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After I put the kids on the bus I look forward to my morning ritual. Coffee, newspaper & quiet. Now the Hartford Courant usually doesn't get my creative juices flowing very often, but this morning they had a small excerpt that caught me. The heading reads "Work Stress Can Strain a Marriage." Wow, really? Who knew? All sarcasm aside, this is something I deal with & I'm sure we all do. Work as taken over our lives and puts our marriages in a very fragile place.
Long ago there was a time where the work day ended at 5pm. 9-5 jobs have gone the wayside and more & more of us are in a position where our jobs fully consume us. Throw some kids in there and you are talking full on exhaustion. This obviously creates some tension. The Courant article states " Strong marriages take investment. Today, people work longer hours, make less time for their spouses & feel too tired for sex." HA! No kidding? There is no down time, ever. Weekends once reserved for family time & fun are now riddled with baseball games, recitals, birthday parties & random running around. Sunday night comes with that dreaded stomach ache and the thoughts of "where did the time go?" I see this more & more. Our relationships are on auto-pilot. This is a scary thing. When you forget about your actual connection with your partner eventually bad things creep in. Doubt, fear, resentment. All destructive things in a marriage. Most of us don't like to admit feeling this way toward the person we love, but we do. This doesn't make us bad people, you know. This makes us human.
Marriage is an amazingly difficult undertaking. The life-cycle is ever-changing & with each new day there is a new challenge. Our jobs & our children take first priority now. Our relationships are in the back seat and there comes a time where you need to move it back to shot gun. Surely it is not going to be bliss everyday but it is important to get back to that once in a while. I am guilty of taking out my own frustrations on my husband. Most of the time it has nothing to do with him. It is me & my own head-trash. What is lacking in many marriages is effective & honest communication. Bad or good..you have to talk. Like anything else, if you wait too long it's gonna blow. That fight you had over the laundry really has to do with other things you failed to address 2 weeks ago. We all do this. It is the most vulnerable thing you can do, to tell the truth.
Work has driven a wedge into even the most solid & stable of relationships. We all have something else we should be doing. Maybe if we turned off the laptop, ditched the iPhone & just talked things would be better. The house, the yard work, the bills will all still be there. I sometimes forget how nice it is to just spend time with my husband without worry. Have a few drinks & laugh. I love those times. You get a glimpse of your former self. Remember that fun, carefree & spontaneous person? It's still in you, you know. You just have to coax it out.
The pressure is all-consuming. The pressure of being a good, wife, husband, father, mother, provider & partner. We have to give ourselves a break and just breathe. Maybe recognize the good things instead of dwelling on the negative. Say thank you instead of criticizing. Perhaps we should work as hard on our relationships as we do in the workplace. Interesting thought.
One mama's brutally honest take on life, beauty & all things that rock our world.
Monday, June 6, 2011
WORKING Marriage
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A video allegedly shot over a Malaysian village has gotten the UFO community excited. In a brief video, a massive UFO, seemingly straight out of the popular sci-fi flick Independence Day, appeared to glide just above several trees in the area, before turning around and circling back towards a small village.
While the video did convince a number of UFO aficionados that it was authentic, many skeptics have emerged stating that the footage was simply too implausible to be true. Others pointed out the fact that the video was once more taken with a very bad camera; hence, making an analysis of the footage extremely difficult.
Overall, the video has split the UFO community into two, with some believing that the craft's presence is a clear sign that aliens are now trying to make contact with people, and some others stating that the video is nothing but a regular hoax.

subset: commoncrawl


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The following is a press release put out by LexisNexis on their RecoverScore product for debt collectors. The RecoverScore product is offered through the LexisNexis Accurint service. Our republishing of this press release is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as an endorsement of the service —
BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 21, 2006–LexisNexis U.S., a leading provider of information and services solutions, today announced the availability of the RecoverScore(R) solution for its collections customers. In the collections industry, the RecoverScore solution has shown that the top-10 percent of ranked accounts will typically generate 10-times more revenue compared to the bottom 10, and the top-50 percent of scored accounts often produce 80 percent of total payments. The RecoverScore solution uses advanced data mining and modeling techniques to identify the most collectible accounts and rank order them.
The RecoverScore solution analyzes accounts based on debt characteristics, contact ability and liquidity. These are key factors that determine collection effectiveness and can help determine what strategies to deploy in working various accounts. Because the product is linked into the LexisNexis and Accurint(R) data repositories, clients save the time and expenses associated with obtaining information on their own from credit bureaus, skip-tracing services and other data vendors.
"RecoverScore incorporates advanced LexisNexis modeling techniques to help collections professionals focus their efforts on the accounts with the highest probability of recovery," said Steve Seoane, senior director of analytics for LexisNexis Risk Management. "By offering RecoverScore through Accurint, LexisNexis continues to provide the collections industry with premium technologies and resources that help professionals save time and increase collections."
The LexisNexis RecoverScore solution has the capability to analyze debt characteristics including type of debt, age of debt, last payment and balance. Furthermore, the product searches liquidity characteristics including homeownership records, commercial properties and other assets, proximity of known relatives and other documentation containing personal records and information to create a rank ordering of accounts.
RecoverScore also provides separate rank orders and scores for different types of account portfolios, such as bank card, utility or medical expenses owed. Clients can easily devise collection strategies based on this specific data.


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LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A bawdy poem attributed to "Paradise Lost" author John Milton has been discovered by academics at Oxford University.
The innuendo-filled poem, entitled "An Extempore Upon A Faggot," was found in a collection of poetic anthologies at Oxford while the collection was being put online, the university said in a statement.
However experts are unsure of the poem's authenticity as it is in a style unlike Milton's, and it is thought the poem may have been attributed to Milton by a jealous rival to cause a scandal.
"To see the name of John Milton, the great religious and political polemicist, attached to such a bawdy epigram, is extremely surprising to say the least," Jennifer Batt, the Oxford academic who discovered the poem said in the statement.
Batt said the poem was so out of tune with the rest of Milton's work, that if the attribution is correct, it would prompt a major revision of our ideas about Milton.
"It is likely that Milton's name was used as an attribution to bring scandal upon the poet, perhaps by a jealous contemporary," she said.
Batt found the poem while sorting through the Harding Collection - the world's largest collection of popular poetic anthologies and songbooks, owned by Oxford's Bodleian Library.
The university is in the process of digitizing the collection to allow the public to access it online.
Reporting by Paul Casciato, editing by Patricia Reaney


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April 3rd
On this day in history in ....1903 - Tom Jenkins wins his second American Heavyweight Title, ending Dan McLeod's third reign in Buffalo, New York.
2011 -
2012 - WWE dropped Randy Orton from "The Marine: Homefront", which was slated to begin filming this June in Vancouver, British Columbia following complaints that Orton, who went AWOL from the Marines and was dishonorably discharged.
A WWE representative told TMZ.com:
"WWE demonstrated poor judgment in signing Randy Orton for the 3rd installment of the film. Despite Randy's popularity, the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the USMC made it inappropriate for him to be cast in this film."Marines, including some who served in Orton's former unit, complained about the casting.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more, right now for THREE DAYS free by clicking here!


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Mike Mitchell discusses his move to Texas Tech
It's official, we have reached a quiet time during the college football calendar. However, there was one major story last week. The former Ohio State Linebacker, Mike Mitchell announced he was transferring to Texas Tech.
Mitchell spoke about the transfer in an exclusive interview with FOX Sports. He talked about his decision to move and reasons why he was keen to become one of the Red Raiders.
So, why did Mike Mitchell decide Texas Tech were a good bet?
He stated he admired the coaches and he thought he would fit into the team well. Mitchell felt he could become a valuable team member and he talked about his great relationship with Coach Wally (the defensive co-coordinator Matt Wallerstedt). Matt recruited Mike Mitchell when he was fresh out of high school, he got on with him well then, so he felt he would be fine at Texas Tech.
So, did Coach Wally enlarge on future plans to use Mitchell on defense?
The Red Raiders are renowned for their offense, but their defense has improved a lot. Coach Wally wants Mike Mitchell to play on defense and take the team to another level. The coach wants Mitchell to play outside and inside and he wants Mitchell to come in from all angles.
Has Mike Mitchell ever met Coach Kingsbury from the Texas A&M?
It appears that Mitchell had never met the guy before, however, he reckons he might have shaken his hand at one point. Mitchell decided that Coach Kingsbury came over as a good honest guy, a down to earth coach who gets on well with his team players. Mike Mitchell said that the players coach was admired by all of the guys in the team and he for one couldn't wait to play for him.


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According to the latest industry projections published ahead of the weekend and shared with mHealthWatch, the global telehealth market is growing at a stead and impressive rate.
The worldwide telehealth market is now forecast to be worth $6.5 billion by 2020 with an estimated CAGR of 24.2% from a value of $2.2 billion in 2015.
Not surprisingly, industry watchers are now calling for the healthcare industry to undergo "a fundamental transformation of value based business from volume based business."
According to the report summary from Market Reports Hub:
The major factors driving the growth of telehealth market across the globe are rise in the aging and chronically ill population, the shortage of physicians in the U.S., uneven physician distribution worldwide, improvement in telecommunication infrastructure, technological advancements, rising healthcare costs, and awareness on the benefits of tele-health. However, certain barriers, such as limited reimbursement in the U.S. and legality, privacy, and security concerns worldwide, are restraining the growth of this market.
To learn more about the report or to purchase, click here.


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Thank you for entering my contest! For each pin I got last/this week, I put the submitters name next to that item into a bowl for a random drawing to win that particular item. I would have posted the winner earlier, but it turns out... it takes a long time to write down each name next to each item picked. I'll be sure to simplify next time. LOL.
The winner is: Anita Recksiedler for a DIY Wooden Banner kit. Anita, be sure to let me know which of the 3 kits you prefer. I'm also going to need your mailing address, so be sure to contact me here with your information, and I'll get you banner in the mail for you. Congratulations!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Winner of my Pinterest Contest!
Check this out: Winner of my Pinterest Contest!Tweet this! Posted by Holly Jones at 5:23 PM
1 comment:
- Anita Rex said...
Yay so excited! I love your banners! Will contact you!
- June 27, 2012 at 9:31 AM
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Fiscal Cliff: Democrats and Liberal Press Blame Republicans, Consider Unconstitutional Senate Bill
Benghazi-Gate Enters New Phase: The Cover Up of the Cover Up
Now other nations agree Obama's birth certificate is fake
French Court Says 75% Tax Rate on Rich Is Unconstitutional
Posted on date: 12/26/2012
Original Source:
By Douglas V. Gibbs
The GOP has offered plan after plan, and the White House has rejected all of them. Obama, and the Senate Democrats, will not accept any economic plan that includes spending cuts, and does not raise taxes for Americans all the way down to those making at least $250,000 per year. Basically, the democrats are telling the republicans, "Either, you offer a plan that is everything we want, and nothing you want, or we go over the fiscal cliff." Then, on queue, the liberal media is blaming the republicans, claiming it is the GOP that is blocking a fiscal cliff deal.
President Barack Obama is playing the voters like a fiddle, nailing down the "blame republicans" strategy by claiming to cut short his vacation so that he can try to convince the congressional republicans to stop standing in the way of a resolution in the U.S. Congress – and of course they are saying the GOP is doing it only to protect their rich friends from being taxed.
Essentially, Obama and the democrats are saying, "Soak the rich and let us keep spending a lot of taxpayer money, and be to blame. Or refuse to soak the rich and refuse to let us keep spending a lot of taxpayer money, which will result in the expiration of the Bush tax rates, then the taxes go up on everyone, the military gets slashed, and you still get blamed. Take a pick, republicans."
By the way, if the GOP thinks there is any way out of getting blamed, remember that the media and the education system are completely ruled by the liberal left, so not only will the voters think it was the GOP's fault, but so will history.
The democrats are indicating they also plan to shift their focus to the Senate for a deal – except all money bills have to originate in the House of Representatives as per Article I, Section 7 of the United States Constitution. In other words, a fiscal cliff deal originating in the Senate would be unconstitutional.
Not that the democrats give a damn about the Constitution.
The problem is that the spineless republicans have bought into the propaganda being put forth by the liberals that they are damaging the "fragile" economy, and that spending cuts and cutting taxes across the board will be damaging.
Call me crazy, but how about the republicans stand on conservative principles? Why not stand firm on what you believe? At least you will go down being true to yourselves, and this nation. . .
History has shown time and time again that heavy spending, massive and numerous government programs, and high taxes destroy nations. Economies cannot sustain themselves when faced with what the democrats are offering. In the end, the currency deflates, and the spending becomes unsustainable.
Nations die under liberal policies.
Greece is a grand example.
And death is coming because of lies, and games, because the democrats don't care about any recovery, or economic growth. They care about their ideology, their power, destroying the Republican Party, and going down in history as the ones that finally made America a socialist nation.
The lives they are destroying, the futures they are discarding, and the nation they are dooming means nothing to them.
Posted on: 11/23/2012
Original Source:
It now looks as though the White House's excuse for the pre-election Libya cover-up is itself a cover up. Last week we were told by the Administration (and the compliant media) that during her now-infamous round robin of five Sunday news shows, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice was only telling us what she was told by the intelligence community. We were also told that references to al-Qaeda were edited out of the talking points in order to avoid tipping off the attackers that we were on to them. According to a number of CBS News' sources, this simply isn't true.
As recently as yesterday, though, Rice doubled down on this defense: "I relied soley and squarely on the information provided to me by the intelligence community. I made clear that the information was preliminary and that our investigations would give us the definitive answers."
At first glance, Rice's comments might not appear to move the ball, but they do tell us that the Administration has found its defense and intends to stick to it -- that defense being that Rice was only parroting the false information she was given. But now, thanks to some good reporting from CBS News, we know things weren't that simple.
Let's back up just a little bit…
Last week, former CIA Chief Davis Petraeus testified that within a day he knew the assault on our consulate in Benghazi was a premeditated terrorist attack committed by a Libyan militia with ties to al-Qaeda. As a result, Petraeus authorized the release of this information to the public in talking points to be given to the White House and to lawmakers. CBS News reports that references to al-Qaeda were later removed by Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) -- an agency run by James Clapper, an Obama appointee. The FBI also made substantial edits.
But here's where the plot thickens.
DNI spokesman Shawn Turner told CBS News, "The intelligence community assessed from the very beginning that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack." He added that this classified information was shared with the White House. CBS News then quite correctly concludes that, as a member of Obama's cabinet, Susan Rice would would've known this. All cabinet members are given classified briefings.
The bottom line, then, is that during her Sunday show appearances, Rice knew the information she was spreading was false.
In reference to the edited talking points, another source told CBS News that… [emphasis added]
"The points were not, as has been insinuated by some, edited to minimize the role of extremists, diminish terrorist affiliations, or play down that this was an attack," the official tells CBS News, adding that there were "legitimate intelligence and legal issues to consider, as is almost always the case when explaining classified assessments publicly."
"Most people understand that saying 'extremists' were involved in a direct assault on the mission isn't shying away from the idea of terrorist involvement," added the official. "Because of the various elements involved in the attack, the term extremist was meant to capture the range of participants."
This is important because if the talking points were not edited "to minimize the role of extremists," that, then, was a decision Susan Rice made all on her own (with likely prompting from the White House ). The same goes for White House spokesman Jay Carney and the President himself, both of whom would spend nearly two weeks spinning this same false narrative.
This false White House narrative, which only sharpened over time, was all about a spontaneous protest over a YouTube video that turned into a deadly riot. But if the edited talking points were not meant to "diminish terrorist affiliations, or play down that this was an attack," that was a decision the White House made, and one that conflicts entirely with the excuse that they were simply telling us what they were told by the intelligence community.
And it wasn't just the fact that the White House chose to focus on the YouTube video. Time and again, for nearly two weeks, Rice and Carney would go the extra mile in this deception by telling the media that there was absolutely no evidence the assault on our consulate was premeditated.
Finally, the primary defense for the editing of al-Qaeda out of the talking points is this ridiculous notion that we didn't want the group responsible for the attack to know we were after them. That never came close to passing the smell test, and now the intelligence community is pushing back against that nonsense:
[A]n intelligence source tells CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan the links to al Qaeda were deemed too "tenuous" to make public, because there was not strong confidence in the person providing the intelligence.
In other words, the removing of the al-Qaeda references wasn't about tipping anyone off; it was about making sure it was this particular al-Qaeda affiliated militia. There was never any doubt the attack was a premeditated terror attack, but amongst all the extremists in Libya, we just weren't sure which one was responsible.
So, if what CBS is reporting is true, this is what we know now:
1. At the time, Susan Rice knew the information she repeated five times on five Sunday shows wasn't true.
2. The edited talking points were never meant to deceive and conceal the fact that what happened in Libya was a terror attack. And yet, that's exactly what Rice and the White House did for nearly two weeks.
3. Contrary to what the White House and media told us, the talking points were not edited to keep the group responsible for the attack from knowing we were on to them. Therefore…
4. We were lied to for reasons that had nothing to do with national security.
5. The media's going to allow the Obama Administration to get away with this. (Why else would CBS play down its own story the way they did this one?)
Everything goes back to the motive for this cover up, which, apparently, was to run out the clock to Election Day with a Narrative meant to hide the fact that on Obama's watch there was a successful terror attack that resulted in the murder of an American ambassador and three other Americans. And let's also not forget that, just a few days before the attack, at his nominating convention, Obama bragged before the whole world that "al-Qaeda is on the path to defeat."
The American people understand that deception is sometimes necessary in the name of national security. But no one believes that's the case here.
This cover up, which the media has happily become a co-conspirator to, was only about winning Obama a second term.
And now the cover up of the cover up is in full swing.
Posted on 9/11/2012
Original Source:
by Doc Vega | September 11, 2012
How long must this corruption and lawlessness go on in the White House?
It has been since April 28, 2011 that the White House disclosed President Obama's supposed real long form birth certificate. Once this document had been divulged to the country almost immediately experts began testing its authenticity. Such people as Doug Vogt, a document scanning expert pointed out that there were signature halo effects on particular letters and dates that proved the White House version of Obama's COLB certificate of live birth had been electronically altered.
International doubt develops
Officials from both Germany and Russia commented that the American government was conducting a fraud upon its own people. The phony COLB came at a time when Hawaii under the demand of many requests by investigators for Obama's birth certificate stiffened its laws and actually made it more difficult to get one unless stringent actions were taken slowing the process down to weeks. Even Neil Abercrombie, newly elected Governor of Hawaii, could not find Obama's birth certificate. Yet, Obama said in a public statement that he had made special arrangements with the Hawaiian State Health Department to have a copy speeded up and sent to the White House. Many people smelled a rat!
Cold case posse investigates
After 6 months of thorough investigation, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County Arizona unveiled the results of his cold case posse's findings. This group of volunteer veteran law enforcement personnel proved that the White House version of Obama's supposed birth certificate was indeed a fake and had been generated in a computer. They even identified that it was generated in a White House computer to within 20 minutes of the creation date of the document. Arpaio and his people have not stopped there, they have continued their investigation uncovering other lies and inconsistencies that I will mention in another article. Despite liberal attacks that complained that Arpaio's team was a waste of tax payer's money, which it wasn't as the team was providing their services for free, I find it tragically laughable that liberals will waste money on anything to support their cause, but verifying the eligibility of their own president!
University in Israel examines Obama birth scandal
The latest to have a look at the phony White House Obama birth certificate have been Israelis scientists who are now convinced that the Obama administration is committing fraud. Making a statement that President Obama being the leader of the most powerful nation in the western world being at the center of this continuing controversy must surely be a source of concern. As a result, they have employed the efforts of Professor Hanukoglu of the Department of Molecular Biology at Ariel University Center in Ariel, Israel.
They have dedicated a website to the research that went into verifying whether or not the White House document was authentic or not. Their findings were born out of two particular programs easily available to the public Foxit Reader version 4.3.1 or another program Inkscape graphics software version 0.48.1. Both of these programs detected anomalies, inconsistencies in fonts, numbering sequence problems, and super imposed numbering that all prove alteration, and criminal fraud!
Natural born citizen requirement
Why is this so important? What questions are we to glean from all this? The US Constitution demanded that the President of the United States of America be a natural born citizen having been born on US soil of two parents who were both citizens of this country. Why? Our framers of the Constitution wanted to insure that any executive of the oval office was raised in a home that was completely faithful to the cause of America and whose allegiance was unquestioned.
If President Obama were legitimate
If President Obama were a legal citizen of the United States of America, he wouldn't have had to spend millions in suppressing laws suits that question his eligibility, he wouldn't have had to influence the Supreme Court to refuse to hear perfectly valid legal challenges, and he shouldn't have had to fabricate illegal and fraudulent documents to prove his eligibility, but the evidence is clear. President Obama has broken the law. It is a criminal violation to forge federal documents. It is a crime of high treason to occupy the office of the presidency under false pretense. It is treasonous for that person to have witnessed classified and highly secret intelligence information that is paramount to national security, but Barack Hussein Obama is guilty of everyone of these counts and many more.
The truth about corruption in the White House
This is a despicable testament to the inherent corruption within the US government that has condoned and sanctioned fraudulent actions and has obstructed justice in the process. In addition to President Obama, members of Congress, and the Supreme Court have been complicity in the conspiracy to commit fraud and perpetrate this travesty of justice over the American people. When authorities from other nations can easily see what Obama's supporters refuse to acknowledge, you can bet this country is in deep trouble and our government has indeed been compromised!
Posted on 12/29/2012
Original Source:
President Francois Hollande's 75 percent millionaire-tax is unconstitutional because it fails to guarantee taxpayer equality, France's top court ruled today.
The tax, one of Hollande's campaign promises, had become a focal point of discontent among entrepreneurs and other wealth creators, some of whom have quit French shores as a result. The ruling comes as the president seeks to cut France's public deficit to 3 percent of gross domestic product next year from a projected 4.5 percent this year.
"Politically, this has an impact because it was a symbol for French public opinion, and was considered abroad as the emblem of French tax excess, of French tax hell," said Dominique Barbet, senior economist at BNP Paribas SA in Paris. "In deficit terms, it's truly negligible."
The court said Hollande's plan would have added extra levies of 18 percent on individuals' incomes of more than 1 million euros ($1.32 million), while regular income taxes and a 4 percent exceptional contribution for high earners would have been based on household income, an e-mailed statement shows.
As a result, two households with the same total revenue could end up paying different rates depending on how earnings are divided among members of those households. That runs counter to a rule of equal tax treatment, the Paris-based court said.
Government Response
Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an e-mailed statement that the government "takes note" of the court decision on the 75 percent tax band and "will present a new proposal in line with the principles laid down by the Constitutional Court." The ruling doesn't call into question deficit targets or the path set out to get there, Ayrault said.
The court's decision will lower tax revenue by less than 500 million euros in 2013, according to a spokeswoman for the prime minister's office who declined to provide her name.
French billionaire Bernard Arnault, chief executive officer of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (MC), filed an application for Belgian nationality in September. While he promised to continue paying taxes in France, the action prompted fierce criticism from Hollande and his supporters.
Movie star Gerard Depardieu, 64, said he was leaving France "because you consider success, creativity, talent, anything different are grounds for sanction."
The decision could be positive for France's bond market because it shows there is a limit to the government's ability to raise taxes on the wealthy and may decrease the flight risk of more rich French citizens, Barbet said.
Wealth Tax
The constitutional court lowered a series of other tax increases, calling them excessive or saying they also violated equality of treatment for taxpayers. The tax rate on stock options and free shares was lowered to a maximum of 64.5 percent from a rate of as much as 77 percent. The marginal tax rate on a type of private retirement benefit, known as "retraites chapeau," was cut to a maximum of 68.34 percent from a planned rate in 2013 of 75.34 percent.
Looking at France's wealth tax, the court said that unrealized gains couldn't be included in assessing the tax because it ignores the requirement to take into account a payer's ability to meet his obligations.
Hollande called on the "patriotism" of the country's rich to do their part during Europe's more than three-year-old financial crisis.
A new tax proposal will be presented next year and will apply to earnings for 2013 and 2014, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said on BFM television.
Budget Constraints
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy's opposition Union for a Popular Movement political party had asked the court earlier this month to overturn the measure.
The tax, which Hollande said would be in place for two years, is part of the 2013 budget law and would have gone into effect starting on Jan. 1.
Hollande's 2013 budget relies on 20 billion euros in additional taxes: 10 billion euros from companies and 10 billion euros from individuals. In addition to the millionaire tax, Hollande has added new charges on capital gains, an increased tax on wealth, a boost to inheritance charges and an exit tax for entrepreneurs selling their companies. His government has also created a new 45 percent tax bracket for incomes exceeding 150,000 euros per year.


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How To Triple your Traffic, Email List, Social Sharing with SumoMe
SumoMe Tool to Grow your Website and Blog's Traffic, Email List, Social Sharing and Analytics
By: BloggerSpice Filed Under: How To Last Updated: 1/21/2016
Sumo sounds like a Japanese form of heavyweight wrestling, Hahaha, but I am not talking about any wrestler. SumoMe is an awesome tool to grow your Website and Blog's Email List, Social Sharing and Analytics steadily.
I am using this tool for a week and got significant result in my site. Within few days I have noticed my Blog content has shared over 100 times and now my articles are sharing over various social networking sites stably. As a result my site traffic growth is has grown triple.
Now the question is how to seriously triple a site's Traffic with Sumome? I am not a story teller I am sharing my personal experience after using Sumome.
What is SumoMe?
SumoMe is a free online tool which helps a site to grow a site. This is build with several tools such as, List builder, article and image Sharer, welcome mat, heat maps, scroll box, Smart bar, highlighter etc. Can you believe! So many services but absolutely free to grow your Blog and website. In addition, Sumome tool use Asynchronous tool which is extremely light weight and it doesn't affect page load speed. And you have total control over each feature to grow your site firmly.
However Sumome also offering paid service to use their Pro services. But for new site I think their free services are enough.
In this article I will introduce with you about all features of Sumome. And I am damn sure you will be benefited and able to see changes on your site soon.
Additional Features of SumoMe?
Sumome has created some superb apps with great features. Among various features of Sumome you will be happy to know that
- Sumome is completely mobile friendly which is necessary for fit on Smartphone.
- Sumome Users can track their site's shares and clicks.
- Extremely light weight to load apps. So many features but it loads within few seconds on a site.
- Users have freedom to choose either free or pro services. They won't push your to subscribe to their paid plan.
- It supports almost all CMS (Content management System)
- Sumome users don't need to use any other third party widget or Plugins to run a site smoothly. This is just like one stop services.
How to Install SumoMe?
Luckily Sumome support almost all CMS (Content Management System). No matter what platform are you using, Sumome will help you to install their Plugins on your site. Currently Sumome tool can easily install on Blogger, WordPress, Squarespace, Tumblr, Google tag manager, Shopify and Weebly platform.
Step 1 Visit https://sumome.com and Click on SIGN UP button from the top right corner of the screen.
Step 2 Write you Site URL, Email Address and New Password and Click SIGN UP button again.
Step 3 You just complete the registration process with Sumome. After that you will get installation code from Sumome for install the tool in your website. First copy the installation code and place it into the <head> of your HTML. Or to get installation instructions please click on various CMS (content management services) from the bottom of the page.
- If you are using WordPress then directly your can install from WordPress dashboard ->Plugins ->Add New and in Search Plugins box write Sumome and click Install button. Instantly Sumome plugin will install. And now click Activate Plugin link.
- For Blogger Site simple copy the Installation code and go to Blogger Dashboard -> Template -> Edit HTML and locate <head> and paste the Installation code below <head>. Finally click Save template button to exit from there.
Step 4 Now visit your site and locate the Sumome floating bar from right side of your site and click Sumome app icon and click Sumo Store icon.
Step 5 You will see now all Sumo apps including Pro services and click on apps icon to select enable the services from sumo. Scroll down to explore more tools.
That's it you have successfully installed the sumome apps on your Blog/Website.
Kick-Ass Sumome App for Blog or Website to Grow like Pro?
Sumome has many apps available on store, but all Sumome apps are not worthy for your Blog or website. So I just shortened the featured apps for growing your site firmly.
List Builder
This is a great opportunity to build your email list through Sumome list builder. This app helps you to convert your one time visitors into lifelong readers and email subscribers. If you are already using Mailchimp, Aweber, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, GetResponses, Infusionsoft, Mad Mimi, Vero then you can easily integrate with Sumome list builder. For asynchronous script it loads faster. In addition by using smart timing mode you can set when the apps will pop after landing on your site.
Scroll Box
This is alternative of list builder. But this will help you to grow your email list politely. Readers always feel annoying while see popup comes frequently. But Scroll Box will help to appear as a slide from right side. So your readers won't feel obstacle to reader your article.
Smart Bar
Many website and Blogs are using notification or info bar at the top of the website. In this case we can use Sumome Smart Bar. It will help to grow your email list and users can easily customize the smart bar.
Content Analytics
This works like charm, you don't know what portion of your Blog posts are reading by your Blog readers? This is not possible through other apps or widget. But by using sumome Content Analytics you will able to find out which portion is reading by your site readers thoroughly. From my point of view, this is a rare and exclusive app of SumoMe. And I love it so much.
This is most effective app of Sumome. A floating sharing bar will appear at the left side of user's site. I just love this widget. Because sumome share app is fully responsive. When readers see on mobile device then share bar will appear at the bottom of the Smartphone. This app helps me to increase my Blog article sharing three times more.
Image Sharer
There was a trend to share only content. But we just ignore about image sharing. But due to growth of various social media site like Pinterest, Blogvin, Instagram Image sharer is working significantly. If your Blog readers like your image then they can share it if you have activated sumome Image sharer.
This is a great app of Sumo because through this app sumo will display your content other 150,000+ SumoMe sites. And you must receive huge free traffic from there. And this app helped me to triple my traffic rapidly.
Contact Form
Actually this app won't very significant if you are using contact form in your site. But those who are not using any custom contact form then they can use SumoMe contact form which is beautifully crafted. The main features of this app you can customize the contact form and tab, and users will able to pace the contact form in any page. In addition you can create an auto-responsive for every contact you receive. This will make your site more professional.
I just discussed above about required apps that help a site to grow like a pro. And for installing the app just click on FREE button from top right side of the screen. And the SumoMe app will automatically install in your site.
In conclusion, I am damn sure you will use this awesome tool to grow your site rapidly. I can assure you that you will be so happy when you install this.
But one thing is to remember that without producing creative and unique content you won't able to grow your site by suing sumo me. First you need to produce some good content then boost that content through Sumo me. Otherwise you won't see any significant changes on your site after installing sumo me. Thank you.
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How To Triple your Traffic, Email List, Social Sharing with SumoMeBloggerSpice stars - "How To Triple your Traffic, Email List, Social Sharing with SumoMe" Sumo sounds like a Japanese form of heavyweight wrestling, Hahaha, but I am not talking about any wrestler. SumoMe is an awesome tool t...
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- The Queer Ontology of Digital Method
- WSQ: Women's Studies Quarterly
- The Feminist Press
- Volume 44, Numbers 3 & 4, Fall/Winter 2016
- pp. 150-169
- 10.1353/wsq.2016.0040
- Article
- View Citation
- Additional Information
This article looks at the possibilities of a generative queer engagement with emergent digital and calculative technologies. While most queer writing on methodology has involved discursive and deconstructive interventions into qualitative methods—rejecting the quantitative outright as always already deterministic—I complicate the qualitative/quantitative distinction and advocate for new experimentation with digital networks of everyday practice. In addition, by highlighting uncomfortable resonances between queerly indeterminate epistemologies and the postnormative and nonrepresentational sociocorporal modulations of both "knowing capitalism" and the biodigital sciences, I suggest a reflexive reevaluation of the politics of queer method and a realignment of critical attention.
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"Young writers do not write about what you would consider 'teen' subject matter," explained Michelle Batt, managing director of MadLab and, with Becky Horseman, co-coordinator of the company's Second Annual Young Writers Short Play Festival.
�Young writers do not write about what you would consider �teen� subject matter,� explained Michelle Batt, anaging director of MadLab and, with Becky Horseman, co-coordinator of the company�s Second Annual Young Writers Short Play Festival.
It turns out that Central Ohio�s high school playwrights concern themselves with the same topics as their adult counterparts: �life, love, death, coming of age, and the acceptance of diverse people in your family or the community,� Batt said. �The subject matter this year in particular has centered mostly around death.There are many different struggles, life lessons and relationships that surround death� Overall, I think the biggest thing to remember is that young people are emerging adults and they understand life and life circumstances better than I think most people give them credit for.
Plays by nine young women from Columbus Academy (Emily Cipriani and Sarah Fornshell), Columbus Alternative Amelia Koontz Hannah RussellHilliard Bradley Kinsey Cantrell and Abigail GoodhartUpper Arlington Anna MulhallLexy Weixel) and The Wellington School Em Hammett) made it through MadLab�s rigorous selection process, readings, mentoring, auditions, and rehearsals.
�Many schools these days are cutting creative programs that help to foster the future of our industry, and we believe it�s our duty to continue helping students pursue their dreams,� says Batt. �We want to be able to give the students the confidence to keep writing� to be able to put on their resume for college that they are a produced playwright. How many 16-yearolds can say that?�


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Marina Bay nightlife presents some of the most sophisticated venues in Singapore. Naturally, our list of the 10 best features a good helping of lofty venues that take full advantage of the breathtaking views across the bay, as well as others that don't require an elevator journey. Any discussion of the best nightlife in this area couldn't shy away from the iconic Marina Bay Sands complex either, which really comes alive at night with its variety of luxury rooftop bars, restaurants and entertainment options.
From cheap and cheerful after-work joints offering S$5-a-beer deals, to ultra-exclusive clubs where you can blow tens-of-thousands just on one drink, our list of The 10 Best Nightlife at Marina Bay has it all!
- Singapore Zoo Admission with Roundtrip Transfer
- Singapore Zoo & River Safari with Transfer
- Singapore F1 Street Circuit Driving Experience
- Adventure Cove Waterpark™ 1-Day Pass with Hotel Pickup
- Jungle Breakfast with Orangutans at Singapore Zoo
- Skip-the-Line: Night Safari Admission with Transfer
- Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands & River Cruise Tour
- Chinatown at Night with Dinner & Cruise
- Singapore Zoo Admission
- Gardens by the Bay Admission
When 1-Altitude at One Raffles Place opened in 2010, it was the highest rooftop bar in the world. Since then, it seems to have won over everyone, from young locals, high-rolling city workers, expats, as well as a good helping of tourists wanting to find out what all the fuss is about. Spread over three levels at the top of Singapore's highest skyscraper, you'll find an alfresco dining area (complete with trees), a series of swanky bars, sumptuous lounge areas and a dance floor that usually fills up late on Friday and Saturday nights. You'll have to part with S$30 just to get inside (free for ladies on Wednesday), but with a view this good it's definitely worth it. Drinks start from around $S16 to $20 for beers and spirits. Read More...
- Opening Hours: Sun - Thu 18:00 - 02:00, Fri - Sat 18:00 - 04:00
- Address: 61-63/F, 1 Raffles Place
- Tel: +65 6438 0410
Possibly Singapore's sexiest bar (we're not talking sleazy) is Lantern Bar at The Fullerton Bay Hotel. So what has aroused us enough to come to this conclusion? Firstly, Lantern bar provides some lavish bed-style seating – perfect for couples (or just close friends), to sit back with a cocktail and enjoy the breathtaking views across the Marina Bay together. There's also an equally gorgeous pool that is illuminated come dusk, and you can enjoy a drink or two in one of the cute secluded seating areas. With beers starting from $12, cocktails from $20 and free entrance, this is one exclusive Singapore venue that isn't geared purely towards the city's high rollers (although you'll find a fair share of them here too.) Read More...
- Opening Hours: 12:00 - 02:00 Daily
- Address: The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore
- Tel: +65 6597 5299
CE LA VI (formerly KU DE TA) is another rooftop bar to make our top 10 list of the best nightlife at Marina Bay, and the reasons for its inclusion are numerous. This swanky bar-cum-restaurant offers some spectacular views from the very top of Marina Bay Sands Resort, looking all the way across the bay to Singapore's towering central business district. Many tables at this exclusive venue are perched around the edge, so you can enjoy the view whilst tucking into their inventive menu of international bistro-style snacks and fancy drinks.
Cocktails are as classy as the surroundings, ranging between S$20-30 – about the same as entry into the SkyPark Observation Deck – so not too bad when you consider you're sitting atop of one of the world's most iconic 21st century buildings. Access to the breathtaking infinity-edge pool is now reserved only for guests staying at Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 11:00 – late Daily
- Address: Marina Bay Sands North Tower, 1 Bayfront Avenue
- Tel: +65 6688 7688
Kinki is one rooftop bar in Singapore that does things a bit differently. We couldn't agree more with their marketing tag of 'Japanese with urban attitude'; their menu is packed full of sushi and sashimi treats, whilst the 'urban attitude' vibe is created with some funky graffitied walls, haphazardously placed fairy lights and some rather rough and ready seating arrangements.
From that description it sounds more like one of the Singapore's dodgier joints found in Geylang – but the whole decor and menu work inexplicably well. Kinki gets packed on the weekend (and girl's night every Wednesday) with live bands playing against that stunning Marina Bay backdrop. Find it on top of Customs House at Collyer Quay, a short walk from Raffles Place MRT. Read More...
- Opening Hours: Lunch Mon - Fri 12:00 - 14:30, Evening Mon - Sat 18:00 - late (closed Sunday)
- Address: 70 Collyer Quay #02-02 Customs House
- Tel: +65 6533 3471
There's no way of adequately describing Pangaea Club without succumbing to a whole host of superlatives. Located at the iconic Marina Bay Sands Resort, Pangaea is the most profitable, most expensive and probably the most ridiculous nightclub in Singapore. Instead of trying to paint a pretty picture for you, we'll just give some of the facts: entrance is S$40, there are 20,000 light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, bottles of spirits are in the S$1,000 to $10,000 price range, VIP tables cost between S$2,000 and $15,000 for the night, and the signature cocktail, The Jewel of Pangaea, will set you back S$32,000. That's not a typo.
To be fair, the champagne-based cocktail does come with bits of gold inside, a diamond chain to take home and personal delivery by some lovely hostesses. Read More...
- Opening Hours: 22:00 - late Daily
- Address: 2 Bayfront Avenue, #B2-05 Marina Bay Sands
- Tel: +65 8611 7013
For one of Singapore's most raucous nightclubs, look no further than The Butter Factory. After four successful years at the nearby Robertson Quay, The Butter Factory is now enjoying a new lease of life at its new, swankier Marina Bay location at One Fullerton. As with any popular Singapore nightclub, you'll find an ample supply of Dom Perignon with sparklers stuffed in the top and expensive vodka from litre bottles being poured straight into mouths. The Butter Factory's underground hip-hop and house music policy helps all the hardcore party animals keep the place bouncing until the early hours. Find it near Raffles Place MRT, crawling distance from the Merlion, and dress to impress. Read More...
- Opening Hours: Wed, Fri - Sat 22:00 - 04:00
- Address: 1 Fullerton Road
- Tel: +65 6333 8243
LeVel33 is the highest microbrewery in the world, offering guests the chance to sip a tasty homemade beer whilst enjoying a spectacular view across Marina Bay. The brews are all freshly made using old-age methods combined with state-of-art technology; the result is some rich and hoppy flavours good enough to satisfy all of Singapore's budding beer connoisseurs.
This sophisticated bar also houses an onsite restaurant area which again takes full advantage of that view. Modern European fair is served up at Level33, and the price for a set three-course lunch starts from around $$40 – not too bad at all considering you're sitting 156 metres above street level. They also lay on weekend buffet and some rather tempting promotions on food and drink. Read More...
- Opening Hours: Mon - Thu 11:30 - 00:00, Fri & Holidays 11:30 - 02:00, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 00:00
- Address: 8 Marina Boulevard #33-01, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1
- Tel: +65 6834 3133
The Secret Mermaid
The Secret Mermaid, found in the Ocean Financial Centre, is a swanky restaurant/bar just a few minutes' walk from Marina Bay. By night, this hidden little venue shows its true colours with a vast menu of innovative cocktails (as well as all the classics) being concocted using only small-batch, handcrafted spirits that you've probably never heard of. If the spirit you're drinking takes your fancy, you can also buy a whole bottle to take home – making this into a miniature liquor store too.
Stop by earlier for some tasty snacks in what will feel more like a mini bistro or sophisticated cafe, with The Secret Mermaid serving up some delightful pub-style classics.
- Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 17:00 - 23:00
- Address: 10 Collyer Quay, B1-08 Ocean Financial Centre
Mansion Bay
Mansion Bay has closed.
Mansion Bay nightclub, more commonly referred to as just 'Mansion' among its young and wild local following, opened its doors in 2013 following the closure of Titanium, a long-running Thai disco that occupied the same building. The overriding factor setting Mansion Bay apart from the rest of its competition is that this club is a stand-alone venue – unlike many of the others in the area that just rent out floor space within a high-rise hotel or office building. The result is two huge floors dedicated to 1,000 revellers, various bars and multiple DJ booths, with an emphasis on dancing rather than posing next to a massive bottle of Grey Goose. Mansion Bay is easy to find next to Esplanade Mall.
- Opening Hours: Mon - Sat 18:00 - 02:00 (subject to special events)
- Address: 8 Raffles Avenue
- Tel: +65 6333 4083
Five Izakaya Bar – or just 'Fives Bar' get its name from their ludicrously cheap (for Singapore) all-day drinks deals. A clue to the price is in the name, with many glasses of draft beer or house wine starting at a measly S$5. With drinks this cheap, you'd expect surrounding to match – but you'd be wrong. Fives Bar, whilst pretty small, still delivers sophistication and style; the centrepiece comes in the form of two huge unused elevators that stretch up beyond the bar.
A live singer and guitarist use this raised level as a stage in the evenings, and despite their best efforts, the sound is drowned out a little the swarms of office workers that start to fill the bar from 19:00. Read More...
- Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 15:00 - 01:00, Sat 17:00 - 01:00 (closed Sunday)
- Address: 16 Collyer Quay
- Tel: +65 6536 8955


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WVU research funding tops $174 million for second consecutive year
West Virginia University received a near-record $174 million in sponsored research funding in the most recent fiscal year, second only to the previous year, which benefited from a one-time boost from federal stimulus funds.
The two-year average of $176 million represents a 35 percent improvement over the $130 million average during the previous 10 fiscal years.
"WVU is a significant player in the national competition for research and innovation grants and contracts," WVU President Jim Clements said. "With this year's success, our faculty and staff, as well as our graduate students deserve a great deal of credit.
"The provost, chancellor for health sciences, and the deans are working to increase our research capacity with additional faculty lines so we continue to stay strong in this area," he said. "Research and innovation are key drivers in the WVU 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future, reflecting the high priority for these activities in our national and state economies."
The strengthened research funding comes at the same time that donations to the WVU Foundation have reached a record $96.3 million in cash, pledges and in-kind gifts, including some significant gifts that support research.
"Our numbers these past two years reflect a continuation of our upward trend in dollars awarded to University researchers for their ongoing discovery and innovation," said Curt Peterson, WVU vice president for research and economic development.
"This year's figures are only about $4 million less than last year when American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding played a big role," he said. "FY 2009 is the most recent comparable year because that year, there were only $1.8 million in stimulus dollars in the mix. So this year's sponsored research funding ended up being $23 million more than in 2009."
Additionally, almost 10 percent of the funding – $18.4 million – comes from industry.
Peterson credited outstanding quality proposals from WVU faculty for continuing the progress of the overall University research enterprise and noted that the WVU Research Office intensified its ongoing efforts to identify funding opportunities and prepare and encourage faculty researchers to pursue them. The efforts were reflected in the increases in grant applications and increased dollars received in 2011 as compared to 2009.
He said that funding identification and faculty assistance efforts will be even more critical considering the loss of Congressionally-directed funding avenues going forward.
"Funding agencies are recognizing the value of our research at WVU Health Sciences," Chancellor Christopher C. Colenda, MD, MPH, said. "It's collaborative and engages scientists from many disciplines. We are working together to solve our health problems today so that we can transform the lives of future generations not only here in West Virginia but throughout the world."
"It is no coincidence that WVU's research enterprise is reaching new levels of success," Provost Michele Wheatly said. "We have made research a priority, and work every day to do more, and make it easier for our faculty to do more, so that we can fulfill our strategic plan goals and make life better for everyone, whether they live in Newell or New York. Whether it's working to make coal mines safer, finding new sources of energy or discovering the latest pulsar, WVU researchers are pushing to take this University ever higher.
"We will not be satisfied with this record," she said, "but will keep pushing and pushing and pushing."
The University's growing reputation as an up-and-coming research institution was emphasized in FY 2011 by prestigious recognition in two national research-oriented magazines: identification as one of the top places to work in academia by The Scientist and designation of a "WVU technology as the winner of an "Oscar of Innovation from R&D Magazine.
WVU was the second ranked comprehensive public university, and one of only four in total, on the list compiled by The Scientist, a respected news magazine that focuses primarily on biology and life science. WVU's ranking pointed out that WVU is a place where cooperation and collegiality "keep research running smoothly in the face of economic adversity."
Meanwhile, R&D Magazine named a new fuel cell-enhancing technology developed by WVU's Xingbo Liu, in cooperation with the National Energy Technology Laboratory, as one of the "100 most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year." Previous R&D 100 Award winners include such innovations as HDTV and the automated teller machine.
Peterson said WVU's research in 2011 was focused on a wide range of areas such as: bolstering national security and defense through work on biometrics and unmanned aerial vehicles; improving water quality; ensuring the safety of Appalachia food systems; measuring soils' ability to absorb radiation; investigating West Virginia's geothermal energy potential; studying implications of Marcellus shale drilling; fighting cystic fibrosis; helping lung cancer patients avoid hospital visits; using video games to help patients with nervous system trauma; waging war on childhood obesity; and much more.
The funding comes from a variety of private and government sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, NASA and others.
Check http://wvutoday.wvu.edu daily for the latest news from the University.
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.


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How We Avoid Dealing With Poverty
David R. Jones, The Huffington Post
When I was a second year law student, my advisor and fellow classmates convinced me I had to take "hard" law courses if I wanted to be a successful practitioner when I got out. Accounting for lawyers was the most practical course at Yale Law School I could imagine, so I signed up. I sat in the front row and lasted exactly one session. The course began with the professor stating that the basic introductory materials could be completely skipped over since everyone in the room knew them already. The class all concurred (with me seemingly the only one who silently disagreed) that we didn't have to focus on the elementary stuff. In the entire hour of torture I didn't understand one concept. At the end, I did what I had never done, asked to drop the course. It was going to be simply too hard for me. Give me constitutional law or even corporations, but not accounting.
What does this have to do with anything today? I have had a week where I've heard government officials and heads of foundations tell me that dealing with young African Americans and Latinos without a high school diploma and low reading and math skills was simply too difficult a problem to wrestle with. Young people going to community college, the very young just starting out, and retooling older workers was the only things they thought they could handle. These are all very progressive, decent, and committed people; committed to ending poverty. The trouble is that the ranks of those black and Latino young men and women without a credential have become such a large proportion of inner city urban America. And so many of the most basic low-paying jobs are increasingly requiring a high school credential that we not only can forget about diminishing urban poverty over the next decade, we may see it become more entrenched than ever if we don't confront this population.
As I mentioned, I recognize when things are just too hard, but the steady disinvestment in basic education and skills development in virtually all of the public schools serving poor black and Latino young people is now coming home to roost. The federal stimulus bills and the jobs bills currently being considered by Congress do virtually nothing to address the problem. Whether it's tax credits for employers to hire back workers or efforts to retrain displaced workers or infrastructure projects that only assist highly skilled construction workers, nothing does much for the legions of young people in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Detroit who have no work history and are a long way from getting their high school diploma.
The large foundations have been particularly resistant in their approach to breaking cycles of poverty. They focus on the very young or on community colleges as the way out. In both cases, success is much easier. The very young flower, as Geoff Canada has shown in the Harlem Children's Zone, when given enriched educational opportunity and family support. When young people with or near a high school diploma are supported in the community college system, they make it. My problem is that for every individual we help with these approaches, just as many, if not more, join the ranks of those without a credential and without work.
Now is the time that American cities desperately need transitional jobs programs which focus on public works employment married with serious skills development - for years, not months. Summer youth employment programs, which primarily serve in-school youth, won't cut it when urban high schools routinely have a dropout rate hovering around 50 percent. It may all be too hard, but the shape of a bleak urban landscape is fast emerging, and the longer we wait to deal with it the greater the burden for young people involved and for the rest of America confronting a world that is fast moving past us in providing basic skills to all their people and gaining significant competitive advantage.


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Tuesday, February 16
F is for freezing.
It's cold enough for snow tonight!
The weather FORECASTS have been so inaccurate for our region - but I definitely think it may snow.
We are well stocked up - Jon chopped some logs so this lot should keep us going through the night.
I have a joint of pork in the top oven and it smells FANTASTIC!
Onion gravy and a vegetable bake for tonight. A FEAST indeed.
ABC Wednesday!
11 comments:
freezing indeed..overhere actualy at this moment... brrrrrrrReplyDelete
Have a nice abc-day / - week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
Oh gosh, Denise! Some areas are feeling some signs of spring now. But it shouldn't be too long and you can turn off the oven. Stay warm and cosy!ReplyDelete
abcw team
Dinner sounds delicious on a freezing night ~ It has been very cold in MA (USA) ~ as well ~ today it is much milder ~ Great choice for F ~ReplyDelete
Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^
Ummm, sounds delightful. I do love the smell of pork roasting.ReplyDelete
Keep warm.
I can almost smell the food. :)ReplyDelete
This brings back memories of the years we chopped wood for the fireplaces.ReplyDelete
I always think that when it is cold here Denise and the wind is blowing from the North East, you will be gatting it even colder. Much better here today and the snow is gone - hope it is the same with you.ReplyDelete
I came from one post with chocolate fudge to yours with roast pork, two of my favourites. And now my stomach rumbles!ReplyDelete
Keep warm!ReplyDelete
Well I think you will be mighty warm and satisfied tummys.ReplyDelete
What a gorgeous oven xReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, always nice to know somebody has taken the time to let me know what they think.


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Join or renew NJSELA now! Membership through December 2018 - $40
Click the Join NJSELA link above.
Click the Join NJSELA link above.
The New Jersey Student Learning Assessment for Science (NJSLA-S) measures student proficiency with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science. The science standards require assessment tasks that examine students' performance of scientific and engineering practices in the context of crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas. The three-dimensional nature of the standards requires more complex assessment items and tasks. Click here for the link to the Practice Tests.
Calling all Science Supervisors!
Heading a science department is a big job! Ever feel like you are going it alone? Don't! Sign up for
NJSELA's Supervisor Mentoring Program!
This is a program with the intention of partnering veteran science supervisors (or those with science supervision responsibilities) with "new" (<3 yrs) people in the role - but it is really open to anyone who wants to make connections and have a go-to group for helping with the issues we encounter, big and small.
Interested? Sign up here.


text:
Do click to enlarge pics to their original size.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Friday's Fences
Do click to enlarge pics to their original size.
22 comments:
- Betsy from Tennessee said...
Hi There, Great pictures of the fence and also the barn... Very nice!!!!!! Thanks for sharing.
- November 17, 2011 at 8:58 PM
- Judy said...
I like the two fence posts, standing side by side - one aged and the other new! I have never seen sawtooth trim like that!
- November 17, 2011 at 10:48 PM
- nana_ang_poppaphil said...
Love the fence and the barn is gorgeous
- November 18, 2011 at 1:06 AM
- Lesley said...
You have a similar fence (and to think I had never seen one like it before!). I also like the various patterns on that barn.
- November 18, 2011 at 1:14 AM
- Bridget Larsen said...
Those fence posts are full of character. Barns have so much to tell, reminds me of Smallville
Bridget #2
- November 18, 2011 at 2:56 AM
- Gemma Wiseman said...
Wonderful textured fence posts and love the character of the barn!
- November 18, 2011 at 3:22 AM
- Jan n Jer said...
Barns n fence post go together so well! Great shot of the post and I love that trim on the barn! thanks for playing FF
- November 18, 2011 at 7:28 AM
- Faye said...
Whoever owned this barn at one time had a good architectural eye. The fence and barn do complement each other as we can see in your very "in focus" closeups. That's still a skill I have to master judging from blurred photos I took yesterday! So hubs is willing to be driver for the photographer? Good hubs!
- November 18, 2011 at 8:04 AM
- kaye said...
you don't see many old rail fences any more. I like the look of them. nice capture.
- November 18, 2011 at 9:44 AM
- Anonymous said...
great fence, but i love that old barn, Carletta, what a beauty! =)
- November 18, 2011 at 9:48 AM
- Deb said...
great photos....
- November 18, 2011 at 10:21 AM
- Pat said...
Great eye to catch that repeating pattern! Love the barn!
- November 18, 2011 at 11:10 AM
- Buttons said...
What great shots a very COOL barn with a nice fence. I love the barn, so much character. Great shots. B
- November 18, 2011 at 11:46 AM
- Pam said...
Nice shots Carletta. I love the sawtooth design of the trim. They just don't dress up houses like they use to.
Have a wonderful weekend.
- November 18, 2011 at 3:48 PM
- Kim, USA said...
The roof needs a little bit of TLC. And I agree this barn is pretty I like a barn with fences. ^_^ And this one has.
Friday Fences
- November 18, 2011 at 4:06 PM
- Mama Zen said...
Very nice captures!
- November 18, 2011 at 5:41 PM
- Debbie said...
the fence is great BUT i LOVE that barn!!
- November 18, 2011 at 6:59 PM
- Rose said...
I LIKE! I love those doors...someone took a lot of time to do the cross pieces in them. I also really like the fence.
- November 18, 2011 at 9:14 PM
- Liz said...
Great images! I love your composition in the first shot. The barn is great. I love how the fence complements the barn!
- November 18, 2011 at 9:25 PM
- diane b said...
Old fences are so picturesque.
- November 19, 2011 at 7:30 AM
- don said...
A fine Fence Friday shot with such a nice gate and wooden fences with details. Excellent post.
- November 19, 2011 at 11:05 AM
- Sandra said...
I love that first fence post. wow. a beautiful post. like the barn too. it is always hard when i go to visit a blog and find more than one, i usually go first to one that sounds like photography, since that is the reason i blog, i love photography and dogs. and i love the always in blue jeans part of your blog..
- November 19, 2011 at 3:57 PM


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Hotels close to Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium are provided in the list below in the order of their distance. Use our search tools to find cheap hotel rates near Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium (in Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium) for your personal or business travels.We sell the best lodging close to Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium so you can review the available Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium lodging below and discover the perfect hotel. Booking 5+ Rooms for a group? Book a Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium group hotel rate
Originally constructed in 1936 with seating for just fewer than 9,000 people, the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium is now home to the annual Capital One Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, Walt Disney World Florida Classic, and University of Central Florida Football. The stadium, which has undergone several renovations to increase its seating capacity and overall appearance, is now home to several concerts and entertainment that come to the Orlando area. The current stadium can fit up to 70,000 guests, after adding bleachers in the north end zone. The facility is conveniently located near Orlando International Airport, as well as several top area attractions, excellent dining, and exciting entertainment.After a $38-million renovation in 1989, the stadium now offers a handicap-accessible elevator, additional disabled seating, electrical and phone upgrades, and a state-of-the-art playing field. The facility is owned and operated by the city of Orlando, and is part of the Orlando Centroplex. In the past, the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium has played home to the 1994 World Cup Soccer games and the 1996 Olympic Soccer first and second rounds. It has also housed performances for popular bands such as The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, George Michael, Guns 'N Roses, and Billy Joel.
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text: Capture your favorite memories with Sakar's Hello Kitty Digital Video Recorder! The camera features a screen that turns 180 degrees, still photo taking capability special Snap N' Share Photo Editing Software, a 1.8 inch preview screen and a built-in microphone! Watch your videos on TV directly with an A/V cable!


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Location: Australia
Member Since: November 2011
Open for read requests: Yes
Featured by author
Book / Young Adult
Short Story / Horror
Profile Information
Hey, my name is..... Justbecause :) No, I am not telling you my real name. Think about how many stalkers there are out there! OK, OK, I know I'm being paranoid but whatever, better safe than sorry!
So obviously I love reading and writing, but I also love lemons. (I know, weird.) I also like braiding hair, the beach, swimming, surfing, tennis, and music. I am under the age of 20 and over the age of 12, haha not saying exact age.
If you wanna read anything of mine I would be honored to read yours! My favourite books are Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Destroying Avalon and The Time Traveler's Wife. If you love reading you will love those books, so give them a try, they're actually amazing.
Below are some pictures of some stuff I like and then a random picture of some elephants JUSTBECAUSE I thought it was cool. :D
This is where you can leave a short message for the writer. All Quickees are public. To leave a private message, use the private.
If you want to write a quickee (a remark or a hint for example) on this writer's profile, please sign in.


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Jose Mourinho
- Birthplace: Setubal, Portugal
- Previous Clubs: FC Porto, Uniao de Leiria, Benfica; Chelsea; Inter Milan
- Honours: Champions League: 2004, 2010; UEFA Cup: 2003; English Premier League: 2005, 2006; English FA Cup: 2007; English League Cup: 2005, 2007; FA Community Shield: 2005; Portuguese Liga: 2003, 2004; Portuguese Cup: 2003; Italian Super Cup: 2008; Italian Serie A: 2009, 2010; Italian Cup: 2010; Spanish Cup: 2011
Mourinho is the self-titled 'Special One' and his rise from being a mere translator to becoming one of the best managers in the world was nothing short of meteoric. He never played professionally and had held low-profile positions at Estrela Amadora and Vitoria Setubal before taking his first high-profile role in 1992 when appointed to work under Bobby Robson at Sporting Lisbon. Mourinho initially worked as a translator, but he duly became assistant manager when Robson moved on to FC Porto and, in three years, they clinched two titles.
Mourinho enjoyed great success at Chelsea.
The Robson-Mourinho combo then moved on to Barcelona in 1996, where they won a pair of Spanish Cups (1997 and 1998) and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1997, but Mourinho went his own way and, after a nine-game reign at Benfica, he took perennial strugglers Uniao de Leiria to a fourth-place finish and a European adventure. FC Porto took note of the young manager's talents and snapped him up after a poor start to the 2002-03 season. The side then stormed to the league title, the domestic cup and UEFA Cup final in his first season. Almost inevitably, the 2003-04 season yielded more success with Porto retaining their league title but, of course, the outstanding success was their clinching of the Champions League trophy after a 3-0 victory against Monaco; Mourinho was heralded as a genius. When Chelsea came calling in May 2004, Mourinho jumped at the chance and guided the club to their first title in 50 years, also picking up the Carling Cup trophy. However, he also had numerous run-ins with the football authorities. The most high-profile case came with the Ashley Cole 'tapping-up' affair, while he accused Swedish referee Anders Frisk of bias in the Champions League - a move that saw the official retire - and his clashes with the press provided much amusement. Chelsea retained their Premier League title - Mourinho's second in two years in England - and the club set a new English record for unbeaten league matches at home in August 2007. However, Chelsea did not begin the 2007-08 season well and Mourinho left the club 'by mutual consent' in September amid rumours of a bust-up with the boardroom, thought to stem from a breakdown in his relationship with skipper John Terry. It took until June 2008 for him to get into his new role - taking over from Roberto Mancini at Serie A giants Internazionale - but he immediately showed his talent. He led the side to back-to-back Serie A titles, while in 2009-10 he brought unprecedented success to the club with the Treble of Scudetto, European and domestic cup. However, when Real Madrid came calling at the end of the season, he decided to follow his dream of managing in Spain and moved to the Bernabeu before the 2010 World Cup. In his first season he won the Copa del Rey tournament for the first time since 1993, but was unable to wrestle the La Liga crown from Barcelona. Strengths: Always willing to produce a soundbite for the thronged media men, he is a dream for the tabloids and has a silver tongue. His tactical knowledge is second to none and he is always first to defend his players. A real man-manager. Weaknesses: Hot-headed and passionate, he suffers from red mist occasionally and his antics can detract from the football. Accused of playing defensive, dull football to grind out results. Career high: His first Champions League with FC Porto was an incredible achievement for such a young manager, but his Treble with Inter Milan will take some beating. Career low: Sacked by Chelsea after failing to impress in the Champions League. Numerous controversies hurt his reputation and the Anders Frisk incident won't be forgotten. Tactics: Mourinho likes playing with three men up front, two in the wide positions and then three in central areas. Two defensive midfielders usually provide the spine, and allow one attacker to drift. Flying full backs are also asked to provide the width. Quotes: ''Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one"- Mourinho's first press conference at Chelsea. Trivia: Mourinho owns a pet dog called Gullit and the Portuguese was once arrested and cautioned after refusing to let police take the dog into quarantine, having let it loose to escape capture.


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Regardless of the economic crisis, I believe the security challenges that globalization itself inevitably brings must not jeopardize the protection of national interests. This particularly relates to the sea, which is one of the most important resources for countries like the Republic of Croatia. Therefore, in accordance with the economic capabilities and defined priorities, it is necessary to maintain and develop the abilities of the Croatian Navy as a key factor in the world's maritime security.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Click on the "Google Translate" button under the photo box and choose the language into which you would like the section translated.


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Product Overview
The STI Recoilmaster is a complete kit that produces significant reductions in muzzle climb and recoil. This gives the shooter more consistent performance and brings the gun back to point of aim more quickly than convention recoil assemblies. Light Recoilmaster is for 9mm Luger and 38 Super, while the Heavy is for 40 S&W, 10mm Auto and 45 ACP. Both include a takedown tool. Requires installation by a qualified gunsmith.
Open Class guns and all 9mm use the Light system. Guns, other than 9mm guns, with "tight" slide fit, and guns with unmodified or classic slides use the Heavy system.


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Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Dia Mengerti..
11 comments:
wah nice song ooo... syapun dgr jg lagu2 mcm wow worship, hillsongs n gmb bila stress ni.. but bila fikir2.. bgs leave it all to God ja.. hihi... :)ReplyDelete
That's the spirit dear. When we think no one understands, He does. When we think no one hears or listens, He does. :-) I'm kinda going thru some spiritual healing myself. All the best for your New Year. Let's move on together...ReplyDelete
this song makes me cry each time I heard it.ReplyDelete
RPK? As in the blogger ka? :-)ReplyDelete
wow.this song really touching..makes you think..anyway..thanks for sharing...time for all of to move on..God Bless :)ReplyDelete
nice song...GBU!ReplyDelete
x pernah sebenarnya dengar nie lagu..mau cari lah..n mau dengar..mau menghayati..ReplyDelete
ok..all the best in seraching whatever you're searching..alrite..
There is always a purpose in life :DReplyDelete
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete


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Next Scheduled Event
Meet new friends and connect with old ones by breaking bread and enjoying a meal together! If you're new to the Island, newly out, or just looking to meet some new guys, come alone, in a couple, or as part of a group.
Feel free to invite your friends - the more the merrier!
Please bring a dish to share and RSVP by commenting on this event page with what you plan to bring!
This event is for people 21+
Call Nick for information, to RSVP, or to help put it together! 718.808.1360


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On September 13th, we brought the Future of Health to Interchange Camden with our second Science: Disrupt London Session. We were super keen to share some of the truly brilliant minds driving health forwards, democratising healthcare, and showcasing some wonderful examples of how tech can shape the way we interact with our health data.
We were once again joined by 3 fantastic speakers who shared valuable insights into their motivations for being in the space. These were Tom Livesey, CTO and Co-Founder of Thriva; Maxine Mackintosh, Chair of HealthTech Women UK; and Shafi Ahmed, Consultant Surgeon and VR Evangelist. This was all capped off with a panel, chaired by Tech and Culture journalist Philip Ellis.
If you couldn't make it (or just want to listen to the brilliant trio of disruptors) check out their videos below, we've even linked their slides, because we're just that nice!
Our next Science: Disrupt London Session will be the end of the October and we're tackling Future Space! For tickets to that event check out this link.
Tom Livesey - CTO & Co-Founder of Thriva
Maxine Mackintosh - Chair of HealthTech Women UK
Find Maxine's slides here
Shafi Ahmed - Consultant Surgeon & VR Evangelist
Find Shafi's slides here


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By design, Google has brought its superfast Google Fiber Gigabit Internet and cable television services to only a small number of communities in the United States as it observes how it is accepted and how it can be deployed on a larger scale over time.
The beneficiaries of those Google Fiber experiments so far include residents in Kansas City, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah.
But if other communities would like to attract Google to come to their towns and cities with superfast service, they'd better do some homework to make their invitations to Google as sweet as they can make them, according to Joanne Hovis, a communications policy expert and president of CTC Technology & Energy, an independent communications and IT engineering consulting firm that works with public sector and nonprofit clients throughout the U.S.
Hovis, who is also the immediate past president of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), wrote a Feb. 11 guest post on the Google Fiber Blog about how local communities can help their own causes in attracting a fiber project in their backyards
Further reading
"There are certain steps that cities and counties can take that could help attract fiber companies to build private local networks," Hovis wrote.
Those steps could include making sure that the road right of ways are built to make it as easy and as inexpensive as possible to add new utilities either underground or overhead.
"When private companies build fiber networks, one of the biggest costs is stringing physical fiber lines throughout an entire community, which requires either digging up streets (to put fiber underground) or installing new utility poles (to string fiber in the air)," wrote Hovis .
"If localities want to attract fiber providers, they can help to make this future construction much easier by instituting what's called a 'dig once' policy. Every time the city does road maintenance or needs to dig up streets to reach water or sewer pipes, they can install fiber conduit while they're already down there.
"Then, they can make that conduit available for providers to lease and pull their fiber through. Not only is this an attractive option to providers who save the time and expense of digging, but it has the added benefit of reducing future disruption for local citizens (who probably don't want to deal with a future road closure if it can be avoided)," wrote Hovis.
If that is prohibitive, local governments could instead "install large bundles of fiber and make that available to companies or nonprofits who want to build state-of-the-art broadband," she wrote. "In our experience, the strategy of building conduit or fiber whenever possible is the single most powerful, cost-effective step a locality can take to enable new network development."


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Monday, February 22, 2010
A storm monumental.
Already you're getting the idea: Sandstone walls, massive evidence of differential erosion, heaps of juniper, pinon, sage and chamisa.
The day was fraught with intense squalls that cycled through snow, rain, snain, and fog about every 90 seconds or so. Moody.
The moments of snowfall drew my attention to how often walls tower above and around.
After an hour or so of steady ascent, you end up more or less at a static elevation and start poking along the rim.
The scent of sage was intense, even from a distance.
Boo times two.
Throughout the day, opportunities for history lessons were abundant.
Right about here it started nuking.
And then a minute or so later it let up. But didn't clear up.
Some of my favorite viewpoints were socked in when I arrived, which meant I spent more time gawking at the lesser-knowns.
Dry rock = overhung.
Aaaaand some not-so-dry rock.
Tis a super ride to have in the backyard. The views make it feel less like a true 'road ride' and that works for me. I do my best to ride it as few times as possible throughout the year, making each trip over the top a special occasion.
Thanks for checkin' in.
8 comments:
Absolutely beautiful! Wet weather or not:) Thanks again for sharing.ReplyDelete
I'd definitely have to agree: pretty entertaining for a road ride!ReplyDelete
awesome photos and a gorgeous ride...pretty sure whoever was in the car that passed you thought you were nuts for being out there.ReplyDelete
JJ and I LOVE that area when it's foggy and misty, very moody and different. Great eye, you captured the sense of place very well.ReplyDelete
Beautiful Images! I read a half dozen of so cycling blogs regularly (and a dozen or more less so), three of the regulars have outstanding photography - yours, Jill Homer's Up in Alaska, and Gnat Likes Bikes.ReplyDelete
My favorite road ride.And I never saw look that beautiful!ReplyDelete
Most of us are too focused on riding "over the Monument" to appreciate what we have there, Mike. Thanks for reminding us!ReplyDelete


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Man stabbed to death near border identified
SAN YSIDRO, Calif. — Police Sunday released the identity of a man who was stabbed to death earlier this week just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Twenty-four-year-old Nelson Ramon Moradel of San Diego was found unconscious on the sidewalk in the 300 block of Sycamore Road with a bloody wound to his torso and died at the scene, according to Lt. Manny Del Toro of the San Diego Police Department.
The homicide remains unsolved, but detectives are still working on developing leads in the case, Del Toro said. San Diego police and paramedics were sent to the San Ysidro area after the stabbing was reported around 5:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Homicide detectives and crime lab personnel were called to search for potential witnesses and evidence, Del Toro said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the crime scene extended south to Cesar Chavez Park with possible items of evidence discovered between there and the body, he said.
Anyone with information related to this killing was asked to call the San Diego Police Department's Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.


text: The Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at Valley Presbyterian Hospital specializes in comprehensive electrical studies of the heart and also is used as an auxiliary catheterization lab. Through EP study, our highly specialized physicians are able to test the function of the electrical system in the heart, which can indicate, for example, proper placement of a pacemaker, pacemaker function, the cause of arrhythmias, and many other findings. The EP Lab offers diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders such as: Atrial fibrillation Ventricular arrhythmias Supraventricular tachycardias Bradyarrhythmia Our EP Lab services include: Diagnostic electrophysiology studies Catheter ablations with 3D mapping capabilities Pacemaker implants Cardiac defibrillator implants Cardioversions Electrophysiological studies, such as AV node ablation


text: Most of the energy used in the world comes from the combustion of organic compounds, such compounds are fossil fuels. They are finite resources and when we have used up Earth's reserves no more will be formed. We use fuels as if there is unlimited reserves but they are not. Although they have many advantages but the disadvantages are taking a toll on our ecosystem. These fuels contain sulphur which when reacts with oxygen and water they form acidic rain. However the biggest drawback is the formation of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas.


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The rise of the sharing economy has led to new business models unthinkable five years ago. Renting someone's room or that same person's car for a few hours has become seamless--pesky details such as insurance and liability issues aside. Now the sharing economy, or collaborative consumption, has become far more mainstream.
And some would say a synonym of mainstream is "corporate." More large companies are dipping their toes into the huge pool of sharing economy ideas that are springing up for just about every kind of good or service imaginable. Last week's announcement that Avis would buy the grandaddy of the shared economy, Zipcar, was a sign that collaborative consumption has matured; others are terrified at the thought of a multinational taking over a nifty service with the aim of destroying it.
The emerging corporate presence into the sharing economy, however, is because of far more nuanced reasons.
First, the sharing of goods and services is here to stay. The reasons are varied, from the obvious such as money saved to developing a sense of community or the emergence of what some describe as the "asset-light generation." To that end, companies are now confronting the fact that not everyone wants to own a car, a high-end handbag or the huge credit card bill when they buy their children's back-to-school clothes. They will, however, gladly share them.
Next, the potential size of the sharing economy is huge, and could even become worth $110 billion. Even if its growth within a few years is only a sliver of that, there is still money to be made. Of course, the true size of the sharing economy will never be known. Nevertheless, for the corner office to ignore the sharing economy would be foolish. The trick, of course, is finding an opening. And one of America's largest, and until recently, most conservative and stodgy industries, has been the trailblazer when it comes to cooperating, partnering and investing in the sharing economy.
The fact that fewer 16 and 17 year olds are quick to sign up for a driver's license has long term repercussions on automobile manufacturers. So in the long run, automakers realize they have to adjust their business models for many changes including the change in driving habits. The increase in urbanization means that there will be less space for cars in the cities; and millennials are less and less interested in owning a car and dealing with the accompanying hassles such as insurance and parking.
So RelayRides, the car-sharing company dotted across the country from Silicon Valley to Boston, last year scored investment from GM. The year before that, Ford became the largest source of cars for Zipcar's car-sharing fleet. Even BMW has dabbled within the sharing economy by partnering with ParkatmyHouse.com, a service that matches parking spaces with commuters. And before we become too distracted by the the Avis-Zipcar deal, remember Hertz's On Demand service has succeeded with short car rentals for as little as $5 an hour. But it is not only the automakers who are dabbling into the sharing economy.
Retailers are starting to partner with sharing economy startups as well as encourage their customers to adopt more sustainable and responsible behavior. IKEA is tinkering with shared services firms; in Australia, the furniture megastore partners with the car-sharing company GoGet to link shoppers who need to take their crates of furniture home. And in its home country of Sweden, IKEA started a pilot program that allowed customers to sell used furniture, partly as a reaction to similar schemes that started up across Europe. Partnerships may not be a tacit endorsement of collaborative consumption; but companies, including IKEA, realize that to ignore this movement is to overlook potential revenues and new opportunities to build brand awareness.
Established companies are also taking an experimental approach with the sharing economy. One of the most environmentally destructive industries is the textile and clothing sector. Each hour over 100,000 items of clothing are disposed in landfills daily. And while many clothes-sharing services such as ThredUp thrive, watch for retailers to join the sharing economy revolution.
One company changing the relationship betwen us and with our clothes is UK-based Marks & Spencer. Last year, the department store chain started a "Shwopping" campaign that encourages customers to drop off old clothing--even if they were not M&S items--when they shop for new clothes. True, many of the clothes end up abroad or even recycled into new textile fibers; but some are resold within the UK. Encouraging customers to recycle clothes also allows the company to develop relationships with everyone from couture designers to local activists--and also provides fodder for the company to study its consumers' shopping habits or even add to its historic archive.
The corporatizing of the shared economy is a long way off and, in fact, may never occur. As of now building supply companies such as Lowe's and HomeDepot have not addressed the fact that most of us use a power drill for an average of 15 minutes a year; electronics retailers including Best Buy have not been quick to find new homes for the dated electronics that once sat on their shelves. Nevertheless, rise of the sharing economy is in part because of its maturity; and that evolution means we will see more large companies attempt to meld their business models in order for them to be part of this new evolution in consumer behavior.
Leon Kaye, based in Fresno, California, is a sustainability consultant and the editor of GreenGoPost.com. He also contributes to Guardian Sustainable Business; his work has also appeared on Sustainable Brands, Inhabitat and Earth911. You can follow Leon and ask him questions on Twitter or Instagram (greengopost).
Image credit: RelayRides.com