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no offense intended, I was trying to do the "what's a dikfur?" Joke.
Xoxo
No offence taken. Some on this site have made some comments about my daughter knowing full well there is an 8 year old girl wearing my gear. Saying sexual things about my daughter(s) is crossing the line and grounds for a confrontation. Your comment was nowhere near that. I just didn't get the joke.
No. Heaven is a fictional place used by those with power to control those without power (or rational thinking) by convincing the underlings that if they do whatever the they're told, they will go to this magic place where the streets are paved with gold and the women stay virgins no matter how many times you fukc them.
So why did my daughter not get her last chest tube removed today so we could leave by friday?
Was that to me or Nuggets. Seems like an odd thing to ask either person. Seeing as neither of us would know the reasoning, Supernatural or not, why that did/did not happen. Unless Nuggets is your Doctor.....Which would seem like an odd place to consult your doctor. :Idunnaknow:
Was that to me or Nuggets. Seems like an odd thing to ask either person. Seeing as neither of us would know the reasoning, Supernatural or not, why that did/did not happen. Unless Nuggets is your Doctor.....Which would seem like an odd place to consult your doctor. :Idunnaknow:
Yes, if you the right one. You may want to also consider using a welder with a spool gun for your mod. Attach spool gun to welder, dring a shit ton of beer, weld. In the morning you'll have something attached to your 42RE. | {
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QuickBooks Desktop Professional helps you manage what you are promoting funds multi functional place so that you might be extra productive. Easy to arrange and use. Keep on Prime of invoices, handle bills, get dependable experiences for tax time and import your information from a spreadsheet. Have questions? step-by-step tutorials present you tips on how to create invoices, file bills, and extra. And in 2018 you’ll be able to increase your workflow with a number of displays and auto-stamped invoices. 60 day money-back assure. Particular supply: your buy of QuickBooks desktop Professional 2018 features a free 12 months of QuickBooks on-line. | {
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Comment
Henry Kissinger is a prodigiously intelligent, articulate, talented witty, captivating & imposing man...he is not mean-spirited, he seems drawn to telling the truth, & he wants to serve his country well. He also appears to have a historical vision, shared by the Pres.: that by maintaining our military preeminence & by standing fast wherever we think we are challenged, as we thought we were in Indo-China, we may avoid nuclear confrontation with Russia & China & preserve a relatively peaceful world for decades. Now he has come before the Senate Foreign Relations Comm. as the President's choice for Sec. of State... There was uneasiness in the air... If the Pres. had an alter ego on the world state it was K. Together, for 5 years, they dictated our foreign policy. To confirm K. as Sec. of State was to ratify what he had done, and what the Pres. had done. Americans are grateful for their establishing our relations with China & improving our relations with Russia. Lists the undesirable things: planning the undisclosed bombing of Cambodia in '69 & '70; using Am. air power to support the invasion of Laos in '71; "tilting" in favor of Pakistan in the India-Pakistan War; in '72 mining and blockading N. Vietnamese harbors; the '72 Xmas bombing of N. Vietnam. All this was done in secrecy without congressional consent. The senators were, in effect, being asked to ratify a series of actions that should never have taken place without their approval & that most of them abhorred & protested... Last Fri. K. gave the senators assurances that he would mend his ways... The senators were presented with a dilemma... One could only look on in sorrow as the senators, the Pres. & K. faced one another in these tragic circumstances. | {
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For those who attended the December lecture on Radio Astronomy, you may recall that I said it was the intention to run the society radio meteor set up for the Geminids. This was turned on last night about 7pm, small adjustments made, and the set up run from 8 to 9pm. 51 meteors were recorded (61 on my home system). The radio was left running and recorded a peak rate of 68 meteors an hour overnight (122 on my home system).
In my talk I showed a slide of what to expect from the Geminids. I have attached an actual one from the home system last night. Most of the small meteors are just grains of dust, but the larger one is probably part of the original comets nucleus made from ice and rock.
The society system is continuing to run and will be turned off at the weekend, adjusted and then run again for the Quadrantid shower at the beginning of January. | {
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So TMI, I'm currently plagued by an ingrown hair farm! I was using TendSkin as the end all be all & it failed me. I bumped up just days after my wax. Instead of spending all that $$ I could have made this at home.
Razor Bump Treatment For Black Men: How-To Make Them Disappear "…to help remove and loosen dead skin and hairs [as well as] to keep them from curling back into the skin after shaving, use a soft bristle brush after shaving…."
Razor Bump Treatment For Black Men: How-To Make Them Disappear "…to help remove and loosen dead skin and hairs [as well as] to keep them from curling back into the skin after shaving, use a soft bristle brush after shaving…." | {
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this is my first time using stretchy material and making a non pleated skirt.i'm quite proud, its not perfect but hey.it took about 40 mins because there are no hems only stitching attaching the waistband to the sirt and sewing up the side.
does it look ok? but i must admit these pics dont exactally do it justice.
The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything and at the same time, are ones who never yawn or say a common place thing but burn, burn, burn, like yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars...-J. Keroua | {
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Squier Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline
'72 THINLINE STYLE
Squier's Vintage Modified '72 Telecaster Thinline evokes the popular second incarnation of that era’s stylish Tele model. The original late-'60s version was updated in 1972 to include two great-sounding Wide Range humbucking pickups for a distinctive sound and personality, and that’s exactly what Squier gives you here, along with gorgeous semi-hollow aesthetics and smooth playability. | {
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990WBOB Past Casts
Well Played #17 6/25/18 - This week, Mike and Pete change it up by talking about the upcoming Drum Corps International season with former DCI member and current Mallet Lab member Joe Smith. They break down the current standings and what to expect this year from the top Drum Corps this summer tour. Who will make top 3? Top 5? What about top 12?
The guys also talk about the new game Realm Royale and discuss whether or not it has the potential to rival PUBG or Fortnite. Did we mention that PUBG came out with an Event Pass that seems eerily similar to Fortnites’ Battle Pass?Will it be the next big thing? Will it become just another Radical Heights? All of this answered on this weeks Well Played! | {
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Convert Youtube video to mp3Download Mp3Download has been launched, thanks for supporting us.Download has been launched, thank you.DownloadedVideo is under conversion, please wait...Video is under conversion...Converting...Sorry, this video is protected, thank you for your understanding.Sorry, this video is protected.Protected video.
Convert Youtube video to mp3Download Mp3Download has been launched, thanks for supporting us.Download has been launched, thank you.DownloadedVideo is under conversion, please wait...Video is under conversion...Converting...Sorry, this video is protected, thank you for your understanding.Sorry, this video is protected.Protected video. | {
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Inspiring Quotes & Images
Happy are the Meek
140:5.11 Genuine meekness has no relation to fear. It is rather an attitude of man co-operating with God -- "Your will be done." It embraces patience and forbearance and is motivated by an unshakable faith in a lawful and friendly universe. | {
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Strategies for Improving Workplace Behavior and Performance
From Leadership Expert Dr. Diane Hamilton
There is an expression that is often used in sales: “You are only as good as your last deal.” What is meant by that is that management has a short-term memory and no matter how good you were in the past, they are focusing on what you can do for them right now. It may seem unfair to those who have worked very hard throughout the years to find out that their jobs may be on the line due to one poor month of performance. However, this is a reality in this market.
The new movie, Larry Crowne, with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, is about Hanks’ character, a top performing employee who has won the employee of the month something like 8 times. He is self-confident that management has requested his presence in their office to tell him that he has just won for the 9th time. Instead, he finds out that they are letting him go due to his lack of a college education.
This is a pretty common situation that happens in today’s workplace. Employees are becoming concerned about keeping their positions. There are a lot of people with strong work histories out there that are in the market for a job…your job. There are some important tips to keep in mind when trying to avoid being expendable at work. These include:
Work harder than your coworkers. That may seem to be common sense, but it is surprising how many people overlook the fact that they may not be number one in the office. There is an old expression: I don’t have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you. Think of being laid off as the bear and you have to be better than your coworkers to survive.
Multitask. One way to be more efficient at your job is to multitask. Some may argue that there is no such thing as true multitasking but there is such a thing as combining small jobs together so that you get more done in less time. I often share an example with my students of how I would type my call notes while “dialing for dollars” so that I could make twice as many phone calls as my coworkers who waited until the call was completed to type up their notes. Find ways to combine things like this to be more efficient.
Add value through education. The Tom Hanks example is a good reason why you should consider furthering your education to compete. You might find that a certification is enough. You might find that an MBA would add value. Find the thing that makes you stand out from your fellow coworkers.
Put in the time. If you are the last one to get to work and the first one to leave, you may find that management has noticed. Look around your office and pay attention to who gets there late, who lollygags around and doesn’t work hard. Put in the hours but also be sure that management sees how hard you are working. There is no shame in copying them on things that show you have done well.
Work smarter vs. harder. Some people think that just putting in more work hours means they are working hard. If you are the guy/gal who plans the plan to plan the plan, then you are not efficient. A plan is important to keep you on track. Just be sure you don’t spend all of your time planning and none of your time doing.
If you do these 5 things, you’ll be well on your way to outrunning your coworkers and avoiding the bear (loss of employment).
There is no question that the blogosphere is growing. According to webdesignerdepot “WordPress has statistics for both WordPress.com (15.1 million blogs and counting) and self-hosted WordPress installations (17.4 million active installations), which gives part of the picture. There are more than 10 million tumblogs on Tumblr. Blogger doesn’t offer any public statistics on how many blogs they host. Technorati is currently tracking more than 1.2 million blogs. And there are likely millions of other blogs out there hosted on other services like Movable Type, TypePad, Expression Engine, and other CMSs.”
There is no shortage of blog search engines to find blogs that contain information of interest. There are also lots of articles by sites like Forbes and others who occasionally list their idea of top blogging sites. Google and Google News features can be incorporated into an iGoogle page, and can be another way to keep up with topics to follow.
With all of this information out there, who has time to read it all? Bloggers know it can be good form to make comments on others’ blogs. However, finding the time to not only read these blogs but formulate insightful comments may be difficult. Even if people find a good blog to follow and subscribe to their RSS feed, as sites continue to be added to the feed, the feed reader may have more information than people have time to visit.
There has been speculation about when blogging popularity will die down. The latest discussion is whether Facebook will replace blogging and company websites. Cnet reported, “Even if Facebook doesn’t somehow supplant lots of Web sites, though, there’s no denying the social network is becoming more important to marketing, and it’s adapting to the idea.
I thought I’d point out some important things that he writes about in his 9 steps.
Step 1: Live on Purpose
In his book, Stever stated, “If you’re anything like me, a lot of what you call work has very little to do with getting anything important done in life.” I think this is a very important statement because I see a lot of my students and people I work with who seem busy but don’t really accomplish anything. One thing that Stever writes about in this section that I feel is extremely important is that your actions should match your goals. We all see the busy person who works the 80 hour week and yet are they really working smart or are they just working hard? It is very important to have goals and to be sure that you are doing the appropriate actions to meet those goals. What is nice about Stever’s book is that he gives nice examples and step by step explanations of “how” to get to where you are going.
Step 2: Stop Procrastinating
Procrastination can be a big problem for a lot of people. In the book, It’s Not You It’s Your Personality, that I co-wrote with Toni Rothpletz, I mentioned that I am a qualified Myers-Briggs instructor. One of the most interesting things I found out about personalities is that about the people who like to wait until the last minute. Some people actually naturally do better work at the last minute if they have a “P” personality as assigned by the MBTI personality assessment instrument. While I agree with Stever that it is important to turn tasks into habits to stop procrastinating, there are some people who have a high “P” personality who actually work better when they are under pressure and have deadlines. The only thing I would add to what Stever writes about here, is for those of you who have taken a personality assessment similar to the MBTI and found that you are a “P”. If you are a high “P”, you should set time managed goals for when your project or activity should be completed. “P” personalities seem like they are procrastinators because they wait to do things, but if they have a goal to do things that they know they must meet, they are more apt to do that thing by that timeframe.
Another thing I like about Stever’s book is he writes about breaking things into baby chunks to make goals seem more manageable. I often write about this in my blogs and my books. It is like the movie with Bill Murray “What About Bob” where they talk about doing baby steps. In my book The Online Student’s User Manual, I wrote, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It is a goofy saying but it is also very true. If you are a procrastinator, it may help you to think of a big project as smaller more manageable pieces. I find this helps my doctoral students quite a bit as writing a dissertation can be overwhelming. By thinking of it chapter by chapter, instead of an entire project, it can be less intimidating.
Step 3: Conquer Technology
In Stever’s book he mentions he used a PDA for a year and then reviewed whether the promised benefits were actually beneficial. I personally like to use iGoogle to keep track of a lot of my information. I often recommend this to my students and have written about it here on my blog. I think technology can be frightening for many but sites like iGoogle are very user friendly and can be accessed from many locations. You can keep your Calendar, Address Book, etc. there as well as your RSS feeds and many other things to keep you organized.
Step 4: Beat Distractions to Cultivate Focus
I liked Stever’s suggestion of keeping an interruptions list. I tend to do that a lot as well. I am the type of person that has things pop into my head often. This is not so great when it happens at 2 am! However, I like to write down any ideas I have on a piece of paper and get back to them later. The trick is to write them down and then get right back to what you were doing so that you don’t jump around and be all over the place. Instead you keep your focus.
Step 5: Stay Organized
In this chapter, Stever covers the all important area of having organization skills. I happen to be pretty good in this area naturally but I see a lot of people really need help with this. I have taught time management skills to organizations where we discuss keeping track of emails, only looking at mail once and prioritizing. This is the type of thing he gets into in this chapter. He does a nice job including examples of checklists, etc. to get his point across.
Step 6: Stop Wasting Time
This chapter is a very important one as far as I am concerned. I have seen so many people who plan the plan to plan the plan and never get anything done. People are not aware of how much time they waste. I often have my first year college students map out a 24 hour period of time to write down exactly what they do every hour. It can be enlightening for them to see how much time they really waste. Stevers mentioned to be sure that what you are doing is actually work. I was surprised by how many people I have worked with that thought they were doing work but were actually doing things that were wasting their time. I am a huge fan of multi-tasking. Many people over-look the importance of this skill. When I was cold-calling in a sales job, I could type my notes while I talked to the people on the phone. Other sales people would talk on the phone and then type their notes. I could make twice as many calls because I could multi-task. Are you multi-tasking whenever possible? You could free up a lot of time by doing so.
Step 7: Optimize
Are you doing things more than once? Are you efficient or just effective? I see a lot of perfectionists who are very effective but lack in efficiency. There needs to be a balance. Stever mentions the importance of knowing when to get expert help. Sometimes you can do it all and you have to learn when to delegate or ask others for help. He recommends creating resource books as your learn new tasks to refer to later for help on things you have learned.
Step 8: Build Stronger Relationships
I like how Stever mentions you can’t there alone. I completely agree. There are so many people and resources out there to help you. I know I personally have found Linkedin helpful to meet people who have given me some excellent advice and direction. I highly recommend checking out their Q&A area as well as joining some of their groups. Don’t just join though; you must participate in order to the most out of it.
Step 9: Leverage
In Stever’s final chapter he writes about making sure to leverage in order to get results. He explains using automation to get leverage. There has never been a better time to use technology and automation to your advantage. He mentions combining rather than multitasking to get things done. I think there is a time for both. Many people get confused as when to combine and when to multitask. In this final chapter, Stever gives some excellent suggestions for ways to obtain the results you desire.
I highly recommend that you check out Stever’s book. In it, he covers each of these topics in much more detail and gives great examples and specifics about how master these steps.
If you have lost your job or are in a career that you dislike, there is hope. In her latest book, How to Reinvent Your Career: Make Money Doing What You Love, Dr. Diane Hamilton explains: There is, in fact a way to find YOUR definition of that dream job and make the money you deserve every day.
“Mike Leonard of NBC Today‘s Show states: There has never been a better time to take note of Dr. Diane Hamilton’s wise and encouraging advice. Use this book as a road map to a better career and a more fulfilling life.”
Many people have recently lost their jobs, forcing them to recreate their jobs and their lives—allowing them to finally do what they love. There are more freelancers and new businesses than ever before. Out of some abominable situations can come great ingenuity.
Looking to reinvent your career? Dr. Diane Hamilton, author of the newly released book, How to Reinvent Your Career, has the experience and tools for creating a new work identity. After remaining in the same company for 20 years, she found the power to leave and reinvent her career and her life. Over the course of her working career she has reinvented herself 10 times, and with each job came a new lesson—both about life and the working world. Turning life lessons into real solutions, today Dr. Diane Hamilton is an author, speaker and teaches courses at multiple online universities.
The first step Hamilton recommends for reinventing a career is finding out what are the “tasks” one truly enjoys doing on a day to day basis. Starting in an administrative job, Diane realized early on that she loved to do paperwork and work on computers. To many people, this is the worst part of the day but for her, a satisfying way to spend her days. Now, 25 years later, Dr. Hamilton is very happy doing these things as an author and online university professor. Everyone has different passions. Once one learns what actually leaves them fulfilled, it is time to do the research and find the job that fits that skill set. Ultimately, enjoying what you do every day will squash those “Sunday Night Blues.”
Yes, believe it.
Some jobs are perceived as the “dream job” when in fact it is different for everyone. “I had what seemed to be the perfect job from the outside when I was a pharmaceutical rep. I rarely had to work a full day, I traveled, barely spent any time ‘in’ an office and was financially doing very well,” says Hamilton, “However that was someone else’s dream job, not mine. I refer to this situation as being locked into the golden handcuffs. There are ways to make money and still do the work you love.”
Personality tests are one way to find out what is the most suitable career to the individual. They are not to be underestimated. In her book Hamilton, a qualified Myers-Briggs instructor and certified emotional intelligence expert, explains the use of personal SWOT analysis, something commonly used by organizations, can be a great personal tool toward the road of job satisfaction and success.
Above all, times are changing fast. There is new technology and now with the advent of social marketing there is a new way to communicate every day. Being adaptable to change and knowing the right ways to network for mutually beneficial relationships are skills that can be carried over into any career. Taking this time to keep up with the times is an investment in the future—the path to that career dream come true.
I have dedicated a section of my blog to answering questions about the topics I cover in my books. If you have a question about online learning, personalities in the workforce, how to get a job or reinvent your career, personal finance, social media or any of the other topics I cover here, please email me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to post it here with my response.
I often have my students tell me they find it challenging to manage their time wisely. We all have the same amount of time in our day to accomplish things. Why do some people seem to be able to do so much more than others? Some of it is genetics. I know I am on the hyperactive side so I tend to do a lot. Other people might find what I do to be overly stressful. For me, I find that the more I do, the better I feel. You don’t have to be hyperactive to get things done. A lot is based on how organized you are. Here are some tips that may help you:
1. Put activities you need to do into your planner or calendar. Plan for studying just like you would any other appointment. Mark out time that you will read, write papers, etc.
2. Set goals for the things you want to accomplish. If you need to write a paper by Friday, have that set up in your calendar, but also have smaller tasks set up as well. For example, you might want to spend an hour on Monday writing the outline, spend an hour on Tuesday researching the topic, spend an hour on Wednesday writing the initial draft, spend an hour on Thursday proofreading and rewriting. By breaking down what needs to be done like this it makes it easier to accomplish your goal. Remember goals need to be measurable. By writing down the due dates for each task, your final goal becomes more easily attainable.
3. Recognize your roadblocks to success. Are you afraid of criticism? Do you thrive on last minute stress? Are you a perfectionist that may avoid doing things for fear of it not being perfect? These are some of the things that hold people back from completing tasks on time. Try to keep in mind that no one is perfect. If you try hard to write a good paper that is much more important than if the paper is perfect. No paper is perfect. That is too subjective. Worry less about getting perfect grades and spend more time focused on learning. If you thrive on last minute stress, perhaps you need to schedule your time closer to the due date. But be reasonable with time expectations that it may take to complete your assignment.
4. Are you lacking motivation? Often, people really do have enough time to do the work but they lack motivation. Find ways to reward yourself for doing a good job on your work. If you really want to see a movie or do something fun, have that be a reward for finishing an assignment.
5. Are you taking advantage of multi-tasking? This is something I do a lot! You can multi-task at work and home in order to create more time in your day. When I exercise, I watch my television shows at the same time. When I have work conversations on the phone, I can type my notes about what we are talking about at the same time to remind me for later. Often times, people do one thing at a time, when they can be doing multiple things to free up more time. | {
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Fifteen years ago, a not so subtle gentleman with an important voice—he ran the book-order department of Barnes & Noble—asked the CEO of Henry Holt to participate in a TV advertising campaign for the chain, to the tune of $50,000. The CEO, for his part, was hoping to sell lots of copies of Thomas Pynchon’s Mason & Dixon, as he’d just learned from the happy salespeople at Henry Holt that the bookseller was set to display at least 20,000 copies of that marvelous tome in stores across the country. (I know this because, at the time, I was Holt’s CEO.) And so he asked Barnes & Noble, “Would your ad refer to Pynchon’s new novel?” The reply was unequivocal: “No.” In that case, the CEO inquired, “what’s the point of Holt’s contribution?” Barnes & Noble’s response: “Well, if you can’t come up with the sum, we’d order only half as many Pynchons.” And so they did.
About the Author
Michael Naumann, the editor in chief of the German magazine Cicero, has also been a publisher, journalist and—...
Perhaps they realized that Pynchon was not the mass-market author they had pinned their hopes on. Leonard Riggio, Barnes & Noble’s chair at the time, had announced at a panel that his brother Stephen (his designated successor) had started to read the book and didn’t get beyond the first fifty pages or so. It was the one time I’d ever heard the company engage in aesthetic criticism, and it served only to obfuscate B&N’s business practices.
Whatever price it may have been charging for Mason & Dixon, Barnes & Noble stuck by its decision and probably suffered a loss. At the time, its business as a bricks-and-mortar bookstore had not yet been seriously undermined by Amazon, yet both companies were already deeply entrenched in a war over a sales strategy based on an economy of discounting—selling bestsellers at a loss in order to attract customers.
Discounting has upended traditional publishing in the United States. Independent bookstores usually operate on a shoestring and have never been able to afford negative profit margins on bestsellers. During the 1990s, as the major chains expanded and bookstores—and booksellers—emerged on the Web, many independents were ruined by the downward pressure on the price of bestsellers. By discounting these books, the big chains and Amazon did to the independents what Walmart has done to mom-and-pop Main Street retailers: crush them by running a race to the bottom. But there was more collateral damage. In time, discounting also deprived American readers of the opportunity to read foreign authors of a high literary reputation because, in an aggressively commercial publishing environment, translations are often risky and expensive. In the words of a high-ranking CEO in New York, “I don’t publish manuscripts I cannot read.”
What I learned at Holt, albeit a little late, is that publishing and selling books in the United States was, and remains, a very different and far rougher business than in my home country of Germany, where since the late nineteenth century a fixed-price agreement between publishers and bookstores has defined a less competitive and highly regulated publishing market. The participants in this voluntary price cartel signed a mutual agreement: publishers set the prices on books, and bookstores abided by them. The arrangement resembled a prenuptial agreement between both sides, based on trust, notarized by a lawyer’s office and armed with expensive sanctions.
The agreement was deeply engrained in Germany, and in 2002 it became the law. Publishers list new books, prices included,y in a database that currently contains around 1.2 million titles. An office of lawyers near Frankfurt, appointed by the Publishers and Booksellers Association, monitors the adherence of all participants to the agreement: every breach of the contract can be punished by a fine of up to €6,000, enforced by a higher court. As you might expect, a black-sheep syndrome keeps the lawyers busy. Anonymous booksellers on the Internet offer so-called “used” books at a discount, some of which have been stolen from printers or warehouses.
From a publisher’s point of view, fixed-price has some obvious benefits. It allows large and medium-sized publishing houses to nourish seemingly “unsellable” authors—anyone whose book isn’t a potential blockbuster. The profitable sales from a house’s bestselling authors provide the income to bet on a dark horse like Herta Müller or José Saramago, and if such an author wins a big prize, especially the Nobel, sales surge and everybody is happy. (Except, of course, the literary agents, who pout that publishers are freeloading on their hot authors, forgetting that most of their clients never sell enough books to earn back their guaranteed advance.) Because of the solid margins on their bestsellers, publishers can also stock a decent inventory of books by their leading authors. When Toni Morrison was awarded the Nobel in 1993, her German publisher had on hand copies of the hardcover and paperback editions of all her novels.
At least three classes of publisher have flourished under the fixed-price system. The first is the publisher with “a cause” rooted in political or literary ambitions. A few of these publishers are survivors of the 1960s and have since branched out into special editions of old masters. This exemplary company of literary entrepreneurs includes houses like Stroemfeld, and it concentrates on complete, highly academic editions of authors such as Heinrich von Kleist, Friedrich Hölderlin and Franz Kafka. Most operate by self-exploitation: salaries are low, and the threat of insolvency constantly hovers over their little businesses. Each year the government awards one of them the Kurt Wolff Prize, worth €26,000 and named after Kafka’s original publisher. Wolff, his wife Helen and their son Christian barely escaped the Nazis in the early years of World War II. Endangered because his mother was Jewish, and because he was closely affiliated with his mostly Jewish and “degenerate” authors, Wolff fled occupied France with his family in February 1941, first for Spain and then New York City, where he and Helen founded Pantheon Books the following year. (The couple returned to Europe in 1960.)
The second class of publishers is composed of purely commercial houses betting on bestsellers and counting on the financial cushion of a conglomerate parent like Bertelsmann. The third class is more interesting: these publishers survive by cultivating a list that mixes commercial tastes with classical literary ambitions. Three such publishers are owned by Holtzbrinck, which also owns the American firms Henry Holt, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan, and Farrar, Straus & Giroux. (Random House, which counts among its imprints the legendary Alfred A. Knopf, has been the property of Bertelsmann since 1998.) In Germany, the Holtzbrinck house Rowohlt, where I was publisher from 1985 to 1995, has specialized in American and British authors for almost a century. Rowohlt’s commercial imprint, Wunderlich, has been fortunate to feature on its list the British novelist Rosamunde Pilcher, author of the bestseller The Shell Seekers (1987). Translations of Pilcher’s romance novels—English girl falls in love with reluctant gentleman of middle-class origin—have sold more than 15 million copies in Germany, and the profits have helped to finance complete editions of Vladimir Nabokov, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway and, recently, Harold Brodkey. Fixed-price has allowed Rowohlt to spread the risk in a business with a traditionally long-term perspective and small profit margins. Today, Rowohlt thrives on bestsellers by Jonathan Franzen and, more recently, the celebrated Hungarian author Péter Nádas, whose 1,700-page novel Parallel Stories, brilliantly translated into German by Christina Viragh, should put him on the shortlist for the Nobel.
* * *
Since the late 1840s in Germany, the ambiguous character of books—simultaneously a commodity and a cultural work—has defined internal discussions in the publishing business. Putting aside the implicit hubris of German nationalism, the country’s self-aggrandizement as a veritable Kulturnation, the fact remains that in Germany the cultural definition of the “book” as a major source of intellectual, scientific, economic and aesthetic self-improvement has carried the day over the capitalist notion that a book is a commodity and therefore deserving of no special considerations. The book as such is sacred. One does not throw books away.
Blanket protection came in 1888, in the form of a fixed-price agreement devised by the German Book Traders’ Association. The agreement concluded endless debates and skirmishes between publishers, large mail-order companies and traditional booksellers in smaller communities. Like Amazon and the big chains in the United States today, the mail-order houses had flooded the market with discounted books, ruining provincial bookstores.
When the fixed-price agreement was struck, Germany’s numerous kingdoms and dukedoms had existed for sixteen years as a united nation under a kaiser, a central government and a weak parliament. But the diversity of regional cultural and religious traditions persisted; to this day regional diversity in the arts is reinforced by annual state subsidies of roughly €12 billion as well as numerous tax advantages—for example, books, newspapers and theater tickets are subject only to half of the 19 percent VAT (value-added tax). Books, magazines, music and other artistic institutions (including hundreds of opera houses and theaters) helped to unify a country that had entered the industrial age almost fifty years after France and England. Massive social changes concomitant with rapid industrial growth fostered a romantic yearning for the past: hence, German Angst. The collected works of Goethe, Schiller and Heine became decorative emblems of the middle class, part of the intellectual furniture. At the end of the nineteenth century, Bildung, or education, became a core project of the socialist movements and their Arbeiterbildungsvereine, or workers’ educational clubs. Books and pamphlets were deployed as indispensable weapons of the class struggle during Bismarck’s years as chancellor. Socialist book clubs provided their members with discounted volumes. The last such club to be established—the Büchergilde Gutenberg, founded by trade unions in 1924—was privatized in 1998 and lingers on as a shadowy reminder of a once robust literary tradition: book clubs now account for only 2 percent of national book sales.
As mentioned earlier, in 2002 this fixed-price agreement became federal law. Stressing the cultural relevance of the book industry, the law grants publishers the right to set a price on all new books, hardcover or paperback. After eighteen months, the publishers may lift the fixed price, announcing the change in trade publications. Some loopholes in the earlier agreement—such as the selling of “damaged books” (which in fact were undamaged) at lower prices—were closed in 2002. The fixed-price law was revised in 2006 to cover all points of sale, including Internet shops like Amazon and e-books (except for those enhanced by add-ons such as videos, pictures and other gimmicks). One outcome of the fixed-price law has been the growth of a new online market for used books: approximately 100,000 titles are now available. The flourishing of this market is a clear indication that the backlist business of German publishing has declined dramatically since the passage of the fixed-price law. Whereas in the 1980s the backlist accounted for nearly 30 percent of the sales for hardcover books, today that share has fallen to 5 percent. It is also illegal to export German books to neighboring nations without fixed-price laws in order to reimport them and sell them more cheaply. (Fixed-price agreements are also in place in France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Spain.)
The transformation of a voluntary pact into federal law was brought about by the European Commission, albeit involuntarily. In 1999 the EC tried to abolish fixed-price agreements in Germany on the grounds that they were the creation of a price-fixing cartel and therefore violated the European Union’s antitrust laws. However, the Amsterdam agreement of 1997 had limited the EU’s power to force the traditional trade practices of its member nations into accordance with the EU’s transnational trade laws. As Germany’s minister of culture at the time, I was involved in bazaar-like negotiations, including the threat of a German veto of the EU’s minuscule cultural budget, to stop the commission’s attack on fixed-price arrangements. That the German book industry had an army of lawyers lobbying top bureaucrats in Brussels didn’t harm our case. As it turned out, the members of that incarnation of the European Commission ended up resigning en masse under a cloud. Its French member, Edith Cresson, who had served as prime minister under François Mitterrand, was accused of nepotism, having appointed a dentist friend as an adviser—but that is another story, worth a novel with teeth. (Perhaps someone in France has already written it.)
In Brussels our main defense of fixed-price was the cultural relevance of books in Germany. For more than a century the so-called cartel has not impeded competition. In Germany, approximately 90,000 new books are published each year, which per capita is about four times as many as in the United States. Among the new books of 2010 were 11,349 translations, including 6,993 English-language titles. Additionally, average book prices in Germany are the lowest in Europe, with the possible exception of Iceland and Finland. This ignominious “cartel” seems to be working to the advantage of readers, publishers, bookstores and authors, especially those who cannot expect total sales of more than 3,000 copies. The cultural advantage of this arrangement is obvious. Bestsellers—whether by Stephen King or Günter Grass—sell at the same price anywhere, guaranteeing the survival of independent booksellers. The small profit margin on bestsellers allows bookstores to keep in stock high-quality, low-selling titles. They can also write off on their income tax up to 90 percent of unsold books kept in stock for no more than three years. Without this tax advantage, which costs the German version of the IRS billions of euros, at least a third of Germany’s independent bookstores would disappear within twelve months.
By turning the fixed-price agreement into law, Germany meant to send a signal to the Eurocrats in Brussels: the entire Bundestag stands behind this national practice, so attack it at your peril. Even so, since 2002, the EU has continued its assault on fixed-price, lobbied no doubt by Amazon and the German book chains.
* * *
With a population of 82 million, Germany is a knowledge-based, economically successful society with around 2,000 publishing companies and more than 3,500 serious independent bookstores staffed by licensed booksellers (most of whom have completed an apprenticeship of up to three years, including vocational training in cultural history and economics). In Berlin, a city of 3.4 million people, close to 300 bookstores provide outlets for more than 400 publishers. The typical neighborhood bookstore in Germany has two employees, possibly three, and some of them know their bookselling history: there must be at least ten shops in the country named Shakespeare and Company, in tribute to the legendary bookstore established in Paris in 1919 by Sylvia Beach, the original publisher of Ulysses.
To be a bookseller in Germany carries social prestige. It is a job dominated by women, most of whom have a college degree. Quality bookstores provide their customers with good advice and regular nightly readings by authors, usually charging a €5 fee per person. They can fill orders quickly as well: for more than four decades most German bookstores have been electronically connected to wholesalers, who guarantee that any book not stocked by a store will be delivered within a day, sometimes within a few hours. Considering that Germany is about the size of Montana, this is not surprising.
Yet despite the many strengths of traditional bookstores, their share of the annual volume of book sales—€9.7 billion in 2010—has been declining and now stands at 50 percent. Direct Internet sales from publishers to readers account for 18 percent of annual volume these days. Sales through Internet bookstores are marching on: the annual share has grown from 8.9 percent in 2007 to 13.8 percent in 2010.
Bookstore chains started to make inroads into the market in larger cities twenty years ago. The largest chain, Weltbild, has 350 outlets; owned by the Catholic Church, it is currently for sale. The cardinals and bishops have taken umbrage at Weltbild for offering “erotic books,” another example of the Church’s conservative retreat, under a German pope, into religious piety and spiritual escapism. The second-largest bookstore chain, Thalia, is owned by Douglas, a German perfume and jewelry retailer. Thalia is pursuing a “multi-channel” strategy, selling books online and buying large old-fashioned bookstores, following the example of Barnes & Noble. Thalia employs more than 5,000 people, and its 2010 sales amounted to €934 million. In 2007 the Publishers and Booksellers Association launched a website called libreka!; it has been designed to avoid the mistakes of the record industry, which allowed iTunes to dominate the digital market by selling songs for 99 cents. Any German bookseller or publisher can offer its e-books on libreka!, and the association will handle all of the back-office work on a sale, accounting included.
Because of fixed-price, Amazon faced a tough business environment when it opened in Germany fifteen years ago. And conquer Amazon has not, unless you consider a total market share of 13.8 percent for Internet sales—which also includes the sales of smaller Internet competitors like Thalia—to be a resounding victory. But Amazon has hardly been quiet. It operates six gigantic warehouses in Germany and is building two more near the towns of Pforzheim and Koblenz, which will employ more than 3,000 people, two-thirds of them on a seasonal basis. In Germany books are no longer Amazon’s leading product, nor with fixed-price could they have ever been a truly profitable line. But books were Amazon’s Trojan horse, introducing the retailer to the German consumer market and enabling it to establish a foothold in the country’s huge mail-order business.
Just as in the United States, Germany is experiencing a monumental cultural change in communication. Kindles, iPads and similar devices have entered the market. Copyright laws are being challenged by a new party, the Piratenpartei (Pirate Party), which will alter the political spectrum. For the Pirates, fixed prices on any means of communication, books included, are unjust. Information, they say, wants to be free. The party has the support of 13 percent of voters, making it eligible to gain a seat in the Bundestag in 2013. Most of its supporters are part of the Facebook generation (the site has approximately 22 million users in Germany).
With its common currency being tested by the recession, the European Union and its bureaucrats have much larger issues to grapple with than pleas to revisit fixed-price laws for books, so black letters printed on paper will remain a major staple of Germany’s culture. As a German publisher once said, looking at the newest version of Kindle: “One should not take a technical instrument into bed.” | {
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With Political Career Over, Clintons Close their Moneymaking Global Initiative
The Daily Caller reports that one of Hillary Clinton’s pay for play organizations, the Clinton Global Initiative is closing down on Tax Day, April 15.
The Clinton Foundation announced it’s laying off 22 staffers on the Clinton Global Initiative, keeping with a plan to deal with the negative spotlight put on the organization during former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
The layoffs will take effect April 15, the Clinton Foundation said in a filing with the New York Department of Labor Thursday, citing the discontinuation of the Clinton Global Initiative. The move is part of a plan put in motion ahead of the presidential election in order to offset a storm of criticism regarding pay-to-play allegations during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state.
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was involved with the rest of the Clinton Foundation in many play for play scandals.
Russia’s Silicon Valley:
For example CGI was involved in Ms. Clinton’s Skolkovo project designed to create a Russian “Silicon Valley.” Sadly were warnings from the FBI that and within Ms. Clinton’s own state department at the time that Skolkovo may have created a legal way for Russia to gain access to America’s classified technology– the kind of access they used to employ espionage to access.
More than the danger to American security, the Skolkovo project enabled former President Bubba Clinton to make a speech in Russian and one in the U.S. which netted him a total of $756K in speaking fees. It was also a boon to Clinton foundation donors. It was Hillary Clinton and her state department that arraigned for US companies to get involved with Skolkovo. Peter Schweizer reported in “From Russia With Money“, 17 of the 28 companies that were ultimately listed as “key partners” in Skolkovo were also Clinton Foundation donors.
Huma Arranges for Meet and Greets:
In the series of emails released by Judicial Watch in October of 2016, Huma Abedin worked with senior Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) executives to set up group photo sessions for Clinton with ‘primary sponsors’ of CGI and members of the CGI staff.
In the entertainment world it’s called a meet and greet, you get to meet the star and have some pictures taken. I’m sure it’s even done at the state department for diplomats or foreign heads of government. Doing it for big money CGI donors using taxpayer paid time and the taxpayer-funded offices at Foggy Bottom to aid the Clinton Foundation. It also granted personal access to the Secretary of State Clinton and was pronouncement to the donors the State Department “store” was open, the State Dept. was for sale… | {
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Corning Glass Works Chairman Amory Houghton Jr. deserved to be fired. Houghton says so himself: "I really should have been." In the 1974-75 recession, he concedes, Corning's earnings dropped so fast that--again in his words--"the integrity of the company was in danger." From $4 a share in 1973, the parent company's earnings collapsed to $1.76 in 1975; even cyclical growth companies simply were not supposed to behave this way. "It was a bad scene," he says.
Of course, "Amo" Houghton was not fired. The fifth generation of his family to head this Corning, N.Y.-based billion-dollar (sales) maker of sophisticated glass products, he was treated more gently by his board than any hired hand would have been. He and his family and their trusts, after all, still own 16% of the stock. Houghton got the chance to remain on and to clean up the mess he had allowed to develop.
During three frantic months late in 1975, Houghton changed Corning's management style from paternalistic to survival-of-the-fittest. When he was finished, Corning was down to 29,000 employees from its peak of 46,000 worldwide. Among those departing were 1,200 managers; three vice presidents were demoted. A major business, Signetics, was gone. A total of five plants were closed or sold and thousands of products--such main lines as domestic black-and-white TV bulbs, finished Christmas ornaments, and acid waste drain lines--were eliminated. International operations was folded as a separate division. Even Steuben Glass, a commendable family hobby, was squeezed marginally into the black.
Why weren't the cuts made earlier? Why had Corning been allowed to get so overweight? In his own defense, Houghton says: "It was tough making these cuts, particularly when you lived in a small town where you knew a lot of these people." He admits that a generation of prosperity had made the company complacent, and reminds listeners that it's easier to make hard decisions when the pressure is on than when it isn't. Houghton didn't act soon enough, but it's not difficult to understand why he held off, hoping that the economy would pull him through. Where is the businessman who hasn't from time to time put off making these tough choices when things were going relatively well?
Slimmed down, Corning snapped back with a vengeance in the 1976 economic recovery, and parent company profits per share climbed to a record $4.74; this year they could top $5.40 a share, not counting one dollar or so from its investment in Owens-Corning Fiberglas. But as far as the stock market was concerned, the damage was done: Corning recently sold for $65 a share, about ten times estimated total 1977 earnings, vs. as high as 48 times total earnings in the early Seventies.
"Corning used to be a religion for investors," says Otis Bradley, director of research at Hornblower, Weeks, Noyes & Trask, "but judged by their record, when earnings briefly looked out of control, something has changed; Corning is no Procter & Gamble." Another analyst adds: "Corning's relative growth, peak to peak, is not impressive."
And yet, in many ways Corning is a much better company than it was in the mid-Sixties when it was held in such awe by Wall Street. It could well be on the threshold of its greatest growth yet. The key is something called low-loss optical fiber. Pound for pound stronger than steel, lighter than cotton, thin as a human hair, flexible as silk, transparent as air, these fibers, drawn from glass, may revolutionize communications. As a conductor of light beams, a given volume of the fibers can carry many times as many impulses as a similar volume of copper wire, and may eventually obsolete the latter in telephone communications--as well as in computers, aircraft and for many military purposes.
The market could eventually be over a billion dollars annually.
What is perhaps even more important, Corning, slimmed and toughened, is now in position to exploit its technical advantages. Pre-1974-75, Corning was a decidedly unbalanced company, looking profitable indeed but highly vulnerable. Corning made huge profits because it dominated the business of making the glass envelopes that house TV picture tubes, first for black and white, later for color. Explains Houghton: "In 1966 we had 125% of the domestic market. The extra 25% was due to the high breakage of our glass bulbs by the set manufacturers. We got half our sales and three-fourths of our profits from this single product line."
Houghton's biggest mistake was his failure to realize how very vulnerable this near-monopoly had made the company. "You look at a big profit base like that and you expect maybe it will level off and mature, but you don't expect to lose it altogether." Yet at one point in 1975, new orders on TV picture tubes were down to zero as the recession was compounded by the Japanese blitz of the U.S. TV market. (Japanese producers buy their tubes from Japanese companies.)
This was not the only blow this proud old company suffered. In his haste to make Corning powerful overseas, and not merely an investor, Houghton had picked up control of Sovirel in France and what became Corning Ltd. in the United Kingdom. In the economic crisis that followed the quadrupling of the price of oil, the British unit sank deeply into the red while the French operation was only marginally profitable.
Stock quotes are delayed at least 15 minutes for Nasdaq, at least 20 minutes for NYSE/AMEX.
U.S. indexes are delayed at least 15 minutes with the exception of Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 which are 2 minutes delayed. | {
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The theatre, has recently been given Charitable status, and we can now claim Gift Aid, so when renewing either your Patron’s fee or theatre Membership and still paying tax, then don’t forget to tick the Gift Aid box.
Congratulations to Tom Chinnery, on winning the GMDF 2018 Best Supporting Actor Award for his role of several characters in “Ladies’ Day”
New theatre update
Work is well under way with the new theatre, the roof has been relaid, majority of the electrical and internal construction has been completed.
As you can see from the photographs, we are ready to start work on cleaning and decorating the building.
Our first working party is over the weekend of Saturday 18 & 19th August from 10am-4pm
If you can spare any time over this weekend to help with the many jobs that need doing, we will be very grateful of your help.
If you can’t make this weekend, we will be having more working parties over the forthcoming weeks, keep a look out on the web page for details.
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Our intention is to hold the first two plays of the new season at our current venue and be ready for December’s play in the new theatre.
This amateur production of “The Dresser” is presented by kind permission of SAMUEL FRENCH LTD | {
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Taxify launched in Melbourne on Thursday 25th of January 2018. Taxify offers 50% off fares for Melbourne launch on Thursday. Taxify launched in Sydney just before Christmas. Uber rival GoCatch failed to compete with Uber when it launched in Melbourne. I wonder if Taxify will survive after the initia... | {
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The Federal Government has approved appointment of Kamal Uddin Tipu, a grade-20 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, as Executive Member of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in Islamabad.… | {
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Philippine official seeks strong protest over boat sinking
The Philippine defense chief will recommend Manila file a strongly worded diplomatic protest after a fishing boat was hit in the disputed South China Sea by a suspected Chinese vessel that abandoned the 22 Filipino fishermen as their boat sank.
Source: fox newsPhilippine official seeks strong protest over boat sinking | {
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Tuesday, September 29, 2015
I have faith in my story, IDEAL HIGH, and feel like if more people out there knew about it, then it could reach its target audience, and maybe even do some good. Sure, it's fun that so many have read it and enjoyed it, and I appreciate EVERY SINGLE review, really, thank you, (see reviews here) but I'd love it to impact teenagers...kids in high school and junior high right now going through some of the things my main characters Taryn, Chelsea, and Jackie face in my book. I received an email from a young lady named Meghan saying she loved the book, and I guess I would love more of that, so I've hired a publicist.
I'll keep you posted on how that goes...
I've had two amazing editions to my family this month by way of a wedding and a birth, and they just serve to highlight what's most important...FAMILY!
Who doesn't love a sale?The Kindle version of IDEAL HIGH is on sale this week for just $1.99! A bunch of other e-books have been discounted as well, so check them out plus please share the love and pass this on to your friends who might be interested. Share on Facebook and Twitter, too.
Lauren Wilson is well on her way to her happily-ever-after. She’s passionate about her career as a middle school English teacher, she adores her handsome, hard-working husband, and with a baby finally on the way, her perfect life is within her grasp.But then a devastating test result changes everything.Forced to choose between her baby and her husband, Lauren makes the only decision she can live with, and she returns to her small hometown in hopes of rebuilding her shattered life.Ethan Campbell is a gifted photographer who travels the world and has no desire to settle down. When his mother dies, he must go home to settle her estate. Then it’s back to exciting adventures across the globe.When Lauren crosses paths with Ethan, her teenage crush, old feelings resurface—feelings she’s not prepared to face. Will Lauren have the courage to trust again or will she spend her life alone?
Imperfect Love is a story about sacrifice, healing, second chances, and discovering that although love isn’t always perfect, sometimes it’s the imperfect love that’s the sweetest of all.
Purchase A Change of PlansAudiobook (If you own the eBook, the audiobook is only $1.99)
When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. But Lyn’s painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. However, paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.
When she finds herself
thrust back in time, 17 year old Bess Martin, a senior at Danvers High, sets
out on a mission to save her 11th great-grandmother from the gallows-tree. With
a near-perfect knowledge of the historical events about to unfold, Bess knows
the untimely fate of many.
The problem is that Bess has inherited her
grandmother’s sharp tongue—a tongue that caused her grandmother to be tried and
hanged as a witch in Salem Village, 1692.
Can Bess stop the hangings and change
the course of history, or will she share her grandmother’s fate?
Tales of adventure and
danger have thrilled Felicity since Augustus, her ivory-billed woodpecker
friend, taught her to read as a little nestling. She adores the tales of heroes
and heroines who forge ahead in spite of all odds, and who always seem to
succeed no matter what. More than anything, Felicity wants to be brave and
selfless like them.
But
adventures are in short supply, especially for someone who’s just an ordinary
sparrow.
Until the
day an unexpected visitor shows up at her tree with an unusual request…
The housing market is crashing, and Sophie’s life is crashing with it. At twenty-four, her successful real estate career evaporates. She’s broke, can’t find a job, or pay her bills, leaving Sophie wondering how her successful lifestyle became so fragile.
At the urging of her roommate, Sophie accepts a job in her fallback career—teaching six-year-olds. She hopes it’s temporary. After all, how long can a tanking economy last anyway? The best part of the new job is Liam, another employee at Rio Grande Elementary. The worst part of the new job is, well, teaching.
Sophie has a surprise real estate closing from a contract she wrote months ago, leading her to a niche in the real estate market and to a new partner, Kevin. Sophie must choose between Liam or Kevin and between a lucrative career or recess duty.
For months, Christopher Morris has been Brooke's idea of the perfect man—attractive, charming, and fun to be around. But lately he's begun acting strangely, becoming possessive, controlling, and moody. Brooke feels she has no choice but to break up with him, but Christopher doesn't take it well. He drives her wildly back home and gets into a car accident.
That's when Brooke first meets police officer Greg Stevens. After she keeps meeting him—at the worst possible times—they begin dating. Greg confesses he's a widower and that Brooke is the first woman he has so much as looked at in years.
But as Brooke agonizes over whether Greg will ever be able to truly love her, Christopher makes a dangerous return into her life, deciding that if he can't have her, no one can.
When young cavalryman Carl Owen returns from the Civil War, he finds the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father planning to leave the Shenandoah Valley to start a cattle operation in Colorado Territory.
But Pa does a bit more: he also chooses a suitable mate for both Carl and his younger brother, James.
With no one else in mind, Carl is agreeable to marrying the delightfully flirtatious Ida Hilbrands somewhere along the trail, but James is devastated. Ellen Bates isn't the girl he loves and must leave behind.
Making their way across the vast continent, the Owen family and their friends battle a prairie fire, internal strife, a band of vicious outlaws, and the land itself to try to achieve their goals, but before that can happen, the two brothers are fighting over the hand of one girl—and only one of them can win!
Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.
Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events.
Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?
Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart.
Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.
A Compelling Story of Heartbreaking Loss, Inspiring Faith, and a Newfound Love Strong Enough to Heal All Wounds.
Bill Dubrey is a sought-after plastic surgeon for LA’s prestigious and wealthy, and an equally sought-after bachelor. On the surface it appears he has it all—money, respect, and fame. Yet behind his aloof exterior lurks a tragic past that prevents him from finding lasting happiness.
All that changes on the day Kylee Stewart reenters his life. She alone knows Bill’s secret agony, and she is determined to help him face his past. During the years they’ve been apart, Kylee’s own life has been far from easy, but unlike Bill, she has turned to God in her need, finding a faith to which she desperately clings.
The tentative friendship they begin has Bill rethinking his stark future, yet he keeps his heart in check—afraid to commit, afraid to lose again. During Kylee’s darkest moment, when she needs him most, will he be there for her?
Chuck McWilliams is fourteen years old and had just started high school in Washington State when his father lost his job and moved them to the hot, dry, valley of Central California. Starting his freshman year six weeks after the rest of the students, Chuck is insecure about finding his way, making new friends and overcoming bullying from members of the cross country team.
When he is invited to the Homecoming Dance by a strange girl in his English class, Kelsey Llewellyn, he can't think of any reason to say no. Later that day Dahlia Chand, an attractive girl on the cross country team, asks him to the dance, he wonders if he has made a mistake.
How a secretive student, Doug Le Roux, avoids the notice of the rest of the students, yet stands out so clearly to Chuck makes him wonder if something extraordinary is going on at this high school.
Chuck will become entwined in an ages old battle with werewolves, vampires and elves that most of humankind is unaware of in their midst. Remarkably, he will find the most enchanting magic comes from romance.
When wedding planner Keslee gets asked on a date by her long-lost high school crush, Bryce, everything should be perfect. But Bryce mistakes Keslee for her deceased twin sister, Jadyn. And Keslee doesn’t correct him. Talk about awkward. To make matters worse, she learns they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other because Bryce is the marketing director at the venue where Keslee’s new client has chosen to get married. Keslee knows the charade can’t last much longer, and fears she’ll lose Bryce forever when she tells him the truth.
What would you do if one night, life as
you know it changes and you are left alone in despair? That is how Emerine’s
nightmare starts and now all he does is run.
His family lived at the edge of the forest
until dark shadows killed them all. Now they want him, and so does a magic
tree. He has never seen dark shadows or enchanted trees before. Emerine has to
get to the heart of Red Forest, to the fairy people. Only then he will be safe.
Safe? He has never heard of fairies before and once he gets there what?
We have a fantastic line-up of great books that are on SALE! Everyone loves a sale, right?
What's special about Cassandra? Absolutely nothing. She's as ordinary as any other fifth grader. And yet her ordinary life is riddled with hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking mishaps as she guides herself through the world of pre-teens on the brink of adulthood.
Cassandra Jones is the new girl at school. She's been uprooted from her beloved state of Texas and relocated to the hillbilly Ozarks of Springdale, Arkansas. She wonders if she will like her teacher or if she will have any friends. She can only hope school won't be harder than it was back home. She doesn't expect to have two close friends, and even worse, two friends that don't like each other. As she tries to make a spot for herself, will she keep her friendships intact?
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
We live in an age of information. It comes to us through our phones, computers, and other devices, and sometimes, still, even a BOOK! It's almost unfathomable, then, that there are adults throughout the world who cannot read. Is the information age just passing them by? But, really, isn't it more than just not knowing what the popular bloggers are saying or missing out on the latest bestseller?
From grammerly.com: "Illiteracy is more than just a lack of reading skills. Around the world, it is a clear predictor of poverty, illness, and disempowerment. It’s not a problem confined to the developing world, either. Even in the United States, there are thirty-two million adults who cannot read, according to the U.S. Department of Education."
Celebrate literacy by donating to a *good literacy cause or check with your local library to find out ways you can help.
Monday, September 7, 2015
I'm not purposely keeping secrets from my blog, but I realize there are several fun writing things I haven't even mentioned here. I mean what's the purpose of a blog if it doesn't know all so that it can tell all???
In an effort to inform, I'll start with something super fun that happened last April concerning my novel IDEAL HIGH...
While this is just the first step in the process (the finalists will be announced next February) it still means a lot to me. I remember so vividly attending my 1st LDStorymakers Conference in Provo, Utah all those years ago. I felt such a great writerly camaraderie there, and that excitement literally exploded at the Whitney Awards banquet held at the close of conference. (No, not literally, it's just a pun.) To have my very own book honored by the Whitney Committee is a huge deal.
I also blog at these "spots"
CURRENTLY READING:
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (for book club)
Half the Skyby Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
The Book of Mormonby various authors
Out of the mouths of writerly people
"Once the disease of reading has laid hold upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot and festers in the quill. The wretch takes to writing." --Virginia Woolf
"...it's easy after all not to be a writer. Most people aren't writers and very little harm comes to them." --Julian Barnes, Flaubert's Parrot | {
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Latency-aware leader election
Experimental studies have shown that electing a leader based on measurements of the underlying communication network can be beneficial. We use this approach to study the prob- lem of electing a leader that is eventually not only correct (as captured by the Ω failure detector abstraction), but also optimal with respect to the transmission delays to its peers. We give the definitions of this problem and a suitable model, thus allowing us to make an analytical analysis of the prob- lem, which is in contrast to previous work on that topic. | {
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} |
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“Given the centrality of various forms of graphic inscription in Dogon cosmology, the cosmogonic potency and role of sign, figure, drawing, trace, diagram, outline, image, mark, design and so on (for all of which the Dogon use a careful, hairsplitting terminology), along with the strikingly tactile, abraided vocality, the grating ‘graphic’ tone and timbre of the song of the Andoumboulou itself, I couldn’t help thinking of the Andoumboulou [an earlier, incomplete form of human in Dogon mythology] as not simply a failed or flawed, earlier form of human being but a rough draft of human being, the work-in-progress we continue to be…The song of the Andoumboulou is one of striving, strain, abrasion, an all but asthmatic song of aspiration.” -- Nathaniel Mackey, Splay Anthem
Dogon A.D., Julius Hemphill’s first album as a bandleader, was recorded in St. Louis in 1972 and released on his own Mbari record label. The sessions for the album produced four songs, almost a full hour of music, too much for any LP. The extra song, “Hard Blues,” became the first track on Hemphill’s second album, ‘Coon Bid’ness on Arista/Freedom, and is included on this CD, unifying the session on a single disc. Dogon A.D. was reissued by Arista/Freedom in 1977, well after Hemphill had left St. Louis for the loft scene of New York City. But even before that, the album had apparently struck a nerve. Robert Palmer, writing the liner notes for the Arista reissue, notes all the glowing reviews the album garnered in the five years between initial release and reissue.
Most of the buzz for the album is from the title track, which offers an alternate vision of the jazz future/past of 1972. While it may be folly to reduce any era of jazz down to a few trends, one could reasonably say that by the early 1970s, jazz had stratified into two main camps: fusion and the post-Coltrane, post-Ayler avant-garde. “Dogon A.D.” offers either a bizarre hybrid or a completely new way out of that binary. At its center is a stark, looping groove built by drummer Philip Wilson (who sounds like Tony Williams with only one arm and one leg) and cellist Abdul Wadud (who sounds like he’s trying to make power chords with his bow). On top of this, Hemphill and trumpeter Baikida E. J. Carroll spin free solos that are simultaneously neck deep in the blues and throat deep in avant-garde. But neither of them blow just for the sake of blowing -- they use texture, vocality, grain and space as tools to express some kind of ur-blues, one that has more in common with the grit on an old 78 or a mythological view of the Dogon of Mali than B. B. King. And both interact with and against the underlying vamp, using its subliminal rock feel as a point of departure. It feels like an answer to the question of what might have happened if Miles had never heard of Sly Stone. “Hard Blues” is an even more extreme version of this, a lilting Texas blues with Hamiet Bluiett adding a swinging, powerful baritone sax to the mix.
The other two tunes here are a closer to the free-blowing jams of the Art Ensemble, Henry Threadgill or Anthony Braxton. But they never actually freak out. There is no loss of control, there is still a sense of line, of voice, of conversation. They are graphic players, using their instruments to create the kind of ecstatic collage that appears on the cover of the Arista/Freedom version of the album, in which a man in a Dogon mask plays the saxophone while leaping out of the center of a campfire with Dogon huts looming in the background. In these songs, Wadud becomes the propulsive center of the ensemble, acting as a guitar/bass hybrid, providing occasional harmonic frameworks, but also anchoring the rhythm with provocative bass lines. And Wilson’s restraint opens space for Hemphill’s flute vocalizations in “The Painter” and the collective skree of “Rites.”
I’ve been purposefully avoiding the question of the Dogon, the title, and the question/role of Africa in this album because there’s so much in there to unpack that goes way beyond what I could possibly write here about this particular album. What I can say is that, to Hemphill, the Dogon seem to represent some kind of mythical tribe that is simultaneously not of this time and yet in possession of knowledge from the future, occult knowledge of the universe. You could perhaps draw a line between Hemphill’s Dogon and Sun Ra’s afro-futurist mythology. But I’ll let Hemphill himself explain it to you.
SM: You recorded Dogon A.D. on your own label in ‘72 (it was re-released in ‘77). The title refers to the African tribe in Mali called the Dogon. Why did you chose [sic] that subject for your album?
JH: Well, the A.D. stands for adaptive dance, and I had in mind a dance all along. I read an article about how the Dogon had decided to reveal some of their sacred dance ritual, to attract the tourist trade. I had seen some of the dancing on video, and I had read a little about the Dogon and their cosmic view, and it was quite extraordinary. They have been proclaiming the existence of a companion star to Sirius, which could not be seen. And finally, Western scientists have telescopes that can see it. So how did these people living in these mud huts know this about the solar system? Like elliptical orbits, and all of these uncanny things. The Dogon seemed to be singular in their beliefs; they claim that they were visited by star people, and they have drawings of some of these events that they had kept hidden. There were a lot of fairly mind-boggling stories. And what they understand about the planets, without a telescope, mind you, researchers, especially French and British researchers, have been trying to poke at for 40, 50 years. The real clincher was the discovery of the star Sirius B, as it is called, and it’s there, like they said it was. The orbit for this invisible star to come around Sirius takes 55 years. And every 55 years the Dogon have a festival. So, I find them extraordinary and unique among Africans. – Julius Hemphill, interviewed by Suzanne McElfresh, BOMB 46 | {
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Mike Walling
Author / Storyteller
It’s a simple plan – force the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq by shutting down key US ports. No need for weapons of mass destruction, ordinary explosives easily obtained would do the job. The complex part is for Coast Guard Lieutenant Mark Fletcher to stop it from happening. Faced with an unknown enemy from his past and betrayal by his superior officers, Mark is caught in a labyrinth of deceit. His only allies are a retired Navy SEAL and a beautiful black helicopter pilot. Stretching from the treacherous shores of Iraq to inner circles of power in Washington, DC, Choke Points leads the reader deep into the heart of the War on Terror and the real threats of attack on the U.S. This is the first book of the Fletcher Saga that stretches from the tumultuous Colonial times to the ever-dangerous present.
A low haze hung over the water as the 567-foot Navy cruiser USS Concord eased her way up the channel."It's been a long nine months and we're almost there," Concord's captain, Pete Wallace said to his Conning Officer, Lieutenant Barbara Hearn."You're right about that, Captain" she answered absently, more concerned with maintaining the ship's position than her CO's conversation. They were just 4,000 yards away from the opening through Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and there were myriad small boats in the area to watch out for. Moving at fifteen knots, Concord would be through the opening in four minutes.
On the main deck crew members patrolled with loaded weapons while down below others were finishing last-minute packing or donning their dress white uniforms prior to manning the rail for entering port. Six thirty-foot Navy security boats, each with a four-man crew and mounting two machine guns, designated Papa 1 through 6, wove a protective pattern around Concord . Overhead an Air Cobra attack helicopter circled. Further out a local television station helicopter kept pace, its crew filming Concord's return for the evening news."Bridge, Lookout.""Bridge, aye," replied Lieutenant Pete Spectle, the Junior Officer of the Deck"Bridge, I got what looks to be a boat on fire with two people onboard, bearing zero-nine-zero, range one thousand yards.""Bridge aye," acknowledged Spectle. Wallace, overhearing the report, issued the orders: "Have Papa six investigate and send a MAYDAY to the Coast Guard on Channel sixteen.""Aye, aye. Captain."
Picking up a radio handset, and using Concord's tactical call sign "Minuteman," Spectle radioed the instructions to Papa 6, patrolling astern of Concord . As the boat pealed off at high speed in response to the order, the lookout called:"Bridge, there are two speedboats bearing three-four-zero and two speedboats bearing zero-two-zero off the bow, range to all four boats approximately two thousand yards and closing."Spectle again acknowledged the report, "Lookout, Bridge. Roger, we see them."He relayed the report to the captain."Pass the info to Papa One and Papa Two and have them intercept," ordered Wallace."Aye, aye, Captain," responded Spectle. "Papa one, Papa two, this is Minuteman, over.""Minuteman, this is Papa One, over.""Papa one, be advised there are four, repeat four speed boats on our bow, two to port, two to starboard, range approximately two thousands yards. Intercept and report. Over.""Roger," Papa 1 answered and then radioed, "Papa Two take the two to starboard. I'll cover the two to port." Papa 1 and 2 increased speed and headed for the contacts while Papa 3 and Papa 4 moved from there positions to cover the now exposed area ahead of the cruiser.As Papa 1 approached the intruders, one of her crew yelled, "Will you look at this!" Each speedboat had a gorgeous bikini-clad brunette standing up in the bow, waving a "Welcome Home" banner."Minuteman, this is Papa Two. The contacts look like a welcoming committee." "Papa Two, roger, move them out of the zone.""With pleasure. Out."
With most of the attention focused on Papa 1 and 2, Wallace focused on Papa 6. Though his binoculars he saw Papa 6 pull alongside the burning pleasure boat."Oh my God," he whispered as the burning boat exploded, obliterating itself and Papa 6."Spectle, order Papa Five and Hawk One to head for the scene and sound the Rescue and Assistance alarm."Overhead the Air Cobra, with Papa 5 following, headed for the smoke and burning wreckage marking the remains of Papa 6.With most of the ship's crew preparing to deal with the disaster astern, Papa 1 and Papa 2 moved toward the four speed boats off the bow. On board Concord the Bridge Watch monitored the operations. After getting a good look at the incoming boats, Wallace turned to Hearn and said: "Looks like they have it under control."Closing the last hundred feet to their respective targets with weapons ready, the Papa crews tensed as the girls reached down and brought up brightly colored water guns."Don't shoot!" the Navy gunners called out to their mates, "they're super-soaker water guns," and everybody relaxed.Seeing the water guns, Spectle muttered, "Looks like somebody's idea of a joke."
The women began firing and bullets from the disguised AK-47s ripped the Navy crews to shreds. After brushing aside the closest security boats, the intruders' guns turned first on the two remaining security boats, then on the cruiser.Dashing to the 1MC, the ship's public address system, Wallace yelled, "Deck Security, open fire, repeat, open fire. All hands man your Battle Stations. Set Condition Zebra." The last meant all doors and hatches were to be closed, turning the hull into a series of watertight compartments.Blood ran down Concord's sides as the attackers' fire tore into her crew. A ragged cheer went up when defensive fire killed one of the attackers. The cheering stopped as the boat kept heading straight for Concord's bow. Zigzagging, the other three boats drove on, their hulls splintered, the women gunners dead, but the helmsmen safe behind armor-plated consoles.
Harry "Slick" Jones, coxswain of Papa 4, was dying, the rest his crew already dead."Just one," Jones prayed. "Just let me take one of the bastards with me." The fourth attacker had swung wide, apparently heading for Concord's stern and Jones saw his chance. Using skills honed by a life time on the water, he quickly calculated an intercept point. The enemy coxswain didn't see Papa 4 approaching until it was too late. Screaming: "So long, motherfucker!" Jones rammed the speedboat's side, triggering an explosion which obliterated the two craft.That detonation rocked Concord , and before anyone could recover, the remaining three boats, each loaded with explosives, crashed into the cruiser's hull and exploded, catapulting people into steel walls, crushing limbs and lives. The blast blew the bridge windows inward; screams accompanied the black smoke that began wafting upward. A piece of glass ripped open Hearn's throat, showering Wallace with blood. The helmsman's legs were shattered, his bones sticking out from tattered trousers. Others were dazed, wounded or unconscious. The lookout on the flying bridge was killed by the concussion from the explosions.Groping his way to the intercom, Wallace called: "Damage Control, this is the Bridge. Report." Waiting for the reply, he wiped at Hearn's blood in his eyes and spattered on his face.
The team in Damage Control Central, buried in the bowels of the ship, had been badly shaken, but was still functioning. Commander Juan Ramirez, the Executive Officer, scanned the status boards by the light of battery-powered battle lanterns and listened to reports pouring in from the Damage Control parties investigating interior spaces. The news was all bad. Fires from electrical short circuits and ruptured fuel lines raged unchecked. Ladders were down, blocking passageways; jammed hatches prevented access to many spaces, trapping many of the crew below decks. In the darkness the survivors crawled on hands and knees, looking for ways out that no longer existed."Captain, there's a fifteen-foot hole in the port bow, a twenty by ten foot gash amidships starboard side," Ramirez reported. "One explosive smashed the stern, opening it to the sea. We've lost power. No report from the engine room watch, they're probably dead from the explosion. No report on casualties yet. It's too soon to accurately count the dead and wounded," he concluded.
Concord's momentum kept her moving forward, closer to the opening between spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Water surging into the hole in the bow pulled Concord to port and the incoming tide pushed the ship's stern broadside across the channel. Wallace watched helplessly as the ship healed is healed right word? to port and started sinking in the opening. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Pete Spectle standing beside him."Mr. Spectle, order all hands to abandon ship."He knew nothing more could be done for Concord. | {
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Key yearend tax tips
There are several tax-planning strategies that you and your clients should consider – from crystallizing capital gains and losses to maximizing charitable donations and TFSAs – as the end of 2018 approaches
It’s never too early to get started on yearend tax planning. In fact, talking to your clients well before Dec. 31 just makes sense.
“If you’re doing this at the end of the year, it’s going to be more difficult for you and even more difficult for the client,” says Blair Evans, director, tax and estate planning, with Investors Group Inc. in Winnipeg.
Of course, speaking with your clients throughout the year about tax planning will help ensure they don’t lose out on tax-saving opportunities.
“There’s very little you can do to save taxes when you’re actually sitting down [with clients in the spring] to file their tax returns from [the previous] year,” says Jamie Golombek, managing director of tax and estate planning with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s financial planning and advice group in Toronto.
Here are a few key tax-planning tips for you and your clients to consider as the end of 2018 approaches:
– Review capital gains and losses. Going over your clients’ portfolios to identify investments that have achieved significant gains or losses is a good idea to do in the latter part of the year, Evans says.
Selling investments with capital losses before yearend allows your clients to offset capital gains realized elsewhere within a portfolio. Net capital losses that aren’t used for the 2018 taxation year can be carried back three years or carried forward to any future taxation year to offset net capital gains.
However, any tax-planning considerations should always be placed in context of broader investment goals, Evans says: “Tax should not be the foremost concern.”
If a decision to sell an investment that has experienced a significant loss already has been made, Evans adds, “accelerating [that decision] and selling in 2018 may make sense” to take advantage of the tax-planning opportunity.
Dec. 27 is the last day for trading securities that can be settled on Dec. 31.
– Discuss charitable donations.
Gifts to registered charities allow your clients to take advantage of donation tax credits at both the federal and provincial levels, which lead to tax savings.
“The one [tax tip] that we’re always reminding people of is charitable donations,” says Abby Kassar, vice president, high net-worth planning services, with Royal Bank of Canada’s wealth-management division in Toronto.
Donating gifts of publicly traded securities, such as stocks or mutual funds, that have appreciated in value can lead to significant tax savings, Kassar says. That’s because the donor receives a tax receipt for the value of the “in kind” donation, against which a donation tax credit can be claimed, and the capital gain on the value of the donated security is eliminated as well, thus saving taxes.
Clients also could consider setting up a donor-advised fund, which provides an effective way to make donations to various charities, Golombek says; such trusts are relatively straightforward to establish. You can have conversations with clients about donor-advised funds throughout the year.
“Some [clients] are not aware [of donor-advised funds] and those who are think they’re too complicated,” Golombek says. “But when I show [clients] that they can be saving up to 26% on taxes on their capital gains, depending on their province or territory, they get very interested.”
The deadline for making charitable donations for the 2018 taxation year is Dec. 31.
– Note the TFSA deadline. If your clients are considering making withdrawals from their TFSAs soon, they should be advised that doing so before the end of the current year, rather than early in the next year, is always preferable. That’s because an amount equal to the amount withdrawn from a TFSA is added to the accountholder’s contribution room for the following taxation year – as long as the withdrawal in question wasn’t made to correct an overcontribution. Withdrawing money from a TFSA before the end of the year gives clients the flexibility to contribute to their accounts as early as January of the new year, maximizing tax-sheltered growth.
If you have a new client who has never contributed to a TFSA and who was 18 or older in 2009, he or she has built up cumulative contribution room of $57,500 as of 2018. (The federal government has yet to announce the annual TFSA contribution limit for 2019; the limit may rise to $6,000 for 2019 from $5,500.)
– Keep a record of expenses. If you plan to deduct business expenses for your financial advisory business for the 2018 taxation year, you need to make sure the amounts are reasonable and that you have proper documentation to back up any claimed expenses. Failure to do so can lead to big problems with the tax authorities.
“The [Canada Revenue Agency] can come back, disallow the expenses and you can end up spending a lot of time fighting it,” Golombek says.
For example, you should keep detailed travel logs of when you visit clients if you plan to claim your vehicle as an expense, Golombek says. Similarly, if you plan to claim meals or entertainment as an expense, you need to keep proper documentation. | {
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In the month of April, US travelers availed the e-Tourist Visa scheme followed by Russia and Australia as the overall number of overseas who are availing this facility have increased by 19,000. With the extension of E- Tourist Visa facility by the existing government of the nation the count of overseas individuals who have been benefited from the new facility has been gradually increased when compared to the figure of the previous year.
TVoA ( Tourist visa on Arrival) that has been certified by the ETA(Electronic Travel Authorization) was put forth on 27 November 2014 for 43 nations, was extended to the all the citizens of Sri Lanka and Guyana in January and April 2015.
Furthermore, the benefit will be extended to the natives of 31 nations in May 2015.
Almost 94,998 of the tourists have taken the e-tourist Visa in the period of January to April of this year compared to 8,008 of the same period in the previous year, recording a growth of 1,086.3 percent. | {
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CAPTURING YOUR SPECIAL
MOMENTS
Hello and welcome to Capture the Moment Photography LLC website. My name is Melissa aka Missi. I am an ER nurse who happens to have a strong passion for photography. I have always had a passion for photography as far back as I could remember. I currently use Cannon 5D Mark III. I just love capturing those special moments in life. I am very passionate about everything I do and love getting to know my clients. I am a natural light outdoor photographer but occasionally do indoor work if requested. I have officially been doing photography since January 2015. Sessions offered include: | {
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COVID-19 pandemic and cardiovascular emergencies
The COVID-19 pandemic poses a number of challenges for cardiovascular emergencies, and not only for COVID-19 patients. A review summarized this new and evolving field: “First, those with COVID-19 and preexisting cardiovascular disease (CVD) have an increased risk of severe disease and death. Second, infection has been associated with multiple direct and indirect cardiovascular complications including acute myocardial injury, myocarditis, arrhythmias and venous thromboembolism. The response to COVID-19 can compromise the rapid triage of non-COVID-19 patients with cardiovascular conditions. Finally, the provision of cardiovascular care may place health care workers in a position of vulnerability as they become host or vectors of virus transmission.”[1]
Acute cardiac injury (defined as abnormal troponin level) occurs in up to 20% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19, and is a marker of poor prognosis.[2] COVID-19 can cause acute cardiac injury through multiple mechanisms: “early reports indicate that there are two patterns of myocardial injury with COVID-19. The rise in hs-cTnI tracks with other inflammatory biomarkers (D-dimer, ferritin, interleukin-6, LDH), raising the possibility that this reflects cytokine storm. In contrast, reports of patients presenting with predominantly cardiac symptoms suggests a different pattern, potentially viral myocarditis or stress cardiomyopathy”[3] COVID-19 cardiac complications include both STEMI mimics like myocarditis (diagnosed retrospectively after a normal angiogram) [4] and concerns that the inflammatory response could cause plaque rupture leading to acute coronary occlusion (which the newly created North American COVID-19 ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Registry (NACMI) will help track).
Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 can develop pulmonary emboli[5], and the rate is especially high in critically ill patients in ICU [6]. But the incidence of patients presenting to the ED with both COVID-19 and PE is isolated to case reports. As a report on a patient presenting with pneumonia and hemoptysis, along with right-heart strain on the ECG, concluded: “An association between COVID-19 and PE creates a diagnostic challenge for emergency medicine clinicians given the overlap in symptoms between the two clinical entities. Elevated D-Dimer levels (>1.0 mg/dl) have been identified as a potential predictor of increased mortality, but are not specific to the diagnosis of VTE. Reliance on D-dimer as a screening tool should be discouraged in this patient population and may lead to over utilization of Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA)…In addition to clinical features like hemoptysis, signs of right heart strain on adjunctive bedside tests like EKG or point of care ultrasound maybe helpful for clinicians in identifying COVID-19 patients at risk for concurrent pulmonary embolism.”[7]
In addition, the scale of the pandemic appears to be impacting non-COVID cardiovascular emergencies. In a number of regions hit hard by the pandemic there’s been a paradoxical drop in the number of STEMI cases, raising the concern that patient fear of COVID-19 is leading to medical distancing; avoidance of hospitals could lead to early death or late presentations.[8] Early data from one hospital in Hong Kong found delays in STEMI patients seeking medical care, as well as delays in door-to-device times.[9] As an American College of Cardiology clinical bulletin warned, “classic symptoms and presentation of AMI may be overshadowed in the context of COVID-19, resulting in underdiagnosis.”[10] This is especially important in the ED, where patients present with undifferentiated symptoms and unknown COVID-19 status.Anchoring on a pandemic disease whose diagnosis is delayed and whose main treatment is supportive could lead to missing cardiovascular emergencies that can be quickly diagnosed at the bedside and for whom specific treatments exist, like PE and acute coronary occlusion. Finally, there are changing protocols around interventional cardiology, varying between and within countries over time (and some which reinforce the false dichotomy between STEMI and NSTEMI). The Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology recommends decisions on PCI vs medical management be guided by diagnosis, clinical stability, likelihood of COVID-19 or known status, and resource restrictions.[11] Each centre may have a slightly different approach, which may change over time, and COVID-19 test results are helpful in planning non-urgent cases.
Back to the cases
Patient 1: myocarditis, COVID(-)
ECG/trop done because of 50yo with SOB out of proportion to mild URTI symptoms.
Take home points for ECG Cases 8: Cardiovascular emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic
For patients with cardiorespiratory symptoms, guard against anchoring by considering non-COVID emergencies first (especially without classic infectious symptoms), for which ECG/POCUS can be helpful (eg PE, acute coronary occlusion)
Dr. Jesse McLaren (@ECGcases), is an Emergency Physician in Toronto with a special interest in emergency cardiology quality improvement and education. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto.
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About Us
Emergency Medicine Cases (EM Cases) is a free online medical education podcast, medical blog and website dedicated to providing online emergency medicine education and CME for physicians, residents, students nurses and paramedics. We are Canada’s most listened to emergency medicine podcast with thousands of subscribers, well over 6 million podcast downloads since 2010 and are proudly part of the #FOAMed community. In each Main episode podcast 2 or more experts in a particular emergency medicine topic join Dr. Helman in a round-table, case-based discussion on key practice changing clinical emergency medicine topics, which are then carefully edited to maximize your learning. EM Cases’ Journal Jam podcast brings together world-renowned researchers and educators to keep you up to date on key research papers in EM, the EM Quick Hits podcast has 5 minute segments from 10 experts in specific challenging EM topics, and the Best Case Ever podcast has guest experts sharing their tacit knowledge on particularly interesting cases. We also offer the CritCases blog and Waiting to Be Seen blog as well as eBooks, Rapid Reviews Videos of the main episode podcasts, POCUS Cases videos, a Quiz Vault, and interactive courses.
Our Team, is headed by EM Cases founder and host Dr. Anton Helman. Our Advisory Board includes prominent leaders in the faculty of the University of Toronto Divisions of Emergency Medicine. Our Guest Experts, which number more than 100 in total, North America’s brightest minds in emergency medicine, are carefully chosen for each episode topic.
EM Cases is made possible by the support of The Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Medicine Institute (SREMI), a non-profit academic institution whose mission is improve research and education in Emergency Medicine. | {
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WordPress Developer
WordPress is flexible and can be adapted by anyone. Being Open Source makes it a great choice for any business looking to build a website with unique functions. We are WordPress Developers with experience in building unique websites with a range of functions. WordPress is a great way to build a website that is flexible and cost effective to run. We are WordPress web designers based in Sydney, and we will always deliver a website that will help your business grow.
Amazing WordPress Development
Our wordpress websites are built on a themes and frameworks that have been perfected. We can customise any wordpress theme to suit your business. We also make sure that the design conforms to SEO principles to help drive traffic to your business.
Expert Support
All our WordPress systems come with 1 hour free training, so that you will get up to speed on the new system. If you need more time, don’t worry, we can do that too. Most of our clients, however, only need one hour of tuition.
Cost Effective
No long contracts, no surprise fees, we will work on it until you are happy, those are our promises. Our prices start from $550 inc GST for a basic WordPress template and go upwards depending on how much customisation you need.
Complete WordPress Development
We will consult with you to help you deliver a complete WordPress design for your business. We will help you make the right decisions on everything from the plug ins you need created, through to the flow of the website. If you need content created, we will even help with that too. We can create a template from scratch, or amend existing templates.
Plugin Creation
We can build custom plugins for your website. We have created simple plugins that pull feeds from other websites, and we have modified existing ones to allow you to create your own “Where to Buy” website.
Flexibility
WordPress is incredibly flexible. It can allow you to create a social networking site, where members can get in contact with each other. It can allow you to set up a Yellow Pages like website where you can make money from submissions. WordPress is by far the most used website system available. Every day there are new functions and plugins developed. We can help you build a website that suits you. Whether you are a large newspaper looking for a way to build a better website and community, or just a small business looking for a way to list your retailers, we have the right solution for you.
http://www.jobsgator.com – A jobs aggregator, pulling feeds from the top jobs sites in Australia
http://www.aussietimes.com.au – A social media site, allowing users to submit and vote on content
http://www.globalfootballid.com – A social networking site for football players
http://www.heardle.com – A news and rumours aggregator
Why WordPress?
Wordpress is one of the most widely used platforms in the world. It has become the defacto system for building websites fast and creating something that can do almost everything!. It is easy to use and you don’t need any coding knowledge to do the basics. We have trained people to use the system quickly in less than an hour. If you know how to use Word, then you will be fine with WordPress.
The system is also viewable with all browsers, whether that is mobile or table. Some websites that have active contents such as Flash or Java can’t be viewed the same way by all browsers, which is where this CMS stands out. The back end code is always updated you can press a button once, and you will also have the best code, with the latest standards. It is free, as in speech, which means you are free to utlilise the system without ongoing costs or contracts, open Source software is free to use and manipulate. There are a wide range of plug ins that allows this CMS to be one of the most versatile systems available. WordPress is also natively search optimised with the right content to maximise your chances of being found with the major search engines.
http://www.jobsgator.com – A jobs aggregator, pulling feeds from the top jobs sites in Australia
http://www.aussietimes.com.au – A social media site, allowing users to submit and vote on content | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough
“The hunt is on for the mysterious keys left by the alien Builders. While Skyler’s team of immune scavengers scatters around the disease-ravaged globe in search of the artifacts, Skyler himself finds much more than he expected in the African desert, where he stumbles upon surprising Builder relics—and thousands of bloodthirsty subhumans. From the slums and fortresses of Darwin to the jungles of Brazil and beyond, Skyler and company are in for a wild ride, jam-packed with daunting challenges, run-and-gun adventure, and unexpected betrayals—all in a race against time to finally answer the great questions that have plagued humanity for decades: Who are the Builders, and what do they want with Earth?”
It seems to me that as this trilogy has gone on, the author has turned his focus almost completely to action. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and in fact, I really enjoyed the fast pace and nearly non-stop action of this novel. There are certain points, though, at which the action either gets so frantic that it’s hard to follow, or the constant stream of things happening starts to bog down the narrative. I know, you wouldn’t think that action could cause a story to drag, but it occasionally does. The points at which things slow down temporarily provides some relief.
Part of the problem comes from the lengthy descriptions of the Builder structures that Skyler and company are investigating. While Hough has done an outstanding job at creating weird places that are obviously alien, I think he takes it a little too far. One of the places that Skyler visits actually changes its configuration fairly often, making it necessary to devote way too much page space to letting the reader know where the door has wandered off to this time.
That being said, I still found this book to be a fun read. All that action provides readers with plenty of neat alien technology and things blowing up and battles being fought. There’s a definite sense of urgency as the timeline of the Builder events draws to a conclusion. The characters are already well-established, so they’re free to throw themselves into the action without wasting a single second. It’s a big budget adventure film in print form, and if you take it for what it is, it’s bound to satisfy.
Any concluding volume of a series has a huge job to do: it has to wrap up all the action and plot development that has gone before and do so in a logical manner; it has to bring some closure to the characters and their arcs; and it has to answer at least a majority of the questions raised in the story. If you think about it, that’s a lot to get accomplished. And while The Plague Forge does hit these highlights, it didn’t do quite as good a job as it could have. It is, however, still a great book (and series) to get reluctant readers into science fiction. | {
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Kremlin is a CS4 /5 after effects template with great dynamics and a nice russian vintage style. it has great rhythm with fast cuts and fast transitions. You can use it as an tv show or movie opener or even as a very stylized photo slide. You ca easily change the color of the monochomatic photos and creat really interesting looksThe project uses PARTICULAR 2 .0 for the little letter in the background .
The music track is not included but you can buy this amazing audio track by adamjamescuz here
If you have any question about the customization send me a message trough my profile page and I’ll be glad to help you out | {
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Monday
Wednesday night at 7:30, Aunt Jan called to remind me of her Thursday evening CFNM party. She told me she wanted me there no later than 6:30.
"But I thought the party started at 7:30." I protested.
"Well, yeah, but you need to come by sooner. I've got some things I need help with." Aunt Jan explained.
"All right. I guess I can do it at 6:30." I replied.
"Good." Aunt Jan said while giggling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning I got up early and headed to class, but Aunt Jan's party was still on my mind. I was looking forward to another mind-blowing orgasm at the hands of some hot friend of my cousin, Sarah. The day passed slowly, but my last class wrapped up at 2:30. I headed back to my apartment to get ready for the party. I went for a quick jog, took a shower, then shaved.
I slipped into a pair of grey boxer briefs I picked up at the trendy department store in town. The picture of the model on the front showed his bulge nicely, so I thought these would go over well at Aunt Jan's. I put on my jeans, and a cotton polo shirts, watched a little TV then headed out. I arrived at Aunt Jan's a little before 6:30. I knocked on the door, and she answered wearing a thin terry cloth robe.
"You're early!" She laughed.
"Yeah, I guess so." I said.
"That's ok. Are you ready for another great party?" She asked.
"Oh yeah. I've been waiting all week." I answered.
"Well come in here." She grabbed my arm and pulled me in the door.
"What did you need help with? Do you need me to help set up?" I asked.
"On no. Come in here." She replied. Aunt Jan still had a hold of my arm, and she was leading me toward her bedroom. She pushed me through the door. She took my hand and led me to her bed.
"Have a seat." She said. I sat down as she closed the bedroom door. Next, she slipped off her thin robe revealing a sexy red lace bra and panty set. The bra was pushing up her massive cleavage and the panties were a see thru mesh thong. Aunt Jan paraded around her room as if she were searching for something, all the while letting me check out her sexy MILF body.
"There's what I'm looking for." She smiled as she pulled a box of Trojan magnums out of her drawer. She pulled out one of the remaining two condoms. Clearly, my auntie had been getting some BIG action. She sauntered toward me with a seductive smile on her face.
When she reached my position at the bed, she knelt before me. She gently pushed my knees apart. Slowly she stroked my cock, which was no doubt stretching the denim covering it. She deftly unbuckled my belt and worked my jeans down my legs. I stood up to make it easier for her. I sensed it was all wrong, but I couldn't stop. I slipped my polo over my head. Now I was standing before her in only my tight boxer briefs.
"Oh big boy. I've been waiting for this." She grinned as she pushed me back down on the bed. She yanked off my underwear and gently kissed my erect cock. Soon she was bobbing on it like a champion. I was moaning softly enjoying the vision of this sexy older woman getting me off.
Just then, she stopped sucking my dick. Aunt Jan stood up, unclasped her bra, and slid it off. Her 38C tits were magnificent. She laid me back on the bed and straddled my face. I knew what she wanted. I kissed her pussy thru the thin material of her thong. Looking up, I could see she was fondling her tits--gently twisting each nipple as she let out soft moans. I was turned on by the fact that her shaved pussy was visible thru the mesh.
"All right, let's put this on." She said as she wrapped the XL condom. She gave my bare cock a few more licks before wrapping it up. She stood up and slipped her thong off. As she laid down, I tried to roll over on top of her. "Oh no!" She scolded me, "I'm on top tonight."
With that, she laid me back down and straddle my cock cowgirl style. She rubbed the head across her clit sending waves of pleasure thru her body and relentlessly teasing mine. "Please fuck me." I cried in agony. I was dying for her bright pink pussy. Slowly she worked my 8 incher inside her puss. Soon she was bucking and grinding on top of me. I've had sex with a few girls, but Aunt Jan was my first WOMAN. She definitely knew what she was doing. After about 15 minutes, I was cumming ropes of spunk into that magnum condom.
"Was that a good load for me, baby?" She asked. Aunt Jan knew I blew my load based on my moans and heavy breathing.
"Oh hell yeah." I mumbled. Aunt Jan continued grinding on my ever-shrinking dick until she was moaning in her own orgasm. When she finished, she rolled off of me. I could see her faced was flushed and her sexy tits were covered in sweat. She sat up and pulled the condom off my dick. "Wow, what a load." She admired the volume of cum in the rubber. "We should get cleaned up before the other guests arrive." She said as she went into the bathroom.
A moment or two later, she reemerged wearing a light blue one-piece swimsuit that was remarkably low cut.
"Damn, I love those tits." I said.
Aunt Jan laughed and said, "Go get ready."
"Get ready for what. Its CFNM. I'm the naked man, and I'm all ready naked." I laughed.
"You need to take a shower. I'm sure some girl is going to suck that huge dick tonight and I don't want her tasting my pussy when she does. Hurry up! Its 7:15." Aunt Jan demanded.
I got up and jumped in her shower.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was feeling great in the shower. My dick hung limp, but victorious as I scrubbed down and washed up. "Man that was fucking unbelievable. What a MILF!" I chuckled. I was a little worried the romp took too much out of me to perform later, but I figured hot college freshman in bikinis would get me back up.
I finished my shower and hopped out. While I was toweling off, I could hear a couple female voices through the door. I recognized Aunt Jan, and I figured another party guest had arrived. I wanted to wait until they left before exiting the bathroom though.
Just then, Aunt Jan yelled "Larry get out here!" I walked through the door with my large white towel wrapped around my waist. My aunt was sitting on her bed in her low cut swimsuit with a woman who looked to be about the same age. My aunt is gorgeous, but this woman was smoking hot. She was a bit shorter than my aunt, but had huge boobs and dark hair with a gorgeous tan. To top it off, she was wearing a white, halter bikini that had little pink hearts covering it. I could feel a stirring in my loins. Was I getting hard again so soon?
"What's with that towel?" My aunt asked as she leapt to her feet. "Show Denise the goods!" With a quick yank, Aunt Jan removed the towel, exposing me to her hot brunette friend.
"Damn, you got a divorce and all of a sudden you have boy toys like this in your shower. You lucky bitch!" Denise chuckled. As she laughed, her sweet tits bounced in her tight bikini top. "I could have some fun with you." Denise winked at me.
Then, the doorbell rang. "Oh, looks like we have more guests!" My aunt jumped off the bed and headed for the living room.
Denise stood up and grabbed a hold of my expanding cock. I looked down and saw she had on a huge rock that matched her huge tits. Not only was I going to get some from my gorgeous aunt, now I might get to hook up with this married slut. Denise took me by the cock and led my out the back door towards the hot tub. It was time for some CFNM fun . . . . . | {
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Greatest Love Songs
Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
“Unchained Melody,” in my opinion, is the most beautiful
song on this list. It’s got a soulful
melody, strong dynamics, and heartfelt lyrics make it one of the most memorable
love songs that I have ever heard. Truly
a classic. | {
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Vampyr Hands-On: A Bloody Mess
My two-hour demo of Vampyr, the hotly anticipated title from Dontnod and Focus Home Interactive, began with Dr. Jonathan Reid having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He wakes up on a pile of corpses. The world is a dull grayscale except for the vivid, luminescent streaks of blood smeared throughout this plague-ridden English dockside. And the people? Well, it’s hard to see anyone as a person when all his thirsty vampiric eyes can detect are silhouettes of pulsing veins and the beating hearts of yummy circulatory systems. Even the rats taste good. From the very start, Vampyr wants you to know it’s all about the blood.
Vampyr offers up rich settings and compels you to explore. Photo: Dontnod
Soon you’re stumbling through the streets of early 20th-century London, desperate for answers or an escape from this tortured new existence. Dr. Reid even shoots himself in the chest with a pistol, only to confront the horrible truth that not even death can save him. Vampyr gets very heavy very fast, but once the mood and atmosphere settle in, it becomes more of a narrative about reckoning with imperfect people in an imperfect world and less of a Lovecraftian spiral of despair.
The mechanics of the game support this slower pace, mainly by way of a District system that carves the London map up into sections populated by key NPCs, each with their own value. Not just value as citizens who can give you information or have influence, but each NPC has value as a source of blood (and more importantly XP points) that could exponentially increase your strength. You’re going to need it, because combat is challenging and, in my experience, a bit busted.
It’s worth noting two important things: first, I was told ahead of time some tweaks could still happen to combat and second, this was literally the first two hours of gameplay, so I didn’t get deep into the skill tree. I spoke with some devs afterward who explained the difficulty and frustration is designed to make you kill citizens for XP if you’re having trouble since there is no adjusting the difficulty.
And I had a lot of trouble.
Vampyr places a respectable number of weapon types at your disposal. But the speed and contact animations felt inconsistent. For example, upon receiving the first two-handed weapon, you get a prompt to parry attacks with Y. Two seconds later, you fight a tough enemy and say to yourself, “gee, guess this is where I learn about parrying.” You press Y. Two clumsy character animations collide and you clearly didn’t parry. You can’t seem to get the timing right and the camera angles keep shifting. You die several times, try mashing X through the encounter instead, succeed and move on. The same slippage occurred in every combat encounter I had. I’d even get by hit characters who had their backs to me. The targeting system isn’t responsive enough to handle multiple enemies at once, and you always feel a step behind.
Like the combat, Vampyr’s crafting system feels out of place. I didn’t collect enough resources in my demo to upgrade a weapon or make a new medical recipe. Enemies carry bits of loot, which twinkles in every other dark corner. Any upgrades seemed incremental, a few percentage points here or there, and it's unclear if the game presents any opportunities to grind up some XP or gear. From the looks of it, it doesn’t. I’m not sure forcing players into more combat will help the cause, either. Vampyr was at its best when it treated me like a character in a story and not a hero in a game.
There are a lot of deep NPC interactions that have consequences for your character’s level and the narrative (and sometimes both). I wish I had spent more time meandering, especially once I got to the first main hub of the game, instead of chasing a linear path. NPCs have intricate backstories that unfold across many hours of gameplay. The District system, far and away more ambitious than the combat, was impossible to judge in a two-hour demo. The little I experienced gave me hope; it's a big idea, executed well. Fans of deep dives into vampire lore and romanticism will find a rich playground here.
Right now Vampyr doesn’t have a defined audience. Narrative and immersion-driven gamers will find combat gets in the way of a good story, and action fans won’t tolerate a system that lacks precision in a genre that demands it. Everything I liked about Vampyr — the story, the setting, the promise of long-term consequences — was offset by rough combat that shattered the immersion. Vampyr is set for release in June, so I imagine Dontnod is hard at work on those “tweaks” I was told about when they put a controller in my hand. They’re going to need them if they want me to pick one up again. | {
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The Institute of Bank Personnel Selection (IBPS) has reported IBPS RRB VI 2017. The establishment will lead online examination for regular enrollment procedure of IBPS RRB 2017 in the long stretch of September.
The examination will be led online for enrollment of Group An Officers (Scale I, II and III) on September 9, 10 and 16, and for Group B Officers - Office Assistants (Multipurpose) on September 17, 23 and 24.
After this, the applicants will be shortlisted for showing up in the Mains exam and following the IBPS RRB enlistment process 2017, interviews for the enrollment of contender for the previously mentioned positions will be facilitated by Nodal Regional Banks with the help of National Bank for Agriculture And Rural Development (NABARD) and IBPS.
Competitors keen on joining any of the 56 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are required to enroll for the Common Recruitment Process (CRP) and sit in the IBPS RRB VI 2017 online examination that will be held in two stages, Preliminary and Mains. Competitors may take note of that there are diverse procedures in line for each of the enrollment positions in IBPS RRB.
Applicants who are applying for the position of Office Assistant (Multipurpose) will be temporarily distributed enrollment in any of the Regional Rural Banks in view of IBPS RRB 2017 scores. Further, those hopefuls who are applying for Officer Scale I need to go through Preliminary and Mains Examinations and after that go to THE meeting if shortlisted.
Those applying for Scale II (Generalists and Specialists) and Scale III should sit for just single online examination after qualifying which they will be called for Common Interview.
IBPS RRB Eligibility Criteria 2017
Position
Most extreme Age
Instructive Qualification
Office Assistant (Multipurpose)
Between 18 years and 28 years
Graduation Degree from any perceived University or comparable
Officer Scale I
Between 18 years and 30 years
Graduation Degree from any perceived University or comparable
Officer Scale II
Between 21 years and 32 years
Graduation Degree from any perceived University or comparable securing half checks in total
Officer Scale III
Between 21 years and 40 years
Graduation Degree from any perceived University or proportionate securing half stamps in total | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The NYC carriage trade has sunk to a new low and is sadly, desperately and shockingly exploiting the recent horrific shootings at the Sandy Hook elementary
school. Trying to get their readers to
sympathize with them against those who want their exploitative business shut down,
the Vice President of the NYC Horse and Carriage Association posted several very
incendiary comments on a carriage industry Facebook page that is open to the public. The comments, which can only be interpreted as a call to action, began on December 19, 2012.
She posted a picture of a group of activists from another
organization and criticized them for being at the hack line demonstrating against
the carriage drivers. The group was actually
handing out informational flyers to the public. They had posed for a group photo. If she sincerely felt they should not have been there, then perhaps the drivers should also not have worked out of respect for the people who live in
Newtown, CT.
But we all know that is not what it was about.
Apparently wanting to stay in the good graces of their leader, her
supporters made comments like “I think some people need to get a life; despicable people that lack the sensitivity gene; Inappropriate
timing!!!; lock these nuts up; the
same people would say ho-hum if they were shown a picture of an aborted baby; ignorance knows now [sic] bounds."
But then it started to get really crazy: [names are left out for our protection.] **
Inappropriate and incendiary comments on Facebook.
Inappropriate and incendiary comments on Facebook.
Dangerously making accusations of terrorism
This is not rational behavior.
And then she went one step further and alleged in another post on the same Facebook Page that her husband took a family with young children for a carriage ride. And guess where they came from according to this woman? Newtown. She goes on about how the families were coming to NYC to take carriage rides to get away from the media presence and how they will instead be met with activists.
This is part of what she said:
“Well, if those folks come to NYC and want to treat their children to a carriage ride to brighten their day, there is a good chance they will be accosted by the miserable, vile, despicable, sick maniacs who call themselves "animal rights" people who will be protesting the carriages all weekend and into next week. These folks and their children will be greeted by lunatics waving poster-sized photos of old and rare carriage accidents, dead horses, blood and wreckage.”
And of course, once again her non-thinking fan club comments, agreeing with her.
"how people can be so vile is beyond me; And I so wish I could come home for a week, hang out with some carriage horses & their people. I would exercise my rights. I'd claim I was in fear for my life of the protesters ... I'd open a large can of whoop ass."
Until one thinking person said:
But did you think the followers would see that what she said made sense? No, of course not. Instead, this is what some said (identifying names left out):
"xxx - what you said made no sense - she was saying how worried she is -- shame on you. [liked 3 times]; XXX you are a complete and total ASSHAT. The only people capitalizing on Newtown are the bloodthirsty degenerate ghouls in the lame-ass media, with their 24/7 glurge (and shamefully that includes FOX NEWS) and the jugheads like the anti-2nd amendment contingent who are going to try and exploit it to push their Nazi agenda. My only regret is that I cannot reach right through the screen and slap some sense into you. If that is even possible. Now feel free to return your head to your ass. Since that is obviously where it lives; Thanks again, XXX. (liked 3 times) Then show then show that you have some character and apologize to XXX.; omfg ... what a supreme f**king nasty b**tch .. bite us."
Charming!
Of course no one speaks to Ms. Thing like that. This is her reply to the lone dissenter. Although her original post uses the "real" vulgar words (no asterisks for her,) I have added the asterisks because the language is very offensive.
Hey [blocked] - I don't know who you think you are talking to. You have some F*****G NERVE telling me that I am not sincere - this is a TRUE story, and it is EATING AT MY GUT since I heard it. You're 'aware' of f*****g NOTHING. Shame on YOU for not giving a s**t that kids are ROUTINELY exposed to these LUNATICS and their despicable behavior. As for the video, there are LOTS more, some taken last week -- better yet, why not come up at see for yourself? I don't 'sputter' - I SPEAK, loudly and clearly. And I don't give a s**t if you are 100% pro-carriage or against - people like YOU we don't need.
Psychologists have explained that this kind of behavior is irresponsible. This is a quote attributed to David Matsumoto from an article in an academic journal earlier this year.
"When leaders express a combination of anger, contempt and disgust in their speeches, it seems to be instrumental in inciting a group to act violently," said Matsumoto, professor of psychology of San Francisco State University.
What do you think? Are these irrational people dangerous?
Should we be concerned? Many of
them have no idea what the NYC carriage trade is about but they will defend it to the end. They hate anyone who cares about animals.
** - We have screen shots, including the names of those who posted and have reported this to the appropriate authorities.###
Sunday, December 16, 2012
A byproduct of the carriage industry is the killing of pigeons, who scavenge for food in the streets and are run over by the wheels of the carriages. Look at the ground on any given day, and you are likely to see the carnage. On a recent day at the hack line, we glanced over and saw this sad sight--a freshly run over pigeon who bled to death on the street. We hope it was a mercifully quick passing. An activist who is a regular at our demos went over to the stricken pigeon and tenderly picked him up, unconcerned about the blood that dripped onto her gloves and scarf. She took him to a grassy area, near some shrubs, where another dead pigeon lay, perhaps having been pulled out of the street by a passerby. Seeing this, the carriage drivers taunted us, laughing and making crude remarks about trying to run over the pigeons. Perhaps the drivers' behavior is a defense mechanism or a grief response--we don't know. What they appear to be trying to tell us, though, is that they have a callous disregard for non-human life forms--a disconnect from other sentient beings. It does not bode well for the horses. A robust body of evidence has shown there is a "toxic triad" of animal cruelty, child abuse, and domestic violence. In other words, violent people generally practiced first on animals. But back to the present moment and the hack line, where the sight of a carriage driver who ignores the suffering of doves raises real questions about how that driver treats his or her horses.Finally, from a pragmatic standpoint, the sight of crushed and bloodied pigeons--sometimes decapitated--is a terrible image for tourists, including young children. If the enforcement agencies did their jobs and cited drivers for failing to cover their feed pails, some of these casualties might be avoided.
Pigeons are smart, loyal creatures. Some may know that pigeons served the United States in wartime (Cher Ami's brave dedication to the mission led to the rescue of 194 soldiers in Major Charles Whittlesey's "Lost Battalion.") But let us not make the mistake of equating another animal's intellectual capacity to his right to live or her ability to suffer. As the moral philosopher Jeremy Bentham said, "The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'" | {
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...Precalculus includes algebra, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, and most of all, functions---the general concept as well as specific functions. Students come to this course familiar with basic algebra and geometry. A precalculus course builds on all of their previous mathematical knowledge and experience to understand calculus that is essential to succeed in a college.
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...I teach as an Adjunct Instructor for Math at BROWARD COLLEGE. I am very good in making students develop the paramount interest in math and endure it to the end of the courses they may be taking. Foremost, most students either in high school or college do not have the ability to first develop the initial interest in Math. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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GOMEZ v. PEREZ, 409
U.S. 535 (1973)
Texas law denying right of paternal support to illegitimate children while granting it to legitimate children violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Cf. Levy v. Louisiana,
391
U.S. 68
; Weber v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.,
406
U.S. 164
.
466 S. W. 2d 41, reversed and remanded.
Stanley Dalton Wright argued the cause for appellant. With him on the brief were Melvin N. Eichelbaum and Harry B. Adams III.
Joseph Jaworski, by invitation of the Court,
408
U.S. 942
, argued the cause and filed a brief as amicus curiae in support of the judgment below.
The issue presented by this appeal is whether the laws of Texas may constitutionally grant legitimate children a judicially enforceable right to support from their natural fathers and at the same time deny that right to illegitimate children.
In 1969, appellant filed a petition in Texas District Court seeking support from appellee on behalf of her
[409
U.S. 535, 536]
minor child. After a hearing, the state trial judge found that appellee is "the biological father" of the child, and that the child "needs the support and maintenance of her father," but concluded that because the child was illegitimate "there is no legal obligation to support the child and the Plaintiff take nothing." The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed this ruling over the objection that this illegitimate child was being denied equal protection of law. 466 S. W. 2d 41. The Texas Supreme Court refused application for a writ of error, finding no "reversible error." We noted probable jurisdiction.
408
U.S. 920
.
In Texas, both at common law and under the statutes of the State, the natural father has a continuing and primary duty to support his legitimate children. See Lane v. Phillips, 69 Tex. 240, 243, 6 S. W. 610, 611 (1887); Tex. Fam. Code 4.02 (1970) (husband's duty).
1
That duty extends even beyond dissolution of the marriage, Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat., Art. 4639a (Supp. 1972-1973); Hooten v. Hooten, 15 S. W. 2d 141 (Tex. Ct. Civ. App. 1929), and is enforceable on the child's behalf in civil proceedings and, further, is the subject of criminal sanctions. Tex. Penal Code 602. The duty to support exists despite the fact that the father may not have custody of the child. Hooten v. Hooten, supra. The Court of Civil Appeals has held in this case that nowhere in this elaborate statutory scheme does the State recognize any enforceable duty on the part of the biological father to support his illegitimate children and that, absent a statutory duty to support, the controlling law is the
[409
U.S. 535, 537]
Texas common-law rule that illegitimate children, unlike legitimate children, have no legal right to support from their fathers. See also Home of the Holy Infancy v. Kaska, 397 S. W. 2d 208 (Tex. 1965); Lane v. Phillips, supra, at 243, 6 S. W., at 611; Bjorgo v. Bjorgo, 391 S. W. 2d 528 (Tex. Ct. Civ. App. 1965). It is also true that fathers may set up illegitimacy as a defense to prosecutions for criminal nonsupport of their children. See Curtin v. State, 155 Tex. Cr. R. 625, 238 S. W. 2d 187 (1950); Beaver v. State, 96 Tex. Cr. R. 179, 256 S. W. 929 (1923).
In this context, appellant's claim on behalf of her daughter that the child has been denied equal protection of the law is unmistakably presented. Indeed, at argument here, the attorney for the State of Texas, appearing as amicus curiae, conceded that but for the fact that this child is illegitimate she would be entitled to support from appellee under the laws of Texas.
2
We have held that under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment a State may not create a right of action in favor of children for the wrongful
[409
U.S. 535, 538]
death of a parent and exclude illegitimate children from the benefit of such a right. Levy v. Louisiana,
391
U.S. 68
(1968). Similarly, we have held that illegitimate children may not be excluded from sharing equally with other children in the recovery of workmen's compensation benefits for the death of their parent. Weber v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.,
406
U.S. 164
(1972).
3
Under these decisions, a State may not invidiously discriminate against illegitimate children by denying them substantial benefits accorded children generally. We therefore hold that once a State posits a judicially enforceable right on behalf of children to needed support from their natural fathers there is no constitutionally sufficient justification for denying such an essential right to a child simply because its natural father has not married its mother. For a State to do so is "illogical and unjust." Id., at 175. We recognize the lurking problems with respect to proof of paternity. Those problems are not to be lightly brushed aside, but neither can they be made into an impenetrable barrier that works to shield otherwise invidious discrimination. Stanley v. Illinois,
405
U.S. 645, 656
-657 (1972); Carrington v. Rash,
380
U.S. 89
(1965).
The judgment is reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
Footnotes
[
Footnote 1
] Section 4.02 became effective after the commencement of appellant's suit, but the provision is identical (except for punctuation) to its predecessor, Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat., Husband and Wife, Art. 4614, in 1 Tex. Laws, c. 309, p. 736 (60th Legislature, Reg. Sess. 1967). Section 4.02 was enacted as part of a codification of Texas family law.
[
Footnote 2
] Tr. of Oral Arg. 24. There was some question at argument whether the statutory scheme relating to paternal support of children was properly drawn into question in the state courts. In the circumstances of this case, we need not resolve the question. First, the State of Texas asserts no prejudice from appellant's apparent failure to explicitly draw attention to the individual statutes that make up the so-called Texas rule regarding support of legitimate and illegitimate children. On the contrary, the State asserted here that it was prepared to meet appellant's constitutional attack on its statutes on the merits. Tr. of Oral Arg. 28. Second, under our cases, "the unrestricted notation of probable jurisdiction of the appeal is to be understood as a grant of the writ" of certiorari on "nonappealable" issues presented in the case. Mishkin v. New York,
383
U.S. 502, 512
(1966). Appellant's federal claim, which was rejected in the state courts, that her child was being denied equal protection of laws is, therefore, properly before us in any event.
This case came here as an appeal, on the representation that the Texas courts had sustained the constitutionality of 4.02 of the Texas Family Code and
[409
U.S. 535, 539]
Articles 602 and 602-A of the Texas Penal Code, over a challenge to those statutes under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. We noted probable jurisdiction,
408
U.S. 920
, to consider whether the alleged discrimination between legitimate and illegitimate children, in terms of the support obligations of their biological fathers, denied equal protection to illegitimate children under the principles of Weber v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.,
406
U.S. 164
; Glona v. American Guarantee & Liability Insurance Co.,
391
U.S. 73
; and Levy v. Louisiana,
391
U.S. 68
.
Upon the submission of briefs and oral argument, it became clear that neither statute had been the actual subject of litigation in the courts of Texas. Hence, this is not properly an appeal under 28 U.S.C. 1257 (2). I would, therefore, dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction, and treat "the papers whereon the appeal was taken" as a petition for writ of certiorari. 28 U.S.C. 2103.
The parties were not prepared to submit this case as one challenging the common-law treatment of illegitimates in Texas, and failed to provide this Court with a sufficient understanding of Texas law with respect to such matters as custodial versus noncustodial support obligations, legitimation, common-law marriage, and the effect of a Texas statute, 4.02 of the Family Code, which became law after this litigation had begun. With the issues so vaguely drawn and the alleged discriminations so imprecise, I would dismiss the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted.
[409
U.S. 535, 540] | {
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SIAT 2018 in Tunisia
10.10.2018
Our booth at the Agro Exhibition SIAT 2018 in Tunisia was visited by the Minister of Commerce, the Minister of Agriculture of Tunisia, and the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine – Alexey Rozhkov and Alexander Zadorozhny with a team. We were supported by the Embassy of Ukraine – Mr. Nagorny and his deputy Volovich Maxim.
Today, Kherson represents Ukraine in Tunisia! | {
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This committee has not viewed the Endangered Species Act as preventing the completion and use of these projects which were well under way at the time the affected species were listed as endangered. If the act has such an effect, which is contrary to the Committee’s understanding of the intent of Congress in enacting the Endangered Species Act, funds should be appropriated to allow these projects to be completed and their benefits realized in the public interest, the Endangered Species Act not withstanding.
The language of the Act made no exceptions for projects like Tellico that were well under way when Congress passed the act.
It is clear from the Act’s legislative history that Congress intended to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction. The pointed omission of the type of qualified language previously included in endangered species legislation reveals a conscious congressional design to give endangered species priority over the “primary missions” of federal agencies. Congress, moreover, foresaw that on occasion this would require agencies to alter ongoing projects in order to fulfill the Act’s goals.
Though statements in Appropriations Committee Reports reflected the view of the Committees either that the Act did not apply to Tellico or that the dam should be completed regardless of the Act’s provisions, nothing in the TVA appropriations measures passed by Congress stated that the Tellico project was to be completed regardless of the Act’s requirements. When voting on appropriations measures, legislators are entitled to assume that the funds will be devoted to purposes that are lawful and not for any purpose forbidden. A contrary policy would violate the rules of both Houses of Congress, which provide that appropriations measures may not change existing substantive law. An appropriations committee’s expression does not operate to repeal or modify substantive legislation.
The Court of Appeals did not err in ordering that completion of Tellico Dam, which would have violated the Act, be enjoined. Congress has spoken in the plainest words, making it clear that endangered species are to be accorded the highest priorities. Since that legislative power has been exercised, it is up to the Executive Branch to administer the law and for the Judiciary to enforce it when, as here, enforcement has been sought.
Burger’s opinion made it clear that, as written, the Endangered Species Act explicitly forbade the completion of such projects as Tellico if the Secretary of Interior had determined that such a project would likely result in the elimination of a species. Regardless of the fact that over $100 million had been spent by 1978, and the dam was substantially finished, the court could not allow the TVA to finish the project. According to Burger, this would force the court “to ignore the ordinary meaning of plain language."
The Supreme Court decision set off a fury in Congress as some members sought to rework the act. In his tome "The Fishes of Tennessee", David Etnier later wrote: “the snail darter had become almost a household word, and in current usage ‘snail darter types’ is approximately synonymous with ‘ultra-liberal environmental activists.’”
Two Tennessee legislators get involved
Two members of Congress from Tennessee quickly became critical to the Tellico story: Congressman John Duncan, Sr., whose district included Tellico, and Senator Howard Baker. Duncan had been a long-time congressional supporter of the project. On the other hand, Baker was a very late comer to Tellico. As it would turn out however, he would play a critical role in the future of the Little Tennessee River valley.
Howard Baker was a leading sponsor of an amendment to the Endangered Species Act that was passed into law in November 1978. The idea was to create a mechanism whereby a specific project could be excluded from the Endangered Species Act. If a controversy arose, the amendment called for the creation of a special committee consisting of various Cabinet level members and at least one member from the affected state where the project in question was located. It came to be known as the “God Committee” because if they exercised their power to exempt a project from the act, they were in effect acting like God and destroying an entire species.
There was a fear in Congress that many projects in the country would be affected by litigation as biologists might set out to discover obscure species, including insects or even micro-biotic life forms. The proponents of the “God Committee” amendment saw it as a way of keeping the Endangered Species Act alive. According to the Burger opinion, U.S. Endangered Species laws at that time “represented the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species ever enacted by any nation.”
Instead of granting Tellico an exemption from the Endangered Species Act, the committee voted unanimously in favor of the snail darter. On January 231979, the Committee unanimously denied an exemption for Tellico specifically on economic grounds, rather than ecological grounds. “I hate to see the snail darter get the credit for stopping a project that was ill-conceived and uneconomic in the first place,” said Chairman Andrus. The reservoir project deserved to be killed on its own merits. As Charles Schultze, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors and a member of the Committee, said, “Here is a project that is 95% complete, and if one takes the cost of finishing it against the total project benefits, and does it properly, it doesn’t pay, which says something about the original design.”
The opposition would make much of the problematic benefit-cost issue throughout the 1970s. Despite his credentials as one of the nation’s top economists, however, Schultze was no more prepared to accurately predict future benefits than anyone else at the time. Wheeler and McDonald state the problem was TVA’s general unfamiliarity with econometric models used to come up with benefit-cost ratios. Such models require some underlying assumptions. Wheeler and McDonald identify five general assumptions TVA used and declared them all to be false. They were:
(1) The Tellico area would remain economically static without the project. (2) All economic projects that occurred in the area after completion of the project should be attributed to the project. (3) If an economic benefit could take place at Tellico, then it would. (4) The Tellico Project would not detract from any economic benefits already being enjoyed in the area. (5) Once set, costs would not rise faster than the normal annual inflation rate of the early 1960s.
Congress had updated and strengthened the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Tellico Dam opponents had successfully sued under the provisions of that law to stop the dam. The Supreme Court had stated that as written, it was clear that Congress intended to protect all species including the snail darter. In 1978 Congress amended the law with the case of the snail darter specifically in mind.
Baker then drafted an amendment that excluded the Tellico project from the Endangered Species Act, along the lines initially suggested by the federal courts. Duncan got the amendment passed by the House on June 181979, on a voice vote. The vote became infamous among dam opponents. Baker introduced the amendment in the Senate on July 17 and was defeated on a vote of 45-53. Undeterred, Baker reintroduced the amendment in September. Baker spoke in favor of his amendment on the Senate floor:
Mr. President, I hope this is the last time around. I hope we can resolve this issue once and for all, and I hope reason will finally prevail. . . .
Mr. President, the awful beast is back. The Tennessee snail darter, the bane of my existence, the nemesis of my golden years, the bold perverter of the Endangered Species Act is back.
He is still insisting that the Tellico Dam on the Little Tennessee River, a dam that is now 99% complete, be destroyed.
p>In the midst of a national energy crisis, the snail darter demands that we scuttle a project that would produce 200 million kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power and save an estimated 15 million gallons of oil.
Although other residences have been found in which he can thrive serenely, the snail darter stubbornly insists on keeping this particular stretch of the Little Tennessee River as his principal domicile. ...
Let me stress again, Mr. President, that this is fine with me. I have nothing personal against the snail darter. He seems to be quite a nice little fish, as fish go.
Now seriously Mr. President, the snail darter has become an unfortunate example of environmental extremism, and this kind of extremism, if rewarded and allowed to persist, will spell the doom to the environmental protection movement in this country more surely and more quickly than anything else. ...
We who voted for the Endangered Species Act with the honest intentions of protecting such glories of nature as the wolf, the eagle, and other treasures have found that extremists with wholly different motives are using this noble act for meanly obstructive ends. ...
Completion of dam
On September 101979, Baker's amendment passed on a vote of 48 to 44. 28 Republicans and 20 Democrats supported it. 10 Republicans and 34 Democrats opposed it. The next step for Tellico was President Carter’s desk.
On September 251979, Jimmy Carter signed the bill that exempted Tellico from the Endangered Species Act. Tellico was never exempted from all laws as many would later claim.
On November 291979, with retired TVA Chairman Red Wagner watching, the TVA closed the gates on the Tellico Dam.
Before the closure of the gates of Tellico Dam, numerous snail darters were transplanted into the Hiwassee River. The snail darter was taken off the endangered species list in the 1980s. | {
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AN ACT To amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, Chapters 1 and 3, relative to the qualified investments of domestic life insurance companies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-1-405, is amended by deleting the current statutory language in its entirety and substituting therefor the following:
The commissioner shall allow to the credit of an insurance company in the account of its financial condition only such assets as are or can be made available for the payment of losses in Tennessee, but may credit any deposits of funds of the company set apart as security for a particular liability or any deposits of funds of the company that are deposited for the purpose of meeting the requirements for doing business in another state or commonwealth. The commissioner may, in his discretion, disallow stockholders' obligations of any description as part of the assets or capital of any insurance company, unless secured by competent collateral.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Sections 56-3-302, 56-3-303 and 56-3-304, are amended by deleting the current language in each section in its entirety and substituting therefor the following new language as indicated below for each respective section:
56-3-302. - As used in §§56-3-302 - 56-3-306:
(1) "Acceptable collateral" means:
(A) as to securities lending transactions, and for the purpose of calculating counterparty exposure amount, cash, cash equivalents, letters of credit, direct obligations of, or securities that are fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the government of the United States, or by the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and as to lending foreign securities, sovereign debt rated NAIC-SVO 1;
(B) as to repurchase transactions and reverse repurchase transactions, cash, cash equivalents, letters of credit, direct obligations of, or securities that are fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by, the government of the United States, or by the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation;
(2) "Admitted assets" means, unless otherwise specified in this part, assets permitted to be reported as admitted assets on the statutory financial statement of the insurer most recently required to be filed with the commissioner, but:
(A) excluding the assets of separate accounts, the investments of which are not subject to the provisions of this part; and
(B) the amount of the liability recorded on the insurer's statutory balance sheet for:
(i) the return of acceptable collateral received in a reverse repurchase transaction or a securities lending transaction; and
(ii) cash received in a dollar roll transaction shall be deducted from the insurer's admitted assets for the purpose of calculating any limitation in this part that is based upon admitted assets;
(3) "Affiliate" means, as to any person, another person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the person;
(5) "Cap" means an agreement obligating the seller to make payments to the buyer with each payment based on the amount by which a reference price or level or the performance or value of one or more underlying interests exceeds a predetermined number, sometimes called the strike rate or strike price;
(6) "Capital and surplus" means the sum of the capital and surplus of the insurer required to be shown on the statutory financial statement of the insurer most recently required to be filed with the commissioner;
(7) "Cash equivalents" means highly rated, highly liquid and readily marketable investments or securities with a remaining term to maturity of one year or less, which includes money market funds as defined in §56-3-303(a)(17). For purposes of this definition, "highly rated" means an investment rated "P-1" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or "A-1" by the Standard and Poor's Division of the McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. or its equivalent rating by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization recognized by the NAIC-SVO;
(8) "Collar" means an agreement to receive payments as the buyer of an option, cap or floor and to make payments as the seller of a different option, cap or floor;
(9) "Counterparty exposure amount" means:
(A) for an over-the-counter derivative instrument not entered into pursuant to a written master agreement which provides for netting of payments owed by the respective parties:
(i) the market value of the over-the-counter derivative instrument if the liquidation of the derivative instrument would result in a final cash payment to the insurer; or
(ii) zero if the liquidation of the derivative instrument would not result in a final cash payment to the insurer.
(B) for over-the-counter derivative instruments entered into pursuant to a written master agreement which provides for netting of payments owed by the respective parties, and the domiciliary jurisdiction of the counterparty is either within the United States, or if not within the United States, is within a foreign (not United States) jurisdiction listed in the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the Securities Valuation Officeof the NAIC or, if it is no longer being published, the successor publication thereto as eligible for netting, the greater of zero or the net sum payable to the insurer in connection with all derivative instruments subject to the written master agreement upon their liquidation in the event of default by the counterparty pursuant to the master agreement (assuming no conditions precedent to the obligations of the counterparty to make such a payment and assuming no set off of amounts payable pursuant to any other instrument or agreement);
(C) for purposes of this definition, market value or the net sum payable, as the case may be, shall be determined at the end of the most recent quarter of the insurer's fiscal year and shall be reduced by the market value of acceptable collateral held by the insurer or a custodian on the insurer's behalf;
(10) "Derivative instrument" means any agreement, option or instrument, or any series or combinations thereof:
(A) to make or take delivery of, or assume or relinquish, a specified amount of one or more underlying interests, or to make a cash settlement in lieu thereof; or
(B) that has a price, performance, value or cash flow based primarily upon the actual or expected price, yield, level, performance, value or cash flow of one or more underlying interests.
Derivative instruments include options, warrants (not attached to another financial instrument purchased by the insurer), caps, floors, collars, swaps, swaptions, forwards, futures and any other agreements, options or instruments substantially similar thereto, or any series or combinations thereof. Derivative instruments do not include collateralized mortgage obligations, other asset-backed securities, principal-protected structured securities, floating rate securities, or instruments which an insurer is otherwise authorized to invest in or receive under this part other than under §56-3-303(a)(21), and any debt obligations of the insurer;
(11) "Derivative transaction" means a transaction involving the use of one or more derivative instruments. Dollar roll transactions, repurchase transactions, reverse repurchase transactions and securities lending transactions shall not be included as derivative transactions for purposes of §56-3-303(a)(21);
(12) "Dollar roll transaction" means two simultaneous transactions with settlement dates no more than 96 days apart so that in one transaction an insurer sells to a business entity, and in the other transaction the insurer is obligated to purchase from the same business entity, substantially similar securities of the following types:
(A) mortgage-backed securities issued, assumed or guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or their respective successors; and
(B) other mortgage-backed securities referred to in §106 of Title I of the Secondary Mortgage Market Enhancement Act of 1984 (15 U.S.C. § 77r-1), as amended;
(13) "Equity interests" include common stock, an equity investment in an investment company (other than a money market mutual fund described in §56-3-303(a)(17)), a beneficial interest in a trust or a real estate investment trust, partnership interests, warrants or other rights to acquire equity interests that are created by the person that owns or would issue the equity to be acquired, and equity interests in any business entity (other than preferred stock or shares as described in §56-3-303(a)(3));
(14) "Fixed charges" includes interest on all obligations and amortization of debt discount and expenses;
(15) "Floor" means an agreement obligating the seller to make payments to the buyer in which each payment is based on the amount by which a predetermined number, sometimes called the floor rate or price, exceeds a reference price, level, performance or value of one or more underlying interests;
(16) "Foreign investment" means an investment in a foreign jurisdiction, or an investment in a person, real estate or asset domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction. An investment shall not be deemed to be foreign if the issuing person, qualified primary credit source or qualified guarantor is a domestic jurisdiction or a person domiciled in a domestic jurisdiction, unless:
(A) the issuing person is a shell business entity; and
(B) the investment is not assumed, accepted, guaranteed or insured or otherwise backed by a domestic jurisdiction or a person, that is not a shell business entity, domiciled in a domestic jurisdiction.
For purposes of this definition:
(i) "Shell business entity" means a business entity having no economic substance, except as a vehicle for owning interests in assets issued, owned or previously owned by a person domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction;
(ii) "Qualified guarantor" means a guarantor against which an insurer has a direct claim for full and timely payment, evidenced by a contractual right for which an enforcement action can be brought in a domestic jurisdiction; and
(iii) "Qualified primary credit source" means the credit source to which an insurer looks for payment as to an investment and against which an insurer has a direct claim for full and timely payment, evidenced by a contractual right for which an enforcement action can be brought in a domestic jurisdiction;
(17) "Foreign jurisdiction" means (A) a jurisdiction other than a domestic jurisdiction or (B) a commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States;
(18) "Forward" means an agreement (other than a future) to make or take delivery in the future of one or more underlying interests, or effect a cash settlement, based on the actual or expected price, level, performance or value of such underlying interests, but shall not mean or include spot transactions effected within customary settlement periods, when-issued purchases or other similar cash market transactions;
(19) "Future" means an agreement, traded on a futures exchange, to make or take delivery of, or effect a cash settlement based on the actual or expected price, level, performance or value of, one or more underlying interests;
(20) "Futures exchange" means a foreign or domestic exchange, contract market or board of trade on which trading in futures is conducted and, in the U.S., which has been authorized for such trading by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission or any successor thereof;
(21) "Hedging transaction" means a derivative transaction which is entered into and maintained to manage:
(A) the risk of a change in the value, yield, price, cash flow or quantity of assets or liabilities (or a portfolio of assets and/or liabilities) which the insurer has acquired or incurred or anticipates acquiring or incurring; or
(B) the currency exchange rate risk related to assets or liabilities (or a portfolio of assets and/or liabilities) which an insurer has acquired or incurred or anticipates acquiring or incurring;
(22) "Income generation transaction" means a derivative transaction which is entered into to generate income. A derivative transaction which is entered into as a hedging transaction or a replication transaction shall not be considered an income generation transaction;
(23) "Investment practices" means transactions of the types described in subdivisions (a)(10), (a)(15), (a)(18) and (a)(21) of §56-3-303;
(24) "Market value" means the price for the security or derivative instrument obtained from a generally recognized source or the most recent quotation from such a source or, to the extent no generally recognized source exists, the price for the security or derivative instrument as determined pursuant to the terms of the instrument or in good faith by the insurer as can be reasonably demonstrated to the commissioner upon request, plus accrued but unpaid income thereon to the extent not included in the price as of the date;
(25) "NAIC" means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners;
(26) "NAIC-SVO" means the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners;
(27)(A) "Net earnings available for fixed charges" means net income determined on either a consolidated or an unconsolidated basis after allowance for operating and maintenance expenses, depreciation and depletion, and taxes, other than federal and state income taxes, but excluding extraordinary nonrecurring items of income or expense appearing in the regular financial statements of the issuing, assuming or guaranteeing business entity;
(B) in applying tests of "net earnings available for fixed charges" to an issuing, assuming or guaranteeing business entity or a lessee, whether or not in legal existence during the whole of the test period, which has at or prior to the date of investment by the insurance company acquired the assets of any other business entity by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise substantially as an entirety, net earnings available for fixed charges of such predecessor or constituent business entity for such portion of the test period as preceded acquisition may be included in the net earnings of the issuing, assuming or guaranteeing business entity or the lessee, in accordance with the consolidated earnings statement covering such period. The requirements imposed by §56-3-303(a)(2) and (13) upon the issuing, assuming or guaranteeing business entity of the lessee are deemed to have been met if, at the time the investment is made, a business entity which meets such requirements has guaranteed the indebtedness or has otherwise become obligated to pay amounts which are applicable to the payment of and sufficient to discharge the principal of and interest on the indebtedness in accordance with its terms; provided, that in determining whether such requirements have been met, the pro forma annual interest on such indebtedness is included in the fixed charges of the business entity applicable to the test period in question;
(28) "Net earnings available for fixed charges and dividends" are determined in the same manner as "net earnings available for fixed charges" but after allowance for federal and state income taxes;
(29) "Obligation" means a note, bond, debenture, trust certificate, equipment trust certificate, production payment, negotiable bank certificate of deposit, bankers' acceptance, asset-backed security, NAIC-SVO credit tenant loan, loan secured by financing a net lease or net leases, and other evidence of indebtedness for the payment of money (or participations, certificates or other evidences of an interest in any of the foregoing), whether constituting a general obligation of the issuer or payable only out of certain revenues or certain funds pledged or otherwise dedicated for payment;
(30) "Option" means an agreement giving the buyer the right to buy or receive (a "call option"), sell or deliver (a "put option"), enter into, extend or terminate or effect a cash settlement based on the actual or expected price, spread, level, performance or value of one or more underlying interests;
(31) "Over-the-counter derivative instrument" means a derivative instrument entered into with a business entity, other than through a securities exchange, futures exchange, or cleared through a qualified clearinghouse;
(32) "Person" means an individual, a business entity, a multilateral development bank or a government or quasi-governmental body, such as a political subdivision or a government sponsored enterprise;
(33) "Potential exposure" means:
(A) as to a futures position, the amount of initial margin required for that position; or
(B) as to swaps, collars and forwards, one-half percent (0.5%) times the notional amount times the square root of the remaining years to maturity;
(34) "Preferred dividend requirements" means dividends at the maximum prescribed rate on all preferred stock of the same class as that being acquired by the insurance company and on all stock ranking as to dividends on a parity therewith or prior thereto, whether or not such dividends are cumulative;
(35) "Qualified clearinghouse" means a clearinghouse subject to the rules of a securities exchange or a futures exchange, which provides clearing services, including acting as a counterparty to each of the parties to a transaction such that the parties no longer have credit risk to each other;
(36) "Replication transaction" means a derivative transaction or combination of derivative transactions effected either separately or in conjunction with cash market investments included in the insurer's investment portfolio in order to replicate the risks and returns of another authorized transaction, investment or instrument and/or operate as a substitute for cash market transactions. A derivative transaction entered into by the insurer as a hedging transaction shall not be considered a replication transaction;
(37) "Repurchase transaction" means a transaction in which an insurer purchases securities from a business entity that is obligated to repurchase the purchased securities or equivalent securities from the insurer at a specified price, either within a specified period of time or upon demand;
(38) "Reverse repurchase transaction" means a transaction in which an insurer sells securities to a business entity and is obligated to repurchase the sold securities or equivalent securities from the business entity at a specified price, either within a specified period of time or upon demand;
(39) "Securities exchange" means:
(A) an exchange registered as a national securities exchange or a securities market registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. §78 et seq.), as amended;
(40) "Securities lending transaction" means a transaction in which securities are loaned by an insurer to a business entity that is obligated to return the loaned securities or equivalent securities to the insurer, either within a specified period of time or upon demand;
(41) "SVO Rating" means the numerical ranking designation of one (1) through six (6) assigned to securities as determined by the NAIC-SVO;
(42) "State" includes the several states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the possessions of the United States;
(43) "Swap" means an agreement to exchange or to net payments at one or more times based on the actual or expected price, yield, level, performance or value of one or more underlying interests;
(44) "Swaption" means an option to purchase or sell a swap at a given price and time or at a series of prices and times. A swaption does not mean a swap with an embedded option;
(45) "Underlying interest" means the assets, liabilities or other interests, or a combination thereof, underlying a derivative instrument, such as any one or more securities, currencies, rates, indices, commodities or derivative instruments; and
(46) "Warrant" means an instrument that gives the holder the right to purchase or sell the underlying interest at a given price and time or at a series of prices and times outlined in the warrant agreement.
56-3-303. (a) Domestic life insurance companies may, directly or indirectly through an investment affiliate, invest their assets and engage in investment practices as follows:
(1) In obligations, not in default as to principal or interest, which are valid and legally authorized obligations issued, assumed or guaranteed by the United States, or by any state thereof, or by any county, city, town, village, municipality or district therein, or by any political subdivision thereof, or by any civil division or public instrumentality of one (1) or more of the foregoing, if, by statutory or other legal requirements applicable thereto, such obligations are payable, as to both principal and interest, from taxes levied, or by such law required to be levied, upon all taxable property or all taxable income within the jurisdiction of such governmental unit or from adequate special revenues pledged or otherwise appropriated or by such law required to be provided for the purpose of such payment, but not including any obligations payable solely out of special assessments on properties benefited by local improvements;
(2) In obligations, or in commercial paper or bankers' acceptances, or similar evidences of indebtedness customarily issued at a discount from principal value, issued, assumed, or guaranteed by any business entity created or existing under the laws of the United States, or any state thereof, which are not in default as to principal or interest; provided, that either:
(A) The net earnings of the issuing, assuming or guaranteeing business entity available for its fixed charges for a period of five (5) fiscal years next preceding the date of acquisition by such insurance company shall have averaged per year not less than one and one-half (1.5) times its average annual fixed charges applicable to such period, if during either of the last two (2) years of such period such net earnings shall have been not less than one and one-half (1.5) times its fixed charges for such year; or
(B) Either the obligation is or the issuing, assuming or guaranteeing business entity's or business entities' long-term obligations are rated one of the four (4) highest grades by any of the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations recognized by the NAIC-SVO or one (1), two (2) or three (3) by the NAIC-SVO;
(3) In preferred stock or shares of any business entity created or existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof; provided, that:
(A) The aggregate net earnings of the issuing business entity available for its fixed charges and dividends for a period of three (3) fiscal years next preceding the date of acquisition is at least equal to one and one-fourth (1.25) times the sum of its aggregate fixed charges, full contingent interest and preferred dividend requirements for the same period or rated one of the four (4) highest grades by any of the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations recognized by the NAIC-SVO or one (1), two (2) or three (3) by the NAIC-SVO; and
(B) The investments made under the authority of this subdivision (a)(3) shall not at any time cause the insurance company's holdings:
(i) Of the preferred stock or shares of any one (1) business entity to exceed two percent (2%) of the admitted assets of the insurance company;
(ii) Of the preferred stock or shares of all business entities to exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the admitted assets of the insurance company;
(4)(A) In equity interests of any solvent business entity created or existing under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof; provided, that:
(i) If the equity interest is a common stock, such business entity shall have earned, during the period of five (5) fiscal years next preceding the date of acquisition by such insurance company, an aggregate sum available for dividends upon its common stock or shares equal at least to an aggregate sum which would have been sufficient to pay dividends of six percent (6%) per annum upon the par or stated value of all its common stock or shares outstanding during such period;
(ii) If the equity interests are in a real estate company, the provisions of §§ 56-3-305 and 56-3-306 shall apply with respect to such equity interests and to the real property owned by such real estate company, and the amount invested in the equity interests of such real estate company shall be included with the aggregate of all of the insurance company's holdings and investments for the purposes of §56-3-305(b);
(iii) Investments made under the authority of this subdivision (a)(4)(A) shall not at any time cause the insurance company's holdings of equity interests in:
(a) any one (1) business entity to exceed one percent (1%) of the admitted assets of the insurance company; or
(b) all business entities to exceed the larger of:
(1) Ten percent (10%) of the admitted assets of the insurance company; or
(2) Fifty percent (50%) of the amount by which the capital and surplus of the insurance company exceed the minimum capital and surplus required for the kind of insurance it is authorized to transact in this state; and
(iv) For purposes of determining the holdings of such equity interests pursuant to this subdivision (a)(4)(A), the value of such equity interests shall be the value thereof shown on the insurer's statutory financial statement most recently required to be filed with the commissioner;
(B) The commissioner may approve a plan for an insurer to make investments in equity interests of business entities in an aggregate amount not to exceed an additional ten percent (10%) of its admitted assets if the commissioner determines that the plan contains adequate quality and diversification standards.
(C) Investments made and transactions entered into pursuant to subdivision (a)(20)(A) shall be included in determining an insurer's compliance with subdivision (a)(4)(A) and, if the commissioner has approved a plan for the insurer under subdivision (a)(4)(B), subdivision (a)(4)(B) in the aggregate.
(5) Upon security of promissory notes amply secured by pledge of any bonds or other securities in which such companies are authorized to invest their funds;
(6) Upon the security of their own policies; provided, that the loan upon any policy shall not exceed the amount of loan value provided in §56-7-2309;
(7) In the obligations, and/or stock where stated, of the following agencies of the government of the United States, whether or not such obligations are guaranteed by such government:
(A) Commodity credit corporation;
(B) Federal intermediate credit banks;
(C) Federal land banks;
(D) Banks for cooperatives;
(E) Federal home loan banks, and stock of such banks;
(F) Federal national mortgage association, and stock thereof when acquired in connection with sale of mortgage loans to such association; and
(G) Any other similar agency of the government of the United States and of similar financial quality;
(8) In lawfully authorized bonds or other evidences of indebtedness issued or guaranteed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank; provided, that the aggregate amount of the insurance company's investment under this subdivision shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the admitted assets of the insurance company;
(9) In shares in federally insured building and loan and savings and loan institutions; provided, that the aggregate of investments under this subdivision shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the admitted assets of the insurance company;
(10) In other types of investments and transactions, in addition to those authorized by this section or other sections of the code, subject to the approval of the commissioner. An insurer shall not be required to have exhausted its authority to make investments or engage in transactions under subdivision (a)(15) prior to seeking any approval from the commissioner under this subdivision (a)(10). Any investment made or transaction entered into by an insurer pursuant to approval from the commissioner under this subdivision (a)(10) shall not be required to be taken into account in determining compliance with subdivision (a)(15).
(11) Subject to the provisions of the third sentence of this subdivision (a)(11) in loans (or participations therein) secured by first mortgages (or second mortgages so long as the insurer holds the first mortgages that are senior thereto) upon improved, unencumbered real property, or upon leasehold estates in improved real property in the United States, not exceeding, however, seventy-five percent (75%) of the value of such property or leasehold estate, repayable in not more than thirty (30) years. All loans secured by leasehold estates must provide for amortization of principal at least once in each year in amounts sufficient to completely amortize the loan at least twenty-one (21) years prior to expiration of the lease term, inclusive of the term or terms which may be provided by an enforceable option or options of renewal. Real property and leasehold estates shall not be deemed to be encumbered within the meaning of this section by reason of the existence of unpaid assessments and taxes not delinquent, mineral, oil or timber rights, easements or rights-of-way for public highways, private roads, railroads, telegraph, telephone, electric light and power lines, drains, sewers or other similar easements or rights-of-way, liens for service and maintenance of water rights when not delinquent, party wall agreements, building restrictions, or other restrictive covenants or conditions, or leases under which rents or profits are reserved to the owner, if in any event the security for the loan is a first lien (or is a second lien so long as such insurer also holds the first lien that is senior thereto) upon the real property or leasehold estate and if there is no condition or right of reentry or forfeiture under which, in the case of real property other than leaseholds, the lien can be cut off, subordinated or otherwise disturbed, or under which, in the case of leaseholds, the insurance company is unable to continue the lease in force for the duration of the loan. A loan guaranteed or insured in full by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs pursuant to the provisions of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (38 U.S.C. §§3701-3725), may be subject to a prior encumbrance insured by the Federal Housing Administrator or commissioner, and the foregoing limitations in respect to value and repayment shall not apply to a loan which is:
(A) Insured by, or for which a commitment to insure has been made by, the Federal Housing Administrator or commissioner pursuant to the provisions of the National Housing Act, as heretofore or hereafter amended;
(B) Guaranteed by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs pursuant to the provisions of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (38 U.S.C. §§ 3701-3725), as heretofore or hereafter amended, except that, if only a portion of a loan is so guaranteed, such limitation of value shall apply to the portion not so guaranteed; or
(C) Insured by the administrator pursuant to the provisions of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (38 U.S.C. §§3701-3725);
(12) In purchase money mortgages or like securities received by the insurance company upon the sale or exchange of real property acquired pursuant to §56-3-305;
(13) In obligations of persons organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof, secured by assignment of lease or leases, or the rentals payable under such leases, of real or personal property, or both, to:
(A) The United States or any state thereof, or any county, city, town, village, municipality or district therein or any political subdivision thereof or any civil division or public instrumentality of one (1) or more of the foregoing; or
(B) One (1) or more persons created or existing under the laws of the United States, or of any state; provided, that:
(i) The fixed rentals assigned shall be sufficient to repay the indebtedness within the unexpired term of the lease, exclusive of the term which may be provided by an enforceable option of renewal;
(ii) No such lessee or guarantor of such lease or leases has defaulted in payment of principal or interest on any of its bonds, notes, debentures, or other evidences of indebtedness during the five (5) fiscal years immediately preceding the date of the investment;
(iii) The net earnings of each lessee or guarantor of such lease under subdivision (a)(13)(B) available for its fixed charges for a period of five (5) fiscal years next preceding the date of acquisition by such insurance company has averaged per year not less than one and one-half (1.5) times its average annual fixed charges applicable to such period and during either of the last two (2) years of such period such net earnings has been not less than one and one-half (1.5) times its fixed charges for such year or is rated one of the four (4) highest grades by any of the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations recognized by the NAIC-SVO or one (1), two (2) or three (3) by the NAIC-SVO; and
(iv) A first lien on the interest of the lessor in the unencumbered property so leased is obtained as additional security for the indebtedness;
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any NAIC-SVO credit tenant loan that meets the requirements of subdivision (a)(2) shall be qualified under subdivision (a)(2);
(14) In the purchase and ownership of vessels, vehicles, or rolling stock used or useful for the transportation of persons, goods, products or commodities, or of machinery or equipment used by manufacturing, processing or financial establishments, or of communications equipment used by radio or television stations, or of store fixtures used by retail establishments, which transportation equipment, or machinery or equipment, or communications equipment or store fixtures are or will become subject to contracts for the sale or use thereof under which contractual payments are to be made which may reasonably be expected to return the principal of, and provide earnings on, the investment within the anticipated useful life of the property, such anticipated useful life to be not less than five (5) years. The aggregate of such company's investments under this subdivision shall not exceed three percent (3%) of such company's admitted assets;
(15) In loans, investments or transactions in addition to those authorized under other subdivisions of this subsection or under other sections of this code (notwithstanding any limitations or prohibitions contained in §56-3-305(a)(5) which might otherwise be applicable); provided, that for the purposes of subdivision (a)(11) and this subdivision, that the portion of a loan (or participation therein) secured by a mortgage upon real property which does not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the value of the property shall be deemed to be a permitted investment under subdivision (a)(11) and the remainder of the loan (or participation therein) may be deemed to be made under this subdivision; and provided further, that for the purposes of §56-3-305(a)(5)(B), that the portion of an investment in a single piece or adjoining pieces of real property acquired or held under the authority of §56-3-305 (a)(5) which does not exceed two percent (2%) of such company's admitted assets shall be deemed to be a permitted investment under subdivision (a)(5), and the remainder of the investment shall be deemed to be made under this subdivision; and provided further that if any investments made or transactions entered into under any other subdivision of this section or §56-3-304 exceed the limits specified therein, then the excess portion of such investment or transaction shall be an investment or transaction under this subdivision. Any loan, investment or transaction originally made under this subdivision which would subsequently, if it were then being made, qualify as an authorized investment or transaction under another subdivision of this subsection or under another section of this code shall thenceforth be deemed to be an authorized investment or transaction under such other subdivision or section. The aggregate of such company's loans, investments and transactions under this subdivision shall not exceed the lesser of:
(A) Ten percent (10%) of the company's admitted assets; or
(B) The amount by which the capital and surplus of the company exceed the minimum capital and surplus required to form a new company to do the kind or kinds of insurance business the company is authorized to transact in this state; provided, that the limitations established by subdivisions (a)(15)(A) and (B) in no event shall be less than five percent (5%) of the admitted assets of the company;
(16) In investment pools that:
(A) Invest only in:
(i) obligations that an insurer may acquire under this section or §56-3-304 that:
(a) Are rated one of the four (4) highest grades by any of the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations recognized by the NAIC-SVO or one (1) or two (2) by the NAIC-SVO and have:
(1) a remaining term to maturity of three hundred ninety-seven (397) days or less or a put that entitles the holder to receive the principal amount of the obligation which put may be exercised through maturity at specified intervals not exceeding three hundred ninety-seven (397) days; or
(2) a remaining term to maturity of three (3) years or less and a floating interest rate that resets no less frequently than quarterly on the basis of a current short-term index (federal funds, prime rate, treasury bills, London InterBank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or commercial paper) and is subject to no maximum limit, if the obligations do not have an interest rate that varies inversely to market interest rate changes;
(ii) securities lending, repurchase and reverse repurchase transactions that meet the requirements of subdivision (a)(18); and
(iii) money market mutual funds as authorized in subdivision (a)(17); provided that this short-term investment pool shall not acquire investments in any one business entity that exceed ten percent (10%) of the total assets of the investment pool;
(B) Invest only in investments which an insurer may acquire under this section or §56-3-304, if the insurer's proportionate interest in the amount invested in these investments does not exceed the applicable limits of this section and §56-3-304, and the aggregate amount of all investments in such other investment pools may not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the insurer's admitted assets;
(C) An insurer shall not acquire an investment in an investment pool under this subdivision if after giving effect to the investment, the aggregate amount of investments in all investment pools then held by the insurer would exceed thirty-five percent (35%) of its admitted assets;
(D) For an investment in an investment pool to be qualified under this subdivision, the investment pool shall not:
(i) acquire securities issued, assumed, guaranteed or insured by the insurer or an affiliate of the insurer; or
(a) be organized under the laws of the United States or a state thereof or the District of Columbia and designated as the pool manager in a pooling agreement;
(b) be the insurer, an affiliated insurer, a business entity affiliated with the insurer, a custodian bank, a business entity registered under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. §§80a-1 et seq.), as amended or any similar, applicable state statute, or, in the case of a reciprocal insurer or interinsurance exchange, its attorney-in-fact, or in the case of a United States branch of an alien insurer, its United States manager or affiliates or subsidiaries of its United States manager;
(ii) the pool manager or an entity designated by the pool manager of the type set forth in (E)(i)(b) shall maintain detailed accounting records setting forth:
(a) the cash receipts and disbursements reflecting each participant's proportionate investment in the investment pool;
(b) a complete description of all underlying assets of the investment pool (including amount, interest rate, maturity date (if any) and other appropriate designations); and
(c) other records which, on a daily basis, allow third parties to verify each participant's investments in the investment pool;
(iii) the assets of the investment pool shall be held in one or more accounts, in the name or on behalf of the investment pool, either under a custody agreement or trust agreement with a custodian bank or at the principal office of the pool manager. The applicable agreement shall:
(a) state and recognize the claims and rights of each participant;
(b) acknowledge that the underlying assets of the investment pool are held solely for the benefit of each participant in proportion to the aggregate amount of its investments in the investment pool; and
(c) contain an agreement that the underlying assets of the investment pool shall not be commingled with the general assets of the custodian bank or any other person;
(F) The pooling agreement for each investment pool shall be in writing and shall provide that:
(i) the insurer, its subsidiaries, affiliates or any pension or profit sharing plan of the insurer, its subsidiaries and affiliates or, in the case of a United States branch of an alien insurer, affiliates or subsidiaries of its United States manager, and any unaffiliated insurer shall, at all times, hold one hundred percent (100%) of the interests in the investment pool;
(ii) the underlying assets of the investment pool shall not be commingled with the general assets of the pool manager or any other person;
(iii) in proportion to the aggregate amount of each pool participant's interest in the investment pool:
(a) each participant owns an undivided interest in the underlying assets of the investment pool; and
(b) the underlying assets of the investment pool are held solely for the benefit of each participant;
(iv) a participant, or in the event of the participant's insolvency, bankruptcy, or receivership, its trustee, receiver, conservator or other successor-in-interest, may withdraw all or any portion of its investment from the investment pool under the terms of the pooling agreement;
(v) withdrawals may be made on demand without penalty or other assessment on any business day, but settlement of funds shall occur within a reasonable and customary period thereafter provided that in the case of publicly traded securities, settlement shall not exceed five (5) business days, and in the case of all other securities and investments, settlement shall not exceed ten (10) business days. Distributions under this paragraph shall be calculated in each case net of all then applicable fees and expenses of the investment pool. The pooling agreement shall provide that the pool manager shall distribute to a participant, at the discretion of the pool manager:
(a) in cash, the then fair market value of the participant's pro rata share of each underlying asset of the investment pool;
(b) in kind, a pro rata share of each underlying asset; or
(c) in a combination of cash and in-kind distributions, a pro rata share in each underlying asset; and
(vi) the pool manager shall make the records of the investment pool available for inspection by the commissioner; and
(G) An investment in an investment pool shall not be deemed to be an investment under §56-3-303(b). The formation of an investment pool shall be subject to the reporting requirements of §56-11-201 et seq., but investments in and withdrawals and distributions from an investment pool shall not be subject to such reporting requirements.
(17) (1) In money market mutual funds as defined by 17 CFR 270.2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. §§80a-1 et seq.) that may be either of the following:
(i) invests only in obligations issued, guaranteed or insured by the federal government of the United States or collateralized repurchase agreements composed of these obligations; and
(ii) qualifies for investment without a reserve under the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC or, if it is no longer being published, the successor publication thereto; or
(B) Class one money market mutual fund which is a money market mutual fund that qualifies for investment using the bond class one reserve factor under the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC or, if it is no longer being published, the successor publication thereto.
(2) For purposes of complying with this subdivision, money market funds qualifying for listing within these categories must conform to the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the Securities Valuation Officeof the NAIC or, if it is no longer being published, the successor publication thereto;
(18) In securities lending transactions (either directly, or through a custodian bank, or through an agent approved by the commissioner), repurchase transactions, reverse repurchase transactions and dollar roll transactions, subject to the following conditions:
(A) The insurer shall enter into a written agreement for all transactions that shall require each transaction, except dollar roll transactions, to terminate no more than one (1) year from its inception.
(B) Cash received in a transaction under this subdivision (a)(18) shall be invested in accordance with this §56-3-303(a) or §56-3-304 and in a manner that recognizes the liquidity needs of the transaction or used by the insurer for its general corporate purposes. For so long as the transaction remains outstanding, the insurer, its agent or custodian shall maintain, as to acceptable collateral received in a transaction under this subsection, either physically or through the book entry systems of the Federal Reserve, Depository Trust Company, Participants Trust Company or other securities depositories approved by the commissioner:
(i) Possession of the acceptable collateral;
(ii) A perfected security interest in the acceptable collateral; or
(iii) In the case of a jurisdiction outside of the United States, title to, or rights of a secured creditor to, the acceptable collateral; and
(C) The limitations of subdivision (a)(19) shall not apply to the business entity counterparty exposure created by transactions under this subdivision (a)(18). An insurer shall not enter into a transaction under this subdivision (a)(18) if, as a result of and after giving effect to the transaction:
(i) The aggregate amount of securities then loaned, sold to, or purchased from, any one business entity counterparty under this subdivision (a)(18) would exceed five percent (5%) of its admitted assets. In calculating the amount sold to or purchased from a business entity counterparty under repurchase or reverse repurchase transactions, effect may be given to netting provisions under a master written agreement; or
(ii) The aggregate amount of all securities then loaned, sold to or purchased from all business entities under this subdivision (a)(18) would exceed forty percent (40%) of its admitted assets.
(D) The amount of collateral required for securities lending, repurchase and reverse repurchase transactions is the amount required pursuant to the provisions of the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC or, if it is no longer being published, the successor publication thereto.
(19) Except as otherwise authorized by subdivisions (a)(4)(B), (a)(10), (a)(15), (a)(16)(A), (a)(17), (a)(18), (a)(22) and (a)(24) an insurer may under this part and §56-3-304 acquire obligations of, preferred stock or an equity interest in or incur counterparty exposure amounts to any one business entity, or as to asset-backed securities, secured by or evidencing an interest in a single asset or pool of assets,but not to exceed three percent (3%) of the insurer's admitted assets and provided that investments and transactions that are subject to the provisions of subdivisions (a)(3)(B)(i), (a)(4)(A)(iii)(a) and (a)(20)(B) shall be taken into account in determining compliance with this subdivision (a)(19);
(20) Except as otherwise authorized by subdivisions (a)(10), (a)(15), (a)(18), (a)(22) and (a)(24), an insurer shall not under this part or §56-3-304 acquire an obligation of, or preferred stock or an equity interest in or incur a counterparty exposure amount to any person, or as to asset-backed securities, secured by or evidencing an interest in a single asset or pool of assets, if after giving effect to such investment or transaction:
(A) the aggregate amount of such obligations, preferred stock, equity interests and counterparty exposure amounts then held by the insurer that are rated NAIC-SVO 4 or an equivalent rating by any of the nationally recognized statistical rating organizations recognized by the NAIC-SVO would exceed five percent (5%) of its admitted assets; and
(B) investments made and transactions entered into under the authority of this subdivision (a)(20) shall not at any time cause:
(i) the insurance company's holdings of obligations of, preferred stock or equity interests in any one business entity;
(ii) the insurance company's holdings of asset-backed securities secured by or evidencing an interest in a single asset or pool of assets; and
(iii) the insurance company's aggregate counterparty exposure amounts with respect to any one business entity;to exceed one percent (1%) of the insurance company's admitted assets;
(21) In hedging transactions, income generation transactions and replication transactions as follows:
(A) Prior to entering into any derivative transaction, the board of directors of the insurer shall approve a derivative instruments use plan that:
(ii) defines permissible transactions including identification of the risks that may be hedged, the assets or liabilities that may be replicated and permissible types of income generation transactions; and
(iii) requires compliance with internal control procedures;
(B) The insurer shall establish written internal control procedures that provide for:
(iv) written authorizations that identify the responsibilities and limitations of authority of persons authorized to effect and maintain derivative transactions;
(v) documentation appropriate for each transaction including:
(a) the purpose of the transaction;
(b) the assets or liabilities to which the transaction relates;
(c) the specific derivative instrument used in the transaction;
(d) for over-the-counter derivative instrument transactions, the name of the counterparty and the counterparty exposure amount; and
(e) for exchange-traded derivative instruments, the name of the exchange and the name of the firm that handled the transaction;
(C) Whenever the derivative transactions entered into under this subdivision (a)(20) are not in compliance with this subdivision (a)(20) or, if continued, may now or subsequently create a hazardous financial condition of the insurer which affects its policyholders, creditors or the general public, the commissioner may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, order the insurer to take such action as may be reasonably necessary to rectify such non-compliance or such hazardous financial condition, or prevent an impending hazardous financial condition from occurring;
(D) An insurer shall include all counterparty exposure amounts in determining compliance with the limitations of subdivisions (a)(19) and (a)(20);
(E) (i) Prior to entering into hedging transactions, an insurer must obtain the commissioner's approval of the insurer's plan regarding the use of hedging transactions, provided, however, that an insurer that has obtained the commissioner's approval to enter into hedging transactions prior to July 1, 1998 shall not be required to obtain the commissioner's approval of such a plan. Subject to the immediately preceding sentence, an insurer may enter into hedging transactions under this subdivision (a)(21)(E), if as a result of and after giving effect to each such transaction:
(a) the aggregate statutory financial statement value of all outstanding options (other than collars), caps, floors, swaptions and warrants (not attached to another financial instrument purchased by the insurer) pursuant to this subdivision (a)(21)(E) does not exceed seven and one-half percent (7.5%) of its admitted assets;
(b) the aggregate statutory financial statement value of all outstanding options (other than collars), swaptions, warrants, caps and floors written by the insurer pursuant to this subdivision (a)(21)(E) does not exceed three percent (3%) of its admitted assets; and
(c) the aggregate potential exposure of all outstanding collars, swaps, forwards and futures entered into or acquired by the insurer pursuant to this subdivision (a)(21)(E) does not exceed six and one-half percent (6.5%) of its admitted assets;
(ii) With respect to hedging transactions, an insurer shall be able to demonstrate to the commissioner, upon request, the intended hedging characteristics and effectiveness of the hedging transaction or combination of hedging transactions through cash flow testing, duration analysis or other appropriate analysis;
(F) Subject to the commissioner's prior approval of the insurer's plan regarding use of income generation transactions, an insurer may enter into an income generation transaction if:
(i) as a result of and after giving effect to the transaction, the aggregate statutory financial statement value of admitted assets that are then subject to call or that generate the cash flows for payments required to be made by the insurer under caps and floors sold by the insurer and then outstanding under this subdivision (a)(21)(F), plus the statutory financial statement value of admitted assets underlying derivative instruments then subject to calls sold by the insurer and outstanding under this subdivision (a)(21)(F), plus the purchase price of assets subject to puts then outstanding under this subdivision (a)(21)(F) does not exceed ten percent (10%) of its admitted assets; and
(ii) the transaction is one of the following types and meets the other requirements specified below that are applicable to such type of transaction(s):
(a) sales of call options on assets, provided that the insurer holds or has a currently exercisable right to acquire the underlying assets during the entire period that the option is outstanding;
(b) sales of put options on assets, provided that the insurer holds sufficient cash, cash equivalents or interests in a short-term investment pool to purchase the underlying assets upon exercise during the entire period that the option is outstanding, and has the ability to hold the underlying assets in its portfolio. If the total market value of all put options sold by the insurer exceeds two percent (2%) of the insurer's admitted assets, the insurer shall set aside pursuant to a custodial or escrow agreement cash or cash equivalents having a market value equal to the amount of its put option obligations in excess of two percent (2%) of the insurer's admitted assets during the entire period the option is outstanding;
(c) sales of call options on derivative instruments (including swaptions), provided that the insurer holds or has a currently exercisable right to acquire assets generating the cash flow to make any payments for which the insurer is liable pursuant to the underlying derivative instruments during the entire period that the call options are outstanding and has the ability to enter into the underlying derivative transactions for its portfolio; and
(d) sales of caps and floors, provided that the insurer holds or has a currently exercisable right to acquire assets generating the cash flow to make any payments for which the insurer is liable pursuant to the caps and floors during the entire period that the caps and floors are outstanding;
(G) Subject to the commissioner's prior approval of the insurer's plan regarding use of replication transactions, an insurer may enter into replication transactions, provided that:
(i) the insurer would otherwise be authorized under this part to invest its funds in the asset being replicated; and
(ii) the asset being replicated is subject to all the provisions and limitations on the making thereof specified in this part with respect to investments by the insurer as if the transaction constituted a direct investment by the insurer in the replicated asset;
(H) An insurer may purchase or sell one or more derivative instruments to offset, in whole or in part, any derivative instrument previously purchased or sold, as the case may be, without regard to the quantitative limitations of this subsection, provided that such offsetting transaction utilizes the same type of derivative instrument as the derivative instrument being offset; and
(I) Each derivative instrument shall be:
(i) traded on a securities exchange;
(ii) entered into with, or guaranteed by, a person;
(iii) issued or written by or entered into with the issuer of the underlying interest on which the derivative instrument is based; or
(iv) in the case of futures, traded through a broker which is registered as a futures commission merchant under the Commodity Exchange Act or which has received exemptive relief from such registration under rule 30.10 promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act;
(22) (A) No provision of this part prohibits the acquisition by an insurer of additional obligations, securities, or other assets if received as a dividend or as a distribution of assets, nor does this part apply to securities, obligations, or other assets accepted incident to the workout, adjustment, restructuring or similar realization of any kind of investment or transaction when deemed by the insurer's board of directors or by a committee appointed by the board of directors to be in the best interests of the insurer, if the investment or transaction had previously been authorized, nor does this part apply to assets acquired pursuant to a lawful agreement of bulk reinsurance if such assets constituted legal and authorized investments for the ceding company. No obligation, security or other asset acquired as authorized by this subdivision (a)(22) need be qualified under any other subdivision of this section or section of this code, provided, however, that all assets acquired pursuant to this subdivision (a)(22) shall be subject to the applicable accounting and valuation requirements that are contained in this code.
(B) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (a)(22)(C), if a domestic life insurance company, pursuant to a merger or consolidation, acquires an investment or transaction that was an authorized investment or transaction of the company that was merged or consolidated with such domestic life insurance company but does not qualify as an authorized investment or transaction under this part at the time such merger or consolidation occurs (regardless of whether or not such investment or transaction would be authorized under subdivision (a)(15)), then such investment or transaction shall be an authorized investment or transaction under this subdivision (a)(22)(B) (and shall not be required to be applied toward the limitations contained in subdivision (a)(15)) for a period of five (5) years after the date on which such merger or consolidation occurs, after which period it shall no longer be an authorized investment or transaction under this subdivision (a)(22)(B), unless within such five (5) year period:
(i) such investment or transaction qualifies as an authorized investment or transaction under another subdivision of this subsection or another section of this code, including without limitation, subdivision (a)(15) if such domestic life insurance company so elects; or
(ii) the commissioner authorizes such investment or transaction in the plan of merger or consolidation approved by the commissioner; or
(iii) the commissioner, upon request of the insurer, authorizes an extension of such five (5) year time period; or
(iv) the commissioner approves such investment or transaction pursuant to this subdivision (a)(22)(B).
The aggregate amount of a domestic life insurance company's investments and transactions under this subdivision (a)(22)(B), excluding investments and transactions authorized under any of subparagraphs (i), (ii) and (iv) of this subdivision (a)(22)(B), shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of such domestic life insurance company's capital and surplus after giving effect to such merger or consolidation.
(C) If a domestic life insurance company, pursuant to a merger or consolidation, acquires a mortgage loan (or participation therein) that would have been authorized under subdivision (a)(11) (and under subdivision (a)(15) as to the portion thereof, if any, that exceeded seventy-five percent (75%) of the value of the property) at the time the company that was merged or consolidated with such domestic life insurance company invested in such mortgage loan (or participation therein), then such mortgage loan (or participation therein) shall be authorized under subdivision (a)(11) (and under subdivision (a)(15) as to the portion thereof, if any, that exceeded seventy-five percent (75%) of the value of the property).
(D) The commissioner shall have full discretion in selecting a method for calculating values of investments and transactions that an insurer acquires through a merger or consolidation, provided that such method is consistent with any applicable provisions of this code and any applicable valuation method that the NAIC is currently using at such time with respect to investments and transactions; if there is a conflict between such a provision of this code and such an NAIC valuation method, such provision of this code shall control.
(23) The qualification or disqualification of an investment under one subdivision of this section or section of this code does not prevent its qualification in whole or in part under another subsection or section of this code, and an investment authorized by more than one subdivision or section of this code may be held under whichever authorizing subdivision or section of this code the insurer elects. An investment or transaction qualified under any subdivision or section of this code at the time it was acquired or entered into by the insurer shall continue to be qualified under that subdivision or section of this code. An investment, in whole or in part, may be transferred from time to time, at the election of the insurer, to the authority of any subdivision or section of this code under which it then qualifies, whether or not it originally qualified thereunder.
(24) Notwithstanding the provisions of the other subdivisions of this section and §56-3-304, an insurer may acquire an investment in or enter into a transaction with a business entity in which the insurer already holds one or more investments or with which the insurer has entered into one or more transactions if the investment is acquired or the transaction is entered into in order to protect an investment or transaction previously made in or with that business entity, but the aggregate amount of investments and transactions so acquired and entered into may not exceed five percent (5%) of the insurer's capital and surplus; and
(25) The percentage authorizations and limitations set forth in any or all of the provisions of this §56-3-303 and §§56-3-304 and 56-3-305 (but subject to §56-3-306) shall apply only at the time of the original acquisition of an investment or at the time a transaction is entered into and shall not be applicable to the insurer or such investment or transaction thereafter except as provided in subdivision (a)(23) of this section. In addition, any investment or transaction, once qualified under any subsection of this section, shall remain qualified notwithstanding any refinancing, restructuring or modification of such investment or transaction, provided that the insurer shall not engage in any such refinancing, restructuring or modification of any investment or transaction for the purpose of circumventing the requirements or limitations of this part. The commissioner shall have full discretion to value investments and transactions that an insurer holds at the time of an examination of such insurer using a method of calculating such values that the commissioner selects in his discretion, provided that such method is consistent with any applicable provisions of this code and any applicable valuation method that the NAIC is currently using at such time with respect to investments and transactions; if there is a conflict between such a provision of this code and such an NAIC valuation method, such provision of this code shall control. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subdivision (a)(25), if the commissioner determines that the continued operation of an insurer may be hazardous to its policyholders, its creditors or the general public, then the commissioner may issue an order consistent with applicable statutes requiring such insurer to limit or withdraw from certain investments or transactions or discontinue certain practices as to investments or transactions to the extent the commissioner deems necessary.
(b) (1) A domestic life insurance company at the time of original issue or at any other time, may acquire one (1) or more subsidiaries, subject to the limitations in subdivision (b)(2). Such subsidiaries may conduct any kind of lawful business and their authority to do so shall not be limited by reason of the fact that they are subsidiaries of a domestic insurer. For purposes of this section, "subsidiary" means a corporation in which the insurer owns and holds more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock of the corporation.
(2) The acquisition of subsidiaries by a domestic life insurer shall be subject to the following:
(A) Except as provided in subdivisions (b)(2)(B) and (C), the aggregate amount that may be invested in subsidiaries in the form of common stock, preferred stock or debt obligations shall not exceed the amount by which the capital and surplus of the insurer exceed the minimum capital and surplus required to form a new company to do the kind or kinds of insurance business the insurer is authorized to transact in this state. If the subsidiary to be acquired is one (1) or more insurance companies formed under the laws of a foreign country, the total amount of holding in such foreign companies shall not exceed three percent (3%) of the admitted assets of the domestic life insurance company and shall be included for purposes of the overall limitation on amounts of investments in subsidiaries;
(B) A domestic life insurer may invest in excess of the amount permitted in subdivision (b)(2)(A) in the common stock, preferred stock or debt obligations of one (1) or more investment subsidiaries, subject to the limitations in Section 56-3-303(a)(15) and, with the approval of the commissioner, a domestic life insurer may invest any amount in excess of the amount permitted in subdivision (b)(2)(A) in common stock, preferred stock or debt obligations of one (1) or more subsidiaries; provided, that after such investment, the insurer's surplus as regards policyholders shall be reasonable in relation to the insurer's outstanding liabilities and adequate to its financial needs; and
(C) If the subsidiary acquired by a domestic life insurer is engaged exclusively in holding title to or holding title to and managing or developing real property, the amount of the insurer's investment therein shall not be included in calculating the aggregate limit on investments in subsidiaries; provided, that the amount invested in such subsidiary is included with the aggregate of all the insurer's holdings for purposes of §56-3-305(b) and the real property owned by the subsidiary shall be subject to the provisions of §56-3-305(a)(5).
(3) Investments in common stock, preferred stock or debt obligations of subsidiaries made pursuant to this subsection (b) shall not be limited by or be subject to any of the otherwise applicable authorizations, restrictions or limitations applicable to the investments of domestic life insurers, except as provided in subdivision (b)(2)(C).
(4) Whether any investment pursuant to this subsection (b) meets the applicable requirements thereof shall be determined on a pro forma basis immediately after such investment is made, taking into account:
(A) The capital and surplus of the insurer and the minimum capital and surplus required at that time for a new company to do the same kind or kinds of insurance business the insurer is authorized to transact in this state;
(B) The then outstanding principal balance on all previous investments in debt obligations of subsidiaries; and
(C) The original cost or the current book value, whichever is lower, of all previous investments in the common or preferred stock of subsidiaries.
(5) If the insurer ceases to own more than fifty percent (50%) of the stock of a subsidiary, it shall dispose of any investment therein made pursuant to this section within three (3) years from the time of cessation of the requisite percentage of ownership, or within such further time as the commissioner may prescribe, unless at any time after such investment has been made, such investment has become a permitted investment under any other provision of the law governing investments of domestic life insurance companies.
(c) Any investment held by an insurer on or transaction entered into by an insurer prior to the effective date of this act which was legally authorized at the time it was made, acquired or entered into or which the insurer was authorized to hold or engage in immediately prior to such effective date, but which does not conform to the requirements of this section or §56-3-304, may continue to be held by or engaged in and considered as an authorized investment or authorized transaction of the insurer; provided such investment or transaction is disposed of at its maturity date, if any, or within the time prescribed by the law under which it was acquired, if any; and provided further, in no event shall the provisions of this subdivision alter the legal or accounting status of such investment or transaction.
56-3-304.
(a) Domestic life insurance companies may, directly or indirectly through an investment affiliate, invest in investments and enter into transactions in Canada which are substantially of the same kinds, classes and investment grades as those eligible for investment under §56-3-303(a); but the aggregate amount of such investments and transactions which are held at any time by any such company shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of its admitted assets, except where a greater amount is permitted pursuant to subsection (b), in which case the provisions of this subsection shall not be applicable.
(b) Any domestic life insurance company which is authorized to do business in a foreign country or which has outstanding insurance, annuity or reinsurance contracts on lives or risks resident or located in a foreign country may invest in investments and enter into transactions in such foreign country which are substantially of the same kinds, classes and investment grades as those authorized under §56-3-303(a); but the aggregate amount of such investments and transactions in a foreign country and of cash in the currency of such country which is at any time held by such company shall not, except as provided in subsection (a), exceed one and one-half (1 1/2) times the amount of its reserves and other obligations under such contracts or the amount which such company is required by law to invest in such country, whichever is greater.
(c) In addition to the foreign investments authorized under subsections (a) and (b), any domestic life insurance company may, directly or indirectly through an investment affiliate, invest in investments and enter into transactions in foreign jurisdictions which are substantially of the same kinds, classes and investment grades as those authorized under §56-3-303(a); but the aggregate amount of such investments made and transactions entered into pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed the lesser of five percent (5%) of its admitted assets or the amount by which the capital and surplus of the company exceeds the minimum capital and surplus required for the kind or kinds of insurance the company is authorized to transact in this state.
(d) The commissioner may approve a plan for an insurer to make foreign investments and enter into foreign transactions not to exceed an additional fifteen percent (15%) of its admitted assets, if the commissioner determines that the plan contains adequate quality and diversification standards.
(e) Investments and transactions authorized under subsections (a)-(d) shall be subject to the limitations on investments in and transactions with any one (1) issuing business entity, or as to asset-backed securities, secured by or evidencing an interest in a single asset or pool of assets, set forth in §56-3-303(a)(3), (4), (16), (18) and (19) and to the limitations on the aggregate amount of any insurance company's investments and transactions under §56-3-303(a)(3), (4), (10), (14), (15), (16), (18), (20) and (23).
(f) No more than ten percent (10%) of the insurer's admitted assets may be in foreign investments and transactions made under paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section in the aggregate that are denominated in foreign currency that are not hedged pursuant to the provisions of §56-3-303(a)(21). | {
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Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov.
On August 16, 2012, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was notified of two patients at an acute-care hospital in Denver with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), specifically Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), isolated from respiratory specimens during July–August. Bothisolates produced New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM). A review of microbiology records identified a third patient with NDM-producing CRKP isolated from a respiratory specimen, admitted in May. Active surveillance cultures in September identified an additional five patients colonized with NDM-producing CRKP. An investigation was launched by the hospital and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to guide infection control measures and limit transmission.
A case was defined as NDM-producing CRE isolated from clinical or active surveillance cultures collected from a patient while hospitalized during January 1–October 30, 2012. Medical records were reviewed for clinical and epidemiologic characteristics. Relatedness of isolates was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
The eight patients were aged 23–75 years and had been hospitalized at one or more of 11 different units in the hospital for a median of 18 days (range: 12–83 days) before CRKP identification. Three were treated for CRKP infection, and five were found to be asymptomatically colonized; none died. Initial isolates were resistant to all antimicrobials except tigecycline, to which all were susceptible. Colistin minimum inhibitory concentrations for six isolates were low (≤2 µg/mL), suggesting this agent might be a treatment option. All isolates were highly related by PFGE. Epidemiologic tracing to determine temporal overlap of patients on units in the hospital indicated multiple transmission events had occurred, and three units were likely transmission sites. Acquisition of NDM-producing CRE by some patients was not explained by direct overlap and suggested that undetected, asymptomatically colonized patients were involved in some transmission routes. How NDM-producing CRE was introduced to the facility is unclear.
NDM, a carbapenemase enzyme first described in 2009 in a patient who had received medical care in India (1), has since been detected and reported worldwide (2). In the United States, before this outbreak, only 16 isolates in clusters with two or fewer cases had been identified since 2009; 14 isolates were from patients who had received medical care in endemic (South Asian) regions. The cases described here represent the largest U.S. outbreak of NDM-producing CRE to date, highlighting the risk for spread of these organisms among persons receiving medical care inside the United States. Evidence that undetected, asymptomatically colonized patients likely contributed to the size of the outbreak highlights the importance of timely active surveillance cultures when CRE is identified to direct infection control measures and limit further transmission (3).
Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services.
References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
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endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
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This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version.
Users are referred to the electronic PDF version (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr)
and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables.
An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371;
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[email protected]. | {
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Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Game Thread: New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays 6/1
What a way to kick off the month of June. We remembered
Derek Jeter for all his greatness, we called for the job of the Yankees hitting
coach and now we bring you tonight’s game thread for the finale between the New
York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. And people still ask me if baseball and
blogging isn’t boring. Of course it isn’t, there is always something going on
including the pitching matchup for tonight that includes Masahiro Tanaka for
the Yankees and Aaron Sanchez for the Blue Jays. The game will be played at
7:07 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre and can be seen on the YES Network and MLB
TV.
The Yankees travel to Detroit after this game for a big
weekend set with the Tigers but the Yankees return home to the Bronx, HOPE Week
and Old Timers Day are all just around the corner. As the thermometer heats up
so do the Yankees and the events at Yankee Stadium and if you want to see any
of them live click the Yankees Tickets link at the top of the blog to visit our
friends at Ticket Monster. There you can snag a pair of seats without being
weighed down by bulky fees or annoying shipping costs like those other guys.
Until then follow along on twitter and interact with us by giving
@GreedyStripes a follow, we’re always around and we always try to get our
readers and fellow Yankees fans involved in any way that we can.
Tanaka is ready to throw some splitters and Jose Bautista is
ready for his Golden Sombrero so let’s get to it inside the Rogers Centre. Go
Yankees! | {
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The list of iOS apps with Apple Watch support continues to grow this evening. Skype has now rolled out an update that includes support for Apple’s newest device and bumps the app to version 5.12.2. From the Apple Watch, users are now able to reply to messages and start new chats directly on their wrist.
Replying to messages with the Skype app on Apple Watch is a similar process to that of the built-in Messages app. Users can either choose from a predetermined list of responses and emoticons, or use their voice and dictate a message to the Watch. Furthermore, the update adds the ability to start chats directly from Apple Watch by choosing from a list of their contacts.
What’s New in Version 5.12.2
Now with support for your Apple Watch:
Reply to messages on your Apple Watch using voice to text, emoticons or quick prepared responses.
Start chats with your favourite contacts on your Apple Watch so you can do more on the go
General Improvements
Comments
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I would start out by putting the scaling after the rotations. I'm not sure what you mean by "the image is cut", but the way you have things set up, currently you will be scaling the rotations that come after it.
I would do zoom on the projection matrix. If you want a perspective matrix, use glFrustum. If you want a orthogonal matrix, use glOrtho.
In both cases, the idea is the same. To zoom in, lower the values for {left, right, bottom, top} by a certain factor of your choice.
If you do want to proceed with your method, the scale function should be the last operation.
You can think of these operations as starting from bottom to top. Scale happens first, then the rotations.
glLoadIdentity ();
**** glRotatef (rot_x, 1.0,0.0,0.0);
**** glRotatef (rot_y, 0.0,1.0,0.0);
**** glRotatef (rot_z, 0.0,0.0,1.0);
**** glScalef (scale, scale, scale); | {
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titania inglis
Beyond her recent marriage to Giovanni Ribisi, British model Agyness Deyn has been keeping a low profile; but that's about to change thanks to her recent collaboration with Dr. Martens. As her collection ...
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Monthly Archives: July 2013
Of course I rage.
Watched by our secret government
for fifty years, because I needed a clearance
to do my mediocre Physics.
I still feel their presence.
. I forget about the dark suited men, . who ask my neighbors questions about me. . Do I care abut their answers? . I hide my deviance . On the other side of the moon.
Men of secrets huddle together
Nazi’s and communist cells, jihadists,
the fraternity of drone fliers
Men of secrets revere their precious knowledge.. What everyone wishes to know . are the origins of everything f. lowers, animal and us, . these thoughts delight us.
We become a society of the cleared, and us, the uncleared
for I’ve fallen out of it, I’ve no need to know.
. I’d rather watch squirrels run after each other . laughing at their quick tumbling..
Outside the compartments, there are other ways of life,
even the puppet master President doesn’t know
it will run away from him in his classified dreaming.
Are you satisfied with your cubicle?
The bit you need to know to work and go home
watch the TV tell you what else you need to know
as relentless as this poem must be.
We are in Plato’s cave, Democracy is no more.
. Reject the cubicle if you can . cost effective spirit crushing. . I sing the song of our freedom . to talk around the water cooler. . Fuck Plato.
Do you know the meaning of this eclipse
the classifying shadow blotting out our truth?
Know the eclipse as I do, the habits of silence,
extend into you, endangers your soul,
when you can’t talk about where you go
whether ventures into space, or hovering over silent seas.
Or the desolation of motel rooms in secret locations.. We are not made to be hidden . we need to display ourselves . dance mating rituals . do pratfalls, be honest.
Secretes hide the little satraps,
erected from mission statements, obscure and secret.
It’s the scale that astounds, so many layers
entrenched in secret budgets, protecting turf.
The new octopus has its sucking arms everywhere
for our protection or theirs, and no one questions,
Congress is silent, and the few objectors are lied to.
The agency heads lie to us, the President lies,
its all in the code of deniability,
we have no need to know.
Does our security need the ‘war’ on terror,
and the corporations running it;
privatized security shells, black window office buildings
with secret contracts and secure budgets.
Corporations cooperate, give their data, our data freely
it’s in their interest to control their market, us.. Free men and women do not need this entwining . we reject the slavery of gauging everything economically, . we are more than money and safety above all else.
Few know about the scale of this endeavor
buried in Pentagon secret compartments.
We can’t talk about the cost to all of us.
The cost of the CIA, NSA and the hidden agencies.
We have a million people in prison
we have a million people with top secret clearances,
its gutted our schools, ruined the jibs we need,
while we watch TV for sports, spectacles
and other kinds of pleasing news.
They can peer into the ocean depths,
into the crags of city and suburb,
desire to peer into everyone’s soul
gauge our suitability, passivity.,
And manipulate us to make it so. | {
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Full control at any stage of paper creation
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Copyright 2016 BlogLino.com - All Rights Reserved All Content Given In This Site is For Information Purpose Only. We Do not Intend to Treat or Cure Any Disease. | {
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Michelle Rodriguez and Zac Efron Spotted Locking Lips in Sardinia
July 07, 2014 06:42:53 GMT
The 'High School Musical' actor and the 'Resident Evil: Retribution' actress were spotted kissing on Sunday, during their trip to Sardinia.
Michelle Rodriguez and Zac Efron were spotted locking lips on July 6 during their trip to Sardinia. The duo was reported taking a flight together with a private jet to Sardinia, Italy on Thursday. They were accompanied by Italian businessman Gianluca Vacchi.
In some pictures obtained by Fan Girl, the "Neighbors" actor and the "Fast and Furious" actress were locking lips on a yacht and also showed a lot of PDA without hesitation.
Michelle posted a video on Thursday to celebrate the Independence Day of America. The Instagram video showed her swimming while bringing an American flag on her hand. The video was recorded by a man whose voice was said to be Zac's. The "Battle: Los Angeles" actress captioned the video with, "Happy 4th America."
Report of Michelle kissing with Zac spread just a month after the bisexual actress was reported having a relationship with supermodel Cara Delevingne. Back in June, Cara opened up about her reason for having a same-sex relationship during an interview with The Telegraph.
The 21-year-old model said, "I don't meet men now who just want to be my friend. It doesn't really happen that much. They're shallow like that. Most guys are not like, 'Oh we should just be mates.' I think it's harder to be friends with guys because guys just want to have sex with you." When talking about her relationship with Michelle, Cara stated, "I know what people are doing who are my age; I just think it would be a lie to pretend that I'm not having a good time."
There is still no confirmation from Michelle or Zac if they are in a relationship.
Michelle will next be seen in "Fast and Furious 7". In the seventh installment of "The Fast and the Furious" film series, she stars along with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, The Rock and Jason Statham. The movie will be released in the U.S. on April 3, 2015. | {
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Thoughts of You' Candle 150G Ocean Breeze - Heaven In...
A gorgeous ocean breeze scented 150g glass jar candle with 'In Heaven' design from Thoughts Of You. Perfect for remembering someone special or as a lovely gift for a friend this candle will let them know… | {
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July 12, 2006
We're doomed...
Speaking of the World Cup and hyperstition .... according to the Mail yesterday: 'Spain hired an American professor of psychology, Leonard Zaichowsky, who said of the Spanish media: 'Alll they say is, "We're doomed," and "we're cursed!"' Evidently, however, the professor didn't help the Spanish team escape the curse.
In answer to my question, 'is Gattuso the only World Cup winner to have played in the Scottish league?', reader Bruce Bowie came up with the following:
By my reckoning there are three other WC winners who've played in Scotland:
Juninho Paulista - Brazil 2002 (Celtic 2004)
Stephane Guivarc'h - France 1998 (Rangers 1998-1999)
Lionel Charbonnier - France 1998 (Rangers 1998-2001)
And the least said about the WC winnner who managed the Scottish national team the better...
A learned colleague tells me Peter Bonnetti was in the England WC squad in '66 and played for Dundee United in the late '70s. Question is: did he get a medal?
What is unique about Gatusso, however, is that, unlike all of the players listed above, he played in Scotland BEFORE winning the World Cup... | {
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Month: July 2018
Starting with just two minutes a day will help with getting into the meditation habit. Meditation for 30 minutes a day, even broken up in three 10 minutes or two 15 minutes session helps incorporating meditation into your daily life. The practice should not be uncomfortable, but pleasant and enjoyable. Each person should go at their own pace and their own way. Daily meditation is a positive step for anyone on the spiritual path.
Besides the countless benefits of meditation, Andrew Newberg, MD Director of Research, Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has being doing research and suggest that Human beings appear to have spiritual brains; brains that are capable of feeling deeply connected to something greater than themselves and that we can develop intense beliefs about God. His research reveals the fascinating relationship between the universal spiritual urge and the intricate workings of the human brain. He did brain scans of Franciscan Nuns while they were engaged in a type of meditative prayer called centering prayer. The brain scans showed many different changes, including changes in he parts of the brain that are involved in the sense of self, providing evidence that meditative prayer has a measurable effect on the brain.
What science is just now proving, Tibetan Buddhist have known for years. There is an advanced spiritual practice known as the Rainbow Body. It involves the practitioner being able to dissolve their body and mind into light at the time of death and even during their lifetime. It was reported that when a person dies, rainbows suddenly appeared in the sky and after several days their bodies disappeared. Sometimes fingernails and hair were left. Sometimes nothing was left. A rainbow light has been witnessed by thousands of people after death. Attaining ‘rainbow body’ is discussed in Zen texts, as well as Zoroastrian, Christian, Manichean, Muslim, Bonpo, and of course, Vedic texts, among others. Attaining the ‘light body’ is for everyone. There is ample proof it actually does occur and has in ancient times.
Father Francis Tiso, author of Rainbow Body and Resurrection, a gave this presentation at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco providing his evidence that such a thing occurs. Father Tiso also discusses the implications of an IONS-sponsored research project investigating a specific case of the Tibetan Buddhist practices of the “Rainbow Body,” the ostensible dematerialization of the physical body after death.
Some believe these stories reflect upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is central to the Christian faith. Jesus was loving and compassionate, selfless person. When he died, according to the gospels, his body was no longer there. Jesus said in Matthew 6:22 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your vision is poor, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
The eye is the lamp of the body, also known as the third eye, the sixth Chakra. This Chakra, if the vision is clear, receives the Intelligent Energy from God. These energies pour or stream down into the individual’s body, mind and spirit.
Understanding and obtaining a rainbow body is available to everyone. Buddha said “Before you set foot on the path master yourself” “Master yourself’ Simply make a commitment and start by just sitting quietly for a specific period of time in a comfortable place. In the Law of One, Session 15.12 explains how an individual can work on balancing the self and provides the steps of how to balance each Chakra. Scott Mandelker PhD, provides his commentary and reading of session 15.12 on his YouTube video, essential information for balancing the self.
Make meditation a habit and it will change your life. Consider it God’s gift to all of us so we may find our way home. Only you have the key to unlock the door.
Jesus said: If those who lead you say to you: See, the kingdom is in heaven, then the birds of the heaven will go before you; if they say to you: It is in the sea, then the fish will go before you. But the kingdom is within you, and it is outside of you. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will know that you are the sons of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you are in poverty, and you are poverty. Gospel of Thomas verse 3
A Divine law is believed to comedirectlyfromGod. But is it a law as we know it, such as thou shalt not kill, steal, lie or is it more of a physic law. Or perhaps, we simply use the word law because otherwise it is beyond our understanding. Love, as we understanding it, would certainly curtail any negative action against anyone we loved.
Our Spiritual teachers, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha and Lao Tzu and many more provided their wisdom to help answer that question.
Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself.
Buddha said out of the abundance of your heart, cultivate love and compassion for all beings.
Lao Tzu said nothing but good comes to him who loves others as he loves himself.
Krishna said those find the “Way” are those who have love and forgiveness in their hearts.
The 18th century mystic and spiritual explorer Emanuel Swedenborg said, “man knows that there is such a thing as love, but he does not know what love is. He knows that there is such a thing as love from common speech, as when it is said, he loves me, a king loves his subjects, and subjects love their king, a husband loves his wife, a mother her children, and conversely; also, this or that one loves his country, his fellow citizens, his neighbor; and likewise of things abstracted from person, as when it is said, one loves this or that thing Although the word love is so universally used, hardly anybody knows what love is.”
Love is the most powerful emotion we can experience, a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps that is why love is considered the one “Divine Law”, the emotion that conquers all emotions.
We all have difficulties in expressing universal love or compassion. According to the Law of One, we are here to evolve spiritually through healing and balancing by learning the ways of love with wisdom. It is about healing, by knowing yourself, accepting yourselves and other selves and knowing we are all part of the Creator.
Scott Mandelker PhD, combines eclectic Western psychology with intensive study of Eastern religions, and followed upon years of formal training in US and Asian Buddhist temples said the Law of One material is “One of the most important spiritual documents since Jesus”. You will find his understanding and reading of session 5 on YouTube.
We all have our own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., about love that should be shared with the world in your own way. May the force be with you.
Matisyahu a musician, known for his spiritual lyrics and one famous hit is the song “One Day,” a song of hope for the future of the world. Matisyahu said, “It is an anthem of hope with a big beat, the kind of song that makes you bob your head and open your heart at the same time.”
Koolulam an Israeli “social-musical initiative, aimed at bringing together people from all corners of the diverse, multicultural Israeli society, chose this unique performance. On February 14, 2018, Koolulam brought together a group of 3,000 strangers to sing a beautiful rendition of Matisyahu’s “One Day,” a message of peace and coexistence, in three languages.
In this video, you see people from all walks of life – Jewish, Muslim, Christian, some religious, some secular. It is evident that the participants are moved by this experience. It is truly inspirational and emotional. I hope you enjoy.
One Day Lyrics
See everybody that´s existing
Got a mind of their own
We´re all Kings and Queens
With a throne of our own
Tryin to raise a family
Is an empty home
We got to learn to stick together
Hate to be here alone
‘Cause the world is a place
That will eat you alive in one day
Said the world is a place
That you can´t survive without faith
Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it´ll all turn around
Because
All my life I´ve been waiting for
I´ve been praying for
For the people to say
That we don´t wanna fight no more
They´ll be no more wars
And our children will play
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day (one day), One day (one day)
It´s not about
Win or lose
We all lose
When they feed on the souls of the innocent
Blood drenched pavement
Keep on moving though the waters stay raging
In this maze you can lose your way (your way)
It might drive you crazy
But don’t let it faze you no way (no way)
Gotta hold on
Livin life day by day
Gotta hold on
Put your focus on that one day
All my life I´ve been waiting for
I´ve been praying for
For the people to say
That we don´t wanna fight no more
They´ll be no more wars
And our children will play
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day this all will change
Treat people the same
Stop with the violence
Down with the hate
One day we´ll all be free
And proud to be
Under the same sun
Singing songs of freedom like
Gotta hold on
Livin life day by day
Gotta hold on
Put your focus on that one day
All my life I´ve been waiting for
I´ve been praying for
For the people to say
That we don´t wanna fight no more
They´ll be no more wars
And our children will play
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day (one day), One day (one day)
One day (one day), One day (one day)
As children of the Creator, we demand all negativity and chords be removed from our planet. We ask that our world be filled with abundant love, light and happiness. May our love flow like water, blessing all those that come within. May we remove old patterns that no longer serve us and all those that enter the light may truly see and receive blessings that are abundant for all. May all negative energies that are trying to bring us down be removed, and each thought, emotion and action allow the love and light to flow. May we ask the angels to guard and protect us, and to heal our bodies, mind and spirits, to feel the love and light, happiness and gratitude it deserves. | {
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Hotovely Protests Obama’s ‘Scandalous’ Pressure on Israel
Deputy Minister: American officials are weak in the face of Russia, so they pressure Israel.
By Maayana Miskin
First Publish: 3/5/2014, 1:45 AM
MK Tzipi Hotovely
Nissim Lev
United States President Barack Obama’s pressure on Israel to make concessions to the Palestinian Authority “borders on outrageous,” Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) said Tuesday, speaking to Arutz Sheva.
“There’s no cause for calm in light of Obama’s serious statements,” she cautioned.
American leaders are making the mistake of pressuring Israel in response to their weakness in the face of Syria and Russia, she charged. She warned against caving in to U.S. pressure, saying, “The more Israel gives in, the more concessions the Palestinians want.”
“There’s an intolerable situation here where the United States is forcing Israel into an agreement that going against the interests of the Israeli public,” she declared, adding, “With all due respect, the international community won’t be at our side when a Hamas state is established on Israel’s eastern border.”
“We need to show political strength,” she urged. Israel’s coalition government is unwilling to accept the deal that American and Palestinian Authority leaders are proposing, she said, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should be made to see that.
“The atmosphere that greets the Prime Minister is important. He should realize that even if there are big plans being made overseas, the Coalition won’t allow him to make that kind of agreement,” she explained.
“If necessary, there should be threats to quit [the government],” she said. If necessary, the political right should be willing to break apart the coalition and go to elections, she continued, allowing voters to decide if they want to vote for the Right again.
“We need to stand up for the sacred principle of not supporting a right-wing government that becomes the arm of problematic American policy,” she explained. | {
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Carbon Nanotubes for adsorption of Organic contaminants
Carbon Nanotubes for Adsorption
of Organic Contaminants
By Dr. Shamsa Kanwal
CNTs
• Since the first discovery in 1991 (Iijima, 1991), CNTs
have attracted enormous research attention in various
scientific communities.
• Cylindrical nanostructure or Nanotubes have been
constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to
132,000,000:1, significantly larger than for any other
material.
• Nanotubes are categorized as single-walled nanotubes
(SWNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs).
Individual nanotubes naturally align themselves into
"ropes" held together by van der Waals forces, more
specifically, pi-stacking.
CNTs as adsorbents for removal of
organic and inorganic pollutants
• Adsorption is a simple and efficient method for the removal of
organic and inorganic compounds in drinking water treatment.
Among the various adsorbents, such as activated carbons
(ACs), zeolites, and resins, ACs are one of the most widely used
type of adsorbents in water treatment, because of their several
merits: broad-spectrum removal capability toward pollutants,
chemical inertness, and thermal stability.
• However, the application of ACs in water treatment also suffers
from several bottlenecks, such as slow adsorption kinetics and
difficulty for regeneration.
Continued….
• To overcome the above problems, activated carbon fibers
(ACFs) were developed as the second generation of
carbonaceous adsorbents.
• The pores in ACFs are directly opening on the surface of
carbon matrix, which shortens the diffusion distance of
pollutants to adsorption sites. As a result, ACFs usually
possess higher adsorption kinetics than ACs.
• CNTs, with one dimensional structure, like miniaturized
ACFs. All adsorption sites locate on the inner and outer
layer surface of CNTs. With the hollow and layered
structures and tunable surface chemistry, theoretically,
CNTs may be a promising third generation of carbonaceous
adsorbents.
Adsorption of Aromatic Compounds
on CNTs
• In most cases, several driving forces act simultaneously,
including hydrophobic effect, π-π interaction, π-π
electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) interaction,
electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bonding.
Because of the hydrophobic nature of their outer
surfaces, CNTs have a strong affinity to organic
chemicals, especially to nonpolar organic compounds,
such as naphthalene , phenanthrene, and pyrene.
• Abundant π electrons on CNT surfaces enable a strong
π-π coupling of aromatic pollutants with the CNT
surface.
Continued…
• A common observation from these studies was that carbon
nanotubes are very strong adsorbents for hydrophobic
organic compounds. This is understandable considering the
strong hydrophobicity and high surface area of carbon
nanotubes. Additionally, an important implication from
several of the studies is that electronic polarizability of the
aromatic rings on the surface of carbon nanotubes might
considerably enhance adsorption of the organic
compounds to carbon nanotubes .
• For example, Long and Yang* found that, in the lowconcentration regime, the amount of dioxin adsorbed to
carbon nanotubes was much higher than that adsorbed to
activated carbon; they attributed it to the strong
interaction between the two benzene rings of dioxin and
the surface of the carbon nanotubes.
*Long, R. Q.; Yang, R. T. Carbon nanotubes as superior sorbent for dioxin removal. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
2001, 123, 2058–2059.
• The morphology of CNTs including nanoscale curvature and
chirality of graphene layers is expected to have a great
influence on the adsorption of organic pollutants, especially
for those with π-π stacking as the interaction force.
• Gotovac and coworkers observed remarkable difference
between the adsorption capacities of tetracene and
phenanthrene on the tube surface of CNTs because of the
nanoscale curvature effect. The morphology difference of
CNTs may also result in a difference in their aggregation
tendency, which may further impact their adsorption
ability. CNTs are prone to aggregation due to the strong van
der Waals forces along the length axis. The aggregation
tendency reduces with increased number of walls, or in
other words, reduced nanocurvature. Generally, the
aggregation of CNTs follows such an order: single-walled
CNTs (SWCNTs) > double-walled CNTs (DWCNTs) > multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs)
*Gotovac S, Honda H, Hattori Y, Takahashi K, Kanoh H and Kaneko K, 2007a. Effect of nanoscale curvature of singlewalled carbon nanotubes on adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Nano Lett., 7(3): 583-587.
Figure 1. SWCNTs usually exist as bundles or ropes while
MWCNTs are randomly entangled as individual tubes. As a
consequence of aggregation, the available outer surface
was reduced while new adsorption sites appeared as
interstitial channels and grooves between the tubes in
CNT boundles.
Surface Chemistry Effects
• Surface chemistry is another important factor influencing the CNTs
adsorption behavior. Functional groups such as -OH, -C=O and -COOH
could be intentionally introduced onto CNT surfaces by acid oxidation or
air oxidation. Those functional groups make CNTs more hydrophilic and
suitable for the adsorption of relatively low molecular weight and polar
contaminants, such as phenol and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. Figure 2 is an
overview of the surface modification and effects of functional groups
on the adsorption properties of CNTs.
• The adsorption of heavy metals on CNTs depends mainly on the specific
complexation between metal ions and the hydrophilic functional groups
of CNTs (Rao et al., 2007). Therefore, without doubt, surface
functionalization of CNTs is favorable for the uptake of metal ions.
• Cho et al. (2010) reported that surface oxidation of CNTs enhanced the
adsorption of zinc and cadmium ions from aqueous solutions. T hey
found that the carboxyl-carbon sites of CNTs were over 20 times more
energetic for Zn(II) uptake than the unoxidized carbon sites.
*Rao G P, Lu C and Su F, 2007. Sorption of divalent metal ions from aqueous solution by carbon nanotubes: A review. Separation
and Purification Technology, 58(1): 224-231.
*Cho H H, Wepasnick K, Smith B A, Bangash F K, Fairbrother D H and Ball W P, 2010. Sorption of aqueous Zn[II] and Cd[II] by
multiwall carbon nanotubes: The relative roles of oxygen-containing functional groups and graphenic carbon. Langmuir, 26(2): 967981.
Fig. 2 Adsorption properties of CNTs as affected by the functional groups (Pan
and Xing, 2008).
• Another direct consequence of surface modification of CNTs with
hydrophilic groups is the improvement of CNT dispersion in aqueous
media.
• Rosenzweig et al. reported that the alcohol (OH) and acid (COOH)
moieties on CNTs can determine the aggregation state and accessible
sites for copper adsorption. The surface functionalized CNTs had higher
adsorption capacity for copper than pristine CNTs.
• It is worth noting that increasing the oxygen-containing functional
groups is a double-edged sword. It may have an adverse effect on the
adsorption of highly nonpolar chemicals like naphthalene (Cho et al.,
2008).
• Wu et al. (2012) systematically investigated the influence of surface
oxidation of MWCNT on the adsorption capacity and affinity of organic
compounds in water, and found that surface oxidation of MWCNTs
decreased the surface-area-normalized adsorption capacity of organic
compounds significantly because of the competition of water
molecules; meanwhile, the adsorption affinity of organic chemicals
were not altered because of the adsorption interactions (hydrophobic
effect, π-π interaction and hydrogen bond) remained constant.
*Rosenzweig S, Sorial G A, Sahle-Demessie E and Mack J, 2013. Effect of acid and alcohol network forces within functionalized multiwall
carbon nanotubes bundles on adsorption of copper (II) species. Chemosphere, 90(2): 395-402.
*Cho H H, Smith B A, Wnuk J D, Fairbrother D H and Ball W P, 2008. Influence of surface oxides on the adsorption of naphthalene onto
multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Environmental Science and Technology, 42(8): 2899-2905.
*Wu W H, Chen W, Lin D H and Yang K, 2012. Influence of surface oxidation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the adsorption affinity and
capacity of polar and nonpolar organic compounds in aqueous phase. Environmental Science and Technology, 46(10): 5446-5454.
In terms of adsorption kinetics…
the ordered pore structure of CNTs makes it easier for the diffusion of
pollutants to adsorption sites (Lu et al., 2005). This can be well
reflected through the comparison with ACs. ACs is usually rich in
micropores, which are sometimes not available for the access of
relatively large organic molecules.
Ji et al. (2009) investigated the adsorption of tetracycline to CNTs,
graphite and AC and found that the adsorption affinity of
tetracycline decreased in the order of graphite/SWNT > MWNT >>
AC upon normalization for adsorbent surface area. The weaker
adsorption of tetracycline to AC indicated that adsorption affinity
was greatly influenced by the accessibility of available adsorption
sites. The remarkably strong adsorption of tetracycline to CNTs can
be attributed to the strong adsorptive interactions (van der Waals
forces, π-π EDA interactions, cation-π bonding) with the graphene
surface of CNTs.
*Lu C S, Chung Y L and Chang K F, 2005. Adsorption of trihalomethanes from water with carbon nanotubes. Water Research, 39(6): 11831189.
*Ji L L, Chen W, Duan L and Zhu D Q, 2009. Mechanisms for strong adsorption of tetracycline to carbon nanotubes: A comparative study
using activated carbon and graphite as adsorbents. Environmental Science and Technology, 43(7): 2322-2327.
• Adsorption selectivity or resistance to harsh environment is an
important evaluation criterion for an adsorbent. A number of studies
have examined the importance of aqueous chemistry conditions on
the adsorption of SOCs by CNTs.
• Effects of solution pH and ionic strength on SOC adsorption by CNTs
are somewhat SOC-specific, the extent of which depends on the
ionizability and electron-donor-acceptor ability of the involved SOCs.
• The removal of Ni2+ and Zn2+ increased with solution pH in the range
of 1-8, reached maximum in the range of 8-11, and decreased as pH
over 12. The maximum adsorption in the pH range of 8-11 could be
attributed to the negatively charged surface functional groups of
CNTs and the formation of hydrated ion species such as M (OH)+1 and
M (OH)20.
• At a pH higher than 12, the predominant metal species was M(OH)31, and the heavy metal removal decreased due to the competition
between OH-1 and M(OH)3-1 and the repulsive force between the
negatively charged CNT surface and M(OH)3-1.
Adsorption of ionizable organic
compounds (IOCs)
• Many pesticides, antibiotics, and endocrine-disrupting
chemicals are ionizable in the environmentally relevant
pH range. Therefore, it is essential to fully understand
the forces that drive adsorption of ionizable organic
compounds (IOCs) from water to carbonaceous
substances including carbon nanotubes (CNTs),
activated carbon (AC), and natural and synthetic chars.
• These forces are important in the context of
environmental fate of IOCs, use of carbonaceous
materials as adsorbents in sensing and remediation of
IOCs, synthesis and use of derivatized CNTs in materials
and technological applications, and interactions of
carbonaceous substances released to the environment
with natural organic matter.
SNTs as sorbents
• With the number of aforementioned advantages: stronger chemical-nanotube
interactions, tailored surface chemistry, rapid equilibrium rates, and high
sorption capacity, CNTs were considered as superior sorbents for a wide range
of organic chemicals and inorganic contaminants than the conventional ACs.
However, for practical application in water treatment, the small particle size of
CNTs will cause excessive pressure drops and the recovery of spent CNTs is a
true challenge. The macroscopic manipulation of CNT monolithic blocks via
appropriate methods provide breakthrough for this bottleneck.
• Gui et al. (2010) made a monolithic CNT sponge by chemical vapor deposition
using ferrocene as precursor. The as-made CNT sponge had a randomly
intertwined three-dimensional structure and displayed high porosity and very
low density. The CNT sponge can float on oil-contaminated water and remove
oil with a large adsorption capacity (80 to 180 times their own weight for a
wide range of solvents and oils).
• The sponge had a tendency to move to the oil film area due to its high
hydrophobicity, leading to the unique “floating-and-cleaning” capability that is
very useful for spill cleanup.
*Gui X C, Wei J Q, Wang K L, Cao A Y, Zhu H W, Jia Y, Shu Q K and Wu D H, 2010. Carbon nanotube sponges. Advanced Materials, 22(5): 617-62
Application of CNT sponge in the cleanup of oil on water and densification of
cubic-shaped sponges into small pellets and full recovery to original structure
upon ethanol absorption (Gui et al., 2010)
CNTs as Scaffolds
• In addition to serving as direct adsorbents, CNTs can also be utilized as
excellent scaffold for macromolecules or metal oxides with intrinsic
adsorption ability. The tunable surface chemistry and controllable pore size
make CNTs good support for composite adsorbents.
• Examples of CNTs as scaffolds for pollutant removal include CNT decoration
with iron oxide for europium adsorption, chitosan for methyl orange
adsorption, (polyaniline for malachite green adsorption and ceria
nanoparticles for chromium adsorption.
• Maggini et al. (2013) synthesized a supermolecular adsorbent by coating
magnetic CNT with poly(vinylpyridine), which exhibited excellent removal
capacity of divalent metals from water, and the exhausted material can be
separated using magnetic field and regenerated by acid treatment. The
unique electrical properties of CNTs could be utilized for enhanced
adsorption with electrochemical assist.
• The mechanical flexibility and robustness, thermal stability and resistance to
harsh environment endow CNTs with excellent application potential in water
treatment. CNTs have the potential to serve as superior adsorbents for
removal of both organic and inorganic contaminants from water systems.
Nevertheless, there are several aspects that need to be evaluated prudently
before the real application in water treatment facilities, including cost,
reusability and the possibility of leakage into the environment.
• --------------------------------------*Maggini L, Raquez J M, Marega R, Ahrens J J, Pineux F, Meyer F, Dubois P and Bonifazi D, 2013. Magnetic poly(vinylpyridine)-coated
carbon nanotubes: An efficient supramolecular tool for wastewater purification. Chemsuschem, 6(2): 367-373.
Book Recommended
• Advances in Nanotechnology and the Environment by Juyoung Kim | {
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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 25, "Hastings, George (1488?-1545)" by William Arthur Jobson Archbold.
HASTINGS, GEORGE, first Earl of Huntingdon and third Baron Hastings of Hastings (1488?-1545), son of Edward, second baron Hastings (1466-1507), by Mary, granddaughter of Thomas, third baron Hungerford, was born about 1488. William Hastings, lord Hastings [q. v.], who was executed in 1483, was his grandfather. He was made a knight of the Bath on 17 Nov. 1501, and succeeded his father as third baron Hastings on 8 Nov. 1508, being summoned to parliament in the following year. He was constantly at court, and took part in all the great ceremonies of state. The king appears to have frequently advanced him money. When an entry was made into France in 1513, Hastings was a member of the vanguard retinue; he was present at the Field of the Cloth of Gold; he also was in attendance when Charles V visited England in 1522; and his name appears as a witness to the treaty of Windsor of that year. He joined Suffolk's expedition into France in 1523.
Throughout his life he seems to have been a favourite of the king, although early in the reign he had to appear before the Star-chamber for keeping too many liveried retainers. The king's favour procured him many profitable appointments; he was steward of various manors and monasteries, and a captain of archers in the royal service. In 1529 he was created earl of Huntingdon with an annuity allowed him of 20l. a year; he had long been a privy councillor; and his name was attached to the petition from the English nobles and lawyers to Clement VII praying that the divorce might be quickly settled. An account of Hastings's revenue from land has been preserved for 1532, and it appears to have been just under a thousand pounds. In 1533 he secured a long lease of land from Waltham Abbey, so that he must have been wealthy, in spite of his continual indebtedness to the king. He was present at the coronation of Anne Boleyn; at her trial; and at the trials of Lord Dacre and Sir Thomas More. Hastings was one of the leaders of the king's forces against the rebels in the Pilgrimage of Grace, and gave early information as to the outbreak. He was then living at Ashby-de-la-Zouch. He died at his seat at Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire, and was buried in the chancel of the church there. He had married, about December 1509 (Letters and Papers of Hen. VIII, ii. 1444), Anne, daughter of Henry Stafford, second duke of Buckingham, widow of Sir Walter Herbert, knight, and by her had five sons; the eldest son, Francis, second earl, and the third son, Edward (d. 1573), are separately noticed. A daughter, Dorothy, married in 1536 Richard Devereux, son of Lord Ferrers. | {
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DEERFIELD VALLEY- Dover, Wilmington, and Whitingham are the only towns in The Deerfield Valley News’ coverage area featuring contested seats on their respective selectboards. In Dover, former selectboard member William “Buzzy” Buswell is challenging Randall Terk for his two-year term, while in Wilmington, Tom Manton will appear on the ballot for an open two-year seat, with Tom Fitzgerald running a write-in campaign. In Whitingham, Dwight Williams is challenging Keith Bronson for his three-year seat.
For our last week of pre-Town Meeting Day coverage, we asked the candidates in each race to respond to three questions:
1.Why are you running for selectboard?
2. What is the most important issue facing the town and how should the selectboard address it?
3. What do you hope to achieve as a selectboard member?
We began in Dover with incumbent selectboard member Randall Terk, who has been on the selectboard for four years. “I want to continue to work with a board that has made significant accomplishments during my four-year tenure, primarily in the area of economic development,” said Terk. “We funded Internet access to East Dover, supported fiber optics to the school, built a beautiful park in West Dover, and supported various events with grants from economic development funds.”
Terk said that the most important issue facing the town was taxes. “The most important issue is the tax burden placed upon our residents and property owners and the way the state proposes to increase that burden without accountability. The selectboard must continue to work closely with our school board to protect our town’s excellent education offerings and to bring accountability to state education fund spending.”
“I want to continue to foster the board to maintain its civil, collaborative working relationship with other town’s boards and committees,” said Terk. “Also, I want the town to continue to enhance infrastructure with economic development funds. The Route 100 and Dover Town Hall beautification project, enhanced hiking trail system, the Valley Trail and other recreational opportunities, and leveraging fiber-optic upgrades to allow for diversification of our economy are just a few. When someone visits our town I want them to see Dover as a place where they can live, work, and raise their family. I want our kids to be able to stay and live here because we have developed an environment where a non-tourist-based business can operate and flourish, and provide employment opportunities for them.”
William “Buzzy” Buswell has served on the selectboard before and would like to return to it.
“I’m running for the Dover Selectboard to give it balance and equal representation of the voters of Dover. To give everyone the opportunity to have an open-minded board member willing to listen to them before making a decision on any particular matter. I will be someone who thinks outside of the box and will vote without a secret and private agenda, and do what I think is best for the betterment of the town of Dover.
“The biggest problem facing our town is the high statewide property tax,” said Buswell. “Between Act 60 and Act 68 our statewide education tax is killing us and destroying our local tax base. We as a township cannot survive without local taxation, but with local and statewide taxation more and more people don’t have the money and don’t want to move here to Dover or can they survive to live here in Dover. To save our way of life and infrastructure we need to lower our taxes and we need to start lowering them today.
“How long and how much money do we spend to continue to work with our lobbyist group on trying to change the minds of Montpelier? We have spent over $200,000 in the past three years to do so,” said Buswell. “Now is the time to take legal action against the state of Vermont. Fourteen years ago the Vermont State Supreme Court threw out the lawsuits against Act 60, not based on its merits but because the impact of Act 60 could not be measured as of yet since the full impact of Act 60 had not taken place as of yet. We have played long enough with a lobbyist group, now it’s time to play with a legal group and see what our legal options are against the state of Vermont statewide education tax.”
If elected Buswell would like to achieve lower statewide taxes and a better way of life for all residents of the town of Dover.
In Wilmington, Tom Manton, a former member of the school board, is running for the open two-year seat. We were not able to reach Manton with our questions by time of publication.
Tom Fitzgerald is running for the two-year seat in Wilmington with a write-in campaign. “I’m running because I want the town to move forward in a positive economic direction and see jobs come to town,” said Fitzgerald. “We have to get the town back on its feet first, because you can’t walk forward if you don’t have your feet. I’m currently on the economic development committee of Wilmington Works, and there are a lot of people involved in this town in a positive way right now, and I want to bring that positiveness to the selectboard. I want to maintain some diversity on the board, because you can’t have one mind set and go with it. You want everyone to work with an open mind. After living here for almost 40 years you have some kind of ownership in this community, and I don’t want to see it go the wrong way.
“The economic stability of the community is the most important issue facing the town,” said Fitzgerald. “The selectboard needs to support the efforts of the groups and committees that are taking the horse by the reins and trying to bring business to the town.”
As for what Fitzgerald said he would like to achieve: “I’d like to see an increase in the grand list, which will result in a reduction of taxes, and stay on task with bringing jobs to this community.”
In Whitingham, two candidates are runing for a three-year selectboard seat.
Challenger Dwight Williams said “I think one of the greatest freedoms we possess is the opportunity to serve in a local citizen government. Change is not always necessary, but it’s important that government figures refresh and renew from time to time. Voters need choices, and citizen boards benefit when members represent diverse backgrounds. Anyone that has the ability to serve their community should take a turn.”
In response to question two, Williams answered “Whitingham has enormous challenges ahead. Perhaps the greatest being how to improve our economic viability while preserving our heritage and culture. We also have a major change to infrastructure presented by the new Twin Valley Middle/High School project. I’d like to see the selectboard and school board collaborate more effectively to the benefit of all.”
Willams added “I’m running for a three year seat because in the short term, I don’t expect to achieve anything of significance until I have a thorough understanding of the policies in place, and the reasoning behind prior decisions. In the long term, I hope to improve communication to the public, encourage public participation in selectboard processes, offer 17 years of experience in business finance, negotiation, and continue a long-standing family tradition of community service.
Keith Bronson is the incumbent selectboard member. “We have a fiscally conservative board that works for the benefit of the town of Whitingham. No one on the board has a personal agenda. I enjoy working with them. In response to question two, Bronsson said, “The pending litigation with TransCanada over their appraised value, they being the largest taxpayer in town. Seeing how this reappraisal was conducted by the state of Vermont, we feel the state should be paying all court fees. In cooperation with other towns along the Connecticut and Deerfield rivers, we are monitoring legislation to address such funding.”
Bronson added “My hope as a select board member is for continued financial stability. If all items pass at Town Meeting on Tuesday, the Whitingham municipal tax rate will be 58 cents. The tax rate in 2003 was 58 cents. The continued reliance on the statewide property tax as the state of Vermont’s main source of income will always be a hurdle facing all towns. Until the landscape changes in Montpelier and Act 60/68 are deleted, we must endeavor to persevere.” | {
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I want to share the surname Van Patten. This is my husband’s surname. Simply, this Dutch name means “from Putten.” Whether your surname is Van Patten, Van Putten, Van Petten, Van Putte, Van Patter, or any other variation, you are most likely part of the same family. | {
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Shopping Tote Bag
Introduction: Shopping Tote Bag
Everyone needs a shopping bag. Here's a useful tote with an internal pocket and a one-piece waterproof base so you can put it down on the ground without getting a soggy bottom. Made from a pretty furnishing fabric with webbing handles and a lining, it's attractive yet strong enough to carry a few bottles of beer or several pounds of potatoes.
The finished bag measures 14½” wide, 14½” high and 4” deep. I sized it to suit the fabric I had available (a Liberty linen union furnishing fabric), but you can adjust the dimensions if you wish.
Shrink all the fabric and the webbing before you cut anything, unless you're sure you're never going to wash your finished bag. Just toss everything in the washing machine on a cool cycle and iron it once it is almost dry.
All seam allowances are ½” unless otherwise stated. If your sewing machine has a triple stitch setting, use it; otherwise sew over all seams again for strength, with the second line of stitching running alongside the first.
Method of construction
The canvas base and the lining are single pieces of fabric, meaning that they have side seams but no seam along the bottom. The webbing handles run down the outside of the bag as far as the canvas base and are attached to it, for strength. An internal pocket is positioned between the webbing on one side of the bag, but can be omitted if time is short. Optionally, the pocket can be held closed with a magnetic fastener, and another 2 fasteners can be applied to the top edge of the bag. The bag is given width by "bagging out" the base (see Step 2). As it is fully lined, there are no raw edges visible.
Step 1: Handles
Cut the webbing into two 33” lengths for the handles. Position each handle on the right side of an outer bag piece, as shown, with the ends of the webbing level with the lower edge of the fabric. There needs to be a gap of 4½” between the inner edges of the webbing, ie each is placed 2¼" from the centre line of the fabric. Machine-tack it in place with a large stitch, stopping the stitching 2” below the top edge. Repeat with the other half of the bag.
Step 2: Assembling the Outer Bag
Sew one long edge of the canvas base to the lower edge of one of the outer bag pieces, right sides together, trapping the webbing in the seam.
Press the seam allowances downwards (towards the canvas base) and topstitch on the right side about ¼” from the seam to hold the allowances in place.
Do the same with the second outer bag piece, attaching it to the other long edge of the base. (Take care to get the pattern running in the right direction, if applicable).
With right sides in, bring the top edges together and pin the side seams. Sew them and press them open. At the same time, iron the fold in the canvas to mark the bottom of the bag.
“Bag out” each bottom corner by lining up the lower side seams (one at a time) with the crease in the canvas, forming a triangular shape. Mark and then stitch a 4” long seam across each corner, perpendicular to the seam/crease. Trim away the triangles of excess fabric and press the raw edges towards the base.
Step 3: Making the Lining and Internal Pocket
Press under ½” along both sides of the pocket (the long edges). On the right side, zigzag stitch from one top edge down the first side, oversewing the turned-under raw edge as you go, then along the bottom to neaten that (non turned-under) raw edge, and back up the other side.
Press under ½” along the top edge of the pocket and turn under another ¾” to form a hem. Stitch on the right side to hold the hem in place.
Position the pocket on the centre line of one half of the lining, right sides together, with the lower edge of the pocket towards the top edge of the lining and 9” below it. Sew this lower edge in place, stitching ½” from the neatened edge. Then fold the pocket up into position along the seam, press it and pin it to the lining along the sides and the top. Topstitch it in place close to the edge, starting at the top of one side and stitching down, across the bottom and up the other side. (Leave the pocket opening free, obviously.)
Fold the lining in half, right sides in and with the top edges together. Sew the side seams and press them open. Take a seam allowance that is slightly larger than ½” so that the lining is a little smaller than the outer bag and fits neatly inside it. The easiest way to do that with a swing needle sewing machine is to move the needle position over to the left. “Bag out” the bottom of the lining as for the outer bag in Step 2.
You might want to hold the pocket closed with a magnetic catch or a large press stud (popper / snap fastener). Now is the time to fit the half that is in the lining, centrally under the top edge of the pocket, while you still have access to the wrong side of the lining. You can reinforce the back of the lining first if you wish, using a small piece of iron-on interfacing. The other part of the fastener can be fitted to the opening edge of the pocket later (see Step 4) to avoid unnecessary bulk while there is still stitching to be done.
Step 4: Inserting the Lining
Turn the outer bag inside out and place the lining into it, right sides out (ie right sides together). Make sure the handles have flopped downwards and are out of the way of the raw edges at the top. The lining should be slightly shorter (about ⅛") than the bag as well as slightly narrower. With the top edges of the lining and the outer bag even and the side seams lined up, sew the top edge of the bag taking the usual ½” allowance. Leave a 3” gap for turning and be careful not to catch the handles in the stitching. Trim the lining seam allowance to avoid bulk and press the seam, then turn the bag right sides out through the gap. Push the lining into place, inside the bag. Position the seam you have just sewn so that it is just on the inside of the bag (that's why the lining is a little short) and press it again.
If you want to fit catches on either side of the top edge of the bag to keep it closed, do that now. Mark their position on the lining on each side of the bag, just below the top edge and in line with the handles, then attach them. As for Step 3, it’s not too late to reinforce the back of the lining first with iron-on interfacing at each spot, if you feel it is necessary, while you still have access through the turning gap.
Edge-stitch along the top edge to close the turning gap. Topstitch again ¼” down (or lower if necessary to avoid catches.) Again, be careful not to trap the handles in the stitching.
Step 5: Handles and Finishing
Finally, stitch the handles in place close to the edges of the webbing through both the lining and the bag outer. The stitching along the inside edges of the handle on one side of the bag should also catch in the sides of the pocket. Pin or tack through all layers first, to make sure they stay in the right place when you sew.
Mark an X at the top of each handle using tailor’s chalk or a disappearing ink pen. Using the photo above as a guide, make each X start just below the top edge of the bag and end about 1” below, with its four corners positioned on the stitching line rather than the edge of the webbing.
You will sew in one continuous seam, pivoting at the end of each line of stitching by raising the presser foot with the needle in the fabric and rotating the work. Start by securing the top edge of each handle by sewing from one upper corner of the X to the other, then sew all the way down one side until you reach the canvas, sew adjacent to the seam (or “stitch in the ditch” if you like), sew up the second side back to the starting point, sew diagonally across the webbing to the opposite corner of the X, sew horizontally across to the other side of the webbing, and finally sew the second diagonal. Remove the tacking that was holding the handles in place.
If you have already fitted one half of a magnetic catch or press stud for the pocket in Step 3, fit the other part to the opening edge of the pocket.
Give your new bag a good press (preferably with a steam iron) and carry it with pride. | {
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Screening Guidelines
The Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DGMQ/CDC) has issued comprehensive guidelines on health screening for refugees in the U.S. The guidance is detailed and represents the first codification of what should be the basis for “refugee health.” At the same time, by drawing on existing, evidence-based federal recommendations for the general public, they may lack the nuance that is necessary for developing a specific clinical public health screening program and primary care for refugees. These refugee-centered services must also reflect the health needs and the cultural, linguistic, and experiential backgrounds of refugees. Nonetheless, for any state, the CDC guidelines serve as a basis for developing clinical content of a screening program.
States may be challenged by their own public health infrastructure constraints. Systems for health screening need to reflect the state’s clinical capabilities. States with more centralized public health systems may have better success in defining content and completion of public health screenings, while less centralized states may instead need to focus on transitioning refugees into primary care with reliance on dispersed primary care physicians completing aspects of public health screening. In either case, public health screening must be a practical endeavor that reflects not only the core content described by the CDC but also the realities of public health infrastructure.
Public health screening for refugees should be prioritized to focus on core issues that are highly prevalent among most refugees, have simple and cost-effective tests and treatments available, and be reasonably important enough both to the public and the patient to warrant screening. Other issues, particularly the increasingly prevalent chronic diseases, may best be left for the refugee’s primary care physician to investigate. When the screening is being done in primary care settings that are not part of a government-funded screening program, clinical decision-making is likely to depend more on other factors such as the individual concerns and medical history of the refugee patient. In such settings as well, though, the care should still be grounded in the key content outlined by the CDC guidelines.
This clinical webinar describes approaches for assessment of common infectious disease issues for refugees, and identifies resources for information about diagnosis and management of parasitic infections in refugees.
This webinar reviews public health models for refugee health screening, and then examines clinical guidelines for pre-departure presumptive treatment and domestic medical screening.
Webinar: HIV and Refugee Resettlement
This webinar reviews the removal of the HIV Entry Ban, and aims to respond to questions from resettlement agencies and state and local health officials on providing HIV information, testing and treatment for refugees. | {
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Fracking has become a focus in Broomfield after community groups have formed in protest of future oil and gas drilling plans in North Park.
Broomfield's Planning and Zoning commissioners on Monday approved plans for four new natural gas wells on a 16.7 acre property south of West 160th Avenue and west of Sheridan Parkway, named the Brozovich site. This site already has one existing well.
City Council is tentatively scheduled to approve the plans at its April 23 meeting. During that meeting, council also could approve plans for 17 other wells at two additional locations in North Park.
North Park, owned and developed by McWhinney, is comprised of 935 acres west of Interstate 25 between Colo. 7 and Northwest Parkway. Broomfield and McWhinney hope North Park will become the city's next major job-creation center. Plans include as many as 17.2 million square feet of mixed-use commercial development, a large-scale science and research park and more than 6,000 residential units.
The new round of drilling plans has sparked some community members to protest. One community group, Don't Frack Broomfield, said it plans to bring about 10 people to tonight's council meeting to speak against the future drilling plans.
The group has started a change.org petition and organizes itself via its Facebook page.
"We do not want this in our community and we are organizing against this," said Laura Fronckiewicz, a member of the group.
The group said fracking is harmful to the community because of potential air and water pollution and impacts on traffic safety and home values.
The Brozovich site is of particular concern because it's about a mile from charter school Prospect Ridge Academy.
Yet Monday's Planning and Zoning meeting had a much different crowd in attendance. During public comment, all four people who spoke were in favor of the Brozovich drilling plans.
Scott Millington, who has lived in Broomfield for six years, said responsible oil and gas drilling is essential for his family and the community to do everything from heat their home to drive a car.
"We're in strong support of local communities developing our natural resources," he said. "There's a lot of anti-development people ... but there are people in the community who do support it."
Fracking in Broomfield's North Park area is not new. According to an April 5 map provided by city staff, Broomfield has more than 40 producing wells, mainly on the east side of Interstate 25, north of East 168th Avenue.
Part of the reason for recent protests against fracking is because of Prospect Ridge Academy, which is about a mile from the proposed Brozovich Wells drilling site. The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission requires drilling operations to be 500 feet or more away from homes and buildings.
Jennie Markarian, a parent of two Prospect Ridge students, said she moved to Anthem to raise her family.
"Allowing this (drilling) will bring down the property values in our community, at the same time causing families like mine to feel forced to move because of the health risks," she wrote in an email.
Prospect Ridge principal April Wilkin declined to comment on the proposed drilling or its potential impacts on the school.
At a future meeting, City Council is expected to approve the Brozovich and other fracking plans. Anna Bertanzetti, Broomfield's principal planner, said there were "no key issues" with the plans, because they comply with both the oil and gas commission and Broomfield's own municipal code.
In addition to the Brozovich site, council will address plans that include two other proposed fracking sites, called the Nordstrom and Memorial sites.
The Nordstrom proposal calls for 11 natural gas wells on an 182 acre existing well site north of West 160th Avenue and east of Sheridan Parkway.
The Memorial proposal calls for building six new natural gas wells on a 50-acre site south of Colo. 7 and west of I-25. Memorial has no existing wells on site.
Planning and Zoning has not yet approved the Memorial site plans, because the operating company, Sovereign, is still working out road use plans and other issues with the proposed site's neighbor, Evergreen Cemetery.
In a memo to staff, City and County Manager Charles Ozaki said Broomfield and other home-rule cities cannot prohibit oil and gas drilling within its jurisdiction, but it can regulate where wells are placed based on compliance with site plans, setbacks, geologic hazards, wildlife impacts or special noise or visual elements.
MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story
It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story | {
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Darth Vader’s Theme
When the new Star Wars ComLINKS topic for October 2017 – Favorite Musical Score – was announced over at Anakin and His Angel I knew I had to jump in and participate. For a while now, I have been thinking about writing a bit more about the music that accompanies Star Wars, the iconic compositions of John Williams that give the original trilogy gravitas and have also influenced other Star Wars composers. It is safe to say – and really a no-brainer – that without the music of Williams, Star Wars would be much different. But I will leave a larger conversation of the music of Star Wars to another person, or at least save it for another occasion. For now, with the ComLINKS topic in mind, I am excited to share my thoughts/feelings on Favorite Musical Score in Star Wars. And, of course, it’s “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme).”
The word “theme” is appropriate here because, let’s face it, I consistently return to The Empire Strikes Back to discuss my favorite aspects of Star Wars. It should really come as no surprise, then, that my favorite score would also come from my favorite Star Wars film. Naturally I love Star Wars across the board, but my deep affection for The Empire Strikes Back – embedded within me as a child – is the true grounding of my Star Wars adoration. That being the case, the issue at hand is not that my favorite musical score comes from The Empire Strikes Back, but rather, why is this particular score from the film’s soundtrack my favorite and not another?
To be entirely blunt, “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)” is my favorite score because it is established as the de facto anthem of the Galactic Empire. As a child, I was fascinated by the Empire, having a “Casterfoian” (google “Casterfo”) interest in the baddies of the Star Wars universe. While I knew the Empire was evil, and I celebrated the destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope with the Rebels, The Empire Strikes Back introduced me to a different way of viewing/experiencing the Empire. No longer were they simply the bad guys with a massive moon-sized space station but, instead, they were the bad guys who had Probe Droids, Super Star Destroyers, Imperial Walkers, Snowtroopers, TIE Bombers, and more. Even though they took a big hit in A New Hope, these baddies were anything but knocked out, and still had the means to level a crushing blow to the Rebel Alliance on the planet Hoth. And, to top it off, the Empire now had distinct piece of music – doubling as the theme for the villainous Darth Vader – to capture their harsh, galactic reach.
To this day, the raw power of “The Imperial March” continues to captivate and hold me not only because it originates in The Empire Strikes Back, but because I have come to appreciate it on a deeper level. As a child, I was unaware that the piece was influenced by Chopin’s “Funeral March” and Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the Bringer of War.” And yet, today, I am equally captivated by these pieces, all thanks to my childhood enjoyment of the Empire/Vader’s powerful anthem. Plus, this is also the case with a number of others scores from Star Wars, my enjoyment of these leading me to a more profound appreciation of other classical pieces.
At the same time, while “The Imperial March” is laced with childhood meaning and has led me to its musical influences, it also continues to be a piece that, quite frankly, captures me and takes hold each time I hear it. The repetition of the strings in the opening riff, crisp and dark (thanks to it being in a minor key), captures my attention until the brass presents the iconic melody in the fifth bar, gripping me with its clear-cut strength and power. Having washed over me like a wave in a storm, there is no escape. The moment I hear the opening to “The Imperial March,” and the iconic brass melody which serves as a leitmotif for Empire and Vader has begun, I must continue to listen. It would be wrong to turn around, to stop the March from moving forward. And so, no matter the situation, I will always let “The Imperial March” continue…
…which is, in a very real sense, the point of the piece. “The Imperial March” is aptly named because it perfectly encompasses the forward progress of the Galactic Empire, a progression which is difficult to stop. The Empire, wounded as it was at Yavin IV, continues its march of terror, death, and destruction. And, of course, Darth Vader spearheads the Imperial march across the galaxy, hunting down those who wish to stop the Empire. But it cannot be stopped, it will not be stopped, and it is futile to even try. | {
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Squares & Triangles
T-Squares
Some of the T-squares are shaped like Ls or have calipers. The examples in the collection range from simple, crudely constructed instruments to well-made, mass-produced T-squares. The newest object was for use at the blackboard in a mathematics classroom.
See also ID number 1977.0460.01. After the inventor of this draftsman's protractor, Alton J. Shaw, left Darling, Brown & Sharpe of Providence, R.I., Samuel Darling patented a vernier scale that was a fraction of the size of a standard vernier scale. Darling then claimed to apply his vernier to the draftsman's protractor, replacing the original patent date in the maker's mark with the December 2, 1890, date of this patent. See, for example, the illustration in Brown & Sharpe's 1899 Catalogue No. 101 and Price Lists. This vernier read to only five minutes of accuracy, while Shaw's earlier vernier read to one minute of accuracy. Darling argued, however, that the coarser scale was easier to read and sufficed for most situations that arose in engineering drawing.
In any event, the draftsman's protractor continued to sell steadily into the 20th century. Advertisements extolled the instrument's versatility, including its ability to function as a drawing triangle and as an extension of a T-square. The original patent date reappeared on the instrument in 1902 and 1904 but disappeared again by 1916, by which time Brown & Sharpe also changed the protractor's catalog number from 530 to 510. Other dealers, including Keuffel & Esser, W. & L. E. Gurley, and L. S. Starrett, also sold the draftsmen's protractor.
The chief difference between this example of the instrument and ID number 1977.0460.01 is the reduced precision of the vernier, which is even marked: FIVE MINUTES. This protractor has 40 unmarked divisions, instead of 30. The signature is: 510; BROWN & SHARPE MFG. CO. (/) PROVIDENCE. R.I. U.S.A. The handle also bears the Brown & Sharpe logo of two rectangles at right angles to one another, with the letters B∙S above the horizontal rectangle and the words TRADE MARK below the horizontal rectangle. Of surviving 20th-century Brown & Sharpe catalogs, this protractor most closely resembles the illustration printed in 1925. The extending arm of the protractor is rusting.
The protractor is stored in a blue paper box covered with the company logo and the words BROWN & SHARPE. A label on one end of the lid reads: 510; ORDER BY NUMBER 599-510 (/) BROWN & SHARPE DRAFTSMEN'S PROTRACTOR (/) MADE IN U.S.A. A label on the other end of the lid reads: POST (/) 0585 (/) THE FREDERICK POST CO. CHICAGO. Post retailed scientific and drawing instruments in the 20th century. An undated sheet with tables of angles for dividing circles and for tapers per foot is in the box. | {
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With so many shows ending their terms and understanding that tv series didn't really have the kind of wrap up episodes until probably the 70s I wondered what were some of your favorite finales and some of the worst. I don't remember too many of the bad ones but several were quite memorable.
The recent finale for "Justified" was quite satisfying. (I doubt it will make a best list but enjoying the show as I did I thought it worked well.) Among the more famous (and enjoyable for me) were.....
MASH (too long but well done.)The Mary Tyler Moore Show. I didn't get to see it the night it aired but caught it later.Newhart - I think maybe among the most inspired moments in television came in that last two minutes. All that came before was pretty good too.
Never having seen "Breaking Bad" or "The Sopranos" or "Mad Men" (never mind "Seinfeld" or "Friends" as I didn't find them funny) I'll leave the those to the rest of you.
CHEERS was a good one. I heard BARNEY MILLER was good. Didn't see it. I was disappointed in MASH. It had once been my favorite show; for a while anyway. Later seasons failed to maintain that high quality. The finale re-hashed several plot elements from previous stories. Sent one character away, then brought him back. Featured a lot of talk about whether to say goodbye and how to do it. I didn't mind Hawkeye going crazy. But even that did nothing speed up the pace.
The one thing I really liked was Klinger's decision to stay in Korea! He'd fallen in love and married a national. Of all people to choose NOT to go home...Klinger? I'd like to know how HILL STREET BLUES and ST. ELSEWHERE wrapped up. Those were good shows. But I was working an evening shift at that time, and never watched TV before midnight!
Letterman's farewell show was downright tedious. You can't expect much from a talk show, but please...
I was not a big fan of "St Elsewhere" but I did hear about the ending and it is certainly an interesting way for it to have ended. (There is probably a Youtube thing on it.) I don't know enough about the characters and to mention what little I know might be wrong.
The St. Elsewhere finale was a disaster, in my opinion. Apparently the entire show had been in the imagination of an autistic boy. No, I didn't make that up. Considering how raunchy the show sometimes was, that was completely unbelievable.
I didn't like the finale of White Collar, though it wasn't bad. To me, the ideal finale would have been for the annoying Mozzie to be killed, which would make Neil realize that he needed to go completely legit and work with Peter.
I really liked the finale to Mad Men and wrote about it in the 2014 TV shows thread. I know some folks who have voiced dislike with the it but I thought it stayed true to Don and the characters.
My favorite series finale is probably Six Feet Under which came off a few wobbly seasons (another show that stayed too long at the fair as I like to say) to end on the perfect grace not with Claire in command of her future and then we see in the final minutes how the characters lives play out.
Another favorite was Breaking Bad which also ended the way I was hoping it would end. Don't want to say too much more than that in case folks want to go back and binge watch it in the future.
Series finales are tough to do. They walk a very thin line that can quickly turn to unbelievablity or schmaltzy on the turn of a dime. Very few go out in ways that make the viewers happy to have been on the ride.
But the ones that do that, here's to them for achieving the top of the pyramid.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Goodbye, Farewell and Amen is a television movie that served as the 256th and final episode of the M*A*S*H television series. Closing out the series' eleventh season, the 2½-hour episode first aired on CBS on February 28, 1983. Written by a large number of collaborators, including series star Alan Alda, who also directed ...
I've cried so hard when it's came on for the 1st time when this 150 Minute Episode came on air and I was sadden by the joy of this beloved series came to the close in it's 11th season and it's was a beautiful written show and I remembered like it was yesterday. I just loved the last 30 minutes of the Show - Sergeant Klinger's Wedding to Soon-Lee was priceless and with full of joy and emotions and most of all a startling twist of fate for him. Everything about it was serene and Winchester encounters with the Chinese Men was Excellent with their taste of music.
Those were the highlights of the show - the Breakdown of the Camp was unreal, the closing of the SWAMP of which Hawkeye resides for 11 years was taken down - so many great memories in that hut.
I have the DVD that I got from Amazon recently and I cried all over again and I felt that 150 minute show was just right and most of all - I just loved the respect of Hawkeye and B.J. to Colonel Potter and his last ride of his beloved horse Sophie.
The finale of M*A*S*H is one of the best of the best that I've seen ...
I loved the show the first season and then after that, it started to go off the rails. It started to become the same old, same old.
They introduced a new character, Ben Linus (a wonderful actor, Michael Emerson) and that character held my interest.
But Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse did the totally unexpected- they set an end date for the show and after the season 3 season finale (which was great), Through the Looking Glass, the show improved dramatically.
It suddenly found its footing again and dramatically became the show that the first season had promised.
Though the last season was a bit hit and miss, the series finale was one of those touchstone moments in the internet.
Several really good ones have already been mentioned. I especially loved the Newhart one too. COMPLETELY unexpected.
Two that stand out for me: Magnum PI (wow.. what a grueling lead up w/ the those last few episodes) and I also really enjoyed pretty much the whole last season (and the last several episodes) of The Closer too. It was a great way to wrap up things for Brenda's character AND lead into the new spin off series Major Crimes. Even if it was hard to see Brenda Leigh go.. It was a "win-win" sort of ending.
The St. Elsewhere finale was a disaster, in my opinion. Apparently the entire show had been in the imagination of an autistic boy
You're serious, King Rat? This is not April Fools Day? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! People made fun of DALLAS for attributing one season to a dream. The entire series? That's ridiculous. I probably did hear about this many years ago. I don't see how I could have missed it. In any case, it's still preposterous!
,I couldn't believe the final show of Dave Letterman. During his entire tenure he did and allowed crazy and wonderful things. I expected a re-hash of some of the more nutsy moments, like some of the kid scientists (they pulled some good ones), and NO WILD ANIMALS!%? I really looked forward to that so-called hunter who barely knew any facts about the animals he brought on. To dig back 30 years, I'm sure they could have found some real knee slappers that some of us had never seen. In the beginning his list of ten was always sharp and on edge but this final one was like taking a sleeping pill - actually the whole show was.
I agree with Rohanaka that the final Newhart was brilliant, and such a shock, it will forever stand out as the best of the best. After 5 years or whatever it was with Fran, to end up with the Glorious Suzanne Pleshette was award worthy.
I had started binge-watching The Good Wife a few months ago, and then watched the last few episodes of the seventh and final season in 'real time'.
Although the fans were advised in advance that not everything would be 'tied up in a bow' and that some would love while others would hate the ending, I found that there was no real 'ending' at all. For the most part it unfolded like a typical season-ending cliffhanger episode, rather than a series-end. Only one big issue came to a conclusion -- everything else was open-ended, leaving the viewers to speculate or guess at what they think most likely to happen to these characters.
I wasn't looking for happy endings for everyone or every situation, but I would have preferred if the writers had brought most of the story-lines to some sort of conclusion, happy or otherwise. I think that's part of their job, and they basically shirked it.
Perhaps they wanted to keep things open-ended for spin-off potential, and there is some talk of a spin-off series for Christine Baranski's 'Diane Lockhart' character, but to my thinking, and as the australians would say, that is not 'fair dinkum'. | {
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News Room
Do you think you might have a hernia of the abdomen, groin or chest/hiatus? Common symptoms for abdominal and groin hernias include nausea, groin or abdominal pain, and a bulge in the lower abdomen. Symptoms of a chest/hiatal hernia might also include chest pain, heartburn, acid reflux and shortness of breath. Join Mercy Medical Center on Saturday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., for a FREE hernia-screening and educational program hosted by Mercy Robotic Surgery Center. During the event, participants will have the opportunity to meet individually with a surgeon for a hernia exam and learn more about minimally invasive robotic surgery used to correct the medical problem.
The hernia screenings will be performed by Mercy robotic-trained general surgeons, Leslie Pristas, D.O.; Russell L. Ramey, M.D.; Mazin Shackour, M.D. and Kirby L. Sweitzer, M.D., and will be held at Mercy Health Center of Jackson, 2ndfloor community room, located at 7337 Caritas Circle N.W., Massillon, next to the Paul and Carol David YMCA. Robotic surgery allows patients to have a shorter hospital stay, less pain/discomfort, faster recovery and reduced blood loss. Mercy Robotic Surgery Center is home to Ohio’s first da VinciâXäSurgical Robot, the most advanced robot of its kind.
Reservations are required and can be made online at cantonmercy.org/event/hernia-1018/ or call 330-489-1333.
Schedule Appointment
Schedule Appointment
Effective Friday, March 20, at 3 p.m., Mercy is temporarily stopping all hospital visitation until further notice. If you are a maternity services patient, please click HERE for the complete and updated visitation / support person directives. | {
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Tiger Muay Thai News Archive
Get all the latest news on what is going on at Tiger Muay Thai and MMA training camp, Phuket, Thailand. Get the latest fight results, and bios of our team fighters on MMA Thailand and Team Tiger Muay Thai.
Prime time New Zealand based sports entertainment show CODE which airs on Maori tv stopped by Tiger for some filming and training today. CODE features
renowned former rugby league and NRL players, Awen Guttenbeil and Wairangi Koopu training Muay Thai and MMA at the camp. It...
Did anyone catch TMT on ESPN Star sports last night?
Malaysian Invasion MMA just aired a prime time documentary broadcast across Asia that was filmed at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand. Here are some screenshots of episode 5 featuring Tiger. For those of you that...
This website and all the content is owned and operated by Tiger Muay Thai Co. Ltd, Phuket, Thailand, if not stated otherwise.
No pictures or content may be copied from this website without express permission of the owner. | {
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6 Video Game Urban Legends That Are Actually Hoaxes
#3. Naked Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Tomb Raider's heroine, Lara Croft, is an acrobatic, duel-wielding, tomb-raiding ass kicker. She also happens to be comically hot, with breasts so large that they look like they'd interfere with some pretty basic activities.
She'd have serious trouble tying her own shoes, driving and walking through doors sideways. Water slides would also be pretty touch and go.
If you're familiar with video game players or the Internet in general, you should not be surprised that it took about five seconds after this game was released before rumors spread of a "nude code" that could remove Lara's clothes. Even though the in-game graphics engine limited her to looking like this ...
... that was still something people needed to see naked.
How Gullible You'd Have to Be to Buy It
Pretty fucking gullible. By this time, people were getting used to the idea that the Internet was a cesspool of treachery. And when you consider the legal hell a publisher would catch for publishing pornography in a children's game, it becomes even less plausible. Finally, the fact that it plays so blatantly on a horny kid's deep need to see titties should have been another clue that it was gullibility bait.
Interestingly enough, some impossibly lonely hacker did eventually create a "nude patch" for the game, replacing the textures used to display Lara with naked textures. For the boob-hungry reader willing to download sketchy binaries from sketchy websites, their dream of seeing pointy, pixelated boobs was finally at hand:
#2. Clothed Luigi (Super Mario 64)
As you'd expect from its name, Super Mario 64 was a game that featured a character called Mario who was pretty goddamned super, and was the 64th entry in the Mario franchise. Nowhere in the name does it contain the word "Bros." or "And Friends" or, critically, "Luigi." Luigi is not in this game (not the Nintendo 64 version, anyways).
Do you think that stopped people from hunting for him until their thumbs bled? Have you been reading this article?
Many people were convinced that Luigi existed within the game, and with absolutely no evidence to support that, they were forced to make up some of their own. One of the key points in the "Luigi exists" theory was a particular statue in the castle, which, as you can see, had a blurry inscription:
Now, if you're not having this website read to you by your great-grandchild, you'll probably figure out pretty quickly what's happened here. The artists decided that the statue they were making would look better with an inscription plate, even though the game's engine wouldn't be able to render a texture that printed anything legible. So they put in a gibberish texture. This decision, which probably took about 10 seconds to make, managed to waste countless days of countless idiots' lives. You see, for people who've suffered the unlikely but unfortunate fate of being brained by falling space debris, this illegible nonsense clearly read:
"L is real 2401"
Which was proof enough that Luigi could be found within the game, and that "2401" was an important number. They'd later decide that that was the number of coins in the game, because that sounded pretty smart, and that you needed to collect all of them to unlock Luigi, because that sounded like a kind of stupid thing to do.
How Gullible You'd Have to Be to Buy It
Almost impossibly gullible. That was complete gibberish, interpreted by madmen, advocating spending dozens more hours in a game you'd probably already beaten several times over from a company that has never been so dickish toward its players. When Nintendo wants you to drive the lanky Italian, they've always put him front and center.
#1. Aeris Lives (Final Fantasy VII)
Aeris was a major character in Final Fantasy VII, and one of the romantic interests for the disinterested, spiky-haired protagonist. About halfway through the game, during a confrontation with the main villain, she's killed (spoilers), a legitimately surprising turn of events for most players, and a shock to our spiky-haired protagonist, ultimately making him marginally less disinterested.
Fuck you, Cloud.
But it turns out that a game that involves butchering thousands of monsters isn't a very fun place to think about death, and players around the world freaked out, convinced that there was some way to save Aeris. Over the next few months and years, message boards and forums filled with ridiculously lengthy and complicated methods of getting Aeris back.
How Gullible You'd Have to Be to Buy It
All the way gullible. Keep in mind that we are talking about trying to restore a character whose death is completely central to every remaining plot point and character development in the game. (And Final Fantasy VII is a very linear game.) Aeris is as fundamentally and completely dead as the narrative can make her.
"I SHOULD NOT BE."
And when you consider the sheer effort required to investigate any of the 11 possible techniques cited here, almost all of which require either a dedicated playthrough to reach the halfway point of the game (20+ hours) or some ridiculous hunt for ultra rare items after the fact, you realize that we're dealing with epic levels of gullibility. Anyone who tried to do all of these things must have a pretty big gap on their resume. Explaining "Played Final Fantasy for Nine Months Because the Internet Tricked Me" to a potential employer isn't going to make you look very employable, and if you happen to find yourself in that circumstance, I'd suggest coming up with an alternate explanation.
Getty"I ... was ... doing ... needle drugs? Yes. That's it. I was on the shit."
Chris Bucholz is a Cracked columnist and friend to animals. Join him on Facebook or Twitter and win big cash prizes. | {
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The daft thing is that when I read Thud!, I assumed that they were talking about All Jolson and that he'd joined the Watch. This didn't make much sense knowing that he was such a successful businessman.
“Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.” – Blaise Pascal
The daft thing is that when I read Thud!, I assumed that they were talking about All Jolson and that he'd joined the Watch. This didn't make much sense knowing that he was such a successful businessman.
i thouhht that they meant the old woman upp side down on the pole " she has the mussles on her of a troll i would swear it"
Oh I really need to get Snuff... I have them all up to Unseen Academicals... Well my dad does. Of the over forty Pratchett books we have in the house I think I own... ONE of them. Wyrd Sisters. Wait actually I don't own it yet cos he bought it on eBay for me and I haven't given him the money yet!
Anyway I like the books with females in it! Susan, and Agnes, the witches... I admit that in the other books they mostly have small roles, but there are books with leading females... | {
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PennDOT opens bids for Marshalls Creek traffic relief project
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has opened bids for construction of a park-and-ride lot and other improvements in the first stage of work on the downsized Marshalls Creek Traffic Relief project in Middle Smithfield Township.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has opened bids for construction of a park-and-ride lot and other improvements in the first stage of work on the downsized Marshalls Creek Traffic Relief project in Middle Smithfield Township.
Leeward Construction Inc. of Honesdale submitted a low bid of $6.3 million to build the 418-space lot adjacent to the Pocono Bazaar on Route 209. PennDOT officials are now reviewing the bid documents and will next award the contract and issue a notice to proceed with construction in February.
The lot will be illuminated and maintained by PennDOT's Monroe County maintenance crew. It should help reduce traffic volume on Route 209 by encouraging ride sharing by commuters.
Also included in the contract is work to complete the relocation of Oak Grove Drive to the east side of the Bazaar so that it aligns with Mount Nebo Road at a new signalized intersection with Route 209.
Improvements to Oak Grove Drive also include construction of a new bridge over Pond Creek, located north of Route 209.
The project will require the closure and detour of exiting Oak Grove Drive as well as occasional off-peak lane closures on Route 209. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.
For more information, visit the project Web site: www.marshallscreektrafficrelief.com | {
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Bilderberg 2010: The Shadowy Global Elite Is Meeting In Sitges
Sitges in Catalonia, where a Bilderburg beach party and ‘awareness camp’ are planned.
Another year, another Bilderberg. The first “participants” (as the delegates are known) won’t be arriving until Thursday, but already the Hotel Dolce in Sitges is buzzing with anticipation. This Catalan seaside town hasn’t hosted an event as large and politically sensitive as Bilderberg since the legendary 2008 Foam Party at the Mr Gay Sitges awards night.
Last year, Bilderberg was held in Vouliagmeni, on the coast just south of Athens. The Greek minister of finance attended, the minister of foreign affairs, and the governor of the National Bank of Greece. A few months later, Greece was bankrupt and Athens was in flames. So … good luck, Madrid!
Police are already stretching their red stripy tape around the hotel, and zipping up and around the local roads in their squad cars, sniffing for trouble. I’m really hoping there’s none to find. The Spanish are promising a beach party and an “awareness camp”, with political discussion forums and meditation zones.
I plan to spend at least part of Friday sitting cross-legged in a campsite, sending beams of white light up the hill and into the hotel. Feel my love, Marcus Agius – Chairman of Barclays and senior non-executive director on the BBC’s new executive board. Let it surround you, Queen Sofia of Spain. Don’t fight it, president of the World Bank. You can’t beat the love.
It would be nicer if the interface between Bilderberg and the world could be softer – if it could turn an open face towards us, rather than the barrel of a machine gun. What I’m hoping is that this year, in the all-new CamCleggian spirit of openness and political transparency, any British elected official who attends the meeting – and I’m talking to you, Kenneth Clarke and George Osborne – will tell us they attended, tell us what they spoke about, and tell us what the next 12 months has in store. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Not that anyone is really asking. I’ve come along again this year because I had the horrible, nagging thought that no other journalists would.
Not that I’m a proper journalist. Hardly: consider me an interested citizen of the world come to bear witness to a peculiar, important, and unsettling event.
For a long and luxurious weekend at the Dolce Sitges, relishing its “new and creative buffet concepts” (a table with food on it), prime ministers will mingle with European royalty, with various EU commissioners, with representatives from Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, AIB, Deutsche Bank, Chase Manhattan and Royal Dutch Shell.
They’ll clink glasses with President Obama’s special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke (he is confirmed for this year). And join the Friday night conga line behind the US treasury secretary (Tim Geithner went last year; he goes a lot). We can reasonably expect the head of the Federal Reserve, the president of the World Bank, the secretary general of Nato … they’ve all attended in the past and many will attend again. So yes, important it is; to think otherwise is painfully naive (see below for the usual “just a big boys’ club” comments …)
The conference hotel may be perched above a golf course, and boast two ping pong tables, but this four-day event isn’t about who is better at table tennis, Ken Clarke or David Rockefeller (it’s Rockefeller). This is about big business, global financial strategy and the economic future of Europe … if indeed it has one.
And most importantly, this four-day event doesn’t start until tomorrow – and continues all the way through the weekend – so if you’re a PROPER journalist reading this, or a blogger, or simply a curious citizen of a Europe teetering on the edge, then come along. Please come. I’ll buy you a Catalan beer. I recommend the Rosita. It’s fruity but ballsy – not unlike the winner of Mr Gay Sitges 2008. | {
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UGC NET General Paper I Solved - December 2015
1. Greater the handicap of the students coming to the educational institutions, greater the demand on the:
(A) Family
(B) Society
(C) Teacher
(D) State
2. What are the characteristics of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation ?
(a) It increases the workload on students by taking multiple tests.
(b) It replaces marks with grades.
(c) It evaluates every aspect of the student.
(d) It helps in reducing examination phobia.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
(A) (a), (b), (c) and (d)
(B) (b) and (d)
(C) (a), (b) and (c)
(D) (b), (c) and (d)
3. Which of the following attributes denote great strengths of a teacher?
(a) Full-time active involvement in the institutional management
(b) Setting examples
(c) Willingness to put assumptions to the test
(d) Acknowledging mistakes
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
(A) (a), (b) and (d)
(B) (b), (c) and (d)
(C) (a), (c) and (d)
(D) (a), (b), (c) and (d)
4. Which one of the following statements is correct in the context of multiple - choice type questions?
(A) They are more objective than true-false type questions.
(B) They are less objective than essay type questions.
(C) They are more subjective than short-answer type questions.
(D) They are more subjective than true-false type questions.
5. As Chairman of an independent commission on education, Jacques Delors report to UNESCO was titled
(A) International Commission on Education Report
(B) Millennium Development Report
(C) Learning : The Treasure Within
(D) World Declaration on Education for All
7. Which of the following statements is not true in the context of participatory research ?
(A) It recognizes knowledge as power.
(B) It emphasises on people as experts.
(C) It is a collective process of enquiry.
(D) Its sole purpose is production of knowledge.
8. Which of the following statements is true in the context of the testing of a hypothesis?
(A) It is only the alternative hypothesis, that can be tested.
(B) It is only the null hypothesis, that can be tested.
(C) Both, the alternative and the null hypotheses can be tested.
(D) Both, the alternative and the null hypotheses cannot be tested.
9. Which of the following are the basic rules of APA style of referencing format?
(a) Italicize titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays
(b) Invert authors’ names (last name first)
(c) Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals
(d) Alphabetically index reference list
10. Which of the following are the characteristics of a seminar?
(a) It is a form of academic instruction.
(b) It involves questioning, discussion and debates.
(c) It involves large groups of individuals.
(d) It needs involvement of skilled persons.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below
(A) (b) and (c)
(B) (b) and (d)
(C) (b), (c) and (d)
(D) (a), (b) and (d)
Mission UGC NET Blogger is a online blogger where we provide various solved previous year paper of UGC NET. We will provide you solved paper of UGC NET for all subjects, Mock Test and other study material.DG group will continusoly update this blog so you just keep watching our blog for more study material regarding UGC NET Computer Science, UGC NET General Paper, UGC NET English, UGC NET History, Pol Science and others subjects also. | {
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GoFundMe Campaign Set Up For Raven from “The Bachelor” [VIDEO/ NSFW]
On this week's episode of The Bachelor, Raven Gates went on a date with Nick, and she revealed some very personal information: She'd only had sex with one man, and never had an orgasm. A fan of the show named April Lavalle started a GoFundMe account to get Raven a sex toy, so she could do it achieve one herself (without needing Nick's assistance). She said, quote, "Raven, don't rely on some dude to give you your first orgasm. Knowing what you like and what makes you [finish] will make your future sexual experiences with men (or women, I don't know your life) more positive."
April was looking to raise $60 for the cost of a Hitachi Magic Wand and the shipping to send it to directly to Raven in Arkansas. The page has since been deleted, but April says she'd already raised the money and if she can't get the toy to April, she'll donate the cash to Planned Parenthood in her name. In other "Bachelor" news, Nick will be joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars this season. | {
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WootBot
You know the chronic pain you experience in the back of your neck? We're no doctors, but we think it may be caused by the fact that your TV lies flat on the ground. Avoid the scourge of neck pain (and recapture some lost floorspace) with a TV stand!
brian53newell
I ordered a end table from them once and neglected to fully analyze the dimensions. They tend to make really tiny furniture solutions. In fact, my end table is so tiny, it might as well be a children's table.
With that being said, build quality was good. No scratches or damaged corners.
ThunderThighs
I ordered a end table from them once and neglected to fully analyze the dimensions. They tend to make really tiny furniture solutions. In fact, my end table is so tiny, it might as well be a children's table.
With that being said, build quality was good. No scratches or damaged corners.
Wait a minute. The quality was good but you're recommending people stay away because it was smaller than you expected it to be even though it had dimensions listed?
traquy
The "no tools" multi level stand actually looks like it would work very well in my daughter room as a storage shelf. She likes to play "house" with her stuffed animals and I could definitely see her using this as a multi level stuffie condo/storage shelf.
meishka25
novastarj wrote:Nope, but for what it's worth Abbeyson products seem well reviewed online.
And FYI, this product appears identical to that entertainment center, but for over $100 less (with free shipping!) at Overstock. In fact Overstock appears to have many of the Abbeyson products for cheaper. Under different names though, so you need to look at the design and dimensions to make sure they match.
radi0j0hn
I also get a kick out of all the "old tech" furniture donated to thrift stores. Most include deep cabinets to accommodate the tube monitor, some have slots to supply pin-feed paper to the dot matrix printer.
23Jess
Neither do they mention squat about materials: is this rubberwood? MDF? Chipboard? There is solid wood furniture to be had, in these forms even, but that cute arts & crafts corner tv stand is probably not meeting the criteria if it doesn't boast it all over the place. If you heard it boast somewhere, once, hip me to the materials svp.
craigthom
23Jess wrote:Neither do they mention squat about materials: is this rubberwood? MDF? Chipboard? There is solid wood furniture to be had, in these forms even, but that cute arts & crafts corner tv stand is probably not meeting the criteria if it doesn't boast it all over the place. If you heard it boast somewhere, once, hip me to the materials svp.
I didn't look at all of them, but I looked at a half dozen, and they all say what material they are made from. Which one doesn't?
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Woot may designate a user comment as a Quality Post, but that doesn't mean we agree with or guarantee anything said or linked to in that post. | {
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Linkin Park
There are two kinds of people that we automatically love: rockstars and comedians. They both are entertaining, shocking, and often times controversial, which means all the more fun for us! Beginning on March 22nd, rockers and comics will share the stage together in Comedy Central's "The Comedy Jam...
LISTEN: New Linkin Park Track
Linkin Park has released a new song and announced a new album, One More Light, due out in May. You can listen to the new song, "Heavy," featuring 22-year-old singer Kiiara, below.You may be surprised by the feel of this new release, but keep in mind that the band has a sound that’s constantly...
Linkin Park Reveals Forthcoming Album Artwork
Linkin Park’s album artwork is here, and they delivered the news in a puzzling way. Literally.This tweet challenged fans to follow their ambassadors in order to piece the below puzzle together.Follow the LP Ambassadors for the answers: https://t.co/wcOC8Rypw3 #LP2017 pic.twitter.com/abb44jHGCK—...
Deep Purple, Aerosmith and Linkin Park To Headline Hellfest 2017
Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Linkin Park, Prophets Of Rage, Five Finger Death Punch and Slayer are among the headliners of Hellfest 2017 in Clisson, France. The annual hard rock festival will take place June 16-18, 2017. Additional acts include Rob Zombie, Steel Panther and Alter Bridge. (Photo by USA... | {
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Photo
byU.S.Geological
Survey
CRATER OF CASTLE GEYSER: YELLOWSTONE PARK
"Of the 84 geysers in the park, no two are alike in their characteristics. The Constant Geyser,
intheNorris
Basin,
sends
forth
graceful
jets
of water to a height of about 20 feet at intervals of one minute, while the Giant Geyser, in the
Upper
Geyser
Basin,
isineruption
atintervals
of from five to seven days" (page 531). | {
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If the US stock markets don’t collapse between now and Friday, this will be the second-longest bull market on record. Really. The current bull market began in March 2009 and will have lasted for 2,608 days (7.2 years) on Friday. If so, it will top the former second-longest bull market which ran from 1949 to 1956 (2,607 days). That’s quite impressive.
Yet despite the stock market’s very impressive returns since the end of the Great Recession, American investors have unloaded stocks at a near-record pace. According to a new Gallup poll, only just over half of American households say they currently have any money invested in the stock market, matching the lowest ownership rate in the poll’s 19-year history.
The latest Gallup poll found that only 52% of American households have any money invested in stocks (individual stocks, equity mutual funds, ETFs, etc.), down from a high of 65% in late 2007. Unfortunately, young people are the ones with the lowest investment in stocks. There’s a lot to talk about on this subject.
Yet before we get to that discussion, I want to bring to your attention a new report which found that almost half (45%) of Americans now pay zero in federal income taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center. The reasons may surprise you. Let’s get started.
45% of Americans Pay No Federal Income Taxes
Many Americans don’t have to worry about giving Uncle Sam part of their hard-earned cash for their income taxes this year. An estimated 45.3% of American households, or roughly 77.5 million, will have paid no federal individual income tax, according to data for the 2015 tax year from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan Washington-based research group.
Roughly half of those pay no federal income tax because they have no taxable income, and the other roughly half get enough tax breaks to erase their tax liability, according to the Tax Policy Center.
While the mainstream media would have us believe that “rich people” pay little in the way of income taxes, this is simply not true. The top 1% of taxpayers pay a higher effective income-tax rate than any other group – around 23% on average, according to a report released by the Tax Policy Center in 2014 – nearly seven times higher than those in the bottom 50%.
On average, those in the bottom 40% of the income spectrum end up getting money from the government in the way of subsidies. Meanwhile, the richest 20% of Americans, by far, pay the most in income taxes, forking over nearly 87% of all the federal individual income tax collected by Uncle Sam.
The top 1% of American income earners is defined as those who earn over $400,000 a year. This group paid apprx. 45.7% of all federal income taxes collected for 2014 according to the Tax Policy Center. That’s almost half! Among the top 0.1% – just 115,000 households – paid more than 20% of all federal income tax collected that year.
When it comes to ALL federal taxes – individual income, payroll, excise, corporate income and estate taxes – the distributions of who pays what is more spread out. This is partially because nearly everyone pays excise taxes, which includes taxes on gasoline, alcohol and cigarettes.
I could go on and on with this discussion, especially in light of the liberals’ obsession with “income inequality” and raising taxes on the “rich,” but I will leave it there for today, so we can get on to our main topic.
US Stock Market on Track For Second-Longest Bull Run
Assuming the US stock markets don’t collapse in the next three trading days, the current bull market will become the second-longest in history on Friday. From the March 2009 low, the S&P 500 will have risen overall for 2,608 days by the close on Friday.
The chart below shows the S&P 500 through last Friday when the bull run was at 2,603 days. If the current uptrending market makes it through this Friday, that will surpass the former second-longest bull run in the post-WWII era, which was from June 1949 to August 1956, or 2,607 days (see below).
The longest running bull market was from 1987 to 2000, when the dot-com bubble burst. That bull market lasted 4,494 days. For the current bull market to last that long, we will have to avoid a bear market until June 2021. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think we’ll make it!
The longevity of the current bull run is surprising to many, especially as questions intensify about the health of corporate profits so far this year. Corporate profits for S&P 500 companies are expected to fall 7% on average in 2016, according to a recent survey by Thomsom Reuters.
In Europe the earnings decline so far this year is predicted to have been greater, with 2016 corporate profits expected to drop 19% from the year before, according to Thomson Reuters. Excluding energy companies, which are hurting the most, a 12% decline is forecast for Europe.
Yet despite the decline in corporate profits so far this year, the US stock markets are currently near new all-time highs and imply a future of rosy profits and economic optimism. Yet at the same time government bonds are priced for a world of stagnant growth, diminished opportunities and minimal inflation.
Put differently, stocks and government bonds don’t often move in parallel directions for long periods of time. Yet both stocks and bonds have been trending higher since the S&P 500 low in March 2009. Keep in mind that bond prices move higher as the yield moves lower.
Most analysts attribute the significant drop in Treasury yields in recent years to unprecedented government bond purchases by central banks around the world, also known as “Quantitative Easing” which continues in Europe, Japan and elsewhere.
In addition, the Fed’s cautious approach toward raising interest rates in the face of global economic uncertainty has led investors to seek out the safety of government bonds, pushing the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes down 40 basis-points this year to 1.88%, just 50 basis-points shy of the all-time low reached in mid-2012.
Major government bond markets around the world have followed the same trajectory, with German 10-year bond yields trading at only 20 basis-points above zero and Japanese bonds with maturities up to 12 years trading at a negative yield as of last week.
As a reminder, the Fed Open Market Committee is meeting today and tomorrow and will release its latest policy statement after the conclusion of the meeting. Most Fed watchers do not expect an interest rate hike at this meeting.
Despite Long Bull Run, Investors Continue to Unload Stocks
The Dow Jones Industrials and the S&P 500 Indexes may be hurtling toward record highs, but the American people, whose love affair with stocks has understandably waned since the Great Recession, look to be more hesitant than ever to buy into the rally.
It’s been a volatile year for equities, but while the major indexes are close to record highs, the percentage of Americans invested in the stock market is at a record low. According to a new Gallup poll, only 52% of American households say they currently have any money invested in the stock market, matching the lowest ownership rate in the poll’s 19-year history. Here you go:
In 2007, just before the markets were crushed by the collapse of the housing market, stock ownership by Americans hit a record high of 65%. Stocks have recovered nicely since then and are approaching new highs, but millions of investors have missed the strong recovery since early 2009.
Stock ownership by Americans fell every year since 2007, until 2014 and 2015 when it ticked marginally higher. Yet stock ownership remains near a record low.
Drilling into the numbers reveals that middle-class Americans are the most skittish when it comes to the stock market. Almost three out of four of those with incomes ranging from $30,000 to $74,999 said they invested money in stocks in 2007. That number has dropped to half, which is a much more severe decline than in the other income brackets.
The numbers on how much money Americans have yanked out of the stock markets in recent years are shocking. Since peaking in 2007, US households have shrunk their holdings of stocks, mutual funds and equity ETFs (exchange traded funds) by a record 18.6% or over $2 trillion in total.
This has been the largest equity liquidation in history and well surpasses the 10% liquidation during the decade from 1979 to 1989. The largest decline has been in direct individual ownership of stocks, which interestingly has occurred just as US corporations have been buying back their own stock from households in record numbers over the last several years.
Millions of Americans Have Fallen Out of Love With Stocks
Since the end of the financial crisis in late-2008/early-2009, individuals have invested nearly nothing in the stock markets in the aggregate. Millions of individual investors are suffering from a crisis of confidence having endured two major bear markets (2000-2001 and 2008-2009) in less than a decade. And they may not return to the equity markets anytime soon, if ever.
Something similar happened in the wake of the Great Depression. It took over a decade of incredibly high dividend yields to bring Americans back to the stock market. Many believe the same is true today in the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis which saw the S&P 500 Index plunge by over 50% at the worst point.
As noted in the table above, younger Americans are the most likely to have exited the stock markets. By age, Americans under age 35 are the most likely to have fled the market. The percentage of young people with money in stocks has fallen 14 points since 2007, to only 38%.
Most financial planners and investment advisors believe that young adults need to invest in the stock market early-on in order to capture the growth necessary to pay for retirement. They argue that the long time horizon young investors have provides them an opportunity to make up for any losses in the short-term.
A recent Gallup poll found that only just over a fifth (22%) of Americans believe that the stock market is the best long-term investment, compared to more than a third who think real estate is the best long-term investment. This is shocking!
Yet the fact is that since 1980, the stock market as measured by the S&P 500 Index, has appreciated more than four times the average home price increase in the 10 largest metropolitan cities in the US, according to Forbes.
The Bottom Line: Barring a huge surprise between now and this Friday, we will be in the second-longest bull market in history. Yet stock ownership by Americans is near the all-time record low, with over $2 trillion in shares liquidated since the peak ownership in late 2007. Something is very wrong with this picture.
In 2007 when the stock markets peaked, 65% of Americans owned stocks in one form or another. Yet today, that number has fallen to only 52% according to the latest Gallup poll. Despite the fact that the major stock indexes are near their all-time highs, millions of Americans have been on the sidelines since 2008-2009.
If this hits close to home, we have solutions at Halbert Wealth Management. Don’t hesitate to let us help you. Call us at 800-348-3601 and have one of our non-commissioned Investment Consultants review your current portfolio and recommend changes to help you reach your financial goals.
Wishing you investment success,
Gary D. Halbert
Disclaimer
ADVERTISING DISCLOSURE:"Gary D. Halbert, ProFutures, Inc. and Halbert Wealth Management, Inc. are not affiliated with nor do they endorse, sponsor or recommend any product or service advertised herein, unless otherwise specifically noted."
Forecasts & Trends is published by ProFutures, Inc., and Gary D. Halbert is the editor of this publication. Information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but cannot be guaranteed as to its accuracy. Opinions and recommendations herein generally reflect the judgment of Gary D. Halbert and may change at any time without written notice, and ProFutures assumes no duty to update you regarding any changes. Market opinions contained herein are intended as general observations and are not intended as specific investment advice. Any references to products offered by Halbert Wealth Management are not a solicitation for any investment. Such offer or solicitation can only be made by way of Halbert Wealth Management’s Form ADV Part II, complete disclosures regarding the product and otherwise in accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers are urged to check with their investment counselors and review all disclosures before making a decision to invest. This electronic newsletter does not constitute an offer of sales of any securities. Gary D. Halbert, ProFutures, Inc. and all affiliated companies, InvestorsInsight, their officers, directors and/or employees may or may not have investments in markets or programs mentioned herein. Securities trading is speculative and involves the potential loss of investment. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. | {
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The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government.
Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating.
Read our disclaimer for details.
The recently published Carotid Occlusion Surgery Study (COSS) failed to show a benefit of extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery over medical therapy in patients with symptomatic hemodynamically significant carotid occlusion. Since then on, different controversies have been raised on several aspects including the study population, qualifications of surgeons and hemodynamic evaluation.
In COSS protocol, the primary inclusion population is the patient demonstrating occlusion of unilateral ICA while the contralateral ICA less than 50% stenosis. Because of the enrollment problems, in the final result report, 18% patients suffered from contralateral ICA stenosis more than 50%. As we known, COSS utilized oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) ratio by PET as the criterion of hemodynamic evaluation. Bilateral ICAs lesion will disturbed the ratio even the identifying the subgroup of patients with hemodynamic insufficiency.
As an interventional trial, the COSS should ensure the certification for the experienced surgeons. While for expanding the number of centers and enhancing recruitment, COSS made some concessions on the surgeons training and certification. The 15% postoperative event rate is not the best that can be achieved according to recent surgical technical development.
The cerebral hemodynamic insufficiency has been considered as the primary pathophysiological factor for patients with ICA or MCA occlusion. For these patients, antiplatelet therapy is not likely to prevent hemodynamic stroke.EC-IC bypass surgery probably will be the possible effective therapy.
These underlying assumptions deserved further exploration and more strict research.So the CMOSS study in China is designed to compare the efficacy and safety of EC-IC bypass surgery with medical therapy in patients with symptomatic hemodynamically significant carotid occlusion.
all the participants in this group will be performed EC-IC bypass surgery
Procedure: bypass surgery
all participants in this group will be performed EC-IC bypass surgery
Other Name: EC-IC bypass surgery
Active Comparator: medical group
all the participants in this group will be given medical therapy including aspirin 100mg per day or clopidogrel 75mg per day
Drug: Aspirin
all participants in this group will be given medical therapy including Aspirin 100mg per day or clopidogrel 75mg per day
Other Name: Aspirin 100mg per day or clopidogrel 75mg per day
Drug: Clopidogrel
Detailed Description:
Patients with symptoms of cerebral or retinal ischemia associated with ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion have an annual risk of 5-8% of recurrent ischemic stroke. While in China, the incidence of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion is higher than in western countries. The annual risk of recurrent ischemic stroke in patients with symptomatic ICA or MCA occlusion has not improved over the years. The proportion of recurrence that was minor disabling was rather high.
Eligibility
Information from the National Library of Medicine
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies. | {
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AMD, however, was less than thrilled with Intel for trademarking the name "Ultrabook". To AMD this was akin to Intel claiming it invented the ultrathin. In AMD's mind it was the first to push this movement, when it debutted the Athlon Neo three years ago. A 1.6 GHz 15 watt BGA-mounted chip, the Neo was indeed much like the ultrathin-aimed chips of today. It was also arguably the precursor to AMD's biggest success story of its CPU business today -- Fusion.
We spoke with AMD's director of global product marketing, John Taylor about ultrabooks and Fusion's road ahead for 2012.
I. AMD Never Expected to Launch Fusion in Q1 2011 -- It Got Lucky
He began with a little history lesson, to put the current events in perspective.
But AMD shared a bit of a secret with us -- Brazos wasn't intended originally to launch at CES 2011. It was expected to be delivered in Q3 2011, alongside Llano -- AMD's more powerful Fusion core.
Brazos was being contracted to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp., Ltd. (TPE:2330) (TSMC) for production at the 40 nm node. Meanwhile Llano was being produced by AMD's chipmaker spinoff GlobalFoundries, Inc. at a smaller 32 nm node.
Unlike Brazos, Llano wasn't bring a wholly new core design to the table. It packed a variant of the well-tread K10-core, the same core found in AMD's Phenom II and Athlon II processors. The modified version was known as K10.5 and was codenamed Stars.
But it turns out that the target fab for Brazos -- TSMC's 12-inch fab (Fab 14's phase 4 facilities), located in Tainan Science Park, the high-tech manufacturing center of Tainan City, Taiwan -- was surprisingly productive. Despite the new core design, it appears that TSMC's mastery of the 40 nm node allowed it to pump out Brazos wafers at such a brisk pace that just weeks before CES 2011, AMD decided to bump the launch up by almost two quarters and begin shipping in January.
Fusion bucked AMD's trend of late launches, arriving early. The shift was a boon for AMD.
[Image Source: AMD]
The surprise bump was a boon for AMD, propelling Fusion to 20 million units in sales for 2011.
While Llano didn't leap ahead like Brazos due ostensibly to difficulties surrounding the fresh 32 nm process, GlobalFoundries at least managed to get it out the door in time. In June, the 32-nm Llano launched, branded as the A-Series.
II. Bulldozer, Radeon 7000 Series Design Elements Creep Into Fusion
Fast forward to present and AMD has big plans for Fusion. This time out AMD has scrapped its low-end Brazos successors (code-named Krishna and Wichita) in favor of perfecting Trinity, the first of its successor chips to Llano.
While the future of AMD's lighter-weight chips is uncertain, what is clear is that AMD feels that Trinity is the perfect chip to snatch up ultrathin market share. Trinity will pack a powerful on-die GPU, which falls somewhere between a Radeon 6000 HD and 7000 HD in architecture. It will also ditch the aging K10 architecture for a leaner, enhanced 32 nm Bulldozer core, code-named Piledriver.
Unlike Brazos and Llano, which came in traditional packaging, Trinity is coming in a new ball-grid array (BGA) package, making it friendly for ultrathins.
The chip is still built on the 32 nm process and is expected to come in at 17 watts for lower clocked ultrathin models, and a 35 watt model for traditional laptops. AMD predicts 25 percent faster CPU performance and 50 percent better GPU performance, versus Llano.
Mr. Taylor comments, "We'll be on top in battery life. We expect to be clearly, demonstratively better [results] on the visul performance of the system [versus Intel]."
I asked if AMD was worried about Ivy Bridge, Intel's upcoming desktop and notebook chip, which will offer power-sipping performance thanks to the new leakage-resistant 22-nm 3D FinFET transistor design. Mr. Taylor hinted that he thinks Intel may struggle with bringing their DirectX 11 solution -- Ivy Bridge -- to market, commenting, "I understand they had a little trouble showing that at their event earlier this week."
The comment alludes to Intel's Ultrabook press conference earlier in the week where Mooly Eden was caught showing using video to fake a demo an Ivy Bridge chip playing the DirectX 11 game "Formula 1 2011". It is unclear why Intel faked the demo -- but it certainly gave competitors like AMD fodder for speculation that Intel's ambitious process plans may be hitting some speed-bumps.
AMD hints that we will see at least 18 to 22 ultrathin designs powered by Trinity in 2012, compared to Intel's plans for up to 70 designs.
However, AMD may find its ultrathins to be more popular due to its aggressive pricing. While Intel's designs will mostly fall in the $700-$1,000 USD range, AMD is planning Trinity based designs which will be priced at $500 USD or below.
AMD was showing off one such notebook by Taiwanese manufacturer ASUSTek Computer Inc. (TPE:2357). It was playing the DirectX 11 game Dirt and unlike Intel's demo there was no fakery -- we were actually able to physically verify the that the notebook was actually running the game. AMD humorously had placed the ultrabook inside a desktop PC case, removing the side panel to reveal the glorious truth.
Much is still unknown about Trinity, including clock designs and the finer details of the GPU core. Another big unanswered question is what the fate of AMD's TSMC-based lower end cores is, with the cancellation of Hondo, et al. But AMD seems very confident that we will be pleased when it reveals more details in a few weeks at its February financial analysts' meeting.
Ultimately the success or failure of Trinity will likely boil down to one factor -- availability. But given AMD isn't moving to a new process node (32 nm was used for both Llano and the Fall 2011 Bulldozer launch) it seems like availability will likely be decently high.
AMD's comments lead us to believe that Trinity will land at roughly the same time as Llano did -- a June (H1/Q2 2012) launch.
In 2011 Fusion gained ground on Intel due to one factor -- price. Llano trailed Sandy Bridge substantially in CPU performance, but given that it delivered better integrated GPU performance at a lower price, it still proved very popular. With Trinity landing at around the same time as Ivy Bridge, both companies appear to be sticking to their approach from the last generation.
Intel will be launching a more powerful chip, but will only be featured in pricier notebooks. AMD, meanwhile, won't be aiming at the CPU performance crown, but does look to deliver the best graphics and battery life performance in an ultrathin. And it looks to undercut Intel-based models by as much as $200 USD.
Expect big things from Trinity in 2012. After all, if consumers are presented the choice between a $500 USD ultrabook and a $700 USD ultrabook, both of which can play most of the latest games and handle everyday productivity software (e.g. Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Office and Adobe Systems Inc.'s (ADBE) CS5/Photoshop), which do you think consumers will pick?
IV. AMD Not Worried About ARM
Unlike ARM Holdings plc (LON:ARM) and Intel, who are waging a highly public war of words regarding x86 (CISC) versus ARM (RISC), AMD is taking a softer approach, despite its support of x86.
Mr. Taylor tells us, "There's room for everyone."
The implied message is of course that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Analyst opinions vary pretty wildly on the topic of ARM. One of my fellow analysts went as far as to suggest that Intel buy ARM Holdings, a rather ludicrous proposition from an antitrust perspective, alone, in my estimation. But I felt one of the bettery opinions I heard was from another analyst who stated, "2012 will be a challenging year for Intel -- you have ARM atttacking from one end and AMD from another."
This quote indeed summarizes the situation well. Intel is finding that it may be king of pure computing power per CPU core, but power, graphics, and price are proving key obstacles to its goal of global CPU hegemony. | {
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Newt Gingrich hit back Tuesday at claims that a charity he founded paid $220,000 to his for-profit company over two years.
An ABC News probe found that the charity, Renewing American Leadership (ReAL), paid Gingrich Communications compensation for the salary of the former House speaker’s longtime spokesman Rick Tyler, one of the aides who quit last week.
But Joe DeSantis, one of the few who stayed with Gingrich, claimed the TV station found no illegal activity.
“That’s because both ReAL and Gingrich Communications took great care to make sure all resources were being used legally and ethically,” DeSantis said. Paying for Tyler’s services was “perfectly normal and common practices.”
“The rest was to purchase books, which ReAL used for their fundraising efforts,” DeSantis said. “The book purchases were made ‘at cost’ meaning there was zero profit made by Gingrich Communications or Newt on the sale."
ABC said Gingrich has a complex web of companies that operate under the banner Newt Inc. “It is often difficult to tell where the work of one Gingrich entity ends and where the work of another begins.
“For instance, money raised by a political group he founded, American Solutions, paid for millions of dollars worth of charter jet flights Gingrich took to crisscross the country promoting the movies of his production company.”
ABC said Newt Inc. had kept Gingrich, now running for the Republican nomination for president, in the public eye since he quit the House in 1999.
“It has also made him rich: He bought a $1 million home in the suburbs of Washington, secured a $500,000 line of credit from Tiffany’s, and, most recently, went on a two-week luxury cruise, the last of which cited as a reason for many of his campaign staff quitting en masse.
“Figuring out how all his organizations work together can be tricky,” the ABC report said.
Newt Gingrich hit back Tuesday at claims that a charity he founded paid $220,000 to his for-profit company over two years.An ABC News probe found that the charity, Renewing American Leadership (ReAL), paid Gingrich Communications compensation for the salary of the former... | {
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Messianic Jewish Groups Claim Rapid Growth
Groups professing to be Jewish believers in Jesus increasingly accepted in Israel
By Jan Jaben-Eilon, JewsOnFirst.org, June 4, 2012
(Page 3 of 3)
Acknowledging the support of the evangelical community, in January 2012, Earl Cox, along with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of Efrat were named by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Good Will Ambassadors from Israel to Jewish and Christian communities around the world.
Photo by Joab Eichenberg-Eilon.
"Doors which have been traditionally closed tight to Christians have now begun to open as Israel's leaders, religious and governmental, come to recognize that the evangelical Christian community of the world is the best friend Israel has in all the world," Cox says.
Messianic congregations support Israel, operate thereMessianic Jews are similar to evangelicals in their support of Israel and have opened many messianic congregations in Israel. Over the last 10 years, Chernoff of the Messianic Jewish Alliance says, the messianic community has contributed $100 million in aid to Israel. However, he notes, messianic Jews are not allowed to make aliyah and as long as they don't pass out literature to Israelis, the government quietly welcomes their support.
Riskin founded the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding when he recognized that the only tourists still coming to Israel during the Second Intifada were evangelical Christians. He has written that he believes the world is experiencing its fourth world war,
a religious struggle between the free world and the world of fundamentalist Islam which believes in a god of will, world domination and jihad. I see the present day rapprochement between Christianity and Judaism after almost 2,000 years of enmity as one of the critical signs of the fateful times in which we are living and a strong ray of light through the darkness emanating from Iran, Al Quaida, Hezbollah and Hamas. A sea change has occurred during these last several decades. Christians are sincerely trumpeting the call that G-d remains faithful to His initial covenant with Israel, and that the Biblical prophecy is continually being fulfilled through the people of Israel living in its covenanted land.
JewishIsrael.com says that Riskin is "riding on a messianic wave of ‘theo-political' ideology which couples the threat of radical Islam with wishful thinking that prophetic times are upon us as evidenced by what he sees as an unprecedented outpouring of Christian love for the Jewish people." And, it warns that while the lines between evangelical and messianic groups remain somewhat distinct outside of Israel, once these groups and leaders come to Israel, the walls come tumbling down, with a blurring of lines and interchanging of definitions.
A good example of this is occurring on the banks of Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). Both Sekulow and Riskin, along with CUFI's John Hagee, conservative Christian leader Gary Bauer, and Christian Broadcast Network's Pat Roberston, are listed among the endorsees of the Galilean Resort and Spa designed as a Christian center to help Christians "experience Israel through Bible study, educational courses, cultural programs and life-changing experiences." Built on the northwest shore of Lake Kinneret, the resort was founded by Anne Ayalon, the evangelical-born wife of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, formerly Ambassador to the United States.
Israel upgrades Christian evangelical statusWith the help of Ayalon, the Foreign Ministry two years ago sponsored a bid to upgrade the status of evangelicals in Israel and recognize them as a sovereign group or an independent church, which JewishIsrael.com warned could open the floodgates to Christian groups that either want to convert Jews or are striving for a theological unification between Judaism and Christianity.
At the same time, JewishIsrael points out the crossover between evangelical "Christian Zionists" and messianic missionary endeavors. "There is a reluctance on the part of rabbinic and Jewish community leadership to draw red lines or issue guidelines to govern the interfaith relationship," notwithstanding Rabbi Yoffie's two criteria. Comments JewishIsrael: "It seems that nobody wants to alienate ‘good friends' who are not aggressively proselytizing but rather are ‘sharing their faith' through ‘outreach projects' to a very vulnerable Israel."
As Atlanta Conservative Rabbi Neil Sandler of Ahavath Achim Synagogue points out, oftentimes,
the "only thing that Jewish organizations and Christian organizations see eye-to-eye with is Israel." Sandler, who was one of the
rabbis who participated in the Americans United with Israel rally in Atlanta last year, says he "took his cue" from the Israeli consulate.
AIPAC reaches out to Christian groupsThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is another group which is known for taking "its cues" from the Israeli government. The powerful lobby now has a full-time employee whose job is to reach out to the Christian evangelical community, states Sandler. It was reported in the Jewish newspaper, the Forward, that AIPAC has launched an outreach program to Christian groups that support Israel.
In Atlanta, when the community Jewish newspaper, the Atlanta Jewish Times , formerly the Southern Israelite, came under new ownership earlier this year, the owner announced that he planned to promote the newspaper to "people of all faiths and backgrounds who are interested in Jewish causes, values, culture and Israel." Just as Israel believes that it needs all the friends it can get in a world which it contends is out to delegitimize it, AIPAC and the Atlanta Jewish Times understand that to grow the number of their supporters, they must reach out to Christians.
But as Americans United with Israel's Rudy – now also business manager at the Atlanta Jewish Times – acknowledges, one must be cautious about which Christians or so-called synagogues are acceptable to the established Jewish community. When Rabbi Sandler says he was introduced at the pro-Israel rally reception last year to Beth Hallel's Rabbi Solomon, he voiced his "concern to Earl (Cox) about which evangelical groups" should be included under the pro-Israel tent. Sandler says Cox understood his note of caution. "He's worked hard to find a level of acceptance with the Jewish community."
The dividing lines are increasingly hard to draw, however. Messianic Jewish Alliance of America's Chernoff, who says his group is friends with CUFI, adds, "We consider Christian Zionists a blessing; they get it, that God put us back in Israel. They want to stand with us and Israel needs that help."
Videos by JewsOnFirst.org
Martha Schaerr, Stealth School Board Candidate in Montogomery County, Maryland. Schaerr is not telling voters she was a leader in the
Christian right's fight to block the school district's new sex education curriculum -- primarily because it teaches acceptance of homosexuality.
Go.
Video in the Radio Talk Show Studio - Part Two of our on-the-air interview with Dan Gaffney, morning talk show host
on WGMD-FM on Delaware's Eastern Shore. Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of JewsOnFirst debates concepts including "absolute truth" and the relevance of Jesus
with Gaffney and his callers. Go.
Video in the Radio Talk Show Studio - Part One of our interview with Dan Gaffney, morning talk show host
on WGMD-FM on Delaware's Eastern Shore. JewsOnFirst went to Delaware's Eastern Shore to report on the settlement of two Jewish families' lawsuit against the school
district for sponsoring religion. Go.
The Christian Zionist's Bible: A Jewish Perspective. Our new educational video on a challenging topic -- how some on the
Christian right read "the Jews" into the New Testament -- features Dr. Michael J. Cook of Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati in conversation with Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of JewsOnFirst.org. Go.
An Enduring Passion: Sharon Raphael and Mina Meyer. On their 37th anniversary, Meyer and Raphael
married in California. The political activism that has been a constant of their life together dates back to the founding of the
gay liberation movement and it continues in their opposition to Proposition 8. Go.
Pastor John Hagee's Fixation on Iran: A Self-fulfilling Prophecy? We examine how the
Christian Zionist leader's belief in the end times drives his hard-line political position on Iran, and ask:
Is Hagee's Iran policy about Jewish safety? Or Christian Apocalypse? Go.
Pastor John Hagee's Preoccupation with the Jews.
With narration by Ed Asner, our video shows a number of instances in which Christian Zionist leader
Hagee's understanding of Jews and Judaism should give Jewish organizations that support him cause for concern.
Go.
Campus Jewish group sponsors trailblazing forum on Christian Zionism. The complete recording of
Christians, America, and the Holy Land -- Examining Christian Support for Israel, sponsored by the
Chicago Friends of Israel at the University of Chicago. Go.
Iran and the End Times at Pastor John Hagee's 2008 Washington Summit. When John Hagee's organization, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) held its July 2008 summit at the Washington DC Convention
Center, JewsOnFirst.org reporters were inside and outside. This video shows some
of what we saw and heard, despite CUFI's extraordinary efforts to shield the meeting from public scrutiny.
Go. | {
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SIM THEME PARK:GOLD EDITION
A strategy guide
FINAL EDITION
For PC
Written by CHAZ5000, an author hoping to get the FAQ Bounty on
this game!
E-Mail Address [email protected]
Legal Information:
Sim Theme Park is copyright Electronic Arts.
Current Version of this guide:
Version 1.2-04/06/01:After several requests, I added Roller
Coaster information(How to build one and such!).
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STARTING IN LOST KINGDOM
Section 1:Starting the game in Lost Kingdom
Section 2:Going for Gold in Lost Kingdom
Section 3:Expanding your park in Lost Kingdom
STARTING IN HALLOWEEN WORLD
Section 4:Starting the game in Halloween World
Section 5:Going for Gold in Halloween World
Section 6:Expending your park in Halloween World
CONTINUING YOUR PARK
Section 7:Wonder Land
Section 8:Space Zone
VARIOUS INFORMATION
Section 9:Ten hints to get a great park
Section 10:First five things you get Gold Tickets for
Section 11:ROLLER COASTER INFORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
APPENDICES:
RIDE INFORMATION
Appendix A:Ride Information for Lost Kingdom
Appendix B:Ride Information for Halloween World
Appendix C:Ride Information for Wonder Land
Appendix D:Ride Information for Space Zone
SIDESHOW INFORMATION
Appendix E:Sideshow Information for Lost Kingdom
Appendix F:Sideshow Information for Halloween World
Appendix G:Sideshow Information for Wonder Land
Appendix H:Sideshow Information for Space Zone
SHOP INFORMATION
Appendix I:Shop Information for Lost Kingdom
Appendix J:Shop Information for Halloween World
Appendix K:Shop Information for Wonder Land
Appendix L:Shop Information for Space Zone
NOTE:This strategy guide is for people using the Full Simulation
mode of Sim Theme Park. People using Instant Action already have
a park started for them.
NOTE:Before we start, let's take a moment to talk about Game Safety.
Be sure to completely read and understand the manuals that come with
your game. Also, be sure to wear these 8-), Safety Glasses.
SECTION 1:STARTING THE GAME WITH OPTION 1-LOST KINGDOM
You start the game with $50,000.00 in the bank and one golden key.
Use this key to first open up Lost Kingdom. Build in the open area
an Aztec Mayhem ride, a Crazy Ape ride, 2 small bathrooms, and a
Burger Restaurant. Hire several researchers, janitors, and mechanics.
Have at least one mechanic patrolling for every four rides you buy to
keep them maintained. Also buy 2 Worker's Huts, and place them near your
worker's patrol routes. Make sure check your people's happiness every
few minutes by using the Information Screen. It will help you make a
better park.
SECTION 2:WINNING A GOLDEN TICKET UNDER OPTION 1-LOST KINGDOM
You probably noticed two mystery rides at the top of the "Purchase Rides"
screen. You need Gold Tickets to win these. To get your first gold ticket,
you need to have at least a hundred happy visitors come to your park. How do
you do this? There are several things you need to do to accomplish this goal.
Make sure that you have set up all three shops available at first. Try to get
the rest of the rides in. Make sure there are plenty of nice decorations such
as rocks, fountains,and trees. Finally, make sure that the ticket price is not
very expensive. Listen
to the dot's advice on ticket prices. Don't raise them until he tells you to.
If you follow these guidelines you should get a Gold Ticket soon enough. Use
this ticket to buy that Mystery Ride, which turns out to be an elevated tram
around your park.
SECTION 3:EXPAND YOUR PARK UNDER OPTION 1-LOST KINGDOM
Keep up the good work on your game for several more years. As you add rides,
add food shops and staff huts along the way. By listening to your customers and
following the recommendations of the little black dot, and you should prosper.
Wait until you have at least fifty-five thousand dollars, and move to start on
the Halloween World. For information on that, follow the advice below about
starting on the Halloween World. If you already beat Halloween World, then go
to Section 7
SECTION 4:STARTING THE GAME WITH OPTION 2-HALLOWEEN WORLD
You start the game with $50,000.00 in the bank and one golden key. Use this
key to first open up Halloween World. Build in the open area an Insecticide
Ride, a Jaw Dropper ride, 2 small bathrooms, and a Burger Restauraunt. Connect
all of these with paths, then open your park by
pressing "O". Hire as many researchers as you can, along with setting some
janitors and some mechanics on the paths in front of the rides. Also have at
least 2 Worker's Huts. Check your peoples happiness every few minutes by
using the Information Screen. It will help you make a better park.
SECTION 5:GOING FOR GOLD UNDER OPTION 2-HALLOWEEN WORLD
You have most likely noticed the two Mystery Rides at the top of the "Purchase
Rides" screen. You will need Gold Tickets to get these attractions. To get a
gold ticket, you'll need lots of happy customers coming to your park. "What's
the best way to do this?" you may ask. The best way to bring lots of happy
customers to your park is to build a park that you'd like to go to. Build lots
of stores. Build attractions with prizes worth at least forty dollars, an
entrance fee of less than twenty dollars, and a win percentage of at least
fifty percent. You may lose a few bucks on the attractions, but the admission
rate will steadily increase. Another way to get happy customers is to make
sure that bathrooms are readily available through many points in the park.
Make sure that the admission is not unreasonable. Follow these directions and
a gold ticket should be yours in a few weeks. Use the gold ticket to buy that
Mystery Ride, which turns out to be an elevated tram-thing that goes around
your park.
SECTION 6:EXPAND YOUR PARK UNDER OPTION 2-HALLOWEEN WORLD
Keep up the good work for several more years. Make sure that your customers
are happy, but also increase ticket prices. Follow the dot's advice for help on
this. As you add more rides, also add more food and drink shops along the way.
Remember, you can buy more land. Once you have at least fifty-five thousand
dollars saved up, go to Lost Kingdom. If you already beat Lost Kingdom, then
go to Section 7.
SECTION 7:WONDER LAND
Now that you've beat the first parks that you can get, it's time to expand your
borders. Continue making your people happy until you get another key, then
unlock Wonder Land. Build the Bugs TV Ride, the Flower Power Ride, the Jelly
Bounce Ride, along with any sort of
Roller Coaster, and a couple attractions. Follow the Little Dot's advice for
bathrooms and rides and such. Keep playing on this map until you get a total
of 5 golden keys.
SECTION 8:SPACE ZONE
This is can be a great level for developing your best park. Follow the general
strategies found elsewhere in this walkthrough, and obey the little dot's
advice for bathrooms and such, until you've filled up this park also. Don't
forget-You can buy more land and expand your park some.
SECTION 9:10 HINTS TO GET A SUPERCALLIFRAGILISTICIOUSEXPEALIDOTIOUS PARK:
10-Hire high quality employees-They cost more, but they're worth it.
9-Improve staff efficiency by putting money into employee training.
8-Check your ride status often to catch breakdowns before they happen,
and make timely upgrades.
7-Draw crowds of visitors to your park by having a reasonable admission.
6-Keep your staff happy by not overworking them, and have several staff
huts scattered throughout your park.
5-Have a high drink-shop to ride ratio, possibly one-to-one on large parks.
4-Make sure all your shops use high quality items.
3-Keep people from feeling cheated at your sideshows by giving them a good
chance at winning.
2-Don't take out loans unless you REALLY need them. "Neither a borrower
nor lender be." William Shakespeare
1-Complete challenges quickly whenever possible.
SECTION 10:5 THINGS YOU GET GOLD TICKETS FOR:
1: Your first 100 visitors to your park.
2: 200 Visitors in your park at one time.
3: Exceeding $15000 in profit.
4: High level of customer happiness.
5: 350 visitors to your park in 6 months.
SECTION 11:Building a Roller Coaster
After recieving several e-mails on the subjuect, and discovering that the
manual gives but vague information on the more complex aspects of roller-coaster
building, I created this section. I hope to explain some of the more confusing
parts of building a cool roller-coaster. The back of the Sim Theme Park jewel
case has a good drawing of the buttons and what they do if you are unfamiliar
with them.(The buttons, not the drawing)
When selecting a location for your roller-coaster, you can either build
in a new location out in the open, OR you can build near attractions, as long
as the track for the coaster is high enough to go _OVER_ existing rides. To
build the track for a coaster, select the non-glowing end, and build off of
it. To build the coater, place your pylons inside the glowing yellow area.
Build them until you reach back to the other end of the roller coaster.
You may want to raise/lower pylons as you go along.
Building loops:First, make sure that your roller-coaster is upgraded to
level two or higher. Now, delete a pylon, and select to build a loop-pylon.
Build this pylon, and create the loop. Now set the other loop-pylon at
where you want the loop to end. *POOF* You've got a loop!
Raising/lowering pylon height:Select the "Raise/lower pylon" button on your
control panel. Click on a pylon and drag it upward or downward, depending
on if you want to raise or lower a pylon. There you go, use this to make a
sickening coaster!
-------------RIDE INFORMATION---------------------
APPENDIX A:RIDE INFORMATION FOR LOST KINGDOM
Aztec Mayhem-A simulator. It costs $2500 to buy.
Belly Bounce-A Bouncy Castle. It costs $500 to buy.
Crazy Ape-A Pirate Ship. It costs $2000 to buy.
Dizzy Dinos-A spinning ride. It costs $1200 to buy.
Jurrassic Tours-A special ride. It costs 1 gold ticket to buy the first time,
and $3000 to buy after that.
King of the Swingers-A Pirate Ship. It costs $1700 to buy.
Manic Mayan-A Spinning Ride. It costs $2200 to buy.
Rocky Racers-A Merry Go Round. It costs $750 to buy.
Slither-A Slide. It costs $750 to buy.
Temple of Gloom-A Roller Coaster. It costs $10,000 to buy, plus the cost of
track.
DinoKarts-A Go Kart Track. It costs $6500 to buy, plus the cost of track.
Sun God-A Big Wheel. It costs $1500 to buy.
Mayan Spinner-A Spinning Ride. It costs $750 to buy.
Mumbo-A Spinning Ride. It costs $1000 to buy.
Tom Tom Twister-A Spinning Ride. It costs $4000 to buy.
Chac Atak-A Log Flume Ride. It costs $10,000 to buy, plus the cost of track.
Splish Splash-A Water Track. It costs $5000 to buy, plus the cost of track.
The Hot Pot-A Bumper Car Ride. It costs $2000 to buy.
Gorilla Thrilla-A Roller Coaster. It costs $12,500 to buy, plus the cost of
track.
Eruption-A Special Ride. It costs 3 Gold Tickets to buy.
APPENDIX B:RIDE INFORMATION FOR HALLOWEEN WORLD
BoneShaker-Roller Coaster-It costs $10,000 to buy, plus track
BrainBuster-Bouncy Castle-It costs $500 to buy
Crypt Cart-Go Kart-It costs $4000 to buy, plus track
Dare Devil-Roller Coaster-It costs $10,000 to buy, plus track
Devil's Disk-Centrifuge-It costs $2500 to buy
Fire Pit-Spinning Ride-It costs $2500 to buy
Frightmare Tours-Special Ride-It costs 1 Gold Ticket to buy the first time, and
$5000 after that
Ghost Ship-Pirate Ship-It costs $2750 to buy
Ghost Train-Fixed Coaster-It costs $1750 to buy.
Ghosta Coasta-Roller Coaster-It costs $10,000 to buy
Hades-Log Flume-It costs $10,000 to buy, plus track
Haunted House-Fixed Coaster-It costs $2500 to buy
Hocus Pocus-Spinning Ride-It costs $1250 to buy
Insecticide-Spinning Ride-It costs $750 to buy
Jaw Dropper-Vertical Drop-It costs $2000 to buy
Ooze Crooze-Water Track-It costs $5000 to buy, plus track
Phantom-Simulator-It costs $2000 to buy
Pumpkin Castle-Bumper Cars-It costs $1500 to buy
Putrid Pumpkins-Spinning Ride-It costs $1500 to buy
Rat Race-Merry Go Round-It costs $1200 to buy
Scatty Batty-Roller Coaster-It costs $125000 to buy
Spooky Spider-Special Ride-It costs 3 Gold Tickets to buy the first time, and
$2750 after that
Tentacle Terror-Fixed Coaster-It costs $2500 to buy
APPENDIX C:RIDE INFORMATION FOR WONDER LAND
Dizzy Tree-Spinning Ride-It costs $2500 to buy
Rubber Ringos-Bumper Cars-It costs $2500 to buy
Jelly Bounce-Bouncy Castle-It costs $500 to buy
Flying Flowers-Vertical Lift Ride-It costs $3000 to buy
Flower Power-Centrifuge-It costs $1500 to buy
Caterpillar Capers-Fixed Coaster-It costs $1000 to buy
Candy Coaster-Roller Coaster-It costs $12,500 to buy
Bumper Bugs-Bumper Cars-It costs $2000 to buy
Tapastic Rapids-Water Track-It costs $5000 to buy, plus track
Well Drop-Vertical Drop-It costs $1750 to buy
Bugs TV-Simulator-It costs $1250 to buy
Woodland Racers-Merry Go Round-It costs $1500 to buy
Big Dripper-Log Flume-It costs $10000 to buy, plus track
Spore Spinner-Big Wheel-It costs $1750 to buy
Bumble Buggies-Go Kart-It costs $6500 to buy, plus track
Flamingo Flinger-Spinning Ride-It costs $750 to buy
Tweety Tour-Special Ride-It costs 2 Gold Tickets to buy the first time, and
$3000 after that
Dragon Flier-Special Ride-It costs 5 Gold Tickets to buy the first time, and
$2000 after that
APPENDIX D:RIDE INFORMATION FOR SPACE ZONE
Cosmic Bounce-Bouncy Castle-It costs $500 to buy
Cosmic Cruiser-Special Ride-It costs 2 Gold Tickets to buy the first time, and
$3000 after that
Crater Creature-Spinning Ride-It costs $2500 to buy
Escape Velocity-Roller Coaster-It costs $12500 to buy, plus track
G-Force-Spinning Ride-It costs $2500 to buy
Hover Bot Havoc-Spinning Ride-It costs $1750 to buy
Missile Madness-Spinning Ride-It costs $$2500 to buy
Moon Buggies-Merry Go Round-It costs $750 to buy
Moonshot-Roller Coaster-It Costs $10000 to buy, plus track
Rock N' Roll-Simulator-It costs $2500 to buy
Shocker-Roller Coaster-It costs $12500 to buy
Space Balls-Slide-It costs $750 to buy
Space Racers-Go Kart-It costs $6500 to buy, plus track
Aerotron-Big Wheel-It costs $2000 to buy
Blobulatron-Water Track-It costs $5000 to buy, plus track
Gravitron-Centrifuge-It costs $2500 to buy
Orbiter-Fixed Coaster-It costs $2000 to buy
Tubes of Zob-Vertical Lift-It costs $3000 to buy
UFOria-Bumper Cars-It costs $2000 to buy
Whirligig-Centrifuge-It costs $2000 to buy
Wormhole-Fixed Coaster-It costs $2500 to buy
Zero G-Antigravity Chamber-It costs $2500 to buy
Aerotron-Special Ride-It costs 5 Gold Tickets to buy the first time, and $2000
after that
Cyclone Station-Special Ride-It costs 3 Gold Tickets to buy the first time, and
$1250 after that
-------------SIDESHOW INFORMATION-------------------
APPENDIX E:SIDESHOW INFORMATION FOR LOST KINGDOM
Arcade-Video Arcade-It costs $2000 to build
Giant Puzzle-Puzzle-It costs $2500 to build
Jungle Spray-Shooting Gallery-It costs $1750 to build
Laughing Hyenas-Shooting Gallery-It costs $1750 to build
Strength Bird-Test of Strength-It costs $2000 to build
APPENDIX F:SIDESHOW INFORMATION FOR HALLOWEEN WORLD
Fortune Teller-Fortune Teller-It costs $1500 to build
Giant Puzzle-Puzzle-It costs $2000 to build
Gunge a Ghoul-Shooting Gallery-It costs $2500 to build
Strength Skull-Test of Strength-It costs $1750 to build
Arcade-Video Arcade-It costs $2500 to build
APPENDIX G:SIDESHOW INFORMATION FOR WONDER LAND
Arcade-Video Arcade-It costs $1750 to build
Aqua Spray-Shooting Gallery-It costs $2000 to build
Fruit Shy-Shooting Gallery-It costs $2500 to build
Giant Puzzle-Puzzle-It costs $1750 to build
Strength Flower-Test of Strength-It costs $2000 to build
APPENDIX H:SIDESHOW INFORMATION FOR SPACE ZONE
Arcade-Video Arcade-It costs $2000 to build
Giant Puzzle-Puzzle-It costs $1750 to build
Martian Mooners-Shooting Gallery-It costs $1750 to build
Robot Shooter-Shooting Gallery-It costs $1500 to build
Strength Rocket-Test of Strength-It costs $2250 to build
UFO Blaster-Shooting Gallery-It costs $1750 to build
---------------SHOP INFORMATION--------------
APPENDIX I:SHOP INFORMATION FOR LOST KINGDOM
Balloon Shop-It costs $1500 to build
Burger Shop-It costs $800 to build
Costume Shop-It costs $1750 to build
Drinks Shop-It costs $650 to build
Fries Shop-It costs $750 to build
Gift Shop-It costs $2000 to build
Ice Cream Shop-It costs $650 to build
Steak Restauraunt-It costs $2000 to build
APPENDIX J:SHOP INFORMATION FOR HALLOWEEN WORLD
Balloon Shop-It costs $1500 to build
Burger Shop-It costs $800 to build
Costume Shop-It costs $1750 to build
Drinks Shop-It costs $750 to build
Fries Shop-It costs $750 to build
Gift Shop-It costs $2000 to build
Ice Cream Shop-It costs $650 to build
Restauraunt-It costs $2000 to build
APPENDIX K:SHOP INFORMATION FOR WONDER LAND
Balloon Shop-It costs $1500 to build
Burger Shop-It costs $800 to build
Costume Shop-It costs $1750 to build
Drinks Shop-It costs $750 to build
Fries Shop-It costs $750 to build
Gift Shop-It costs $2000 to build
Ice Cream Shop-It costs $650 to build
Restauraunt-It costs $2000 to build
APPENDIX L:SHOP INFORMATION FOR SPACE ZONE
Balloon Shop-It costs $1500 to build
Burger Shop-It costs $800 to build
Costume Shop-It costs $1750 to build
Drinks Shop-It costs $750 to build
Fries Shop-It costs $750 to build
Gift Shop-It costs $2000 to build
Ice Cream Shop-It costs $650 to build
Moonrock Cafe-It costs $2000 to build
-----------END OF APPENDICES---------------
Acknowledgements:
To Prickly Jack and Fritter, My Cats, For sleeping at my feet and keeping my
toes warm.
To Noah Webster, because I keep misspelling "strategy" as "startegy", and
"Recommend" as "Reccomend"
To Norm Abram, for the constant reminders about shop safety.
To "www.sonicunderground.net" and
"http://www.sonichq.org/cartoon/SatAM/downloads.html", for having sites where
I can download the old Soinc the Hedgehog cartoon! Check 'em out!
This Strategy Guide is copyright 2001 Chaz5000. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
When I first heard about the book Writing Yoga I wasn’t that interested. After all, I thought, I already had a writing practice (here’s my blog) and a yoga practice (heck, I teach yoga…) so what could this book offer to me? I thought it would either be a chore to read, offering redundancy, or perhaps it would somehow break my groove of writing that I’d already established (maybe causing me to doubt myself?). So that’s part of the reason it took me a while to get to this book.
Boy, I sure didn’t have any suspicion of the treat and blessing that this book would be for me to read!
When I finally opened the book, on the first page of the Acknowledgements section I saw Rita Knorr‘s name mentioned. And she is one of my teachers, too! Right away that made everything interesting…
My yoga teachers, Jaye Martin and Rita Knorr, who have become more than teachers, and who knew before I did that practicing yoga and keeping a journal would help me expand in ways that I could not have imagined. Their devotion to yoga, and their belief in the endless possibilities of life, continue to serve as inspiration for my writing and yoga practice.
Throughout the book Bruce Black consistently honors his teachers and shares the big role they have had in his yoga. And I could really relate with his appreciation of teachers overall as well as specifically since we share one: Rita Knorr.
I was reminded of what a special person she is. Through his words I was transported back to when I was a relative beginner in Rita’s class.
It took a number of weeks to feel comfortable with the lively chatter that filled the room throughout class. I was stunned by the steady stream of questions back and forth from student to student as we held each pose, and from students to Rita, and from Rita back to the students. I was accustomed to hearing only one voice—Jaye’s—in class, and to exploring each pose in silence, as I tried to pay attention to what my various muscles were or weren’t able to do.
But soon the questioning and casual banter made each pose feel like a new journey, both personal and communal, and I began to feel myself loosening up a little each week. Little by little, I found that I could take greater and greater risks, pushing past my fear a little further. No longer was I trying to model my pose on an ideal image that I held. I found with Rita’s assistance that I could investigate the pose in a way that would make it my own. I left her class in amazement each week, feeling that I had reached a new level of understanding in my practice. Who knew you could laugh and play while learning yoga?
Indeed.
I was reminded of something important to me as I recollected similar experiences in Rita’s class. She really honored the people in her class, even giving them opportunities to speak and learn together. I love that! It’s the real yoga coming out, I believe. This book is such a tribute to this style of teaching while honoring other styles, too.
And what is so wonderful about Writing Yoga is Bruce Black’s joyful curiosity and interest in his own unfolding understandings as he is learning through his yoga and writing. I thought many times how fun he must be to have as a student in class! (Welcome, Bruce!)
It was this process of writing in the journal each day, before and after yoga practice, that helped me to learn to lower my defenses, let go of the imposters and fake voices, open up and write from my heart.
It’s not too much to say that reading this book helped me to open my heart to the values of an earlier person that I was, around nine years ago, right before I started teaching yoga. So now I am integrating, opening to my heart’s wisdom of what I really want to teach. The timing is impeccable!
It almost seems like I should stop there, but I’m not done, yet.
Writing Yoga does a beautiful job of explaining a writer’s voice. (Read the book to discover this.) And I’ve found my personal writing, the stuff that’s just for me, to be of value again!
I am so grateful for everything that took place so that I could have the experience of first resisting, and then reading this wonderful book that could offer a piece of myself back to me!
Thank you!
(And some of the writing exercises look interesting, too…)
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2347706 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2011%2F10%2Fon-writing-yoga-honoring-teachers-and-having-fun-on-the-path%2FOn+Writing+Yoga%2C+Honoring+Teachers%2C+and+Having+Fun+on+the+Path.2011-10-25+23%3A01%3A55Brooks+Hallhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D234770 to “On Writing Yoga, Honoring Teachers, and Having Fun on the Path.”
I have this book, but haven't read it yet. I love Rita, She does an amazing job to laugh and loosen tension in the room, yet teach you alignment and life lessons. Here is a post I wrote about one of Rita's workshops. http://www.chicagonow.com/ups-and-downs-of-a-yoga…
Thanks for sharing that, Beth! I think it is so important to honor each other, and our experiences. Reading the book ‘Writing Yoga’ helped me to remember that I’ve experienced a great teacher and witnessed an awesome human being in Rita Knorr! And Bruce Black seems pretty awesome, too. I’ve been reading excerpts to my yoga classes in line with my October theme of ‘balance’ and students are interested in the book! | {
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Posts Tagged ‘News’
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As you can see, the podcast and the site is not updated for a few weeks ago and we apologize. Due to problems with hosting of podcast / website and some personal obligations, the next podcast is not available before few months.
Thank you for your waiting !!
Hope you Stay Tuned!
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Firstly I want to apologize, it’s been over a month that I have not updated my podcast. Holidays and moving does not help, I shall slowly but surely in the bath. Still having no internet connection, it does not help matters. The episode should nevertheless be put online later this weekend if there is no contingency by then. Program, full of electronica, house and minimal.
A project of the evening is also being considered, more information soon. | {
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mgo.licio.us
"The face of the operation is Briatore (referred to exclusively in the film by his colleagues and angry, chanting detractors as "Flavio"), an anthropomorphic radish who spends most of his time at QPR plotting to fire all of the managers."
At press time, Harbaugh had sent Michigan’s athletic department an envelope containing a heavily annotated seating chart, a list of the 63,000 seat views he had found unsatisfactory, and a glowing 70-page report on section 25, row 12, seat 9, which he claimed is “exactly what the great sport of football is all about.”
Ten is too much. Plus I like the odd format so that when we play 5 BIg ten home games we play 1 nonconference road game but both OSU and MSU on the road. When we play 4 BT home games we play all nonconference at home plus both MSU and OSU at home. Guarantees 7 home games every year and when OSU and MSU are not home we get a big time home game against a power 5 team. I don't like MSU OSU home and road in the same season but theoretically it evens out the schedule
agreed but they lost close games to NW, louisville, and fsu. 20 returning starters after an 8-5 record means they should be much improved. They are not the 11th best team but considering their schedule they can easily win 9 or 10 games which would put them in the top 15 at the seasons end
For year 1 Chryst should have the most wins based on schedule and talent. Harbaugh and Riley will probably match with 8 or 9 wins each. In the long haul I think all three might be elite coaches. Chryst is a Wisconsin guy who knows their system and Harbaugh is Harbaugh. Riley should do wonders with better talent and more exposure at Nebraska
Women are qualified but not at the NFL level. There are hundreds of coaches out there that would die for her job and a coach is hired based on qualifications. What makes her more qualified than any other candidate is my question?? | {
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9 mo, still spitting up A LOT, but not when bottle-fed BM
I'm looking for some advice, Mamas. I have a 9 month old who is spitting up a lot more in the past few weeks after having slowed down for awhile and I'm both fried on the mountains of laundry and worried that my little guy is struggling (Dr says no problem as long as he's gaining and happy, which he is).
I have OS/OALD and have been block nursing for maybe 6 months or more to address this. At one point I was switching sides every 6-8 hours, but after he turned 6 months, my supply seemed to dwindle at that interval so we gradually transitioned to 4 hour blocks. This seemed to be going fine for quite some time, still some spitting up, but not the niagara falls that it had been. I'm thinking that now I'll go back up to 6 hours again and see...
I have BF this babe and my older guy (almost 3 and weaned about a month ago) and had a couple of plugged ducts over the years, but no mastitis until about 2 weeks ago when I went out of town with both of them (without my husband!) for a long, harrowing car trip and crazy weekend. I thought about whether the weaning might be connected, but he was down to one brief nursing session each morning for a long time before we stopped, so it didn't seem like a huge change supply/demand-wise.
The boy LOVES solids and eats like a fiend, but this also has not enabled him to keep it down any more (I thought maybe the thicker consistency would help).
I have tried eliminating soy and dairy a couple of times with no noticeable change in the puking pattern. I know there are other things I could try, but here's the thing that makes me think it's not a food sensitivity: When I go to work and my husband gives him BM from a bottle, he often goes the whole day until I get home with no spitting up at all! And then I get home and we nurse and voila! 6 pukes per hour sometimes.
I just want to know if you all can recommend anything else to try?
Also, thanks for reading my long first post
Re: 9 mo, still spitting up A LOT, but not when bottle-fed B
Hi meganemma! Wow I almost could have written your post! So here is what is so similar- I also have always had overproduction/forceful letdown. My 9 month old daughter also spits up alot, and it's grosser because now some solids are mixed in. yuck and peeyew!
I also found it calms down for a while and then comes back. I am also trying to figure out why it comes back. My best guess is that as she ages and nurses a bit less frequently the milk builds up in my breasts and the flow becomes harder to handle. I also think that she is getting more pressure on her tummy and ‘shook up’ more now due to how we have to hold her (and sometimes grab her) as she gets not only much heavier and longer but also more adventurous and mobile (crawling, climbing, standing, giving me heart attacks etc.) We have also found certain foods seemed to be culprits. Avocado, a favorite of my older kids, does not seem to sit well with my daughter. I also think she spits up worse when she drinks more than just a few sips of water with her solid 'meal." I keep telling my husband to remember her tummy is still very very tiny and to not worry so much about 'pushing' the water, she is still very well hydrated from breast milk.
So, I never bothered with block feeding. I found (and still find) that nursing very frequently, nursing 'laid back' and (if baby pulls off) letting my let down spray into a burp rag works well enough for us. You know what works for you so if block nursing has worked in the past, that makes sense. It will, of course, reduce milk production as that is what it is supposed to do. So if that is a concern in any way, that is something to think about.
This is my third go around with overproduction and major spitting up kids and I agree with your doctor, As long as baby is happy and healthy this is NOT a problem for baby. And some kids just have more delicate tummies. My second has a history of gagging and even vomiting at the drop of a hat-certain smells, too empty tummy, too full tummy, etc. Now 6, he is way, way better with this than he was as a toddler. I think he is just outgrowing it. And yet with all this, he and my oldest are both very very healthy and strong, as baby is as well. Funny, he (my second) was also the younger of a tandem nursed duo...I wonder if there was an overabundance when my oldest weaned? But they were both much older than your two when that happened, and it's all a blur to me now.
Food allergies via breastmilk do happen of course but are rare. I agree it does not sound like this is the problem.
Re: 9 mo, still spitting up A LOT, but not when bottle-fed B
with your doc and with LLLMeg. Spitting in an otherwise happy, healthy baby- it's a laundry problem, not a health problem. Just lay in some more bibs.
I also found that the spit-up frequency would wax and wane with time. Overall, the trend was for fewer spit-up events, but there were times when my older LO was still spitting up as frequently as a newborn. I don't know why!
Re: 9 mo, still spitting up A LOT, but not when bottle-fed B
Thanks so much for the prompt reassurances! I generally have the feeling that everything is fine, but sometimes lose sight of that when I'm on my third outfit and his fifth by 10am...! It just seems so crazy and other parents often seem shocked when they see how much he spits up, but I know there's a wide range within the "normal" category...
And I think you're right, lllmeg, about the movement thing. He has become much more mobile in the past month and is so often lurching and twisting, pressing on his belly. All that and trying to pop through with his two front teeth. I guess it does make sense, but it is just so helpful to hear that others have been through it and it actually turns out just fine | {
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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Miracle Beach
This is Miracle Beach, one of my favorites I used to catch pretty frequently on HBO around 2 in the morning in the early 90's. It seemed like this always came on right after Dream On. Why I was up at 2 in morning watching Dream On and Miracle Beach when I was 11, I don't know.
Miracle Beach is comedy about a hot lovelorn genie starring Dean Cameron, Ami Dolenz and Pat Morita. It was directed by Skott Snider (yes, with a 'K'), you may remember his work on Playboy's Video Centerfold: Playmate of the Year Reneé Tenison, and Playboy: Wet & Wild II. Miracle Beach has been out of print on VHS for a good 15 years and as of this post it has never been released on DVD anywhere in the world. Shame really.
The plot, as written by some dude on the IMDB:
"A romantically hapless young man (Scott) has his life changed when he finds the proverbial genie-in-a-bottle, in this case a very comely lass (Jeannie). With Jeannie granting wishes left and right, Scott soon has a fine house, a wonderful car, and a chance to impress the girl of his dreams. But is this the way to true happiness?"
By traditional standards, this is not a very good movie. However, for some reason I really find it to be an enjoyable, and dare I say sweet movie - terrible 90's fashion aside. (Dean, is that a shirt or a Jamaican flag?) I think if you enjoy slightly fantasy based comedies with likable leads and a bit of heart thrown in for good measure, or you just like Dean Cameron and Ami Dolenz you should at least get something out of this one.
While I'm here, I thought I'd plug a book some of you guys might want to check out. Simon, of the band Mary Shelley Overdrive has just published a collection of 16 pulp stories from the 1930's and 40's entitled Hideous Sexy: Giant Shock Show Vol. 1. For more info on the book, plus several others check out Penny Dreadful Books
He was kind enough to let me advertise my site in the book, so I thought it was only fair to return the favor and advertise the book here on the site. Plus, look at the cover, how could you not be intrigued? Readers of this site who are interested in purchasing a copy can get 15% Off by using the code NWSHAFU6 over at CreateSpace. Tell them Phelpster sent you, they'll know what that means.
26 comments:
Thanks for the shout out Phelpster! And wow, I've got no memory of Miracle Beach, even though I used to watch Dream On whenever I got the chance. Is that on DVD yet? And whatever happened to Brian Benben? It's like he dropped off the face of the earth.
Thanks for Miracle Beach, I don't ever remember seeing this one, gonna check it out. I love Dean Cameron. Also thanks for the info Hideous Sexy: Giant Shock Show Vol. 1, I just placed an order for it, cant wait to read it.
Miracle Beach is one of my favorites! It's so light and carefree. I'm definitely a sucker for movies where the poor schlub gets involved in a life makeover due to magic or epic happenstance. See the James Belushi films for further reference as well.
Speakig of Cinemageddon, there is a hd-rip of Miracle Beach there now too, which looks gorgeous.
Why Miracle Beach hasn't hit dvd yet is one of life's great mysteries.
Mission - Sweet fancy Moses, thank you! I don't know how I missed that. I'm scared to death of my ratio over there dropping any lower so I don't really visit all that often, I probably should though. I'm downloading it now (52m 21s left!) and I plan on making a nice DVD of it in about an hour here. Thanks a lot for pointing that out to me. I should probably replace what I posted with the HD rip here soon. | {
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KLewis
About Katharine Lewis
With my season as a Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow research technician nearing the half-way point, I enjoy reflecting on all of the new things out in Everglades National Park that I experienced in my first weeks as a technician. I still find unexpected pleasures out in the field that I have never encountered before. […]
I worked with Seaside sparrows in New Jersey saltmarshes before my job with Ecostudies on the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow project. There are several key differences between this current technician job and the work I did in the past, most notably the habitat. The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (CSSS), a subspecies of the Seaside […]
Even though fires are an important part of maintaining the species and habitats that we are working to protect in the Everglades ecosystem, often when there are fires in the park we can’t go out to do our sparrow research. A small wind-shift or a stray ember could potentially put us in a dangerous […]
By Katharine Lewis|April 15th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Practicing Point Counts with Meadowlarks|
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Sign up for our e- newsletter! 2 or 3 times a year we will send you an email highlighting our latest projects and most recent discoveries. | {
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Posted!
Join the Nation's Conversation
Bureaucracy hindered search for slain brother
Anjeanette Damon, USA TODAY
2:03 a.m. EST March 8, 2014
Las Vegas cab driver Keith Goldberg went missing in January 2012. Because Goldberg's assailants left him dead within the boundaries of a national park property -- Lake Mead National Recreation Area -- getting permission to search delayed finding his remains.(Photo: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)
RENO -- Las Vegas cab driver Keith Goldberg's siblings say they knew almost immediately that something terrible had happened to their brother when he went missing in January 2012.
Goldberg's brother Jeffrey was flying into Las Vegas to watch the Super Bowl with Keith. When Keith stopped returning his brother's calls, and his ex-girlfriend called him in sick to work, Jeffrey Goldberg went to the police. Eleven weeks later, police arrested Keith Goldberg's former girlfriend, Georgene Ross, and her estranged husband, Christopher Ross, on charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The two have pleaded not guilty to both charges. Their trial is scheduled for January 2015. Police said they believe the couple killed Goldberg during a fight in his Henderson, Nev., apartment on Jan. 31, 2012.
Police had enough evidence to make an arrest, but they didn't have Keith Goldberg's body. Keith's family wanted the closure of finding his remains, and so the 54-year-old cab driver's family began what became a year-long odyssey to find them.
Because Goldberg's assailants had left him within the boundaries of a national park property — Lake Mead National Recreation Area — getting permission to search became an issue. That was just the start of the bureaucratic tangle.
"The police, once they've made the arrest, they're not in the business of recovery," said Keith Goldberg's sister Jodi Goldberg, a vice president of a national accounting association in Alexandria, Va. "They had made their case. They did their job. So it's not like the movies or TV. Once an arrest is made, they're not going to spend time on a recovery."
Unable to convince the police department to continue the search of the vast Southern Nevada desert, the Goldbergs reached out to the newly formed Red Rock Search and Rescue Group. The all-volunteer force was trained, maintained strong ties with local law enforcement agencies, and became dedicated to finding Keith Goldberg's body.
"Early on, we wanted to search Lake Mead," said Vice Commander Dana Richardson, noting that police had some cell tower evidence that the suspects were in the vicinity at the time of Goldberg's disappearance.
But the group couldn't just walk into the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and begin a search. A special use permit was needed. The group applied for the permit on May 16, 2012. Six days later, the park service told them they would need a $1 million liability insurance policy — the cost of which the fledgling volunteer organization couldn't afford.
Las Vegas cab driver Keith Goldberg’s remains were found in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada.(Photo: National Park Service)
It took 10 months and a fundraiser organized by the Goldberg family for the group to obtain the insurance. The permit was granted April 12, 2013. Within three hours of beginning the search on April 14, volunteers found Goldberg's partial remains.
"I never would've guessed in a million years that searching for remains on public land would be an issue," Jodi Goldberg said. "The thought never would've occurred to me. Having gone through it, it's just horrible. I don't want anyone else to go through it."
About the same time, another volunteer operation was trying to obtain access to Lake Mead to search for the body of a drowned Air Force sergeant. Antonio Tucker had drowned in the lake on June 23, 2012. An intensive but fruitless search organized by the park service was called off. Steve Schaffer of Las Vegas-based Earth Resource Group wanted to help, offering to search the lake with a high-tech side-scan sonar and team of diving experts. It took him six months to obtain a permit and another four months to organize the search. They found Tucker's body within two days of launching the search on April 16. "It was just a real red tape issue to get out there and help," Schaffer said.
Christie Vanover, public affairs officer at Lake Mead, said it was never the park service's intent to delay the searches. "Liability insurance is required to protect the individuals involved in case there is an incident, as well as to protect the (natural) resources," Vanover said. "With a large amount of people combing through the desert, there could be damage."
The two incidents prompted U.S. Rep. Joe Heck to author the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act, which would allow qualified and trained search and rescue groups expedited access to park service land if they sign a liability waiver. The bill passed the House in January and is now pending in the U.S. Senate.
The delay in access doesn't seem to be a widespread problem within the park service. Neither Heck's office, nor search and rescue volunteers with national experience said they've encountered permitting requirements or bureaucratic impediments at other parks.
"When I was first contacted by the congressman's office, it was the very first time I had ever heard of anything like that," said Howard Paul, public affairs manager for the National Association for Search and Rescue.
Heck's spokesman Greg Lemon said his office had a difficult time ascertaining why the liability insurance was required in the first place. Lemon said Lake Mead's personnel was saying it was a national policy, but the national office was saying it was local discretion.
"We were getting conflicting stories from all the parties involved, so at that point we decided, let's go ahead and do this bill and get this straight for everybody," Lemon said.
Mike Litterst, a Washington D.C.-based spokesman for the park service, said there is no national policy that "spells out specifically how parks are to undertake search and recovery."
Outside groups who use the parks as a location for an event — a picnic, a fireworks show, a commemoration event or a search — generally need to get liability insurance to protect the government from liability, Litterst added The trigger for the insurance is the need for a special use permit.
Individual park visitors injured during a visit due to park negligence can file administrative tort claims, which is essentially the way around the federal government's sovereign immunity, according to Litterst. The claim is ruled on by the U.S. Solicitor's Office and can be appealed in federal court.
In the Goldberg case, searchers had to access steep and rocky terrain, Lake Mead's Vanover said, necessitating the $1 million in insurance.
The park service isn't supportive of Heck's bill, although park officials have expressed willingness to work with Heck to resolve his concerns, associate director Cam Sholly said in testimony before a House committee.
"My hopes are that my brother's legacy will help other people in this type of situation," Jeffrey Goldberg said.
The Goldbergs were finally able to take custody of their brother's remains in February. The court case against the suspects in his death is still pending. The family is planning a memorial in the spring. | {
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You are here
Man jailed after Norwich crime spree
A 23-year-old who committed 14 offences in just three hours has been described as "a very serious danger to the public” after his crime spree last year.
Judge Stephen Holt made the comment as he sentenced Jake Killick, from Thetford but of no fixed abode, to a life sentence with a minimum term of 11 years and 14 days before being considered for parole.
The sentencing follows a trial held at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday 24 January 2018 where Killick was found guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault, one count of assault by penetration, one count of false imprisonment, one count of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and three counts of robbery - all of which were committed between 4.30am and 7.38am on Thursday 30 March 2017.
The sequence of events was as follows (below times are approximate):
4.35am - A woman reported being sexually assaulted on Riverside Road
6.08 - 6.30am - The second call came from a woman who reported that she had been assaulted and raped multiple times in the area near to Ten Bell Court.
6.50am - A woman reported being sexually assaulted near to Castle Meadow.
7am - Police received a call from a woman who said she had been grabbed and assaulted by a man in the underpass on St Stephens. She suffered minor facial injuries
7.35am - The final call came in after a man had been robbed of his wallet in London Street.
Numerous police units were deployed to the city centre to carry out a search for the suspect and enquiries led to Killick being detained at Norwich train station at 8.15am.
Detective Inspector Chris Burgess, from Norwich CID, said: "Killick went on a horrid crime spree which significantly impacted on the lives of his victims. I would like to commend them on their bravery and commitment in achieving this conviction.
"These horrendous crimes will undoubtedly stay with them for a long time and I hope today's sentence offers them a form of closure in what has been a very difficult time.
"I've never seen a series of crimes, so serious in nature, committed in such a short space of time. Killick's actions on that day are inexcusable and the public should feel safer now he is behind bars.
"This case shows how the community, including businesses, can come together to bring violent offenders to justice, and I would like to thank them for their help in securing a positive outcome.”
A 23-year-old who committed 14 offences in just three hours has been found guilty at Norwich Crown Court today, Wednesday 24 January 2018.
Jake Killick, from Thetford but of no fixed abode, appeared at court after being charged with six counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, one count of assault by penetration, one count of false imprisonment, one count of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and three counts of robbery - all of which were committed between 4.30am and 7.38am on Thursday 30 March 2017.
The sequence of events was as follows (below times are approximate):
4.35am - A woman reported being sexually assaulted on Riverside Road
6.08 - 6.30am - The second call came from a woman who reported that she had been assaulted and raped multiple times in the area near to Ten Bell Court.
6.50am - A woman reported being sexually assaulted near to Castle Meadow.
7am - Police received a call from a woman who said she had been grabbed and assaulted by a man in the underpass on St Stephens. She suffered minor facial injuries
7.35am - The final call came in after a man had been robbed of his wallet in London Street.
Numerous police units were deployed to the city centre to carry out a search for the suspect and enquiries led to Killick being detained at Norwich train station at 8.15am.
Detective Inspector Chris Burgess, from Norwich CID, said: "Killick went on a horrid crime spree which significantly impacted on the lives of his victims. These horrendous crimes will undoubtedly stay with them for a long time and I hope today's verdict offers them a form of closure in what has been a very difficult time.
"I've never seen a series of crimes, so serious in nature, committed in such a short space of time. Killick's actions on that day are inexcusable and he should expect to spend a considerable time behind bars where he is no longer a threat to the public.
"This case shows how the community, including businesses, can come together to bring violent offenders to justice, and I would like to thank them for their help in securing a positive outcome.”
Killick was also found guilty of breaching a restraining order, but was found not guilty of a further rape charge on Friday 5 January 2017. | {
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Testing with Xcode
Automating the Test Process
In addition to running tests interactively during development, take advantage of automating test runs using a server.
Server-Based Testing with Continuous Integration
The Xcode testing capabilities, used interactively, ensure that your code stays on track with respect to its specified requirements and ensure that bugs which develop are easy to find and fix. A suite of fast-running functional tests proofs your work as you go and ensures solid app foundations that you can build upon efficiently and confidently.
That said, successful development projects tend to grow beyond the bounds of a single developer to implement and maintain. Like source management, automated testing on a server provides benefits by allowing your development effort to scale to the needs of a team smoothly and efficiently.
Here are some benefits of using server-based testing:
Using a server for offline build and test frees your development system to do implementation and debugging, particularly in the case when the full suite of tests takes a long time to run.
All members of the development team run the same tests on the server by using the same scheme, thus enhancing test consistency. A server also makes build products available to the entire team, just as with build and test reports.
You can adjust scheduling to both the project needs and your team needs. For instance, test runs can start when any member of the team commits new work to the source management system, or periodically, at set times. Test runs can also be started manually whenever required.
The server runs the tests time after time, in exactly the same way. The reportage from the server benefits you and your team by giving you over time a picture of build issues, build warnings, and test resolutions.
Your projects can be tested on many more destinations, automatically—and with more economy—than on a manually run testing system. For example, you can have an arbitrary number of iOS devices connected to the server, and with a single configuration, the system can build and test the libraries, apps, and tests on all of them, and in multiple versions of Simulator as well.
Command Line Testing
Using Xcode command-line tools, you can script and automate both the building and testing of your project. Use this capability to take advantage of existing build automation systems.
Running tests with xcodebuild
The xcodebuild command-line tool drives tests just like the Xcode IDE. Run xcodebuild with the action test and specify different destinations with the -destination argument. For example, to test MyApp on the local macOS “My Mac 64 Bit,” specify that destination and architecture with this command:
If you have development-enabled devices plugged in, you can call them out by name or id. For example, if you have an iPod touch named “Development iPod touch” connected that you want to test your code on, you use the following command:
The -destination arguments can be chained together, letting you issue just one command to perform integrations across the destinations for the specified shared scheme. For example, the following command chains the previous three examples together into one command:
> xcodebuild test -project MyAppProject.xcodeproj -scheme MyApp
-destination 'platform=OS X,arch=x86_64'
-destination 'platform=iOS,name=Development iPod touch'
-destination 'platform=Simulator,name=iPhone,OS=9.0'
If any tests fail, xcodebuild returns a nonzero exit code.
For more information, see How do I run unit tests in OS X and iOS from the command line? in Building from the Command Line with Xcode FAQ. You can also get complete usage information for the xcodebuild command with the following command:
> man xcodebuild
Using ssh with xcodebuild
Invoking xcodebuild from a remote login with ssh (or from a launch demon) fails unless the correct session environment is created on the host.
An “Aqua session” environment is created when you interactively log into your macOS system as a user. Aqua sessions initialize the infrastructure of the macOS interactive environment; they are required in order to be able to run macOS apps. To be more specific, code using UI frameworks (AppKit or UIKit) needs to run in an Aqua session. Because of this requirement, testing on macOS (and also testing on the Simulator, itself an macOS app) requires an Aqua session.
By default, when you use ssh to login to an macOS system that has no active user session running, a command-line session is created. To ensure that an Aqua session is created for an ssh login, you must have a user logged in on the remote macOS host system. The existence of a user running on the remote system forces Aqua session for the ssh login.
Once there is a user running on the host system, running xcodebuild from an ssh login works for all types of tests. For example, the following Terminal app commands run the tests defined for “MyApp” on the development system host from ssh:
Using Xcode Server and Continuous Integration
Xcode supports a fully integrated, server-based continuous integration workflow through Xcode Server. Xcode Server, available in macOS Server, automates the integration process of building, analyzing, testing, and archiving your app. Using Xcode Server and the continuous integration workflow is designed to be seamless and transparent to your interactive development work. | {
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Manufacturer Spec Sheet
Engineering specifications show exact measurements, power requirements and product options.
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Product Details
An ice machine should have the same qualities as any partner in your restaurant, after all he works for you right? So look for all the same qualities; dependable, hardworking, trustworthy, etc. You’ll find all those qualities, plus more in this 520 lb Full Cube Ice Machine (ICE0520FA) from Ice-O-Matic.
Dependable, thanks to Harvest Assist, which helps guides the ice down the chute. Hardworking, due to Pure Ice technology that keeps pure and consistent ice production with inhibited bacteria growth and limited energy usage. And it's trustworthy because you’re backed by the longest warranty in the industry from Ice-O-Matic.
Features
Ultra-low profile design
Durable stainless exterior finish/stainless steel interior
Full sized ice cubes
Benefits
Built in antimicrobial protection with Pure Ice
Electroless nickel plating prevents the long-term damaging effects of water and ice
Harvest Assist clears ice off the freezing surface for fast, consistent ice production
Take advantage of an exciting opportunity to extend the evaporator warranty on your new Ice-O-Matic cube ice machine. Simply add the IFQ1 water filter from Ice-O-Matic and replace it every six months to extend the evaporator warranty to an incredible seven years, parts and labor.
Editorial Review
Harvest Assist is the Bees Knees
By Kelly,
FSW Product Expert on 4/27/2010
This ice machine is great for a business that has around 90 seats or so. The machine has a lot of great features, but one of the best innovations is the harvest assist feature. All too often, ice machine manufacturers forget that if ice isn’t fully cleared from the area where it is being made, the result is deformed ice or ice made using partially new ice and some really old ice. The build-up of ice can result in reduced production. But Ice-O-Matic uses harvest assist, which actively removes the ice from the mold, ensuring there is no back up of production. | {
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Your Guide to Getting Pregnant
Prenatal Genetic Carrier Screening
April 14, 2018
What is Carrier Screening?
You may have heard of carrier screening from your OB/GYN or midwife. You may also have heard about it from a friend or family member. Carrier screening is a test typically ordered by your midwife or OB/GYN. The test requires a blood draw and analyzes your DNA. The test is looking for markers in your DNA that signal that you are a carrier for a genetic disorder. Some examples of these genetic disorders are listed below.
Cystic Fibrosis
Tay Sachs Disease
Fragile X Syndrome
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Gaucher Disease
A Quick Lesson in Genetics
To understand carrier screening I am going to give you a brief tutorial in genetics. Your DNA comes in 26 pairs of chromosomes- making up 46 individual chromosomes. One chromosome in the pair comes from your mom and one chromosome comes from your dad. Each chromosome in the pair codes for the same basic stuff. For example, if chromosome pair #18 has the code for eye color, one chromosome could say brown and one could say blue, but they both code for eye color. The chromosome that codes for brown would mask or hide the chromosome that codes for blue and your eyes would come out brown.
Genetic Mutations
Ok, so back to mutations. In your DNA you could have a mutation on one chromosome that codes for cystic fibrosis, but your other chromosome in the pair could be normal. The normal chromosome would mask, or hide the abnormal chromosome and you would be healthy. This is what we call a “silent carrier.” You still carry the abnormal mutation, but it is not being expressed.
Now, when you have a baby your body randomly selects which chromosome of the pair you pass onto your baby. The same occurs for your partner to make a new 23 pairs. Now if you pass on the chromosome with the mutation and your partner passes on a chromosome without a mutation, your baby is also a silent carrier. However, if your partner is also a silent carrier and also passes on a chromosome with the mutation your baby will have the disease. In this case that is cystic fibrosis. You have a 25% chance of having a healthy baby who isn’t a carrier, a 50% chance of having a baby who is a silent carrier and a 25% chance of having a baby with the disease. You can see this depicted below.
How Does Carrier Screening Work?
Let’s go back to carrier screening. So it is possible to be healthy and not know you are a silent carrier of a serious disease. This is where carrier screening comes in. Carrier screening analyzes your blood to see if you are a carrier of a disease.
Most people are a carrier for something. This is not a reason to worry or panic. Even if your test comes back and you are a carrier for something awful, it is only a problem if your partner is also a carrier.
If you are a carrier the genetic counselor (or midwife or doctor) will reach out to you to have your partner tested. Now depending on what you were a carrier for, you may be able to send in a saliva sample or you may need to come in for a blood draw. This test is exactly the same. This test is looking to see if your partner is a carrier of any genetic mutation that leads to an identifiable disease.
What Do Your Results Mean?
Your results may come back and say you are not a carrier for any genetic disease. Congratulations, you are done.
More likely, your results may come back and say you are a carrier for a genetic disease and you need to have your partner tested. So you partner completes the same test you did. You may find out your partner is not a carrier for any genetic disease. Congratulations, you are also done.
However you may find out your partner is a carrier for a genetic disease. If this is the case you will most likely set-up a consultation with a genetic counselor. This can be in person of over the phone.
If the disease or diseases your husband is a carrier for are not the same as the disease or diseases you are a carrier for you are most likely in the clear.
However, if you are both carriers of the same disease it does not mean you need to split up and find a new partner. You still have options.
What Happens if my partner and I are Carriers of the Same Genetic Disorder?
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
This depends on whether or not you are already pregnant. If you are not yet pregnant you could opt for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is expensive and does require you to undergo IVF. If you and your partner screened positive on carrier screening your doctor will first want to create a “probe” for your specific mutations. The lab is then able to use this probe to search the embryo’s DNA for your specific mutations before implantation.
With PGD, just like with IVF, you first need to have your eggs retrieved and then fertilized with sperm to form embryos. The embryos are then allowed to grow and multiply under optimal conditions for a few days until there are enough cells for testing.
Once the embryos are large enough for testing, the lab removes DNA from the embryos and tests the DNA for a general panel of genetic mutations as well as uses your probe to look for your mutation. The lab then selects only the embryos that are genetically normally and lacking your mutations for implantation.
Diagnostic Testing
If you are already pregnant you can undergo diagnostic testing to find out if your baby carries two copies of the mutation. If you and your partner screened positive on carrier screening your doctor will want to create a probe for your specific mutations. There are two diagnostic tests available.
The first is called Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS). CVS can be done between 10 and 14 weeks. With CVS the doctor removes a sample of DNA from the placenta and tests it for mutations. The lab can use your probe to detect the presence of your specific mutations. This will tell you if your baby has the disease, is a silent carrier, or has 2 normal copies of the gene.
The second is called Amniocentesis. Amniocentesis is similar to CVS in that it tests for the same things. However, doctors typically perform amniocentesis between 15 and 20 weeks. With amniocentesis your doctor is taking a sample of the amniotic fluid and the lab tests this sample for mutations. The lab can also use your probe to detect your specific mutations.
Who Pays for Carrier Screening?
Many insurance companies will pay for the majority of carrier screening. Some insurance companies may consider carrier screening medically unnecessary or require pre-authorization. If your insurance requires pre-authorization your doctor’s office should be aware. In either case, you can always be on the safe side and contact your insurance company to find out what your cost will be.
The cost of carrier screening may also go towards your deductible. However, if you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant this year, you will likely hit your deductible anyway.
Carrier screening is a test every couple should consider. It can detect mutations that CVS and amniocentesis alone cannot detect. Carrier screening could be your only indicator that your child could have a serious genetic disorder. Contact your doctor or midwife today to get tested.
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About Me
Hi! My name is Kara and I am a midwife and pediatric nurse living and working in New York City.
I started The Fertile Times to help women access accurate and research-based information on fertility and pregnancy. I believe information is power and I hope this site can help empower you to take control of your own fertility.
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The Fertile Times 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. | {
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Clemson Athletics | September 21, 2018
Clemson soccer: Tigers upend No. 4 Virginia in double overtime
CLEMSON, S.C. – Sam Staab and Mariana Speckmaier combined for the game-winning corner kick and goal to lead the Tigers to a thrilling 1-0 double-overtime victory over the previously undefeated and fourth-ranked Virginia Cavaliers on Thursday night at Historic Riggs Field. With the win, the Tigers improved to 7-3 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, while the Cavaliers fell to 7-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
#TFW You wake up remembering you beat the No. 4 team in the country last night! #WinTheDay
HOW IT WAS DECIDED
Speckmaier went one-on-one with a Cavalier defender near the end line, making a move that was deflected out of bounds, setting up the Tigers’ third corner kick of the match. Staab took the corner on the far side of the field, sending the ball into the box and finding the head of Speckmaier, who redirected the ball right into the back of the net.
The win over No. 4 Virginia was Clemson’s first upset over a top-five team in just over three years, as the Tigers defeated No. 5 Notre Dame on Sept. 19, 2015. The score of that game was also 1-0, and the contest was also played at home at Historic Riggs Field.
The Tigers kept Virginia off the scoreboard for the first time during the 2018 campaign. In fact, it was the first time the Cavaliers were held scoreless since Nov. 3, 2017, a 1-0 loss to No. 2 Duke in the ACC Semifinals. Virginia was averaging 3.14 goals per game entering the match.
Junior goalkeeper Sandy MacIver tied a season high with four saves, while picking up her fourth clean sheet of the season, the ninth solo shutout of her Clemson career.
Staab’s assist on the game-winning goal was her fifth of the season, and the 27th of her Clemson career. She is currently tied for fifth, with All-American Deliah Arrington, in the Clemson record books for career assists. | {
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Best Happy Hour for Eating
O-Ku
Staff Pick
We may have mentioned this once or twice before in the past, but journalists are very poor people. And so, we usually find ourselves digging through a chilled grocery store display of raw fish, with its stiff rice and questionable sources, rather than seated at O-Ku, Upper King's decadent sushi joint. Unless we can get there between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Then we can buy our rolls half-off, with even the most expensive now coming in at a very practical $7.50. When we're really broke, there's the more traditional negihama, which we can always manage to throw down a measly three bucks for. | {
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histoGraph
Overall, „CUbRIK will provide programmable pipelines implementing workflow for search-based processes coordinated across machine, human and crowd-sourced tasks for the three typical processes of multimedia search: content, query, relevance feedback processing. Specific components will be developed to support entity-based time and space-aware search capabilities, based on accurate repositories of spatio-temporal entities (locations, events, trends), correlated with rich semantic associations.“ — all applied to digitized sources on the history of European integration. | {
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The Mission-Specific Induction Training Standards are mandatory for all peacekeeping personnel (including military, police, international and national civilian staff and UN Volunteers) upon arrival to the mission. The aim of the Mission-Specific Induction Training Standards for Peacekeeping personnel is to equip peacekeepers with knowledge of issues that are considered to be of importance to the mission and will enhance their early integration into the system and also facilitate commencement of early support to mission operations.
Integrated Induction Training
Specialised Induction
Induction Training refers to training that is delivered to DPO/DOS headquarters staff upon arrival at United Nations headquarters in New York or as part of mission-specific training that is delivered for new recruits in a DPO-led mission. This may include generic and specialized training, including training for military police and civilian personnel.
Self-paced Online Induction Courses
In keeping with the overall objective of strengthening staff awareness about crosscutting issues of importance to the UN and peacekeeping missions, and to facilitate staff integration into the system, ITS collaborated with some subject specialists and mission trainers to develop self-paced online courses that could be studied by new staff just before entry into missions or as part of the induction training package. The major contents of the courses which have been adapted for mission use are drawn from the updated Core Pre-deployment Training Materials (CPTM) for peacekeeping personnel.
United Nations Volunteers and uniformed personnel may also have access to the courses via the site https://elearning.un.org by using their INSPIRA LMS account > "Main Menu" > "Self Service" > "Learning" > "My Learning" > Enter the Course Title in "Search Learning Catalog" pane.
Training or learning activity for military, police, or civilian peacekeeping personnel undertaken during their duty assignment, subsequent to induction, at Headquarters or in a peacekeeping mission. It may include "refresher" training for reinforcing previous individual or collective training and "on-the -job training" to address gaps in attributes, skills and knowledge or enhancement of skills in different areas and at different stages of deployment. It may be based on individual or mission or organisational needs.
Mandatory Training
Other Training
The Organization requires that all staff members including uniformed personnel take the Mandatory courses listed. In addition to these, other courses are required for certain groups of staff as laid out in the subsequent sections. These courses are accessible in various ways. Some are only available online through the INSPIRA system which is also the easiest way for tracking and recording completion of mandatory courses. To register log into INSPIRA go to Main Menu – Self-service – Learning – My Learning.
Click on the link to download the list of mandatory courses for each personnel category:
Civilian
Military
Police
Please contact your mission’s Integrated Mission Training Centre (IMTC) or training focal points for the schedule and other details of the trainings.
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In Mission Training
In-mission training refers to all training activities and learning initiatives undertaken after deployment to missions, by military, police, or civilian peacekeeping personnel. It includes induction training delivered on arrival, to equip peacekeepers with knowledge of issues considered to be important to the UN and the mission and sharing of information required by incoming personnel to enhance their early integration into the system. It also includes ongoing training activities undertaken during their duty assignment, subsequent to induction. | {
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Technology Software Engineering
5 Key Takeaways on the Road to Dominating Services
It is up to us to see to it that we are still in a better position to ensure that we have proper hygiene. We need to see to it that we can still have some of the best living practices that can contribute to us having better health. We need to see to it that we can have the best routine that can be vital to our health all the time. We need to always have the best attention on the things that we do in order for us to have the kind of health that we need. There are some known ways that we can always follow for us to have to have the right health that we can be proud of. Looking for a professional to take care of our health is one of the fundamental ways that we can achieve this.
When we are looking for the right people we can always prefer the chiropractor as one of the professionals that we can opt to visit. The chiropractor always tries to see to it that we have the muscles that can function in the best way possible.
We can always have the right bones and the neuron system that we need to be healthy since the chiropractors can help us take care of them. The chiropractors Cincinnati have the ability to help us take care of any condition that can arise from these specific areas. We need to ensure that we can always get the best chiropractor Cincinnati that can always be at our disposal whenever we need their services. The benefit of this is that we can get some of the best services that we always need.
There are some benefits that we can realize by getting the right chiropractors Cincinnati. Being able to help reduce the neck and the back pains that we always get at some point is one of the key merits that we can always reap. This is because we can always get the best people that are specialized in this work to take care of us.
The other benefit is the fact that we can have reduced number of headaches that most of the people get all the time. We can be whole all the time which is something that we can be happy about.
Getting the right way of avoiding hypertension is also another merit that we can enjoy. This is because one can undergo a process that may help him avoid any incidences of high blood pressure. This always help us also avoid some of hypertension which may be a threat at some later date. It is up to us to see to it that we can have the right chiropractors Cincinnati for us to enjoy all the services that we need. | {
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Seeing what u've written in nimnaya I may say thats a remarkable piece of writing
keep up with it jeewaka.
Abt god >> Well. some ppl believe there's a higher power than human,while some believe human mind is the most superior power in universeIts ok to believe what every u want or what ever u r taught to beleive as long as u dont harm any one or anything
Logged
Best way to attract others is to keep your self Cool when others are hot at u !
Memories are only for people who dare to explore and experience. If you hide in a house (or a marriage for that matter) you never get experiences nor memories. Only feel how life passes you bye.
So Jeewaka, go ahead! Experience life in all its vibrant colors. Donít (just) settle for Black and White. What you experienced was real, so donít be uncertain.
Friendship and true love are two sides of the same coin. They go hand in hand. Do not mix love with romance. Romance is the period that leave many fond memories to bring tears to your eyes later. True love persists in your mind and is a state that you may not remember or capture on memories.
Memories donít leave, like people doThey always stay with you.And may bring a tear to my eyes.Yea, but Iím still happy although itís sad
God is: personification of the great unknown by an individual. Religion is: priests doping you with god and robbing your wallet with the threat of eternal damnation.The ultimate truth with all religions and all gods. | {
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Quick facts: Dotz Nano Ltd
Market: ASX
Market Cap: $10.78 m
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Northern Minerals Ltd (ASX:NTU) CEO George Bauk tells Proactive the Australia-based dysprosium mining company will be talking to government agencies in Washington next week to determine how the company can be a supplier to the United States.
Currently, China is the world's most dominant... | {
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