and Europe. In attendance of CES 2017, GameSir brings its new delicate products for gamers with great innovation & passion.
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GameSir T1s works great with thousands of gamepad supported popular mobile games listed on "GameSir World" App, & compatible with tons of Retro games on "Happy Chick" Emulator.
It is cross-platform controller, which supports Android/Windows/PS3, featuring multi-way connections: Bluetooth 4.0 / 2.4GHz / wired connection.
For more information, see http://www.gamesir.hk .
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Transform your photos into one-of-a-kind, hand painted masterpieces!
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Rolled in a Tube
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James Parsley Jr
January 15th, 2019
Lisa Marteeny
January 15th, 2019
Striking color of an autumn maple tree, Rockwell Park, Bristol, Connecticut, New England, USA.
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BrightWhite® 3in1 2 component teeth cleaning and whitening foam
|Loyalty points available to receive:
|Expected delivery:
|January 24, 2019
|Shipping fee:
|Average Rating:
Contents of the package:
2x50 ml, which is enough for 2-3 months
Is it possible to keep my teeth white for a long term? Yes, it is, using the 2-component BrightWhite 3in1 teeth cleaning and whitening foam.
A The BrightWhite 3in1 teeth cleaning and whitening foam contains effective components to keep your teeth white and clean for a long term, while also protecting them.
It leaves a long-lasting fresh mint taste in your mouth. It cleans, whitens and freshens your breath, all in one simple step.
The results achieved by using the BrightWhite teeth whitener set can be maintained for a long term thanks to the new, special 2-component foam formula of the BrightWhite 3in1 teeth cleaning and whitening foam, because it:
dissolves pellicle more efficiently
cleans teeth more thoroughly
causes discolourations of the teeth surface disappear
whitens the teeth safely
freshens your breath
How to use:
We recommend that you use it instead of a traditional toothpaste. If used twice a day, in the morning and the evening, it can lead to visible results within 1-3 weeks even if used by itself.
The effects of this toothpaste foam are not equal to that of the BrightWhite teeth whitener! This foam only makes the results of teeth whitening last longer.
Enjoy the gentle and painless teeth whitening effect of the BrightWhite 3in1 Teeth Cleaning and Whitening Foam, and make your beautiful smile last longer!
Priority Post Package (4-8 business days)
We process orders within 2-3 business days.


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I had no problems with apache for several weeks. But suddenly it won't start. Here is the xampp/apache/logs/error.log entry (I have parsed it for easier reading)
Terminating on signal SIGTERM(15)
httpd.exe: Syntax error on line 510 of K:/xampp/apache/conf/httpd.conf:
Syntax error on line 2 of K:/xampp/apache/conf/extra/mod_jk.conf:
Syntax error on line 4 of K:/xampp/tomcat/conf/auto/mod_jk.conf:
Cannot load K:/xampp/tomcat/xampp/apache/modules/mod_jk.so into server: The specified module could not be found.
I followed through the successive folders in the log message and found that mod_jk.so does not exist in that folder. Yet line 4 of K:/xampp/tomcat/conf/auto/mod_jk.conf is looking for it there. Here is that file:
########## Auto generated on Sun Sep 06 11:19:01 EDT 2009##########
<IfModule !mod_jk.c>
LoadModule jk_module "K:/xampp/tomcat/xampp/apache/modules/mod_jk.so"
JkWorkersFile "K:/xampp/tomcat/conf/jk/workers.properties"
JkLogFile "K:/xampp/tomcat/logs/mod_jk.log"
JkLogLevel emerg
<VirtualHost localhost>
ServerName localhost
JkMount /examples ajp13
JkMount /examples/* ajp13
JkMount /host-manager ajp13
JkMount /host-manager/* ajp13
JkMount /docs ajp13
JkMount /docs/* ajp13
JkMount /manager ajp13
JkMount /manager/* ajp13
I see that it was autogenerated on Sept 6th. I noted also that there is no mod_jk.log file within xampp (I assume it would be autogenerated as required.)
Finally, I searched all of xampp for mod_jk.so and found that one exists in the path \xampp\apache\modules\
So, my questions are (1) should I modify line 4 of xampp/tomcat/conf/auto/mod_jk.conf to read:
LoadModule jk_module "K:/xampp/apache/modules/mod_jk.so" ?
(2) will the missing mod_jk.log break startup of the apache service ?


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zidago 15 May 2012 03:32
Hello fine SCP forum members.
I have been reading the SCP stories since their inception on a certain image board many years ago (I think 2007). I decided to finially join the wiki and possibly write my own.
Anyway, hi, I hope you'll have me.


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- remove stains,
- control zits,
- color gray hair,
- hide bald spots,
- lose weight
- or help with ED!
* note * Before the recent blast of ED commercials, the only ED I was aware of was Ed Cleary who ran a local gas/service station in my home town of 280 people 30 years ago.
These are all possibly issues you are aware of, but to limit ourselves to solutions found on infomercials (even though most only cost $9.99) would miss us out on the power of the creator of the universe.
Ok, you say you have never even had coffee with the pastor of the church you attend, then creator of the universe would be outside your social network. Truth be told our God is a personal God and He still answers prayers. This is the same God who..
- parts seas,
- falls walled cities,
- feeds 5,000 with fish and chips leftovers, and he
- slays unsightly giants.
YOUR GIANTS.. may be
Jeff (Giant Slayer in training) Larson


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Last week, the New York Times revealed that Special Counsel Robert Mueller was in possession of a letter that President Trump and adviser Stephen Miller had originally drafted for the purpose of explaining the pending firing of former FBI Director James Comey to the American public. The letter, according to the New York Times, was rejected by White House counsel after it was considered 'troublesome' from a legal perspective. While we do not know exactly what the draft included, we do know that it worried White House Lawyer Donald McGahn enough for him to outright reject it.
As political pundits, as well as Congress, begin to digest what this news may mean in the long run, Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro said some pretty interesting things this morning on MSNBC, when discussing his desire to quickly review the draft. The full video segment may be viewed below:
"I said early on that if President Trump fired Comey for that reason [the Russian investigation], then that is grounds to start impeachment proceedings," Castro said told Ari Melber. "If he fires Mueller for a similar reason—to get rid of the Russia investigation or because he thinks it will accomplish that—those are grounds to start impeachment proceedings."
It shouldn't shock anyone that if the President fired James Comey in order to stop the investigation into his campaign's collusion with Russia, then obstruction of justice charges are likely. The ironic thing is that the letter almost isn't required to prove obstruction since Trump himself clearly admitted to Lester Holt on national TV that he fired Comey because of that very investigation.
With all of this said, Castro is a Democrat, while Republicans currently control both the House and the Senate, meaning we will need a little bit more than just the opinion of Castro to actually see the President impeached.
Let's hear your thoughts on this story in the commets section below.
The post Congressman Joaquín Castro: Impeachment Process Could Start Soon appeared first on IR.net.


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The Chorley Flower Show in Astley Park is fast becoming one of the most popular events in Lancashire.
We've won the 'Tourism Event of the Year' award in 2016 and it'll be bigger and better in 2019.
Adam will be attending on the Saturday and Carol will be at the show on the Sunday. Both are familiar faces in the gardening world and are just one of many reasons to attend the show.


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28th Annual Caulfield Lecture
Baltimore: One Year Later Reporting on the Riots, the Repercussions and Recovery
5pm, McGuire Hall
The Caulfield Lecture is hosted annually by the Department of Communication thanks to the generous support of the family of Clarence J. Caulfield, a 1922 alumnus who spent 26 years as an editor at The Baltimore Sun. Now in it's 28th year, this year's lecture, "Baltimore One Year Later: Reporting on the Riots, the Repercussions and Recovery," will feature a dialogue between Jennifer Gilbert and Kai Jackson, co-anchors of Baltimore's Fox 45 Evening News, about their experience covering the Freddie Gray case, and the resulting community reaction. Jackson and Gilbert will also focus on the ethical issues and concerns that arise when covering such a controversial and significant story.
Kai Jackson is a veteran journalist with more than 28 years experience covering local, national and international news & stories for affiliate and network television news. Kai has been working as the main co-anchor, with Jennifer Gilbert, for WBFF FOX45 since January of 2015. In December 2013 Kai left WJZ to work at Fox45's parent company Sinclair Broadcast Group. He spent a year as national correspondent covering accountability and government waste. Kai is also the co-founder of DocYourmentary a film company dedicated to short documentaries, short feature films and corporate videos.
A Loyola student shares seven ways her first year was shaped by the people and programs that make the Loyola experience.


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Williamsburg Fire Department accepted a check for a $20,000 grant from the National Trust Insurance Company and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The grant funds were used for firefighter training and new equipment, including a positive pressure fan, large generator, water vacuum and equipment chargers.
The funds also paid for training for city firefighters at the Newport News Fire Training Center.
"It's critical that our firefighters have the tools and training to provide the best service possible to the community," Williamsburg Fire Chief William Dent said. "We are extremely grateful to the National Trust Insurance Services and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for this grant."
City and fire officials, firefighters and executives from Maury Donnelly & Parr, National Trust Insurance Services, Wells Fargo Insurance Services and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation came to the city's fire department Monday for a grant presentation.
Funded by the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, the grant is part of a nationwide philanthropic program.
Since 2004, Fireman's Fund has awarded grants to more than 2,100 different organizations totaling more than $32 million, including $416,000 in Virginia.
This item was posted by a community contributor.


text:
Well we made it. We got through wheatless week 1 without any casualties. Well, except for a round of food poisoning from a bag of refrigerated gluten-free rolls we decided to try (we are empirically sure it was the rolls). Which means we're not entirely sure of what accounts for the weight we've lost – I'll save you the gory description of the wonders of food poisoning and its effect on weight loss.
But here's where we are so far:
As of day 1, my husband's reflux and stomach pain is literally gone, after years of a daily struggle with it. He said that a tomato he ate whole gave him a faint burning sensation just once during this week, but it was nothing like it used to be, and we think that over time even that might disappear. So we're hoping he's now in the process of healing.
My list of ailments is not nearly as long as his, and I think I was dealing with more of a wheat addiction than an allergy. What I've noticed for myself is that the ravenous food cravings that had me eating quantities I didn't want of food that didn't even taste good to me anymore (pizza and fast food), are truly gone. That is a fascinating turning point for me, as being a working mommy has really taken it's toll on my energy level and therefore my will power for carb consumption.
And the food I eat now is so much faster to cook than the wheat-based meals I used to make. Late last night, I threw a pan of chicken in the oven and slow roasted it, and now we've got a couple days worth of meals mostly finished.
Eating is just easier all around. Vegetables actually satisfy me now, and I'm really into the taste of flaxseed meal sprinkled on yogurt (which turns out to be faster and easier to put together than a bowl of cereal once I arrive at work in the morning).
A week ago, I was also dreading the effect this would have on my mother's visit this weekend. Like most Americans, in my life, 'family visit' is often synonymous with 'food extravaganza'. But after a week where the option to "cheat" didn't once come to mind, I'm really looking forward to finding out if I even feel deprived at all.
Bring it on week 2, I'm ready for you!


text:
Clayton Barr
Clayton was born and raised in Cessnock where he lives with his wife Lisa and their children Isla, Mali, Aubrey and Elsie.
Clayton studied to become a teacher at Newcastle University and taught at Mount View High School for nine years. He then worked for the local children's cancer charity CANTEEN. More recently, Clayton worked for Port Stephens Council, helping community organisations.
As a father Clayton understands the issues facing working families. Clayton will fight to make sure we have the best schools with more teachers and more funding for local hospitals to deliver the best health care for our community.
Clayton is active in our local community. He is involved with Cessnock water polo teams, Cessnock netball, Cessnock Swimming Club and coaches Cessnock Little Athletics. He has also been involved in Healthy Heart and Road Safety campaigns.
He knows just how great our community is and is committed to working hard to ensure there are jobs available for our children so they can live and work here.
Leadership Positions
Member for Cessnock
Shadow Minister for Finance, Services and Property
Connect with Clayton
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: (02) 4991 1466
Twitter: @ClaytonBarrMP
Website: www.claytonbarr.nswalp.com


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Good luck! Hope you get the job!
Test for the power company went well, going in for an interview today!
Good luck! Hope you get the job!
I came across the website (glassdoor.com) a very interesting website. type in USIC and read some of the reviews. some are very intertaining
Wow! Paintitnow, you may have just given me a new place to visit every few weeks to see how far their rating goes down. Lol
the worst company to work for. Partially racist upper-management as well. You've been warned!!!!Oh yeah, did I mention........ Poorly staffed, a bunch of uneducated administrators, and good luck being treated like a human-being. Thanks USIC you suck!!!


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« Gnome-o-gram: Mortgage Bailout, Roman Style | Main | Reading List: Patriots »
Friday, December 5, 2008
Reading List: The People Trap and Mindswap
- Sheckley, Robert. The People Trap and Mindswap. New York: Ace Books, [1952–1966, 1968] 1981. ISBN 978-0-441-65874-9.
- This "Ace Double" (albeit not in the classic dos-à-dos format, but simply concatenated) contains a collection of mostly unrelated short stories by Robert Sheckley, and the short novel Mindswap, which is an extraordinarily zany story even by the standards of the year in which it was written, 1966, which was a pretty zany year—perhaps Sheckley foresaw just how weird the next few years would get. I bought this book because it contained a story I've remembered ever since I first read it four decades ago (and, even then, a decade after it was first published in Galaxy in 1953), "The Laxian Key". In a century and a half of science fiction, this is the only exemplar of which I'm aware of a story based upon economics which is also riotously funny. I won't give away the plot, but just imagine the ultimate implications of "it's free!". These stories are gems from the era in which science fiction was truly the "literature of ideas"—it's the ideas that matter; don't look for character development or introspection: the characters are props for the idea that underlies each story. If you like this kind of thing, which I do enormously, here is a master at work at the apogee of the genre, when you could pick up any one of the science fiction magazines and find several stories that made you look at the world through glasses which presented reality in a very different light. This book is long out of print, but used copies are readily available, often for less than the 1981 reprint cover price.
Posted at December 5, 2008 01:07


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In an article today Wall Street Journal talks about the President Obama is trying to lure foreign investment. What is better way to bring in millions of dollars of foreign investment to US other than the India US BIT with visa provisions?
As we said earlier, US by not having BIT with India has already missed trillions of dollars of investment and millions of jobs. If White House is really sincere, they should put all efforts behind such treaty and get it ratified by Senate.
I will be posting my comments on this article and try to highlight India-US BIT's importance. I urge you to do the same.


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Communicating Our Shared Future:
Ketchum CEO Barri Rafferty attended the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland from Jan. 23 to 26, 2018 with the goal of contributing to important conversations and bringing back learnings for Ketchum's clients and employees. This Communicating Our Shared Future content hub highlights some of her key insights.
Scroll down to learn about her experience.


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A year on the road (and 5 months at sea) living out of my backpack, escorted by my guitar (the surfboard I had started out with I donated to Soul Surf Project in Bali) and a daypack – my world had expanded beyond the complexities of western society.
In this past year I met the most amazing people I have ever crossed paths with (besides the amazing people already in my life). I did things I have never ever dreamed of doing like hitch-hiking in Asia, catching sailing boats to cross the seas in the off-season (also known as cyclone season). I explored deserted islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, rode motorbikes in suicidal Asian traffic and partied hard on beaches, in bars, clubs and private homes.
I slept in hammocks in the Malaysian jungle, woke up in a car park in Bangkok, did some contortioning yoga in Thailand, swam with sharks in Chagos, swam in 4,000 meters of water, saw dolphins at sunrise and sunset. Saw mind-tripping bio luminous plankton, more stars than in an astronomers wet dream and witnessed some of the most breath-taking sunsets known to man.
12 months, 10 countries, countless of adventures and that cemented feeling of never returning to a 'normal' life-style.
This is me for the rest of my days. Thanks to everyone that hosted me and helped me along the way. Before I start my two-year (thereabouts) hitch-hiking expedition across Africa to the Middle East, here's a quick summary of the year gone by:
Number of Countries Visited – 10
Number of Islands Visited – 22
Number of Mountains conquered – 6
Number of Boats Sailed – 12
Number of Bodies of Water Crossed – 2 – The Timor Sea and the Indian Ocean
Furthest Distance Covered by Land – 5,400 KM (driving from Melbourne to Darwin through the Outback, Australia)
Furthest Distance Covered by Sea – 4,000 nautical miles (7,408 KM, crossing the Indian Ocean from Thailand to South Africa)
Number of Storms Encountered at Sea – 9
Number of Shitting Bricks Moments at Sea – 3
Number of Fish Caught – 5
Number of Fish Hooked but then Escaped – 8
Number of Times Hit by Flying Fish – 1
Number of Motorbikes Ridden – 8
Number of Motorbike Accidents – 3
Number of Motorbike Accidents where I was at Fault – 2
Number of Surf Spots Surfed – 6
Favourite Conservation Project – MYCAT – Tiger Conservation, Malaysia
Number of Leeches – 17
Number of Leeches that Sucked Me Dry – 3
Favourite Surf Spot – Bukka, Mossel Bay, South Africa
Number of Near-death Experiences – 3
– Any bus ride\road crossing in Asia
– Surfing Desert Point, Lombok, Indonesia
– Stung by Portuguese Man O'War in the middle of the Indian Ocean
Number of Food Poisonings – 1 (Madagascar)
Number of Jellyfish Stings – 3 (Portuguese Man O'War)
Number of Dinghies Stolen – 1 (Madagascar)
Number of Sandals Stolen – 1 (Madagascar – they were in the dinghy)
Number of Sunglasses Lost – 3 (Timor Sea and Indian Ocean)
Number of iPhones Lost – 1 (Timor Sea)
Number of Parties Attended – 31… I think
Number of Parties Remembered – 20… I think
Number of Acid Trips – 2 (Sri Lanka – trippy, South Africa – mellow)
Favourite Word for 'thank you' – Stoo-tie (Singahlese, Sri Lanka)
Favourite Word for 'you're welcome' – Suma-suma (Indonesian)
Favourite Word for 'sweet as' – Lekker (Afrikaans, South Africa)
Number of Sponsors – 3 – Ticket to the Moon (Bali, Indonesia) supplying a travel hammock
North Ridge (South Africa) supplying a 65L backpack
Source (Israel) supplying hiking sandals and a 3L water bag
Favourite Alcoholic Beverage – Coconut liquor (known as Arak), Sri Lanka
Best Weed – Sri Lanka
Originally posted on The Nomadic Diaries.
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images


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THe contributions of the information communications technology (ICT) sector to the Gross Domestic product (GDP) should jump from 5.6 per cent to about 15 per cent by 2015, Executive Vice Chairman, National Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Eugene Juwah, has said.
He spoke at the Broader Way seminar organised by equipment manufacturer, Huawei, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Juwah traced the growth in the country's communications industry and submitted that good programmes and strategies would put Nigeria on a faster lane in broadband deployment and development.
Regretting a dearth of infrastructure in the sector, which affected projections and growth, Juwah canvassed a synergy between the government and the private sector in infrastructure funding and build up to stimulate demand and competition.
He said the licensing of 2.3GHz would be concluded this year and that it would stimulate more competition in the industry.
Juwah said he had been developing a broadband concept, which would encourage the government to give incentives to service providers that would take services to far-flung areas.
In fact, such incentives would influence a reduction in the cost of bandwidth and, expectedly, put bandwidth in the hands of those who would need it, but are unable to afford it, he added.
On the infrastructure, he advocated equal focus on the wireless and wired technologies.
He appealed to equipment manufacturers and suppliers to roll out products that can harmonise and encourage the two technologies.
Putting people at the centre of the business, almost all the experts at the forum said competition should not only focus on prices, but also on services and quality.
Speaking in another forum, Dr Hamadoun Toure, whose tenure at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has witnessed ground-breaking developments in the ICT sector, including the digital migration, hailed the transformation in the telecoms sector, which is driving profound changes in sectors and helping countries to meet millennium development goals (MDGs), among others.
For instance, the digital economy allows anyone, anywhere play an active role in global issues and value chain, Toure said.
He was excited about ICT growth in Africa, a continent that has become an honey pot for mobile growth, and specially commended Nigeria for a good regulatory framework by the Juwah-led team, which has increased mobile phone growth in Africa's most populous nation.
Toure was particularly excited that Africa is part of this inclusive technology that has given voice to the voiceless and allows even the ordinary folks in rural areas to participate in global discourse and share useful information.
He hailed manufacturers for turning the phone into some multi-purpose devices saying: "It is no longer a phone but multi-purpose devices."
With these devices, people are able to share information and bounce them around the world.


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Bettie Page was neither the alpha nor the omega of pinup posing, she didn't do it first or last, but no one before or since has brought the same kind of incandescent delight to the job of being photographed in bathing suits, bondage apparatus or nothing at all. Which makes it all the more remarkable that the new film about her life and times, "The Notorious Bettie Page," is so completely glum, joyless and devoid of emotion.
Page's ability to come completely alive in front of the camera made her a cult figure during the post-World War II years of her prime and a modern popular culture icon whose official website has received about 600 million hits since 2000. The new film captures the look of the period and, in star Gretchen Mol, has an actress who capably counterfeits Page's exuberance. What it doesn't have is a reason for being.
As directed and co-written by Mary Harron, the uninvolving "Bettie Page" holds all actions at the same kind of ironic distance that characterized Harron's earlier films, "I Shot Andy Warhol" and "American Psycho."
Harron has said she was determined to be nonjudgmental about Page, to do justice to the woman's "mystery and ambiguity." In practice, however, that attitude plays as coldness, and Page, for all her remarkable zest, comes off as a not terribly interesting person we're given no incentive to become involved with. The problem is not the film's refusal to be what the director calls "reductive," it is in its inability to make Page someone whose story can hold us.


text:
A forum for users of any of my texts but really for anyone interested in interpersonal communication, the fundamentals of human communication, and public speaking.
A forum for users of any of my texts but really for anyone interested in interpersonal communication, the fundamentals of human communication, and public speaking.
Deception Detection at Airports
2 comments:
- Sridhar Chandrasekaran said...
You have an interesting blog. thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading your posts.
Detecting when someone is lying is quite a challenge; not only for law enforcement but also for everyday encounters with family and friends. One might deduce: the bigger the lie the more obvious the body language, but I think that depends on the view you hold about lying. Utilitarian Carl Wellman believes that "Lying is wrong except to save a human life or to spare hurt feelings over unimportant matters." (Richard L. Johannesen, 2008, p. 103) It seems to me, people who agree with Wellman's perspective could easily justify a lie as an "unimportant matter" or done only to spare ones feelings.
And then there's the perspective surrounding intentional ambiguity or vagueness as viewed by Lee Williams and Blaine Goss: "We must remember that all words contain some degree of vagueness, and instead of being inherently bad, vagueness, like rhetoric, appears to be amoral means which can be applied to produce many different ends." (Richard L. Johannesen, 2008, p. 106) Seriously?
Do we really think we can detect a lie through body language when we have this kind of justification for its use in ethical communication?
Richard L. Johannesen, K. S. (2008). Ethics in Human Communication
(6th ed.). Long Grove, IL, USA: Waveland.


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So. Yeah. I haven't blogged in rather a while because reasons. Mostly holiday, job, and move-related reasons*, but there have been some mood-related reasons in the mix, too. It's hard to be upbeat and optimistic and creative when you're upset, in pain, and really, really, really hate the interim job you took in order to have some income while you figured out if/when/how you are going to move to Michigan.
The interim Job From Hell is for another day and another blog, if I can ever bring myself to speak of it again. It's over in a couple of weeks and the relief is great. Which may be why I am suddenly hit with the urge to blog again.
This is really helping with the blogging, let me tell you.
Maybe it's because the end of the Job From Hell is in sight that I've felt creative again. Of course, this occurs when I'm packing up the art room for the Great Northern Migration, so all my bits and pieces are already boxed. I'm writing, working mainly on Cursebreaker's Dance, with a few longing looks at Ruby Lovebone. I intend to give her some attention soon. I have a finish goal set** for Cursebreaker's Dance, because the Writing Partner, Herself, and I plan to attend a conference in October to pitch the series. In order to pitch, we need to have drafts of the first trilogy completed (that's one book each) and a synopsis for the entire series. As each book is projected to be about 60,000 to 75,000 words, this is a goal that can be accomplished, even with the Great Northern Migration occurring over the next two months.
But I am feeling art-creative, not just writing-creative. That's a problem when all the supplies are in sealed boxes awaiting transport. I have discussed doing some drawings for Writing Partner; he'd like pictures of his secondary project characters for the website he's creating, but that's a future thing. I want to do something now.
I've been playing around with apps, exploring some writing, art and productivity options, researching for Writing Partner and Herself, both of whom wish to purchase tablets in the next six months. I use an iPad, so my preferences are a bit slanted. However, it does seem that there are more (and better) apps for iOS than for Android. (If I'm wrong, please let me know! Neither Writing Partner nor Herself are married to the iPad. They just want tablets that will fit their needs.)
Anyway, to the point, finally! As I was playing with my iPad, I rediscovered my animation app. And I realized what I can do that's art-creative. I can make a movie. Yay! Problem solved!
Okay, soooooo…what's this movie going to be about?
And here's where I'm stuck again. I really don't know what I want to do. I thought about making a short animation of a scene from Cursebreaker's Dance, because I could also use it as a blog post for my next turn. I'll probably start that, then the real idea that's hiding in the secret wrinkle in my brain will pop out, kind of like the chestburster in Alien. That's how ideas happen to me sometimes.
And that's where I am at the moment. I'm writing, packing, joyfully anticipating the end of the JFH, not-so-joyfully anticipating the Great Northern Migration, oh, and I married Der Mann in the midst of all this craziness. Life is upside-down and inside-out, but it will get sorted. Meanwhile, I'm hearing good things about Michigan and its creative community. That doesn't mean that the Southern Goth in a Northern Town features will not occur. They will. It's going to be a whole new world up there for a girl that's never lived north of the Mason-Dixon line in her entire life, and I'm going to have to document it so I can laugh at myself for the things I thought I knew and the obvious things I didn't know.
*Plus, there was the Saga of the Sick Snake. I had no idea that a snake could become seriously ill from constipation. Apparently, they can and it isn't pretty. My bathtub has become a snake hot tub for her physical therapy needs.
**I need to set a finish goal for Ruby. Note to self: set finish deadline/goal for Ruby!


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Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Therm Max (2015)
Therm-a-Rest invented the self-inflating sleeping mat in the 1970s, and it's dominated the market ever since. The NeoAir X Therm Max delivers the greatest warmth-to-weight ratio in its range and features reflective material inside to capture radiant heat. It's also full size, but it still packs down to just 12 x 19cm and weighs a decent 502g. 5/5
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Therm Max is a full size (183cm long x 51cm wide x 6.3cm thick) mat with no tapering at the head or foot. If you are slight in size you may feel you don't need all that room, but for average users it means you won't slip off it too easily. The thickness of 6.3cm means it can easily soften very jagged terrain. 5/5
On rocky ground the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Therm Max is very comfy as it provides great cushioning and is also thick enough to smooth out the lumps and hollows of a rough surface. It has an R value of 5.7, meaning it has a higher resistance to heat loss than other mats in the range with lower R values. In short it will keep you warm! 5/5
In use
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Therm Max inflates easily and due to a slightly textured top layer you don't slide around too much. It's also a little less crinkly and noisy than some but still not the quietest offering. The weight of 502g is high, but it does pack down small to 12x19cm and easily fits inside a pack. 4/5
The price is quite high because you're paying for extra thickness and the use of reflective ThermaCapture technology inside; but do you really need it? 3/5
The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir X Therm Max is a superb sleeping mat if maximum comfort and low weight are what you need, but the price may keep you awake at night. It wins Trail's 'approved' accolade. 4.4/5
Review by Graham Thompson
First published in Trail magazine June 2015