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Video tools for influencers Even though it says for influencers, you can view stats for your videos posted on your personal profile. Rolling Stone Two new services are releasing for Facebook Creators to help them build bigger audiences and gain resources necessary to build their brand, Facebook announced today. The first announcement is the Facebook Creator App which will allow Creators to make new content for the social media site with only a cellphone. Forbes Facebook remains as committed as ever to the creator community and today the social media giant is launching an app built and dedicated specifically for them, in addition to a new website that will provide creators with inspiration, support and education.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Berlinerkranser There are few traditions in my family that I can easily trace back to our European ancestry, but one that has survived is the baking of Berlinerkranser, a Norwegian holiday treat. This is my grandmother's recipe. I'd never baked them myself until this year. I knew they were rich, but I had no idea they were this rich. They are excellent though. Good thing Christmas comes but once a year! With a little effort you can make these extremely attractive. I had assistance from my 3 1/2 year old son, so the shaping suffered a bit, but we had great fun making them and they are still buttery and delicious. I was astonished to see that the recipe contains no leavening. They are basically like little shortbread cookies, wrapped into a bite-sized wreath. Peel the three hard-boiled eggs, remove and dispose of the whites, and crumble the yolks in a bowl. Separate the raw egg yolks and whites. Mix the raw yolks into the bowl of crumbed yolks. Cover the bowl of whites and refrigerate for later use. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together. Stir the yolks into the butter mixture, then stir the flour into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When thoroughly chilled, pull the bowl of dough out of the refrigerator. Break off small chunks of the dough and roll them out into little strips, approximately 4 inches long and a quarter of an inch around. Gentle bend the strips into wreaths and place on a greased baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350. Just before putting them in the oven, brush the top of the wreaths with the egg whites and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. Gently remove from the baking sheet to cool.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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The postings that you see are political in nature, and important (in my humble opinion) to our world and its future. I've been disgusted, repulsed, and in a state of revulsion ever since the Republicans reared their ugly right-wing heads and decided for once and all, that every small step taken for humankind should be eradicated. So if you find this blog biased, you're not in a minority. Friday, October 26, 2007 What's Next In The Sad State of USA? White House Leak: Cheney's Plan for Iran Attack Starts With Israeli Missile StrikeBy Gregor Peter Schmitz and Cordula Meyer, Der SpiegelPosted on October 26, 2007, Printed on October 26, 2007http://www.alternet.org/story/66157/US Vice President Dick Cheney -- the power behind the throne, the eminence grise, the man with the (very) occasional grandfatherly smile -- is notorious for his propensity for secretiveness and behind-the-scenes manipulation. He's capable of anything, say friends as well as enemies. Given this reputation, it's no big surprise that Cheney has already asked for a backroom analysis of how a war with Iran might begin. In the scenario concocted by Cheney's strategists, Washington's first step would be to convince Israel to fire missiles at Iran's uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Tehran would retaliate with its own strike, providing the US with an excuse to attack military targets and nuclear facilities in Iran. This information was leaked by an official close to the vice president. Cheney himself hasn't denied engaging in such war games. For years, in fact, he's been open about his opinion that an attack on Iran, a member of US President George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil," is inevitable. Given these not-too-secret designs, Democrats and Republicans alike have wondered what to make of the still mysterious Israeli bombing run in Syria on Sept. 6. Was it part of an existing war plan? A test run, perhaps? For days after the attack, one question dominated conversation at Washington receptions: How great is the risk of war, really? Grandiose Plans, East and West In the September strike, Israeli bombers were likely targeting a nuclear reactor under construction, parts of which are alleged to have come from North Korea. It is possible that key secretaries in the Bush cabinet even tried to stop Israel. To this day, the administration has neither confirmed nor commented on the attack. Nevertheless, in Washington, Israel's strike against Syria has revived the specter of war with Iran. For the neoconservatives it could represent a glimmer of hope that the grandiose dream of a democratic Middle East has not yet been buried in the ashes of Iraq. But for realists in the corridors of the State Department and the Pentagon, military action against Iran is a nightmare they have sought to avert by asking a simple question: "What then?" The Israeli strike, or something like it, could easily mark the beginning of the "World War III," which President Bush warned against last week. With his usual apocalyptic rhetoric, he said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could lead the region to a new world war if his nation builds a nuclear bomb. Conditions do look ripe for disaster. Iran continues to acquire and develop the fundamental prerequisites for a nuclear weapon. The mullah regime receives support -- at least moral support, if not technology -- from a newly strengthened Russia, which these days reaches for every chance to provoke the United States. President Vladimir Putin's own (self-described) "grandiose plan" to restore Russia's armed forces includes a nuclear buildup. The war in Iraq continues to drag on without an end in sight or even an opportunity for US troops to withdraw in a way that doesn't smack of retreat. In Afghanistan, NATO troops are struggling to prevent a return of the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists. The Palestinian conflict could still reignite on any front. In Washington, Bush has 15 months left in office. He may have few successes to show for himself, but he's already thinking of his legacy. Bush says he wants diplomacy to settle the nuclear dispute with Tehran, and hopes international pressure will finally convince Ahmadinejad to come to his senses. Nevertheless, the way pressure has been building in Washington, preparations for war could be underway. In late September, the US Senate voted to declare the 125,000-man Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. High-ranking US generals have accused Iran of waging a "proxy war" against the United States through its support of Shiite militias in Iraq. And strategists at the Pentagon, apparently at Cheney's request, have developed detailed plans for an attack against Tehran. Instead of the previous scenario of a large-scale bombardment of the country's many nuclear facilities, the current emphasis is, once again, on so-called surgical strikes, primarily against the quarters of the Revolutionary Guards. This sort of attack would be less massive than a major strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Conservative think tanks and pundits who sense this could be their last chance to implement their agenda in the Middle East have supported and disseminated such plans in the press. Despite America's many failures in Iraq, these hawks have urged the weakened president to act now, accusing him of having lost sight of his principal agenda and no longer daring to apply his own doctrine of pre-emptive strikes. Sheer Lunacy? The notion of war with Iran has spilled over into other circles, too. Last Monday Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the US House of Representatives, made it clear that the president would first need Congressional approval to launch an attack. Meanwhile, Republican candidates for the White House have debated whether they would even allow such details to get in their way. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said he would consult his attorneys to determine whether the US Constitution does, in fact, require a president to ask for Congressional approval before going to war. Vietnam veteran John McCain said war with Iran was "maybe closer to reality than we are discussing tonight." Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has also adopted a hawkish stance, voting in favor of the Senate measure to classify the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Her rivals criticized Clinton for giving the administration a blank check to go to war. The US military is building a base in Iraq less than 10 kilometers (about six miles) from Iran's border. The facility, known as Combat Outpost Shocker, is meant for American soldiers preventing Iranian weapons from being smuggled into Iraq. But it's also rumored that Bush authorized US intelligence agencies in April to run sabotage missions against the mullah regime on Iranian soil. Gary Sick is an expert on Iran who served as a military adviser under three presidents. He believes that such preparations mark a significant shift in the government's strategy. "Since August," says Sick, "the emphasis is no longer on the Iranian nuclear threat," but on Iran's support for terrorism in Iraq. "This is a complete change and is potentially dangerous." It would be relatively easy for Bush to prove that Tehran, by supporting insurgents in Iraq, is responsible for the deaths of American soldiers. It might be harder to prove that Iran's nuclear plans pose an immediate threat to the world. Besides, the nuclear argument is reminiscent of an embarrassing precedent, when the Bush administration used the claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction -- which he didn't -- as a reason to invade Iraq. Even if the evidence against Tehran proves to be more damning, the American public will find it difficult to swallow this argument again. The forces urging a diplomatic resolution also look stronger than they were before Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants the next step to be a third round of even tighter sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council. Rice has powerful allies at the Pentagon: Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral William Fallon, head of US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces throughout the region. Rice and her cohorts all favor diplomacy, partly because they know the military is under strain. After four years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US lacks manpower for another major war, especially one against a relatively well-prepared adversary. "For many senior people at the Pentagon, the CIA and the State Department, a war would be sheer lunacy," says security expert Sick. Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and now a Middle East expert at the Brookings Institution, agrees. A war against Tehran would be "a disaster for the entire world," says Riedel, who worries about a "battlefield extending from the Mediterranean to the Indian subcontinent." Nevertheless, he believes there is a "realistic risk of a military conflict," because both sides look willing to carry things to the brink. On the one hand, says Riedel, Iran is playing with fire, challenging the West by sending weapons to Shiite insurgents in Iraq. On the other hand, hotheads in Washington are by no means powerless. Although many neoconservative hawks have left the Bush administration, Cheney remains their reliable partner. "The vice president is the closest adviser to the president, and a dominant figure," says Riedel. "One shouldn't underestimate how much power he still wields." 'Is it 1938 Again?' Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran last week also played into the hands of hardliners in Washington, who read it as proof that Putin isn't serious about joining the West's effort to convince Tehran to abandon its drive for a nuclear weapon. Moreover, the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, including Central Asian nations Washington has courted energetically in recent years, have said they would not allow a war against Tehran to be launched from their territory. Cheney derives much of his support from hawks outside the administration who fear their days are as numbered as the President's. "The neocons see Iran as their last chance to prove something," says analyst Riedel. This aim is reflected in their tone. Conservative columnist Norman Podhoretz, for example -- a father figure to all neocons -- wrote in the Wall Street Journal that he "hopes and prays" that Bush will finally bomb Iran. Podhoretz sees the United States engaged in a global war against "Islamofascism," a conflict he defines as World War IV, and he likens Iran to Nazi Germany. "Is it 1938 again?" he asks in a speech he repeats regularly at conferences. Podhoretz is by no means an eccentric outsider. He now serves as a senior foreign-policy adviser to Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani. President Bush has also met with Podhoretz at the White House to hear his opinions. Nevertheless, most experts in Washington warn against attacking Tehran. They assume the Iranians would retaliate. "It would be foolish to believe surgical strikes will be enough," says Riedel, who believes that precision attacks would quickly escalate to war. Former presidential adviser Sick thinks Iran would strike back with terrorist attacks. "The generals of the Revolutionary Guard have had several years to think about asymmetrical warfare," says Sick. "They probably have a few rather interesting ideas." According to Sick, detonating well-placed bombs at oil terminals in the Persian Gulf would be enough to wreak havoc. "Insurance costs would skyrocket, causing oil prices to triple and triggering a global recession," Sick warns. "The economic consequences would be enormous, far greater than anything we have experienced with Iraq so far." Because the catastrophic consequences of an attack on Iran are obvious, many in Washington have a fairly benign take on the current round of saber rattling. They believe the sheer dread of war is being used to bolster diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis and encourage hesitant members of the United Nations Security Council to take more decisive action. The Security Council, this argument goes, will be more likely to approve tighter sanctions if it believes that war is the only alternative. Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan AlterNet is making this material available in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107: This article is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Bhutan existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefs until the early 17th century. At that time the lama and military leader Ngawang Namgyal, the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who was fleeing religious persecution in Tibet, unified the area and cultivated a distinct Bhutanese identity. In the early 20th century, Bhutan came into contact with the British Empire and retained strong bilateral relations with India upon its independence. In 2006, based on a global survey, Business Week rated Bhutan the happiest country in Asia and the eighth-happiest in the world. Bhutan existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefs until the early 17th century. At that time the lama and military leader Ngawang Namgyal, the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche, who was fleeing religious persecution in Tibet, unified the area and cultivated a distinct Bhutanese identity. In the early 20th century, Bhutan came into contact with the British Empire and retained strong bilateral relations with India upon its independence. In 2006, based on a global survey, Business Week rated Bhutan the happiest country in Asia and the eighth-happiest in the world. Latest News for: bhutan land Absence of testing labs, security at Indo-Bhutan border, illegal trade through land customs station, political misunderstandings and lack of institutional and regulatory reforms, poor road conditions, parking issues, narrow roads and improper water and sanitation facilities at ports are some of the challenges the study identified ... In Bhutan’s case, third country import is dependent on Kolkata port.... Earlier, there were reports that after an ugly stand-off in Doklam, the Chinese Army were once again claiming their right on a region belonging to Bhutan. According to a report, the Chinese Army are claiming their right on Bhutanese Army's post in Pasamlung a disputed area between - China and Bhutan - by clicking a picture along with their national flag.... Bhutan recorded the highest international leisure arrivals last year with 62,272 visitors, according to BhutanTourismMonitor 2017 ...Bhutan saw an increase of 50.43 percent in 2016 compared to 24.9 percent increase in 2017 ... According to the report, while only about 1.9 percent of the international tourists travelled to Bhutan over land, about 48.3 percent of regional tourists’ mode of transportation was over land.... After my trip to Sri Lanka, I decided to go on my second solo travel adventure last year – this time to Bhutan, the land of the Thunder Dragon. I experienced so much during this trip, travelling on the Himalayan mountains and understanding the unique culture and religion (Buddhism is the main religion in Bhutan) ... Bhutanese children in Thimpu, Bhutan ... Another unique experience in Bhutan happened while visiting Punakha.... While Luo landed in Bhutan on Saturday, another top Chinese diplomat based in Delhi, Li Bijian, has remained stationed in Bhutan’s capital for almost a week ... The timing of the visit is significant because of the elections and also because China has been piling pressure on Bhutan to accept a land-swap deal which could see Bhutan cede the Doklam plateau, the site of China-India military standoff last year, to China.... While Luo landed in ... While Luo visited Bhutan in January 2017 too, the timing of the visit on this occasion is more significant because of the elections and also because China has been piling pressure on Bhutan to accept a land-swap deal which could see Bhutan cede the Doklam plateau, the site of Sino-Indian military standoff last year, to China.... Finally, the report from the Population & Housing Census of Bhutan conducted in May 2017 (PHCB-2017) is released ... With the total country size of 38,394 sq.km, the population distribution is around 19 people per sq.km of land area, which is an increase of just two persons from that in 2005 ... Some critics may argue that Bhutan has less inhabitable land and hence slower growth is justifiable.... Samdrupjongkhar thromde, on July 1 appealed to the High Court against the dzongkhag court’s verdict on the Zangdopelri land dispute case ... “Thromde never wanted the land or have any interest to own it ... He said Thinley Dorji claimed that the land belongs to him but failed to prove it in the court ... He said that Thinley Dorji also mortgaged the land with the Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan Ltd (RICBL) and sold 3,400sqft land.... When I arrived in Bhutan in September last year, I was informed by many Bhutanese officials of their appreciation for the bridges that were granted by the government of Japan, and how they stand out as a testament of quality and aesthetics for bridge construction in the country ... Prior to my appointment in Bhutan, I was seconded to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan from 2015 – 2017.... setting aside 17 percent of land area under protected areas and ten percent of marine and coastal areas. Currently, 15 percent of land area is protected (though much of this lies in so called ‘paper parks’ which suffer from a dearth in funding) and about 8 percent of the oceans ... Moreover a number of countries — including Namibia, Bhutan and Venezuela — are close to fifty percent protection on land.... One of the two-leased Airbus A319 of Bhutan Airlines (Tashi Air Pvt. Ltd) to replace the current fleet landed at the Paro international airport on June 23. Bhutan Airlines signed the aircraft lease agreement for two airbus with AerCap, a global leader in aircraft leasing and aviation finance on September 28, 2017 in Thimphu...Bhutan Airlines leased the ......	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
You are here:Home / Blog / Shining Spots of Progress during a Pandemic Info Shining Spots of Progress during a Pandemic By Rachael Reagan, Kitchen 66 – As program manager of Kitchen 66, a shared-use incubator kitchen located along the stretch of Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I embrace the role of sideline cheerleader for food entrepreneurs. In our pop-up spaces located in Mother Road Market and our commercial kitchen facility, food entrepreneurs fill our program with incredible food and concepts that grow within the walls of a bustling food hall. Watching our community tackle every obstacle they face, I’ll be the first to rush the field with the rest of our team to celebrate every yard gained. When things don’t go as planned, I’ll join the team in the locker room (armed with snacks, obviously) to re-group and consult the playbook. By Rachael Reagan, Kitchen 66 As program manager of Kitchen 66, a shared-use incubator kitchen located along the stretch of Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I embrace the role of sideline cheerleader for food entrepreneurs. In our pop-up spaces located in Mother Road Market and our commercial kitchen facility, food entrepreneurs fill our program with incredible food and concepts that grow within the walls of a bustling food hall. Watching our community tackle every obstacle they face, I’ll be the first to rush the field with the rest of our team to celebrate every yard gained. When things don’t go as planned, I’ll join the team in the locker room (armed with snacks, obviously) to re-group and consult the playbook. Unfortunately, there’s not a playbook in the game that could prepare us, or anyone, for the current situation in which we find ourselves. We’re no strangers to pivoting in the face of failure. We have had to adapt our own procedures to the uncertain climate and try to embrace the “new normal.” For our commercial kitchen space, we’ve updated our cleaning policies and limited the number of companies in the facility. Our Launch Class, a 12-week business training course for new food entrepreneurs, now meets weekly electronically with instructors and mentors. As much as we hate not being able to meet our cohort in person, we’ve been able to expand our instructor pool to include national industry experts and hold courses on e-commerce and website design––something we’ve never done before but will continue to keep in our curriculum. Though we will have re-opened our commercial kitchen doors by the time you read this, there’s still a heavy shadow of uncertainty hanging over the food industry’s future. Today, the internet holds entire collections of well-researched articles outlining the impact and changes COVID-19 will force on different parts of our food system, and I certainly won’t add anything revolutionary to that part of this conversation. When this pandemic subsides, a very different food system and restaurant scene awaits us. While it undoubtedly will be filled with struggle, there’s also potential for shining spots of progress. Recognizing Innovation in Adversity. As standard restaurant operations no longer became an option, Oklahoma gained a front row seat to the innovation and creativity that lies within every successful food entrepreneur––a seat we all at Kitchen 66 hold daily! Whether creating dishes to recreate at home with your family or simply providing you with some variety during your quarantine, restaurateurs and their hard-working employees hold the front lines to bring you delicious food. The road to re-opening will be a slow one, and I hope we all remember the creativity and ingenuity of food workers and entrepreneurs and support them with our dollars in whatever form allowed under safety precautions and state mandates. Local as the “New Normal.” While grocery store shelves slowly emptied and the full negative impact of the pandemic on small businesses made front page news, Oklahomans turned to their own backyard in search of food essentials. Farmers and ranchers equipped to handle online sales and deliveries have blossomed, leaving farmers without that knowledge, however, at an even greater disadvantage. With most farmers’ market seasons already behind schedule, I hope we, as a state, recognize the quality local food products Oklahoma proudly offers and make room in our lives to buy local and consider local an essential part of our own personal food systems. The Bucks Stop Soon and What You Can Do About It. After weeks of social distancing and self-quarantining, most of us will breathe a sigh of relief when restrictions lift, grateful that a stressful, high-stakes lifestyle is behind us. For most entrepreneurs, however, the balance of profit and loss will continue to be as thin as it’s ever been. While grateful for the success of online sales and increased social media interactions, entrepreneurs share the concern that sales will inevitably begin to fall, and no one is certain when this bubble will pop. Though most of us look forward to the days of “normalcy,” some food entrepreneurs worry that is when the real struggle will begin. Food entrepreneurs and workers are steadfast, creative and hardworking people in an industry always one crisis away from falling apart. If you’re in a position to safely reflect on the lessons we can learn from COVID-19, I hope some of those lessons are around the food you eat and who prepares it. I hope you remember the small farmer who sold you eggs in the midst of a crisis. I hope you remember the restaurant workers who prepared and delivered your food – potentially without health insurance. I hope you remember the entrepreneur behind the screen fulfilling your online order, wondering if it will be their last. This pandemic highlighted the cracks in our food industry. While you as a consumer cannot solve it, you can do a lot to support those in the thick of it.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
An outfielder throws a 0.145 kg baseball to the shortstop with a speed of 30 m/s at an angle of 20 degrees above the horizontal. How far does the ball travel? (Assume the shortstop catches it at about the same height that the outfielder throws it.)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Technical Outlook:Last month we highlighted a multi-year trendline insurgency in NZDUSD as cost was imprinting ongoing dissimilarity in momentum. It’s taken scarcely dual weeks for a span to finally spin over (weakest performer vs a USD today) with a decrease now coming initial support targets during a 50-line / Jun pitch lows during 7185-7200. Key insurgency broader bearish cancellation is now lowered to a 2017 high-day annulment tighten during 7301 with a mangle reduce targeting 7130/44 a 200DMA that converges on a median-line around 7100– both areas of seductiveness for near-term exhaustion. NZD/USD 240min Notes: A closer demeanour during a 240min draft highlights a near-term forward pitchfork formation fluctuating off a Jun highs with a top together concentration on a weekly opening operation now during 7283– evident concentration is reduce next this level. Interim insurgency now 7244 corroborated by 7262. Initial support objectives are eyed along a 50-line (currently ~7195) corroborated closely by down-slope support during 7170 a 38.2% retracement during 7144. From a trade standpoint I’ll preference vanishing strength sub-7262 streamer into a finish of a week. Keep in mind a we’re flattering light on New Zealand information this week so demeanour for a dollar to expostulate cost movement with Janet Yellen’s semi-annual financial process testimony before association expected to fuel combined sensitivity in a USD crosses. A outline of IG Client Sentimentshows traders are net-short NZD/USD- a ratio stands during -5.01 (16.6% of traders are long) – bullish reading Retail has been net-short since May 24th; cost has changed 3.9% higher given then Long positions are 31.8% aloft than yesterday and 7.6% higher from final week Short positions are 1.0% lower than yesterday and unvaried from final week We typically take a contrarian perspective to throng sentiment,and a fact traders are net-short suggests AUDUSD prices might continue to rise. That said, positioning is less net-short than yesterday compared with final week and a recent changes in view advise that a stream NZDUSD cost trend might shortly retreat reduce notwithstanding a fact traders sojourn net-short. Bottom line: demeanour for a continued build in prolonged positioning / pleat in brief bearing to serve support a annulment scenario.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Resource Folder: Resource: Textures Hello and welcome to the Blender Cookie Texture page! Everyone likes free stuff, but as artists free stuff can be a real life saver. These textures are licensed as CC Attribution 3.0. You are free to use them for just about any use. In commercial work and personal, just not allowed to redistribute or resell.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Joshua Jackson in pictures and photos, There are 36 pictures in this album August 27, 2008: "Joshua Jackson Has No Plans To Marry Girlfriend Diane Kruger" Joshua Jackson has revealed he has "no plans" to marry girlfriend Diane Kruger. The former "Dawson's Creek" star admits despite the pair's close relationship, they have no intention of tying the knot. He said: "We are solidly together but there are no plans to marry." Joshua also revealed he has found it difficult to adapt to his new living arrangements. He said: "I lost half of my wardrobe when I moved in. Maybe it's a male thing, but we are like pack rats. There was this shirt from when I was eight, and I was like, 'No, I might wear that some day!' But things like that had to go!" Speaking at the premiere of his new TV series "Fringe" in New York earlier this week, the 30-year-old actor says he will go and see his former "Dawson's Creek" co-star Katie Holmes when she stars in Arthur Miller's play "All My Sons" on New York's Broadway later this year. When asked if he is planning to watch Katie in action, Joshua replied, "Of course! Of course!" but admitted he has lost touch with many of his castmates. He said: "How often do you talk to your college friends? I mean, I talk to Michelle Williams every once in a while." *** He is a Canadian/American actor. He has appeared in American television and films, and is known for his role as Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek. There are 36 pictures of Joshua Jackson, on 4 pages (you are on page 1), use the numbers at the top for more Joshua Jackson pictures and photos, If you have more pics for this album, Please add them and mention Joshua Jackson anywhere in the title of the picture or in its description so we can pick it up and put it in this album	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
SalesBabu Solution – Cloud Based CRM Application What is a cloud platform? What is cloud computing? In Today’s IT infrastructure “Cloud Computing” has its own nature and importance, cloud methodology enables companies to reduce their In-House IT infrastructure and its cost. For example, Companies have their own computers which run on Windows Server or Linux servers or might be on other OS software which provides a platform to you for your In-house applications. In the same way cloud platform is the same thing, which is a foundation for running applications and storing data. The major difference is that, this runs on various data centers, who owned by an external service providers. Now time has been changed and SMEs can take advantage of Cloud Computing and using SaaS (Software as a Service) On-Demand Solutions to enhance their work productivity and to reduce maximum IT infrastructure cost and manpower at their end. 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Walking in the Old City of Jerusalem one day, I came upon St. Alexander's Russian Orthodox Chapel at the beginning of the via Dolorosa (the street Yeshua was forced to carry His cross down on the way to being crucified at Golgotha). Through the centuries, the city has undergone many restructurings where entrances, or gates, are torn down or re-built. So, inside this Chapel, I was surprised to find much of the original wall of the city where the Judgment Gate had been located, had been preserved and kept intact. This was the gate under which Pilate pronounced judgment on Yeshua and He began His arduous journey to death on the cross. The opening shown in this picture is an actual "eye of the needle", spoken of in Matthew 19:23-30 where Yeshua said it was easier for a camel to pass through than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. These were small passageways next to every gate in the city of Jerusalem where people could pass through and were the only way in and out after the gates would be locked at night to keep enemies at bay. They are very narrow and are less than 5 feet tall, so one has to stoop over and squeeze through in order to gain entrance to the other side. As you can see, it would be impossible for a fully grown camel to slide through this small opening. What became very intriguing was the information provided that rich men of the day were extremely resistant to utilize this passageway because it would cause them to have to stoop over in order to get through and many were too proud to do so - considering it beneath their "position" among the social ranking of their community. It seems as though there are a lot of folks who have taken very personal positions over the collapse of the Todd Bentley / Ignited Church / Lakeland, Florida "revival" that was referred to in the last article "Compromise." As a result, I have been labeled as insolent, reactionary, a spreader of gossip and rumor and "who are you to judge" because I made the statement in that article that Mr. Bentley had been removed from the ministry as a result of having admitted to having an affair outside of his marriage that I called adultery. So, please allow me this opportunity to clarify my statement and set the record straight. Also, please, read all the way through this article before forming your assessment. It has been brought to my attention that, so far, there is no "proof" of any actual sexual dalliance on Mr. Bentley's part, that it was only an "emotional involvement" that he confessed to. As a man, I have an acute understanding about what "emotional involvement" actually means. Yeshua said adultery is an attitude of heart (Matthew 5:28). Now, I did not write the Book - I just read it. Words mean things and I believe He meant those words. There are some other issues that have surfaced since publishing that article I was unaware of at the time of writing that had I known of, I would have included. I did not know about them because, frankly, I didn't really care enough about what was going on in Lakeland beyond here was, yet again, another place for believers to get "goose bumps." Isn't it interesting that we have all these "believers" running to and fro, to this event and to that prophet, to be healed and nowhere in scrïpture is it recorded that Yeshua ever healed or delivered any of the disciples? He EMPOWERED them. We look for His Power to be on exhibit externally when scrïpture says, for a believer, the very power that raised Yeshua from the grave dwells within US. (Romans 8:11). EMMA - the King of Hell in Wicca Then this week, this email came to me by way of a woman who had spent some time as a member among the occult sect of Wicca: She writes: "I saw this man on God TV, (I do not usually watch this but wanted to see what all the fuss was about) and saw the Wicca 'EMMA' brand on the inside of his left arm. THAT is what turned me off. I guess if people have not been in the occult, they have no idea just what this means. EMMA is the king of Hell in Wicca. It appears as a seducing spirit, either male or female, whatever appeals to the person who works for Emma. It calls itself an 'angelic' spirit, which tells its host that they do not have to approach 'God' alone, they will go with you and plead your case for you. You know, Satan can look whichever way he wants - if you are with Emma, he will look like the Lord." Curious, I began some research and found just what this woman had revealed to be true. In fact, what else I found documented on video was Mr. Bentley, caught on camera, boasting of his personal "angel" he had been given by God whose name is EMMA that had come to him and led him into salvation (I was careful to document his own words) and that he regularly prays with this angel who shows him heavenly things. On top of this, after watching hours of video from the Lakeland meetings, I was struck with the realization that rarely, if ever (I could not remember a single instance), where the name of Jesus was spoken. The words, "God", "heaven", "angels" (lots and lots of angels), "spirit" were all used frequently - but not the name of Jesus. Folks, this is not rocket science. The scrïpture says plainly to "try" the spirits (1John 4:1-3). The way they are tried is to hold them up to the standard of Truth which is the testimony of the Life of Yeshua (Revelation 19:10). But that article and this one are not written about the subject of individual sin be it near-adultery or occultic-demon spirits, nor was it written to castigate Mr. Bentley personally (Romans 3:23). Having been divorced and witnessing firsthand the devastating and lasting effects it leaves on everybody's lives, I am deeply saddened for him, his family and those who are affected by all of this and pray for God's intervention, healing and restoration to encompass them. So, let me make very clear - these words are addressing the foundational premises that brought us into this arena to begin with, i.e., compromise. These were compromises that were made, as a Body, to be tantalized by signs and wonders at the expense of integrity. character and Truth; and the compromises that were made from the embrace of the hierarchical structure of "apostolic authoritarianism" that developed, maintained and promoted the very platform Mr. Bentley stood upon which is not found in scrïpture. We are given no model in scrïpture for how this should work, except through love unfeigned (2Corinthians 6:1-10) - and that model was breached. What surfaces in overt behavior (darkness), on any level are just indicators of a more basic separation from Truth (light) at the root. There were other indicators that compromise had taken place. When one moves in power without character it becomes like Paul describes in 1Corinthians 13, a sounding brass or clanging cymbal. It becomes jarring to the ear. If you look at any of this event in Florida on the YouTube videos, that is what you see and hear. Strange doctrine being preached, embracing encounters with other spirits, sick people getting kicked in the stomach, little old lady worshipping getting kicked in the face with a biker boot, etc. and the people laughing at the stories of this abhorrent violence in the audience. It is perverse and nauseating and in no way represents or extols this Person of grace and majesty and true Power spoken of in scrïpture that I have witnessed and come to know over the years. (James 3:13-18). Throwing aside pre-conceptions of Who He Is does not mean mitigating His Nature to suit our purposes. Just because He can use rocks or donkeys does not mean He plans or intends to from the outset. He wants to use us, but He wants us to present Him in Truth. If it is Truth, it will be so all the way down the line with no excuses, no equivocation and no shadow of darkness - and it will apply equally to all involved. There IS a more excellent Way. This aspect of His Nature applies even more fully to those who would assume a mantle of responsibility within the Body because of the eternal effects their words and actions have on those who would follow them (James 3:1, Matthew 23:13). I lay the responsibility for this debacle squarely at the feet of the so-called "leaders" of this so-called "movement" and their willingness to turn a blind eye to the excesses that led to this and other places. They have all soiled their hands with wealth (when did Yeshua ever charge admission to hear HIM speak?) fame and renown (Philippians 2:7) and it has clouded their judgment - all of them. These men, even now (with the exception of only a few), are not decrying any of what has been mentioned above, but are searching for ways to gloss it over and keep it running so they might continue to profit from it - for great is the seduction of these spirits. The Hebrew word for "mammon" is finances - money (Luke 16:13). scrïpture tells us that Yeshua and the boys carried a money pouch (John 12:3-6). Now, they didn't have jobs, so why would they need such? - except to receive donations. There is nothing wrong with receiving donations. The truth of what He is wanting us to see of Him, though, is that nowhere in scrïpture is it found that He ever took up a collection - He never "passed the plate", didn't take up an offering, He didn't "pull" for money, didn't ask for or let anyone know of His needs. He KNEW that if the Father was in it, He would fund it. Yeshua did not have to, nor is it recorded that He ever, made an appeal to the masses. He GAVE Himself and everything He had to the masses. He FED the poor. He didn't use the money donated to Him to buy an upscale donkey to "further the ministry" and the Son of Man had no place to lay His Head (Matthew 8:20), so it wasn't spent on His personal welfare. Consequently, if we do the same as His example, the Lord will move on this one and that one to come alongside as we have need without us ever having to "reach out". I have seen it happen over and over - but this is a way of life that is completely foreign to what we have been taught and led to believe is the normal way of operation by these "power" ministries in complete contradiction to His Life. So, who am I to cry out and denounce these men and their antics? Nobody. I am nothing - I have no wealth, no position or prestige, I have no following, no cathedral to fill and I haven't written any books. I am but a single cell on the little toe of His Body. But, if you think the little toe is of no importance, try ramming it on the bedpost when you get up in the middle of the night and see if it doesn't bring the whole Body to a complete halt. There are many of us little cells that comprise this Body. The way to put a stop to all of this nonsense, this heresy that continues to crop up in our midst is to do as Yeshua did, to bear witness to the Truth by His Life (John 18:37) and to quit being a participant by encouraging them with our presence, making excuses for their errors and sending them our money - not for their sake, but for ours. A small flame will illuminate the whole room when it is dark. He is the Light of the World and He Lives in Us. Having tasted of His Glory, and from a life-time of experientially knowing Him, I do not care to "settle" anymore for anything less than Truth in my personal life nor do I care to partake in the mechanics of men that would attempt to compromise by the illusion of that Glory the lifting up of some man or artificial architecture. Personally, I am here to extol the high standard He set with His Life for me to aspire to with my life so as to be, as He declared, a witness by my life, to Truth. I do not believe that bar to be out of reach. He is found in Truth. Not half-truth, faded truth or attempts at truth. He IS Truth. If I am alone in this endeavor, then let His Light begin within me. But, I am not alone. That is the confidence I have in Him for where sin and darkness abound - there grace abounds even more (Romans 5:19-21) The Lord is allowing all of this in this moment to test our hearts. He is bringing decision and even judgment to the Body (1Peter 4:17) to see what we really want - signs and wonders at any price or Him and Him alone. If we choose Him, the signs and wonders will follow, but the presumption of man will be gone. If we choose signs and wonders, He will say He never knew us - because we didn't know Him enough to BE Him. (Matthew 7:23). TODD BENTLEY ~ PETER WAGNER ~ OPEN HEAVENS STAR GATES ~ GATEKEEPERS ~ BRINGING GOD'S KINGDOM TO EARTH - It is very mysterious. Todd has disappeared suddenly. Just as suddenly as EMMA-O was yanked off his web page, without explanation, Todd simply disappeared. Remember dear Christian brothers and sisters, the war FOR TRUTH is NOT OVER. Todd Bentley is just one symptom of the problem. When it seemed that he was losing the battle a powerful reinforcing army came forth for his defense. It was then, that we could see the seriousness of the problem that is facing the church appear. Forces that have been received for years came out into the open before the entire world that exposed witchcraft practices and doctrines of devils. We were accused of dividing the Body of Christ. Touching God's anointed, Blaspheming the Holy Ghost, and every strange thing in the world while a very perverse man was snatching souls in front of the world. Here' a video of Todd Bentley and Che Ahn in Lake (of fire) land. If you forward it to 6:10 seconds you can clearly hear Todd Bentley say "Release that mighty Holy Goat and send it all over the world"! For those of you who don't know the Goat of Mendes is worshipped by the Freemasons. This is from Ed Decker and Saints Alive Ministry: Masonic writer Manly P. Hall (33o)-just recently deceased (9/90) and eulogized and lionized at great length in the SCOTTISH RITE JOURNAL-stated that Baphomet was another name for the satanic Goat of Mendez whose picture is featured prominently in the tract. The Goat of Mendez is, of course, the god of the witches. (Mendez is another spelling of Mendes, a city of ancient Egypt where fertility worship-Baal worship-was practicticed. This god, also known as the Horned God, is evidently the oldest fertility god in human history His representation is found on paintings from cavemen in Ariége, France. Nimrod, the founder of Baëal worship is often represented wearing a horned headdress. The leader of the most powerful occult/Masonic organization in the world (the Ordo Templi Orientis-Order of Eastern Templars), Kenneth Grant, says that Baphomet actually means Bapho-Mitras-son of Mithras. Mithras was the bull-god (Bull = Baal?) worshipped in the Roman empire about the time of Christ. Again, the Horned God of witchcraft. Thus, while Baal was not actually called Baphomet until well after the time of Christ; even Masons admit readily that Baphomet is a pagan fertility god-and more importantly, that Freemasonry is a fertility cult religion. Supreme Masonic leader of the Scottish Rite in the 19th century Albert Pike also clearly equates Freemasonry with occult science and Templary. “The word Baal means “master” or “owner”. In ancient religions the name denoted sun, lord or god. Baal was common a name of small Syrian and Persian deities. Baal is still principally thought of as a Canaanite fertility deity. The Great Baal was of Canaan. He was the son of El, the high god of Canaan. The cult of Baal celebrated annually his death and resurrection as a part of the Canaanite fertility rituals. These ceremonies often included human sacrifice and temple prostitution. The worship of Baal extended from the Canaanites to the Phoenicians…… Baal, the sun god, was fervently prayed to for the protection of livestock and crops. Priests instructed the people that Baal was responsible for droughts, plagues, and other calamities. People were often worked up into great frenzies at the prospects of displeasing Baal. In times of great turbulence human sacrifices, particularly children, were made to the great god Moloch.” Children were passed through the fire as a sacrifice to Moloch! Moloch went by many names including, but not limited to, Ba’al, Moloch, Apis Bull, Golden Calf, Chemosh, as well as many other names, and was widely worshipped in the Middle East “<a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch[/url] Baal was a fertility god He was named Baal-Tzephon, or god of the crypt (Exodus) and Seth, or the pillar (phallus), (Note the phallic symbol in the picture of Baphomet) because he was the same as Ammon (or Baal-Hammon) of Egypt, called “the hidden god”. Typhon, called Set, who was a great god in Egypt during the early dynasties, is an aspect of Baal and Ammon as also of Siva, Jehovah and other gods. Baal is the all devouring Sun, in one sense, the fiery Moloch.<a href=”http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_dictionary_leaping”>http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_dictionary_leaping[/url] Baal is another name for Bel: “Bel has been associated with the Phoenician Baal, the supreme god of the Canaanites, conceived also as the protective power of generation and fertility” <a href=”http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_dictionary_leaping”>http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_dictionary_leaping[/url] Is it a coincidence that Todd Bentley was commissioned on the summer solstice and the eve of St. John’s day which was the Christianized version of Midsummer’s Day, the pagan holiday of Litha. It is a time when pagans worshipped the sun god through the summer solstice “Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on the 24th of June and the preceding evening. European midsummer-related holidays, traditions, and celebrations are pre-Christian in origin and have been superficially Christianised as celebrations of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist as Saint John’s Eve” festivals”. “Midsummer fires served as sun charms to keep up the heat. Midsummer Eve, however, afterwards nominated as John the Baptist’s Eve, was a great fire-day far and wide. Von Buch, the traveller, speaks of seeing custom observed within the Arctic Circle.”<a href=”http://www.iconoclast.weebly.com”>www.iconoclast.weebly.com[/url] “MIDSUMMER: the festival celebrated about June 21, on the Summer Solstice. An excellent time for magick and is the height of the god’s (Sun) strength and power, being the longest day of the year. Also called Litha, bonfire leaping encouraged fertilty, purity, health and love. Fire being the symbol of the God. Alban Hefin – Litha Sabbat; also see NOS GALON GAEOF.<a href=”http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_dictionary_leaping”>http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_dictionary_leaping[/url] Is it a coincidence that Rick Joyner was there, an initiate of the Knights of Malta, whose feast day is St. John’s day, during Todd Bentley’s commissioning service on Midsummer’s eve and the eve of St. John’s Day!!! Rick Joyner said this over Todd: “and god has sent you as an antidote for that lukewarm spirit. And the fire is been birthed here. it’s been released here, you’ve unstopped a well, you have other wells to unstop, and other cities and other places. This is just the beginning” This one is called “The Invasion Spreads”. It is the next video in our series showing "False spirits Invade the church". I believe it may be even more shocking than the first part. This info is important for the church to see. Please forward this email to your friends if you can. Here is the link to the video- The newest wandering star breaking forth on the on the Signs and wonders scene is--Todd Bentley a Canadian evangelist from Abbotsford, BC, Canada. He and his team hold crusades in over 55 nations where they say, 'Thousands have been saved, healed and delivered.' 'In his late teens, Todd had a dramatic encounter with the saving and delivering power of God. This experience brought Todd out of a lifestyle of drug and alcohol addiction without cravings or withdrawal symptoms. He was also delivered from a lifestyle involving criminal activity, youth prisons, drugs, sex, satanic music and bondage. Todd's miraculous conversion to Jesus was much like the Apostle Paul's on the Damascus road. Todd was instantly transformed into a radical disciple and soul winning evangelist for Jesus.' (Website- About Us Todd Bentley's Personal Profile). 'Saved' at 17, shortly after he began preaching and He also began prophesying during this time. In his Bio- God has drawn Todd into deep and intimate places of prayer. These extended times in God's presence has released a fresh prophetic and miracle-healing anointing. He wants to 'see others set free through the anointing of the Holy Spirit and to see others come into the reality of intimate relationship with Jesus. This we are told is done as 'He ministers prophetically, corporately and personally as well as brings forth the word of God with the power and demonstration of the Spirit -- God confirming His word with signs and wonders following. God has released an increase of the healing anointing into Todd's life to the point where the blind see, the deaf hear & growths dissolve as Jesus still heals every sickness and disease.' Wow, these are just a few impressive marketing phrases that do not compare to the supernatural stories that surround him. His ministry is called, 'Fresh Fire ministries International: Apostolic Network.' After a short visit to Ignited last year Bentley was invited by Strader to return. He has been conducting 'healing meetings' (twice daily) in Lakeland since April 2. 2008. The 700-seat sanctuary of host pastor Stephen Strader's Ignited Church is filled up as people have been waiting for hours for the doors to open. It has now been attended by more than 20,000. Steven Strader is the son of Karl Strader former pastor of Carpenter's Home Church that launched Rodney Howard Browne's ministry in the US. The TBN broadcasts carried its services and the church was influenced to believe this kind of preaching and behavior is what revival is about. - - Lets look at who Bentley attributes his influence from- ANGEL[S} 'Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: 'Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?' He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, 'Bob, who is Emma?' He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out.' http://www.etpv.org/2003/angho.html ( http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001EDxLk-StHpiVi2NhAyRHaUFZSAYSBC6ONK-m8zoscDLDZfJh… ) A 'female' angel -there are none mentioned in the Bible, not once. Everytime an angel appears they look like men. They are called sons of God, not sons and daughters of God. Todd said that "God" told him "Todd, you've got to get the people to believe in the angel." I don't know how else to take that. I don't have a problem with believing in the supernatural, if I didn't believe in the supernatural I wouldn't believe in Jesus in the first place! But look at the statement again. It looks like an agenda to me. Todd and the rest (Bob Jones, etc.) are always talking about their encounters with supernatural entities, but you never once hear how they test what they're supposedly communicating with. I've even heard BJ say that he told a "priest" that was talking to him, "I know that you're Jesus, but I don't know who". So who, or what are these spirits that are talking to these guys? They aren't tested, and nobody from the prophetic movement seems to think it's important that they are. The "credentials" of the preacher passing on the message are good enough (Credentials meaning, how many people do they have following their ministry). Well, that's not the criteria I read in the Bible for testing the spirits..... So my point is, the spirits aren't tested, so all you have to go by is does what they say agree with the Spirit and the Word? Would it be on God's agenda to get people to believe in "The angel" ? Why? Was that a running theme in the New Testament church? Was Paul bent on getting the "gospel of the angel" to the church at large, or to any of his mission field? I have to say no, it is and always has been and never will be anything other than getting the people to JESUS. If things aren't going "that direction", count me out - I ain't goin', and I'll tell anyone else who'll listen they should skip the trip, too... In the context of that message Todd was talking about "the angel of the winds of change", who Todd says is responsible for the revival. Why is an angel responsible for the revival? Why wouldn't God Himself be responsible? What angelic entity that was of the host of the Lord would even allow a "move of God" to focus on itself? I can think of only one type of angel that would receive any kind of special attention or glory from men - that would be a fallen angel. Let the Spirit of the Lord speak to your heart concerning these things. I pray you find the true God and Lord of the Bible and follow Him only. Here is how Charisma announced the news of what took place in Lakeland just a couple of days ago: "Leaders Commission Todd Bentley at ‘Lakeland Outpouring’... The special service was billed by leaders as one of the greatest moments in revival history." The article continues: "Canadian revivalist Todd Bentley, leader of the “Lakeland Outpouring,” was commissioned as an evangelist last night in a special ceremony in Lakeland, Fla., that was broadcast into millions of homes by God TV... "Participating leaders at the ceremony included [C. Peter] Wagner; Ché Ahn, pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, Calif.; John Arnott of Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in Canada; Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif.; and Rick Joyner, founder of MorningStar Ministries in Charlotte, N.C." (EDITOR's NOTE: If you saw a video of this commissioning, you may have noticed that Staci Campbell, one of the main 'Toronto' leaders who spoke, had her head shaking so violently - literally whipping back and forth - that it was hard to hear her. Of course this happens all the time and they say it is the "Holy Spirit"). CHARISMA ARTICLE continues: "Wagner said to Bentley on the platform: “This commissioning represents a powerful spiritual transaction taking place in the invisible world. With this in mind, I take the apostolic authority that God has given me and I decree to Todd Bentley, your power will increase, your authority will increase, your favor will increase, your influence will increase, your revelation will increase..." “I am no church historian, but I do not know of any other time in history, since the book of Acts, have so many different apostles and so many different prophets and movements and leaders [been represented],” Bentley said of the capacity crowd." The article goes on to talk a little about why some have opposed the revival: "Critics complain that Bentley entertains extra-biblical practices and has devoted some of his past teachings to “third heaven” experiences and angelic encounters. They say it’s bizarre for him to claim he has met the apostle Paul and angels named “Winds of Change” and “Emma.” They also object to what they believe are exaggerated claims of healings and resurrections." For me though, one of the most grievous statements in the whole article is this one: "Leaders who have expressed private concerns about Bentley’s ministry turned down Charisma’s request for public comment." (Article source - www.charismamag.com) ANDREW STROM: DId you see that last sentence? -Even though some leaders have been privately expressing their concerns, they actually refused an opportunity to speak out in public! So where does this leave the poor sheep? Are these men so concerned with their "reputation" that they are afraid to speak out at such a pivotal moment? How will history judge such a thing? Isn't it simply the "fear of man"? And Isn't this the exact reason why the Charismatic movement is in such a mess in the first place? Have we completely forgotten the old saying- "Evil prospers when good men do nothing"? Who is going to stand up and declare the TRUTH in this situation? To me, this revival has all the hallmarks of the most blatant of Last Days deceptions spoken of in scrïpture. And yet it is prospering because good men do nothing! Todd Bentley is claiming “a city-taking, nation-taking anointing... We’re going to the cities, then the nations." And look at the lineup of heavyweights that have now openly joined his crusade to promote this "impartation" around the world: Peter Wagner, Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson, John Arnott (of the 'Toronto Blessing'), Che Ahn - and more! 'Who could possibly oppose such a lineup?' they think. 'What madman would even entertain the idea? Why - his ministry would be finished, his reputation ruined, his friends made into enemies overnight.' Oh yes - they seem to have it all sewn up now. And so, this "drunken glory" anointing with its angels, its 'jerking', its epileptic-type seizures - is free to spread around the globe and be imparted to God's precious sheep everywhere. And all the while, so-called "concerned" Christian leaders shirk and shiver in the shadows, never daring to openly speak out. Shouldn't we be calling this exactly what it is - "COWARDICE" of the worst kind? Can anyone imagine a crisis in the Spirit-filled church that is more urgent than this one? Isn't silence simply aiding and abetting the deception? Who will God hold accountable for doing nothing? CHRISTIAN LEADERS - SPEAK UP!! People have written to me asking why we are using Amazon to put out our new book "True & False Revival" about the Lakeland Deception. Well - this is why! It is all very well just using emails and websites, but the fact is, this deception is huge and growing. We have got to get the word out to a much wider audience. We need to use Amazon and Youtube and everything we can to alert people to what is going on. Amazon is actually set up so that every time a book sells, its "ranking" goes up and more people find out about it. So that way, an entire audience that we never usually reach can begin to hear these warnings. Please believe me - we make very little on that book. It is discounted so heavily, and it is printed and sold by others on Amazon - not us. So we are not in it for the "money". I simply feel it is one of the best ways of getting the word out. But there are others also. We are working on some videos for Youtube and Godtube, etc, but in the meantime please keep sending people to that Amazon page, my friends. There is a link to it near the top of our website- Ian Mander from Video Foundry has done a great job puttingthese videos together in a hurry. There are 5 parts - totalling about 35 mins. The series is called "AN INSIDER's WARNING".Please give comments and ratings and also post them on blogs,etc, if you can, my friends? -This will be a huge help. There are two simple ways to watch. You can either click onthe links to these videos near the top of our website -http://www.revivalschool.com OR you can click on the 5 links below for each one- In this 5:28 YouTube video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLv6C7b6m88 ), Todd Bentley reads an unverified e-mail and excitedly proclaims the "thirteenth resurrection from the dead" which, according to Bentley, took place at a funeral home. While reading the e-mail, Bentley says a family requested that the God TV/Florida revival be aired during an "all-night wake" for a dead man resting in a casket. Amidst the cheers and applause from his revival audience, Bentley states: At the funeral they played the revival, and we declared that our brother would not be embalmed. At 2:19 AM, my brother began to stir in his coffin! In his coffin! And Bentley's followers went wild with cheers and shouts. Bentley continues reading the unverified e-mail, stating that, My brother sat up in the coffin praising God and the Reverend Todd Bentley! Now listen to this! My dear brother, all day, since he's been raised from the dead, has been telling us about his journey to heaven and how he thought he would never come back. He died and went to heaven! Listen to this! He thought he would never come back to the earth to be with us, but then he heard our beloved Reverend Todd and his voice pulling his spirit out of heaven. All of us at the funeral home began screaming and shouting for more fire. Thank God for the revival and God TV! NUMBER 13 FROM THE DEAD! We're gonna confirm it. We gotta confirm it. We're gonna do a follow up. But I thought I'd read it as I received the testimony. I became curious after watching the video and called numerous funeral homes in and around Lakeland, Florida. I spoke to officials and asked questions pertaining to a dead-man being raised to life from his coffin. A few asked, "Are you serious?" while others laughed. But without exception, they all said it had not happened. Also, a few of the officials said that if a dead man had actually been raised to life from a coffin, they would have known about it--nationwide. Indeed, the dead being raised from their coffins in funeral homes, as well as the aftermath, would make local, state, national, and worldwide headlines, such as: The 'Dead' Rising To Life from Caskets Funeral Homes Closing Doors No doubt funeral home directors and employees would be seeking a different line of work, or unemployment benefits. Anyway, one funeral home representative said that a family--via the Lakeland revival--had come to the funeral home and prayed for one that had died, but the burial took place as scheduled. So, just to make sure, I called the Board of Funerals, Cemetery, and Consumer Services in Florida and asked the same questions. Again, the answer was, "No." Had a dead-man sat up in his coffin--as described in the e-mail read by Todd Bentley--they would have heard about it. While I believe wholeheartedly that God has and can raise the dead to life--embalmed or not--perhaps Todd Bentley will graciously provide the name of the funeral home in question, along with documented proof of all of the alleged "resurrections" from the dead. It never hurts to ask, due to the fact that documented proof will stand up to intense scrutiny--provided the story is true, that is. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). CBN.com – It has been four months since Canadian evangelist Todd Bentley fled the scene of Florida’s Lakeland Revival amid rumors of a moral failure. When Bentley vanished in August, the crowds thinned, God TV stopped broadcasting services, the meetings eventually shut down and Bentley’s worship leader took the popular music of the revival on the road. Meanwhile, many people were left scratching their heads. Some were angry with Bentley for leaving his wife. Some were confused because their faith had been energized during the six-monthlong experience. Many charismatic ministry leaders defended the revival, saying that it was never supposed to focus on a man. Others blamed Bentley’s critics for the revival’s demise. Late last week the board of directors of Fresh Fire Ministries—which Bentley resigned from in August—released a lengthy statement to update its supporters on Bentley’s condition. The letter confirmed that (1) Bentley is “resolute in his intentions” to divorce his wife, Shonnah—and that “he admits to being 100% responsible for the divorce”; (2) his relationship with his former intern is ongoing; (3) the evangelist drank inappropriately during the revival; and (4) he has yet to enter into a clear system of accountability with Christian leaders who have offered to help him. The six-page statement, which defended the impact of the Lakeland Revival, did not excuse Bentley’s behavior. “We believe there are currently no biblical grounds for Todd to leave his wife and children,” the board members said. They added: “The nature of the present relationship between Todd and his former staff member is that of adultery.” Lakeland was a painful chapter in the history of our movement, not just because such a highly visible preacher made such embarrassing moral choices but also because Christian leaders never agreed on what went wrong or how it could have been avoided. Now that the accident scene is in our rearview mirror, I wonder if we can agree on at least some points. Here are some lessons I hope we have learned by now: Lesson #1: Accountability. Accountability. Accountability. I wish just saying the word over and over could impress the concept in our minds. Leaders must live according to biblical standards. Period. Bentley’s board admitted in their statement that after the Lakeland meetings went into full swing, Bentley developed troubling behavior patterns. That would have been the right time for someone with apostolic courage to demand that Bentley step down for a season until he got his spiritual life in order. If we really want New Testament miracles and New Testament impact, maybe we should embrace New Testament discipline. Lesson #2: The one-man show is over. New Testament ministry is about teams, not hotshots. Paul shared the workload with Barnabas, Phoebe, Clement, Priscilla, Aquilla and many others. And he protested when people tried to make him out to be a god. When will we learn that the superstar syndrome actually thwarts genuine revival because it causes audiences to focus on man instead of Jesus? I know there are those who insist that Bentley didn’t want people to notice him. But if that’s true, why did he cover himself with tattoos a few years ago, when he was in the ministry? I’m not a stickler about tattoos, but in Bentley’s case they definitely should have been a red flag. Anyone who craves that much attention needs counseling before they get on a stage. Lesson #3: Chill out. The Fresh Fire board, in last week’s statement, admitted that one of their biggest mistakes was allowing Bentley’s meetings to go on week after week without a break. Bentley tried to preach continually without rest, and as a result he burned out. Most likely his staff burned out too. No Sabbath, no time for family, no time to unwind. No human being can keep such a schedule without imploding. Isn’t this also true for the American church scene? Our rule has become, “The show must go on.” We are driven to keep the seats full and the money coming in. The more we work, the more we grow—so we have to work harder to maintain the growth and pay the bills. The pace becomes more and more frantic until the engines fail and the wheels fall off. Building God’s way requires patience, pacing, regular maintenance and plenty of downtime to receive His ongoing guidance and grace. Lesson #4: Character is more important than anointing. Some revival groupies disagree with me on this. They’re so desperate for a display of miracles that they’ll take a zap from someone who has questionable morals or shoddy values. They don’t mind who lays hands on them as long as they are thrown to the floor while the crowd cheers. I love revival too, and I’ve spent time on the floor soaking in God’s presence. I love the anointing. But please: Can you show me in the Word of God that character is not required of leaders? The Bible says imposters who work miracles will spend eternity in hell. Working miracles does not win anyone brownie points with God. Ministers of the gospel need both godly character and powerful anointing. Why did we ever settle for the idea that we should have one without the other? Lesson #5: Lay hands on no man quickly. Many of us are still grieving over the fact that a large number of charismatic leaders stood on a stage in Lakeland in June and publicly commissioned Bentley. Some praised him for his integrity and humility while others prophesied about the nations he will evangelize and the increased spiritual influence he will wield. Today those proclamations (readily available on You Tube) seem hollow and embarrassing. Some who stood on that stage insist that God told them to do a public commissioning service. One recently hinted to me that it was a mistake. I’ll let them sort that out. Personally, it saddens me that our movement has been tarnished by what appears to be a serious lack of discernment. In the crazy world of independent ministries—which already lack proper accountability—leaders should take the time to investigate a preacher before commending him on international television. Lesson #6: You can’t have revival without repentance. The word “revival” is thrown around loosely these days. If a few people fall on the floor, get goose bumps or see gold dust, we are ready to christen it a revival and put it on television as soon as possible. After all, if large crowds gather, it must be God! I’m tired of imitations. History shows that genuine revival is more than a bunch of blessed bodies in a pile. We need more than angel feathers, emotional euphoria and limp pep talks about getting high on Jesus. We need the strong Word of God that convicts hearts, demands repentance, slays sin and has the power to produce converts who will withstand temptation. With Lakeland behind us, let’s celebrate the testimonies that came out of it, enjoy the songs we sang during it and pray for the restoration of the man God used to start it. Then, let’s learn from our mistakes and press on to better things. PETER WAGNER SAYS, TODD BENTLEY is "THE PORTAL (STAR GATE) TO THE FUTURE (NEW AGE)." He also said that they are connecting heaven’s gate to earth! According to the Bible, God’s Kingdom has already come to the Earth. Jesus Christ is the Mediator that has already connected God’s Kingdom to the Earth and heaven, See Ephesians Chapter one. It is a power that is not Bentley’s, Wagner’s or Joyner’s to give. We must not forget the group of mystical Christians operating in extra-biblical fashion to open the paranormal doors to heaven TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. It is a tremendously large army called Joel’s Army that is still on the move to conquer the church and millions of souls. Terminology used: Apostolic Alignment, (Ministers under the authority of the New Age leaders such as, Peter Wagner, Rick Joyner, and others. Gatekeepers, (certain people appointed to control territories, churches, cities, countries). Opening portals to the Third Heavens (Ministers that are able to lead people into the paranormal practice of taking them through the experience by means of the magical portal or Star Gate. Think about it. We have Christian’s leaders who are "Opening the Star Gates in order to break God’s veil that separates the demonic, spiritual realms from our realm. Why-- to bring forth supernatural entities that they are calling angels and giving them names such as, the Winds of Change and to the Nations. Isn’t it strange that at the same time President Obama sells his socialist agenda on the word "change", so do these New Age Christians? Many real Bible-believing Christians are spiritually sleeping. They do not understand that these so-called "Christians" are mixing the Christianity with New Age witchcraft." Third Wave teacher Todd Bentley says, SPIRITUAL ENTITIES & STAR GATES will CREATE SUPER HUMANS "OPEN HEAVENS BRING GOD’S KINGDOM TO EARTH" Then, as heaven manifests in the natural realm, both the rule and the reign of Jesus Christ will be known in the earth. "Let God be glorified!" Yet, don’t miss this: The key to bringing that manifestation to earth is an open heaven—a portal through which the kingdom of God invades the earth!14 See m my latest article concerning Todd Bentley’s article about "Opening the Star Gates to the Third Heaven." Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible." II Thessalonians 2:9-12 "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Re: Beware of any man who claims to be wiser than the apostles or holier than the martyrs of the Early Church. The best way to deal with him is to rise and leave his presence!"You really need to go up on Wagner's page.... really is new age.... wow... unbelievable... working on something right now.... GOD TV CONTINUES TO AIR REVIVAL IN SOUTH AFRICA TODD BENTLEY OF FRESH FIRE, USA -- LIVE FROM DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA Contact: Jeffrey Levinson, GOD TV, 407-862-5084, [email protected], South Africa, April 23, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- GOD TV has been broadcasting the Great Awakening Healing Revival worldwide from South Africa daily this past week as increasing numbers of miraculous healings are reported. The LIVE broadcasts will continue until at least Sunday, 28 April. Spearheading the event is Canadian Evangelist, Todd Bentley, known for the Florida Healing Outpouring that made international headlines five years ago.Todd Bentley stood down from ministry in 2008 after the breakdown of his marriage, but has returned with a passion to see people's lives transformed, addicts released from addictions, and the sick recover. He has been restored over the past five years through the ministry of Rick Joyner of MorningStar Ministries and GOD TV founders Rory & Wendy Alec have again recognized God's calling on his life. (See their interview with Todd Bentley at god.tv/revivalalert.)GOD TV's exclusive broadcasts of the Great Awakening Healing Revival are attracting more and more people who are travelling to Durban, South Africa, from all over the world, and many churches in different countries have set up large screens to televise the revival meetings to their congregations.GOD TV viewers are also opening their homes to their neighbors and friends as part of GOD TV's Living Room initiative, which aims to make living rooms come alive as people hear the Gospel message and receive healing in their homes.In addition to the miracles, crowds of people have attended the meetings each night, in South Africa and hundreds of Muslim and Hindu people have committed their lives to Christ. Through GOD TV's global coverage, the Revival has been extended to 240 million homes, a potential audience of 860 million viewers."Something is really happening here in Durban. It's a move of God," said Todd Bentley. "It's an explosion of power. The hospitals are calling for prayer. They are bringing the sick from the hospitals too. A man that was crippled and blind from kidney failure was healed. A woman with a large cyst on her uterus for two years received confirmation from her doctor via an ultrasound that it had completely disappeared! This is the closest I've been to revival since Lakeland!"Rory & Wendy Alec have often spoken on air about a global revival that will incorporate every believer. "We are giving our viewers an opportunity to participate in what is happening in Durban and to receive an impartation from God in their homes," said Rory Alec, "We're so grateful to our partners for helping us take this Revival around the globe.""We're asking our viewers to stay tuned to GOD TV for the latest schedules as we continue to interrupt our usual programming to bring them revival LIVE as it happens," said Wendy Alec.GOD TV can be watched via satellite across the USA on channel 365 of DIRECTV and via cable and digital terrestrial transmission in some cities. The Great Awakening Healing Revival is being streamed LIVE at god.tv; also via Roku Streaming players (roku.com) and through the GOD TV App, available on iTunes. GOD TV viewers can register to host revival in their living rooms at god.tv/livingroom.For more information about GOD TV visit: god.tv For Todd Bentley, see Fresh Fire USA - freshfireusa.com About GOD TV: GOD TV was founded in the UK in 1995 by Christian media pioneers Rory & Wendy Alec and in just 17 years has become a global phenomenon. Today the network beams a broad cross section of cutting-edge programs, including many life-changing LIVE broadcasts, into millions of homes worldwide. The only Christian broadcaster to transmit globally from Jerusalem, GOD TV's powerful signal is carried via multiple satellites providing free viewing to half a billion people 24-hours-a-day. In the USA, GOD TV can be viewed on DIRECTV channel 365 as well as on select cable channels. It can also be viewed online at www.god.tv. The network has several offices in the USA. Other offices are situated in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia. In addition to its vast media outreach, GOD TV also helps people in charitable ways by supporting feeding schemes, orphanages, water drilling projects and disaster relief funds.Contact: Jeffrey Levinson at GOD TV's North America Regional Office, 375 Douglas Ave Suite, 1008, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. Telephone (407) 862-5084, fax (407) 682 2407, e-mail; [email protected] This is a dramatic re-enactment of the story of Todd Bentley's claim that a man resurrected from the grave while watching the East Texas Glory Revival and Chris Rosebrough's attempts to verify the account.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Tower Hamlets council is rebuilding the long-neglected Ocean estate in Stepney Photograph: RTPI There is only one way more affordable homes will get built in this country and that is if local authorities like my own borough are given the resources to build them. As we move into the Brexit era, Britain must be far more visionary and build homes that become national assets. Private developers build the bare minimum of affordable homes; their real focus is on profits from luxury developments. Only when public institutions take the lead in housing models will we see the kind of homes being built that begin to address our housing crisis. In my local area, even within the existing restrictive system, we have demonstrated that it is possible to build affordable homes, particularly on disused railway land. in 2012, I negotiated the development of land owned by Network Rail at Royal Mint Street. There are significant pockets of disused railway land across the whole of London and I can see the potential for other railway villages. But councils can’t tackle this crisis alone. I would like to see a national railway land housing corporation to build council homes, develop homes through community land trusts, build more private rented sector dwellings and more homes for sale, following our success with railway lands in the East End of London. Last month, a report from the Greater London Authority showed that Tower Hamlets topped the league for affordable housebuilding, with Greenwich in second place. My borough gained 1,830 affordable homes between 2013 and 2016, including deductions for any affordable housing lost. I led on the housing portfolio in Tower Hamlets when these homes were commissioned. For us, it’s all about involving the local community and thinking in new ways. As well as building on old railway land, we also established an infill scheme to identify existing estates with room for additional blocks. In my former role I kickstarted Tower Hamlets council homes programme through The Estates Capacity Project, which began in March 2012 with the objective of building more new council homes, identifying sites in Bethnal Green, Globe Town and Mile End and which launched the largest regeneration project in London at Blackwall, together with the rebuilding of Stepney’s long-neglected Ocean Estate. We also commissioned the first new homes in decades to be built directly by the council, rather than housing associations, at the reopened Poplar Baths and the site of a disused council depot at Watts Grove. We worked in partnership with the GLA to secure an additional £7m for Watts Grove in 2013, which delivered149 homes and was recently opened in Tower Hamlets by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London. However, the challenge was the coalition’s government introduction of the market affordable rent, and the ineffective Labour opposition at the time affected rent levels even though the borough had managed to bring the rent down to a lower level. It was always my intention to bring rents down further and so in 2014 I worked with Tower Hamlets Citizens UK on a seminar on the Living Rent; the legacy I began has continued to deliver lower rented homes. Our Whitechapel Vision masterplan capitalises on the new Crossrail hub to bring investment to our town centre while ensuring it does not become commercialised at the expense of local heritage and local people. Significant change is expected in Whitechapel in the next 10-15 years as large developments come forward, delivering up to 3,500 new homes and 5,000 new jobs. As a country, we need to be far more visionary as we prepare for leaving the EU. In the past, EU institutions and funds, such as the European structural and investment funds and the European Investment Bank, have provided a significant amount of funding for UK infrastructure projects. The decision to withdraw from the EU has created uncertainty in this area, despite the government’s pledge to provide new opportunities for the private sector to play a role in delivering UK infrastructure projects. By 2020, local government will have lost 75p out of every £1 of core central funding that it had to spend in 2015. In terms of helping the homeless and providing temporary accommodation, the funding gap by 2019-20 is estimated to be £200m. Theresa May's £2bn for social housing unlikely to solve problem Read more At the Conservative party conference, Theresa May pledged an extra £2bn for social housing. This comes on top of the February housing white paper, which promised reforms to boost the housing market and increase the supply of new homes, and the £2.3bn fund launched in July 2017 by the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, through the housing infrastructure fund, with the aim of opening bids for local authorities to come forward with proposals to aid faster building of homes. But it is still not enough. The Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual review revealed that the government is spending four times less on building affordable homes for those on a low income than it is on subsidising private housing. Building homes on Network Rail land, supporting urban community land trusts and beginning the foundations for a living rent has taught me that Britain must be far more pioneering. This crisis can only become more difficult to conquer the longer this task is left. Rabina Khan is a councillor in Tower Hamlets. Sign up for your free Guardian Housing network newsletter with comment and sector views sent direct to you on the last Friday of the month. Follow us:@GuardianHousing Looking for a housing job, or need to recruit housing staff? Take a look at Guardian Jobs.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Willows & Woody Florals Saturday, March 10, 11am - 2pm We will be on-farm and staffed, but only 11am until 2pm, on Saturday March 10. Bouquets, plants, grow-your-own cuttings with instructions, and handmade wreaths by Zoe. Also Eggs & Jams. Frozen Fruit, Eggs & Jams We still have eggs, jams and jellies for sale on the porch. There is also a limited supply of frozen fruit available. These are cooking/smoothie berries. We are selling them for $2.00 per pound. There are blackberries, seedless table grapes and good supply of muscadines. Purchases are on the honor system if we are not there. Pruning & Planning Tis the season for pruning & planning on the farm. We are 80% done pruning blueberry bushes, and the Grapes will be the next big pruning project. Have your own bushes? We are glad to share pruning tips in exchange for a little help - hands-on training! Chill Hours Report, Wind Machine Report, Winter Maraurder (aka wild pigs) Report, Mummy Berry, Exobasidium Leak and Fruit Spot- It was way too much to put in the email version of the newsletter, so we posted the full length edition to the website for those who are interested. We hope you will check it out! Call First Before Making A Special Trip This time of year we are mostly on the honor system. Best to call first if you are making a special trip and to make sure we have what you are coming for. Be sure to ask us to set it aside for you. We could have it when you call, but sell out by the time you get there if we have not set it aside. Hours of Operation This time of year we are mostly on the honor system but if you need us to resolve a change issue (cash preferred) or use a card, call Walker at 864-350-9345. Usually he is on-farm. Ringing the bell works if he is not on the tractor, otherwise the phone works. Garden Shows & Club Meetings March 6 - Garden Clubs of South Carolina, Greer SC - willow cuts, and grow-your-own available for your creative genius April 14 - Anderson Library Skill Sharing Fair at the Anderson Library - learn to grow your own as well buy cuts for that creative dried arrangement April 23 - Upstate Seekers - we will make a presentation on the history of agriculture in the upstate with a peek at a possible future. Willows and woody florals will be available for participants May 1 - Newcomer Club of the Foothills 2017 Prices Pound(You-pick) Quart(Pre-picked) Gallon(Pre-picked) Blackberries $2.75 $6.50* $25.00 At market $6.75 N/A Blueberries $2.75 $6.50 $25.00 At market $6.75 $26.00 Seedless grapes $2.75 $6.50 N/A At market $6.75 N/A Figs $2.75 $6.50 $25.00 At market $6.75 $26.00 Muscadines $2.75 $6.50 $25.00 Persimmons *Pre-picked only $3 PER POUND N/A We love it when you bring your own containers. CAUTION - Please wear shoes with good tread.Please no sandles or flip flops. The terrain is uneven, and in places, sometimes steep. Please wear shoes with good tread for walking around the farm. See our Picking Tips Speed limit is 6 miles per hour.... For your own safety as well as others - Please drive slowly and carefully. BYOB – Bring-your-own-bucketWe love it when you bring your own buckets. If you have extra plastic buckets or quart cups, we would welcome these donations to the cause. We can wash and sanitize them and they will be "good to go" for another round. Parking Tips We ask our workers to park at the top of the driveway in order to save parking down near the old farm house for you! That means that seeing cars at the top does not mean you have to walk in. If we are really crowded we will have someone at the top to direct parking. With that said, please note that trailers or RV types of vehicles must park at the top of the driveway in the first parking area. They should not be taken down to the house because there is not enough room to turn them around. Preferred method of paymentWe love Cash! We also accept checks, and Visa or Mastercard debit/credit cards. We are hoping that you will all continue to use cash or checks as much as possible. We are now mobile-friendly! On Saturday June 4, 2016 we posted our new mobile friendly website. Please bear with us as we iron out some bumps and links. Please let us know how you like the new look, and if you find any bumps! We would love your input. Dog PolicyPlease leave your pets at home. We love dogs but it is best not to bring dogs to the farm. We cannot allow dogs in the fields and the parking area is too hot to leave pets in the car. If you cannot avoid having your dog with you, please plan for a member of your group to stay with the dog; stay out of the fields (no one wants berries that were...ah..sprayed); carry doggie bags for the unmentionable; and keep the dog on a 6 foot (or shorter) leash. EGGS Only getting about 3 dozens eggs a day Please call first if you are making a special trip- 864-350-9345 More to Look Forward to - Eventually We have added Goji, mulberries and even planted more Persimmons. They have not come on-line yet. We have also planted more fig trees since we seem to consistently have more demand than supply. And, as always, we will be tinkering with ways we can lower our impact on the environment, up our harvest productivity, maintain profitability so we can stay in business and better serve our community. Ask Walker for details and/or Stay tuned for updates!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Psychological Distress Increases Acid Reflux Severity As the holidays get closer, most would agree that stress levels for some people increase. There is at least one study that indicates this psychological distress may result in more severe GERD symptoms. Dr. Chey and his colleagues at the University of Michigan reported that about 40% of patients with GERD have psychological distress. This distress can worsen GERD symptoms. Dr. Chey believes that this effect could help explain why about 30% of GERD patients have incomplete symptom relief with Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) therapy. Instead of a lack of treatment response, Dr. Chey believes this group of people may be experiencing more severe GERD. Add This Infographic to Your Website or Blog With This Code: As consumers of any study, we have to consider the study methods and any rival explanations. In this case, each patient completed a health-related survey that assessed quality of life at the time they enrolled in the study. Overall, 39% of the GERD patients showed psychological distress. Any of you caring for or living with someone with GERD know how stressful GERD can be. So, one has to wonder how much of this distress is actually related to the GERD itself. The ol' "chicken and egg" scenario lives on. In any case, Dr. Chey's research did demonstratedthat even though psychological distress is associated with more severe GERD symptoms, distressed patients in the study responded just as well to acid suppression therapy as those without psychological distress, but he found the group with the distress may have more residual symptoms. Dr. Chey's study was presented at this year's annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Surprise! Galaxy Note 9 Will Double as PC Without a Dock Of course, the last time Samsung tried to put a big battery into a Galaxy phone, it notoriously didn't go so well. It was rumored back in 2013 that Samsung was working on another high-end smartphones series called the Galaxy F. Eight US states craft Trump lawsuit on 3D guns The controversy began in 2013 when self-styled crypto-anarchist Cody Wilson showed off the world's first 3D-printed gun. But blueprints for nine types of gun were uploaded to the Defense Distributed website on Friday. Kim Jong Un invited to Asian Games in Indonesia State Department has said it is committed to building a peace mechanism in place of the armistice when the North denuclearizes. North Korea got respect, trade, and weapons, and now they appear to be going on as if Singapore put no restrictions on them. Michael Cohen sent up flares, but Trump never came to help Cohen's claims weren't mentioned in separate reports issued by Republicans and Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee. He also defended his prior comments defending Cohen, calling him an "honest, honorable lawyer" on This Week in May. US economy grows at the fastest pace since 2014 But economists have begun to question whether it can continue at this pace in the face of trade tensions and rising rates. He pointed to new tax cuts, de-regulation, increased government spending and the continuing trade negotiations. YouTube dark mode is finally rolling out to Android users The dark theme was introduced previous year for the desktop version and then introduced to iOS users in March. Many wanted the dark background to make nighttime YouTube viewing easier on the eyes. Back in May previous year, YouTube rolled out Dark Mode (or Dark Theme, whatever you want to call it) for its desktop site. It applies to every page that was previously white, including settings, searches, and so forth. The new update brings the much-awaited dark mode for Android users. Over the weekend, some lucky users began to see the dark theme appear in their YouTube app's settings and while it is by no means widespread, it is progress. Well, a darker interface can be more pleasant to the eyes, especially if you're in a dark room. With this new update, users would be able to switch between dark and light themes, just by going to the Generalsettings of the application, and then selecting the desired mode. This dark theme appears to be on a staged rollout, and should hopefully roll out to all Android users eventually. Dark mode is really one of those features you didn't know you wanted until you use it. It was then revealed that the mobile apps would get it as well starting with the iOS version. The video playing app is also testing an Explore feature according to Tom Leung, YouTube's director of management. The new color scheme is more of a dark gray tone than purely black so is more of a toned down theme than what is typically considered a full dark mode.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
In the summer of 1963 I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the filming of Tom Jones starring Albert Finney and Susannah York. I was a student at Hardyes's School and coincidentally a former pupil of the same school was at the time working for the film company responsible for the making of the film, 'Woodfall Film Productions'. Needing extras for the location scenes he sourced some of them from the school. Others were chosen at public auditions in Dorchester. My Mum and sister were picked at the public auditions to appear in the execution scene which was to be filmed on a hillside just outside Bridport. I meanwhile was at the time the leading drummer for the Hardyes' School CCF (Combined Cadet Force) Corps of Drums. Because of this, I and another drummer in the same CCF band were chosen to fulfil the role of two of the drummers to lead the tumbril bearing Tom Jones to the gallows. Close observation of the final minutes of the film will reveal what is now know on IMDB as 'goofs'. There were four drummers who appear in a street scene and at the execution site. I and three others filmed at Bridport while the street scene was filmed in, I believe, Shaftesbury. It is clear that four different extras were used in each scene. Rather a shame as my fee would have been bigger had I appeared in both scenes. Filming took two days as many extras, film crew and actors gathered on the hillside. It was a fascinating experience and made more so as I was kept on for a few hours more after the filming finished to record a separate drum solo to be added to the soundtrack of the fim in post production. The video clip below shows my albeit minor involement in what was at the time a very successful movie. Following this introduction to the film industry I was to have no further involvement until the opportunity arose to assist in the production of a short film which was being crowdfunded in 2017. This film 'Songbird' stars Janet Devlin as Jennifer and I am sure it will be, in it's own way, as successful as Tom Jones. My contribution was merely financial, and not very significant, so I can take absolutely no credit for anything else.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
NEW YORK TIMES A bipartisan move to cutting benefits programs By Associated Press POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 09, 2011 WASHINGTON » In a significant shift driven by bipartisan concern about the looming long-term debt, Republicans and Democrats are no longer fighting over whether to tackle the popular entitlement programs — Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — but how to do it. In the presidential race, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, the Republican front-runner of the moment, took the debate over entitlements to a level never before seen from a major candidate, calling for the end of all three programs as currently structured. In his debate with Republican rivals Wednesday, he amplified his claims that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and a "monstrous lie" to younger Americans counting on the money for retirement. On Thursday, he circulated similar past criticisms from his chief rival, Mitt Romney, who defended Social Security in the debate. At the same time, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill expressed a willingness to wring savings from the long-untouchable programs during the first meeting of the special committee that is charged with recommending $1.5 trillion in deficit reductions over the decade. Then President Barack Obama, in his address to a joint session of Congress on spurring job creation, reiterated his call for a plan reducing long-term debt with both changes in entitlement programs and taxes from the wealthy. It is far from clear whether the comments from Perry, a self-proclaimed provocateur, will give new momentum to or stall early moves between the White House and Congress to deal with the costly benefit programs at the heart of the nation's debt problem. The parties' repositioning on the New Deal and Great Society pillars is leaving both sides on shaky ground and uncertain of where to stand. Perry's comments could cause the Democrats to dig in against changing the entitlement programs, sensing a political advantage in 2012 — especially if Perry is the nominee. For all of Perry's bravado, many Republicans are anxious about his stand on entitlement programs, Social Security especially, given their popularity and the disproportionate number of seniors who vote. Even his advisers tried to temper the remarks before Perry made plain he was standing his ground, and some Republican lawmakers Thursday were distancing themselves from his remarks. Many congressional Republicans remain haunted by the experience of former President George W. Bush's futile effort in 2005 to partly privatize Social Security, which contributed to the party's loss of its House and Senate majorities the next year and convinced congressional Democrats of the power of the issue. More than half of Americans, 56 percent, would be less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who favored phasing out Social Security so that workers could invest their payroll taxes in the stock market, according to a nationwide poll in June by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News. That included 64 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents, whose swing votes decide elections, and even a 45 percent plurality of Republicans. Only one-third of Republicans said they would be more likely to vote for someone who espoused ending Social Security. Until Perry's recent entry into the Republican contest, the debate over reining in the projected growth of the entitlement programs focused on the health programs, Medicare and Medicaid. Their projected costs, given the aging of the population and fast-rising medical expenses, are greater and growing faster than those for Social Security. While House Republicans boasted in April of the boldness of their budget — it would turn Medicare into a voucher program for private insurance and Medicaid into a reduced block grant to states — they steered clear of changing Social Security. Now they have a potential presidential standard-bearer who is taking on Social Security — the so-called third rail of American politics, to be touched at your peril — with both hands. The collapse of the summer budget negotiations between Obama and the House speaker, John A. Boehner, with their tentative trade-off between savings from entitlement programs and new revenues, left many in both parties convinced that no significant debt-reduction bargain is likely before the 2012 elections. Unless Republicans accept higher taxes on the wealthy, and they swear they will not, Democrats will not support reductions in future entitlement benefits. Yet both parties are feeling the pressure to act sooner. That reflects not only the seriousness of the nation's looming debt crisis as baby boomers age but also the possibility late this year that, just like in the August fight over raising the debt limit, the financial markets and the economy in general will be shaken by dysfunction in Washington if no plan can be mapped out by the new deficit-reduction committee and enacted by Congress. The turn in both parties toward tackling the cost of the entitlement programs has been building. In 2010, congressional Democrats approved about $500 billion in future savings from Medicare to help pay for the new health care law, although Republicans attacked them for it in last year's midterm elections. But the onset of the new deficit committee's work and Perry's scathing critique of social spending has added a new dimension. At the first meeting of the House-Senate committee on deficit reduction, which is to make recommendations by Nov. 23 for a quick up-or-down vote in Congress, several Republicans said that entitlements were the main cause of annual deficits and should be the panel's focus. "In order to succeed, I know this committee must be primarily about the business of saving and reforming social safety-net programs that are not only failing many beneficiaries, but going broke at the same time," said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, the co-chairman of the committee, which is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. But James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, a House Democratic leader on the panel, said that he was for "smart and compassionate budget cuts" and "ending military adventurism," but that Congress must not shred Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. Democrats favor reductions in payments to Medicare providers, like doctors and hospitals, and raising the income limits for Social Security payroll taxes so the rich pay more. Separately, the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, Sander M. Levin of Michigan, circulated a memo listing two dozen options that could squeeze more than $500 billion out of Medicare in the next 10 years. Aides to Levin said that he was not endorsing the ideas but helping other Democrats understand the sorts of actions that could be taken. By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Because only subscribers are allowed to comment, we have your personal information and are able to contact you. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, email [email protected].	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Step into history with this navy Renaissance faire dress! The sleeveless 100% polyester twill dress is meant to be worn over a chemise, as it is open all the way down the front. The bodice has boning for support and center-front lacing of black cord through gold-tone metal eyelets. A note about the chemise: respectable women NEVER wore their chemises off-the-shoulder--only women of questionable virtue did that! *Please note the chest measurements are a result of putting the front together and measuring from seam to seam.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Japan's regional economies expanding, recovering: BOJ report Source: Xinhua\| 2019-01-10 20:25:56\|Editor: xuxin Video PlayerClose TOKYO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Thursday said that all regional economies across the country had been expanding or recovering from a string of natural disasters that struck the nation in the summer on the back of steady income and spending and uptick in overseas exports. In the central bank's quarterly "Sakura Report," the BOJ highlighted that both Japan's northern Hokkaido and southwestern Chugoku regions had upwardly revised their assessments, following a downward revision in the wake of a powerful earthquake in September, which rocked the north, and heavy rain, which pummeled the southwest in July. "According to assessments from regions across Japan, all nine regions reported that their economy had been either expanding or recovering," the BOJ said in its quarterly report. "Compared with the previous assessment in October 2018, the Hokkaido and Chugoku regions, which had revised down their assessments due to the effects of the natural disasters - namely, the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake and the heavy rain in July 2018 - revised up their assessments, taking into account the progress in restoration and reconstruction," the report stated. The assessments for the other seven regions of Tohoku, Hokuriku, Kanto-Koshinetsu, Tokai, Kinki, Shikoku, and Kyushu-Okinawa, were unchanged, the central bank said.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Interview Tim Sanford and Itamar Moses Tim: What brought you to playwriting? Itamar: I was interested in writing from a pretty young age. I was a big sci-fi and fantasy book nerd as a kid. And so I think my first writing ambition was to write fantasy novels. Then in high school, I was at Berkeley High, which is a really crazy, diverse place to go to school, and the clique of weird, outsider, artsy kids at Berkeley High who were a little older than I was were really impressive to me. I thought they were really, really cool and they were writing plays and putting them on and I thought that was really exciting. These were kids not in the drama program? Yeah. There are a bunch of little theaters in Berkeley, but in particular there’s a pizza place near the UC Berkeley campus called La Val’s, and in the basement there’s a tiny black box theater called La Val’s Subterranean Theater, and these guys who were a couple of years older than me at Berkeley High would write these plays. Then eventually they started a theater company called Emerald Rain Productions, and they put on rock operas every summer in the basement of La Val’s pizza. The composer of those rock operas being a guy that I’m now collaborating with on one of my musicals. He’s writing a reality TV musical with me that I’ve been working on. Who? Gaby Alter. Wow. And then when I was a senior, I saw Angels in America at ACT in San Francisco. I think this was early ’95. And I started working on my first play right after that. It’s funny, when I spoke on a panel a few years ago at NYU to some of the undergrads, there were a bunch of different playwrights on the panel, and everyone who was around my age had an Angels in America story, how seeing Angels in America had kind of turned them into a playwright. It was really eerie how that play had been a turning point for so many of us. Why was it a turning point for you? I think the idea of trying to write a play had been cooking for a little while, and then when I saw that I just thought, “I have to try that. I have to try to make one of those.” Like, it was just so exciting and powerful and magical and great. Was the play you wrote like that? It was about me and all my friends hanging out senior year of high school, but with sort of an epic sweep like Angels in America. That’s not even a joke! And for some reason, Roy Cohn was a character… Yeah, no, but there were these mystical characters sort of akin to Mr. Lies in it. What did you do with that play? I showed it to some of my friends, but that was it. I don’t think I ever even heard it out loud. Really? A lot of times when I ask this question it’s that pay off with actors and an audience that really hooks people. Like, “I wrote a puppet play in the third grade and all my friends saw it and I was changed forever!” I think if I had had to hear that play out loud it might have stopped me. Did you keep writing in college? Yeah, but not exclusively. My focus was still broader. Where did you go to —? I went to Yale for undergrad. Do you think the reputation of their theater program was a draw for you? I guess it was, although as an undergraduate you don’t have very much access to the Drama School. And I didn’t really know what theater was like for the undergrads. As it turns out though, it has a really great, thriving undergraduate theater community and so over the course of my four years there theater became my main extra-curricular activity and eventually all I was doing outside of class. What did you major in there? I was a Humanities major, by design. I wanted to major in something else and then make theater. When did you first hear your stuff out loud? That’s a good question. I guess when I was a sophomore I directed a play I had written myself. That was probably the first time. Did you like it? I mean, it wasn’t a very good play. Did I like it? The experience. Yeah. I liked the whole experience of putting the thing together. We did it for a weekend in one of the smaller spaces and I had really good actors for college actors. I liked the intensity of watching an audience watch it but also… I heard this interesting quote from Ira Glass once where he said something to the effect that, “A lot of people get into the arts, or try writing, because they like things, they have good taste. They say ‘Okay, I read that novel,’ or ‘I saw that play and I would like to make something like that.’ And then they try and they can’t and they see the gap between what they’ve made and the kind of things they like. And at that point a lot of people give up. But the ability to see that gap is the important thing.” You’re not supposed to be able to make something as good as the things you like right away. So I think that play my sophomore year was that first moment for me of being like, “Oh, in my head this was as good as any of the plays that I love, and up there it’s not…. How do you make that happen?” So by the time you graduated, were you clear about your direction? Yeah. I was rejected from the one graduate school I applied to senior year. I applied to NYU’s program. But I moved to New York anyway and was an office temp for a while. First I was an intern at New Dramatists for about five months, which was fun and which exposed me to this whole world of living, working playwrights that I had been completely ignorant of before I moved to the city. In college you study playwrights who are either dead or who are really, really, really famous, which is a short list of people. So it was when I was interning at New Dramatists that I first encountered the work of Kate Robin, Doug Wright, Nilo Cruz, David Lindsay-Abaire… this whole generation ahead of me that was not yet widely recognized. Did you have time as an intern to just like… Sit in the office and read scripts? Now years later I can admit that yes, that is how I spent most of my time. Really? They encouraged us to do that. But I also spent a fair amount of time answering phones and making photocopies and doing other things. Don’t get defensive… I made sure that I earned the $25 a week that they were paying me! I would hope so. But no, it was just great to get to read all of that work and to meet all of those people and for it to become real to me. So what was next after New Dramatists? Then I applied to grad school again that fall, to more than one program that time. And the following winter and spring I just was an office temp. I worked at Nickelodeon Jr. Magazine and I worked at a PR firm for a week and I worked at iBeauty.com. I’d just work at all of these weird places. And actually I ended up for the longest time in the finance department at Radio City Music Hall, which was really funny. Did you sneak into The Rockettes…? I literally, yes, did that. God, I know you! Well they were down the hall! The Rockettes were rehearsing down the hall. How could one resist? Yeah, but it was pretty interesting. There was this period while I was waiting to hear from grad schools that I was pretty unhappy. I was in this weird space of feeling like, “Well, this could be my life for now, this could be what I could be really doing. How long is this gonna go on for?” Then in April, I heard I got into NYU and as soon as I knew what I was going to be doing in September, it was suddenly really fun to be an office temp. Like, I’m a secret agent under cover learning about this weird world that I’m not really a part of. But until I had been accepted to grad school I couldn’t hold myself at a distance from it. How did you like NYU? It was okay. I really liked my classmates. The program splits between screenwriters and playwrights which I think is actually good. You end up with classes that are a little bit big in some ways. But screenwriters, as a group, I would say, to generalize, are more sort of unpretentious than young aspiring playwrights. And so I think it created a more even-keeled mood in the class. Even in the way screenwriting is taught it tends to be taught in a more straightforward way, like, “Here are the tools of the craft” and with less pretentious, “Let’s cultivate your mystical voice,” which is important also, but having the balance between those two things was good. The playwriting program was in transition at the time, so by my second year I just took screenwriting and TV writing courses because it just felt like it was a better use of my time at that point. But I can’t say I’m not glad I went because, everything turned out okay. And I think it ended up being important to stay in New York for those two years. Do I know any of the plays that you wrote at NYU? Well Outrage was my application to graduate school. It was your application? Yeah. An even messier and crazier version of Outrage than the one you probably know. I did work on that play throughout grad school but I never brought any of it in to any of my classes. For some reason I protected it from grad school while taking the things I was learning and applying it to the play. The very first draft of Bach at Leipzig I wrote at NYU although that also went through many many iterations and changes over the next couple of years. You didn’t show Outrage to anyone? Not even an advisor? Yeah I think I gave it to Gary Garrison who was a mentor I really liked there, a very supportive guy who gave really smart notes. And I guess I put a reading of it together with a director I was friends with, so I got to hear it. I guess I suspected that if I brought it into class, I would get a lot of notes about simplifying it, and I kind of knew that it had to be this insane, giant sort of thing. And I think also, because it’s such a huge, sort of megalomaniacal piece of writing, I think at the time I was like, “This is the play that will announce me to the world!” And it sort of was like, “Well I’m gonna keep it secret until then.” And it did go on to be one of my first plays to get professionally produced, but it did not really announce me to the world as much as parts of Portland and Philadelphia. Oh, Itamar. It announced you to Playwrights Horizons. Well, yes. So the short answer to your question, “do you know them” is “yes.” Let’s talk about your transition into professional theater. What was the first nice bite you had? I was really diligent — this led almost nowhere except I think it was psychologically important — but I was really diligent back then, before grad school, during grad school, about going through the Dramatist’s Sourcebook and sending my plays to all of those contests for which they were eligible. So you’d sort of get letters back like, “You were one of ten finalists for this,” and “You were third round of that,” and sometimes I would win something and it was like, “Here’s 500 dollars for winning the Greater Texas Whatever.” You didn’t win $500 from Greater Texas. I mean, basically! Bach at Leipzig ironically won something called the Plays for the 21st Century Award, which I thought was weird. So I did a lot of that. And just that process of mailing and getting things back made it all feel real even though that didn’t lead to an enormous amount of things. Although the very first production of Outrage came from one of those. I won something called the Reva Shiner New Play Award, which is administered by a theater called the Bloomington Playwrights Project in Bloomington, Indiana. And they did the play in, I want to say, February 2001? That’s where the university is, right? Yeah in Bloomington. I was trying to explain Breaking Away to people yesterday…. I love that movie! My girlfriend made me watch it not long ago. That is a great movie. Steve Tesich’s greatest commercial success. So, yes, in Bloomington, of Breaking Away fame. So then Kevin Moriarty, who now runs Dallas Theater Center, at the time was running the Hangar Theater in Ithaca, and produced the very first production of Bach at Leipzig up there one summer. And Chris Coleman of Portland Center Stage workshopped Outrage in JAW West, their summer new works festival. Bach at Leipzig was your first thing in New York, wasn’t it? Yeah pretty much, it was my first full production. It was a very splashy event because there was a real buzz leading up to it and you had such wonderful actors in it. That cast was wonderful, it was pretty great. And then it got a mixed reception. To say the least. What do you feel about that experience in retrospect? You’ve survived… I did survive. I mean, I’ve answered this question in various ways so… How is the question usually posed? That was a very nice way to put it. What do they usually say? “You got dumped on by The Times, how did that feel?” Sometimes it’s that but it’s always fine because for better or worse it became part of the narrative of my early career. There’s no way I can spin it. The truth is there was a lot of hype leading up to the opening of that play. And then some of the reviews, The Times in particular, were savage. And that is what happened, so it creates this narrative of, “Oh, this person was lifted up and then struck down but he got through okay and he’s still around!” and I guess I can accept that. It’s kind of true. But in terms of my personal experience, it was very strange because there was a way in which it was a weird gift because the worst possible thing that can happen to you as a playwright happened right away. And I got up the next morning and I got really wonderful calls and emails from all kind of people I respected so I thought, “Well, that wasn’t so bad” and so I think it made me less fearful of that outcome. And it’s never been that bad since. But I know that if it is I can survive it, so there’s that. The play has also gone on, it’s still my most produced play, it’s been produced all over the country, it’s been produced in Canada — there’s a production running right now in Chinese in Hong Kong. So that’s been satisfying. But also it was probably useful to me as a young writer. I think—I mean I don’t live in the parallel universe where that didn’t happen and the play was received with a glorious fanfare and I was brought to the mountaintop or whatever… Did you ever long for that parallel universe? Well I can’t imagine what it would have been like. But I don’t know. This is obviously an easier thing to say because it’s what happened, but I don’t know if it would have been the best thing for my development as an artist or as a person, irrespective of whether I believe the reviews were fair or right. But I also should say that there is a great quote from James Joyce about some of the critical response to Ulysses that I agree wih — not that Bach at Leipzig is Ulysses. He said, “Even if all of the things that these critics said about my book are true, are they the whole truth? Or are they an interesting or important part of the truth?” Because I think it’s true that Bach at Leipzig is too long, and it’s really show-offy and pleased with itself, and that I as a person have admitted to liking Tom Stoppard. But was that the most important thing to write about? Do you know what I mean? It was also part of a larger issue. I still get emotional when I talk about this, as you can tell, because it was part of a larger thing that was happening that fall, which was that Rinne Groff had Ruby Sunrise at the Public and Noah Haidle had Mr. Marmalade at the Roundabout, and all three of our plays opened the same week, and the three of us were emailing together like, “Here it goes!” and it was the first time that playwrights of our generation had been produced at that level. And we all opened the same week, The Times panned all three of our plays, and then a week later, the critic who had panned all three of us wrote an essay on the subject of, “Why don’t Off-Broadway theaters take more risks?,” which sounds like a joke, but that’s actually what happened. And, sure, maybe he legitimately disliked all three of those plays, and it was his job to say so. But it just seemed so out of touch not to see that the theaters that did our three plays did take risks by doing us. Do you feel like that’s changed at all? Or do you try not to even think about that? I mean, yeah, because it’s also not black and white. The Times has said some wonderful things about writers I think are wonderful in the last few years. So I don’t know, I don’t know. Anyway, you tarried forward and kept writing plays. Yes. There was a real simplicity and directness to your next couple of plays, The Four of Us and Back Back Back. Do you think that was part of your response to what happened? I think so, but I feel it’s important to say that The Four of Us was written before Bach at Leipzig opened in New York. So it wasn’t written in response to the critical reception. So it’s more when you’ve finished a play you say to yourself, “What do I want to do next?” Exactly. I was learning things about what worked and what didn’t and I knew I could craft flashy-sounding sentences, and so the arch language in Bach at Leipzig is a little bit of a screen for me to hide behind. But I don’t think I trusted myself to try to write naturalistic dialogue. So The Four of Us felt like a breakthrough in a number of ways but especially in that it was the first time I got out of my own way and let the characters talk like I talk. And that was a little bit revelatory for me. And the craft is gentler too, the chronology is scrambled and it does some tricks but it’s like they’re not quite as loud or something. Yeah I liked that as well. No I’m very proud of that play. I think I aimed for something that really mattered to me and I think I kind of hit the target you know which is sort of satisfying. At the time it was sort of a departure, now it’s closer to what I tend to do. Maybe it’s when I found my voice. Do you feel like your training in screenwriting gave you any kind of perspective that’s helpful to your playwriting? Yeah very much so. My screenwriting and TV writing teachers talked about craft in a much more practical way than one would find in playwriting classes. But it’s a different version of the same craft. So it was really useful. For instance, there was a TV writing professor at NYU named Charlie Rubin, who was definitely one of the best writing teachers I ever had… Oh I know Charlie Rubin. He wrote a musical with Bill Finn once. Okay. He’s really funny. America Kicks Up Its Heels. He’s very funny, a very good writer, and just a great teacher of writing. For instance, I was writing a spec script for The Simpsons in his class, and he made a comment about the story, that maybe it needed to go in another direction in a certain scene and I said, “You’re right but those are my two best jokes that will make no sense if I turn the story this other way.” And he said, “If you can write two good jokes for that story, you can write two good jokes for the other version of the story. Always get the story right first.” And I was in my last semester of grad school at NYU. It was the first time anyone had ever said something like that that to me. Completeness was a commission from the Sloan Foundation. When was that offered to you in relation to other plays? Were you offered it before you were produced at MTC? Or sometime in the middle? I think the Sloan commission goes back all the way to 2005. And my productions at MTC were in 2008. That makes sense to me because a lot of the time MTC gives those commissions to people they think are promising but don’t really have a track record with yet. Did it take you a while to find an idea? Did they ask you to write a proposal? Yeah I wrote a little prospectus, which is not enormously far off in spirit from what the play became. And I think they wanted a draft after a year. So I did give them something, like an unproduceable mess a year later. But I said, “This is sort of the ‘wink-wink’ notreal draft. Let’s not even do a reading of this and I will revisit it later.” So I did another push a year later and finally had a draft good enough to do a reading of. And that started the ball rolling on the play having a real development process. There, and then South Coast, and then finally here. So the Traveling Salesman Problem was clearly something of interest to you before this commission— I came across the Traveling Salesman Problem in college in one of the science classes I had to take to fulfill my breadth requirement. And I just thought it was cool, so it sort of stuck in my head. And were the metaphorical resonances that you bring out in the play apparent to you at that point? Not initially, because when I was in the actual class I didn’t understand the problem well enough. But later, once I understood it better, by the time I got the Sloan commission, I had at least that kernel already — that if I wrote a play about a guy working on this problem and also trying to navigate romance, there might be a play there. There’s a little bit of romance in of The Four Us. Not actual characters… Well, they talk about it; they talk a lot about their offstage relationships with various unseen women. It’s one of the tools the play uses to investigate their friendship. First of all, it’s something they can talk about, but also the way each of them deals with the women that they talk about is sort of a way of talking more explicitly about how they deal with each other. So that was sort of the trick I was using. The girls in The Four of Us seem very real, but it just occurred to me, you haven’t really written women. Uh, not as much. Not recently, until this play. As it happens, my first three plays to be Off-Broadway were all men. Bach and Leipzig is seven men, The Four of Us is two men and Back Back Back is three men. People will probably be reassured that you write women very well, actually. Thank you. Is that because you’ve gotten to know women a little bit…? Maybe, or now I just realize there’s basically no difference. It’s just like writing any character who’s not exactly you, which is true of all characters. More recently I did a collection of short plays called Love Stories at the Flea, two years ago now, which in a way felt to me like when a visual artist does a series of pencil sketches before they do a mural. Love Stories in a way felt like the sketching I was doing to get ready for Completeness. It had people-getting-together moments and breaking-up moments. It was an opportunity to explore all of those issues on the stage and to be like “Okay this works. My way into this seems to actually work.” So that was the first time I’d put women on stage in New York, ever. I think I wrote in my bulletin piece about how there’s a combination of the Bach at Leipzig voice and The Four of Us voice in Completeness in that it’s both brainy and fully researched but also frank and personal and really quite romantic. That’s one of the reasons our staff has been so enthusiastic about it. The science is so seamlessly integrated into the romance. Were you ever daunted by the scientific content it required? Not really, um… It’s just that I’ve read a lot of Sloan plays and this is one of the most successful ones I’ve ever read at integrating the science into the story. Thank you. I think I have a pretty good understanding of how to dramatize an idea. I know that sounds really general. But you have to tie it to a really specific sequence of actions that seem inevitable and intrinsic. I think the challenge with something like a science play, or any subject that’s sort of handed to you, is that you might write a play that may have a really great plot and a good story, but has this other chunk of information you’re obliged to put in it that becomes like an albatross, or like an ill-fitting suit. I haven’t seen any other Sloan plays, but I knew I wanted to write a play where the scientific ideas and the emotional relationships and events are having such an intimate conversation with one another that you couldn’t have one without the other. How did you land upon Molly being a molecular biologist? Did you know much about molecular biology before you wrote the play? Well, I knew that I wanted Molly’s scientific focus to be something organic, in the sense of dealing with real material stuff, so chemistry, biology, or something like that, that that would be the right balance for the virtuality and abstraction of the computer science. But it was much harder, initially, to focus that research, because I couldn’t just pick some problem in biology at random. It had to be something that had an interesting metaphorical conversation with the relationship issues in the play and with Elliot’s science, with the Traveling Salesman Problem. So it was just reading widely, asking questions of people in those fields, until I landed on the idea of a protein interaction network in molecular biology, and it jumped out at me as the focus I’d been looking for. And, no, I didn’t know anything at all about it. So then it was a process of reading on my own and talking to molecular biologists until I understood it well enough to make use of it. Completeness has changed a lot since I first actually offered you a production. It changed some before your production at South Coast Rep and it has changed even more since then. And there’s an aspect of the play which may continue to evolve a little bit in the next week from now during previews, which has to do with the meta-theatrical moments of it. Now it’s “moment” singular, as of this afternoon. In the version that was done at South Coast Rep, there were reenactments of past moments with Elliot’s and Molly’s exes. Yeah, there was a sequence in the second act where our central couple relives a moment we’ve seen with a previous significant other, and then goes farther back to relive a moment that we’ve never seen, a moment that they had with a significant other from before the play even began. The formal conceit I think is you were trying to establish the series of sequences of possibilities, and you still do that in the one meta-theatrical moment that remains as we see a computer script projected on the stage. Do you want to talk about that? It’s a play about the relationship between a computer scientist and a molecular biologist, and so it just lent itself very naturally to me to echoing the relationship between theater as a scripted event and theater as a live event. A computer scientist writes code and those are sometimes literally called scripts, you know, “Who scripted that program?” And then a molecular biologist is dealing with these little molecules in a Petri dish that are alive, and that are therefore messy like anything alive. And in a similar way, you have a script that’s a blueprint for your theatrical event that’s in your imagination going to go off perfectly, and then every night it’s slightly different because it’s a live event, and slightly different things happen, and there’s a different audience, which always creates a different energy. Anyone who’s seen a play more than once can attest to how different it can be from night to night. And then in some cases things can even go wrong, and people work with that and you somehow finish the show, as we experienced at a recent preview. So I felt like, in the same way that Elliot and Molly have this sort of yin-yang, complimentary thing going on in their science and maybe in their personalities, that it mirrored for me the yin-yang of all the elements that come together to make a piece of theater work. And so there used to be a sort of build of meta-theatrical moments throughout the play that culminated in one big climactic one. But as I watched it at South Coast, and then pulled a bunch of those out before we even started here, and then watched it again here, and have now pulled more of them out, what I’ve learned is—and we’ll see how true this is as we continue with the previews—but what I suspect is that those moments are a little too disruptive. We get invested in the story and in the scene, and then there are these weird freeze moments, or the lights seem to fail, and it would create an effect on the audience, but it really wasn’t the effect I wanted. It seemed to push people out of the play. It seemed to damage their engagement with the scene they were watching without gaining us enough in return for the play overall. So there was that, but there was also the fact that all the setup you need for a single climactic moment that sort of gestures at the relationship between theater as script and theater as live event, all the setup you may need for that is the entire play itself up to that point. Because you have, up until then, been watching exactly that, a scripted event, being performed one time only, live. And so you may not need anything other than pulling people along with that until this one moment of a breakdown that then seems to flow into a moment of pure unscripted improvisation, that then you begin to make people suspect is itself scripted. Is it okay that we’re talking about this? Yeah yeah yeah sure! Because a lot of the conversations in the lobby afterwards have been about whether this moment is scripted or not and if they read this they will have their answer. If I were super badass like Andy Kauffman I might be like, “FUCK THEM, I DON’T WANT THEM TO KNOW!” But I don’t really feel that way. John Glore, the Associate Artistic Director at South Coast Rep, put it really well: “If most of the audience does not know that that wasn’t a mistake, if by the end of that sequence they haven’t put together that it’s scripted, what meaning is being conveyed? Because if we don’t understand that it was a part of the event then we don’t try to extract meaning from it.” And I think that’s a really good point. Even today, we had a conversation with the actors about how to pitch the fake-improv tonally. But now I’m starting to think there’s stuff I need to do to the text of what they say. I didn’t want to make it too obvious. People don’t like having things too obviously explained to them. But that moment is so disorienting, and people accept so readily, “Oh, they stopped the show and they’re apologizing to us. This is real,” that I think we may need to lead them back more directly. Well, since you cut a lot of the buildup to it, you may need to sculpt your payoff a little bit more. I think that’s right. Do you know where your plays are gonna go? Plot-wise, you mean? Plot-wise. Did you know how this play would end? No. The play went through so many versions before now. Well, you have this couple who’s clearly suited to each other, okay? And I think almost all of us are really rooting for them. And they’ve got to have an obstacle, and so part of the craft of the plot is leading us to that obstacle, to the crisis of it, and then you have the last scene. So that seems pretty endemic to your storyline. Well, yes. The romantic comedy genre, which I guess this falls into in some way, has some pretty useful pillars that you want to work within. When I first start a play off I don’t know where it’s going, but the draft where I find myself having real momentum and saying, “Okay, this time I’m gonna get to the end of it. When I’m done I might even want to hear it out loud,” that usually doesn’t happen until I know something major late in the play that I’m writing towards. It may not be the very last scene or exactly how it’s gonna end, but with Back Back Back for instance, I thought it was going to be about these two players then I thought, “Okay, there’s a third player here who fills out this triangle and doesn’t use steroids and is sort of caught between them,” and then a structure started to take shape. And then I was like, “And the climactic scene will be when they’re outside the Congressional hearings, and one of them has written this book about everything that’s happened up to now,” and I said, “Okay, I know what I’m writing towards.” And I think in this case it was actually when I hit on the structure that I felt mirrored the Traveling Salesman Problem. I mean, this is such an obvious insight, but it took me literally years to have it: that if I wanted to write a play in which the plot mirrored the Traveling Salesman Problem, I needed two people who had the option of choosing each other. They had to get rid of the choices they had previously made, and then had to be challenged by new choices once they were together. So the structure came from that. I love how the end of the play kind of wavers between uncertainty and taking the leap. There’s a mournfulness to the moment when they shake hands, and even the last line, “How are you getting home,” isn’t on the nose. Would you talk about that? My intent is for it to be a hopeful ending. Everything they’ve just said to each other is true, and their brains may know that this is a huge leap of faith, maybe not a good idea, probably doomed for a dozen reasons, but they can’t not try. Molly has a line early in the play — she’s talking about biology but she says, “It will be a long time before we know with our brains the things that our bodies just already know.” I was talking about that moment to the actors the other day, that their brains think they should go their separate ways and their bodies won’t let them. So “How are you getting home” in its previous context was the jokey, kiss-off line, but now, since she’s going home, he’s actually saying, “How are we getting there?” Yeah exactly. And in a play where the central metaphor is about a traveling salesman going from city to city… And in her big monologue in the second act about the emotional baggage she carries, where she describes trying to move on from previous relationships by going off down a road, but then your feelings about the previous relationship are the road that you’re on, you know you’re not leaving them behind, you’re taking them with you. That that idea of travel and roads, and how we’re getting from place to place, and the idea of home also has resonance throughout the play, so yeah, it’s a very packed line. You’ve talked about the metaphor of the Traveling Salesman Problem. What about the metaphor of the protein screens? Molly’s work is all about whether two proteins bind, and whether that bond is meaningful or not. Their handshake is a very literal, physical bond. Okay, so what did this mean? Was it just something that happened over these last few weeks because of the situation we are in, or is this for real? They’ve been dealing with hypotheticals, but in this case it’s—what’s the term? “If the band…?” “The band is on the gel or else it’s not.” And that’s true for them as well. Either the band is on the gel or not for them. You can’t just spin it in your brain forever. Ultimately you’ve gotta be just two people in a room doing their time. Yeah I mean, it’s only the beginning of their story, let’s say, but it’s why the play is over. Because the major question of the play has been resolved.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Barry was tested in two of the three doubles matches, dropping the point at the No. 1 spot. Georgia Regents No. 7-ranked duo of Victor Cabellos and Victor Guimaraes handed No. 14 Ahmed Triki and Fabian Groetsch their first loss of the season, 8-6. "We cannot play every day our best tennis," Barry's Renato Lombardi said after picking up the match-clinching fifth point in singles. "Actually, Ollie and Kevin played really good doubles, and Leo and Romain, with their experience got the win. For Fabu and Ahmed, sometimes we have to lose, but the next day's going to be better." Groetsch, ranked No. 12 in NCAA Division II, was lights out in singles as he made quick work of Brunie at No. 3 singles, in a 6-1, 6-0 victory. Nico Dreer followed suit with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ferreira at No. 2 singles to give the Buccaneers a 4-1 lead in the match. Lombardi clinched the team victory when he beat Gustav Anderson, 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5. "I'm excited about my tennis," Lombardi said. "I'm playing good this time, so I hope it's going to continue." Costamagna picked up a 6-2, 6-4 win over Guimaraes at No. 4 singles. Sielmann, ranked 41st in the country, was a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Freitas at No. 6. Triki wrapped it up with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Cabellos at No. 1 in the longest singles match of the day.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Rugby Club: Matt Kvesic needs the chance to grow into the No.7 role for England Last Updated: 08/11/13 9:33am 1 Matt Kvesic may not have impressed Stuart Lancaster with his form this season but Pat Sanderson insists that he is a special talent who could give England back their balance in the back row. Kvesic was superb for England in Argentina in the summer but his form for Gloucester this season has not been good enough for him to challenge Chris Robshaw, who was rested for that tour, for the No.7 jersey. Lancaster has stuck with Robshaw as his skipper for the QBE Internationals against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand in November, and while Sanderson believes he has been in good form for Harlequins, he does not believe he is the future for England. "Every now and again you have to make a brave call on a special talent and for me Kvesic is special. He may not be playing well enough but he is the future and he is not going to progress until he gets exposure at this level." Pat Sanderson "It's safe and anyone who says it is not the right decision is probably going to get shot down because he has been good for Quins," said Sanderson on the Rugby Club. "I think it is a loyalty reward for helping Lancaster turn the culture of the England squad around. Is he going to be the man in the back row come the Six Nations, come the 2015 World Cup? "I suspect not. As I said it would be very harsh not to have him in this England back row given his form for Quins this season, but he is not the future, Matt Kvesic is the future. "Kvesic is a special athlete; he is an out and out specialist No.7 who carries well. You look who is also in the back row - Tom Wood at No.6 and Billy Vunipola at No.8 - that would be balanced beautifully by Kvesic. Robshaw is a generalist and as a result you don't get that same distribution of skill across the back row. "I would shoe horn him in. Every now and again you have to make a brave call on a special talent and for me Kvesic is special. He may not be playing well enough but he is the future and he is not going to progress until he gets exposure at this level. Sanderson also says that there is a lot of pressure and expectation on England this November and Lancaster has to get the balance between getting the right results and building for the 2015 World Cup just right. "Lancaster may see it less about the risk in finding new players and more about continuing from where they left off last autumn," added Sanderson who won 16 caps for England. "There is a bit of pressure on him now after the progress they made last year." Yarde's potential One of those players who Lancaster took a risk on is Marlon Yarde, and Will Greenwood says that he has the potential to be a very special player for England. "There is a lot of potential there - he is raw but he is the first name on the team sheet for the back three," said Greenwood on the Rugby Club. "Whilst we are debating the Foden/Brown/Goode combination at fullback and the Ashton/Wade combination on the other wing; Marlon Yarde is straight in. "I had question marks about him last year and I still think you can isolate him defensively and he has to learn about that on the international field. "But attacking wise he has big pace, a big step and he is always looking for work. He also has this extraordinary talent now that every time he moves up and you start to question whether he will continue to break those tackles - he still does! I have been hugely impressed but he has to learn and adapt very quickly against proper sides." Shane Horgan agrees: "Going forward is not a problem for him and I think he will continue to break those tackles, physically he is well developed and he is a nice balanced runner as well - almost a Sitiveni Sivivatu in the way that he runs. "He stays on his feet and does not accept a tackle. As a result he is often over the gain line and can get his hands free to get the pass away. But tactically he still has some way to go - he is only young and that is completely normal. "I would like to see him play all the games this autumn. Australia are going to pose an issue for him because of the way they have developed their game - they are very good at doing the work behind the scenes and will look to isolate him." While Kvesic will not get his chance this November, Sanderson is delighted that Marlon Yarde will be exposed to the game at the highest level. "Yes there is a question mark over him but that question mark is there because he has not played enough rugby at this level. At club level he is fine; he does not get tested or isolated. He is really going to get tested by Australia and the All Blacks and by the end of November we will know a lot more about Marlon Yarde."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
5 Ways to Check the Weather Before You Peek Outside Nothing ruins a good day like getting caught in the rain — or snow, or cold, or sweltering heat — when you least expect it, or when it conflicts with your morning run. Here, a few ways to have the forecast delivered right to your phone or inbox, so you won't get caught unprepared again. Don't fret if the forecast calls for rain or snow! You can use one of these geeky umbrellas to stay dry.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
[Shadows] # Enable or disable shadows. Bear in mind that this will force OpenMW to use shaders as if "[Shaders]/force shaders" was set to true. enable shadows = false # How many shadow maps to use - more of these means each shadow map texel covers less area, producing better looking shadows, but may decrease performance. number of shadow maps = 3 # If true, allow shadow maps to overlap. Counter-intuitively, will produce better results when the light is behind the camera. When enabled, OpenMW uses Cascaded Shadow Maps and when disabled, it uses Parallel Split Shadow Maps. allow shadow map overlap = true # Indirectly controls where to split the shadow map(s). Values closer to 1.0 bring more detail closer to the camera (potentially excessively so), and values closer to 0.0 spread it more evenly across the whole viewing distance. 0.5 is recommended for most viewing distances by the original Parallel Split Shadow Maps paper, but this does not take into account use of a Light Space Perspective transformation, so other values may be preferable. If some of the terms used here go over your head, you might not want to change this, especially not without reading the associated papers first. When "allow shadow map overlap" is combined with a higher-than-default viewing distance, values closer to 1.0 will prevent nearby shadows losing a lot of quality. split point uniform logarithmic ratio = 0.5 # Indirectly controls where to split the shadow map(s). Positive values move split points away from the camera and negative values move them towards the camera. Intended to be used in conjunction with changes to 'split point uniform logarithmic ratio' to counteract side effects, but may cause additional, more serious side effects. Read the Parallel Split Shadow Maps paper by F Zhang et al before changing. split point bias = 0.0 # Enable the debug hud to see what the shadow map(s) contain. enable debug hud = false # Enable the debug overlay to see where each shadow map affects. enable debug overlay = false # Attempt to better use the shadow map by making them cover a smaller area. Especially helpful when looking downwards with a high viewing distance. The performance impact of this may be very large. compute tight scene bounds = false # How large to make the shadow map(s). Higher values increase GPU load, but can produce better-looking results. Power-of-two values may turn out to be faster on some GPU/driver combinations. shadow map resolution = 1024 # Controls the minimum near/far ratio for the Light Space Perspective Shadow Map transformation. Helps prevent too much detail being brought towards the camera at the expense of detail further from the camera. Increasing this pushes detail further away. minimum lispsm near far ratio = 0.25 # Used as the factor parameter for the polygon offset used for shadow map rendering. Higher values reduce shadow flicker, but risk increasing Peter Panning. See https://www.khronos.org/registry/OpenGL-Refpages/gl4/html/glPolygonOffset.xhtml for details. polygon offset factor = 1.1 # Used as the units parameter for the polygon offset used for shadow map rendering. Higher values reduce shadow flicker, but risk increasing Peter Panning. See https://www.khronos.org/registry/OpenGL-Refpages/gl4/html/glPolygonOffset.xhtml for details. polygon offset units = 4.0 # How far along the surface normal to project shadow coordinates. Higher values significantly reduce shadow flicker, usually with a lower increase of Peter Panning than the Polygon Offset settings. This value is in in-game units, so 1.0 is roughly 1.4 cm. normal offset distance = 1.0 # Excludes theoretically unnecessary faces from shadow maps, slightly increasing performance. In practice, Peter Panning can be much less visible with these faces included, so if you have high polygon offset values, disabling this may help minimise the side effects. use front face culling = true # Allow actors to cast shadows. Potentially decreases performance. actor shadows = false # Allow the player to cast shadows. Potentially decreases performance. player shadows = false # Allow terrain to cast shadows. Potentially decreases performance. terrain shadows = false # Allow world objects to cast shadows. Potentially decreases performance. object shadows = false # Allow shadows indoors. Due to limitations with Morrowind's data, only actors can cast shadows indoors, which some might feel is distracting. enable indoor shadows = true Make sure to set the various types of shadows (actor, player, and so on) to "true" if you want these to cast shadows. I can't really see a difference between your link and the settings suggested by CMAugust: You should copy them from the shadows commit instead and see if that works, as those settings on the wiki are seriously out of date (for one thing, it's now "enable shadows" instead of simply "enabled"). The only computer I have available at the moment barely runs OpenMW without shaders, so it chokes on the shadows. Nevertheless, they seem to look good. Moreover: Documentation for the config is extremely good, which I appreciate On my iMac, shadows turned on (actors, player, terrain, & objects on) with all other related settings at default values, the resulting shadows look pretty awful, especially when they move. I'll see about posting some screen shots. On my iMac, shadows turned on (actors, player, terrain, & objects on) with all other related settings at default values, the resulting shadows look pretty awful, especially when they move. I'll see about posting some screen shots. You can try experimenting with upping your shadow map resolution to 2048 or even 4096, and then also increase the number of shadow maps to 2 or 3. If this does not help, then yes, please post some screenshots.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Chiropractic The main purpose of Chiropractic practice is to treat musculoskeletal pain conditions through bodily adjustments, particularly of the spine. Chiropractic was founded by Daniel David Palmer in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa. Palmer was self-taught and coined the term “innate intelligence” which refers to his belief in the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. Palmer called spinal misalignments “subluxations” and argued that they lead to various ailments, and that spinal adjustment could help restore health. For much of their history, Chiropractors faced virulent political opposition from the American Medical Association (AMA). Following an extensive, decades-long political battle, Chiropractors are currently licensed in all fifty states. Given the relatively spotty licensing statuses of various other CAM modalities in the United States (many of which have been engaged in political struggles of similar duration), this is quite an accomplishment. Modern Chiropractors combine hands-on, manual therapies with the following: heat and ice; electrical stimulation; relaxation techniques; rehabilitative and general exercise; counseling about diet, weight loss, lifestyle, and dietary supplements. The current state of scientific research shows Chiropractic in a fairly favorable light when it comes to musculoskeletal pain conditions. Additionally, when practiced by a licensed and certified Chiropractor, incidence of adverse events are low. The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) is responsible for accrediting Chiropractic colleges that confer Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degrees. These colleges offer four year degree programs to be undertaken following a minimum of 90 semester credit hours of undergraduate study, and include both classroom instruction and practical training with patients. Chiropractic is often covered by insurance; consult your individual plan to see if you’re covered. Make sure to ask about your Chiropractor’s education and licensure. Also remember to divulge all medical conditions to your Chiropractor and to consult your primary care provider prior to seeking Chiropractic care. DISCLAIMER: This article is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. You should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions. 2. Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Fourth Edition by Marc S. Micozzi for more detailed information. Published by Saunders Elsevier, St. Louis, Missouri 2011. 3. Integrative Medicine Second Edition by David Rakel for more detailed information on usage for specific conditions. Copyright 2007, 2003 by Elsevier Inc. Published by Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA 2007. 4. Nature Cures: The History of Alternative Medicine in America by James C. Whorton. Published by Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 2002. 2 Responses to Chiropractic Work, computers, & stress are all major contributors to that fact. A sports chiropractor uses this practice that basically means drug-free procedures. To date, much research has been done and much material published on the benefits and cost-effective nature of chiropractic treatment. The safety records have been excellent, however every treatment may have a potential adverse or side effect. The study is good news for female athletes across the board, including dancers, skaters, gymnasts, runners, and others who are prone to overuse and hamstring injuries. This can have a negative effect on your spine which is not good.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
People who bought this also bought... Tier One By: Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson Narrated by: Ray Porter Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,336 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,978 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,968 John Dempsey's life - as an elite Tier One Navy SEAL named Jack Kemper - is over. A devastating terrorist action catapults him from a world of moral certainty and decisive orders into the shadowy realm of espionage, where ambiguity is the only rule. His new mission: hunt down those responsible for the greatest tragedy in the history of the US Special Ops and bring them to justice. 4 out of 5 stars Pretty good for fans of John Wells and Mitch Rapp By Drew on 11-26-16 One Rough Man A Pike Logan Thriller By: Brad Taylor Narrated by: J. D. Jackson, Neil Kaplan Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 1,599 Performance 3.5 out of 5 stars 1,427 Story 4 out of 5 stars 1,424 A former Delta Force commander, Brad Taylor proves with this breathtaking debut thriller that Vince Flynn and Brad Thor have company. A collection of top operatives, the Taskforce was commissioned by the highest levels of government, kept secret from the media and even Congress. The best of the Taskforce bunch, Pike Logan knows the greatest threat to American security is one or two idealogues. Unfortunately for them, they’ve just crossed Pike’s path. 3 out of 5 stars Buy the book, Skip the audio version By Harry on 02-04-14 The Gray Man By: Mark Greaney Narrated by: Jay Snyder Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 12,153 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,481 Story 4 out of 5 stars 10,465 Court Gentry is known as The Gray Man - a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible, and then fading away. And he always hits his target. But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness. Now, he is going to prove that for him, there's no gray area between killing for a living-and killing to stay alive. 5 out of 5 stars Action packed, edge of your seat "page-turner" By Jason Spencer on 09-01-10 Any Means Necessary A Luke Stone Thriller, Book 1 By: Jack Mars Narrated by: K.C. Kelly Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 995 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 911 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 910 When nuclear waste is stolen by jihadists in the middle of the night from an unguarded New York City hospital, the police, in a frantic race against time, call in the FBI. Luke Stone, head of an elite, secretive department within the FBI, is the only man they can turn to. Luke realizes right away that the terrorists' aim is to create a dirty bomb, that they seek a high-value target, and that they will hit it within 48 hours. 3 out of 5 stars Nice liberal story with a tough guy By Lane on 09-13-16 First to Kill By: Andrew Peterson Narrated by: Dick Hill Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 6,130 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,930 Story 4 out of 5 stars 4,928 When you're the best at what you do, it's not always easy to walk away. Nathan McBride was retired. The trained Marine sniper and covert CIA operative had put the violence of his former life behind him. But not anymore. A deep-cover FBI agent has disappeared along with one ton of powerful Semtex explosive, enough to unleash a disaster of international proportions. The U.S. government has no choice but to coax Nathan out of retirement. 4 out of 5 stars Very Good By Vida T. Yancy on 07-12-09 Beijing Red A Nick Foley Thriller, Book 1 By: Alex Ryan Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 1,122 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,048 Story 4 out of 5 stars 1,046 When ex-Navy SEAL Nick Foley travels to China to find purpose and escape the demons of his past, he instead stumbles into a conspiracy his Special Forces training never prepared him for. A mysterious and deadly outbreak ravages a remote area of western China, and Nick finds himself the lead suspect in a bioterrorism investigation being conducted by China's elite Snow Leopard counter-terrorism unit. 5 out of 5 stars When in China, being treated like a terrorist, hey buddy can I use your phone? By Allen Anthony on 06-10-16 Tier One By: Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson Narrated by: Ray Porter Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,336 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,978 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,968 John Dempsey's life - as an elite Tier One Navy SEAL named Jack Kemper - is over. A devastating terrorist action catapults him from a world of moral certainty and decisive orders into the shadowy realm of espionage, where ambiguity is the only rule. His new mission: hunt down those responsible for the greatest tragedy in the history of the US Special Ops and bring them to justice. 4 out of 5 stars Pretty good for fans of John Wells and Mitch Rapp By Drew on 11-26-16 One Rough Man A Pike Logan Thriller By: Brad Taylor Narrated by: J. D. Jackson, Neil Kaplan Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 1,599 Performance 3.5 out of 5 stars 1,427 Story 4 out of 5 stars 1,424 A former Delta Force commander, Brad Taylor proves with this breathtaking debut thriller that Vince Flynn and Brad Thor have company. A collection of top operatives, the Taskforce was commissioned by the highest levels of government, kept secret from the media and even Congress. The best of the Taskforce bunch, Pike Logan knows the greatest threat to American security is one or two idealogues. Unfortunately for them, they’ve just crossed Pike’s path. 3 out of 5 stars Buy the book, Skip the audio version By Harry on 02-04-14 The Gray Man By: Mark Greaney Narrated by: Jay Snyder Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 12,153 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,481 Story 4 out of 5 stars 10,465 Court Gentry is known as The Gray Man - a legend in the covert realm, moving silently from job to job, accomplishing the impossible, and then fading away. And he always hits his target. But there are forces more lethal than Gentry in the world. And in their eyes, Gentry has just outlived his usefulness. Now, he is going to prove that for him, there's no gray area between killing for a living-and killing to stay alive. 5 out of 5 stars Action packed, edge of your seat "page-turner" By Jason Spencer on 09-01-10 Any Means Necessary A Luke Stone Thriller, Book 1 By: Jack Mars Narrated by: K.C. Kelly Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 995 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 911 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 910 When nuclear waste is stolen by jihadists in the middle of the night from an unguarded New York City hospital, the police, in a frantic race against time, call in the FBI. Luke Stone, head of an elite, secretive department within the FBI, is the only man they can turn to. Luke realizes right away that the terrorists' aim is to create a dirty bomb, that they seek a high-value target, and that they will hit it within 48 hours. 3 out of 5 stars Nice liberal story with a tough guy By Lane on 09-13-16 First to Kill By: Andrew Peterson Narrated by: Dick Hill Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 6,130 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,930 Story 4 out of 5 stars 4,928 When you're the best at what you do, it's not always easy to walk away. Nathan McBride was retired. The trained Marine sniper and covert CIA operative had put the violence of his former life behind him. But not anymore. A deep-cover FBI agent has disappeared along with one ton of powerful Semtex explosive, enough to unleash a disaster of international proportions. The U.S. government has no choice but to coax Nathan out of retirement. 4 out of 5 stars Very Good By Vida T. Yancy on 07-12-09 Beijing Red A Nick Foley Thriller, Book 1 By: Alex Ryan Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 1,122 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,048 Story 4 out of 5 stars 1,046 When ex-Navy SEAL Nick Foley travels to China to find purpose and escape the demons of his past, he instead stumbles into a conspiracy his Special Forces training never prepared him for. A mysterious and deadly outbreak ravages a remote area of western China, and Nick finds himself the lead suspect in a bioterrorism investigation being conducted by China's elite Snow Leopard counter-terrorism unit. 5 out of 5 stars When in China, being treated like a terrorist, hey buddy can I use your phone? By Allen Anthony on 06-10-16 Foreign and Domestic Jake Mahegan, Book 1 By: A. J. Tata Narrated by: Jonathan Davis Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 210 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 198 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 198 One year ago, Captain Jake Mahegan led a Delta Force team into Afghanistan to capture an American traitor working for the Taliban. The mission ended in tragedy. The team was infiltrated and decimated by a bomb. An enemy prisoner was killed. Mahegan was dismissed from service - dishonored forever. 5 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars Action Packed Book A Bargain @$10.08 By Lia on 11-08-17 Livia Lone By: Barry Eisler Narrated by: Barry Eisler Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,463 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,339 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,333 Seattle PD sex-crimes detective Livia Lone knows the monsters she hunts. Sold by her Thai parents along with her little sister, Nason; marooned in America; abused by the men who trafficked them...the only thing that kept Livia alive as a teenager was her determination to find Nason. Livia has never stopped looking. And she copes with her failure to protect her sister by doing everything she can to put predators in prison. Or, when that fails, by putting them in the ground. 5 out of 5 stars This is a heartbreaker that makes u want 2 hit someone! By shelley on 10-27-16 Vengeance By: Newt Gingrich, Pete Earley Narrated by: Eric Martin Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 268 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 250 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 248 A terrorist drives an explosive-packed rental truck into Major Brooke Grant's Washington, DC wedding, intending to detonate a deadly bomb. Saved by a last-minute fluke, Brooke seeks revenge against the master terrorist responsible, an international radical Islamist known only as the Falcon, who is determined to murder her, bring America to its knees, and create a modern-day caliphate. 5 out of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book By Nathan on 11-09-17 Chasing Ivan By: Tim Tigner Narrated by: Dick Hill Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 304 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 275 Story 4 out of 5 stars 269 Rumor has it there's a Russian you can turn to if you're very rich, and need dirty deeds done without a trace. The CIA calls him Ivan the Ghost because he's operated for years without leaving a trail or revealing his face. 5 out of 5 stars The best Tim Tigner Thriller By Victor @ theAudiobookBlog on 03-25-16 Assassin's Sons A Special Operations Group Thriller By: Stephen Templin Narrated by: Brian Troxell Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 36 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 35 Story 4 out of 5 stars 35 CIA operatives Max Wayne and his brother Tom race through Europe and the Middle East to avenge the death of Tom's girlfriend. It's do-or-die to get payback and stop a deadlier attack before it reaches Times Square on New Year's Eve. 1 out of 5 stars Refund please By CDMajer on 09-19-17 Trident's First Gleaming [#1] A Special Operations Group Thriller By: Stephen Templin Narrated by: Brian Troxell Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 316 Performance 4 out of 5 stars 292 Story 4 out of 5 stars 294 Former SEAL Chris Paladin leaves SEAL Team Six to become a pastor, but CIA spook Hannah Andrade pulls him back into Special Operations Group, the ultra-secret unit that SEAL Team Six operators and others served under to eliminate bin Laden. Chris and Hannah are joined by Delta Force’s Sonny Cohen to stop a new terrorist threat from launching a deadly cyber-terror against the United States. 5 out of 5 stars Fantastic debut of a new series! By JB on 10-03-14 Hard Road A Jon Reznick Thriller, Book 1 By: J. B. Turner Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer Length: 8 hrs Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 336 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 290 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 287 Jon Reznick is a "ghost": a black-ops specialist who takes his orders from shadowy handlers, and his salary from the US government. Still mourning the loss of his beloved wife on 9/11, he's dispatched to carry out a high-level hit. Reznick knows only that it must look like suicide. It's textbook. But the target is not the man Reznick expected. The whole setup is wrong. In an instant the operation is compromised, and Reznick is on the run with the man he was sent to kill. 5 out of 5 stars Plenty of Action By shelley on 01-01-18 The Tracker Sam Callahan, Book 1 By: Chad Zunker Narrated by: Noah Berman Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins Unabridged Overall 4 out of 5 stars 1,519 Performance 4 out of 5 stars 1,351 Story 4 out of 5 stars 1,349 Trust no one. Sam Callahan learned this lesson from a childhood spent in abusive foster care, on the streets, and locked in juvie. With the past behind him and his future staked on law school, he is moonlighting as a political tracker, paid to hide in crowds and shadow candidates, recording their missteps for use by their opponents. One night, after an anonymous text tip, Sam witnesses a congressional candidate and a mysterious blonde in a motel indiscretion that ends in murder, recording it all on his phone. Now Sam is a target. 5 out of 5 stars Very Good! By Amazon Customer on 05-08-17 Red Swan By: P. T. Deutermann Narrated by: Dick Hill Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 117 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 109 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 108 A behind-the-scenes operator at the CIA, Wallace was integral to the agency's secret war against China's national intelligence service, which infiltrates government offices, major businesses, and systems crucial to our security. Wallace had severely damaged China's Washington spy ring with a devastating ruse, a so-called "black swan", in which a deep-undercover female agent targeted and destroyed a key Chinese official. Now, Wallace's mysterious death suggests that the CIA itself has been compromised and that China has someone inside the agency. 3 out of 5 stars A flawed thriller By John Riehl on 10-29-17 Power Down Dewey Andreas, Book 1 By: Ben Coes Narrated by: Peter Hermann Length: 16 hrs and 27 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,182 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,569 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,567 There was one factor that the terrorists didn’t take into account when they struck the Capitana oil platform off the coast of Colombia - slaughtering much of the crew and blowing up the platform - and that was the Capitana crew chief, Dewey Andreas. Dewey, former Army Ranger and Delta, survives the attack, rescuing as many of his men as possible. But the battle has just begun.... 5 out of 5 stars WOW.COULD NOT PUT THIS ONE DOWN. MUST READ! By Constance on 11-09-10 The Cove FBI Thriller #1 By: Catherine Coulter Narrated by: Sandra Burr Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins Unabridged Overall 3.5 out of 5 stars 829 Performance 4 out of 5 stars 655 Story 4 out of 5 stars 654 The Cove is a quaint little postcard town made up only of old folk who sell the World's Greatest Ice Cream - a secret recipe that brings lots of tourists into town. Into The Cove comes Sally Brainerd, daughter of murdered Amory St. John, of Washington, D.C., seeking sanctuary, and FBI Special Agent James Quinlan, who's undercover and after her. He's got a murder to solve, and he believes she's the key. But is she really? 1 out of 5 stars Kept waiting for this book to improve By Cynthia Grasshoff on 12-11-13 American Assassin By: Vince Flynn Narrated by: George Guidall Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins Unabridged Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars 14,506 Performance 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,317 Story 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,290 Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist's worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world...and then tragedy struck. 5 out of 5 stars Flynn never disappoints By lesley on 10-12-10 Publisher's Summary Hawke's writing excels, especially during the book's many action sequences. The dialogue in the novel is both crisp and tense but also humorous at times. Hawke spins his international counter-terrorism tale at a breakneck pace starting with the 1999 shoot down of a US super-secret stealth military jet in Bosnia and a terrorist plot to use the plane's technology for nefarious purposes. From there, and over the course of the 10 years after the crash, the action shifts to various international terrorist strongholds, with each playing supporting roles trying to stop the terrorists. The Arrows of Islam is just what a mystery/espionage novel should be - quick, action-packed, and full of intrigue.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Insurers Look To Medical Tourism To Curb Consumer Expenses As health costs continue to climb, consumers are increasingly finding their care treatments abroad at nearly half the price under growing support from insurance agencies. Published Online: August 06, 2014 Cate Douglass As health costs continue to climb, consumers are increasingly finding their care treatments abroad at nearly half the price under growing support from insurance agencies. UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint, and Humana —among others— are working to implement cross-border plans as a means for members to cut expenses by seeking medical tourism procedures. Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina holds contracts with hospitals in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Ireland, Turkey, and Costa Rica. There they aim to implement medical tourism strategies through their subsidiary Companion Global Healthcare, Inc. Aetna, too, provides a benefit plan for their members that is comprised of 100% coverage for qualified preventive care, including immunizations and wellness visits, in Mexicali, Tecate, and Tijuana. MediExcel, a Mexican-based startup HMO, offers group healthcare coverage to US employees of the San-Diego area, which includes 24/7 access to routine doctor visits. According to 1 article from the Medical Tourism Magazine, the growing medical tourism trend that insurers are embracing hadn’t quite taken hold until recently, when cost challenges started to brew with implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Jonathan Edelheit, CEO of the Medical Tourism Association, said that while the ACA provided millions of Americans with the opportunity to obtain health insurance for the first time, consumers continue to face the challenge of receiving fair-priced employee benefits. “Even though the increased cost for insurance has been shifted on the shoulders of working Americans, U.S. employers are beginning to identify self-funding strategies – like medical tourism — that reconcile healthcare offerings with financial goals of the business – attracting and retaining healthy employees while maintaining the bottom line,” Mr Edelheit said. Although there are care and quality concerns raised by consumers when it comes to low-cost procedures in developing or poor countries, insurers attest that they are only contracting with the best accredited international providers to increase the incentive of medical tourism. The article also predicts that it will not take long for more Americans, especially those with low income or limited coverage, to understand the benefits of medical tourism and begin to search for low-cost overseas procedures, as it allows consumers to reduce out-of-pocket costs as well as save on insurance premiums.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Delivery on Public Holidays UK Holidays This affects all stallions, as UK couriers cannot deliver on UK Bank Holidays. The Elite Stallions office is open on Bank Holidays, so semen can still be ordered and dispatched from the EU for next-day delivery on these days, providing there are no corresponding EU holiday dates where your chosen stallion stands. Where a UK Bank Holiday falls on a Monday, Stallion AI Services, where our frozen semen is stored and where Jaguar Mail is standing, cannot dispatch any chilled or frozen semen, but you can personally collect semen from them in Shropshire if required, or a same-day driver can be arranged for an additional cost. 2018 UK Bank Holidays 30 March (Easter Friday) - no next-day orders can be processed on 29 March 2 April (Easter Monday) 7 May (Monday) 28 May (Monday) 27 August (Monday) EU Holidays Semen cannot be sent from studs in Europe on these days, but can be delivered in the UK provided there is not a corresponding public holiday, and the semen is ordered the previous day. Where an EU Bank Holiday falls on a Monday, the earliest the semen can be delivered to the UK is the Wednesday of the same week. The EU stud season runs from January to August; German studs will close their breeding stations at the end of July, and we stop shipping from Holland in mid August. If semen is required on EU Bank Holidays, please contact us to check if we have frozen stock in the UK, as frozen can sometimes be supplied on chilled terms in this case.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
/ B2B The two companies seek to more tightly integrate e-commerce technology with web content management systems, putting them in a better position to compete against companies like hybris, Intershop and Adobe. The two companies seek to more tightly integrate e-commerce technology with web content management systems, putting them in a better position to compete against companies like hybris, Intershop and Adobe. / B2B There are more B2B content management systems available now than in the past, good news for the more than half of B2B companies looking for that kind of software, Forrester Research analyst Peter Sheldon says. There are more B2B content management systems available now than in the past, good news for the more than half of B2B companies looking for that kind of software, Forrester Research analyst Peter Sheldon says. / Press Release These improvements include Insite’s support for Sitecore 7.0, announced in November 2013, which allows Sitecore customers to manage customer web experiences and eCommerce sites from within the Sitecore 7.0 toolset. Posted 02/05/2014 These improvements include Insite’s support for Sitecore 7.0, announced in November 2013, which allows Sitecore customers to manage customer web experiences and eCommerce sites from within the Sitecore 7.0 toolset.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
I can’t divulge all the details here, but suffice to say I’ve found an opening (niche) for a profitable website business, and am looking for a PHP ninja to help get this off the ground. I am a designer and front-end guru by trade and will handle all the user interface, design, and marketing aspects of the site. In return I need your help with the backend – user registrations, databases, and session management etc. Nothing fancy like a social network, but simply a site where people can post “items” with various attributes and other people can purchase them. Vague I know, but the core message is that all that is required is basic data storage, user registration/authentication, and that’s about it. Sorta like a simplified Themeforest, but a different niche all-together. Again, forgive the lack of detail. I will provide all the necessary details for the right candidate. Compensation will be a stake of the profits of the business, and you should be eager to make any upgrades/updates as needed. A win-win and relatively simple job. Thanks for reading, and if you’re interested you can email me directly (check my profile), or post here and I’ll reply back at ya. Hey. I have a software services company and we have launched a new product worldwide. Currently the product is running in Alpha phase and we have few layout designs which we are trying to finalize for product launch website. For example, please have a look at: http://themeforest.net/item/stage-a-psd-template/73014 Would you be able to provide me the services for the above mentioned layout. Please revert. Warm regards. Thanks for your email, we’d love to code your design as well. We are currently expecting to code 3 templates at the moment, so future inquires should keep in mind there may be a couple days delay before we can start new projects. I literally have gotten emails every single week for months now asking me for a coded version, but I just don’t have the expertise/time. So if you’re interested, feel free to shoot me a message! Nice design, we’d love to. You can email me directly with the designs and we’ll code them as soon as possible. We’ll make sure to make most of the design using transparent PNGs so your buyers can easily change the background and have it remain sexy lookin’. If this post is out of place, I apologize. Seeing as this site is overflowing with talented designers, I thought I’d throw my offer out there and see who’s willing to answer. I currently have a website being built (backend), and already have a design for it. I am however impressed with the talent pool here and am curious to see if any designers out there would be interested in a redesign of my site. Anyone interested can email me, and I’ll be happy to provide more details (please include ThemeForest in the subject of your email).	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
31 Best Superfoods for Kids 05. Purple Superfoods Image Source: amperart.com Blue and purple sustenances get their hues from the nearness of an extraordinary arrangement of flavonoids called anthocyanins. Flavonoids as a rule are known to enhance cardiovascular wellbeing and anticipate here and now memory misfortune, however the profoundly pigmented anthocyanins go much further. Scientists at Tufts University have discovered that blueberries may improve cerebrum cells react to approaching messages and may even goad the development of new nerve cells, giving another significance to keen eating. Superpower: Blue nourishments make you the most intelligent child in the class! Eggplant A color called nasunin is packed in the peel of the eggplant, and studies have demonstrated it has capable infection battling properties. Streamline eggplant parmesan by preparing 1/2-inch-thick cuts and layering them with marinara and cheddar. Blackberry One measure of berries contains 5 percent of your kid's every day folate and a large portion of the day's vitamin C. Have a go at pureeing blackberries, at that point joining with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a super solid plate of mixed greens dressing. Purple Grape A few scientists trust that, in spite of their high-fat weight control plans, the French are shielded from coronary illness by their mass utilization of grapes and wine. Search for a more profound shade of purple—that means that a high flavonoid focus. Have a go at solidifying grapes in the dead of summer for a cool, sound treat. Blueberry The most bounteous wellspring of anthocyanins has more cancer prevention agent punch than red wine, and it enables the body's vitamin C to carry out its activity better. Sprinkle blueberries into oats, grain, or yogurt, or blend with almonds and a couple of chocolate chips for a brisk trail blend. Radish Nutritious advantages fluctuate among the numerous assortments of radishes, yet they share a wealth of vitamin C and an inclination to encourage the stomach related process. Have a go at serving meagerly cut radishes on a bagel with low-fat cream cheddar and dark pepper. Beet This treat sweet vegetable determines the majority of its shading from a growth battling color called betacyanin. The consumable root is loaded with fiber, potassium, and manganese. Prepare simmered beet lumps with toasted walnuts and orange portions, or mesh them crude into servings of mixed greens. Plum Another rich wellspring of cancer prevention agents, plums have likewise been appeared to enable the body to better assimilate press. Cook pieces in the stove and serve warm finished a little scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Cato Soft Seating Cato Soft Seating is an adaptable modular seating range, that offers endless configurations to suit all spaces. The upholstered units are available in a choice of four models to create a unique seating solution. Optional two tone upholstery is available. Model Description Dimensions Image CAT-1 Upholstered straight unit Sit/stand back Four leg frame Satin silver...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
There is an outside chance that the Seattle Seahawks would consider placing the franchise tag on impending free-agent PK Steven Hauschka this offseason. The team is expected to try to sign Hauschka to a multi-year deal.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
wikiHow:Why Hide Ads Why are you letting me turn off advertising here? wikiHow pays its bills with money we get from advertising. In fact, advertising is our only source of income, since we do not seek or accept financial donations. However, we don't think that ads should be shoved down your throat. If you don't like advertising, you should have the ability to turn it off. If you wish to disable advertising on wikiHow, just register an account and login. All it takes is a username and password, and the ads magically disappear! If you like the freedom to remove advertising, please help us achieve our mission by editing or writing here. You can write a new article or edit and improve any existing article. P.S. Unfortunately, external video providers (e.g., YouTube) show non-removable ads on some of the videos embedded here. We are powerless to remove those ads (but we would, if we could!).	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
They were young and old, female and male, gay and straight. They brought their children and their dogs. The people passing on East Bay Street were curious, not hostile. Nobody protested against the rally or the laws. “Tonight we stand on the steps of the Customhouse to ask that all Americans be treated the same, to have the right to marry the person they love,” Jeremy Rutledge, Circular Congregational Church minister, told the crowd to exuberant cheers. Walking by on the street, Katherine and William Childers, on vacation from Salisbury, N.C., weren’t disconcerted. “To each his own,” Katherine Childers said. William Childers said he did have questions whether it is completely fair to children to be raised in a same-sex marriage, but he wasn’t concerned about marriage for same sex couples. “They should be happy,” he said. On the steps, rally participants talked of an evolution of attitudes among friends and the community. Sarah Ragsdale and Mina Familar, of Charleston, took turns holding Stella, a schnauzer-Shih tzu mix, who wore a sign saying “Stella has two mommies.” “We’ve been together since 1996, and we want to get married legally,” Ragsdale said. Not far away, Susan and Darrell Doane, of Summerton, came from attending a bitter child custody hearing that involved the couple’s adult daughter; an issue is whether the daughter and her girlfriend qualify as a couple. “We’re here because everybody should have the same rights as me,” Susan Doane said. “That’s what we fought wars for.” A half-hour into the rally, people were still coming, hurrying across East Bay just to get there, some grabbing each other’s hand. Related Stories Comments Notice about comments: The Post and Courier is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
FC United of Manchester FC United of Manchester FC United of Manchester FC United hits community share target Supporters of fan-owned, co-operative football club FC United of Manchester are celebrating today after raising over £1,6m from a community share issue to help fund a new football ground and community sports facility in Moston, north Manchester. Reaching the £1.6m target will help the club unlock the grant funding they need to meet the costs of the £4.6m project and enable building to start on the Moston site in the spring. Speaking today, FC United general manager Andy Walsh, said: "Reaching our £1.6m target from the share issue is a fantastic achievement, especially in the current economic climate. We believe this is the largest amount ever raised by football supporters independently. Raising capital through community shares is a unique development in English football and has been recognised as offering a real alternative to the way football is run and financed. "Our shareholders all have just one vote regardless of the number of shares they hold, preserving the common ownership of the club. Community shares give a tangible way for fans to raise significant sums of money whilst preserving the football club as a community asset. We believe community shares is preferable way of raising finance to borrowing from banks and more sustainable than relying on wealthy individuals who may not always have the best interest of the club at heart. "By buying community shares, FC United members are supporting a better way for football to deliver genuine community benefit - one that is owned and run by supporters and committed to wider community and social development and financial sustainability," said Walsh. "Our groundbreaking development will create a positive and lasting legacy in Moston, creating new sports and non-sports facilities for the area for generations to come," said Walsh. FC United of Manchester has helped pioneer community shares, working closely with Co-ops UK. The share schemes are designed to enable cooperative organisations like FC United to raise finance from local communities to support expansion and development much more effectively than through traditional methods such as bank borrowing. Ed Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives UK, the UK trade association for co-operative organisations, said: "Hollywood could not write a better script of hope and triumph. Through hard work and open collaboration, FC United has become a beacon for sport and community action. I want to pay tribute to the members of the club for pioneering a model of community shares which is now being used as a form of lifeline finance for co-operative enterprise across the UK." Kevin Jaquiss, partner in public services at Cobbetts LLP, the Manchester-based firm advising FC United on the community shares scheme, said: "The community benefit model behind FC United demonstrates how innovative thinking can offer alternative and successful ways to deliver public services - and a real way forward for community projects across the UK. We are delighted to have worked with FC United on the project and look forward to seeing their new ground and community facilities progress over the coming year." The FC United board would also like to thank Co-ops UK, Key Fund, advisors Jim Brown and Hugh Rolo plus our lawyers Cobbetts and RSM Tenon our accountants. We are already talking to a number of other football clubs and community sports groups about how they might use similar share schemes to secure the future of their organisations. Once again, thank you to each and every supporter. Together, we are showing that there is a better way for football. ENDS For further information or to arrange an interview contact Andy Walker, FC United of Manchester Press and Communications Officer, on 07791 997602 or email [email protected] Notes for Editors: The FC United community share scheme has a minimum share purchase of £200. The share issue has been given advance approval by the HMRC Enterprise Investment Scheme and subject to personal circumstances this allows individuals to claim tax relief of up to 30 per cent on the amount that they purchase in the share scheme. Full details of the scheme including all documentation, offer documents and a summary business and community use plan for FC United’s community football ground in Moston are available online at click here	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Laboring in the obscurity he so richly deserves for over a decade now, your crusty correspondent sporadically offers his views on family, law, politics and money. Nothing herein should be taken too seriously: If you look closely, you can almost see the twinkle in Curmudgeon's eye. Or is that a cataract? Wednesday, September 05, 2007 Food, glorious food? Curmudgeon munches on a new meme -- and finally stops wringing his hands about whether to do more memes This meme is from a new reader, TroyBoy of Pheasantly Fascinating. The idea is to reveal favorite foods for particular purposes. I am, however, the wrong person for such a meme. Some people love to eat; I eat because, if I don't, I get light-headed and woozy. I am an habitual eater: I probably eat the same thing for lunch 300 out of 365 days a year. I was always a picky eater; I have no appetite for culinary adventures. When I practiced with a firm, we had, on occasion, to take clients out to lunch. One of the senior partners fancied himself a gourmet. He eagerly sought out gustatory challenges at the newest and latest "hot" dining spots. I would scan the menus at these places, often in vain, for something I could at least pronounce. I had to order something -- dry, white toast wouldn't cut it. I found such occasions to be sheer torture. None. If something is a gourmet item I am probably unaware of its existence. Calamari is about as exotic as I get... on the theory that I can eat almost anything so long as it has been breaded and fried. Favorite Snack at Home: Pretzels. Favorite Fastfood item: A jamocha shake from Arby's. My days of fastfood burgers are gone. I think that each human is alloted a certain limit of fastfood burgers -- and I'd used mine up before finishing law school. I envy my kids, who are still in their White Castle phase. I recall downing a dozen slyders at a time... but that was then. Favorite Food When Driving: I don't really eat much when driving, and certainly not as a habit. When we took long distance family outings, I'd have fries or a shake while the kids ate fastfood burgers. Long Suffering Spouse would pack sandwiches for very long trips; I'd eat those. Favorite Food With a Beer (or other libation - please specify): Pizza. I'm still good for one beer at the Sox game, maybe two if it's a hot day. And, at the ballpark, I like to have a slice of pizza. But I don't much care for beer either. This may be another item for which I've used up my lifetime quota. (Fortunately, my quotas for scotch, vodka and wine seem not yet fully depleted.) Favorite Food for Invoking Romantic Intentions: I don't associate food with romance. With five kids, privacy has been far more important than any comestible. Least Favorite Food: Food that Conjures a Childhood Memory: Food that Conjures a Sad Memory: Food that Conjures a Happy Memory: All pass. I wasn't partial to liver as a child -- and I wouldn't touch bologna -- but food is usually not a memory trigger for me. Although, now that I think of it, lamb with mint jelly would remind me of my grandmother. If I ever had lamb with mint jelly again. And a fellow as picky as I am can't have just one least favorite food. -------------------------------------------------------------------- I suppose that the foregoing is no better than a C+ effort, and I apologize. But that is the trouble with memes: Appropriate responses seem to suggest themselves in some cases; other times it is difficult to come up with something that anyone (other than, presumably, the tagger) is willing to read. I already knew that Dr. A passes on memes. A new commenter, Robin said that, for her, "Memes are a lazy, self-indulgent exercise" -- but she wasn't trying to pour cold water on others' enjoyment. She quickly added, "sometimes they can be fun." I expected, and received, some strong pro-meme responses: Hilda may have had the most enthusiastic response of all: "I LOVE memes...and when I'm not tagged, I don't feel left out - I just steal it." But, even with this, Hilda said, "while I don't mind being tagged, I don't like tagging." Barb, Ralph, and Patti were generally in favor of tags and tagging. Ralph said, "I like to be tagged, it allows me to open up a bit more." Patti was a bit more reserved: "I don't mind being tagged, it's just a matter of taking the time to complete them." And Barb? She wrote, "tag away anytime." (There's a reason why she's had over 65,000 visitors in little more than a year of operating "Skittles' Place.") Bennie was a tad uncomfortable with the use of memes to build an audience: "If it's a way to gain readership I don't think I'd participate." But he's not against all memes: "I like reading memes that dig into the soul so to speak. The best ones will make me remember something interesting from the past that was meaningful." But not all memes do that. Sharon observed, "Mostly I find the tagging stuff to be a distraction from the reading and the writing in blogosphere." Katherine, too, said she didn't pursue traffic because she's "more of a reader...not a writer." And Katherine was one of several who expressed a certain ambivalence about memes: "For me its more about WHO tags me. There are some people for whom I would do even the most inane Meme. I'd rather not feel obligated to complete one just cause they have fourteen letters in their middle name and everyone else has done it already." This was a common theme in reader comments: Shelby, on whom I'd just bestowed a tag, accepted the assignment with seeming enthusiasm: "I shall do this meme - on the morrow - with smiles." But, she added, "ever so gently and quite hesitantly....I do not like getting tagged." MJ said, "I'm relieved when I'm not tagged. I hate tags, but sometimes I play the game because I don't want to hurt the other person's feelings." Silverneurotic said, "I just don't like having that feeling of obligation to participate in a meme just because a fellow blogger thinks I should.... I would not mind too much if I only got tagged occasionally by different people, but it seems that every week I get tagged by the same people to do a meme...and often times the meme's are very similar and I find myself repeating myself!" (Silverneurotic has since declared her blog meme-free. I like this sentence in her post: "Then when I get given a meme and told to fill it out…well I feel like I’m taking the SAT’s all over again, except this time without the aid of a trusty calculator." I like it, that is, except for the part about the calculator. We didn't have calculators when I took the SAT. And an abacus was too big to sneak in....) Another new commenter, Marcia, said, "I don't mind tags, but write so much anyway, I put them aside at times and forget them." That was Sari's chief complaint, too: "My problem is, even if I AM tagged, a lot of times I just forget to do the memes." Chris doesn't necessarily forget or ignore tags, "but it does depend on whether it inspires me or if I think I could do it." Chris also said he doesn't like to tag people because it "feels like an imposition," a sentiment with which Pilgrim and Jean-Luc would both agree. SQT added, "Sometimes [memes] just seem tedious and other times they're fun. I guess it's a mood thing." Susan also said her moods dictate her response to a tag: "If I already have a direction in mind for my next post, I tend to find being tagged somewhat of an annoyance.... HOWEVER, if I find myself in a spot where I feel less than inspired, a gentle tagging seems to have the effect of getting the brain moving again." Heather had a short comment, but one that sent me to the dictionary (without success). What the heck does "falky" mean? And, if it means "ambivalent," where the heck did the word come from? Linda had a lot to say on this topic. An excerpt: "I only have x-amount of time for blogging and it already takes up way too big of a chunk of my life and I also try to do only one post per day as I think that's what people expect of me. If I have to keep trying to catch up with memes then I get behind on the stuff I really meant to write about but got sidetracked away from." At some point, she said, "you have to politely refuse but then I feel bad as if someone took the time to think of me, I feel bad not holding up my end." Bee and RDL had what I thought was a sound approach. Bee said, "i like some of 'em and if i don't, well, then i just say no thank you and i don't think anyone has gotten upset about it with me" and RDL said, "I like memes and i like that if i don't like a particular meme, I don't have to do it - like grown-up homework; or if life gets in the way i don't need an excuse not to do it." All of this discussion has helped me sort out my own opinions on the subject and I thank all who contributed (and I hope I didn't miss anyone in this summary). I conclude that (a) if I do a meme henceforth, I won't tag (except for Hilda -- she's always tagged) and (b) I'll do such memes from now on that I think I can do well -- that appeal to me. I mean no offense to anyone who tags me with a meme that I fail to do. I hope none will be taken. I think even I would have trouble coming up with answers for this one.I like and respect what you have to say about memes. I enjoy them because I get to play this ditsy Queen character. It's a challenge for me to make them comical and out-of-the-ordinary. Otherwise, it would get boring fast. Sometimes awards cross the meme line and it is indeed blurry. My blogging friends are so dear that I try to answer them all and really DO appreciate the tags. Just a bit of creativity goes a long way and you certainly spoke your mind on the subject here.Great job. Okay, so there I am...new to the blogging world. I became a blogger last Christmas during the holiday lull we are fortunate to sometimes experience at work. With nothing else to do, my coworker, friend, and fellow foodie (all the same person) suggested it. As you'll see by my entries if you visit my blog, it was a VERY slow start. I've only recently started to blog on a regular basis. Through the help of my coworker, friend, and fellow foodie and now fellow blogger, I got to meet other bloggers. The likes of Crumy, Sari, Cris, and Poppymom. And that's when it happened. I discovered memes. This friend of mine had tagged me. So, figuring this to be the custom, I in turn created a meme and tagged my very small (and special) circle of fellow bloggers. So, this friend of mine, who shall remind nameless other than to say that her name rhymes with Tilda and starts a with a letter between the letters 'G' and 'I', read my meme post and commented that I may not have the best luck getting a response from Crumudgeon." I am delighted to have had the opportunity to prove her wrong...not something I am able to do on a regular basis. :-) Well, let me say for the record that I had no idea what an ordeal memes can be in the blogger community and I thank those that answer them and those that don't....cuz, variety (and diversity) are the spices of life. Crumy, thanks for the valiant effort and I shall take great care in the future if I decide that I want to tag others. Anyway, your tag gave me a perfect opportunity to go back to this thread that I'd started last month but hadn't closed up yet. And, Patti, Bee -- I'm not sure I'm ready to disclose my daily lunch habit yet. Anyone who knows me in real life and who has seen this blog but wasn't absolutely sure who was writing it would, upon disclosure of same, become dead-certain sure..... Weighing in a bit late on this one (it's that x-number of hours thing again!). I think you handled this topic very well and it seems that it, like a meme, has been making its way through the Blogosphere lately. Check out Shaz's post that she just put up about memes and awards. She and I were having an email discussion about it and wondering just how to handle it without hurting anyone's feelings. It's tough! There are some memes that I really do like and like Mimi said, if you can work a bit of humor into them all the better, but I may just be adopting Shaz's approach to the whole thing soon. I just need to figure out how to do it as tactfully as she did! Let me try to answer your question: A White Castle slyder is a small, thin, square hamburger, with holes in it, no less -- grilled -- White Castle was a hamburger chain decades before McDonald's -- confined almost exclusively to the Midwest. It was a great treat when I was little. (The McDonald's started in the Chicago area -- in the Northwest suburbs to be exact -- but, here's another illustration of the Chicago North Side/ South Side divide, it was all over the country years before it got to the South Side). And it was a place where a lot of us went in our misspent youth. When it got very late and/or very drunk. Because it was open all night. For similar purposes we have Kebab houses which should only be entered when you are no longer able to walk a straight line. That way you have less concern about the provenance of the mystery meat being rotated in front of a 3 bar heater, and from which your kebab is constructed.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Citations [S2122] New York (County) Surrogate's Court Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York (Vol. II 1708-1728), Collections of the New York Historical Society (New York: Printed for the Society, 1893), page 298. Abstracting Lib. 9, p. 495. John Theobalds. Hereinafter cited as Abs. N.Y. Co. Wills v.II. On 26 August 1732 Judey McCarty is mentioned in the will of Clement Dungan of Northampton, Pennsylvania, who directs his nephew William Dungan to pay Judey McCarty £6 due testator. The relationship between Judey McCarty and Clement Dungan is unknown.2 On 13 December 1752 Judith Vansand petioned the Orphans Court for guardianship of her son John Evans, saying that the guardians were Henry Breece and Garret Vansand, and that Henry Breece is now dead and Garret Vansand is often indisposed, so she asks for the appointment of Anthony Teat as guardian, and signs by her mark.5 Citations [S492] Barbara A. Barth, "The Van Sant Family of New Utrecht and Bucks Co., Pennsylvania", New York Genealogical & Biographical Record Vol.127, no. 3, p. 129 (1996): Does not identify her family name. Hereinafter cited as "Van Sant Family of New Utrecht and Bucks Co., Pennsylvania." Citations [S2231] Lynn Austin Brua, The Brua Family and Bruaw, Bruah, Brewer (United Kingdom: L.A. Brua, 1989, 1996). Also on FHL film #2055459, item 2. The second edition can be found online at Family History Archives, www.lib.byu.edu and accessable directly from the Family History website, www.familysearch.org with a search for the Brua Family in the Library Catalog. A copy of the 1989 edition is found in the William B. Bogardus Collection, Box 5, BB-421. page 28. Hereinafter cited as The Brua Family. [S2122] New York (County) Surrogate's Court Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York (Vol. II 1708-1728), Collections of the New York Historical Society (New York: Printed for the Society, 1893), page 130. Abstracting Lib. 8, p. 314. Henry Filken. Hereinafter cited as Abs. N.Y. Co. Wills v.II. [S1641] David William Voorhees, editor, Records of The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Vol.1, 1677-1720 (New York: Holland Society of New York, 1998), page 291. The 29 instant (Oct 1709), the marriage banns registered of Frans Hegeman, young man, born in Oostwoudt and residing at Jamaica, in Queens County, and Antie Ruard, young lady, born and residing in Midwood. Hereinafter cited as RDC Flatbush Recs. [S1586] Howard A. McConnville, The Parmentier (Palmatier) Family of New York State; FHL film #1440501 (Salt Lake City: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah (2001), April 1998), p.5. Hereinafter cited as Parmentier (Palmatier) of NYS. Citations [S2177] Bertha C. Spencer, Three Hundred Years in America (1942; reprint Madras, Oregon: Sharon R. Brewer Dodge, 1988). William B. Bogardus Collection, Anneke Jans and Everardus Bogardus Descendants Association, Wilmington, Ohio. Privately printed. This work contains errors, among them the false account of Anneke Jans descent from William of Orange. The account of Pieter Adamsz Brouwer is also in error, and there may be other errors with the earlier Brouwer generations. Latter generations are recounted by descendants who lived in the latter part of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, and the ancestors who they describe were their parents and grandparents. p.38. Hereinafter cited as Three Hundred Years in America. Citations [S2981] FamilySearch,"Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958", online http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/…. Name index to marriage records from the state of Ohio. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers. This set contains 4,740,284 records. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later. Retrieved June 2012. Abraham Rose, Mary Jane Rude. Parents and ages not recorded. FHL film #317462. Hereinafter cited as Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958. Citations [S1225] Willam Henry Roll, "The Roll Family Windmill", RootsWeb.com, http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi 2005 There are errors in this database. Events and dates cited with this source must be confirmed with more reliable evidence. Use as a guide.,citing "The Bennet-Voorhees Papers" in the private collection of David Eoff. Isaac Brower Rue was born on 10 November 1854 at Dayton, Montgomery Co., Ohio.1 Citations [S1225] Willam Henry Roll, "The Roll Family Windmill", RootsWeb.com, http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi 2005 There are errors in this database. Events and dates cited with this source must be confirmed with more reliable evidence. Use as a guide.,citing "The Bennet-Voorhees Papers" in the private collection of David Eoff. [S4264] Ancestry.com,"New York State Census, 1892", online www.ancestry.com. Provo, Utah, 2012. Original data: New York Education Department, Office of Cultural Education. 1892 New York State Census. Albany, NY: New York State Library. Enfield, Tompkins Co., ED 1, Adrianna Updike. Hereinafter cited as New York State Census 1892. [S4264] Ancestry.com,"New York State Census, 1892", online www.ancestry.com. Provo, Utah, 2012. Original data: New York Education Department, Office of Cultural Education. 1892 New York State Census. Albany, NY: New York State Library. Enfield, Tompkins Co., ED 1, Bertha Updike. Hereinafter cited as New York State Census 1892. Elizabeth Runyon appeared on the census on 30 August 1850 at East and West Amwell, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, as Elizabeth Brewer, age 27, born in New Jersey.3 She appeared on the census on 2 July 1860 at East Amwell, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, Elizabeth Brewer, age 39, born in New Jersey. Head of household. Dress maker. Personal estate valued at $100. In the household are Rebecca Brewer (age 14) and Henry Brewer (10). They are enumerated next to Henry Runyan, age 66, farmer, and Sarah Runyan, age 66.4 She appeared on the census on 20 June 1870 at East Amwell, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, as Elizabeth Brewer, age 46, born in New Jersey. Head of household. Real estate valued at $4000, personal estate at $500. In the household are Jacob Moore (age 27, farmer), Rebecca Moore (23, keeping house), Lizzie Moore (7/12), Henry Brewer (20, clerk in dry goods store), Susan Martindale (86, boarding), John Weber (23, blacksmith), Henry Weber (20, blacksmith), George Staples (20, blacksmith).5 She appeared on the census on 2 June 1880 at East Amwell, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, as Elizabeth Brewer, age 51, born in New Jersey. Both parents born in New Jersey. Widow. Mother, in the household of R. Henry Brewer, age 30.6 Citations [S1913] Anonymous. Outline Genealogy of Lorenzo D. Brewer of Hunterdon County, N.J. Box 5, BB-105. Received from State of New Jersey, Dept. of Education, State Library (A929.2 B847.1). The author wrote the pamphlet with knowledge obtained from Lorenzo D. Brewer. Lorenzo Brewer's Family Bible states his direct ancestry back to his great-grandfather Hendrick Brewer, "son of John Jans Brewer," with the added notation, "written by Mr. Brewer many years ago from the dictation of his uncle, William S. Brewer, youngest son of Sylvanus Brewer." Citations [S2231] Lynn Austin Brua, The Brua Family and Bruaw, Bruah, Brewer (United Kingdom: L.A. Brua, 1989, 1996). Also on FHL film #2055459, item 2. The second edition can be found online at Family History Archives, www.lib.byu.edu and accessable directly from the Family History website, www.familysearch.org with a search for the Brua Family in the Library Catalog. A copy of the 1989 edition is found in the William B. Bogardus Collection, Box 5, BB-421. page 16. Hereinafter cited as The Brua Family. [S2231] Lynn Austin Brua, The Brua Family and Bruaw, Bruah, Brewer (United Kingdom: L.A. Brua, 1989, 1996). Also on FHL film #2055459, item 2. The second edition can be found online at Family History Archives, www.lib.byu.edu and accessable directly from the Family History website, www.familysearch.org with a search for the Brua Family in the Library Catalog. A copy of the 1989 edition is found in the William B. Bogardus Collection, Box 5, BB-421. page 17. Hereinafter cited as The Brua Family. He appeared on the census on 19 August 1850 at Congress, Morrow Co., Ohio, Benjamin Rush, age 4, born in Ohio.2 He appeared on the census on 6 June 1870 at Congress, Morrow Co., Ohio, Benjamin Rush, age 24, born in Ohio. Farmer. Personal estate of $300. (Enumerated in his father's household, apparently single).3 He appeared on the census on 19 August 1850 at Congress, Morrow Co., Ohio, Morgan Rush, age 12, born in Ohio.2 He appeared on the census on 6 June 1870 at Congress, Morrow Co., Ohio, Morgan Rush, age 30, born in Ohio. Farmer. Real estate valued at $1000, personal estate at $320. (Enumerated in his father's household, apparently single).3	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
5 psychology lessons to remember when making big bets Mar 11, 2017 15:56 There are at least 5 psychology lessons to remember when making big bets. Obviously, a lot of people make big bets all the time and it works out for them. Plenty of other people lose, but it isn't a disaster when they do lose. However, it is still important to keep in mind the traits of human psychology that manage to keep people stuck in the loops that never seem to lead to positive outcomes. People who really understand themselves are going to be good at life in general in most cases. They are certainly going to be good at gambling and placing big bets. The 'sunk-cost fallacy' is something that all gamblers need to understand. This is the trap that a lot of people land in when it comes to doing many different things. People figure that they can't stop something now, because they have already invested so much in it that they have to make it work. However, sometimes people can't make something work, and pushing harder is just going to cause them to lose more and regret more. Gamblers understand that sometimes people need to quit while they are ahead. Some people also have a tendency to believe that correlation implies causation, especially in the context of superstitions and gambling. People might believe that they are going to be more likely to win a bet because of a sign of something that is completely unrelated, such as a positive flip of a coin. However, most aspects of gambling are completely random. Two things can happen at the same time, but that doesn't mean that they are related. When placing big bets, some people think that the fact that the bets are big means that they are more likely to pay off, because they believe that the risk more or less increases the likelihood of this happening. However, the level of risk is not going to have any effect on the success of the bet by itself. There is no force out there that is going to ensure that a big bet is successful. Other people will place big bets in one direction or another based on a feeling that they have. However, it should be noted that these feelings are not necessarily going to correspond to anything. Just because a bet feels right doesn't mean that it is going to be successful in a real sense. The winners of big bets are going to need to be mindful of certain psychology lessons as well, however. They might think that they are inherently 'lucky' people as a result. However, luck is about probability. People who seem to be lucky are lucky for tangible reasons, not because they have a seemingly magical ability to be lucky. There are lots of reasons why someone might be successful at the Euro Palace mobile casino. Euro Palace Online Casino games can make lots of people feel successful. However, they will be more successful if they keep in mind the psychological traps that can await even skilled gamblers. The looks and grooming of any man play a significant impact on his social and professional life and as people are getting to understand the importance of this aspect, the sales of grooming tools have gone higher. Read more Mexico City is huge with the population of nearly 9 million people. This means two things, one is that you’ll never get bored when traveling to Mexico City. There’s something fun to do for everyone and so many sights to see, you’ll be exploring for weeks. The other thing is that it’s not the safest destination, so you need to prepare for your trip very carefully. Read more	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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A Compendium Of Medical Practice, Illustrated By Interesting And Instructive Cases, And By Practical, Pathological, And Physiological Observations (1823) (2009) (?) This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.Taal: Engels;Afmetingen: 16x229x152 mm;Gewicht: 467,00 gram;Verschijningsdatum: januari 2009;ISBN10: 1104007142;ISBN13: 9781104007140; Engelstalig \| Hardcover \| 2009	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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I am from Buffalo, NY. I am now living in DC (First time outside of New York State). I like being busy and trying new things. Camping, grilling, having some beers, and sitting by a fire to me is a great weekend. However I like to mix it up as well and go downtown to the bars as well as see a concert or two for another great weekend.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
grieving my ADDer I posted here a couple of months ago about my BF of two years who was verbally abusive to me (we broke up recently). I'm 37, he is 35. He has a good job, we had an amazing sex life, he was a fun and creative person, he had an amazing family, but there were issues... One of them was responsibility. He took two years to clean up his house which was littered with boxes of junk from the many times he had moved after his divorce. When he lived with me for a couple of months (he just sort of moved in), he would spend tens of hours on a computer game, but get angry with me when I asked for help with chores. I was caring for my two kids (one of which was dealing with an anxiety disorder at the time that eventually hospitalized her), his high-needs daughter (diabetic and celiac), his dog (which would poop and pee throughout my house), my household on an acre, my business, and him, for the most part on my own. He did not contribute financially, and couldn't get it together to go back to his house to clean it up so that it could be rented out. He had very few chores, but it was always very hard to get him to follow through. I'd try leaving gentle notes, but even that didn't work, so I'd often do them myself, but then I was exhausted. To his credit, I probably did become irritable. I had so much stress during that time. He had a good income but was constantly out of money due to past debts. He had speeding tickets that went ignored, etc. Power turned off. House foreclosed on. But the bigger issue I had with him was his anger. He was frequently angry, or at least very irritable/frustrated-- at me, at the world, at his family. He would intermittently have periods of self reflection, followed by a lot of deflection. It got to the place where I felt I couldn't do anything right... I would text him at the wrong time, or not text him at the right time (he liked control). He would frequently tell me I had intentions that I didn't have-- of manipulating him, of not trying to understand him, of being passive aggressive, of not taking him seriously, of crossing the line with other men. I would try to change, but then he'd want the opposite treatment, and still be angry. He would say I didn't listen, even when I was quietly standing there. He had rages. When I would stand up to him, he would resent me, as if I didn't let him express his feelings. He would use body language to shun me, shut me out. If I tried to remain on topic during an argument, usually over a question he didn't feel like answering or an issue he didn't feel like compromising on, he would have a lot of tactics to try to gain control, usually resulting in him getting more and more angry. He'd say stuff like, "You don't want to see me get really angry." He'd sigh, and glare, and tell me I had issues, to get the spotlight off of him and whatever issue we were discussing. My counselor told me to stay calm, and just keep stating my question, which I did. He would then say I was controlling, not letting him express his feelings, or say what he wanted to say. To me, I was trying to keep the conversation from going down a destructive road. I saw through his diversion tactics, so eventually he would just rage and leave me, threatening to break up. If I asked about his threats the next day, he'd accuse me of being insecure, saying he wanted to marry me, that I was the woman of his dreams, that he'd break up with me if I ever asked about his desire to break up again, because it frustrated him. He told everyone this, that I had every trait he ever wanted in a woman, that he'd never met anyone like me, etc. Last August, he started therapy because of his anger, and because of childhood traumas (many surgeries as a toddler, very strict father, family that didn't know he had ADD, teacher who shut him in a corner for a year for being disruptive), and the therapists said he doesn't have an anger problem, apparently, that his anger at me is valid. He told me in fact that the therapists think that I interrogate him. I don't understand... I did occasionally ask him questions, which he hated, such as, "Are you coming to dinner tonight?" and he'd get defensive, hating to be put on the spot, telling me I put pressure on him. I don't think this is interrogation. Or when I'd notice his inconsistencies or lies (which were frequent), I'd sometimes (not always, mind you, because I accepted that he told me that ADDers lie, but don't mean anything by it), ask for clarification, and he'd get irate or at least highly irritated at me. This is what confuses me. If it wasn't an anger problem, then what was it? Or is he just not telling them what happened? There were times when he'd forget what he'd done or said the next day. Recently he said that there were only three times that he really raged at me. Well, true, there were three times I threatened to leave him, because it was so bad. My family once heard him on the phone, as I was visiting them, and they described it as "severely abusive." When he found out they had heard, he was very angry at me. I understand it was a breach of privacy, but he was screaming at me through the phone, and telling me I was crazy, etc., so I needed some validation that I wasn't the one causing him to act like that. It got to the point where I stopped labeling it as an anger problem or abuse because he would get mad at me for that. He would tell me I didn't care to listen to him. I'd try to listen, and he'd then not want to talk, saying it wasn't worth it, I wouldn't understand, I have issues, etc. I ended up asking him to move back to his house, and he did, and he also did finally clean it up. He got a raise at work. His therapist was working with him on setting limits for his life so he could manage it. And simultaneously he started distancing himself from me, wanting less time together. He said we just don't get along. I noticed that he was starting to party and hang out with people much younger than him, going to bars, etc. He said that he needed time to process and get over the divorce that I had "put him through," that he resented how much pain he had to see me in over grieving my marriage (we met a year after my separation, but the legal process had not begun... I regret this now, but he claimed to want to be there for me, so it seems odd holding this over my head two years later). He said he thought maybe he needed to just not date anyone, to learn to be a "respectable man of society." And yet he said he still wanted to date me, just not to see me as often. I'd find evidence of him having parties, by accidentally seeing pictures on Facebook of his arm around other women (he claimed later that this was just a childhood friend). I called him shocked when I first saw this, and he said, "I don't need your F-ing S-t" and hung up on me, not talking to me for a day. On the flip side, if I so much as got an email from a man, he'd be very insecure and angry, cursing sometimes, or just really asking me a ton of questions about my intentions, thinking I had terrible boundaries. This was apparently another thing he "couldn't get over." There was one time, admittedly, when a male friend was spending the night at my house from out of town, and I invited my BF as well to be sure that it wasn't a sticky situation. My BF raged at me after we had all had wine, thinking I had been flirtatious, and said he was done with me, so I cried, and got comfort from my male friend (sitting by him and crying while he consoled me). That friend later that night tried to kiss me, but I didn't kiss him, went to bed on my own, and later cut off all contact with him. Nothing happened, but I still felt guilt about this situation, guilt that I sought comfort and put myself in a vulnerable situation. My BF said he never got over it. My BF would also drink a lot, sometimes drive while drunk, or seemingly drunk. He also, I should add, has trouble communicating with his family. They loan him money, and yet he's always angry at his dad, for childhood stuff, for asking about his finances (I think it's his right to ask, if he's still loaning him money). Also, he started taking Adderal last year, which helped a lot, but he still has this general angry persona, controlling. When we broke up about a month ago (he initiated it, but I honestly had enough as well, as he was constantly angry, and wanting space, and wanting to be asked no questions about anything, even when he was going on trips without me, and I couldn't hack it), I stopped communicating. A week later, he said he missed me terribly, had a lot of growing up to do, imagined that I was not the person I'd envisioned for myself, was sorry, hoped we ended up together eventually, and wanted me to communicate with him. I figured what the heck, and I started emailing to try to get closure on the relationship. I sent three very heartfelt letters. Somehow, he interpreted them negatively, and was mad again. I tried to express the things I felt I had done wrong, as well as the things I had issue with in him, to get closure. He said I take no responsibility for my part... And yet I counted 12 times in the letters that I unconditionally apologized for the various things he claimed to have been hurt by in our relationship. He wrote me back saying I never knew him, all he ever wanted was love and understanding. I definitely loved him. I feel like I TRIED to understand him. I don't understand why he broke up with me, honestly, if I'm supposedly all he wanted in a person. He told my friend that I have my "crap" together, and he doesn't, and he's just a grumpy man who can't change. Okay, a week ago I found him on a dating site. So, I called him and said I don't wish to communicate anymore, since he lied to me about not planning to date for a long time (He told me when we broke up that his therapist would dump him if he dated after me, as she thought he needed to be alone... he had gone on a spree of dating 60 women after he ended his marriage, before me, and felt he needed to heal from this... he said when he was ready to date ,he would let me know, to see if there was anything still there). He claimed he signed up by accident while drunk, that he's not trying to date. He since took the profile down. But I did stop communicating, and asked him to get all his things from my house, which he did this week. On the good side, he loved my kids (although fought with my 7 year old, often feeling slighted by her). He was creative, and smart. I loved his family. And our sex life was absolutely amazing... much, much better than my marriage, probably the best I'll ever have. In some ways I think I was bonded to him because of this, and held on longer than I otherwise would have. He said all of the right things, some of the time. On paper, we had the same values, a similar upbringing, and shared goals. He liked to live simply, as did I. He wasn't showy, which I appreciated. His main "charm" was his humor-- sometimes crude and harsh--but he got people laughing. I appreciated his intense creativity. I fed on it, and it brought out my creative side. I should add that he always thought I had bad boundaries with men, read my emails on my computer when he lived here, and constantly misinterpreted things as me trying to "not take him seriously" or get involved with other men... something I didn't remotely do, but I began questioning myself, wondering if there was something I was missing. I'm an editor and writer, helping other authors, so I admittedly got personal with one client of mine in order to help him write his life story. But there was no romantic interest, and he knew I was dating my BF. He has called me names, saying I'm "acting like a bitch," or a nag, vulture, jerk. He would tell me stuff like, "That was a stupid thing to do," when I'd call him at a time he didn't want to talk, etc. I've never been called stupid by anyone. My intelligence has never been in question. But, given my past, I am vulnerable to all the other labels. I was married to a sex addict probable narcissist man who abandoned me and my daughters for a much younger woman, right after he completed a Ph.D. program I supported him through, to give you some history. I met my ADD partner at a very vulnerable time. He had to listen to me question myself over that relationship, and he validated me 100% against my ex. He came to hate my ex, for all that he put me through in our divorce. I'm on here because I'm seeking answers. Everything I read about verbal and emotional abuse seems to fit him. I see that these patterns are common for ADDers. But when I've tried to mention that to him, he gets angry, saying I'm labeling him unfairly, that I'm the one with issues, that I should be in more therapy. My therapist thinks it is abuse, but then she's hearing only my side. To his credit, he saw me through a very rough divorce, and I do have abandonment issues. I can take responsibility for those. But honestly, I feel abandoned by him too, and so confused given his black/white behavior with me... wanting to marry me, then wanting to break up, over and over again. He would tell all my friends he was going to marry me. But then he'd go off with his friends, most of whom I never met, and do whatever he wanted. I was not supposed to question him, so I didn't... and yet he questioned me. I felt ready to throw in the towel given the trauma state I constantly felt I was in, always thrown off, unable to express my real feelings or concerns, walking on eggshells, and yet he initiated it, and I feel very betrayed and confused. I question myself, wondering what I did to cause him to treat me this way, to leave me. If I was the "woman of his dreams," why would he give up? I guess that is the hardest part for me, not understanding how someone who was so abusive to me, and yet idealized me so much, would be the one to throw in the towel and move on. How do I get over the good parts, and stop thinking I could have made it work? I know that no relationship is perfect, but I want to believe that I can find someone who treats me better than this. All my friends, male and female, say I'm amazing, have everything to offer, and should just move on. Many commented as much while we were dating, not feeling he was a good match for me, saying things like that he was not emotionally mature, or that he was treating me as a punching bag, or that he was not as intelligent. I just loved him, and wanted him to get help, and to love me back. Ugh. I sound like a teenager! Advice is welcome. Thanks for letting me ramble. Comments I want to say that I am very very sorry to read your story. No one should have had to go through such a difficult situation, but in my opinion you have much more than ADD going on here. It is hard to know what to tell you with regard to which of his behaviors were AD/HD, which were his own baggage, & which were learned behaviors/poor coping skills he developed. I'm sure it would be very hard for even his therapist to get to the bottom of those issues. He has a LONG way to go before he is ready for a relationship, and I hope that you are now convinced that relationship will never be with you! AD/HD behaviors and loved ones reactions to them often do cause an anger reaction in one or both parties. In our case, when we had no idea my husband had ADD, I was angry with him for over-promising and under-delivering on what he said he'd do. I just had no idea why he would behave this way, so I was angry. He was angry because he knew that he always had the intention (and intention seems to be VERY important to ADDers) of doing what he said he would do, and he knew he was trying to follow through, and he was frustrated that he felt he couldn't while I was treating him like he wouldn't. So a lot of his anger came from frustration and also anger at me for being angry at him when he was TRYING......however I saw the lack of result and not the trying, so I wasn't cutting him sufficient slack there when I didn't know what was going on. Fortunately for us this didn't last long and he realized something was clearly wrong and shortly afterward, he was diagnosed with ADD. Nothing was ever abusive nor would either of us have accepted it if it was. I think it is HORRIBLE that your boyfriend was supporting during hard times like your divored and then later using your struggles against you. I think he did treat you abusively--possibly because he is so out of control with his behaviors and emotions, possibly because he is just messed up inside from many different things, possibly somewhat out of guilt for being such a mess or envying you because you weren't. But to me WHY he was abusive isn't the important part. The fact of the matter is that he is an abuser who isn't taking responsibility of what he's done and who isn't, at this point, ready to grow up and get his stuff together. You are grieving the loss of your relationship, and no doubt you didn't do everything perfectly, but you have taken responsibility for that and you've gotten closure, and you know that he is still a mess and his actions say he plans to stay that way for a while. I sympathize with you so much, and I hope you know I mean you the best when I say that I believe it is time for you to work through your grief alone. CUT ALL CONTACT with him and keep it cut. Every time you reengage with him it sets back YOUR recovery. I don't see ANY hope for this relationship in the future, and since I agree that you deserve a relationship that will be healthier for you than this, the only way to get yourself in a mental and emotional place to be ready when that man arrives, is to recover from this one. Thank you so much for this validation. I see people on here dealing with their ADD partners and wonder why I couldn't make it work. But it helps to hear that it may be more than just ADD. In reality, I am getting stronger by the week since I've cut off contact. I still miss the comfort of having him there, but I know that is not enough reason to stay with someone. When I read about emotional/verbal abuse, I feel like he fits it to a tee.... but I've struggled with labeling him. The crazy thing is, he's very well read about topics of abuse, control, etc., and yet he doesn't seem to see himself in what he reads. I am hoping in time I fill my life and question myself less. It takes a toll. Before I get off on a tangent and forget to make this point...it seems that his 'lack of an anger problem' is coming from him? Not something you saw/were told first hand by a counselor? HA HA HA. Sorry...Ok..seriously, either he's lying to them or lying to you. For many years my husband sat in counseling and had his 'own version of reality' (don't want to say he was intentionally lying) and I was sitting RIGHT THERE. Can you imagine how dishonest and one sided his sessions were without you there? I mean the deflection of blame is a vicious cycle most all of us are familiar with, but this just gave him full reign to bulldoze your already floundering self-esteem into a ditch...and take the blame off of him. ARGH. Honestly....read over your original post. Print it out and post in on your fridge. Read it everyday. Listen to your words. Listen to the pain. Listen to the obnoxious one-sidedness of it all. Listen to your pain being used against you. Listen to your kind words being used to kick you when you're down. Listen to how out of touch with reality he really is. HEAR what you're saying. It is abuse...it is a man who has no control of himself but wants total control of your life while he goes about his merry way. Look at...count the lies you've caught him in, and I'm just talking about the ones in your original post. (dating service because he was drunk??? Riiiight! NOT!) Please, please, please stop questioning what you could have done to change the outcome of this situation. My husband is a much, much milder and far less destructive form of what your BF is...and I have had to, for my own sanity, to stop letting his distorted view of the world (at times) make ME feel like I did something wrong or am not a great person. You're not dealing with someone who is healthy mentally..I suspect you're not just dealing with ADD either. Why would you give enough consideration to his wacky accusations to make you question your own self worth and what you have to offer the world? You can filter through and see where he is not 'rational' or living in reality, so why are you even considering 2% of his accusations and deflections of blame YOUR fault or something you could have changed? God knows, honey, there IS no changing an ADDer...unless and until they are ready. He's perfectly happy in his own little 'bubble' of a world where everyone else is to blame for everything wrong...he's nowhere near ready to change. Thanks so much for the validation, Sherri. I think I am just coming to terms with how abusive it was. I wanted to forgive him, because he always used the excuse, "I have ADD," so I thought it meant I needed to be more tolerant, but it helps to hear that this is likely beyond just ADD. I think since I met him during a terrible divorce in which my ex husband was very abusive, I was easily "conned" into getting close, trusting him, letting him "protect" me from my husband, etc. In reality, it was just a way he could gain control, because I didn't have my guard up, and I needed his support. When the divorce was done, I was able to look at the relationship more objectively, and with more strength. As I started setting boundaries, he showed his true colors even more. I think I question myself simply because I went through two relationships like this back to back. My husband was also very controlling, questioned my motives with men, monitored my emails, blamed me when he left, and yet he was unfaithful through our whole marriage and ultimately abandoned me with our two young children. So anyway, it doesn't change or excuse my BF's behavior. In many ways, my husband was nicer, at least day to day, even though he had a secret life. It's just a situation I must accept, and move on from, and have faith that this is not a pattern I am bound to repeat, nor does it mean I will end up alone. In my therapy, I'm working on figuring out how I got into these patterns where I tolerated so much. I have a lot to offer, I feel, and yet my esteem has been very damaged. Since my husband left for such a young, Barbie type, I thought it might be about my looks. But for my age, I'm attractive... that shouldn't be an excuse for needing to stay in an abusive relationship. I am independent, don't ask for a ton, have lots of very good friends, own my own home, run my own business. Sigh. Just don't yet know how to get a good relationship! But meanwhile, I'll keep healing by the day, and focusing on my kids. Thank you! The validation helps so much. It also occurred to me that in the relationship, I helped "anchor" him to a slightly better way of living. When he moved back home, and started seeing me less, I think there's a chance that he reverted to even worse behavior, his true self. Who knows. Yeah, the dating service thing seemed absurd to me. He managed to convince some of his friends, and my alcoholic sister, that it was done in err, however. But really, who accidentally fills out an entire profile, submits a credit card, and then has activity showing on his profile (said he'd been on within 24 hours, which he blamed on his daughter saying she "must have clicked on his history.")? Seriously, I'm not an idiot! He was MAD at me for finding it, saying I was snooping. Blech. Just following up on this post. I have come to more clearly recognize that he was verbally and emotionally abusive to me. What I struggle with wrapping my head around is the times in between when he was nice, committed, sweet, seeming to be wanting to marry me and make it work with me. I struggle because I feel like none of it was real, like it was all just a ploy to keep me on the hook, or like he didn't even know what was real or was really just manipulating me. If that is the case, it just hurts to feel that I committed to someone who wasn't real with me. And if it was real, then why couldn't he maintain it? Why did he flip flop? I am wondering from those on this board how you deal with reconciling the black/white behavior. Now that he's gone, I don't even have the assurance of, "Well, at least he wanted to be with me." He would talk like he was SO committed, wanting to marry me, insecure that I'd leave him, and then he'd get nasty and talk about leaving me. No sense. I can only say this...I pray that you don't spend the rest of your life, or even another minute for that matter, trying to figure out how and why he was one way one minute, another the next. It is simply some sort of disorder that is not being treated correctly and causes his mind to wander from here, to over there, and then back all within 15 minutes. It isn't something you can understand...and even if you have clear cut answers, it does not change the fact that he is untreated and toxic to you. With ADD/ADHD there has to be a TON of understanding and patience on BOTH ends of the marriage. Both parties have to come to grips with the fact that although you don't/can't understand the way the other's mind works, you love them enough to learn to accept it and not let it be a source of conflict in the marriage. Love has a way of making all things possible...even when it feels impossible. This understanding comes with a true commitment by both parties to the relationship and with a lot of hard work the relationship/marriage can survive..and even thrive. This happens only when the ADDer accepts that the disorder is a problem, the ADDer seeks help and is serious about learning to control the disorder, and when both parties are patient and committed to making things better for everyone. Without any aspect of this there is only hurt, chaos, rejection, anger, violence, lies, cheating, abuse, addiction, and many various other ugly aspects of the disorder. You cannot change the world. You cannot change him. He has made his choices...and I pray someday that you see that you were actually very lucky that you got out when you did because left untreated, with things as bad as they were already, you would be left in ruins. Try looking at this as merely a blessing...and not asking why anymore. Until he hits a brick wall, and decides things aren't working out well for him the way they are, then nothing will ever change...no matter how convincing the words are he simply does not have the ability to give you what he promises. Honestly, I ask myself this a lot lately...because I wonder the same thing about my own husband. I don't know. I guess one of two things happen...changes are long term OR in a few months things go back to the same old patterns. Then we have to decide if it is time to just walk away or pray for another 'rock bottom'. Thanks Sherri. The nutty thing was, he was in treatment-- Adderal, twice weekly therapy. I tried to be patient and understanding. But I struggled with the lies and back and forth behavior in regards to his commitment to me, as well as the anger/manipulation, and jealousy he had towards me, often thinking I was intending to cheat or cross lines. He actually used his treatment as a reason why we needed to break up, so he could focus on getting healthy on his own without the stress of our relationship added to the mix. Whatever. I do know I'm better off without someone who is so instable. I still miss the good, but I think that is just grief. I have to remember the crazymaking that was so much a part of our relationship-- the deflection, projection, misinterpretations. I interestingly found a blog entry he wrote this week about his ADHD and about how his primary difficulty is in relationships, how he'll answer questions inconsistently, misquote people, etc. He has these periods of self reflection where he gets it, but then he gets triggered again, and makes drastic decisions while in that state that I simply cannot live with. Then his treatment isn't working. Twice a week and on meds...either he's on the wrong meds or his counselor sucks..or both. I would give anything to be able to go to counseling twice a week...but if it is with the wrong person, you may as well not go at all. Yes, i am certain you are grieving the relationship...as we all do when one ends...just find ways to keep yourself busy and eventually you'll be more content with things and see it from a different perspective. He is a very 'untreated' young man...and this would never mean anything positive for you. ((HUGS))	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Monday, 31 July 2017 The 2018 Holiday catalogue will be available on 1st September, however Stampin' Up! have released one of the Christmas stamp sets and framelits early so are now available to purchase. This set is the Carols Of Christmas stamp set (#c144804, #w.144801) and the Card Front Builder Thinlits Dies (#144674). These are also available in a bundle (#c146037, #w146036) saving you 10%. The base card is Night Of Navy (#106577) and the card front is Whisper White (#106549). The Card Front Builder Thinlits were used to cut the border for the card front as well as the trees. The trees were cut from the Silver Glimmer Paper (#135314). Peace on Earth was heat embossed with VersaMark (#102283) and Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109131). The circle was cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372) and I sponged the edges with Night Of Navy ink (#126970). The stars were also stamped with Night Of Navy ink. The reindeer was stamped with Crumb Cake ink (#126975) and there is a co-ordinating die in the Card Front Builder Thinlits to cut this. Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430) were used to attach the circle to the card. Saturday, 29 July 2017 This flower from the Flower Shop stamp set (#c130942) has been around for a few years but it is still one of my favourites. I stamped the flowers on Whisper White card (#106549) with Flirty Flamingo ink (#141397) and the flowers were then punched with the Pansy Punch (#130698). These flowers were attached to a piece of Flirty Flamingo card (#141421) which was embossed with the Layered Leaves 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#143704). Happy Birthday is from the Window Shopping stamp set (#c143265, #w142920) and the border is from Background Bits stamp set (#c144029, #w144026) and both stamped with Flirty Flamingo ink. I adhered the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (#144106) to the back of the Garden Green card (#108605) before I cut the leaves with a die from the Flourish Thinlits (#141478). This adhesive makes it so easy to attach fine cutouts to the card. The card was finished by adding the Gold Faceted Gems (#144141) to the centre of the flowers. Friday, 28 July 2017 This tag would look great on a gift, or put it on a card as I have done here. The base card is Very Vanilla (#106550) and I have embossed this with the Pinewood Planks 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#143708). For the tag I have used the Foil Frenzy Specialty Designer Series Paper (#144125) and I cut the top with the Scalloped Tag Topper punch (#133324). The leaves are cut with the Seasonal Layers Framelits (#143751) using Daffodil Delight card (#121680) and Soft Suede (#119982) for the base of the leaves and Copper Foil Sheets (#142020) for the detailed leaves on top. For the branch I used Early Espresso card (#121868). I used the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309) to adhere the branch to the tag and Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (#144106) for the detailed leaves. The sentiment is from the Birthday Blooms stamp set (#c140658, #w140655) and stamped with Daffodil Delight ink (#126944) and cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372). This was attached to the tag with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (#144108). The ribbon is 1/4" Copper Trim (#144179). Thursday, 27 July 2017 The Background Bits Stamp Set is one of the Hostess products and has been used for all the images on this card. The cardstock is Crushed Curry (#131288), Very Vanilla (#106550) and Old Olive (#106576). The sentiments have been stamped with Crushed Curry Ink (#131173) and the border is stamped with Soft Suede ink (#126978). I inked the flowers using Stampin' Write Markers - Crushed Curry from the Regals Collection (#131262) for the flowers and Old Olive from the Brights Collection (#131259) for the stems. The ribbon is 5/8" Burlap and I used Mini Glue Dots to attach the ribbon to the card. The ovals were cut with the Layering Ovals Framelits (#141706) and attached with Mini Stampin' Dimesionals (#144108). Wednesday, 26 July 2017 Today's card is the same design as yesterdays, but I wanted to show the reverse of the Bundle Of Love Specialty Designer Series Paper (#144143) and also suitable for a masculine card. The cardstock is Soft Sky (#131292), Island Indigo (#124390), Very Vanilla (#106550) and Copper Foil Sheet (#142020). The bird and sentiment are stamped with Island Indigo ink (#126986). The bird is from the Best Birds stamp set (#p141525) and the sentiment is from Guy Greetings stamp set (#c138828, # w138825, #p137178). The framelits used are Birds & Blooms (#141477) for the bird, Stitched Shapes (#145372) for the circles and Seasonal Layers (#143751) for the branch. I used the Mulitpurpose Adhesive Sheets (#144106) for the branch, and the bird and sentiment were attached with Stampin' Dimensioanls (#104430). Tuesday, 25 July 2017 Regular readers know that I love butterflies and pretty cards and this one covers both of these. The Bundle Of Love Specialty Designer Series Paper (#144143), which I have used on the card, is a heavyweight paper with gold foil designs on one side and pink or blue with Very Vanilla on the other side. The cardstock is Very Vanilla (#106550) and Fresh Fig (#144248) and the larger butterfly is Gold Glimmer Paper (#133719). This butterfly is cut with the Butterflies Thinlits (#137360) and the smaller butterfly with the Bold Butterfly Framelits (#138135). Happy Birthday is from the Best Birds stamp set (#p141525) and stamped with Fresh Fig ink (#144082). The circles are cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372) and attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). I used Mini Glue Dots (#103683) to attach the butterflies to the card. A Gold Faceted Gem (#144141) was added to the butterfly. Monday, 24 July 2017 There are a variety of Suites in the annual catalogue, suitable for a range of occasions. The Fresh Florals Suite which I have used for this card is ideal for Love and Sympathy. Each suite includes stamp sets, framelits, DSP and embellishments that all co-ordinate, making card making that much easier. The cardstock is Whisper White (#106549), Powder Pink (#144251) and Flesh Florals Designer Series Paper (#144131). The border at the top of the card, the flower and sentiment were stamped with Powder Pink ink (#144084) and these images are from the Floral Phrases stamp set (#141764). The circles were cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372) and the Layering Circles Framelits (#141705). The banner was cut with a die from the Cupcake Cutouts Framelits (#141474). The banner and circle were attached with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). I also added a bit of glitter to the flower using the Clear Wink Of Stella Brush (#141897), but I don't think it has shown very well on this photo. Saturday, 22 July 2017 The stamp set I have used for this card is Hello Friend (#c144059, #w144055). This stamp set co-ordinates with the Hello Friend Heat Embossing Project Kit (#146013) which is s great way to make a bunch of cards with all embellishments included. However I haven't used the kit today - I will do that another day. Recently I showed how you can heat emboss with any of the Stampin' up! colours, using VersaMark and any colour stamp pad. Another way is just using the ink pad without the VersaMark, but you do need a very "juicy" ink pad to do this. Usuallly they are juicy when they are new, otherwise just re-ink the pad with plenty of ink. You also must work quickly to add the embossing powder before the ink dries. The leaves on the wreath and Hello were stamped with Tranquil Tide ink (#144085), then Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109130) added, then heat set with the Heat Tool (#129056). The flowers were also heat embossed and I used Cherry Cobbler ink (#126966) for these. The background behind Hello was stamped with Soft Suede ink (#126978) but not embossed. The flowers are from the Best Birds stamp set (#p141525) and cut with a die from the Birds & Blooms Thinlits (#141477). The circle was cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372). The cardstock is Tranquil Tide (#144252), Cherry Cobbler (#121681) and Very Vanilla (#106550). The circle was attached with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430) and the flowers with Mini Glue Dots (#103683). The Cherry Cobbler card was embossed with the Pinewood Planks 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#143708) Friday, 21 July 2017 The Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet (#144106) has been used again to adhere the flower to this card. So simple and no more fiddly glueing. The cardstock is Berry Burst (#144249), Whisper White (#106549) and Powder Pink (#144251). The flower was cut with a die from the Sunshine Wishes Thinlits (#141489). I cut 2 flowers, cut the stem from one and overlapped the flowers. Thank You and the background image are from the Background Bits stamp set (#c144029, #w144026) and stamped with Berry Burst ink (#144083). The ovals were cut with the Layering Ovals Framelits (#141706) and atttached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). I added some of the beautiful Glitter Enamel Dots (#144200) to the card. Thursday, 20 July 2017 Another busy day with painting and decluttering, so I haven't had much time in the craft room lately, so here is another quick and easy card. Framelits and Designer Series Paper make it very quick. I didn't even have to stamp. The framelits to cut these hearts and sentiment are from the Sunshine Wishes Thinlits (#141489). I applied the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets to the back of the Copper Foil Sheet (#142020) before cutting the framelits, which makes it so easy to attach the detailed cutouts to the card. Just remove the backing and adhere to the card. The base card is Whisper White (#106549) and the Lemon -Lime Twist DSP is from the Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack (#144131). Can't get much easier than that! Wednesday, 19 July 2017 I have stamped on the Whisper White card front (#106549) using the image from the Inspired Events stamp set (#p143693) with Crushed Curry ink (#131173). Happy Birthday is from the Happy Birthday Gorgeous stamp set (#p143662) and the ovals are cut with the Layering Ovals Framelits (#141706). I have used Crushed Curry card for the base card and butterfly. The butterfly is cut with the Move Me Thinlits (#143732), and attached to the card with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (#144108). I added Glitter Enamel Dots (#144200) to the butterfly and Whisper White card. I attached the white oval to the Basic Black oval (#121688) with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). Tuesday, 18 July 2017 There are more and more framelits that are quite detailed and sometimes can be a bit tricky (or frustrating) to adhere the beautiful images to the card. Well, look no further than the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets (#144106) when using the detailed dies. Just adhere the Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet to the card stock, place the die on the cardstock and roll as normal through the Big Shot (#143263). Remove the backing of the adhesive sheet and it's ready to adhere to the card. Easy! The greeting and the flower were both done this way. Happy Birthday is cut using the Happy Birthday Thinlits (#143700) and the flower is from the Flourish Thinlits (#141478). The Very Vanilla base card (#106550) was embossed with the Garden Trellis Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#143741). The other cardstock is Basic Black (#121688) and Real Red (#106578). I used the Gold 3/8" Metallic-Edge Ribbon under the flower and added a Gold Metallic Enamel Shape (#141678) to the centre of the flower. Monday, 17 July 2017 All the images on this card have been heat embossed using gold and clear embossing powder. The cardstock is Berry Burst (#144083) and Whisper White (#106549). The rose and the background images are from the Graceful Garden stamp set (#c143849, #w143846) and Thanks is from the You Move Me stamp set (#p144002). The sentiment and the background have been heat embossed with VersaMark (#102283) and Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109129). I embossed the rose with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109130). To get the different colours I stamped the rose image twice. Firstly I inked the stamp with VersaMark, then inked it with Berry Burst ink (#144249), stamped it on Whisper White card, added Clear emboss powder and heat set it with the Heat Tool (#129056). I repeated the process with Tranquil Tide ink (#144085) instead of Berry Burst. I hand cut each image and attached the Berry Burst flower over the Tranquil Tide flower. This was then attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). Embossing this way allows you to have any colour embossed image, so it's easy to match your project. Sunday, 16 July 2017 The Framelits, DSP and stamp used here are all part of the Color Theory Suite. The base card is Whisper White (#106549) and the DSP is from the Color Theory Designer Series Paper Stack (#144193). The leaf is also cut from this DSP. The sentiment from the Colorful Seasons stamp set (#143726) was stamped with VersaMark (#102283) and Copper Stampin' Emboss Powder (#141636), then heat set with the Heat Tool (#129056). The chair and leaf are both cut using dies from the Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies (#143751). I used Copper Foil Sheet (#142020) for the chair, the scalloped square and the scallop across the bottom of the card. The scalloped copper square was cut with one of the Layering Squares Framelits (#141708) and the scallop strip is actually the edge of the punched Decorative Ribbon Border (#143721). I used the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372) to cut the top square. The chair and leaf were both glued to the card with the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309) and I attached the squares using Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). Friday, 14 July 2017 I have used the Detailed Floral Thinlits again today but this was a bit more time consuming, but worth it. I used Whisper White (#106549) for the base card and cut this with the Detailed Floral Thinlits (#141482). I then attached a piece of Wild Wasabi card (#111850) to the inside of the card, so you can see it through the cutouts. I then used the same thinlits to cut a piece of Red Glimmer Paper (#121790) and when I removed it from the plate of the big shot I tried to keep all the pieces in the die. Then I took out the pieces one by one and glued them into place using the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309), leaving some of the pieces still showing the Wild Wasabi card. The stamped border at the bottom of the card is stamped with Wild Wasabi ink (#126959) and Congratulations was stamped with Real Red ink (#126949). Both these images are from the Floral Phrases stamp set (#c141767, #w141764). I used the Pretty Label punch (#143715) for the Wild Wasabi card under the sentiment. The sentiment was attached with Stampin" Dimensionals (#104430). Thursday, 13 July 2017 It doesn't take much to make a beautiful card using these Detailed Floral Thinlits (#141482). I used Bermuda Bay card (#131286) to cut the 2 detailed images. Then I taped a piece of Whisper White card (#106549) behind the Bermuda Bay card. For You is from the Graceful Garden stamp set (#c143849, #w143846) and is stamped with Bermuda Bay ink (#131171) on Whisper White card. The banner to cut this is from the Cupcake Cutouts Framelits (#141474). I cut the butterfly using a die from the Move Me Thinlits (#143732) and I used Gold Foil Sheet (#132622). The butterfly was attached with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (#144108), then I added a Gold Faceted Gem (#144141) to the body of the butterfly. Wednesday, 12 July 2017 I am sure all little girls (like my grand daughters) will love this card using the You Move Me Bundle (#p145322). The way the butterfly is stamped and the horizontal cut out, when you move the butterfly up and down, it looks like the butterfly is moving its wings. One image of the butterfly from the You Move Me stamp set (#p144002) was stamped with Berry Burst ink (#144083) and the 2nd image with Sweet Sugarplum ink (#141395). The die from the Move Me Thinlits (#143732) has been used to cut the horizontal pieces from the Powder Pink card (#144251). This card was attached with the Foam Adhesive Strips (#141825) to the Berry Burst base card (#144249). "Thanks" is also from the You Move Me stamp set and stamped with Berry Burst ink. The Decorative Ribbon Border punch was used to punch the "ribbon" which was glued across the bottom of the card with the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309). The ribbon on the Whisper White card (#106549) is Powder Pink 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon (#144151). Tuesday, 11 July 2017 I have used the Eastern Medallions Thinlits Dies (#143725) to cut the lovely detailed images for this card. Fresh Fig (#144248), Very Vanilla (#106550) and Gold Foil Sheets (#132622) are the cardstock used as well as Eastern Palace Specialty Designer Series Paper (#144147). I embossed the Very Vanilla card with the Pinewood Planks 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#143708). The 2 circles for the sentiment and the gold foil were cut with the Layering Circles Framelits (#141705). The sentiment is from the Eastern Beauty stamp set (#p143675) and this was stamped with Fresh Fig ink (#144082). The small scallops are the bottom edge of the Decorative Ribbon Border Punch (#143721). I punched the border as normal but just showed the small scallop when I assembled the card as it matched the scallops on the circles. Monday, 10 July 2017 I have been playing with all the new products lately so decided today to used some of the beautiful products from previous catalogues and are still available in this catalogue. The base card is Elegant Eggplant (#108614) and the card front is Wisteria Wonder (#124389). I attached a piece of the Fabulous Foil Designer Acetate (#141653) to this. These acetate sheets are gold on one side and silver on the other, so very versatile. The detailed pieces were cut with the Paisley Framelits (#141849) from Elegant Eggplant card then Gold Faceted Gems (#144141) were added to them. The sentiment is from the Paisley & Posies stamp set (#p142196) and stamped with Elegant Eggplant ink (#126969) on Whiper White card (#106549). The banner to cut this is in the Cupcake Cutouts Framelits (#141474). I attached this to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). When I attach these acetate sheets, I tape or glue only where it will be covered, so that you can't see the tape or glue through the sheets. So here I taped under the sentiment and glued under the Paisley pieces. Sunday, 9 July 2017 I am loving this Embossing Paste (#141979) and using the Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter (#133751) to add some sparkle to the card. The cardstock is Whisper White (#106549) and Dapper Denim (#141419). The Designer Series Paper is from Eastern Palace Specialty DSP (#144147). I used one of the dies from the Eastern Medallions Thinlits (#143725) to cut the Whisper White card. I stamped on each of the "petals" with Dapper Denim ink (#141394) using an image from the Eastern Beauty stamp set (#p143675). Thank You is from the same stamp set and cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372). The ribbon is Silver 1/8" Ribbon (#132137). Mini Stampin' Dimensionals were used to attach to circle and "medallion" to the card. The Embossing Paste was applied using the Palette Knives (#142808) and Pattern Party Decorative Masks (#144103). After applying the paste, I sprinkled it with the Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter, then set it with the Heat Tool (#129056). Friday, 7 July 2017 I love an (almost) all white card, I just added a bit of silver to this one - very elegant! The cardstock is Whisper White (#106549) and a Silver Foil Sheet (#132178) was used for the base of the butterfly. The butterflies were cut using the Move Me Thinlits (#143732), and these were attached with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (#144108). I cut the oval from the cardfront using the Layered Ovals Framelits (#141706), then embossed the cardfront using the Layered Leaves 3D Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#143704). The sentiment from the Floral Phrases stamp set (#c141767, #w141764) was stamped with VersaMark (#102283) and Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder (#109131), then heat set with the Heat Tool (#129056). The Silver 3/8" Metallic-Edge Ribbon (#144213) was attached to the corner of the card. A Clear Faceted Gem (#144142) was adhered to the Butterfly. Thursday, 6 July 2017 I also stamped on the larger piece of Very Vanilla card using images from the Timeless Textures stamp set (#c140517, #w140514) with Crumb Cake ink (#126975) and Soft Suede ink (#126978). The edges of the Very Vanilla card were sponged with Soft Suede ink. The other cardstock used is Basic Black (#121688) and Cherry Cobbler (#121681). Just A Note is from the Flourishing Phrases stamp set (#c141534, #w141531) and stamped with Cherry Cobbler ink (#126966). The ovals were cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372) and Layering Ovals Framelits (#141705). The ribbon is Gold Natural Trim (#141484). The ovals were attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). Wednesday, 5 July 2017 I don't know why it took me so long to get the beautiful Detailed Floral Thinlits (#141482). They will be great for special occasion cards. I cut the Whisper White card in half lengthways (10.5cm x 28.8cm). Then I cut the detailed thinlits, placing the thinlits so it cuts off the bottom of the white card. I then cut a piece of Lemon Lime Twist card (#144250) and glued it to the white card using Multipurpose Liquid Glue (#110755). The DSP is from the Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack (#144131) and I have used the Lemon Lime Twist. Wedding Wishes is from the Floral Phrases stamp set (#c141767, #w141764) and stamped with Lemon Lime Twist ink (#144086). The ovals are cut with the Stitched Shapes Framelits (#145372). These were attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430) ensuring to leave the top unattached so you can tuck the top piece under it. The ribbon is Silver 3/8" Metallic-Edge Ribbon (#144213). Tuesday, 4 July 2017 The DSP here is from the Fresh Florals Designer Series Paper Stack (#144131). This comes in the 5 new In Colors and I have used the Powder Pink. The base card is Fresh Fig (#144248) and the other cardstock is Whisper White (#106549). The daisy is from The Daisy Delight stamp set and stamped with VersaMark (#102283) and White Embossing Powder (#109132) and heat set with the Heat Tool (#129056). This was then punched with the Daisy Punch (#143713) and assembled with a Stampin' Dimensional (#104430). I cut a piece of Fresh Fig with one of the Layering Circle Framelits (#141705) and the white card between the daisy and the circle is cut with the Eastern Medallions Thinlits (#143725). A Clear Faceted Gem (#144142) was added to the centre of the daisy. I also used a piece of the Fresh Fig Finely Woven Ribbon (#144132) under the circle. Thank You from Daisy Delight stamp set was stamped with Fresh Fig ink (#143669). Monday, 3 July 2017 This Daisy Delight bundle (#p145361) has been so popular and the daisy punch is still on back order in Australia, but hopefully will be back soon. I have used Whisper White and the new Lemon Lime Twist giving this card a beautiful fresh look. The cardstock is Whisper White (#106549) and Lemon Lime Twist (#144250) and the ink is Lemon Lime Twist (#144086). I embossed the card front with the Petal Burst Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (#141493). The stamp sets are Daisy Delight (#p143669) for the flower and Label Me Pretty (#c143861, #w143858) for the sentiment. The Daisy punch (#143713) was used to punch the daisy and the Decorative Ribbon Border Punch (#143721) for the border. The framelits I used are the Layering Squares (#141708) and the Stitched Shapes (#145372. The sentiment and Daisy were attached with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430), then I finished the card by adding Gold Faceted Gem (#144141) to the centre of the daisy. I glued the border piece with the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309). Sunday, 2 July 2017 No stamping at all on today's card, I just used framelits, so a very easy card. The cardstock is Peakaboo Peach (#141422), Pumpkin Pie (#108601), Garden Green (#108605) and Very Vanilla (#106550). I cut the Happy birthday using the Happy Birthday Thinlits (#143700) in both Garden Green & Pumpkin Pie and glued them using the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309), just offsetting the words slightly to give the shadow effect. The other images are all cut using the Eclectic Layers Thinlits (#143774). The flower is attached to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals (#104430). Saturday, 1 July 2017 Today was a busy but great day with a full day workshop and my launch of the annual catalogue. I think the ladies enjoyed the day. I meant to take photos of them all working hard, but forgot till they were all gone home. I am repeating it again next week so hope to take photos then. This is one of the cards they could make. The basecard is Island Indigo (#124390). I stamped the Marbled background (#c144772, #w143755) with Crumb Cake ink (#126975). The DSP on the left side is from the Foil Frenzy Specialty Designer Series Paper (#144125). The chair and leaf are both cut with the Seasonal Layers Thinlits (#143751) using Copper Foil Sheets (#142020). For the leaf I cut the detailed leaf as well as the solid leaf, then glued the detailed leaf to the solid leaf using the Fine-Tip Glue Pen (#138309). I love how this looks. The chair and leaf were attached to the card with Mini Stampin' Dimensionals (#144108). The sentiment is from the Colorful Seasons stamp set (#p143726), stamped with Island Indigo ink (#126986), then cut with a framelit from the Bunch Of Banners Framelits (#141488). This was also attached with the Mini Stampin' Dimensionals.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Pawn Pawn helps you find upgrades for your gear and tell which of two items is better for your spec. Start with built-in advice from Ask Mr. Robot, or customize Pawn's stat weights to have it suggest items based on your favorite class guide or simulator. Pawn can help you decide whether it's better to use the cloak with 100 mastery or the one with 80 crit—whether you're just starting out, or you're an advanced player who plans out gear upgrades and regularly simulates and evaluates performance. Staying in touch Become a fan of Vger on Facebook and get updates of new versions and stuff like that. You can also leave questions or comments there if you don't have an account on this site. Prerelease alpha versions of Pawn are occasionally available on CurseForge. Getting started If you're new to Pawn, don't worry—Pawn will automatically set itself up to give you advice based on math done by the experts at Ask Mr. Robot. Just watch for Pawn's green arrows. If you decide you want to go further, there are a lot of ways that you can customize Pawn, by tracking multiple specs at once, importing custom stat weights, and more. Found a bug? If you think you might have found a bug, just leave a comment here. In addition to a description of the problem, please make sure to include: (1) the language that you use Pawn and WoW in, (2) the specific items that don't work as expected, and (3) your class and spec if you're using the built-in (not custom) stat weights. Screenshots are usually very helpful as well. Incompatible with... Pawn will not work with Titan Panel Artifact Power or Combat Numbers Separator. Those addons change item tooltips and will cause Pawn to give bad advice. It's also been reported that using Pawn with TradeSkillMaster can cause the game to crash or hang. Happy Feast of Winter Veil! Support for Pawn will be limited and available through Facebook only until early January. Comments I've uploaded Pawn 0.5.4. This version doesn't add any new features, but it adds support for a variety of new items. Most notably, haste rating, spell haste rating, and armor penetration stats have been added. (HasteRating, SpellHasteRating, and ArmorPenetration, respectively.) Also, there's the usual set of updates for new items that I release with every new Pawn version. This is a known problem. The easy workaround is "/console reloadui", which will get your unenchanted values back in about two seconds. I haven't been able to track down what's causing it, though it appears to be a Blizzard tooltip bug. Pawn needs to get a lot of tooltip information, and when it does so in rapid succession, WoW eventually stops giving it the information it's looking for. I still hope to investigate further and have a fix in a future version. I'm loving Pawn, but not too long after I log in, the unenchanted values disappear as if the unenchanted setting were off. The only way to get them back is to log out and back in. Has anyone else had this problem? I wanted to post what I had in mind when it comes to Pawn and weapons. This is a screen that I took using a modified version of Jubei AEP. I would continue to use said version, but I don't have the time to properly maintain/rewrite/optimize it: http://members.shaw.ca/cutlery/AEP_weapon.jpg The numbers come almost directly from Shadowpanther.net's scales - where he values each point of DPS and speed for offhand weapons, and each point of 'average damage' for mainhand weapons. I created a new forum for Pawn Scales. As some of you have noticed, the old ones were hopelessly overrun with porn spam. I'm putting up some extra security in this one so as to avoid that from happening again. I check IncGamers once a day or more; Curse... not so much. It's been through a lot of development, and it's been downloaded 13,000 times, so chances are someone else has run into the same questions as you. I hope you enjoy it!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Nike Air Max 97 Off-White Elemental Rose Serena Looking to ace your outfit? These Air Max 97 Off-White Elemental Rose Serena “Queen” sneakers are a must own. Part of Nike and Virgil Abloh’s Serena Williams “Queen” Collection, the Off-White x Nike Air Max 97 celebrates the 50th U.S. Open tournament taking place in Flushing Meadows. Coming in a sleek Elemental Rose, Black, Barely Rose, and White color scheme. This super limited Air Max 97 is also highlighted with a color gradient on the midsole, along with a new Volt zip-tie. Dropping in August of 2018, these are a must own for any Serena Williams fan.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Let say you need Modular Clean Room retractable sky light systems for your home, retractable roof for your bistro, pub or retractable restaurant enclosure, we can give you the best services that meets your goal, that is one thing for sure, you will never be dismay because we keep on moving how to make our clients contented fro So if you don’t want to experience it, you must need to go Libart Enclosure System and you may ask some question about the best retractable roof for the restaurant if you are the true owner, or if you have your pool at your house that place on the area where the sun straightly shine, so it’s time for you to make your decision to make your pool much better and you can do whatever you wanted to do even the sun shining through or the rain falling down. You have no longer to worry if you want to put retractable roofs at the place where it is suited. With our retractable you have the guts to invite your friends to have your gathering to your pool with retractable roof system. Your voices help us to continue from our services and it is the key to go further in this businesses. There are times in life when you feel that you need to get away for a while. At this point, you either Clean Room Equipmentgzcleanroom.com get in your car and drive wherever the road takes you or opt for a cosy and welcoming Guest House Yorkshire that will even offer you the chance to use their Function Room Yorkshire for different events.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Taylor Swift announces next single from 1989 album Taylor Swift has announced the next single from her record-breaking album, 1989. Fan favourite ‘Wildest Dreams’will serve as the fifth single from the chart-topping album, following previous hits ‘Shake It Off’, ‘Blank Space’, ‘Style’ and ‘Bad Blood’. The singer announced the news via her personal Twitter account writing: “Just wanted to let you know that the next single from 1989 will be…….. Wildest Dreams.” Swift is currently on the North American leg of her 1989 tour, which has featured numerous guest stars including her ‘Bad Blood’ music video stars (such as Cara Delevingne), The Weeknd and the US Women’s World Cup winning team. Swift’s music video for ‘Bad Blood’, which featured several famous faces including Delevingne, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, Lena Dunham and Hayley Williams, has been nominated for seven awards at the MTV Video Music Awards.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Attorneys for Google, Apple, Adobe Systems and Intel have appealed a judge's decision to throw out a proposed settlement in Silicon Valley's employee hiring case. Attorneys for Google, Apple, Adobe Systems and Intel have appealed a judge's decision to throw out a proposed settlement in Silicon Valley's employee hiring case. Attorneys for the companies filed a petition Thursday evening with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, appealing Judge Lucy Koh's recent decision to throw out a proposed US$324.5 million settlement. Plaintiffs in the class-action case, Silicon Valley technology workers, accuse executives at the companies of conspiring not to hire each other's workers between 2005 and 2009, which they say suppressed their wages and restricted their mobility. Federal district court Judge Koh rejected the settlement in early August, on the grounds that it was too low given the strength of the evidence -- specifically emails between executives -- that would support a trial. That decision was a "clear error as a matter of law," attorneys wrote in the Thursday filing. "The district court applied a mechanical formula that overrode sensitive judgements of the class's own counsel based on confidential information regarding the serious risks posed by their claims and their chances of success at trial," it said. "The ruling will inflict significant harm on all parties and the class action procedure," it said. A proposed start date for a trial has already been set for Jan. 12. Attorneys for both the defendants and plaintiffs have until Monday to file a joint statement regarding the proposed pretrial and trial dates. If there is a trial, the reputations of several major technology companies could be re=evaluated, particularly if executives like Google executives Larry Page or Eric Schmidt take the witness stand. Google and Intel declined to comment beyond the filing. Apple and Adobe did not immediately respond for comment.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The UC Marketing Capstone Experience July 2017 July 31, 2017 Well time has flown by and its now time to present tomorrow.We had discussion with our client and briefed them about all that we had done and shared the presentation with Drew too. It feels good that the hard work has finally paid where every likes the work we have done. The Capstone project taught us a lot. Here are a few leaning points which I had from this project: Be ready for challenges and roadblocks. The path is not going to be easy. Reaching out to people (experts in the field) for advice and feedback. Well, given that this was a data analytics project we reached to data analytics expert like professors from our college, who gave us feedback and responded to any question we had. I believe this particularly helped us in the project and gave us the right direction. I would advice other people who take up Capstone in the future to keep this in mind and always reach out whenever in doubt. Keep working and remain consistent. Research is very important I believe and the more you read you will more things and get ideas for your project and also if you are stuck somewhere then reading up on it will open new ways. Distilling our final analysis into a detailed format in the final report enables us to cite the report when needed and drive the focus of our final presentation deck squarely on recommendations, rather than data & analysis. It feels great to be so close to wrapping this up and presenting to our client! As far as advice goes: 1) Time goes fast. I think this is a Capstone theme that's been very thoroughly developed by others on this blog, so I'll simply say the reason for that is because it's true and it's critical. 2) Be more assertive than you feel comfortable with. You're busy. Your client is busy. Everybody you need to talk to is busy. So, they'll all have plenty of other things to focus and a variety of reasons to forget about you and your Capstone project if you let them. Don't let them. However, being assertive also sharpens the requirement that you show up completely prepared, with thoroughly thought-out plans and rationale for what you're asking. Remember, they're all busy and Capstone is not their top priority. Always have sharply focused requests, no matter what the request is or who you are asking. Ain't nobody got time to help you figure out what you're trying to ask or trying to do! 3) The project's scope or even its primary goal will probably change. It's natural for that to make you feel frustrated if you let it. So, go ahead and let yourself feel the frustration, express it to let it out, and then make a deliberate choice to let go of it and keep moving. If you focus on adapting and making smart pivots, you'll be OK no matter the size or frequency of changes you encounter. Last, is a take-away that won't be much use in Capstone, but I think will be tremendously valuable as we carve out careers doing work similar to this. Choose projects very carefully.Don't be afraid to turn away clients that seem unable or unwilling to commit the resources you need to do the job well.Before committing to a project, push really hard to understand the client is actually trying to accomplish with the project. Decide whether the key deliverable the client is actually looking for is a good fit with your specific strengths. And, crucially, determine whether the client will work with your assessment of what they are actually trying to accomplish, and is as committed to an excellent project as you are. If not, neither of you will get the kind of experience or outcome that really builds your brand. You will ultimately waste each other's time to some extent or another, which is the most valuable resource any of us has. The world moves too fast, competition is too fierce, and life is too short, to afford that. I believe when giving advice you should never give to much. You should give the guidelines but then it is up to the individual on what they want to make of the information because in reality as a parent/teacher/coach/mentor you can tell people a million different things but it all comes down to that other person's attitude on what they want to make of the situation. So for me that's my advice. You can either decided your going to kick ass on this project or not. Believe in yourself that you are going to get it done and stick to your guidelines. Roll with the punches because that's your journey. Good Luck and remember enjoy that process because the end route to anything is just the end and the process is what makes you, you! First of all, I would summarize this week's work. This week, our team have done a lot of work for our project. We finalized our client's video, sent emails to potential clients, finalized our website, and the presentation. Tomorrow morning at 9:30,we will present our work to our client. We hope our client would satisfied with our work. Definitely we do our best! The report is still on the way due to some editing work. Secondly, I would like give some advice to future Marketing Lucky Students. You will feel so lucky to have Drew Boyd, our director in your whole journey in Marketing study. He is always there to help you out! Also, I want to tell you that the Capstone will definitely change you a lot in many ways: your thinking, your behavior, the way you speak, the way you do things. When I talk to my friends, they admired at me because I could have a "Class" to learn how to get in touch with real clients in real world. It is something that you can not learn from classroom study, it is a real world learning in your life that you will not forget. It is also something that you transfer from what you have learned in class to what you could provide in real project. Last but not least, I would give you three advice. Contact your Client more frequently than you need. I would suggest that you and your team should call and meet your client many times during the process of the project. You need to know what your client think and what they want to change in any time so that you could have an updated information from your client. You never want to miss out. Work Closely with your teammate, it doesn't matter whoever you work with, you should trust them all the time. If you are an international student, do not be afraid to discuss and give an advice to your client and teammate. You are an important element in your team as well. Do not step out from your teammate, they love to work with you! If you are domestic student working with international student, I believe that you could work with them well, sometimes if they do not discuss with the team is because they need time to think about things, give them enough time, they would surprise you! Be a little bit patient to listen to what their ideas are. Work Hard but in an efficient way. Know what you need to do whatever step you are standing. Write down things that are valuable to your project, not everything. You need to think the overall situation, not just a small part. Do and Choose the best way to your client. You will be surprised when you finished your project! You are smarter than you think!!!! Believed in yourself! July 30, 2017 On Being Single – Advice for Myself at the Beginning of The Capstone Experience No, I am not here to give you relationship advice – at least not in the romantic sense. Instead, as I look back on my capstone journey I reflect on the opportunity for personal growth that I chose to take out of the experience. My advice? Before you begin your project, step back and assess the resources you have available. No, I don’t mean the number of Post-its you own (although I do love Post-its). Instead, take a moment from the rush of the day. Sit down and take time to assess yourself and your network: What are your current strengths? On which tasks do you have to work harder than others? Are there any skills you know you want to refine? What are your biggest fears? What patterns have you demonstrated in previous projects that you want to kill or embrace? What about the task at hand looks the most challenging? You, just like any other business asset have limits and strengths. Why not be honest with yourself and embrace what you bring to the table with self-transparency? Embrace the nuances that make you, you. Forgive yourself when it is something you anticipate struggling with. Instead, embrace you own quirks. Then, pull in a self-built team of individuals and resources to fill in those voids. Doing so will allow you to move forward strategically. Next, whether you are or are not on a team, take a moment to assess what people you know bring to the table. How can you find outside resources to fill in the gaps between where you are and where you need to be to get the job done? Your team does not have to just be your peers. If you work independently, it is important to build out a purposeful team along the way. Your team members already include Professor Boyd and your peers. However, you can build it out with industry experts, future mentorships, or other researchers. As the Capstone experience closes, I am thinking forward towards future projects. For the next one, I will start with a mind map featuring myself at the core surrounded by individuals and topics of study – a glance at the expanded knowledge network that goes far beyond what one individual can provide. Taking the time to build this visual will remind myself how to strategically plan when to step away from my own rumination and gain a new perspective. If you are hard on yourself like I am, planning how to be the best, single individual and strategically ask for help will be a great skill, and one I look forward to continuing to build beyond this project. Like many of my classmates have noted, there are some words of advice to help you through Capstone. However, make no mistake, it will push you, make life hard for the time being, and become so overwhelming at times, you will wonder if it will ever end. Anyways, here is my advice to you to hopefully make your journey a little easier: Time You only have so much time for Capstone. For my partner and I, the 13 weeks of the summer semester was really about 8 once we got start after the initial client meeting. Do everything you can to remain ahead of the schedule you set in the charter. Be prepared to not follow it exactly, because it's really just a road-map to guide your project. Make sure to always use your time wisely. This includes meetings and work sessions. Know yourself and the ways you can be the most productive. One way to be in full alignment with your partner and client is to meet frequently. My preference would be at least weekly with your client, and two times with your partner. As you get busier, meeting more than twice a week with you partner would be very wise. Client Understanding/Relationship Just as Drew will instruct you in the very first class about addressing difficult client situations and establishing the need to have clear conversations, be sure to actually do that! Clients can make or break the experience. While it was difficult, sometimes you still have to remember that they're investing their time and money in you, so they expect results. Be open to listening to what they have to stay, but try to still wear your 'consultant' hat. They may not necessarily like or agree with what you say or suggest, but as a consultant, you owe them your objective opinion. I didn't say honest because your opinions must still be rooted in strategy and research. As long as you have that, you can feel justified in your recommendations for your client. Confidence This is probably the biggest part of Capstone I struggled with. Although you don't know everything, you've learned so much through the MS curriculum. Be confident in the work you're doing, because you've done it all before in one way or another. You must rely back on your knowledge to succeed. Especially marketing strategy! Own the work you're doing and don't be afraid show that you know what you're talking about (of course in a non-cocky way). I am still to this day trying to work on that, especially with our final presentation coming up Wednesday. Clients can be intimidating in some ways, but it still holds true they need help, or else it wouldn't be a Capstone project. Positivity Although much of Capstone is ever evolving, something you can do throughout that remains constant is to keep a positive mind. Psyching yourself out too much will only cause more stress. Keep the light at the end of the tunnel in the back of your mind, always. Remember that you cannot foresee everything that might occur or accomplish it all! Stay in scope and you will be successful, as long you put in the work! I wanted to take one final moment to thank my partner for everything!! Without her, I don't know if we would have been made it through. Good luck! It will come and go before you know it. I had anticipated from reading prior students' blog posts at the beginning of the semester that this experience would be something of a whirlwind - and let's just say I was not let down. I had a rare opportunity this summer to devote my full attention to Capstone, without working or taking other classes, and somehow all of my time still didn't feel like enough. Probably one of the biggest challenges in Capstone is dealing with doubt. The intentional ambiguity surrounding this particular course will inevitably lead you to doubt yourself, your abilities, and your likelihood to succeed. I wish I could tell you that those feelings have subsided for me as I enter the last week of the project, but that wouldn't be entirely true. What I can offer are some pieces of advice, which are as follows: Write everything down: My partner and I kept very detailed notes during each meeting we had with our client and actually typed them into a shared document to use as a reference tool. This was an invaluable resource for us as time progressed and we found ourselves struggling with particular elements of the research and strategy. Don't wait around: One of the biggest mistakes you can make in the Capstone project is to wait for anything to happen. For instance, waiting on a particular action by your client to move on to the next step of your project can result in lost time that you simply don't have to spare. For us, this meant arranging our own research interviews with non-clients so that we didn't have to wait until the last few weeks of the project to gather useful market insights. In other words, when there are parts of the project that fall outside your control, get control back by making inroads where you can. Stick to a schedule: My classmates who have worked with a partner on the Capstone project will all probably say the same thing: meet regularly! A minimum of two meetings per week kept my partner and I on the same page and jointly accountable to the project timeline. We also had weekly check-in meetings with our client - my advice here would be to choose a frequency that works for you. In some cases I felt the weekly check-in may have interfered with the progress of certain activities by adding new ones and forcing us to reprioritize, but there is no doubt that keeping your client informed is key to the success of the project. Learn when and how to say 'no': Remember that your client has not read the field book and may not fully understand the structure or nature of the project from that perspective. Most importantly, they probably don't completely realize the amount of work you are doing behind the scenes. For that reason, you may find yourself fielding unrelated and "out of scope" requests for deliverables that you'll need to manage in addition to the course requirements. Learning how to keep your client happy without allowing them to treat you like an intern can be a tricky situation. Drew can be of help to you in this area, too. Breathe!: Some of the best clarity and confidence I found in working on this project was when I decided to take a step back - or a night off - and decide not to be so hard on myself. You may feel like you want to give up a hundred times during your Capstone project, but keeping your anxiety in check and your feet moving can go a long way. Get Help: My last piece of advice would be to ask for help when you need it - and ask sooner rather than later. Chances are, the issue you're having isn't a new one, and calling Drew or meeting with him to get feedback on your project (outside of the project reviews) can be life-saving. In giving advice to future students in Capstone, everyone always says time. At this point that's a given. You will wish you had more time, and you will get to the end and be scrambling to finish everything and feel confident about it. Everyone will tell you this, and if they say time wasn't an issue, they're lying. I would like to focus on different aspects, things that I don't think you'll hear, or hear enough. You will think you have an idea going into your project what you're going to need to do. Chances are this will change on a regular basis. It means you'll feel like you've wasted time at certain points, and this will get frustrating. Learn to roll with it. Find a Subject Matter Expert or two along the way. You will likely have odd, nit-picky questions as your project progresses, and having an SME helps answer those. If this is their field, they are likely passionate about it and will want to be helpful. Make your presentation look professional and visually appealing. It doesn't need to be flashy, but it should reflect the effort you put into the project as a whole. Ask Drew and Dianne questions when you have them. They're here to help. Getting answers from both of them will be invaluable, as they see different aspects of the problem and see different solutions. If you have issues with fixedness, talking to both of them will guarantee getting past that. Don't second guess yourself, and don't underestimate your brilliance. That last bit has been the biggest challenge for me. As you future students aren't likely to have Drew himself as your client, this may be less of a challenge for you. My partner and I finished our client presentation and turned in our final report, all in the same day. It felt, exhilarating and climatic. Its hard to believe that our capstone course is finally complete. We had wonderful clients that we hope we keep in touch with or even work with in the future. Ive figured out three key things a student consultant must do in order to have the most successful capstone project possible: Follow that fieldbook. The one thing we forgot to do on a regular basis is check the fieldbook -- something that we continued to refer to as we were formulating our report and presentation those last 2 weeks. If we had refer to it weekly thoroughout the project, we would have saved ourselves a lot of panic attacks! Choose your partner wisely! If you have the option to select a partner -- do so wisely. I had worked with my capstone partner in the past and was a friend of mine. It ended up working out wonderfully. Seeing someone 2-3 times a week makes it a lot more enjoyable when you actually like the person. Try to meet with your client regularly. My partner and I asked to meet with our clients (usually virtually) every week. We caught them up on all our research and progress every week. THis made our final presentation really comfortable and conversational. They knew they work that we had done throughout the past three months and our final report was a culmination of that. As for things you don't have in your control -- client wise that is, may I urge you to keep the lines of communications open and flowing. It pays off in dividends in the end. July 29, 2017 This week our team will be submitting the final presentation to our client. Overall the project has taught me too much about how a licensing industry works. With the collaboration, me and my team member also have learnt a lot from each other. We could also see how a project can get diversified to so many field while analyzing factors, thus it was so important to set boundaries correctly at the very start of the project. I realize how important the Charter wasThis week our team will be submitting the final presentation to our client. Overall the project has taught me too much about how a licensing industry works. With the collaboration, me and my team member also have learnt a lot from each other. We could also see how a project can get diversified to so many field while analyzing factors, thus it was so important to set boundaries correctly at the very start of the project. I realize how important the Charter was 1) Always keep looking at where you want your project to go. WE read so many research reports that it was easier to get bogged down with the amount and no. of high tech research done. We read their work, set it aside and determined how we want to develop our project. So always keep a track on where your project is going. 2) Set aside a time to work on your project daily. This way you would always be on schedule. 3) Involve the client as much as you can. Just like we had taken their feedbacks and suggestions on our questionnaire as well.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Paparazzi agency wants Ledger drug lawsuit dismissed Published: Friday, June 20, 2008, 16:13 [IST] Subscribe to Oneindia News Washington, June 20 : A paparazzi agency, accused of deliberately giving cocaine to late actor Health Ledger, and then secretly taping him at a SAG party in 2006, wants the lawsuit filed against them to be dismissed. The attorneys for Splash News are asking to dismiss the filed by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, as there is not enough evidence to support some of her allegations, while other claims weren't filed before the statute of limitations expired, reports E! Online The plaintiff claims that she was also caught on the tape, which was shot in her hotel room without her consent, and is seeking damages for fraud, intrusion, infliction of emotional distress and privacy violations. However, Splash lawyers claim that her face was "blurred out" in the footage and therefore her privacy has not been violated. They said that other parts of her claim are false because she "has improperly attempted to assert the rights of a dead celebrity within her complaint." The agency lawyers have also filed papers requesting removal of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John P. Shook, on the grounds he is prejudiced against the agency. The lawsuit states that, one of the photogs "gave Ledger a package of cocaine. Mr. Ledger also had some of his own. The cocaine was put on the table [in a hotel room reserved by the plaintiff], and the men began snorting cocaine." Ledger did not know that the second Splash photographer was "outside our hotel room, on the balcony, hidden, shooting video footage of everyone in the room," the suit continues. When he did discover he was being taped, Ledger got angry and he was promised the tape would be destroyed, the suit says.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Garry Paskwietz (1:33 AM) Hello everyone, welcome to the chat. Let's get started. Adam (New York) With so Much Speculation about either Del Rio or Sarkisian Being the Top Candidates for Pat Haden. What about some one outside the box like a Norv Turner or who has ties to USC dating back to the 70s or a Dennis Thurman Garry Paskwietz (1:36 AM) I wouldn't rule out anybody at this point, no matter the speculation. Just because the media is talking certain names it doesn't mean Pat Haden is thinking along the same lines. With that being said, it would surprise me to see either Turner or Thurman in the mix. I think head coaching experience is something that will be on Haden's checklist, which rules out Thurman if true. As far as Turner, with all due respect, I just don't see his resume right now as one that would result in being the next USC head coach. Trojanproud (Yucaipa) It looks like are very thin at WR. Can you give an assessment of who is healthy and ready to go by next game? Darius Rodgers? Garry Paskwietz (1:38 AM) Yes, thin is a good word to use. Flournoy, Rogers and Lee all missed practice today. Orgeron said all three could play against Arizona but he just didn't know at this point. Definitely a situation to watch. Amir (Sherman Oaks) Garry, I am a fan of A. Woods, but it seems like he now rarely plays. What is up with that? Garry Paskwietz (1:39 AM) The biggest reason is that the Trojans have faced a lot of spread teams, which means a lot of nickel packages. In that formation, Woods comes out and an extra DB comes in. When the Trojans face teams that run a traditional offense, such as Boston College a few games ago, look for Woods to play more. Trojanproud (Yucaipa) Hi Garry! It was strongly rumored that the boosters had a large part in persuading Haden to fire Lane Kiffin. If that's true, wouldn't it follow that the boosters and BOT would would now be more inclined to go after the ncaa in some fashion? And what is your take on whether it is reasonable to think that we could get to McNair first and convince him ($$$) to cooperate with SC? Thanks! Garry Paskwietz (1:42 AM) Boosters had been complaining to Haden for a long time, I don't think it had as much of a direct impact on the final decision as you would think. Haden talked about that on Sunday at the press conference, he said you listen to what people have to say but the decision is one you have to make on your own for what you think is the best interest of the university. The McNair case is completely separate from USC and I don't see that changing. Rob (Santa Clara, CA) Hi Garry, Do you think the defense's performance against ASU was an anomaly? Certainly, if this trend continues and if the offense isn't jump-started by Helton, we are looking at a long season short on wins. Garry Paskwietz (1:44 AM) I don't know but it sure was surprising to see the defense play that way. It all started up front with the losing the line of scrimmage, it will be interesting to see what kind of changes, if any, will come into play with Orgeron in charge now. I really didn't expect to see that against ASU. MJ (Davis, CA) Hi Gary, do you think the ASU game exposed our DBs or was the QB that good? Garry Paskwietz (1:45 AM) I kind of referenced this in the previous question. I think the ASU QB is good but not that good. There were problems for SC on the d-line and is pass coverage, that's for sure. I think the one guy who was just better on that night was the receiver Jaelen Strong. The Trojans didn't have an answer for him. Gregory (From the OC) Garry, With Coach as head coach, USC has 6 offensive assistants, and only 3 defensive assistants ... Including Coach O as DL coach and head coach. Do you see any coaching realignment or an additional defensive coach added to the staff? Garry Paskwietz (1:47 AM) Orgeron has the ability to add a coach to the staff but he hasn't given any indication which way he might be leaning. I definitely think he could warrant bringing in someone on the defensive side of the ball. Davis (Boston) a lot of people seem to be ok with the way Lane Kiffin was fired. If this were any other coach not named Kiffin do you think the reaction would be the same? Garry Paskwietz (1:50 AM) I think it depends on which version of the story you heard. There was one version that had Kiffin stranded on the tarmac with no ride home. That one simply wasn't true. Lane was asked to get off the team bus, that part is true, but then he was taken into a private room at the airport terminal for the talk with Haden. It wasn't a way you hear about a person getting fired every day but the stranded version that was put out there early made it sound a lot worse than it was. Jay (Los Angeles) Hi Garry, if you will become athletic director at USC tomorrow, President Max Nikias asks you to call coach candidates to interview the head coach position. The first candidate you will call is.... Garry Paskwietz (1:50 AM) Jack Del Rio. Jay (Los Angeles) What do you think of Chris Petersen as head coach if he is "looking for change"? I really admire him cuz he may use those 2- or 3-star athletes to beat the big boy schools (ask Sooners and Bull Dogs). Garry Paskwietz (1:52 AM) I have a lot of respect for Peterson and what he has done at Boise State. He has signed several players who I watched in high school and liked as simply "football players". With that being said, I would have others on a wish list ahead of him. Sam (Glendale) Are you still confident with the 5-2 defense since last Saturday? What happened to the DL on that game? I am shocked to see the team has "0" sack against ASU QB. Garry Paskwietz (1:57 AM) Not as confident as I was going into the game, to be honest. I simply didn't expect to see that happen to the SC defense by the Sun Devils offense. They gave the blueprint to other schools with attacking the middle of the field but the huge surprise was the way they physically handled the SC d-line. That was unexpected. Gregory (From the OC) What is the status of the LA & NY Times appeal to have access to the Todd McNair evidence? Can USC still sue the NCAA, or has too much time lapsed? Garry Paskwietz (1:59 AM) I haven't heard any update on the newspaper appeals. As far as an SC lawsuit, there is no time frame to file a lawsuit but you have to think with only a year left in the sanctions that there isn't an appetite from the SC administration to do anything at this point. They have tried 3 appeals and got no relief, at this point they just want to get it over with and move on, Carl (San Jose) Why not Hue Jackson as the next coach? He is offensive minded and has the personality that would relate to the young players. Didn't he also coach for USC? Garry Paskwietz (2:02 AM) Yes, Hue spent time on the SC staff in the late 90's. He has carved out a nice coaching career in the NFL but I haven't heard his name mentioned before now in connection with the SC job. I'm just not sure if he has the overall credentials to be a prime candidate. Mike (Sacramento,CA) Are there going to be any recruits that get re-evaluated (offers/recruited) now that Kiffin is gone a la Dwight Williams? Or will we go after those that we once on Joe Mixon that eliminated us in the future? I believe that O is going to bring in some recruits that Kiffin wouldn't have been able to simply because of his likability and respect in the recruiting world. Thank you very much for the time, energy and effort you put into these chats as well sir. I look forward to reading these every week. Garry Paskwietz (2:06 AM) It does sound like Williams will be getting a fresh look as the coaches have apparently been impressed with his senior film. It wouldn't surprise me if Naijel Hale from Bosco gets another look too. I agree that SC could be in the mix for guys who had already started looking in other directions because of the Orgeron factor. Thanks for the kind words about the chats. RC (Los Angeles) There are big names out there to replace Kiffen long-term. But, if Coach O clicks with his players and works well with Clay on Offense and Clancy on Defense during these last 8 games and win at least 6 - with wins against UCLA and Notre Dame, do you think he is worth keeping around as the official head coach for next year (remove "interim" tag)? Thank you. Garry Paskwietz (2:06 AM) Yes Brian (Culver City) Who is the best high school player you have ever seen? Garry Paskwietz (2:08 AM) Matt Grootegoed. MJ (Davis, CA) Are you happy about the practices reopening? Garry Paskwietz (2:11 AM) It was very nice to be back at practice today. Henry (Los Angeles) Hey Garry, Can you speak to how well Robert Wood's transition to the NFL has been now that we are a 1/4 into his rookie season? Garry Paskwietz (2:13 AM) Robert is doing well. The Bills have four receivers with double digit catches and he is one of them. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he's going to have a nice career in the league. Max (PDX) Any update on Marqis Lee? Garry Paskwietz (2:13 AM) Knee sprain, Orgeron called him day-to-day. He did not practice today. HLH (Menlo Park) Your candid thoughts on where USC stands with existing commitments? Garry Paskwietz (2:15 AM) I think D.J. Calhoun will be one to watch. He committed recently and it was thought his good friend and teammate Adarius Pickett would follow. Then Pickett ended up committing to UCLA after SC wouldn't trip him during the season. Calhoun is now saying he will take visits although he is not calling himself a decommit. Toa Lobendahn is also saying he might look around but I see him sticking with the Trojans, especially if Kennedy Polamalu finds his way back onto the staff. Alex J (Bismarck ND) Hi Gary, How would you gauge the feeling of potential recruits regarding the coaching situation.? Are most of the recruits (Jackson, JuJu, Quick) willing to wait to see who the next coach is going to be? Also, does the firing of Kiffen affect Joe Mixon's mind on the Trojans? Garry Paskwietz (2:18 AM) Blair Angulo and Erik McKinney talked to a lot of recruits in the days after Kiffin was let go and it was overwhelming in terms of the recruits phrasing this in a positive way about how they view SC. I think the vast majority will want to see how this plays out, either with Orgeron or another coach. Mixon made a comment about how he hadn't heard from SC, it's unclear where he would stand after earlier comments from him over the summer that he had eliminated the Trojans. Kevin (Thousand Oaks, CA) I know we'll be conducting our coaching search privately, but what is the date that we can be public about our choices? Recruits will be looking else where until we have a short list of candidates. Also, is Orgeron going to be recruiting over the bye week? If so, any idea where he'll be spending his time? One last thing. In and effort to make things "fun again", is there a chance that Orgeron will open practices to the public? Thanks Garry. Garry Paskwietz (2:21 AM) I doubt there will be much public info until a coach is named. There is no deadline although I think Haden would like to balance the thought of giving Orgeron a legit shot with the benefit of naming a new coach as soon as possible to give a firm name to recruits. The Trojans will be out recruiting this week, the only confirmed destination we've heard so far is Tee Martin at the St John Bosco game vs Crenshaw. We've been told that SC is going through compliance in an effort to allow the public at practice in the baseball area. RC (Los Angeles) How is Coach Clay H as a playcaller? Should he open the field even more for the other receivers and tight ends or should he continue to pound the ball with Davis and Madden? What suits best for USC at this point? Thank you and Fight On! Garry Paskwietz (2:27 AM) Helton called a lot of plays during spring ball scrimmages and the offense looked good. He talked today about the mandate from Orgeron being to run the ball and utilize play action passing. He also stressed that Orgeron wants to spread the ball around using all the SC weapons. Hank (Los Angeles) Garry, if JDR is named the new head coach, what is philosophy on offense? Because we could definitely use some of whatever Peyton is having. Garry Paskwietz (2:29 AM) If Del Rio were to come there would be a good chance that Kennedy Polamalu would be his offensive coordinator. If that were to happen, Polamalu would definitely want to run the football in a physical style as a major part of the offense. Danny (Hawaii) Aloha Garry,Do you think USC has the funds to get a coach like Mike Holmgren.He went to USC, Has ties to the NFL, which all recruits look for in a college coach, know how to run an offense, and is currently unemployed. Please give me your thoughtsMahaloDanny Garry Paskwietz (2:30 AM) Aloha. I don't think money is going to be an issue for the right coach. To be honest, I doubt that it's Holmgren, even though his credentials are to be respected. Mahalo. Ronald (Torrance) Why is USC so dead set on starting a statue at QB? I'm not saying we need a dual threat qb but with football this day and age a qb has to be able to move: Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Russel Wilson, and Manzel (2013 version). Thoughts? Garry Paskwietz (2:31 AM) Kessler is very good at throwing on the run, don't be surprised if you see him do that more under Helton. Mike (Pasadena) You know that no matter who you pick it may or may not work! How do you increase your chances of it working? Garry Paskwietz (2:33 AM) Great question and I'm sure Pat Haden would love to know the answer. I think you increase your chances by knowing what you're looking for, to find somebody who fits your school and who can bring in the kind of players you want as student-athletes. Mike (Sacramento,CA) In your opinion, do you believe that our current coaching change will change our product on the field and recruiting allowing Coach O to land some major recruits that were once not likely or do you think recruits are just going to wait and see who Haden hires before they decide and do you think it will be too late by that time? Sorry for so many questions. Garry Paskwietz (2:35 AM) I do think the team is going to play a more inspired brand of football with the energy coming from Coach O. Teams tend to take on the personality of their head coach and I think that was part of the inconsistency under Kiffin. Today was only one practice but you could just feel the increased energy from the players, I definitely think that translates into games in a positive way. Ricky (Pasadena) With LK gone, does this mean David Sills scholarship is still on the table? Garry Paskwietz (2:36 AM) Haven't heard anything on that yet. Will be interesting to see. Henry (Los Angeles) What were local highschool coaches opinions about LK? Garry Paskwietz (2:38 AM) We noticed a difference this past off-season where the momentum among area coaches was starting to shift across town, in large part because the connection just wasn't as strong with Kiffin and the HS coaches. You can expect that to change in quick fashion with Coach O. Heathcliff (Pasadena) I recently heard on several radio interviews that big money donors are looking to move past the "student body left/right" of yesteryear. Any truth to that and what are your thoughts? Garry Paskwietz (2:40 AM) I don't doubt that there are people out there who want to move to a spread-type offense but I've never really heard that as a major issue with any of the people that I would consider big time donors. huntingtonharvey (Orange County) Now that injuries will be reported. Can you update us on the status of some of the key players on "IR" esp. D. Rogers, Marquis Lee, and S. Redd? Garry Paskwietz (2:43 AM) Redd said today that he is healthy and that he will play against Arizona. Again, this is Redd talking, not the coaches or trainers. He went through limited drills today. Orgeron said Rogers and Lee are both day-to-day type situations and he is hopeful they will play against Arizona. Breslin sat out practice with a hip issue. Graf also didn't practice, he said he was banged up but will be back. ed low (placentia calif) Hi Gary, just wondering if Ed Orgeron would be strongly considered for the HC job?? If the teams does well in the next 8 games..how can you look elsewhere?? Also, how would the alumni feel about him getting the job?? Thanks Garry Paskwietz (2:45 AM) I do think he will get strong consideration, especially if the team does good things with him in charge. If that happens, I think the alumni will grow more and more comfortable with the thought of him as the full time guy. Garry Paskwietz (2:46 AM) Thanks everyone, that's all the time we have for today. Sorry for the tech issues earlier. See you all next week.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Walk - Pendennis Point to Maenporth Beach 3.4 miles (5.5 km) Easy - Downhill from the view point at Pendennis point. Across the flat seafront of Gyllyngvase beach around two headlands of Swanpool and Pennance points to Maenporth beach. This walk can be done either way affording views south to the Lizard or East towards Plymouth. From Pendennis Point you can see up the river Fal and across to the Roseland peninsula. This walk includes three beaches separated by small headlands - ideal for easing into the beauty of Cornwall. Use the walk (or part of it) to visit the beaches at Gyllyngvase, Swanpool or Maenporth. There are a range of wonderful places to lay your head near the Coast Path for a well-earned sleep. From large and luxurious hotels, to small and personable B&B's, as well as self-catering options and campsites. The businesses that support the Path, where you've chosen to visit, are listed here. What is on your list of things to do when you visit the Path? From walking companies, to help you tailor your visit, with itineraries and experts to enhance your visit, to baggage transfer companies and visitor attractions there are lots to people and places to help you decide what you'd like to do. The businesses that support the Path, where you've chosen to visit, are listed here. Interactive Elevation Route Description Start from Pendennis Point Car Park. From this prominent position there is so much to see. If one stands with ones back to the coastguard station and Pendennis Castle immediately left is the stretch of water called the Carrick Roads which is the the River Fal and the Truro River which branch off each other. Looking across to St Mawes the stretch of water between it and St Anthony Head is the mouth of the Percuil River. The source of the Percuil is in fact closer to Nare Head and only 300 metres from the sea but because of the tilt of the land of the Roseland peninsula the river takes the tortuous six mile route out past St Mawes instead of heading for the much closer Gerrans Bay. To defend against possible invasions by the Spanish and the French, Pendennis and St Mawes Castles were built between 1540 and 1545 by order of Henry VIII. During the Civil War the Royalists surrendered St Mawes Castle to the Parliamentarian forces without a shot whereas there was a five month siege of Pendennis where the future King Charles II and Queen Henrietta Marie managed to escape. From Pendennis Point looking westwards one can see the beaches of Swanpool and Maenporth, which are the destinations along this walk. Further down the coast is Rosemullion Head, which masks the mouth of the Helford River. Dennis Point is also visible, the site of an Iron Age fort and where the Royalists made a brave stance before falling to the Parliamentarians at the end of the Civil War in 1646. With binoculars one can also make out the Coastguard Watch building at Nare Point. Here, during World War II Ealing Studios built a film set that would act as a decoy at night when it was lit up because it was made to resemble Falmouth docks and the train depot. This was achieved with the aid of red and green coloured stop and go lights which would be visible from the cockpit of an incoming German bomber. This remotely controlled film set would also mimic the shafts of light emanating from an opening door and a poorly draped window. Explosions would also be set off to imitate trains being hit. This encouraged the Germans to drop their bombs on the false Falmouth docks. A similar film set was set up on Nare Head on the Roseland peninsula. In the 1950s Nare Point was the site of torpedo trials for the Navy at Culdrose Naval Airbase. The furthest one can see looking West is the East of the Lizard with Porthallow beach (‘Pralla to the locals) and the Manacles Rocks. Manacles or Maen Eglos in Cornish means church rocks with reference to St Keverne’s Church where many of the drowned sailors were buried. One can see the spire of the church on a clear day from Pendennis Point. Many ships have foundered on the rocks and become wrecks including the more famous Mohegan in 1898, the Primrose in 1809 and the John in 1855 where 106, 125 and 193 people respectively lost their lives. Bad seamanship has often been the cause of such wrecks, but bad weather has also been a major factor. Head down hill towards Gyllyngvase Beach. Keeping to the pavement on the right. Just past the motorcycle monument there are elm trees just behind the fence. In summer the leaves are jagged and pointy and one half is shorter than the other. The bark is extremely rutted and looks very old. Elm trees used to be plentiful in the UK and the Southwest fared better than many other areas with a total of 25 million Elms dying in the UK through a disease spread via beetles. Cross the road and walk along the seafront. It’s flat for a mile or so. A seasonal café is opposite the Falmouth Hotel. Telescopes ranging from 20p to £1 for 10x vision are along the seafront. Opposite the steps up to the Princes Pavilion walk under a tiny building with steps that lead down from pavement level towards the beach below. This is believed to be one of two things. Either a bathing house or a chapel for the old Gyllyngvase house that no longer exists. Gyllyngvase Beach accommodates an award winning beach restaurant. The rock pooling here (and at Maenporth Beach) is good when the tide is out and the sandy beach gets very busy when the weather turns warm. A bit of beach volleyball can be encountered whilst exponents of Tai Chi, painters and those just out for a promenade all give this beach a somewhat bohemian atmosphere. Follow the beach around Swanpool point to Swanpool Beach. There is another beach café and a venue Elementaluk that helps you experience a wide variety of water based activities under expert instruction. The beach is stonier but sufficient parking and a regular bus route to Falmouth and Maenporth makes it a destination in itself. There is a nature reserve at Swanpool, which is an important brackish lagoon cut off from the sea. It hosts one protected species, the Trembling Sea Mat which is a rare, primitive animal group made up of tiny sea creatures 1-2mm in size. Resident swans and a variety of duck species populate this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). At Swanvale, just behind the lagoon, in the last enemy air raid of World War II a large fuel depot was blown up, the oil destined for use in the D-Day landings. The torrent of oil that emanated from the enormous fuel tank threatened a group of houses and one American Navy officer diverted the flow with a bulldozer. He was awarded the British Empire Medal. After the Three Mackerel Restaurant there is a sign to take the coast path left. Follow the path past a cliff top house and carry on uphill. One can take a small diversion on encountering a stile after the fence of the house. This takes you down to the rocks with panoramic views over to St Mawes and the Roseland. It is a pleasant diversion for a picnic. Follow the path past the war memorial that celebrates the work of the Home Guard. It is a gentle descent to Maenporth beach. At the back of the cove there is a lane named Fine and Brave Lane reputedly named after the women of Mawnan who descended the lane to repel a French invasion. Wearing red petticoats the French thought that they were an army of redcoats and decided to sail away without an encounter. Underneath the cliff, which one descends into Maenporth, is the wreck of the Ben Asdale, an Aberdeen trawler caught up in a blizzard in 1978. At low tide the hull is still visible. A beach café Life’s a Beach is a welcome sight at the end of the walk. The bus stop is on the road just outside The Cove Restaurant. Public transport First Group Bus service. Number 400 from Truro via Falmouth to Maenporth Beach. Five times a day (more in the holidays) restricted service on Sunday. Phone 0845 600 1420. Go to Firstgroup website and input bus service 400 at the bottom of the page. For timetable information, zoom in on the interactive map and click on the bus stops, visit Traveline or phone 0871 200 22 33.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
My Magic removals Moving home, office or something big from local store can be difficult and stressful task. With many years of experience we can solve all these for you. Recognized as one of the leading companies My Magic Removals will work 24/7 for you. Whatever your needs are moving to London or moving from London we have different vans sizes to offer the fastest and most secure transport.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Podcamp Toronto is better than most library conferences because: A lot of what podcasters and social media artists do relates very well to librarianship. As a librarian, I felt I had a unique perspective to share in the discussions about social media marketing and podcasting. Unlike librarians, social media marketers want to connect to as many people as they possibly can – not just their friends and colleagues. The #PCTO2010 crowd was very friendly and supportive. They wanted to help newbies learn and share tips with their colleagues. Podcasters and Marketers are very curious about librarians. They know we are very crappy marketers of extremely valuable and useful services. Podcamp Toronto was better than Podcamp Halifax for a few common sense reasons: They were much better at filming / streaming etc. of the presentations – (because they are bigger). They were better at securing sponsorship (at the Saturday party, an elephant could have got very drunk without paying so much as a cent). There were just that many more connections, more excellent presenters, more diverse questions etc. No one had to justify their social media presence. It was a given that social media is important and valuable and Podcampers were going to reap the benefits of their diving in to this space early. There were more podcaster presentations. The one I went to by John Meadows about editing interview content was fantastic. (I’m not really a podcaster, but he made me want to become one). Podcamp Halifax was Better at: I like that we have a keynote – it goes a little against the ‘everyone’s a rockstar’ idea, but it does offer a little break between the sessions that everyone can comment on. Many of the things the organizers were worried about (markers, water, printing capabilities, computers etc) were things I didn’t even bat an eyelash about because the library already had it all. We were more newbie-friendly. Our battledecks session rocked the socks off everyone. (That said, the #PCTO2010 battledecks session, was great as an opportunity for a newbie presenter to develop their skills). There were some similarities as well: It is harder at a Podcamp to get a conversation going in sessions than it is at other unconferences I’ve experienced. I think this partly has to do with the fact that the ‘marketplace’ is set before the event. When you put more time into establishing the marketplace and explaining such things as the law of two feet, I think it opens the door more to true unconference ‘OMG-the-audience-just-overtook-my-presentation’ effects. The average caliber of presentations was about the same. Toronto had more outliers (both bad and good), but in general, there was at least one good presentation for everyone. This was a great place to meet all those podcasters that you’ve never met and wish you had. I also have some suggestions for both Podcamps: Arrange rooms for circulation. Make sure that people can get in and out of rooms reasonably easily without disturbing others. (I got caught in a room that I wanted to leave really fast, but couldn’t because of the way the room was set up). There’s got to be a way to enable impromptu sessions. I haven’t figured it out myself, but it would be so helpful. It’d be nice if there was a way for everyone to get beyond promoting their business/brand at Podcamp. I realize that it’s all part of the game, but it can’t be just a dream. I’d like to get more people ‘from away’ to Podcamp Halifax. We had a good mix in the first one and that made for some really great learning for the more experienced podcampers. This year seemed a little more like a ‘newbies learn from experienced folks’ camp. Schedule by Plain Old Wiki would have worked better for me as a potential presenter. After PCTO2010, I’m not convinced a two-day podcamp is better. Many many fewer people there on Sunday than there were on Saturday. A lot of great presentations were missed by the people who partied just a bit too hard the night before. In general, I feel really refreshed. I think I’ve learned a heck of alot about social media, podcasting and making Podcamp Halifax better. I met a whole bunch of great people. I have a nice stack of business cards so I can keep in touch and I paid alot less than if I went to a traditional conference. 2 thoughts on “Podcamp Toronto 2010 – My Recap” I agree, scheduling by wiki works much better. Last year we were still using the wiki and we did have spontaneous sessions pop up, especially on the Sunday. Part of that was because people could just throw a session onto the wiki and it was so. Some ran last year that I didn’t even hear about until a week later. Which I think is kind of cool. I usually like to throw in a general “campfire” session where everyone sits around and talks about what’s next. Alas, I was too booked up with organizing duties this year. I do think people are still too focussed on being talking heads at the front of the room. One idea I have been mulling over–perhaps we do a few smaller true unconference sessions during the year with a limited number of people so that we can infect the community with a little more of the unconference culture. My dream is to take advantage of the smaller crowd on the Sunday and “unconference” at least part of it, even if the rest becomes something else as we grow bigger. I agree, Librarians could greatly benefit from an event like this. It is a way of getting a broader understanding of some of the areas we are concerned with, connecting with people in a low-pressure way without having to sell our services, and hearing about existing gaps and opportunities we might fill. I do think it is a shame that we (as an industry) don’t take advantage of the weekend the way the Communications, Public Relations and Marketing industries have. From the Librarian’s POV, Ryan, something that I really like about what you do with PodCampHfx is demonstrate that there is a place for librarians and librarianship outside of the regular round of LIS conferences. Frankly, I think more librarians should attend conferences that are not themed exclusively for their profession so that new ideas and new people can constantly invigorate what we do. And of course, this could be said for any profession. (In the mean time, kudos for drawing the comparison between the two PodCamps and thinking about what you can take back to Halifax and even better show!)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
MSI 875P Neo Review - PAGE 1 Since its release last quarter, Intel's 875P "Canterwood" Chipset has been lighting up the benchmarks. Last week we had chance see some of those impressive benchmarks with Gigabytes 875P offering, the Gigabyte 8KNXP Ultra. If you recall, we looked at the architectures of both the 875P and 865PE and were hard pressed to find much difference. As we pointed out, Intel incorporates their PAT (Performance Acceleration Technology) with their 875P, which is really a pretty fancy term for chip binning of the (MCH) Memory Controller Hubs. The better MCH chips go to the 875P and the lesser performance rated ones go to the 865PE. Due to the release order of the chipsets (the 875P being first out), we have yet to benchmark the 865PE; We do However, have two 865PE boards warming up the bench and early indicators do show that there are in fact significant performance differences due to PAT. In the coming motherboard series, we'll look at the 865PE chipsets and how they stack up against the 875P. However, this week we're going to have another look at the 875P platform. The subject of today's review comes from the MSI 875P Neo line. This series comes in a few flavors depending on the included features; the board we are going to look at is the full featured version the MSI 875P NEO-FIS2R. We're going to see some interesting overclocking features from MSI; such as CoreCell technology, and another lesser, but very interesting addition to the board that I'll keep under wraps until later in the article. Also for mod fans there is an interesting twist for the Northbridge cooling system. All in all I think you'll find this an interesting read so lets move on and see what's "under the hood"	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Notes 1] fender: "metal frame placed in front of a fire to keep falling coals from rolling out into the room" (OED, "fender," n. 3.a.). Back to Line 10] Elmo's light: natural spherical light or corona fixed to the mast of a ship or another pointed object (here the poppies), named after St. Erasmus, that is, St. Elmo, patron saint of Mediterranean sailors (OED, "St. Elmo"). Back to Line 15] clappers: handheld rattles shaken to scare away birds. Back to Line 16] Biblical Noah, after the great Flood, discovered wine and fell into a naked, drunken sleep in which his sons found him. One of them, Ham, laughed at Noah exposed, but the other two, Shem and Japheth, covered him decorously with a loin cloth. This is the subject of a painting by Giovanni Bellini (ca. 1500-15) at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Besançon, France. Back to Line	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ernesto had winds of 80 mph (129 kph) and was located about 185 miles (298 kilometers) east of Chetumal, Mexico. Soldiers and police were moving 600 residents from the fishing village of Punta Allen in Mexico's Quintana Roo state, where authorities opened emergency shelters and began preparing for the evacuation of other low-lying coastal settlements. The heart of the storm was expected to hit south of Cancun and the Riviera Maya, though strong rain and winds were likely there, and officials also prepared shelters there as a precaution. The storm that entered the Caribbean on Saturday was driving through the sea parallel to the Honduran coast, though officials there said the threat had passed without any damage or injuries. Nicaragua had evacuated hundreds of people living along the coast, but it too apparently was spared significant damage. Forecasters said that after moving ashore near the Belize-Mexico border early Wednesday the storm was expected to pass near the jungle Mayan ruins of Calakmul and eventually enter the southern Gulf of Mexico and hit the Gulf coast near the city of Veracruz. Hurricane warnings were posted for the entire coast of Belize and the southern half of Mexico's Caribbean Yucatan coast. Tropical storm warnings were issued for the northern part of the Yucatan coast up to Cancun. Mexican authorities warned of possible flooding in an area where swollen rivers in the past have swept away houses, livestock and people and collapsed mountainsides. In a landslide last year, 31 people were buried in the Chiapas state town of Juan del Grijalva. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Gilma formed in the Pacific Ocean, 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Mazanillo, Mexico, with winds of 40 mph (64 kph). The storm was not expected to threaten land.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Beirut Restaurant takes over Al-Baraki’s Troy space The former Al-Baraki Restaurant in Troy has become another Lebanese eatery, this one called Beirut Restaurant. The new owner, George Haj Nasr, says he will continue to feature menu favorites such as shish kebab, baba ghanoush and falafel, and will add specials including spinach, meat and goat-cheese pies, all made by Haj Nasr’s mother, plus vegetarian options, daily specials and more desserts. A lunch buffet is $8; dinner prices run from $4 to $13. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Beirut is located at 184 River St., Troy. Call 270-9404. Haj Nasr bought the restaurant from Paul Chedrawee, who still owns the Albany Al-Baraki, at 185 Lark St. I went to Beirut this past weekend. The falafel dinner and chicken shawarma wrap were great. Even better, the owner treated us to meze (an appetizer sampler) with good hummus, baba ghanoush, stuffed grape leaves, etc. He was very accommodating, offering to go heavy or light on my side dishes per my personal tastes. We left quite full and the bill was shockingly small for a dinner out ($16). The owner is the nephew (I believe) of the owner of the equally good Phoenician’s on Central Ave. Beirut is a little rough around the edges but the owner seems to be in the process of remodeling. I tried Al-Baraki (Lark St.) for the first time a few weeks ago, it was just ok. I still think Rita’s Cafe has far and away, the best Lebanese food in Albany. I’ll be looking to try the new Troy location. I’m a “Leb” & I know good Lebanese food. I might run over to the Beirut for lunch now, I will follow up later with my own comments. I did as I said I was going to do, and I went over to the Beirut Restaurant for lunch today. As #3 stated also, George and his Mom, Hala, put together a wonderful meze dish for me to sample. The food was very good! They are putting out what I would deem authentic Lebanese cuisine. I was impressed by the falafel balls, if you like this sandwich, you’ll love their version. The restaurant decor could use a tad sprucing up. What’s great about this restuarant, is what you’ll find in any successful Lebanese restuarant, people that greet you like family and are there to please you with their most tasty home cooked dishes. George is a bright, young guy, who I believe understands what’s necessary to take care of his customers. I will definitely be returning, though I still have high marks for what Rita’s doing at her restaurant (Rita’s Cafe). They both do Lebanese cooking proud. Dame! I work up the street and visit Beirut about once every 2 weeks the same as I did Al-Baraki before it. I love both places and both owners. As with #3 and #7 above, George and his mom and dad (and brother and sister when they are there) make me feel more than like a guy who came in for a wrap to eat at his desk for lunch. George fixed the place up considerably back in February and now offers an $8 buffet at lunch time. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sure looks and smells good. My wife and I just had the pleasure of visiting the Beruit restaurant in Troy. We were treated to a great meal at extremely reasonable prices and the affable company of George (the owner and chef) and his father Elias (who took care of our service.) Elias and George treated us as they would have treated cherished guests that entered into their home. We were told twice how they wished to make us feel at home. They are both extremely personable and interesting people with a genuine care for their guests. We ordered Hummus, Chicken Shawarma, Beef Shuwarma and a meat pie. The food was delicious and plentiful. This restaurant is a bright and sparkling jewel in midst of Troy. We are looking to return soon and bring friends along with us.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Details This REQUIRED classroom session must be taken AFTER successful completion of the self-paced home-study course (or online course). This is a classroom session (1 to 4 hours) and includes field skills evaluation. Successful students must pass a written test, demonstrate safe firearm handling skills, and have a positive attitude. There is no minimum age required to enroll in hunter education, but instructors may require a parent or guardian to attend this classroom session if students are under 12 years of age. All hunter education classes are taught by instructors certified by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Students must attend all scheduled day(s) in the event in order to receive full credit for the course.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Pilgrims Bill By Jessie Norman Defeated By Labour In Commons The Pilgrims Controversy First Surfaced Last Year In the Case Of Jane Pilgrim A backbench motion to outlaw so-called "Pilgrims" - taxpayer funded representatives from the trades unions - has been defeated in the Commons after Labour galvanised the overwhelming majority of its MPs to vote against it. Tory backbencher Jesse Norman - considered one of the rising stars of the Conservative party - introduced a 10 minute rule motion, which would have paved the way to introducing a Bill outlawing pilgrims. However in the face of overwhelming Labour opposition, Norman was unable to muster nearly enough Tories to support his motion, in effect ruling out any change to the law for the foreseeable future. The point of the measure is not to attack the unions, many of which do very good work on behalf of their members. No, the issue is one of basic principle: is it appropriate for the taxpayer to subsidise any large-scale activity by private organisations? And if it is, should this be allowed without proper processes of competitive tender and public accountability? To both questions, my answer would be a resounding No. Pilgrims are named after Jane Pilgrim, a prominent trade union representative who was originally thought to be a nurse, but whom was revealed to be a full-time trade union organiser last year. The revelations surrounding Jane Pilgrim caused many Tories to look closely into how widespread the practice was. In a bad-tempered debate in the Commons, former Labour minister John Healey made an impassioned defence of pilgrims, saying in many workplaces they helped to improve health and safety, quality and standards. He described the motion as a "personal attack" on representatives who helped to improve literacy and numeracy. He added that pilgrims were the "unsung heroes of a long proud British tradition of volunteering," because they worked in their own time as well as paid-time. Healey suggested they were a valuable part of the PMs vision of a big society. In the end the motion was rejected by 132 votes to 211, a Labour majority of 79. Jonathan Isaby, Political Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said that the group would "continue to press ministers vigorously" on the issue despite the bill being rejected: “It was rich of John Healey to accuse the TaxPayers’ Alliance of ‘inaccurate briefing’, given that any inaccuracies in the data we have published only come from a failure on the part of unions and some public sector organisations properly to record the facility time taken during working hours. "As a result, the figures we have been able to collate are in fact likely to be an underestimate of the taxpayer subsidy to the unions. We have no quarrel with trade unions working to represent their members, but it is those members – not the taxpayer – who should be funding those activities.”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Starrett 643J 643 Series Dial Depth Gauge, Indicator Type, 0-0.125" Range, 0.0005" Graduation, Without Case, 1 GRAD for first 2? The Starrett 643 Series Dial Depth Gauges, Indicator Type, Inch, have a measurement range of 0 to 0.125", a resolution (or smallest graduation interval) of 0.0005", with + or - 1 graduation (0.0005) for the first 2.5 revolutions of accuracy. The dial face has distinct, easy to read figures. The gauges in this series have a knife-edge base of 2.5 long, and needle point contact that are both hardened and ground for durability and accuracy. The base of these units has a cutout so that the user can see the point to accurately position it for close measurements. Depth gauges are typically used in manufacturing, machining, and mechanical engineering. Depth gauges are precision measuring instruments used to determine the depth of any shape that has a step, groove, or slot. These gauges often take the form of sliders that travel on a measuring beam or rods, are moved to position by hand, and then adjusted with a calibrated screw. The base of the gauge rests at the top of the shape whose recession is to be measured, while the beam or rods extend to the bottom of the? Gauge position is read from a graduated scale, dial, counters, or an electronic display. Starrett Company manufactures precision measuring tools, metrology and testing equipment, and saw blade products. The company, founded in 1880, is headquartered in Athol, MA. Measurement range for each model in series of 0 to 0.125", and resolution of 0.0005". Dial gauge provides precise and easily readable measurements. Knife-edge base and needle point contact both hardened and ground for accurate measurements. Cut-out base so that point can be accurately positioned for close measurements. Choice of two models: one with a case and one without. It is very important that you are happy as a customer of ours so we please ask that you consider the following? Make sure to review all information in the description area. Do not only view the photo, as the description is the main product spec. Our main goal is to get you your item as quickly as possible to ensure the highest level of satisfaction. As always, customer service is our pleasure. We love taking care of our customer? It is our joy to run the best online store for our customers. As a business, we strive to make sure that we can get you your items as quickly as possible. In any event, if you wish to communicate with us, we are here to take care of you and communicate back within a 24-hour time frame. If you are looking for something different or a variation of a product, send us a message and we can check on it for you. If you are looking for a return of a defective item, we only allow for? Our guarantee of item happiness is our biggest concern. We strive for 100% guarantee that you will be satisfied as our valued customer. Once we receive your message, we will make sure to take care of you as timely as possible. By purchasing this item you agree to the terms and conditions stated above. The item "643j 643 series dial depth gauge, indicator type, 0-0.125 range, 0.0005" is in sale since Monday, May 7, 2018. This item is in the category "Business & Industrial\Manufacturing & Metalworking\Metalworking Tooling\Inspection & Measurement\Indicators".	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Labor Department said U.S. import prices edged up 0.1% in December, their smallest increase in five months. In 2017 import prices increased 3.0% after advancing 1.9% percent in 2016. That was the biggest calendar year increase since 2011. The Mortgage Bankers Association says total application volume rose 8.3% last week. Refinance applications were up 11% from the previous week. Mortgage applications to purchase a home rose 5% for the week but are 1% lower than one year ago. Rates were higher at the start of 2017 than they are now. The average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.23%. China may reduce or halt U.S. Treasury purchases. After building up its stake in U.S. Treasuries during 2017, China's central bank is rumored to be mulling over the idea of reducing or even halting purchases of U.S. government debt. The news helped push the yield on the benchmark 10-year note past 2.55% for the first time since March of 2017. (LPL)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Specifications Specifications include, but are not limited to:Publisher will create all new content for the Guide andsubmit editorial copy to the BACV8 for approval.Publisher will be responsible for design of the Guide,including the cover design. BACVB will select twocovers to be used for the Guide. Publisher will designthe Guide per the direction of BACVB.Publisher will professionally design and produce adsand enhanced listings for the Guide. All print ads willrun in four-color. Enhanced listing design determinedat a tater date. Materials for formatted ads, withmechanical specifications will be established by thepublisher and approved by the BACVB for creation offormatted ads. Advertisers with full or half page adswill have the option to submit "camera ready art,"which must meet the approval of the BACVB based onthe agreement between the publisher and BACVB.The BACVB will retain the right to approve or rejectany ad materials or advertisers. There will beapproximately 40-50 ads in the Guide. All ads areindependent of each other.Publisher will use approved photography orphotography made available by the BACVB.Publisher will convert print version of the Guide toelectronic format for BradentonGulflslands.com. Theelectronic version should mimic the print version withthe capability for the consumer to "turn" the pages.Publisher will create all new editorial content for allpages in a travel guide style, with short, useful contentelements that help sell the destination to the reader.BACVB will assist with content.Publisher will create all new formatted ads for eachadvertiser in the Guide.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
They exchanged notes on their campus and career experiences at the inaugural meeting of the Hunter Alumni Chapter. Comedian and Bachelor of Arts graduate Mikey Robbins was master of ceremonies, delivering many an anecdote from his time at university in the 1980s. He revealed how he bought a tweed jacket and woollen tie to pose as a lecturer so he could eat in the staff dining room. More than 35,000 graduates are in the Hunter, making the group a potentially important player in the region. Hunter Alumni Chapter committee chair Roxana Olivares said last night the group’s formation had been a long time coming. ‘‘The executive committee of the alumni has been discussing a chapter for the Hunter for the last couple of years and we thought now was time to do just that,’’ she said. ‘‘We’re looking to engage with local graduates and form a network where we can build mentor opportunities.’’	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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Monday, May 18, 2009 Brigham Young University's Museum of Art is currently featuring a kid-friendly exhibit entitled Walter Wick: Games, Gizmos, and Toys in the Attic. My kids and I saw pieces from a cardboard city (they wanted to make their own at home), large framed prints from the artist's I Spy series, and the above set that was created for a photo shoot. This was one art event that kept the kids eager and interested. (The excited mood even carried over to a couple other areas of the museum where we saw recycled art and American portraiture.) The BYU-MOA exhibit runs through August 1st. On June 10th, the museum will host a special family art day using Wick's works as the theme.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Tze U'lmad Va-yetzei Weekly Talmud Lesson with Rabbi Mordecai Schwartz One must not place an egg at the side of a boiler for it to be roasted, and one must not break it into a [hot] cloth; but Rabbi Yose permits it. And one may not put it in [hot] sand or road dust for it to be roasted (Shabbat 38b Mishnah). Last time, we mentioned that our Sages inherited prohibitions on a number of activities that are permitted by the Torah, but not in consonance with the spirit of Shabbat. Our Sages knew that prohibiting all everyday activities on Shabbat would not only be impossible, but also make Shabbat overly burdensome. Shabbat is a day of sanctified rest as an offering to Heaven, but it is also a day of earthly pleasures. As a result, the Sages limited these protective "Rabbinic prohibitions" on Shabbat to a small number of categories. We find in the above text an example of one such category: it is a Rabbinic prohibition to perform acts that could easily be confused with Torah prohibitions. As we saw in mishnah Shabbat 7:2, cooking on Shabbat is a Torah prohibition. What is cooking? Is it merely the application of heat to food to make it edible? Our Sages answered, no. Human will and human behavior dictate the conventional definitions of all of the prohibited acts. There is a way that people cook, and a way that they generally do not cook. In the time of the Mishnah and the Talmud, cooking generally involved fire. The cases in our mishnah above do not. Laying an egg down on the pavement for it to fry is not a case of conventional cooking. As such, it cannot be included in the Torah prohibition on cooking on Shabbat. Nonetheless, our Sages say, preparing an egg in such a way on Shabbat would lead to a kind of confusion that would ultimately be destructive to the spiritual discipline Shabbat represents. We must prepare our food in advance to truly taste the Shabbat spice, a taste of the world to come. Questions In the time of the Talmud, cooking was done primarily with fire. Are there other types of cooking that the Torah might prohibit today? How can we use Shabbat to clarify the confusing moments in our own lives?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Executive Team Joe Diaz President and CEO Joe Diaz’s involvement with security and investigations dates back to 1975 when he began his law enforcement career as a uniform officer with the Miami Dade Police Department. A few years later, Mr. Diaz was assigned to the Miami Dade Police Homicide Bureau where he spent 10 years as a member of an elite task force investigating criminal groups involved in major narcotics related homicides and related crimes. Mr. Diaz investigated and supervised numerous cases of homicide, kidnappings, narcotics and weapons trafficking, public corruption, racketeering, police shootings and other criminal acts committed by major drug cartels. Some of Mr. Diaz’s duties in the joint federal task force included setting up safe houses and coordinating the protection and security measures for important witnesses and their families in the United States and abroad. Mr. Diaz retired honorably from the Miami Dade Police Department and began a successful career in the private sector where his goals shifted from enforcing the law to providing security and investigative services to private clients and developing innovative concepts and quality control measures that consistently deliver the exceptional level of service that our clients expect and deserve. James Fernandez Executive Vice President Mr. Fernandez joined Delta Five Security as an Executive Vice President with over 15 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. Mr. Fernandez personally oversees all Business Development, Employee Training Programs, Security Operations, Consulting, and Client Relations. He previously owned and operated PPIA, a highly successful security services company that he founded and developed into one of the most reliable providers of security and patrol services for local government contracts in South Florida. Mr. Fernandez currently manages and oversees operations of more than 3,000 hours of security services for Miami-Dade Count and another 6,000 hours of service to the private sector. Between 2009 and 2010, James served as the Chairman for ASIS International Miami Chapter, one of the world’s leading private security professional trade organizations. James is also a member of FALI (Florida Association of Licensed Investigators), and served as the South Florida Director of Florida Association of Security Company Owners (the leading organization lobbying in Tallahassee for the Security Industry). James is currently licensed as a Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, State of Florida Firearms Instructor, State of Florida Security Instructor, Private Investigator, Security Officer and Manager for Security and Investigative Agency. Kevin McIntyre Vice President of Operations Mr. McIntyre began his career as a correctional officer in the year 2000 and worked with adult and juvenile offenders until 2005 when he transferred to the Georgia Department of Public Safety to work as a police officer at the State Capitol Building. He became a police supervisor with responsibility for 45 officers under his command. Among his duties were the security of a number of state buildings and the personal protection of visiting dignitaries, as well as the training and development of officers under his command. He returned to South Florida and joined Delta Five Security where he quickly proved to be a valuable asset. Mr. McIntyre is a great motivator who takes ownership of issues and embraces our commitment to provide excellent customer service and attain complete customer satisfaction.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
'How to be green? Many people have asked us this important question. It's really very simple and requires no expert knowledge or complex skills. Here's the answer. Consume less. Share more. Enjoy life.' Penny Kemp and Derek Wall 3 Aug 2009 Vestas demo tomorrow Demonstration Tuesday 4 August9.30am, Newport County Court, Quay Street, Newport, IoWAs Vestas tries for a second time to get a possession order, march from theSt Cross plant to the court, rally outside, then march back to the plant	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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Looking for Regina Kovac? About placeholder profiles You are visiting the placeholder page for Regina Kovac. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Regina Kovac. We created this page automatically in hopes Regina Kovac would find it. If you are not Regina Kovac, but are an alumni of Colton High School Colton, CA, register on this site for free now.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Cross-Cultural Love Triangle at Heart of Bollywood-Style Musical Basmati Blues Film Review by Kam Williams Cross-Cultural Love Triangle at Heart of Bollywood-Style Musical Dr. Linda Watt (Brie Larson) is a scientist doing research for Mogil, a leading agri-chemical company based in New York. The young doctor is so thrilled about genetically engineering a strain of Basmati rice that yields 22% more grains per acre that she spontaneously breaks into song on Fifth Avenue, right in front of the iconic Flatiron building. Mogil’s CEO (Donald Sutherland) is just as excited by her groundbreaking discovery, but all he sees are dollar signs. He decides to launch the newproduct over in India, where about a billion and a half people eat rice every day. But first, the farmers have to be talked into switching to Rice 9 from the reliable strain they’ve used for generations. So, he sends Linda over to the subcontinent to market her invention herself. Trouble is, she’s a nerd who’s far more comfortable working long hours in a lab than addressing big crowds. Worse, she has no idea that the small print in the “Rice 9” contract will force the signers to buy their seeds from Mogil year after year forever. The question is whether Dr. Watt will wise up to the fact that she’s being used to by her greedy boss to ruin millions of farmers financially. Besides business, Linda finds time for a little romance during her stay. First, sparks fly with William (Saahil Sehgal), the local yokel serving as her tour guide. Then, she develops a little chemistry with Rajit (Utkarsh Ambudkar), a rebellious college student suspicious of Mogil’s intentions. Thus unfolds Basmati Blues, a musical dramedy reminiscent of La La Land. Unfortunately, this relatively-amateurish production fails to measure up in terms of plot, acting, cinematography or soundtrack. The movie marks the ambitious directorial debut of Dan Baron, previously best known for writing the screenplay for a kiddie comedy, See Spot Run. Baron ostensibly bit off more than he could chew here, frustrating his A-list ensemble by rarely allowing them to play to their strengths. For instance, why make the audience suffer through Donald Sutherland’s woefully-strained warbling? Equally miscast are six-time Emmy-winner Tyne Daly and Golden Globe-winner Scott Bakula. A shaky, Bollywood-style musical worth a watch only to see Oscar-winner Brie Larson give it her all. The outdoor enthusiast finally has a rugged, waterproof option when it comes to high-quality stereo sound. With built-in Bluetooth audio streaming, AM/FM radio and USB audio playback, STEREOACTIVE is packed with features. Engineered in New Zealand, the new compact system is designed for the challenges of life on the water or exposure to the elements and tuned to deliver crystal clear audio that enhances any activity. Featuring the unique Puck mount system, users can easily and securely attach the stereo to any surface, such as an RV exterior, cooler, outdoor cooking space, paddleboard, kayak, canoe, boat or even hot tub. To keep valuables safe from the elements, FUSION has also offered the ACTIVESAFE which, when combined with STEREOACTIVE, will securely house any smartphone, vehicle keys, bank cards, or loose change. Virtually every angler on the water these days is well aware that boat docks hold bass throughout the year. However, not all anglers approach dock fishing with the correct tackle and strategy to make the most of their time on the water. Fine-tuning your approach by reaching all fish-holding zones and identifying patterns can definitely lead to higher catch rates and bigger fish. Read More… Learn More at Z Man Fishing After the Strike World record-holders will quickly agree there is much more to skilled angling than simply finding and hooking a fish. The battle, especially with large, powerful game fish, Read More… Visit Yamaha Outboards.com Take the Trip of a Life Time Take a short drive south of New Orleans, and you come to the southernmost point in Louisiana. It’s Venice and being at the end of the road is just the beginning of your trip for world-class yellowfin tuna fishing Visit Home Run Charters Live bait rigged to stay on or near the surface is enticing as well. Predators push bait to the top during an attack, so a nervous morsel suspended under a kite, balloon or cork is always easy pickings. Baits hooked through the nose, or dorsal fin will stay near the surface whereas those hooked in the stomach or lower tail tend to swim downward. Trolled baits and lures serve the same purpose. The combination of splashing and bubbles, often in conjunction with teasers, help draw the game fish into the surface strike zone Read More…	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
This is one version of David Carr, which he endorses: a veteran of the alternative newsweekly scene, and the media-focused Web 1.0 craze; a former crack addict and single father on welfare who has written a memoir all about it without sparing himself, who tweets with abandon, moves comfortably among the paper’s enemies at dinners, parties and media events; a journeyman reporter who is content to have the ear of the executive editor and the cub reporters alike on an informal basis, grateful as he is to have the job he has. It’s not wrong, but it’s not complete. It doesn’t begin to hint at his influence, and the way in which he projects the power of his institution. I don’t think it’s too much to suggest that to the industry, David Carr is the battle-hardened face of The New York Times, that kind of zealous convert every clerical magisterium (and the top of the Times masthead is a sort of Vatican) wishes for but could never intentionally create. He is its most important champion. I worked at a weekly with a lot of young reporters, and I would hear them pouring on the honey on the phone and being real sweet and nice with the people that they talked to. And then they would turn in these stories that were scabrous and really mean. And I said: Well, you’re just – you’re setting this up so the phone call’s going to come to me, not you. And you haven’t done these people the privilege of giving them an opportunity to defend themselves. I don’t think people who read your work, who are involved as sources, should be surprised. I often read significant parts of the story to the people that are involved, because I don’t want to sit up in the middle of the night and wonder whether I was fundamentally unfair to the person, that I didn’t communicate to them what is coming and that they – that they’ll be genuinely surprised. On the face of it, I am no more qualified to take my own inventory than the addict with the fetid dreads who spare-changes people on the subway while singing “Stand by Me.” Ask him how he ended up sweating people for quarters, and he may have an answer, but he doesn’t really know and probably couldn’t bear it if he did. To be an addict is to be something of a cognitive acrobat. You spread versions of yourself around, giving each person the truth he or she needs — you need, actually — to keep them at a remove. Let’s stipulate that I do not have a good memory, having recklessly sautéed my brain in fistfuls of pharmaceutical spices. Beyond impairment, there may be no more unreliable narrator than an addict. Recovered or not, I am someone who used my mouth to constantly create one more opportunity to get high. Here is what I deserved: hepatitis C, federal prison time, H.I.V., a cold park bench, an early, addled death. Here is what I got: the smart, pretty wife, the three lovely children, the job that impresses. CARR: Um … Frisbee and smoking doobies … But I did double major in journalism and psychology at the University of Minnesota. I began working at a great little weekly that no longer exists called the Twin Cities Reader. My first story was about a friend of my father’s, an older white guy who had been beaten up by some cops when he intervened on the arrest of two black males who seemed fairly subdued. So I said to my dad, “Boy, somebody should do a story about that.” And my dad said, “I thought that’s what you were doing—that you were a journalist.” So that became my first story. SORKIN: Well, you rose pretty fast, because you eventually became the editor of the Twin Cities Reader. CARR: There were a few detours along the way, and I ended up sort of washing out of journalism for a while, but I did wind up becoming the editor. After Mr. Michaels arrived, according to two people at the bar that night, he sat down and said, “watch this,” and offered the waitress $100 to show him her breasts. The group sat dumbfounded. “Here was this guy, who was responsible for all these people, getting drunk in front of senior people and saying this to a waitress who many of us knew,” said one of the Tribune executives present, who declined to be identified because he had left the company and did not want to be quoted criticizing a former employer. “I have never seen anything like it.” Get the Longreads Weekly Email We want to dramatically increase our story fund this year, but we can't do it without your support. Every dollar you contribute goes to writers and publishers who spend hours, weeks, and months reporting and writing outstanding stories. Now is the time to join us.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
By Andy T. PayneBlack & White Photos used with permission of San Jose Airport Collection (click images for originals) San Jose is the largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to more than 1 million residents and 170 companies. Situated at the bottom of the San Francisco Bay, it is Santa Clara County’s seat and the gateway to a major high-tech center, the Silicon Valley, with technology giants such as HP, Adobe, Apple, Cisco, eBay, Intel, Google, Yahoo, and Facebook, to name a few. Beginnings San Jose from 1947-1974 Compared to San Francisco and Oakland, San Jose was slow to even acquire land for an airport; barnstormers and the like used the private fields surrounding the city. San Jose voters rejected the 1928 bond for a municipal airport, and the Citizens Airport Committee was unable to see their dream come to fruition. That all changed a decade later, in 1939. Leader of the Citizens Airport Committee, Ernie E. Renzel, personally selected an area part of the Crocker Family’s Stockton Ranch, for an airport. The site had been approved by US Bureau of Air Commerce for diversions from San Francisco Airport. This location was recommended because San Jose experiences little fog, of which lasts until 10 AM. Shortly after, a $300,000 bond was finally approved by San Jose voters, allowing the land to be purchased. World War II created a nearly four year hiatus from airport development and banned general aviation 150 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Near the end of the war Jim Nissen, commercial pilot, test pilot, and engineer, and two partners started up a general aviation enterprise named “California Aviation Activities” using 16 acres leased from the airport. They built a dirt runway and a hangar at SJC. The next year, Nissen sold his share of California Aviation Activities and became the airports’ first manager, with Renzel as Mayor. The official dedication ceremony of San Jose Municipal Airport took place on February 1, 1949. Southwest Airways (no relation to Southwest Airlines) relocated from Moffett Field to San Jose and landed a DC-3. The DC-3, piloted by Captain John Dodge, carried two pilots, seven passengers, and 2,550 baby chicks. The chicks were unloaded and all the passengers continued to Los Angeles. The first terminal opened the next year. SJC in the 1940s In 1951, San Jose recieved an estimated $8,000 worth of radio equipment and a federal grant for runway expansion. San Jose was supposed to be the SF Bay Area Airport if San Francisco and Oakland were bombed. Perhaps the most difficult battle was land acquisition. Both cities agreed that Santa Clara would sell Laurelwood Farm to San Jose in 1951, but the next year Santa Clara refused to sell. On top of that was a farmer by the name of Joseph Gianni. Gianni agreed to sell 60 acres to Santa Clara, but decided to sell it to San Jose. In response, Santa Clara annexed the land. Gianni sued and won, but died shortly after. His land was returned to San Jose and land north of Brokaw Road was purchased in 1953. On June 14th, 1953, the City Council held a dedication ceremony for a new taxiway and the 50th anniversary of powered flight. Robert and Lenore Fowler (glider and sailplane pioneers) brought a Wright motor and two gliders; Nissen and James Mathiesen (from California Aviation Activities) brought over their plane from 1912, a Fairchild biplane owned by the Reid family, a Hiller helicopter, and some engine cutaways. A cafe was added to the terminal shortly after, but the administrative terminal had reached full capacity. Three “temporary barracks” were added to relieve the congestion. In 1955, San Jose and Santa Clara committees struck a deal in which San Jose would trade land suitable for industrial sites and Santa Clara would give land for the airport. Even with a land land expansion, most of SJC was undeveloped. Power lines bordered the airport, the Guadalupe River needed to be realigned, and pheasants were nuisances, so much that pilots and airport employees were allowed to shoot them during sunrise. In 1956, the first jet aircraft landed at San Jose Municipal Airport; it was a Navy aircraft which had mistaken San Jose for Moffett Field at night. The fighter continued to Moffett Field the following morning. Jack Harper (Assistant Director of Aviation) recalled that thousands of rabbits also watched the jet takeoff, and when San Jose began scheduled commercial jet flights, the rabbits would “sit right next to one and never move at takeoff, probably deaf.” SJC Aerial View in 1957 A New Tower, Runway & Terminal By June of 1957, a 6-story control tower opened to the east of the runway. It was part of a construction project which also included the realignment of the Guadalupe River, runway extension, and a new terminal. Brokaw road finally closed in 1958, part of a deal in which San Jose would partially fund the construction of De La Cruz Blvd to the west. To the eastern perimeter, construction started an industrial park. Highway 17 (now Interstate 880) was almost complete, bordering the airport to the south. Construction of a 4,419 foot second runway finished in 1961 and the original runway was lengthened to 6,975 feet. Airport Village, a recently abandoned emergency housing development, was demolished. Some of the barracks were added to the terminal. The new terminal which would become Terminal C The interior of the new terminal upon opening Construction of a new terminal, designed by local architect Hollis Logue Jr., started in 1964. On July 6th of the same year, air traffic controllers recorded the millionth aircraft movement. San Jose State Aeronautics Program relocated to their former location on Coleman Ave. Another pest, this time sow bugs, interrupted airport operations. Millions of them gathered on the runways and seagulls ate them, disrupting air traffic. By 1965, San Jose was the 16th busiest towered airport in the United States, and the new terminal building opened on September 16. The dedication ceremony occurred a year later, on November 6th, 1966, after the completion of a restaurant and cocktail lounge. The original terminal (left) was used for general aviation until 2000, when it was demolished for the expansion of runway 30R.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
As the gun control debate continues to grip the nation, a survey released this month by the Department of Justice (DOJ) showed that that armed criminals primary source for guns is, by far, is the black market. As the United Nations, the largest human rights organization in the world, grapples with the ongoing #MeToo movement – at least one-third of its staff and contractors have claimed to have been subjected to sexual harassment. A freshman Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee told constituents the panel will "likely" investigate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for purportedly committing perjury during his confirmation hearings last fall.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The 2002 “Spider-Man” film (as well as it’s 2004 sequel) is not only one of my favorite superhero films, but also one of my favorite films in general. It’s over fifteen years old now, and I still always find something new to admire about it whenever I revisit it. Part of that is because on top of being an origin story, “Spider-Man” is also a film about three different things at once without it feeling disjointed and unfocused. It’s a coming-of-age story, since we follow Peter from the last days of his wide-eyed boyhood to the first days of his loftier, jaded adulthood. It’s a story about about father figures, their legacies and the lasting impacts they can have on their kids, as we see with Ben Parker, Norman Osborn, and Phillip Watson (who flies under the radar more than the previous two examples, since he has so little screen-time). And it’s a story about power and what people choose to do with it, since Peter Parker and Norman Osborn act as foils to each other and their opposing ideologies are pitted against each other as the main conflict of the movie. I’d also say “Spider-Man” has perfect pacing, moving along at a brisk but calculated rhythm that rarely ever drags. The first half of the film takes its time introducing Peter Parker and his most important relationships, focusing on all the right character beats and showing his steady leveling-up into Spider-Man, while Norman Osborn grows increasingly insane and becomes more and more of a threat – the hero and villain’s arcs running parallel, unbeknownst to each other (they’re even ‘reborn’ on the same night). The film wisely only shows glimpses of their alter-egos, and it’s at the halfway point that they finally have their first confrontation in full costume. At this point, the second half of the film is a non-stop thrill ride, as the focus is now on the explosive and constantly escalating rivalry sparked between Spider-Man and Green Goblin, since neither of them are going to back down. Said rivalry only grows worse when the Goblin discovers Spider-Man’s secret identity, raising the stakes, until it eventually becomes clear that their feud is never going to end until one of them is dead. I also have to give Sam Raimi credit for not shying away from the camp of the superhero genre (since an overabundance of camp has led to many a cringy superhero film), but embraced it wholeheartedly, since it makes “Spider-Man” so much more fun to watch. If you’re gonna adapt Spider-Man to the silver screen, it’s important that you have a good portrayal of Peter Parker, because Spider-Man is a bit different from most heroes. With characters like Batman or Superman you have these extraordinary people pretending to be ordinary citizens as a mask to the public. But with Spider-Man, Peter Parker is the heart and soul of the character and Spidey is the mask. A large aspect of the comics is how being Spider-Man takes it’s toll on Peter’s personal life as a working-class hero, and that is translated largely well to the Raimi trilogy. Raimi’s Peter Parker is the shy, introverted and put-upon nerd with a heart of gold who wouldn’t seem out of place in an 80’s movie. That doesn’t make him any less likable though, thanks in no small part to Tobey Maguire’s earnest portrayal. He has a crush on a girl who he thinks is out of his league, he’s picked on by other kids, and his best friend can be pretty wishy-washy. His life changes incredibly and irrevocably when he’s bitten by a mutated spider and gains superpowers as a spider-mutant. He grows stronger, faster, tougher. He finally has a strong body to match his sharp mind, and he feels like he’s on top of the world. Along with beating up his bullies, he gains the confidence to finally try to approach Mary Jane. It’s a lot of fun watching Peter discover all his standard spider powers step-by-step – like strength, speed, precognition, wall-crawling and webbing – and gradually level up into the hero we know he’ll be soon. The boy is having the time of his life in this movie so the audience does as well, making him a great escapist character. All of this methodical build-up finally comes to a head in the chase scene where Peter is pursing the mugger – swinging haphazardly from buildings, vaulting over bridges and barreling through traffic. It’s exhilarating to watch, and it’s the moment when the audience realizes Spider-Man on the big screen is not only going to work, it’s going to be great. The downside of Peter’s new abilities is that he grows cocky, arrogant and rude, and starts to take his aunt and uncle for granted until he gets his Uncle Ben shot and learns an extremely painful and lasting lesson about humility and responsibility. Taking his uncle’s advice about using his powers responsibly, Peter decides to become a vigilante (amusingly enough, gaining spider powers also seems to have given Peter knowledge of martial arts), while also growing closer to Mary Jane and taking his first tentative steps into young adulthood by going off to college and trying to hold down a job. There’s a noticeable and enjoyable difference between Peter’s usual demeanor and his attitude as his alter-ego. It’s implied that Spider-Man is Peter’s outlet for some of his more repressed traits, letting him loosen up and become a confident, sharp-tongued daredevil when he dons the mask. But it’s not long before he has to deal with a superhero’s burden. Trying to stop Green Goblin also means dealing with his wrath. Peter finds himself on the receiving end of the Goblin’s games and torment as he tries to break him by targeting his friends, his family and innocent people. There’s a small but significant moment where Peter has a nightmare about the Goblin, which reminds the audience that Peter is still just an eighteen year old fresh out of school who’s fighting an insane, murderous terrorist well over twice his age and that’s bound to take a psychological toll eventually. The climax is surprisingly brutal, especially after that reminder of how young Peter still is. Up until now, Peter has been somewhat in control of things and able to play the hero, but when he runs out of tricks he gets dragged down to human level and beaten within an inch of his life by the Green Goblin. Norman almost kills him and he only just barely wins their fight due to his indomitable spirit. His victory comes at a steep, horrible price though, saddling him with even more guilt, and after everything he’s experienced in this movie, Peter decides it’s best if he goes it alone – which nicely sets up the dilemma for “Spider-Man 2“. Peter started this movie as a boy, but he walks away from it as a man. A Spider-Man. Mary Jane Watson, portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, is the school ‘it’ girl and Peter’s next door neighbor. Despite being a popular girl in a high school movie, Mary Jane is a nice person with a gentle nature, and even early on she has a sort of fondness for Peter. She’s flirtatious, outgoing and vivacious, but also more troubled than she likes to let on, putting on a party girl facade to her classmates. In contrast to the dream girl Peter had been crushing on, MJ is pretty down-to-earth in person and a hard worker. I really enjoy Peter and Mary Jane’s budding friendship throughout the film, with or without the romantic undertones. It’s a bit awkward, but also earnest and sweet: the definition of teenage puppy love. Peter and Mary Jane bond by talking about their dreams and ambitions, as Peter wants to be a photographer and Mary Jane hopes to be a star on Broadway, even if they may have some difficulty achieving them. Throughout the film, they confide in each other and try to physically and emotionally support each other, and their numerous and cumulative shared scenes make for enjoyably quiet and tender side-trips between the main action. Mary Jane gradually falling in love with Peter and reciprocating his crush is also handled well, though it’s probably on your second watch that you’ll be paying enough attention to MJ as a tritagonist to notice her journey through the film. It’s established early on that Mary Jane comes from a broken family and has a toxic and abusive father who has worn down her self-esteem over the years. Mary Jane has had it drilled into her head that she’s worthless and is very self-conscious about her talents (or lack of). When she dates guys, she tends to go for guys who are ‘important’ in some way – guys who are popular like Flash, or rich and upcoming like Harry – presumably because they make her feel validated or worthwhile by proxy. But she doesn’t really love them, and they don’t really love her. She also develops a short-lived crush on the heroic Spider-Man. But it’s clear that out of all her ‘suitors’, Peter is the only one who really takes an interest in her, likes her for who she is, cares for her and tries to support her by making her feel valid, and even tries to be a friend when she’s not looking for a lover. Something real and tangible blooms between them, and when she realizes she’s in actual, real love she decides to act on it – she chooses him. Superhero love interests are often attracted to their handsome, hero personas (like Lois Lane), so I like that it’s nerdy, normal Peter who steals her heart, especially as we move into “Spider-Man 2”. Unfortunately for MJ, Peter’s character arc has been moving in the opposite direction as hers – everything he’s experienced in the movie has convinced him that the two of them having a relationship is a bad idea – so she winds up being rebuffed until the next movie in a perfect example of a bittersweet ending. Peter and Mary Jane are probably at their most likable in this first film, since arguably one of the flaws of the Raimi trilogy is that the two of them get slightly more dickish with each movie, which eventually comes to a head in “Spider-Man 3“. Norman Osborn is a scientist and a supposedly successful businessman, one who has very high standards and more than a few secrets. Norman is outspoken, frank, hardworking and ambitious, with some latent delusions of grandeur. He’s something of an inspiration to our main character, Peter. He pushes his son, Harry, and shows him tough love to try to make him strong and great, while also showing an interest in Peter, an up-and-coming intellectual, and trying to force his way into becoming a mentor figure to him – much to the chagrin and envy of his own son. There is more than to Norman than being a confident and successful business tycoon though; there’s a desperate, fearful and needy side that he keeps well-hidden, along with some anger issues. Norman’s company is going under rapidly, and he’s failing to convince the US military to buy his new defense project that could save OsCorp. So with time running out and no human volunteers on hand, Norman decides to test his new mad science on himself, which naturally goes horribly wrong – much to the delight of the audience. Norman’s super soldier formula ravages his mind and creates a new split personality that he funnels all his rage, aggression, resentment, vengeance and wrath into – loosening him up and driving him insane. As the film progresses, Mr. Osborn and his other self go on to have your classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dynamic, unbeknownst to all the other characters. In a sense, Norman Osborn dies the night he decides to experiment on himself and is reborn as the Green Goblin. The villains in the Raimi trilogy are often extreme reflections of Peter’s worst traits, and that trend starts with Norman. Peter is given the incredible gift of becoming superhuman and initially tries to use it for profit and self-gain before he’s smacked down and humbled, preventing him from traveling further down that path. A similar transformation happens to Norman and the scorned man decides to make a grab for power, status and revenge. With his newfound strength, the Goblin decides to target and kill off anyone he feels has ever wronged him, gradually becoming a murderer, a terrorist and a threat to the city. In his own twisted way, he feels that nothing will ever prevent him from being seen and recognized as being exceptionable ever again. He also dons a suit that wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of the “Power Rangers”. I like the way Willem Dafoe portrays Norman; out of all the actors in the film he’s probably the one who embraces the camp the most, and even when Norman isn’t being murderously evil you can still tell there’s something off about him. What makes Green Goblin a great villain isn’t just that he’s gleefully psychotic – lost in his own vanity and delusions – but also how self-aware he is. The Goblin knows all the tropes and conventions of the superhero genre, lampshades them and embraces them wholeheartedly – like appealing to the hero’s pessimism or trying to fridge the hero’s love interest. It honestly makes you wonder if Norman was a comic book nerd in his youth. Appropriately, it’s embracing those tropes that also do him in. Norman couldn’t resist one last bit of ill-advised, evil gloating before trying to kill Peter, which gives him time to get a second wind, and it’s the Goblin’s spiteful, vindictive nature that winds up finishing the job. Norman tries one last time to stab Peter in the back but in a clever and satisfying example of a Chekov’s gun, he didn’t know about Peter’s spider-sense so he winds up running himself through instead. That’s some sweet, sweet karma. Harry Osborn (James Franco) is Peter’s unlikely best friend and his closest companion for several years. While Peter comes from a working-class background, Harry’s family is pretty rich and successful, and as such he feels the pressure of his father’s judgment, high standards and expectations, causing him to become somewhat bitter and cynical. It’s apparent that Peter and Harry have had each other’s back for years before now as study buddies to deal with bullying at school, but if you look closely you’ll notice there’s some tension between them even before the main plot kicks in. Both of them have eyes for MJ, and Harry makes several underhanded moves with her that imply he’s kind of a dick. Likewise, in the background of the film, Harry quietly grows jealous of Peter because he feels like Norman favors him and he knows MJ has feelings for him. Harry is kind of a daddy’s boy, so when he dates Mary Jane he’s more focused on gaining Norman’s approval than he is on being a good boyfriend, and as such Harry and MJ don’t last long. All of this is fairly minor though, until the ending of the film when Harry comes to believe Spider-Man has killed his father and he grows to hate Spider-Man. This development truly marks the beginning of the end of Peter and Harry’s friendship. Harry is far from one of my favorite characters in these movies, but something the first two “Spider-Man” films do well is convey his steady and tragic descent into villainy. Peter’s boss, J. Jonah Jameson, is the most amusing bit of comic relief in this movie. As a newspaper editor, he’s stingy, loud-mouthed, cynical, quick-witted and sassy, with a habit of double-talking. Jameson bossing around his employees and his tendency to disrespect Peter but keep him around regardless is comedy gold, and JK Simmons milks all three of his short scenes for all the absurdity he can. He’s a sensationalist, he has an odd vendetta against Spider-Man, and he’s not an honest journalist (at all), but he is surprisingly protective of his employees since he refuses to sell out Peter to the Green Goblin when he’s threatened with death. I’m glad we’ll be seeing a lot more of this weird man in the sequel. Ben and May Parker are Peter’s aunt and uncle and his legal guardians. They’re getting on up in the years and they’re not as capable of supporting themselves as they used to be, but as Peter’s surrogate parents they’re the reason he has such a strong moral fiber. Uncle Ben is less of a character and more of a paragon of virtue, since he sits alongside Jonathan Kent as one of the most famous examples of a sacrificial lamb in a superhero’s backstory in the comic book world. Uncle Ben has a good relationship with Peter, but he worries about Peter becoming at best a jerk, at worst a delinquent, as the boy gets older and pulls away from him and May. After Ben is killed one night as result of Peter’s carelessness, he serves as an inspiration to Peter for the rest of his career as Spider-Man, while Aunt May takes on his role of providing Peter with reaffirming life advice, and she does a fine job of it. Sam Raimi’s direction for the film has a very lite and thoughtful touch; he always knows just what to focus on and how much attention he should give it in the small, personal scenes, but also gives us grand, sweeping, dizzying shots of New York City’s skyline whenever Spider-Man or Green Goblin take to the skies, instantly immersing us in Spidey’s fantasy world. Raimi was a horror movie director long before he dabbled in superhero films, so he gets a chance to return to his horror roots during the Goblin’s transformation – a scene that’s surprisingly atmospheric and tense compared to the rest of the larger than life movie. While “Spider-Man” is set in the early 2000’s, it takes place in a very romanticized version of Manhattan that evokes the nostalgic feel of classic comic books and almost has a noir vibe to it at times – like when MJ takes to the streets and dons her trenchcoat, or when the cast attends Norman’s windy, grey funeral at the end. While he was producing the film, Raimi tried not to rely too much on CGI and opted for practical effects whenever he could, sometimes blending the two, and as a result the visual effects in this movie have aged surprisingly well. There are some times where you’ll quirk an eyebrow at the 2002 CG (like the initial wall-crawling shots during the mugger chase), but for the most part this movie is looking good after fifteen years. I’ve stated this before, but Danny Elfman’s score for this movie is really great; it’s a large part of the Raimi trilogy’s identity and it grabs you from the very first scene. Elfman composes two distinct but intertwined leitmotifs for the main character. The first of which is a primal, daring, determined and straightforwardly heroic theme for Spider-Man that builds through strings, percussion and brass in the title sequence. The second of which is a quieter, noble, sometimes forlorn and sometimes triumphant theme for Peter Parker that symbolizes his heroic heart and his relationship with Uncle Ben, covering both halves of his personality. Elfman pens a harsh, sneering and predatory theme for the Green Goblin that builds excitement and anticipation more than it does dread, especially when the Goblin attacks Times Square. Like Spidey’s theme, Gobby’s leitmotif incorporates a fair amount of percussion, and Danny’s themes for Spider-Man and Green Goblin tend to dance around each in the second half of the film – always expanding outwards. I also have a great deal of fondness for the pining love theme Elfman wrote for Peter and Mary Jane, performed on soft strings and woodwind instruments. It harmoniously simmers away in the background of many of their scenes together – growing quietly stronger as their connection grows – until it finally boils over passionately the two times that they kiss (in the alley and at Norman’s funeral) in the last act. I find it’s very easy to get to swept up into it. I hope Danny Elfman’s score gets a more comprehensive re-release someday, since there was a good bit of material omitted from the original album. “Spider-Man” is an incredibly strong superhero film, and a very accessible one. It works well as a standalone, and I imagine even people who aren’t already Spidey fans would still be won over by it. Rating: 10/10. Side-Notes: * Admit it, your eyes light up when those drums fire up over the Marvel logo. * Diverging from the comics, the Raimi films give Peter organic webbing instead of his standard web-shooters, which has actually led to some minor debate over which is better. In terms of practicality, organic webbing is probably much more reliable. * The first time I saw this film, I wondered if a psychic link had been forged between Peter and Norman. Obviously that’s not the case, and it wouldn’t have made any sense anyway, but to be fair, that’s kind of what the movie implies, since we cut back to Peter waking up right as Norman kills Dr. Stromm. * “Hey freak-show, you’re going nowhere! I’ve got you for three minutes! Three whole minutes of playtime!” And that’s how Peter lost his virginity. * I like how this movie makes wrestling fans look completely insane. These people legitimately wanted to see Peter get beat to death and even tried to give Bonesaw the tools to do so. Eventually, Peter realizes they’re all crazy so he just starts kicking Bonesaw in the face and doesn’t stop kicking until he goes down. * “You can’t do this to me. I started this company… DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I’VE SACRIFICED FOR IT?!” * “You’re out, Norman” Again, you people seem to be making this very personal for vague reasons. Was Norman a massive dick before this movie and you’re all happy to see him fail? Are you jealous of his success? Give me some explanations, movie. * Here’s a fun drinking game that will destroy your liver and possibly kill you. Take a shot every time Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst start screaming in this trilogy. It happens quite often. * Spidey saves the girl and drives Green Goblin away for a while, but there’s one important question still left unanswered. Is Macy Gray okay? * “Pete, what was that thing?” Your daddy. * This movie teaches you so many lasting life lessons, like the difference between slander and libel. * It wouldn’t be a superhero movie if some random hysterical lady didn’t appear, screaming about saving her baby. * Norman bitterly accuses all women of being gold-diggers and does so just loudly enough for everyone to hear him. It’s funny because we all know the Osborn men don’t need any women to waste away their money. Norman seems to have done a good job of putting OsCorp on the rocks, and Harry finishes it off in the sequel. * “The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout, down came the goblin and took the spider out!”. * Fun fact about Peter. He’s a cute nerd, but if you push him far enough he will maul your ass. Just ask Carradine. * I would ask why MJ decided to confess her love for Peter at a funeral, but MJ liked Norman about as much as Norman liked her, so I guess that explains it. * Why does no one in this movie ever recognize someone’s voice? Peter never once notices that the Green Goblin sounds like his best friend’s dad, and despite Peter not even trying to disguise his voice as Spider-Man, it’s their kiss that tips MJ off that they’re same person. * “Whatever life has in store for me, whatever comes my way, I will always remember these words – with great power, comes great responsibility. This is my gift, this is my curse. Who am I? I’m Spider-Man” In any other context that might sound braggy or self-important, but after the last two hours of this movie Peter Parker and Toby Maguire have both earned that boast.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Posted by Hemos on Monday April 17, 2006 @10:39AM from the consolidation-to-continue dept. Several readers wrote to note Larry Ellison's comments about launching an Oracle Linux Distro (great! yet another!) and that Oracle has/is also looking at purchasing Novell. The great shake-out continues. Better yet, just imagine how this would have some serious impact on our friends at SCO? They thought they were taking on IBM, and Novell got into the mix, but with an acquistian by Oracle you would have SCO up against IBM and Oracle -- two heavy weights. To really make it painful, Larry Ellision is not known for being a nice business man. I'm not too sure what Oracle would do here, but look at it from Oracle's Standpoint. They Don't like IBM (more Specifically IBM's DB2). Novell's sitting on patents that could theoretically swing the SCO Linux debacle both ways. Linux is one of IBM's big assets, and IBM is moving a lot of their platforms from AIX to Linux. If they buy Novell, they may just swing on the SCO side just to get at IBM to slow them down and spend money in the process. And it doesn't stop there. kicking Linux also gives MySQL a pot shot since most of their installs are Linux installs. Also a lot of their other competitors run on Linux software. If Oracle wanted to do the evil thing, they could side with SCO and set Linux back for a while and give their competitors headaches. On the other hand, Siding with IBM gives MS a kick in the groin. So it really comes down to who Ellison hates more in the end. Right now, I'm pretty sure it's Microsoft. We ditched Red Hat when they dropped their free distribution in favour of Fredora (really, what business wants to rely on a distro with a version life cycle of a few months?)So we went to SuSE because it had a longer upgrade cycle. Why am I filled with dread the moment I read the title, why can I see Oracle doing the same with SuSE that Red Hat did with it's distro - the free one becomes their test version with the public as beta testers. I think it more likely that the opposite would be true. It is unlikely that Oracle would focus on the OS as a revenue stream directly rather as an enabling technology for the rest of the stack they already sell. Naturally there would be the ability to buy support for th OS itself so that would add some value. Not saying you didn't made a good choice but there are free enterprise grade Linuxes. Centos is a redhat enterprise recompile. Yeah, I've never liked Red Hat to begin with, so I was actually happy to be allowed to switch away from it during the whole Fedora switch. Of course I was a little bitter that I had just built a 50 node computational cluster using RH 9 about a week before they announced the discontinuing of the free distros.... sigh. This is why I abandoned SuSE after using it for over 3 years. It looked completely and utterly unstable in terms of whether it was going to be supported tomorrow and in the same fashion as it is today. Now, of course, nothing has probably changed in that regard, yet. However this continued churn doesn't bode well for the future. Umm Oracle Financials [oracle.com], the complete design and implementation, full Java front end, a complete dev environment [oracle.com]... So they have an application dev environment, and all the applications they put out, now including PeopleSoft. Oracle supports Novell / Suse, Asianux and RHES as it stands now. [oracle.com] As well as doing code contributions back to the kernel. Admittedly this is predominantly to do with their clustered file system, and some of the memory allocation stuff, but still, it's better than some. They also run a number of their servers on Linux as well. They would have to have one of the biggest commercial Linux installations around at the moment. So; they are doing application development on Linux, Linux kernel work, supporting the operating system through 3 or so distributions and a number of iterations thereof... Really, why not just buy Novell / Suse and take their staff who can help to support it, and who are doing exactly that now?!? RedHat and SuSE are the usual "enterprise" distros that have tweaks for running Oracle, but Redhat dominates. wonder how threatened RedHat would be if Oracle bought and pushed SuSE. Oracle has had a problem in the past four years of trying to make integrated features that really were best left to third party, like for example oracle filesystem and oracle clustering, which are shakier and more trouble to admin than 3rd party. RedHat and SuSE are the usual "enterprise" distros that have tweaks for running Oracle, but Redhat dominates. wonder how threatened RedHat would be if Oracle bought and pushed SuSE. Oracle has had a problem in the past four years of trying to make integrated features that really were best left to third party, like for example oracle filesystem and oracle clustering, which are shakier and more trouble to admin than 3rd party. RedHat threatened? How about Sun Microsystems? Back in the day, Sun's Solaris was the target for Oracle. Every other platform was a port of it, and reportedly not as good. I've only used Oracle on Solaris for big and important DBs. I've thought for years that Oracle should be an OS because an Oracle box is not going to be doing much else anyway. Oracle has its own filesystem, redundancy, clustering, you name it. Many of Oracle's "big boy" features are blurred between what an application does and what an OS does. Its common that the first thing you do when you install oracle is modify the OS to allow for Oracle to work. Most importantly, its the shared memory parameters of the OS that needs to be modified (or at least used to as of version 10). Having an Oracle OS seems inevitable. With Linux its more than possible. "Oracle has its own filesystem, redundancy, clustering, you name it. Many of Oracle's "big boy" features are blurred between what an application does and what an OS does."Yes , but compared to what an OS does thats still high(ish) level stuff. An OracleDB doesn't catch hardware interrupts, doesn't set the data bus up for DMA, doesn'tnegotiate plug & play , doesn't in fact do any really to-the-metal type stuff. Justbecause Oracle does a few OS-ish type things , don't for a minute assume its anythingclose Yes , but compared to what an OS does thats still high(ish) level stuff. An Oracle DB doesn't catch hardware interrupts, doesn't set the data bus up for DMA, doesn't negotiate plug & play , doesn't in fact do any really to-the-metal type stuff. Just because Oracle does a few OS-ish type things , don't for a minute assume its anything close to being an operating system. I'm basing my opinions of being a Solaris admin who has worked closely with Oracle DBs to get the OS right for doing the Oracle DB. That's true, but at one time I recall Larry Ellison touting the notion that Oracle's DB could end up being an actual operating system to compete with Windows. That was related IIRC to the concept of Windows having that database-like file system that Microsoft has never gotten working.It never happened, but I suspect something like that is in the back of his mind when he contemplates running his own Linux distro. In other words, tightly integrating the Oracle database and development tools into the Linux OS w Sun sells Linux with its boxes if you really want it. and they are perfecting libraries to allow Linux apps to run on Solaris, in a vm-like partition for isolation if you want it. So Z just see Sun continuing to be an Oracle partner even if an Oracle distro comes out, just as Oracle will still sell Oracle for Windows and all the other major OS. I sort of agree with you, but if I were Oracle I'd be much more interested in OpenBSD, wouldn't you? The license is much better for a company that wants to take the code and wrap it around a big proprietary product. I sort of agree with you, but if I were Oracle I'd be much more interested in OpenBSD, wouldn't you? The license is much better for a company that wants to take the code and wrap it around a big proprietary product. Honestly, I would use a BSD licensed product over a GPLed one, but Linux is a little more trendy now. Mirapoint sells "mailservers in a box" which uses BSD derived systems and some GPLed software as well, I believe. I think their spam filtering is Spamassassin, and their OS is FreeBSD. I've work Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of the IT companies don't get Linux and OSS. Hint to Larry (and IBM, HP, Novell, etc): Work together on a single distribution of Linux if you want to get rid of Microsoft. Commoditize the OS and make your money providing services and software on top of it. Work together on a single distribution of Linux if you want to get rid of Microsoft I don't think their goal is to get rid of Microsoft, per say. When you buy an automobile, you have the choices ranging from sedans to minivans to heavy duty trucks. Does the Ford F350 really "compete" with a Honda Civic? Does a person purchase a vehicle and decide between the two of those? Not for the most part. For the most part, I've seen IT professionals pick the right tool for the job. When I need to deploy a Microsoft solution, it's usually because it's the best fit for the job. When I need to deploy and Linux solution, it's usually because it's the best fit for the job. IMHO, there are very few instances where and educated IT professional could actually have to compare a MS or OSS solution in the same way a car buyer would compare a Ford F350 and Honda Civic. I don't think their goal is to get rid of Microsoft, per say. When you buy an automobile, you have the choices ranging from sedans to minivans to heavy duty trucks. Does the Ford F350 really "compete" with a Honda Civic? I think you miss the point. The reason that M$ has been wildly successful ("success" being defined by the fact that they own > 90% of the desktop space) is that they came out with a standard way to interface with the underlying system (yeah, I know -- 16/32 bit API's. Still...). To my Still, if you want to dislodge M$ and have far greater desktop penetration, you need to have a standard to which various vendors can write. I guess this is the idea I'm questioning. Is Novell/IBM/Oracle/HP/'s goal to "have far greater desktop penetration"? I don't see that. The server/networking environment is the bread and butter for these companies. I think their goal is to get an easy to install, point and click, stable distro for their servers which also gives the System Admin the ability to tweak a But seriously, the ability to mold the environment for your individual needs is something I can only do in Linux. The desktop? I don't see that as a big concern. We pay $99 for an OEM copy of XP. It's the SQL Server / Windows Server 2003 / Visual Studio licenses that kick our a$$. Yeah, but then there's the Office Licenses too. And Photoshop. And AutoCad, and other apps that you can only seriously run on Windoze. Those all cost big $$$ as well (and IIRC, the next Office version will virutally require an Hint to Larry (and IBM, HP, Novell, etc): Work together on a single distribution of Linux if you want to get rid of Microsoft. Commoditize the OS and make your money providing services and software on top of it. You don't even have to work together. Just identify the items that would prevent YOUR company from migrating to Linux and work with various teams focused on those areas to bring them up to where YOU would feel comfortable deploying it. No sane person wants to get rid of Microsoft. Eliminate Ballmer maybe, but not Microsoft. Competition is good, and aside from Microsoft's redefining terms like "downtime" to appear competitive and obfuscating configuration tools (e.g., tools like Exchange, Active Directory, the IIS metabase) Windows is a good choice for a good number of people. The costs need to come more in line with its real value and maintenance and configuration tools need to improve to bring the true TCO in line with other operating s SuSE is starting to be come fragmented from so many changes. Oracle would only be able to further complicate SuSE development. There have been many core changes since Novell bought SuSE and if gives SuSE that patched together feeling. Companies can't keep doing this to SuSE customers. SuSE customers need a stable reliable platform to develop upon. "We're missing an operating system. You could argue that it makes a lot of sense for us to look at distributing and supporting Linux." Ladies and Gentlemen, Larry Ellison proudly presents -- Orix! I for one am not jumping on this bandwagon, because Larry is driving and I don't think he has one hand firmly on the wheel as it is. This is a shotgun marriage and isn't liable to make Oracle any more competitive with Microsoft in the forseeable future. He should have probably done this 5 years ago. Over the last month or so I've been demoing ZENWorks (for desktops). "Out of the box", installing the management component of zfd on Linux (OES/SUSE), it installs sybase as the backend for the inventory database. Documentation describs how to configure the inventory system to use Oracle and MSSQL on Windows, with ODBC. This is undocumented on the Linux side, which might indicate its not possible to use an alternative DB, or at least that its not supported.Novell Audit, out of the box, supports MySQL, which You overreacted. KDE is still very much supported on SuSE. Why jump ship based on a rumour of what someone might possibly do when you can just as easily jump ship later if they ever actually do it. I am on OpenSuSE 10.0 now and the water is just fine. Years ago I was worried that what I was doing did not have much of a future and was looking at retraining doing something else. In the end I decided to carry on with what I was already specialised in and cross that bridge (retraining) when I came to it. I am still working on the same platform 20 years later, still worried that it is going to run out at some point but have noticed that some of the alternatives I was looking at back then no longer exist. 1) Best in class business desktop -Best desktop: LinuxWorld best business product -Focused on the business user (vs the Novell Gnome focused desktop that is more all-purpose / home user market) -Designed to provide an easy transition for Windows users (vs all of the other distros - more below) 2) Best in class Linux "business" server -The new Xandros server offers the print serving, file serving, network management needed to run small businesses. I -Provides unique capabilities (apart from Microsoft) that would instantly differentiate Oracle from all the other "me-too" Linux players -Designed to provide an easy transition for Windows users (vs all of the other distros - more below) 3) Better strategic fit -Xandros is a pure play in the Linux area and would not come with the "hair" and unwanted, sub-leading products that Oracle would pick up from Novell (and have to pay for) -Xandros comes on top of the Debian server architecture. This would be an immediate and powerful win for Oracle to pick up the Debian Server base. -Top business focused engineering team with long track record of efficient engineering (that delivered the award winning Corel Linux Desktop) -Xandros was founded as an Simple Compatible replacement for Windows and Microsoft solutions that would provide an easy transition for Microsft users. Compared to the other Linux distros that have been laboring hard to create a new better product albeit alien to the marketplace. This company has not deviated from this strategy (plans for this server were announced years ago). Well, I'd disagree with your (otherwise valid) reasoning for one issue - Novell has a world-class network admin software (Zen, I believe) and a whole host of people still running NetWare. I think from an Oracle perspective, that would be more tasty than a desktop like Xandros (which I haven't honestly tried) that is percieved to be more of a home-based system. Xandros is a modified Debian - not a totally separate distribution like SuSE (I know, they stopped the mixed-case capitalization, but I like the dropped u). So, "buying" Xandros really wounld't be the same thing. They wouldn't really be getting a whole distro, just a team of people who modify someone else's distro. Xandros would not necesarily be "bad", but with Novell, they'd get the actual point of origination for a distro. And Novell has a bunch of other cool stuff beyond SuSE, like the zen managemen It's not the software that's being purchased here, it's the expertise and customer base. Every SW company acquisition that I've seen happen ended with throwing away, heavily modifying or rewriting software that came with the deal, sooner or later. Which kind of tells you that it's not software that was being purchased, but people and customer base. 1) Oracle doesn't care about the desktop - have you looked at Oracle Forms? Hello VB circa 1995.2) Oracle's not trying to replace Windows servers with this, they're looking to provide a transition from Solaris to low-cost x86 hardware. As for configuring other services, you just don't run other services on your Oracle box. By the same token, being suitable for 'small business' isn't really a concern here. 3) You've got this one - Novell's got their fingers in too many pies, but you're still thinking of th Not only would purchasing Novell bring them are large set of customers, it would also give them a team of business consultants. It's not all about the software. It's business strategy. Why would they buy a distro when they can also have a team of experts to deal with linux customers? Rumors of a Novell buyout by Oracle were pre-empted today when Redhat officially announced their aquisition of Novell. It seems, though that all may not be lost for Oracle. Redhat has indicated that Novell will sell off their Suse division before the Redhat-Novell merger is completed. "We have been trying to work this deal for a long time," said the head janitor at Redhat's Sao Paulo, Brazil offices. "Why do you think we ejected 'Fedora Directory Services'? We're ready to push eDirectory to its full potential!" Officials at Oracle did not comment. But a chair was heard smashing against a wall in Redmond, WA. This is a great idea. All of the Oracle installations I'm currently managing are running a version of Linux. This requires that not only do we need a good dba, but a linux administrator to maintain those machines. Luckily, we have other linux machines so we didn't need to hire a new guy just to manage the new linux boxes. With the new Oracle Linux Distribution, Oracle would provide the support, updates, etc for the OS, so we wouldn't need to have a full time guy to test software upgrades with our curren so we wouldn't need to have a full time guy to test software upgrades with our current Oracle installations, or to troubleshoot errors LOL. You've never worked with Oracle software have you? They have a very hard time releasing patches, much less testing them. I've spent dozens of hours on the phone with RH, IBM, Oracle, etc, and Oracle are the _last_ people you ever want to due to their gross incompetence and intentional disregard for anything you might know or claim to know. So far I've done several fresh installs and 2 upgrades from 8i to 10g in the past quarter. Everything has run rather smoothly. It'd be nice if the OS was already pre-configured to support Oracle. Since the boxes only run Oracle, and no other software, I wouldn't mind using an OS which was fully supported by Oracle, so I wouldn't have to call RH, or look up solutions on Google. Why would Oracle want Novell? A company like Oracle could knock up a Linux distro in a short time but why bother when they could just cross-license for a fraction of the cost. Do they want the residual Novell netware customers? Unlikely. Is it just a case of "because we can"? But when Novell and IBM have finally kicked The SCO Groups butt, Novell ends up with a clear legal right to Unix. A paranoid person might wonder if Oracle is after Unix for some reason. Brand recognition. 90% of Oracle's business comes from suits that sit in their office and say, "We need Oracle to drive the DB for this project!" Even suits that have previously negotiated and paid Oracle's licensing before. Oracle could buy/use/exploit any of the hundreds of Linux distros, and the result would or could be about the same. Picking one of the top two Linux distros known in the business world seems to make sense. Would you really think that picking something cal The bigger issue for Oracle isn't Linux, it's Novell's Identity Manager product - it's the best in the market. Oracle has been buying a lot of companies in the space, so they have 3 (or is it 4?) products, none integrated, with no clear future direction for folks buying a product. Oracle has been going to a lot of trouble to shove Novell's IDM out of shops by pressuring sites to switch to their identity management product lately. Of course, this could just be "Crazy Larry" trying to get IBM to blow a lot OK let say Oracle buys Novel. The first thing they could do, is use their much more substantial and well funded coral of land sharks in Novels fight against SCO. OK now lets say they win. Now Oracle can say they own UNIX IP outright. And now we get SCO round 2, but with a far more powerful and well-funded bank of land sharks. ... before Oracle heads down yet another purchasing road, I'd like to see something done with their marketing and sales group - something consistent with the fact that this company is no longer only a database company. My suggestion would be to fire them all and bring in people who are willing to learn and be flexible, instead of the entrenched backbiters they have now.I'd like to see the user communities that formed around COREid, Xcellerate, and other identity-related software get some support corporatel It contains one discussion group for all of the Identity Management. Which is lumped in under "Application Server" for some unfathomable reason. Which means you have to parse through all of the products to figure out which threads are for the product you yourself are using.Here is the summary of the single discussion group: The #1 thing that Linux gives to users (that they value highly) is choice of hardware and software on commodity (read: Intel or AMD) platforms. From a commercial subscription market share perspective, it's just about game over; Red Hat is up there in 90% plus land with SUSE collecting almost all of the few remaining crumbs. To date, Novell is stronger on PR (Google search volumes on "SUSE" are almost at Red Hat levels) but are struggling really badly to monetise this. I used to be a CNE 3/4/5 before Novell became almost irrelevant, but this is the first news I've heard that they might be bought out by another company. Many people have said that Novell's fall from grace was their own fault, but knowing Microsoft, in the end I don't think their was anything Novell could have done about it. If Novell does get relegated to the history books, I'll be sorry to see them go. I still like the way NDS (um, eDirectory) works and would love to see an open source alternative to it ...for many reasons. Principally so he can lay waste to the most incompetent fucknozzles ever to wear a suit. Internal slogan: "Novell: The leading provider of useless managers" Sharpen that axe Larry and call me for I have a little list.... I blogged about this today: the next step in the commoditization of operating systems: application and tool vendors include the operating system and every thing in one complete software stack. This is not as crazy as I might have thought a few years ago because of virtualization tools like Xen (etc.) However, if companies like Oracle start selling the 'whole stack' I hope that they offer versions that are built for Xen. I have installed and operated several production Oracle db's on both RedHat and SuSE. SuSE is by far superior for Oracle. SuSE supports Oracle much better than RedHat does. It's much easier to install Oracle on SuSE, and SuSE has a very nice mailing list for Oracle dba's, with moderators from both companies. So in this sense, SuSE is a much more attractive acquisition target for Mr. Lawrence "Gotta Have It" Ellison. Several years ago (circa 1999 or Redhat version 6 ), I read that Oracle on Linux was developed and targeted for Suse. I remember this because I was having issues tweaking RH for an Oracle 8 install, and a lot of the mail lists mentioned that some of the tweaks were not necessary for SuSE. So I would guess that it would be just a bit easier for Oracle to adopt Suse outright, if that is what their developers are already using. I have installed and operated several production Oracle db's on both RedHat and SuSE. SuSE is by far superior for Oracle. SuSE supports Oracle much better than RedHat does. It's much easier to install Oracle on SuSE, and SuSE has a very nice mailing list for Oracle dba's, with moderators from both companies. Not only that, but SuSE is a much better platform for DB2 as well. Most of the IBM systems I've worked with are almost always SuSE SLES, even though RH was an option. If nothing else, they could mess u I'd prefer IBM buy Novell than Oracle. It'd be nice to see IBM be a software company again, and they have the marketing presence to put a real dent in Microsoft's market share. Once that happens not only will Linux become much better supported by both commercial vendors (I'd LOVE to see the Adobe Creative Suite and Ulead's media suites ported to Linux) and hardware manufacturers (maybe ATI cards will stop sucking, and maybe we'll even see accelerated drivers for the AiW line!). Another benefit is that Micro IF everyone ran Windows the world would be so much better. Imagine one central repository where everything could be collected, supported, and distributed. Now think about what you just said if someone from another vantage point said it. Just because its your favorite distro doesn't mean its right for everyone. Multiple vantage points is what keeps linux and the rest of the computing world competitive. As far as I know, the Ubuntu foundation operates independently of Canonical, Ltd. Canonical could pull all support for Ubuntu in favor of Ubuntu Enterprise Edition (a la Red Hat), but free Ubuntu would live on because Canonical can't take away the Ubuntu Foundation's $10,000,000+ war chest. You should also note the grandparent's use of the word corporate. Red Hat is indeed a publically traded corporation, while Canonical is a privately held Limited Partnership. There's a big difference between those two when it comes to legal rights, shareholder obligations, and overall evil-ness. No, Ubuntu is maintained by a non-profit foundation, that gets a lot of funding from a corporation that exists to fund and promote open source software -- not to make money for it's shareholder (not shareholders, since there is only one). On the other hand, Oracle could want Novell so that they can make Novell no longer back IBM on the SCO vs. IBM case. This would potentially leave Oracle with the only legitimate Linux distribution and stack of enterprise software. It may be an added bonus for Ellison's ego and too sweet an opportunity to pass up. You're right, can you please post instructions on getting XP to work on a 17" PowerBook G4 and a Sun 10000E... I want a REAL OS (tm) too!!! You dime a dozen MCSE, point-and-click "techies" make me laugh. Bet you'd shit your pants if somebody took your precious precious mouse away. Oh btw, this is 2006, your driver crap logic hasn't been true since the last time Microsoft was over $30 a share. driver crap isn't true? That's funny, my linksys/cisco card won't load on linux without using windows drivers, and it's till a crapshoot at best going about it that way. If I had a PowerBook G4, I'd load OSX onto it. If I had a Sun 10000E I'd load Solaris onto it, and you can bet your ass everyone else who bought one will too. Last I checked, when you drop 6 figures on a server you want support. That being said, your point is moot. Knowing I can run linux on a powerbook doesn't chang ethe fact my wireless doesn't work for shit. YOU are all that is wrong with linux right now. Instead of saying "hey, you're right, that's a problem we really need to fix" it's "well f you, that doesn't matter it's not important because of this and this and this". Stop patting yourself on the back, and stop trying to brush a serious problem under the rug. I can only be happy people like yourself aren't running the show or linux would've never made it out of Linus's dorm room. Wish I could mod something "needs whitespace"It seems to me that you don't need to buy a distro or own a distro, you need in-house expertise. There's no point "buying" an open source company if the engineers etc. leave, and if you hire the engineers then the company is basically dead. It seems to me that the reason IBM isn't buying distros is that (a) it understands this, and (b) it doesn't need to (because it already has the expertise). What Ellison is revealing by making his statements is that either he	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
One response to “American Curves” I am a Zen monk. But I enjoy your website because you make fun of everything. There is a Broadway musical called Q street that makes fun of everything. Go if you are in New York City. I would like to pet you verbally so I will compliment your sense of humor. But more than that I love your advice columns. I sent similar advice columns on email. In the above pictures, you have chosen to wear a sneer. That is not the kind of expression I expect because of all the fun pictures you show. Also I admire your imagination. There are so many different ways you show you aphrodite body and spirit. In addition to having a perfect body, perfect is not really the right word but I cannot recall the word that combines magnificent, voluptuous, and virtuous. So in addition to having body parts assembled into a stunning beauty, you express a playful at times and amorous at times, and contemplative at times, personality. Stunning means that when I saw your pictures I could not breathe for a while.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
TOP 10 Hand And Foot Card Game The Essential Hand & Foot The Essential Hand & Foot In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Canasta was all the rage. Fast forward forty years or so. Canasta is still played, though mostly by people who learned the game more than a generation ago. However, somewhere (I do not k 9 Deck Plastic Revolving Playing Card Tray with 3 Slots - Clear 9 Deck Plastic Revolving Playing Card Tray with 3 Slots - Clear All I Need is Coffee and a Game of Hand and Foot: Blank Lined Journal 6x9 - Fun Gift For Card Game Players All I Need is Coffee and a Game of Hand and Foot: Blank Lined Journal 6x9 - Fun Gift For Card Game Players This is a blank, lined journal that makes a beautiful, funny gift for friends and family, male or female. Pick it up today for coffeeholics who also love playing the card game hand and foot. Other features of this notebook include:110 pages6x9 inchesExcellent and thick bindingDurable white paperSleek, matte-finished cover for a professional lookThis diary is a convenient and perfect size to carry anywhere for writing, journaling and note taking. If you would like an unlined journal, please take a look at our other products. This set contains 12 decks of red playing cards. There are 6 decks of red cards and 6 decks of blue cards included. Each deck is wide (poker) size with a standard index. The cards measure 3.5" x 2.5". The cards are made from plastic-coated paper, which makes them durable and easy to clean. These cards are perfect for use in at-home games, poker tournaments, goody bags, stocking stuffer and more. Each deck contains 52 cards and two jokers. Hand And Foot Canasta Hand And Foot Canasta Brybelly 9 Deck Rotating/Revolving Card Tray Brybelly 9 Deck Rotating/Revolving Card Tray Make your next card game easier with this Nine-Deck, Rotating/Revolving Card Tray. This revolving card holder is perfect for any card game with give and take hands. Made of sturdy plastic, the clear holder swivels on a turn table base to make Drawing-Card easier. Each tray can hold up to nine-Deck of standard Playing-Card, including KEM or COPAG. I Love Playing Hand and Foot: Blank Lined Journal 6x9 - Fun Gift For Hand and Foot Card Game Players I Love Playing Hand and Foot: Blank Lined Journal 6x9 - Fun Gift For Hand and Foot Card Game Players This is a blank, lined journal that makes a beautiful, funny gift for friends and family, male or female. Pick it up today for anyone who loves playing the Canasta card game derivative, Hand and Foot. Other features of this notebook include:110 pages6x9 inchesExcellent and thick bindingDurable white paperSleek, matte-finished cover for a professional lookThis diary is a convenient and perfect size to carry anywhere for writing, journaling and note taking. If you would like an unlined journal, please take a look at our other products. Playing cards are one of favorite items for party, travel and camping to kill time with friends and family. Whatever play poker, bridge, euchre, hearts, go fish, blackjack, baccarat, or other different variations of solitaire, a dozen decks of playing cards can satisfy all your needs. Our decks of cards are made from paper, coated with a layer of plastic, to make slick, durable and easy to shuffle. The wide size is sometimes called poker size, it measures 2.5" x 3.5" (63mm x 88mm). Our standard playing cards feature classic red and black suits, traditional face cards and regular index. We have red and blue cardbacks, 6 of each color. Each deck contains 52 suited cards and 2 jokers. Specification : Quantity: 12 Decks Color: red; blue Card size: 2.5" x 3.5" (63mm x 88mm) Color: Pack of 12 Paper Playing Card Brand: LotFancy ASIN: B071G7Y3XL Similar Hand And Foot Card Game Results Hand And Foot Card Game Video Results Card Games : How to Play Hand & Foot Card Game Hand And Foot Card Game Hand and Foot is a card game played between two-to-six players in which one deck is needed per player. Play Hand and Foot and deal each player two hands of 11 cards with tips from a gaming specialist in this free video on card games. Expert: Windy St. George Bio: Windy St. George has worked at G... How to Play Hand and Foot (Canasta) Card Game: Points & Rules Full Hand And Foot Card Game Follow the point system and these easy rules to play Hand & Foot. Let the fun begin! Whether you’re looking for a modern and fun new game to play with family and friends or a long-time lover of Hand & Foot (Canasta), this clever makeover of a classic game is for you! The cards are truly someth... About Us Compare prices on Hand And Foot Card Game at ShoppinGent.com – use promo codes and coupons for best offers and deals. Start smart buying with ShoppinGent.com right now and choose your golden price on every purchase. ShoppinGent.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Is it time for football? We swear someone said football. If so, we want in! Really, we'll sit down and watch just about any football game, but we usually get more excited for NFL games, especially if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing. We kind have have a soft spot for any team that goes piratical, and buccaneers are really just pirates with licenses. Pirates are lean and mean, and Buccaneers are like an even better fancier version! Not to mention this team has a freaking pirate ship, which is pretty awesome. If the Buccaneers are playing, then be prepared to see a lot of great Buccaneer gear! From Buccaneer hats and flags to colorful streamers and clothes, we'll be there in style. Surely you have a little something to show off your Tampa Bay pride too? No? Well then, what about this Tampa Bay Buccaneers Franchise Fit Women,s shirt? It's a bright red classic fitted T-shirt, with the Buccaneer's team logo on the front with "Tampa Bay Football" proudly displayed. This way you can show off a bit of team spirit in a cute and comfortable shirt! Go Bucs!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
41 Groups in Rallies in Federation’s Drive for City Institutions The appeal for $4,200,000 which will finance a supporting budget for ninety-one affiliates of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies will be widely publicized this week. Forty-one meetings of business and professional leaders, as well as prominent women, are scheduled before the end of the month. Confidence that the Federation’s 2,500 volunteer workers who have mobilized their facilities in a concentrated money-raising drive, will be successful, was expressed in a statement issued by Paul and Benjamin J. Buttenweiser, campaign chairmen. “The success of the campaign becomes daily more imperative,” read the statement. “Each day brings reports of an increasing need from our hospitals, child-care institutions, homes and direct-relief agencies. In this the fifth year of the depression, we realize that something more than food, shelter and clothing must be given to the thousands of victims of the crisis. They must be nursed back to health, given new spirit and ambition and restored to their positions as productive citizens.” Team captains in the Red Division of the Federation, headed by Mrs. Alfred A. Cook, will meet at luncheon at the Hotel Carlyle tomorrow. White division leaders will hold a luncheon meeting at the home of their commander, Mrs. Arthur Lehman, Wednesday. The Blue Division will meet at luncheon at the home of Mrs. Irvin Untermyer Thursday. The division is headed by Mrs. Joseph Brettauer and Mrs. Untermyer. The drive will also concentrate on raising about $15,000 at a meeting of leaders in the brewing industry, and about $150,000 at the Federation Real Estate Club. Rabbi Louis I. Newman, of Temple Rodeph Sholem, will join the committee designed to raise about $7,500.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Author Topic: Prayers: No Teaching License (Read 605 times) Hey all. Well, in the state of NM, there is a complex process involved in renewing a level one license in which one has to turn in a portfolio/dossier in order to keep one's license after so many years. There was a problem with the submission of my dossier, and as of mid June, I will no longer have a teaching license in NM. Not entirely sure what my next step is careerwise. Having been in education for the past 9 years, I don't have any experience in any other career field that might help me get a new job. Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.A hasty quarrel kindles fire,and urgent strife sheds blood.If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth Hey all. Well, in the state of NM, there is a complex process involved in renewing a level one license in which one has to turn in a portfolio/dossier in order to keep one's license after so many years. There was a problem with the submission of my dossier, and as of mid June, I will no longer have a teaching license in NM. Not entirely sure what my next step is careerwise. Having been in education for the past 9 years, I don't have any experience in any other career field that might help me get a new job. Praying you find something to keep you going until it's all cleared up. Logged Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness, and make zealous men wonder at your goodness. Put the lover of legality to shame by your compassion. With the afflicted be afflicted in mind. Love all men, but keep distant from all men.—St. Isaac of Syria I am a former teacher and I know people who have gone through the same thing. Get on the internet and look up the qualifications for getting certified in all 50 states. Some states, like yours, are inflexible and rigid. Others (like Montana) are quite flexible and not nearly as bureaucratic. States vary WIDELY and there is no logic to it. For example, I have 10 years experience and a Master's degree in South Carolina. When I was originally certified way back in 1989, I got an endorsement to teach English and Social Studies in grades 6-12. However, a couple of years ago, South Carolina created a separate "Middle School Certification" for grades 5-8 and said that the Secondary School Certification would now only cover grades 9-12. If you wanted to teach Middle School, (even if you had 10 years experience and had been teaching Middle School for 5 years already) you had to take the Praxis Exam and score at least 165 on it to maintain your Middle School Certification. (A score of 165, by the way, is the SECOND HIGHEST score required by any state in the nation. Only Ohio requires a higher score.) Anyway, I took the Praxis test twice and scored 163 the first time and 161 the second time. So I lost my teaching job at the Middle School. (I was teaching 8th grade English.) Now if I had had a job teaching 9th grade English or above, I would have been able to keep it, because I am still certified at grades 9-12. If I were teaching in neighboring North Carolina or Georgia, I would have been able to continue teaching 8th grade because they don't require a score that high. Heck, if I wanted to teach Middle School in New York or California I would qualify, but not here in my home state. Isn't bureaucracy wonderful? And people wonder why so many teachers leave the teaching profession. LOL Praying you find something to keep you going until it's all cleared up. I have been in contact with the Professional Education Department, but they don't want to let me appeal. I can't get my license renewed for three years. That is their policy. NM is the only state that has this dossier process. Papist: Are you a member of the NEA? I was and they provided me with a lawyer (free of charge) when I needed one. The cost was covered by my yearly membership dues. If that doesn't work, see what the certification requirements are in the states that border New Mexico. See if any of the border states have a reciprocity agreement with New Mexico. "I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him will I proclaim my grief; for with evils my soul is filled, and my life unto hades hath drawn nigh, and like Jonah I will pray: From corruption raise me up, O God." -Ode VI, Irmos of the Supplicatory Canon to the Theotokos I am a former teacher and I know people who have gone through the same thing. Get on the internet and look up the qualifications for getting certified in all 50 states. Some states, like yours, are inflexible and rigid. Others (like Montana) are quite flexible and not nearly as bureaucratic. States vary WIDELY and there is no logic to it. For example, I have 10 years experience and a Master's degree in South Carolina. When I was originally certified way back in 1989, I got an endorsement to teach English and Social Studies in grades 6-12. However, a couple of years ago, South Carolina created a separate "Middle School Certification" for grades 5-8 and said that the Secondary School Certification would now only cover grades 9-12. If you wanted to teach Middle School, (even if you had 10 years experience and had been teaching Middle School for 5 years already) you had to take the Praxis Exam and score at least 165 on it to maintain your Middle School Certification. (A score of 165, by the way, is the SECOND HIGHEST score required by any state in the nation. Only Ohio requires a higher score.) Anyway, I took the Praxis test twice and scored 163 the first time and 161 the second time. So I lost my teaching job at the Middle School. (I was teaching 8th grade English.) Now if I had had a job teaching 9th grade English or above, I would have been able to keep it, because I am still certified at grades 9-12. If I were teaching in neighboring North Carolina or Georgia, I would have been able to continue teaching 8th grade because they don't require a score that high. Heck, if I wanted to teach Middle School in New York or California I would qualify, but not here in my home state. Isn't bureaucracy wonderful? And people wonder why so many teachers leave the teaching profession. LOL However, don't despair. Things will work out. You are in my prayers. Thank you very much for the good advice. I'm going to look into applying for my license in Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and California.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The lead singer for Cover Up could has the kind of energy level that normally you see at a Flogging Molly concert: Jumping up on tables, serenading the ladies at the bar (from the top of the bar), playing the crowd from one end of the bar to the other, from one end of the song to the other. Combine that with dozens of dozens of beers (not ingested, but available) and you have a fun night out!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar said Wednesday the government expects an economic contraction this year of 2 percent â¿¿ double its earlier prediction. It will be Portugal's third straight year of recession as austerity measures including steep tax hikes and welfare cuts are blamed for a crunch on spending and investment, as well as an unemployment rate that has hit a record 16.9 percent. Portugal needed a â¿¬78 billion bailout in 2011 when a decade of average growth below 1 percent and mounting debts pushed it close to bankruptcy. Investor faith in Portugal has returned in recent months â¿¿ a trend reflected in falling interest rates on its debt â¿¿ as the European Central Bank has indicated it is willing to help eurozone countries that, like Portugal, are abiding by debt-reduction programs. Portugal hopes to be able to finance itself without help by the end of the year. In the third quarter of last year, the latest figure available, the deficit stood at 3.2 percent of annual GDP. In 2010, it was 10.1 percent. Given Portugal's recent record on slashing debt, Gaspar told a parliamentary committee hearing it was "reasonable" to expect that its bailout lenders â¿¿ the so-called troika of the ECB, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund â¿¿ will grant Portugal an extra year to meet its debt targets. He did not elaborate but Portugal is currently aiming for a deficit of 2.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2014. A longer time span to reduce the deficit would potentially allow the government time to ease off on its contested cuts and tax hikes.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
RESIDENTS in some areas of Crewe face the prospect of having to pay £250 just to park near their homes. The measure is part of plans by Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council to scrap free parking on some of its car parks. Reporter BEN JERVIS looks at the issues confronting residents. WE ALL know what it is like. You have had a hard day at work, you get in the car and have managed to escape the worst of the rush-hour traffic. Then, just when you think things can't get any worse, you get home and there is nowhere to park. Many people living in the side streets off Nantwich Road have had to live with this scenario on a daily basis as they compete for parking space with shoppers or football supporters going to Gresty Road. Now, to add insult to injury, they face the prospect of having to pay £250 a year for a parking permit. And those who apply for the permits will be chosen at random. Under plans being considered by Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council, residents who use the free car parks near to their homes will see this privilege scrapped as the council looks to axe free parking on some of its car parks. The permits will apply to former free car parks on Edward Street, Lord Street, South Street, Wood Street (West) and Union Street. The council says the proposed charges - which are part of an overall rise in parking costs - will help free up more spaces for those who need them. People wanting to park at Barnfields car park on Browning Street also face having to pay to park, although 18 permits will be offered to residents to allow them to park on the site. Borough councillor Steve Hogben says more than 70 households on three of the streets in his Alexandra ward will be affected by the permit scheme. He said: 'I am in favour of parking permits but this is only part of it. There are three streets, Edward Street, South Street and Wood Street (West), which interest me because they all have car parks and will be affected by the scheme. 'I agree with the idea of parking permits but I don't agree with the fee being suggested, which is around £250. 'I have written to people in my ward about the scheme and have so far had about a dozen of the households respond. 'It is a new experiment in the borough and it needs to be made fair for everyone. 'South Street in particular has double yellow lines so people cannot park in front of their homes. Residents living there have no choice but to park on the car park. 'So if residents, and pensioners in particular, cannot afford to pay, they will be well and truly stuck.' Motorists parking in the Edleston Road and Wood Street (East) car parks, which are currently free, will face charges of £1.20 for two to four hours and £2 after that when these sites become pay and display car parks under the plans. The council agreed in principle to the changes last year and the plans are now out to public consultation. A decision will be taken at a council board meeting next Wednesday. When the scheme was first discussed at a series of meetings last year, councillors abandoned the idea of auctioning off spaces in the free car parks to the highest bidder on the basis that it would be discriminatory. Instead, they agreed to award spaces by pulling the names of people who apply out of a hat. Council business development offer Paul Burns says it is trying to reach a compromise to keep both residents and shoppers happy. He added: 'Having a pay and display gives up free parking and creates more spaces given the amount of pressure there's going to be once the redevelopment of the town starts. 'The changes to Barnfields car park on Browning Street are to free up spaces for more shop-pers. 'The other changes are to make sure residents have somewhere to park. 'People will be chosen on a random selection basis for residents' permits.' Firefighter highlights double parking perils >> Firefighter highlights double parking perils PEOPLE may not think that parking on the road in a narrow street could be matter of life and death. But the emergency services face an extra battle to get to somebody in time because of cars that have been illegally parked. Red Watch manager Jay Hague, a leading firefighter at Crewe Fire Station, says a little bit of thought could go a long way to making their job a little easier. He said: 'When people double park it causes problems. The side streets are overcrowded as it is. When people park and don't leave enough space it makes it really difficult to get down. 'It is actually illegal to park and not leave enough room to make sure an emergency vehicle can get past. It is also an offence to obstruct hydrants on the side of the road by parking in front of them.' The 46-year-old officer, of Crewe, has had more than 20 years' experience as a firefighter. He added: 'There have been a number of incidents in the past couple of years where we have been called out to side streets off Nantwich Road and surrounding areas and have faced problems. 'One incident springs to mind on Samuel Street in Crewe last year where we had to run 100 yards down the street with breathing apparatus on to a house which was on fire because we couldn't get the fire engine down. 'The fire engine did make it in the end but only after we had got people out of bed. 'We have a deadline to meet and we have to make sure we get there as quick as we can because people in that situation have only three minutes before they are totally overcome by smoke.' WHAT DO YOU THINK? We welcome your views. You can write to us at The Chronicle, 32-34 Victoria Street, Crewe CW1 2JE, fax us on 01270 256760, or e-mail us at: [email protected]	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Product navigation White Snake hose holder A rule breaker sometimes need a place to rest – here to keep an eye on the White Snake Garden Hose – a holder that lives up to the hose’s bold reputation. This holder is the perfect piece to keep your sleek hose in place while doing other gardening work. Apart from that, there is not much that can restrain this bad boy.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Holmdel, NJ – A front desk receptionist at a Holmdel orthodontics practice was indicted this week for stealing her boss’ checkbook, and writing about $25,000 worth of checks to herself and her friends, Monmouth County prosecutors announced Tuesday. Dr. Sezer Olcay, DMD, the owner of Holmdel Orthodontics, said she doesn’t usually write checks, so at first she didn’t notice when pages from her personal checkbook went missing last fall. “I would check my bank account online and notice checks had been made out in small amounts at first, $25, $50,” Dr. Olcay told Patch Wednesday. “Then the amounts got larger.” As soon as she realized what was happening, the orthodontist called the police. Her front desk receptionist, Gina Lena, has been charged with stealing her checkbook and writing out checks to herself as well as two of her friends, she said. This went on for about a 10-week period, Dr. Olcay said, from September through November of 2015. In total, she says, Lena stole $25,000 from her.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Interpretive Summary: A new transposable element from the hobo, Ac, TamJ transposon family was isolated as a genomic clone from the oriental fruit fly, BactrOCi!ro dorsalis by scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida. It is approximately 3.1 kb in length with 19-bp inverted terminal repeat sequences having a single mismatch.Though sharing several amino acid sequence identities with other hAT elements, it is distantly related to both hobo and Ae.Among hAT elements thus far described in insects, it is apparently the most distantly related to hobo. Technical Abstract: A new transposable element from the hobo, Ac, TamJ transposon family was isolated as a genomic clone from the oriental fruit fly, BactrOCi!ro dorsalis. It is approximately 3.1 kb in length with 19-bp inverted terminal repeat sequences having a single mismatch.Though sharing several amino acid sequence identities with other hAT elements, it is distantly related to both hobo and Ae.Among hAT elements thus far described in insects, it is apparently the most distantly related to hobo.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
My Career in 2017 – Looking Back It’s 2017 and it’s fall again. It’s my favorite time of the year to look back and reflect. I’ll might end up making this a 3 part series. I’ve been making a plan to blog or vlog. Now it’s time to take actions. We’ll see how it goes. 5 Years Ago It’s been 5 years since I graduated from the Art Institute of CA – Sacramento. I’ve been so fortunate to have an awesome career so far. I’ve worked on celebrity websites like Britney Spears on a custom platform (Wonderful Union). I was an early adopter for React.js and worked on a learn-by-doing LMS that we were building from scratch at a start up (now Practice). I’ve also worked for a major international corporation that handles rewards and coupons for major companies like Kohl’s (Tibco Loyalty Labs). I’ve also worked for an amazing eCommerce company that changed the game in buying shoes and fashion online (Zappos/6pm). I’ve done all of this, while building WordPress websites on nights and weekends. Some were custom themes built from scratch. Others were child themes of Divi by Elegant Themes. 7 Years Ago It’s been 7 years since I chose this career. It all started innocently when my new neighbor Monica, who is the owner and designer behind CMonicaDesign.com and SniffDesign.com, moved in downstairs and one unit over from me. Me being me, I introduced myself and did my best to make her feel welcome. Our parking spaces were near each other; We’d have to walk down the same pathway to get to our front doors. The least I could do is make sure I was a good neighbor. Not long after she moved in, she invited me over and we got to talking and sharing. She had a big office setup in her living room, so it pretty quickly moved to what her job was. She explained to me that she works from home and that she contracts out all the web work to a developer. Let me tell you something. There was no bigger light bulb that went off in my head than hearing that she works from home and that she contracts out developers. High School At the time of writing this blog, I haven’t hit my 10 year high school reunion yet. Sophomore year of high school, I enrolled in an engineering and STEM program at my school that was sponsored by Cal Poly. Junior year, I chose to take an advanced computers course. This course taught me how to build websites with HTML and CSS, and also with Flash. Yeah, I’m old enough to remember building a website in Flash. I also remember dial up too. Anyways, Monica’s story helped me realize that I could make money with skills I already have. Granted, my skills weren’t the greatest. It had been a short while since I’d written a webpage from scratch. What hit me the most was that I could FINALLY use something I learned from high school to make a living. Looking back, I got to where I am today because I chose a school that had a STEM program. I rode public transit for 2 years to go to the High School 10 miles away because I wanted that STEM program, and to get away from the bullies of middle school that made snide remarks when I got above a 3.5 gpa at progress report time. Do I feel lucky? You bet. I had no idea what I wanted to do in High School. Here’s what I did know. As a child, I wasn’t treated like a delicate little girl. I kept up with my father like a Son. He taught me that anything a man can do, I can do too in the work force. In the STEM program, we had the largest enrollment of women for our class year to date, but there was still more men than women. At this point, I can’t tell if my career chose me, or I chose it. I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Cheapdressale.com, an outstanding online supplier of wedding dresses and women’s special occasion dresses, has recently released its new assortment of celebrity dresses for sale. Cheapdressale.com (PRWEB) May 17, 2014 Cheapdressale.com, an outstanding online supplier of wedding dresses and women’s special occasion dresses, has recently released its new assortment of celebrity dresses for sale. Also, the company has announced that all these celebrity outfits are provided at discounted rates, from 30 to 65 percent off. Cheapdressale.com wants to make all kinds of amazing dresses that can enhance the grace of the wearers. The company has been specializing in the fashion field for years; it has over 2000 happy customers in the market. On its website, all visitors are treated as an old friend. More importantly, all its members insist on offering high quality products, affordable prices and considerate services. In the coming months, it will still try hard to help those who yearn to shine among the crowd. The company’s senior spokesman says that the current promotion is specially launched to attract more new clients. Cheapdressale.com promises to offer only the best special occasion gowns for worldwide ladies. It sincerely hopes to make things more convenient and comfortable for customers. All people can save plenty of time and energy when shopping on its website. What’s more, a lot of chic ladies like the wonderful outfits from Cheapdressale.com. They enjoy shopping at the company’s online shop, because all its online workers are kind and professional. Any related questions from customers will be answered patiently. About Cheapdressale.com Cheapdressale.com is a popular online store that provides a wide range of women’s dresses; the company has grown in readership across the globe with its high-quality dresses and good customer service. Moreover, the company has its own designers and models who can present the best designs for customers worldwide.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Seeing is believing. Ikena Forensic enhances video from any source to clarify the critical question: What happened? With Ikena Forensic, analysts can quickly and easily identify important details like faces and the make/model of cars to produce forensically valid evidence. Now, decision makers like judges and juries can clearly see the facts that only experts could discern before. Ikena Forensic is currently used in law enforcement, commercial security, intelligence, test & measurement and transportation. The Background:A Montana State Trooper was killed during a high-speed pursuit of a suspect on a Montana highway. The suspect fled the scene. MotionDSP’s Role:Ikena Forensic enabled analysts to stabilize the shaky, blurred video... The Background:A Montana State Trooper was killed during a high-speed pursuit of a suspect on a Montana highway. The suspect fled the scene. MotionDSP’s Role:Ikena Forensic enabled analysts to stabilize the shaky, blurred video retrieved from the trooper’s mounted dashboard camera. Using an overlay from a still photograph taken at the scene, MotionDSP engineers clearly proved what happened: the suspect’s car was driving on the wrong side of the road when it clipped an oncoming truck. This action forced the truck to veer into the trooper’s car, resulting in the state trooper’s death. Ikena also clarified the image of the suspect’s car, aiding in identifying the make and model so the suspect could be identified. The Result:While the case is ongoing, MotionDSP provided a strong lead in the search for the suspect and enabled the police to use the crude VHS tape from the on-board camera as forensic evidence to prove that the suspect's illegal actions directly caused the death of the state trooper. The Background: Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) had surveillance video of a suspect’s vehicle passing a security camera. Although the vehicle was in clear view, the letters on the license plate were unreadable.... Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) had surveillance video of a suspect’s vehicle passing a security camera. Although the vehicle was in clear view, the letters on the license plate were unreadable. MotionDSP’s Role: At a training session, a NCIS analyst used Ikena Forensic to reconstruct the characters on a license plate using Ikena’s super-resolution (which combines the best information from multiple frames of video) and MotionDSP’s patented de-interlacing algorithm. Immediately, the license plate characters were visible. The Result: With the license plate details in hand, the Navy was able to conduct a database search that led to a positive ID of the perpetrator. Background: Shoplifting and employee theft cost US businesses billions of dollars annually. Retailers maintain a database of known thieves and shoplifters, and keep photos of the individuals. They compare surveillance images with... Shoplifting and employee theft cost US businesses billions of dollars annually. Retailers maintain a database of known thieves and shoplifters, and keep photos of the individuals. They compare surveillance images with their photo database of known shoplifters, and if a match is found, they must quickly pass the image to local law enforcement so the suspected shoplifter can be apprehended before leaving the area. Speed is of the essence. The challenge is that surveillance images need to be high quality in order to be matched accurately to the database, and the quality of images from retail security cameras (also known as CCTV cameras) can vary significantly due to the camera’s location, resolution, and the movement of the individual. MotionDSP’s Role: MotionDSP’s Ikena Forensic software is able to significantly increase the fidelity of images captured from video so the clearest image can be matched to the database and given to law enforcement. If an employee spots a suspected shoplifter, security staff can use Ikena to quickly extract a high quality still image and verify a positive match. Security can then immediately turn the image over to law enforcement so they can apprehend the suspect. The Result: Shoplifters who might not otherwise be caught and convicted will be stopped, preventing further loss. Law enforcement does not typically have the resources to apply video forensic services to non-violent crimes. Stores help the police take shoplifters off the street by providing them with high-quality evidence. Stop one or two shoplifters and the software pays for itself. Ikena has been designed from the ground up to accelerate video forensics using state-of-the-art, automated image processing that can quickly extract forensically valid results from any video source. Based on patented super-resolution-based reconstruction algorithms, Ikena is powerfully simple, automating into a single click what was once a multi-step, manual process. It's a new paradigm in video forensics. With Ikena Forensic, you can stabilize videos from hand-held, vehicle-mounted and aerial cameras. MotionDSP’s stabilization algorithm uses motion estimation from up to 51 frames to stabilize video, and is able to remove jitter from the most severe shake. See Ikena Forensic's stabilization in action on the Zapruder film of the Kennedy Assassination (before/after). Competitive video clarification tools employ manual frame-averaging tools that require hours of manual work by highly trained experts. Ikena Forensic’s super-resolution delivers faster, superior results in far less time by weighing good data over "bad" for smooth, noise-less reconstruction. Even better, it does so automatically in one single click using mathematical algorithms that are precisely reproducible every time. No advanced training or forensic expertise necessary. See what Ikena Forensic's super-resolution filter reveals the face of the individual.How to buy	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
More Than Sad More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention Education for Teachers and Other School Personnel teaches those who work in the schools about teen suicide and how they can help to prevent it. The program has been designed to comply with the requirements for teacher education in many states; the program can also be used as part of the ongoing in-service training related to student mental health. Identify Risk Factors and More More Than Sad: Preventing Teen Suicide addresses risk factors and imminent signs of suicide. The clear, meaningful content, including interviews with teachers, is very relevant for the personal and environmental issues that our students face today. I highly recommend this excellent resource for schools. —Dr. Patti Harrison, president, National Association of School Psychologists. The goals of this educational program are to increase the understanding of the problem of youth suicide, the risk factors that can lead to suicide and the treatment and prevention of suicidal behavior in adolescence. The program seeks to increase the knowledge of the warning signs of youth suicide, so that teachers and other adults who work with teens are better prepared to identify and refer students who may be at risk.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Israeli Navy is prepared to neutralize threats targeting Israel’s Tamar natural gas rig, the IDF Website reported Saturday. The Navy will protect the reception facility – a vital infrastructural facility to pump gas from the rig – which is currently being built. The IDF’s defensive model has been tested in three scenarios: routine, escalation, and emergency. “The wisdom in the development of this kind of model is that it provides an excellent response for all three scenarios,” senior naval commander Rear Adm. Yaron Levi recently explained at a conference on protecting Israel’s economic waters held at the Institute for National Security Studies. Rear Adm. Levi referred to the reception facility, which is to be completed by March 2013, and will serve as an activities base for dozens of ships, a number of helicopters, and divers’ crafts. “This will be a wide-ranging operation inside a relatively small space,” he said. “There hasn’t been a maritime activity on this scale since the establishment of the state, and the project will continue for decades.” The major threats to Israel’s exclusive economic zone on the Mediterranean are maritime terror attacks, below-surface activity, and aerial threats, he said, noting that the first stage of defense of the area is the gathering of intelligence. “Our means of discovery that are deployed on the coast and at sea will expand our discovery and image-building capabilities, and that’s how we’ll increase our control of our economic waters.” Abdossater described Israel’s drilling operations in the Mediterranean as ‘aggressive and expansionist’ saying they had heightened tension between Beirut and Jerusalem. “Zionists’ plot to find control over Lebanon’s sea wealth has a high potential for clashes between the two sides and is likely to have dire consequences,” he stated. “The Lebanese Islamic resistance will not tolerate any kind of aggressions against the country’s sovereignty,” he reiterated, and added, “Hizbullah views the oil resources in Lebanon’s water as a treasure for the Lebanese nation and has declared its position in this regard very transparently.” Earlier in July 2011, Hizbullah Leader Seyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against trying to steal Lebanon’s maritime resources, and said it would retaliate against any Israeli attack on the country’s oil and gas interests	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Sex has always been one of those taboo topic to talk about but at the same time the topic that gets the most attention. How ironic right? It is like we want it but we do not want it at the same time. #Pretentious. How it all cum about I was brought to attention about this show many months ago when they actually did a pitch on indiegogo to raise fund for this movie. It is some sort of a kick starter site for movie making. I was very interested in it because sex has always been one of my favourite thing to do topic. I used to run this sex blog - Smithtalksaboutsex.blogspot.com which earned me the title "Singapore Sex Blogger" when I 1st started blogging. And this title still haunts me every now and then with the veteran bloggers who knows about it but I'm proud of it. Because sex is something we all love and we all do and I don't see a problem talking about it. Rubber Review (No Spoiler) The day finally came where rubbers is ready for the big screen. I got my email invite and to be honest this is the 1st time I got so sexcited about a movie invite. A Singapore very own sex comedy. My favourite Character. I don't think you need to ask why The show actually consist of 3 short stories which was 1st meant to be delivered on the big screen 1 at a time but editor managed to convinced the director to present it as 1 movie. I must say the editing was really pretty smooth. It didn't feel awkward or disruptive at all. The jokes were very local and that was one of the things that I enjoyed the most. The way they talk, the words they used were so "real". It is just like how you would have spoken to your friend instead of weird scenes like mediacorpse tv drama where 5 people stand in a circle and take turn to read their lines 1 after another. Rubber Review (With a bit of Spoiler) Be prepared to see some familiar faces in this show like local star Chua En Lai, Kim Ng and even our director Han Yew Kuang. He totally stole the show, his scenes were the best in my opinion. You may or may not remember Yew Kuang. Yew Kwang has been in the film and television industry for more than a decade. Since starting out a scriptwriter for popular Chinese sitcoms such as The Right Frequency(1998) and award winning dramas like Pass It Forward (2002), Yew Kwang has gone on to produce, write and direct various projects for film and television. His works include the romantic comedy 18 Grams of Love 愛情⼗十⼋八克 (2007) and the quirky un-romantic romantic comedy When Hainan Meets Teochew當海南遇上潮州 (2010). Interview with the director (Spoiler Included) I'm no journalist so do bear with me if anything sounds weird. It was a very casual interview so I would paraphrase some of the answers here and there a bit. S(mith): What was the inspiration of these stories. Were they based on true story?Y(ew Kuang): The plumber story is based on porn. We always see lonely female characters seducing plumbers in porn. I ask myself if we can give backstories to the characters... it might turn out to be a good story. As for the Adam story, I heard a story of a guy, after ejaculating after sex, fell asleep without removing the used condom on his dick. It gave me imagination and I came out with the playboy story. S: I understand that this is an indie movie which 1st started asking for funding off indiegogo, can you briefly describe how was the experience, how difficult or how easy the platform actually help in this project? Y: We raise only about $10K through indiegogo. But the campaign gives quite a bit of publicity to the film. And a few other private investors came and spoke to us after knowing that we were raising money thru indiegogo. C(hee Nian - Producer): The Indiegogo fundraising idea came about when we were looking for funding to complete the shoot. We had already shot 2 of the stories (Balloons and The Plumber). The whole crowdfunding thing was a real learning experience - not as simple as just listing your idea and hope people come along and donate. It’s a lot of work and a whole jobscope in itself! S: What was the ratio of the fund raised off indiegogo vs other source of funding. C: That would be about 6% of our entire budget if we managed to raise the full sum. In the end, it only comprised about 2.36% of our entire budget. S: Can you briefly describe the casting experience? There aren't exactly nude scene but still it was a r21 show. Was it difficult to get them onboard or any insider news as in who else was supposed to be which role but rejected the role instead? Y: We did audition some new faces for Adam's girlfriends... some were willing to strip and have no problem with the lovemaking scenes... but they were quite inexperienced when it comes to acting... some were missing comic timing... so we didn't work with them eventually. S: Was Alaric really naked in some of the scenes? (I am not even sure why I am interested in this naked man. haha.) Y: For the bare back scene yes. But we cleared the set, so only myself and the cameraman were in the room... before we rolled the camera, I pretended to seriously asked my cameraman "where's the monitor" and he replied "oh shit, it's outside the room!".. meaning everyone outside the room could actually see what was happening! Alaric freaked out a bit :) S: This got my attention. How awkward was it for Shuan to be between Alaric's legs? I am pretty sure she was biting to a harness and not the "real thing"... So is it really? Y: Shu An was quite comfortable on set. I think she felt comfortable with us and ours was a very small and fun production team. And this is the very NSFW harness. S: What are the messages you guys are trying to send within the 3 different stories? Have protected sex? Don't anyhow rate a condom? 1st love is the best? or it is purely just for laugh? Y: Actually I don't have any formal message. I just want to bring laughter to the audience. Comedies nowadays are becoming quite complex and are trying to evoke too many different kind of emotions from the audience. So I thought I should just make one to make the audience laugh. S: Will we see a possible spin off or part 2 of rubber? Y: haha, will see the response and box office of the film first. S: Any thing you would have done differently now that you have watched the final product. Cast, story, angle, etc. Y: Yes, I would have linked the story up better. Our original idea is to have 3 condoms trying to commit suicide together. One condom from each story, including durian. Each will have their sad stories to share... for example, condom from Alaric story will complain that Alaric never uses it. Condom from the old couple story will complain he lives in fear everyday, worrying that he will be blown into a balloon and burst. But we felt this treatment will be too episodic. I also thought of having the characters appearing in a scene of the other story. For example, marcus chin will be the first plumber to arrive before Thor. But we shot each story separately at different periods of time... so we didn't have all the cast available throughout the whole shoot. S: What's some of your favorite scene/character in the show. Both you and Yew Kuang Y: My favourite is Julian putting on the luminous condom and complaining that women are always so impatient :) ----------------- End of Interview ---------------- There you go, some of the behind the scene trivia. These guys are really fun and working with them was actually quite an experience although it was just a short scene. Wait, working with them? (Another spoiler) So I got lucky. At that point of time I was actually doing some project with a pretty friend and she introduced me to the producer as they were looking for carelefare. It is really nothing great. I don't think I did a good handjob but it was fun. I have no lines or whatever so but the experience was pretty interesting. And I got credited on the show as - Masturbating Men. LOL! NO SHIT! MNSFW - Actually this is not suitable for anything. but it was quite funny to see you own name on a movie credit. HAHA. I hope you guys can catch this show when it comes on this coming 30th April. It is totally worth the movie ticket money and in fact I am planning to watch it again!!! Support local r21 show! P.S. If you are looking forward to Oon Shu an or Yeo Yann Yann nude scene... You will be disappointed. I was. :pAnyway leave you with the trailer! We are here for you to wrap out loneliness from your life. Our independent escort agency will make you feel relaxed and comfortable with their beauty and approach. 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Urban Soils Institute at Brooklyn College Raises Awareness About Lead in NYC Soil A map of lead distribution in New York City that was recently published by the Urban Soils Institute has garnered attention. Click the map for a larger version. At the Hart to Hart Community Garden in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, a group of scientists dressed in plaid shirts, t-shirts, and work boots collectively heave-ho a patch of soil they are mixing. There’s a gentle breeze passing through the garden, and a not so distant construction buzz as they homogenize the underlying soil with some fresh dirt and snatch out worms to bring back to the lab. "The beauty of what we do," says Tatiana Morin, director of the NYC Urban Soils Institute, which is housed at Brooklyn College, "is that it’s not pretty." Their digging feeds into the mission of the institute, the first of its kind in the country and one that many soil scientists and environmentalists hope can be replicated in other cities. The environmental scholars working the garden today include two professors—Zhongqi (Joshua) Cheng, the chair and an associate professor in Brooklyn College’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Jonathan Russell-Anelli, a senior lecturer and senior extension associate at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There’s also Morin, who is completing her Master of Science in earth and environmental sciences. Sara Perl will be entering the CUNY Graduate Center’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Ph.D. program in the fall. Andres Saldarriaga '12, is a student in the master’s program and also works at an environmental conservation firm. Anna Minsky, a research assistant and a former student of Perl’s at the New York Botanical Garden, joins the group. She is simply looking to get her hands dirty with some soil scholarship. The scientists from the soils institute have been working here for three months, sending the graduate students to work with the gardeners every week. The institute helps to test and remediate the gardeners’ soil, and in return gets a lab-worthy plot from which they can check the environmental deposition effects of heavy metals on soil and plants. Through their work, the researchers also build important ties to this ethnically and economically diverse community. When a man yells from his window in the adjacent apartment building, "Hey, you guys are standing on my squash," Perl quickly smooths things over. "Sorry Anthony," she says. "We will be extra careful to just step on the weeds." He relents and then promises to come down later to say hi. The soil scientists decide to build him a border. The institute opened a year ago and is partnered with a number of government agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture, the New York City Soil and Water Conservation District, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation, among others. It bolsters collaborations with soil scientists across the region and conducts soil testing and other technical services for city agencies. It also serves as a data depository, offers education and outreach to the community, and conducts research that puts it at the forefront of sustainable resource management and conservation in New York City. "Most people know about the dangers of lead in our water," says Cheng, who also serves as director of the Environmental Sciences Analytical Center at Brooklyn College. "But many people don’t think about the exposure they get from soils." The soil in urban areas tends to have particularly high levels of heavy metals, much of it still around from the days when gasoline and paint contained lead—which does not biodegrade but burns off into the air and then deposits in the soil. Of particular concern to the researchers is the exposure that plants and gardeners get from the roughly 2,000 community gardens in New York City—many of which were created on abandoned lots that had been contaminated. They are also looking at parks, including those frequented by children, who are especially susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning. A map of lead distribution in New York City that the institute just published has been referenced by scholars and journalists, many of whom are jumping on what has become a hot topic since the contaminated water crisis in Flint, Mich. "This issue will only become more prominent," says Cheng. "We plan to be at the forefront of it."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Blog Archives Yesterday, Blizzard announced that the Warlords of Draenor expansion will be released on Thursday November 13th, 2014. The opening cinematic primarily features the orcs. This seems to be inspired by the Warcraft 3 story, evoking nostalgia for people who played the earlier RTS games. The cinematic, however, doesn’t tell the whole story of the expansion. It’s just a teaser that shows one of the many plots. The opening cinematic is good, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of the expansion, and it doesn’t tell us what the game will feel like when we play it. None of the other opening cinematic videos really have either. For the Alliance! In playing the beta for the expansion, I am overall pretty happy with the direction of questing for the alliance. The opening Shadowmoon Valley is shaping up to be a great zone that largely features the Draenei. The alliance storyline carries through several of the zones I have quested in. Later in leveling, the battle for Shattrath is one of the most heart-wrenching quests I’ve ever done – and that’s before they even put in the cinematic videos for the quest and we’re left to using our own imaginations during <insert epic video here>. The alliance has a great story coming in Warlords of Draenor. It may just require us to actually read quest text as we level. The video that actually shows the diversity of environments and story plots is actually the gameplay “Warlords of Draenor in action” video that people largely overlooked when waiting for the opening cinematic reveal. This shows much more of the environments you will encounter in the game. Even if the cinematic doesn’t inspire you to want more, the gameplay shots should be more intriguing. There are some great stories in store for us as we level. Uncovering these stories is part of the fun. When the developers decided to merge all of the druids’ travel form buttons into a single button, this theoretically made sense. If you are in water, the most efficient form is swimming in your aquatic form. In places you can fly, the most efficient form is flight form. In place where you aren’t in water and you can’t fly, stag form becomes the only usable form. So, the concept of merging them all into one button (where the game chooses the most efficient form for you) seemed like a great idea. So, why do people so adamantly oppose the merging of these seemingly redundant forms? Why is this something so terrible there are four posts on the Beta forums, even after Blizzard thought they addressed all our concerns? Why are druid shapeshift forms a problem rivaled only by arms warriors for the contest of most class complaints? To answer this question, we need to talk about what shapeshifting means to druids. What shapeshift forms mean to druids For some context, shapeshifting is one of the key things that druids do. Many people chose the druid class because they like shapeshifting. In fact, our forms are so popular that 8 of our 13 minor glyphs in the Warlords of Draneor build are tied directly to our forms. In addition, the aesthetics of druid forms are so important to the druid class that my most popular guide on this blog is NOT either the leveling guide, or the healing guide. The charts I made mapping the bear/cat hair colors to worgen and troll forms rival my actual real guides for viewer counts. In fact, I’m actually embarrassed that I didn’t invest more time into making them “pretty” when I originally threw them together – two expansions later, they still draw the most consistent blog hits via google searches. In fact, in the last month, the two color charts for worgen and troll druids have had more than double the number of page views as my healing guide. Our shapeshift graphics are so important that we will need to make new mappings once the race changes are complete so that we have up to date color mappings between our hair and our forms. We (druids) like to party We interrupt this post to give you random druid parties across Azeroth: Actually, wait, there’s more druid parties, and stag stacking! In fact, I could actually post dozens of pictures I’ve taken at various druid parties over the many years I have been playing the game, but I think people would believe me when I say that partying in your forms, even a form that might not be the most efficient form, is probably one of the biggest features of the druid class. Sometimes, druids just want to have fun. This fun factor, however, is one of the hardest things to explain to people who aren’t druids. Why would people actually care about being able to swim in stag form when aquatic form is objectively more efficient? The answer really is just that druids sometimes prefer aesthetics over efficiency, and like having control over their forms. While everything else in the game, and the problem of “button bloat” was all about increasing efficiency, when it comes to our forms, flexibility and fun is what we care about the most. My balance druid on live actually glyphed for tree form just to have access to all the shapeshift forms on one character. It’s not rational, it’s just pure fun. Forgetting the past? Lets also not forget what happened when they tried to take away the original grumpy tree form and turn it into a big beefy cooldown tree. That’s why it got added back as a cosmetic glyph – because druids really liked having that button on their button bar and the ability to use an outdated form (even after they complained that it was ugly and needed a graphical update in the first place). Even the generic cheetah form couldn’t go away completely, and had to stick around as a PVP glyph. Druids really don’t like having their forms taken away, and the happiest you can make druids is to introduce new colors or form variety. A possible glyph solution? While the developers still didn’t quite understand our fascination with our forms, they changed glyph of the stag to have the following effect: Your ground form is the rideable stag that can carry a party member. Then, your flight form becomes a new button, seperated from the other shapeshift form. However, this has one very fatal flaw for all your friends. When you have someone on your stag’s back and you go into the water, you still shift into aquatic form, leaving your friends behind in the water to drown. So, at the very least, this glyph needs to be changed to have all three forms back on their own buttons so you can’t risk drowning your friends on accident by having them fall off your back when you go into a puddle that is too deep. In addition, earlier I said that 8 of our 12 minor glyphs are all cosmetic. To be able to take this glyph, you can’t take the cheetah glyph, or the Travel glyph (that increases your mount speed). You also can’t take the cheetah glyph with the speed boost travel glyph either (likely a purposeful PVP nerf). In the words of the almighty Alamo, “DURIDS IS 4 haf FUN TIME WIT FRENS” Do we need a change at all? For people that wanted the functionality of combining all our travel forms to one button, it was always possible to find a macro for shapeshifting. Thus, it’s not necessarily apparent that taking away druid form buttons actually helped with reducing button bloat in any significant way. The main thing that the change did was it took away choice and control, and that seems to be something druids care about more than efficiency or our number of buttons. I’m happy to have one more button for some cosmetic form I’ll never fight in. Thus, while this idea seems neat (and works better now that many of the bigger bugs are fixed), it’s still insanely unpopular. This remains unpopular even after they glyphed it to split off flight form from the rideable stag. Is this change something we could learn to accept and live with? Maybe. In some of the questing, auto-shifting from travel to aquatic form seemed to be kinda helpful. However, it’s still a problem of whether druids prefer the efficiency of auto-shifting to the control of having separate buttons. I’m not sure that merging the forms is a change for the better, or if it’s just a change for the sake of change. In the end, this may be a problem where druids just want to have fun. I have a confession to make. I really love parts of the Warlords of Draenor opening quest content, for both the Horde and Alliance. I’ve been very critical of Blizzard in the last few months, particularly since Blizzcon’s announcement of Warlords of Draenor. I haven’t just been critical, I’ve been outright mad at several points along the way. In particular, I’ve criticized Blizzard’s male-focused marketing. In particular, rather than highlighting all the great women in Blizzard’s games, they either didn’t highlight them at all, or the only information we had portrayed women in a negative light. My feeling about the marketing flaws is unchanged, but I feel differently about some parts of the early questing experience. There are some really great attempts at having interesting and diverse characters – even if those characters aren’t important enough to put in the marketing material. However, there are still areas of weakness in the story development that reflect some of the same processes that went into the biased marketing materials. So, in this case, I love a game that is still problematic in some ways. However, there are some really great women in Draenor,and so it seems like Blizzard was listening at least a little bit about what everyone wanted. I’ll explain several examples below. SPOILER WARNING! This post contains lore spoilers of importance to Warlords of Draenor. You have been warned about SPOILERS. Draka We meet Draka early in the Horde starting zone. I was somewhat disappointed originally when Durotan ran off and left Draka behind to guard their home area. However, we do have some nice quests in the home area and Draka is involved in some of the quests. In some ways, it bugged me that Draka didn’t fight to stay by her husband’s side. However, splitting them up allows some space for Draka to have her own story pieces, rather than running the risk of being portrayed as a sidekick. At the very least, she is present and accounted for in the Horde starting area. Draka’s Sister In the Horde starting area, we are introduced to a new female character: Draka’s Sister, Lokra. She has a really well developed escort quest. This flips the traditional “save the princess” quest on its head, where we escort a female character to rescue a male character. This includes saying “…The Iron Wolf claims our attachments make us weak… that love makes us vulnerable. He is wrong”. This quest chain overall shows a lot of depth of the character as you work together. However, even then, I dislike the phrasing of the way that Durotan reacts once you return from the escort quest. So, in some ways, Durotan turned a great quest into a mediocre quest by being kindof a jerk (in this case, the wowpedia quest “Description” is Lokra’s text, and the “completion” is Durotan pissing on her seemingly unnecessarily if you want to read for yourself). Inspite of Durotan ruining the end of the quest, Lokra’s actual character development across the quest is really well done. I think it’s really Durotan himself who doesn’t live up to my expectations in his interactions within the Horde starting zone. Yrel’s early quests The part of Yrel’s story that I criticized in an earlier post seems to come later in the storyline than what I’ve been able to complete thus far in Shadowmoon. We find her in the opening area, kicking ass. Along with Velen, we serve as Yrel’s mentor for a large portion of the questing in the alliance Shadowmoon valley starting area. As of this point, Yrel and Maraad aren’t in a romantic relationship. However, some of the early released scripts referred to events that happened late in the SMV starting area – suggesting that Yrel’s story development may extend long into the expansion (and it’s unclear whether or not Yrel and Maraad will have a relationship – as they didn’t seem to know each other very well in the starting quests). At the very least, if they do develop a relationship, it will be long after we have been introduced to her as a character. At the very least, the current quests are different than what people described in some of the early demos of that starting area. Yrel suffers a great deal of loss in the starting area quests, and they have (so far) done a pretty good job of developing her character. I’m slightly more optimistic about this character now, though there’s plenty of room for Blizzard to mess it up later. Update: Dave Kosak did confirm she’s not in a relationship with maraad. Rulkan There are other notable women in the quest chains of the starting zones. One of the notable figures was Rulkan, who was the wife of Ner’Zul (the “big bad” you have to defeat in the SMV starting area). Rulkan helps you find him, and shows you the history of how she refused to follow him to join the Iron Horde. While Rulkan was originally a member of the ‘dead wives club’ in the original storyline, she is alive and has a position of leadership in the WOD alternative timeline, and provides hope that other notable women may play a more prominent role in the new content. These little hidden gems of questlines make the world feel populated by a variety of characters with interesting stories and histories. Conclusion While Blizzcon and the subsequent marketing left a bad taste in a lot of our mouthes, the actual quest designers working on the starting area have done a decent job of trying to have diversity in the quest NPCs we encounter. They do this with more or less success in some areas, but the game that I played in Beta is substantially better than the one that was advertised to meat Blizzcon. The developers may not always get things right, but at least it looks like someone is trying. My previous concerns still remain – that video games have a problematic culture that needs to be addressed (see, for example, the recent IeSF e-sports debacle). However, I believe that some people at Blizzard may be working to make their Draenor a world you can believe in. For that much, I’m grateful that our voices have been heard. We may even see Aggra head out to Draenor at some point. I hope that the development of Warlords of Draenor keeps holding up these ideals, and that future promotions can feature some of these great women of Draenor more prominently so that everyone can see them. In the end, diversity of characters makes for a better game. The guild leveling system was originally meant to be a reward for guilds. People who worked together got rewards. For the first ~6 months, this guild leveling system was awesome. After a year, or two, things went terribly wrong. The level 25 elephant in the room. However, in recent years, the guild leveling system, as well as the cash flow perk, has been discouraging people from making new guilds. This has been particularly problematic as it has directly contributed to the decline in the number of people willing to start new raiding guilds, and thus the decline of the raiding population that helped keep the social element of the game intact. Even for social guilds, people only trusted level 25 guilds to have their best interests in mind. Instead, many people starting guilds have been doing it for the purpose of predatory behavior. That is, someone would start a guild and then spam invites to any new player who made a character on the server. Once people were in the guild, they would be abused for leveling purposes, and then kicked from the guild as soon as the guild hit level 25. Then, that guild could be sold to the highest bidder. Since people couldn’t start new raiding guilds unless they bought a level 25 guild, that created a market for people who abused new players for the purpose of leveling and selling guilds. The cash flow perk was also problematic in that it earned money for the guild leader along the way, which then was not shared with the rest of the members in a predatory leveling guild. In most real guilds, this cash flow perk did not come anywhere near covering the costs associated with raiding and the repair feature. So, the cash flow perk was able to be abused by predatory guilds (e.g., to a single person who wasn’t giving anything back to the guild members), but wasn’t providing any substantial bonus to real guilds who were using the money (e.g., guild leadership that used the money to supply the guild with needed resources). Since most new guilds were assumed to be predatory (even when someone actually had good intentions), most good players would not join a guild that was below level 25. This meant that as a new guild officer, you couldn’t recruit quality players, and you burned out of leadership before you even got started. Since all good guilds were level 25, the way to know that the guild was good was to refuse to join any guild that wasn’t at max level. Thus, the cycle of needing to buy level 25 guilds to show legitimacy has been a huge problem that Blizzard has largely ignored. That is, until today. Social groups will always die and fade if given enough time. So, guilds were always going to fold after their leaders got tired. The leaders were always going to get tired. The problem with guild leveling is that it created a barrier for entry for new guilds and new leaders. That slowed down the creation of new guilds to a much slower speed than guilds were folding, and led to a cascade of other related problems that make guild leadership unappealing to new players. Prior to Cataclysm, there were always new guilds to replace the ones that went away, but that ended with the guild leveling barrier of entry. The solution to the guild problem. Blizzard has announced that they are removing the guild leveling system from the game. Every guild in the game will be treated as though they are level 25. If you are in a guild, you get all the benefits of being in the guild without having to level the guild. They are also removing the problematic cash flow perk. Instead of guilds making money from the cash flow perk, they are putting epic BOEs back into raiding dungeons for guilds to be able to sell. This was the primary way my guild funded all of our repairs and materials prior to Siege of Orgrimmar removing epic BOEs. Guilds will still have fun bonuses in Warlords. With the worry about the changes, there are several important things to keep in mind: There will still be the basic perks that came from being in a guild. Things that people really liked, they will still mostly get (though there will be fewer individual perks in the perk list – combining things reduces confusion and “bloat”). For level 25 guilds, nothing important really changes with what they announced. There will still be guild achievements. With all the talk of removing the leveling system, achievements are still something really important that were of benefit to real guilds (and weren’t all that helpful to predatory guilds). Achievements have been updated for guilds continuously every expansion, and are the main ways that all the level 25 guilds differentiate themselves anyway. Purchasing guild bank tabs is still going to require resources, thus there will still be plenty of opportunities to feel like your new guild is progressing in working together to accomplish goals. Without the cash flow perk, it will be easier to get shared guild resources in ways that require working together and doing normal guild behavior (e.g., actually running instances or raids as a team). Additionally, getting people to donate shared resources will be easier without people thinking the cash flow perk is actually doing something (when in reality, it never was). People who want to start new raiding or social guilds no longer have to give money to people selling pre-leveled guilds. Instead, we go back to the days when people who wanted to start a new guild had the resources available for them to do so. Thus, people can start new raid teams without being at such a huge disadvantage. The guild perks are now bonuses, rather than a system that punishes new players. If people do only the dungeon and scenario guild challenges, your guild can get around 5,500 gold per week. This number increases if you do any of the other perks, with several thousand more gold available from the more difficult challenges (e.g., battlegrounds, challenge modes, and raids). Seeing as how my guild only got 600 from the cash flow perk (excluding guild challenges), convincing our guild members to complete the challenges is a better source of income than the cash flow perk ever was. You have to subtract your guild challenge total from the perk UI because the game adds those values together. This is a change that should have positive impacts on the game. The guild level shackles were going to cause a huge problem when people needed to make new guilds in Warlords of Draenor. Now, those shackles have been removed – making way for an era of new guilds. While it may take a long time for the fear of predatory guilds to fade. It is normal for old guild leadership to burn out, but it’s not normal for potential new leaders to be scared away from trying. In time, trying to be a new guild leader may be seen as a positive thing in the community, instead of a negative. As old guild leaders burn out, lets hope that new people can now be encouraged to try to take up the mantle of leadership. It’s still a lot of work to be a leader, but without Bizzard tying our hands behind our backs, it’s now a function of the leader’s effort and skills at leading to make new guilds a success. Go forth and make friends.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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