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Enrichment We understand that Level 3 courses are incredibly demanding, so we regularly put on events to ensure a great sense of community, develop leadership roles, have some fun and contribute to Sixth Form Charitable fundraising. Not only do we value the academic progress of students, the school endeavours to make Post 16 an enriching experience. The school offers supportive tutors, a varied enrichment programme, and academic progression. The Sixth Form students take an active role within the life of the school with their involvement in the Performing Arts, Sport Clubs, and Community Service. We have a tireless dedication to improving the standards of academic achievement for our students and a passionate commitment to their success through a culture of high expectation and aspiration. Our Mission as a school means that we are determined to create ‘outstanding leaders’ to shape our local and global community. Our contract to you focuses on the pursuit of excellence, it is our challenge to enable you to achieve your potential and beyond.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Post navigation Let’s do something a little bit different! Would you like your wedding to be a little bit different? I imagine you do, if you are thinking about getting married in Costa Rica, you must be just a little adventurous! Your wedding can be as classical or as different as you would like to make it. Think about different ways to use decorations that will make your wedding unique. Using local products is also an interesting way to bring some of the local art and culture into your wedding. A wonderful way to make things a little bit different is with signs. Signs have become quite popular in the last year or so. but what you write on them is unique to you! They also make great photos. Look at this adorable flower girl, using the sign to introduce the bride to her Uncle. These wooden monkey seating cards, which are locally made in Costa Rica, not only are a fun way to find your seat for the wedding reception, but they make a great wedding gift for your guests. What unique wedding ideas do you have? Did you get married in Costa Rica and do something a bit different that you loved? Please leave a comment if you would like to share you ideas. If you would like to keep up with the latest wedding news in Costa Rica do join my Facebook Page or follow me on Pinterest.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Share Article UMBC’s ISD Now Webinar Series is an online forum to share ideas and information on topics related to workplace learning, organizational productivity, performance and business. Baltimore, MD (PRWEB)November 30, 2011 UMBC’s ISD Now Webinar Series is holding its next webinar on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 from 2 to 3 p.m. EST. Guest speaker, Tom Kuhlmann, VP of Articulate’s Community and the author of the well-known blog “Rapid eLearning, will discuss Simplifying Interactive Learning. E-learning’s all the rage. And for good reason. For the organization it’s cost effective and very flexible. On top of that, the tools are getting easier to use. Building E-Learning courses has never been easier. The challenge is how to get past the linear, ‘click and read’ courses and move towards something more interactive. Join them and learn to: Become more interactive Apply basic design ideas to your e-learning courses Review interactive elements and determine when to use them Create more dynamic and effective ‘click and read’ content Part of UMBC's mission is to provide service. Dr. Greg Williams, ISD program director at UMBC says, “We take pride in our partnerships with employers and other organizations in the community, and are able to give back with free events like the ISD Now Webinar Series."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
HTC continues to hit road bumps, but the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer is hoping to swing things around, as it looks into its global public relation efforts. The news is coming from a report by the Advertising Age, who says that HTC is looking into some of the world's largest PR firms, including Waggener Edstrom, and more. The company is looking to better position itself in the market in the mindset of its customers. This should be big news, considering the company saw its head of global public relations retire.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Pages Thursday, April 20 ORLANDO, Fla. (April 19, 2017) – World Golf Hall of Fame members Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino will headline the Legends division at the PGA TOUR Champions’ Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge, airing on Golf Channel. The PGA TOUR is in San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, where Charley Hoffman will defend his 2016 title. On the European Tour, Bubba Watson and Tommy Fleetwood lead the field at the Shenzhen International in China. TOURS & ORGANIZATIONS The ARMCHAIR GOLF BLOG respects the rights of all copyright owners. Unless otherwise noted, images herein are the property of their respective copyright owners and are provided as a supplement to golf news and commentary. If you own rights to any images on this site and do not wish them to appear here, please contact us and we will promptly remove them.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Thursday, 5 February 2009 Perak Crisis Deepens: Perak Sultan Asks Mohd Nizar to Step Down as Menteri Besar and Hand Power to Barisan Nasional It is learnt that Mohd Nizar will announce his REFUSAL to resign as requested by the sultan. Now What?What Is the Perak Palace's Game Plan for the Political Mess Created by the Gang of Four "Froggies" for NOT wanting to dissolve the State Assembly ? The Sultan of Perak has REJECTED the request by Mohd Nizar for the dissolution of the state assembly. The report also said that the sultan has asked Mohd Nizar to step down to pave the way for a power transfer. The office of the Sultan of Perak, in a statement, said that after meeting all the 28 BN assemblypersons and the three independents, the sultan was convinced that Mohd Nizar had ceased to command the confidence of the majority of the state assembly members. A palace statement says: "If YAB Datuk Seri Ir. Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin does not resign his post as Perak menteri besar together with the members of the state executive council, the posts of menteri besar and state executive councillors are considered vacant." A PKR source says that the sultan had asked Mohd Nizar to step down as menteri besar to allow a smooth transistion of power at their brief meeting today but the latter had refused to do so. There will be a gathering of people gathering in support of the Pakatan government at Stadium Ipoh from the menteri besar's official residence. Meanwhile, Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar has applied to the High Court to declare that undated resignations letters by former Pakatan representatives as valid. The three - PKR's Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Osman Jailu, and DAP's Hee Yit Foong - have claimed that their quit letters signed soon after being elected as assemblypersons last March were done under duress.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Is your herb garden bursting with the amazing aroma of fresh basil? Or maybe you’re like me and just adore the smell and taste of this beautiful herb? Summer is the perfect time to create fresh and flavourful pesto sauce since you can easily find fresh basil in the grocery stores, at farmer’s markets and…	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
A Beautiful Ceremony Northwest A Beautiful Ceremony Northwest wanted SkyHawk Studios to design a new logo and website for their wedding officiant services. They wanted their site to reflect the character and values of the Northwest: tolerance and closeness to nature.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Burglars haul away firearms, electronics More than $16,000 in firearms and electronics were taken from a home in northeast Medford after bold burglary suspects entered through an open window during the day, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department reported. More than $16,000 in firearms and electronics were taken from a home in northeast Medford after bold burglary suspects entered through an open window during the day, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department reported. The Sheriff's Department said in a news release that residents of a home in the 3600 block of Dodson Drive discovered the crime when they returned home Thursday, April 25, after being gone from 9:50 a.m. to 4 p.m. Investigators determined the burglars pulled off a screen covering and came in through a window that had been left open. They swiped 13 guns — a mix of rifles and pistols — an Apple iPad, and a laptop computer, police said. Several doors were open, and parts of the home had been ransacked. Police believe the suspects' main focus was on the guns. The total estimated value of the loss was about $16,650, police said. Sheriff's Department officials said daylight burglaries are uncommon because of the increased risk of being spotted. "We don't see it very often," said department spokeswoman Andrea Carlson. Burglary-related crimes are on the rise across the Rogue Valley. In the last month, there were three attempted burglaries and an armed robbery reported in one east Medford neighborhood. The latter resulted in an attack on a 77-year-old man and his 72-year-old wife. Police said Rogue Valley residents should be aware of the uptick in these types of crimes and take steps to prevent them. "Anytime you're not going to be home, it's a good idea to make sure all your windows are locked, all your doors closed," Carlson said. "Just about every (police) agency has seen an increase." Police and Crime Stoppers of Southern Oregon are asking for the public's help in the Dodson Drive case. Calls can be made to the Sheriff's Department tip line at 541-774-8333 or to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-850-0580. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case or other open ones. Callers can remain anonymous. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or by email at [email protected].	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Fix “error: GPGME error: No data” On Manjaro Linux by Enock Seth Nyamador Please share Hello Guys, I was trying to install a package via pacman today it resulted in the error message below: error: GPGME error: No data From what I got to know from Manjaro Wiki: The cause of this issue is that an error or corruption has been detected by pacman in one or more software packages being downloaded. Package signatures and checksums are used to verify the validity of downloaded software, and should they fail, the installation attempt will be aborted to protect your system until the matter is resolved. Quick Fix To quickly fix it, I just re synced Manjaro servers: sudo pacman -Syy and cleared out packages downloaded earlier: sudo pacman -Scc After I re-run my package installation command everything worked fine. I hope yours work too, if it doesn’t fine another option here I wear --[0-0]--, a n00b coder and Student. Open Source and Free Software enthusiast. I love maps, electronics, traveling and photography. I like to break-and-fix. Above all am a jack of all trade trying to master one :).	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The brand Ever since 1791, Girard-Perregaux has been pursuing its course in the best tradition of Fine Watchmaking. The Maison’s history has been characterised by legendary timepieces that combine cutting-edge design with innovative technology.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Mission of the Coalition Against Gun Violence is committed to creating a safer community for Santa Barbara County residents united against gun violence through its educational programs and advocacy for effective local, state and national policies and legislation. There are no words to express the feelings of shock, grief and loss when someone you cherished is suddenly and meaninglessly wrenched from you forever. Violently taken from life by a gun. Yet, once again we read of families and a community who have had a loved one torn from them in seconds by gun violence. Too many times have we heard and said our condolences, our heartfelt feelings of compassion, thoughts and prayers. However, can you even imagine the pain of this loss? Tragically, there are now far too many families and communities who have known such grief. Here in our own community of we have felt the sudden shock that we should never forget, Goleta, Isla Vista, the Han Family and we haven’t had time to breathe from the losses in Las Vegas. The headlines read, “The Latest Mass US Shooting,” as if this was a common occurrence yet that is the tragic truth. The “why” of such horror comes from the barrel of a gun wielded by hatred and anger, leaving behind countless years of emptiness and tears. Families and communities go forward forever dragging the chains of bereavement. Leaders talk of coming together, of strength and moving on with prayers and hope. Imagine if you lost a precious loved one or even someone you knew as a neighbor, business partner or friend. There is no one and nothing that can fill the space of that loss. Today in Sutherland Springs, Texas a small community discovered that “WE ARE ALL TOUCHED BY GUN VIOLENCE.” Every family across the nation who has lost loved ones to gun violence is re-living the shock and horror of their own loss. Far too many to enumerate, know that every time there is a shooting they will feel that nightmare once again. In today’s Los Angeles Times, a small article written prior to the massacre in Texas, “Rate of U.S. Gun Violence Rises Again,” stated, “there were more than 38,000 gun deaths last year, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control). That’s up from about 36,000 in 2015 and about 33,500 each year from 2011 to 2014. Tragically, this unspeakable horror was preventable. The U.S. Air Force admitted on Nov. 6, 2017, that it had failed to enter the shooter’s domestic violence court-martial into a federal database that could have blocked him from buying the rifle he used to kill 26 people. Healthcare workers know that unlike mental illness, domestic violence is a good predictor for violence. People are distressed wondering what can be done about this carnage befalling our communities. Know that in some way, “WE ARE ALL TOUCHED BY GUN VIOLENCE.” Seriously consider what you could do to help prevent gun violence. Contact the Coalition Against Gun Violence, [email protected] CAGV GUN BUYBACK: SAT., MAY 12, 2018 Gun Buybacks are an effective way to remove unwanted guns from our community. Some of the funds raised for the 2017 Gun BuyBack will go to the 2018 Gun Buyback Event on Saturday, May 12th. Why would someone have a gun that they no longer want? Perhaps they inherited the gun or no longer use or want the gun in their home. Additionally, many people’s circumstances change over time so they may now wish to remove firearm access from: children or other family members; elderly with dementia; individuals with mental illness; those at risk of suicide; volatile, hot-headed individuals (teenagers with poor judgment); and people involved in emotional conflicts (abuse, relationship break-ups). SAFE STORAGE GUN LOCK: IT’S THE LAW! "Firearm Safe and Responsible Access Act," was signed into law in October 2013, by California Gov. Jerry Brown. CAGV SPRING 2014 VOL 20 • NUMBER 1 "http://sbcoalition.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CAGV_SPRINGnewsltr2014_WEB.pdf" What Parents Can Do: Take the pledge! I will help my family find ways to resolve conflict without anger or violence. I will monitor my children’s media viewing to limit their exposure to violence. Before my children go to the home of friends or family, I will ask parents whether they have a gun and how it is stored. If I choose to have a firearm in my home, I will store it unloaded, securely locked and separate from the ammunition.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
EMC introduces four new services from its RSA Security Practice designed to help enterprises ensure security in complex virtualized environments EMC is expanding its security consulting services to help enterprises tackle the complexities of securing their data and complying with regulations in virtualized computing environments. On Monday, the company is set to introduce four new services from its RSA Security Practice, including one that comes out of its recent acquisition of Archer Technologies. The consulting services will combine EMC's enterprise IT expertise with the security background of its RSA division to help customers secure their data based on business policies. EMC acquired Archer, a privately held governance, risk and compliance vendor, in January for an undisclosed sum. [ Build and deploy an effective line of defense against corporate intruders with InfoWorld's Encryption Deep Dive PDF expert guide. Download it today! \| Stay up to date on the latest security developments with InfoWorld's Security newsletter. ] The number of data security breaches now hitting enterprises indicates their internal systems can't keep up with new threats, said IDC analyst Vivian Tero. "When one takes into account the adoption of new technologies like cloud computing and virtualization, the security and risk management challenge becomes even more complex," she wrote in an e-mail interview. With their data spread across virtualized data centers and cloud computing environments, organizations have to know more about how the virtual infrastructure is configured to know where bits of data might be, Tero wrote. And administrators need to understand that quickly instead of waiting for an audit to identify potential weaknesses. Doing that by manually analyzing information from multiple point applications is too hard, so EMC wants to help them automate some of that management, she wrote. The services EMC is introducing on Monday span a wide range of security-related requirements. Its Standards and Compliance service, based on Archer's technology, works along with existing approaches to "translate business objectives into policies and information risk strategies," according to EMC. That, in turn, can help customers meet corporate governance and regulatory compliance requirements. The Virtualization and Private Cloud Security service is designed to assess the security of virtualized environments and help secure virtual desktops and private clouds. With the new Fraud Assessment and Strategy service, EMC will provide recommendations for addressing and mitigating risk. A new Security Operations service is designed to help enterprises build an integrated security operations center. First Data, a payment processing company, on Monday will announce it is expanding its test of a card-information security system that it says it developed with the help of the RSA Security Practice. The TransArmor system, formerly called First Data Secure Transaction Management, takes shoppers' credit card numbers out of merchants' point-of-sale systems as soon as the transaction takes place, said Craig Tieken, vice president of merchant product management at First Data. TransArmor encrypts the card data for transmission to credit card companies and card-issuing banks for approval. It gives the merchant a token in place of the sensitive data so the store doesn't have to worry about securing their customers' information. Starting out on the project about a year ago, First Data looked for security consultants to help develop it and scale it up, and found EMC, Tieken said. TransArmor uses RSA encryption technology. On Monday, First Data's test of TransArmor is expanding from just a few customers to more than 400. It should be generally available to merchants by the middle of this year, Tieken said.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The bloc's financial services chief Michel Barnier proposed in November a third set of rules for rating agencies in as many years. But faced with opposition from some of his fellow commissioners, Barnier dropped one proposed element: publication blackouts on ratings downgrades. Now, with many lawmakers angry about the timing of Friday's downgrades, that proposal could be revisited. What I do think that could happen is some members of the parliament that are in favor of banning publication of negative ratings will try to reintroduce that in the proposal, Wolf Klinz, a German Liberal member of the European Parliament said. Some of the socialists and conservatives say it's a good thing to have the option to ban the publishing of ratings if they do come at the wrong moment, Klinz told Reuters. The original blackout proposal was intended to cover only publication of negative ratings of countries receiving bailouts. But some politicians could now go further and ask for publication to be banned if it comes at an 'awkward' moment for the country concerned. This could cover election campaign periods, or bailout negotiations, although in practice would be very difficult to define and is considered unworkable by many. Rating agencies were criticized for awarding high ratings to securities based on sub-prime U.S. mortgages which later became untradeable when home owners defaulted on their loans, sparking a global credit crunch whose effects still reverberate. FRESH PROPOSAL The European Parliament and EU states have final say on the draft law that is expected to come into force around 2013. A senior lawmaker said on Monday he will table amendments to reinsert a modified version of ratings blackouts. Regarding sovereign ratings we have to organize things better and have rules that are more specific and take into account public debt. I will propose an amendment to that effect personally, Jean-Paul Gauzes, a French centre-right member of the EU assembly, told Reuters. Such an amendment, if approved, would bar publication of sovereign ratings changes while a country is being bailed out. The socialists and conservatives form the two biggest blocs in the European Parliament and could push through Gauzes' amendment but it is not clear if all the bloc's members would back blackouts. I don't think it will get a majority, Klinz said. Leonardo Domenici, an Italian centre-left member of the European Parliament, is sponsoring the regulation and had already wanted to reopen discussion on blackouts. He was not immediately available for comment on Monday. S&P also believes attempts to reintroduce a blackout provision would likely fail. This idea has been widely rejected and would lead to more not less uncertainty and volatility in markets, S&P said. Even without blackouts, the EU is going further than the United States or what was agreed globally by the G20 to rein in agencies. The bloc's latest legislation is largely directed at the global market dominance of the Big Three ratings agencies: S&P , Moody's and Fitch Ratings . Barnier said in a speech in Hong Kong on Monday he wanted to see rating agencies operate in full transparency. I am surprised time and time again by the timing agencies choose to make such announcements, Barnier said. I think it would be right for agencies to take better account of the unprecedented efforts being made by government. The Italian banking association (ABI) said on Saturday that S&P's downgrades, which included Italy, were irresponsible. The ABI hopes the European regulation on the rating agencies will be completed and approved as quickly as possible and that the European Central Bank and central banks reconsider immediately the use of external ratings in their procedures and evaluation models, the association said. World leaders have agreed to dilute the reliance banks have on ratings to calculate their capital buffers but this is proving hard in practice because of the difficulty of finding alternatives.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Good male profiles dating sites The protocols and practices of dating, and the terms used to describe it, vary considerably from country to country and over time. While the term has several meanings, the most frequent usage refers to two or more people exploring whether they are romantically or sexually compatible by participating in dates with the other. To be honest, we thought that the swingers dating niche would be rather small in the UK. With over 600,000 visitors to swinger sites per month, the swingers' market in the UK is something to take into consideration. Below you can find some of the most the most serious and trustworthy dating sites for swingers that will provide you with lots of local opportunities for swinging, finding a gangbang, dogging or whatever you are interested in. Since swinger sites don't have as many members as mainstream ones, you shouldn't limit your search to only your area. Many operators of swinger dating sites aren't programmers themselves. uk is a UK based swingers club that since 2002 enables broad minded adults to meet other local members, quickly and discreetly using their private internal email system (so that your actual email is never shown). The owners of the site seem to be very serious about safety and discretion. One of the things I like most about Estonia is that men are outnumbered. In fact, in the 15-64 age group, the male to female ratio is an amazingly low 0.91! Many users have created great profiles and are friends with each other - you can see at first glance that it is mostly the experienced swingers who are the ones who clearly know what they want. So it is rather the exception that in the profiles on "Partner exchange" there's a "maybe" or "probably not" ticked.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Hatsuzumi Gift Set - First Crop Japanese Green Tea (Lose Leaf) Hatsuzumi - First Crop of the Season (Ichiban-cha) In Japan, green teas are categorized as first, second and third based on when it is being harvested. First harvest of the season is called Ichiban-cha. Second harvest is called Niban-cha Third harvest is called Sanban-cha (Some farms do not even pick the third harvest) This is also called "New Crop" (or Shin-cha). Since it is the first harvest, this is refereed as "Syun" or seasonable (Japanese culture value the concept of "Syun". An example of it is the famous Haiku, where the word “Syun” must be used in the short poem). The characteristic of the first harvest is the still “young” tea leaves, which are richer and clearer in aroma. Benefit of first crop green tea Compared with the second and the third harvest, first harvest contains less catechin, which brings less astringency. First crop also has less caffeine, but has more amino acid, which is the prime component of the sweetness and umami element. Green tea plants take in nutrients during winter, and deliver the nutrients to the leaves as it blooms in spring time. Traditionally in Japan, the first day of the spring is February 4th and it is called Rissyun (literally translates to "spring stands up") and the 88th night is considered to be the best first day to pick green tea. It is believed that by consuming the tea leaves harvested on this day, a healthy year lays ahead of the consumer. Therefore, the first crops are popular gift items in Japan. Related Products This Hatsuzumi is also available as non-gift set as well. Click here or the image below to see product information about Non-Gift Pack option: Lose Weigh By Drinking MoreTea contains 1.7 times diet elements compared to Chinese Pu-Erh tea. Based on how the tea plants are grown, the tea leaf is thick and contains more Catechin. Catechin changes to Polyphenol and Gallic Acid by fermentation process described below. Polyphenol and Gallic Acid reduces absorption activities in stomach. Therefore, you achieve the effect of diet by drinking before and after meal.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The 'MacGyver' Quiz "MacGyver" gave the classic action hero an everyman feel, relying on clever engineering and everyday objects to stop the bad guys and save the day. Take our quiz to test your knowledge of the show, its characters and most memorable moments. Start Quiz » You scored 0 out of 30 Question 1 of 30 What year did "MacGyver" premiere on television? 1981 1985 "MacGyver" first hit the airwaves on Sept. 22, 1985, and entertained audiences with its on-the-fly engineering until 1992. 1989 Question 2 of 30 How many seasons did the show last? five six seven "MacGyver" ran for 139 episodes over seven seasons. Question 3 of 30 Who played the leading role in "MacGyver"? Richard Dean Anderson Anderson, who previously starred in "Emerald Point N.A.S." and "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," had the starring role on "MacGyver." David Hasselhoff Don Johnson Question 4 of 30 What is MacGyver's weapon of choice? machine gun lasso Swiss army knife MacGyver tended to eschew guns in favor of his trusty Swiss army knife, which served as both weapon and tool. Question 5 of 30 True or false: MacGyver never used a gun throughout the series. true false While MacGyver was against the use of firearms, he did use a gun several times throughout the series, including in the pilot episode. Question 6 of 30 Who is MacGyver's closest friend? James Jack Schemer Jack Dalton is MacGyver's best friend throughout the series. John Question 7 of 30 How can you tell when Jack is stretching the truth? He laughs. His eye twitches. Jack has a habit of stretching the truth, which one can easily discern because of the way his eye twitches when he lies.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
#Me too movement has been hardly any impact on ground where majority of people are religious and believe in the omnipresence of God. The movement is equally failed to address the issues on ground where majority of women are illiterate, uneducated, emblem of individual and collective honour, living a life of prostitute, live in rural areas and above all disconnected with social media. It hardly penetrates into the basic issues causing sexual harassment of a woman. The movement needs to consider unequal world into the consideration which empowers one to dominate, manipulate and harass other and weaken other to accept all such dominations unquestioningly. For instance, are the heads of system ready to accept its basic flaws of enabling one gender to harass the other proudly for self satisfaction and weakening other to quit her life for getting harassed under the shame for none of her fault?, or would have been all the cases converted into Me Too if both male and female had equal power in the family, society, politics or other domains of life if yes....why are there majority of sexual harassments cases against male only and none of Me too cases against female? The one sided phenomena of either harassing or being harassed is simply an outcome of the unequal status of male and female in the society really making the female a sufferer. Therefore, the fundamental issues viz. Inequality, injustice, religiosity (blind faith), poverty, and illiteracy, rural and urban gap, ignorance, insecurity, castism, patriarchy etc. entrenched in a corrupt, irresponsible and unaccountable political and administrative system needs to be resolved on priority basis to address woman sexual harassment completely. #Me Too movement as an extra and surface level platform should not also divert the human thinking from the original issues while dealing with the sexual harassment. And how the movement is an extra surface level platform of woman representation can be justified as follows: The First issue that makes the movement extra is its unconcern for religiosity (Blind Faith) of people-a force behind all sufferings of women. According to global studies on atheism, there are 93 percent of theists agreeing upon the omnipresence of God and his will behind all events happening in this world. With this belief among the majority of people it becomes very difficult to deal the question of sexual harassment against woman as an independent activity of man. A woman being a theist hardly recognises her position in a given society. The religion prevents her to assert against the exploitation to realise herself as a complete human being. It prevents a lady from acting as rational being to interpret the things on the basis of her experiences and is used by the male to justify his domination over the female. Secondly, in Indian context it doesn't address the 35 percent of illiterate and majority of uneducated (difficult to locate) women incapable to understand the social media discourse to assert their issues. Thirdly, the movement isolates a large chunk of women population disconnected with internet facility due to lack of internet accessibility, mobile phone/tablet/computer etc. or so many other factors curtailing them to express their stories on social media. Fourthly, it is hardly accessible to socio- economically poor women spend their whole day within either the kitchens or look after their young children/old people and work outside without having any control over her labour and wages. Fifthly, the scope of Me Too movement has never covered the cases of majority of women who had have been treated as a burden within the family and later is sold to economically empowered men in the name of marriage against their will. These women are hardly literate or educated to become economically, socially and politically self sufficient or free but infact to hire a high customer for marriage. So there has been hardly any woman writing #Me too against their bully parents and relatives compel a girl to get marry against her will and issue a licence of rape. Sixthly, it also neglects sexual freedom of a woman to locate the accusation properly whether it is made for hurting her individual will or collective will (of community) imposed on her. Therefore, at the end the movement can be called 'Unreal, Exclusive and above all an extra platform as it hardly goes into the depths of subjugation of women or touches the larger part of reality prevailed in the society where a victim needs visible support and training to assert her against the unjust system in general and sexual harassment in particular. For instance, in Me Too cases media reached after someone has narrated her story but the nature of society demands activism of media to recognize a woman and train/educate her to identify the victimization as every woman cannot initiate her case on Me Too independently. Hence, a care need to be taken to enlarge the area of movement by keeping it intact with original and fundamental issues to empower a common woman a self sufficient in expressing and protecting her will in a society at large. Till now the movement can be seen largely as an 'extra platform' helping only a few kinds of educated, celebrated elite above all having enough leisure to use social media. And the women asserting through #Me Too are vocal only due to their some sort of familiarity or popularity on the virtual world. For instance, a bold and fearless expression of grievances may happen only if there is sort of surety about support, love and sympathy from the public also- This is how a simple common unpopular girl even connected with social media is unable to express her case.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Blogroll Flashing light up rings come in many kinds. The jelly style flashing rings as the name says are squeezable and stretchable rings and feel like jelly. They are available in many fun shapes like flower, bubbles, porcupine, spikes, etc. The rings are in assorted colors including red, green, blue, yellow, purple, pink, but they all flash in bright multi-color lights. The fun designs and texture of the light up jelly rings make them one of the most popular LED rings. Since the flashing jelly ring holes are stretchable, the rings can fit any size hand and are great for all ages. The rings are soft with no edge or spike and are safe for kids to use too. They are sold for less than a dollar each and are great giveaway on the dancing floors and for loot bags. The fun light up rings turn on with an easy squeeze at the base. The batteries and LED lights are all embedded inside the rings and are not replaceable. But since they are low-priced and can flash for hours, even the batteries are non-replaceable; they are good value products for party planners. The size of the jelly rings is 1 1/4 inch wide and 1 3/4 inch tall so they are quite sizable and noticeable. They are packed with 12 in a bag and are sold by dozens. But each ring is wrapped in a small plastic bag for protection. The individual wrapping also makes selling them individually and putting them for gift bags much easier. Another similar product to the light up rings are the finger lights. The main difference is finger lights do not flash while the flashing rings do. Finger lights are attached to fingers with elastic bands and mostly used for dancing. Other than light up rings, they are also other styles of rings such as LED rainbow rings, huge gem rings, etc. They are all LED rings which use batteries and can be turned on or off. LED rainbow rings look more like real rings and have a simple and elegant design. The flashing colors are very bright. The huge gem rings come in six different ring colors and just the flashing jelly rings, the LED lights are all multi-color. One of the most popular shapes of the gem rings is the diamond shape, made like real diamonds but much bigger than real diamonds, they come in a display box of 24 rings per box. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Frederick A. Geib Professor Emeritus of Sociology Dies at 79 Frederick A. Geib, professor emeritus of sociology at Colby College, died February 3 in Exeter, New Hampshire, at age 79. Professor Geib had moved to The Ridge at RiverWoods in Exeter in October 2004 after nearly 50 years in Waterville. He joined the Colby faculty in 1955 and retired in 1991. Fred Geib was born in Flushing, New York, on September 20, 1925. Upon graduation from high school in 1943, he joined the U.S. Navy V12 program for officer training, studying at Cornell University, Dartmouth College, and Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, he met his wife, Jane Willey. He was discharged from the Navy in 1946 with the rank of ensign, and the couple married the following year. Mrs. Geib died in 1997, shortly after she and Professor Geib celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A talented athlete and Eagle Scout, Professor Geib developed a love of camping while in high school. Following World War II, he convinced his parents and brother to start a boys’ summer camp. In 1946, the Geib family purchased unimproved land in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, spent three years building, and opened Camp Graylag in 1949. In the early 1950s, Bob Cousy, then a rookie with the Boston Celtics, joined the Geibs at Graylag, and the camp specialized in basketball from then on, with visits from many Celtics greats. The partners ran Graylag for more than 20 years. Professor Geib graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1953 with a degree in sociology. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from Brown University in 1955 and began teaching at Colby that fall. On his first sabbatical, during the 1961-1962 academic year, he completed all course work for a Ph.D. in sociology at Syracuse University and received his doctorate a few years later. During his academic career, Professor Geib was active at Colby, in professional organizations, and in the community. He served as chair of the sociology department, presented telecourses, lectured to civic groups, and worked with the Boys’ Club. Until his knees would no longer permit, he played handball avidly at the YMCA and also enjoyed golf. Until the end of his life, he was a devoted sports fan, movie buff, and crossword puzzle enthusiast. Professor Geib leaves three daughters and their families: Barbara Geib, of San Francisco, California, her husband, Stuart Rosenthal, and daughter, Isabella; Melissa Geib LeBlanc, of Newton, Massachusetts, her husband, Roger, and daughters Andrea and Rachelle; and Susan Geib, of Boston, Massachusetts. He is also survived by his brother, Robert Geib, of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. His daughters and brother helped him move to Exeter and were all with him during his final days. The family will hold a private memorial service on the former Camp Graylag property in July. Anyone who wishes to honor Professor Geib’s life may make a contribution to the Memorial Scholarship Fund, Office of Donor Relations, Colby College, 4345 Mayflower Hill, Waterville, ME 04901.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Spray And Pray: The Cheapest Way To Invest In Real Estate Recently, I got blown out of the water by an all cash buyer for one sweet property in the Sunset District. The asking price was $1.2 million, the median home price in San Francisco, and I offered $1.38 million. Given the agent representing me was the son of the listing agent (!), he gave me the inside scoop that $1.38 million wouldn’t cut it because the pole position offer was at $1.8 million! Although part of me thought he was just talking bullshit, I raised my offer to $1.5 million, hoping that the first place offer would drop out. At the time, I thought to myself, what kind of crazy idiot would offer 50% over asking on a block where the next highest priced home was $1.4 million max? It turns out that his $1.8 million offer went through. Not only that, he proceeded to gut the house and spend another $250,000+ remodeling! For a month I was feeling a little melancholy because I envisioned myself spending the next 5-10 years of my life in the home. You start thinking about what type of art you’ll put up on the walls, and which room is for whom. The house was in great condition as is. Buying property can get pretty emotional. Still getting over my loss, I stumbled across another sweet property in Golden Gate Heights, a nicer neighborhood with more expansive ocean views. The asking price was $1.35 million for this 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2,300 sqft house. It had two great decks, but the views were partially blocked by a massive pine tree out back. The property was swarming with perspective buyers when I visited. Figuring I had no chance in hell to win, I didn’t even bother putting in an offer this time. I guessed it would easily go for at least $1.7 million if the other house went for $1.8 million. And I hadn’t sold enough books to have $1.7 million lying around. The house went into contract in two weeks, and after a month of waiting, I found out the selling price was only $1.48 million! Holy crap! It went for $220,000 under what I thought it would sell for. Now I was even more dejected. WHAT HAPPENED? I called the selling agent to ask how the competitive bidding situation was. She told me that they received three offers, four less than anticipated. What happened was that everybody else thought the house would go crazy over asking so they didn’t bother to submit. The situation is analogous to never asking out an attractive somebody or a very important person for help. Since everybody thinks they’ll get rejected, nobody ever tries. This situation really got me thinking about the “Spray and Pray” investing methodology where you just invest in a whole bunch of startups, hoping that one will hit and make you stinking rich. This strategy worked for angel investors like Ron Conway, who is now worth over $2 billion dollars. The difference here is that the Spray and Pray strategy in real estate investing requires NO CAPITAL COMMITMENT! All you’ve got to do is fill out some forms. If your offer is accepted, you usually only pay a 3% earnest money deposit. Furthermore, you always have at least 24 hours to change your mind. THANK GOODNESS FOR DOCUSIGN In 1997, two things didn’t exist: 1) An online version of the common application for college and 2) DocuSign. Once an online version of the common application became available, hundreds of universities began signing up. And once hundreds of universities signed up, high school students started applying to many more schools. All they had to do was check boxes to where their application would be sent instead of spending hours creating a new application for each school like I did in 1994. High school students sprayed and prayed! And I bet some students got into better schools than expected. So what is the downside to the common app? Many more applications to sift through by admissions officers, lower college acceptance rates, and more application fees to spend. The upside far outweighed the downside for applicants. If you have never experienced DocuSign, you’re in for a treat because you no longer have to print, fax, and physically sign any documents. All you’ve got to do is press some keys after you’ve scribbled your signature with a mouse or finger, and you’re good to go! What used to take 24 hours to submit a bid, now takes me literally one minute on my mobile phone or laptop to sign a eight page offer. If you’re looking to buy property in a competitive environment, you might as well bid on as many properties as possible with a low offer price, even if you don’t think you have a chance because your cost is next to nothing. TIME TO BUY ANOTHER PROPERTY After buying my fixer in the summer of 2014, I promised not to buy another piece of property for at least five more years. It’s taken a year to fix up the kitchen, floors, both bathrooms, roof, and garage, and I’ve still probably got another six months to go if I want to build a couple decks, change the windows, and landscape due to the long permit process. But of course, I can’t resist looking around at neighborhood comps for buying opportunities or validation I didn’t overpay during the meantime. After looking high and low for the next great property, I finally found a gem in my neighborhood for an incredibly attractive price. Underpriced house. Time to spray and pray Here’s a 1,550 square foot, two bedroom, two bathroom, fixer with a garage, small deck, and partial ocean views on a decent 3,271 square foot lot. The downstairs is another 900 square feet that’s unwarranted, but can easily be converted to legitimate living space consisting of a third bedroom and bathroom. Property for this area with this quality view sells for around $800 a square foot in good, not excellent condition. In other words, we’re talking about $1,900,000 if we include the entire 2,400 square feet of space. The property needs about $350,000 in fixing as the pest report indicated a cost of $80,000 alone. We’re talking new windows, new bathrooms, new kitchen, rewiring, new plumbing, permits, roof, paint, foundation, electric garage door opener, and refinishing the floors. All this work will probably take one to two years to complete. Hence, if you were willing to work for free, you’d be willing to pay up to $1,550,000 for a brand new house given the $350,000 cost. The amazing thing about this property is that the seller is only asking $899,000! Clearly, this is a low ball asking price to get tons of people interested. But the risk of pricing so low is that it becomes mind-boggling difficult for buyers to bid 70% over asking ($700,000) to get to my perceived maximum fair value of $1,550,000. The second risk of pricing so low is that fewer people will bid because everybody will think they have no chance of winning. We’ve seen this story before as was the case with the Golden Gate Heights property I thought was going to sell for $1.7M+, but only ended up at $1.47M. Given the details I’ve provided, I’d like you to now guess what the house will actually sell for in this poll below. I’ll find out the sales price by September 1 and report back in this post. Pretend you are a homebuyer. What offer would you submit? How much do you think this 2,400 fixer in Golden Gate Heights, San Francisco that needs ~$350,000 sells for? Below the asking price of $899,000 The asking price of $899,000 $1,000,000 $1,100,000 $1,200,000 = the level I bid, hoping with a 5% chance it gets accepted $1,300,000 $1,350,000 $1,400,000 $1,450,000 $1,500,000 $1,550,000 = the number I think is the max price to pay if you are willing to spend 1-2 years and $350,000 remodeling EVENTUALLY YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY Maybe there’s only a 5% chance they’ll accept my $1,200,000 offer for the property above, but if they do, I’m hundreds of thousands of dollars in the money for one minute worth of work. I’ll remodel the place with my crew and attempt to sell it within 18 months for a $200,000 – $500,000 gross profit. And if my chance of winning is really only 5%, all I’ve got to do is submit 20 low ball offers to potentially win. This is the same attitude I’ve taken with applying to various accelerators and incubators for a startup idea I have in mind. It is very easy to overbid in a hot property market. Emotions run high and you just want to crush your competition because you’re sick of losing. But if the market ever turns, and you don’t have enough liquidity to hold you through, your finances will get crushed. Please be careful! Spraying and praying is the only way someone will ever get a deal in a hot property market. I strongly suggest underbidding on properties and going after “stale fishes” instead. You don’t want to be left holding the bag. Note: The words “bid” and “offer” are used interchangeably in real estate. But if you are buying and selling in the stock market, it’s a little different. “Hitting the bid” means one broker is agreeing to sell a given security at another broker’s bid price. From the buyers point of view, he is hitting someone else’s bid. If you are the other broker who buys the security, you are “lifting the offer.” Confusing, yes I know. Recommendations Explore real estate crowdsourcing opportunities: If you don’t have the downpayment to buy a property, don’t want to deal with the hassle of managing real estate, or don’t want to tie up your liquidity in physical real estate, take a look at Fundrise, one of the largest real estate crowdsourcing companies today. Real estate is a key component of a diversified portfolio. Real estate crowdsourcing allows you to be more flexible in your real estate investments by investing beyond just where you live for the best returns possible. For example, cap rates are around 3% in San Francisco and New York City, but over 10% in the Midwest if you’re looking for strictly investing income returns. Sign up and take a look at all the residential and commercial investment opportunities around the country Fundrise has to offer. It’s free to look. Less than 5% of the real estate deals shown gets through the Fundrise funnel Shop around for a mortgage: Check the latest mortgage rates online through LendingTree. They’ve got one of the largest networks of lenders that compete for your business. Your goal should be to get as many written offers as possible and then use the offers as leverage to get the lowest interest rate possible. This is exactly what I did to lock in a 2.375% 5/1 ARM for my latest refinance. For those looking to purchase property, the same thing is in order. If you’ve found a good deal, can afford the payments, and plan to own the property for 10+ years, I’d get neutral inflation and take advantage of the low rates. Author Bio: Sam started Financial Samurai in 2009 to help people achieve financial freedom sooner, rather than later. He spent 13 years working in investment banking, earned his MBA from UC Berkeley, and retired at age 34 in San Francisco. Sam’s favorite free financial tool he’s been using since 2012 to manage his net worth is Personal Capital. Every quarter, Sam runs his investments through their free Retirement Planner and Investment Checkup tool to make sure he stays financially free, forever. It’s free and easy to use. For investing opportunities in 2019, Sam is most interested in investing in the heartland of America through real estate crowdfunding. Property valuations are much cheaper and net rental yields are much higher. There is a demographic trend towards moving away from higher cost areas of the country to lower cost areas thanks to technology. Subscribe To Private Newsletter Enter your email address... Comments I’ve never heard of this technique before but it sounds a little like what I did when I was buying my condo in Cambridge, MA three years ago. The market was so tight that everything was going over asking. Each time I saw a place that would work, I put in a bid and crossed my fingers. Ultimately, I got lucky when another buyer’s financing came through and my bid was accepted a month after I put it in. I guess that was where the “praying” part came in! My wife’s parents inherited a house in the Sunset district back when my wife was still a young girl. They have lived there ever since. I’ve always thought they might be sitting on a gold mine. I just don’t know how much they’ve borrowed against it – I know they have done a cash out refinance a time or two. If we ever inherit it, I sure hope it isn’t mortgaged like hell. I don’t know how much spraying I can do, but I sure am praying it isn’t! HilARious picture! hahaha! If I were to bid on that house I probably wouldn’t go above 1.1-1.2 because that would be the range I’d feel I got a really good deal, but in the SF market it’s really hard to get a fantastic deal unless you come across a hidden gem that was really poorly marketed. It’s often crazy competitive and people are always on the prowl so I wouldn’t be surprised if the house goes way, way over asking. Agents in SF always price low because the common practice is to bid above. But you make a good point that there are also many people who don’t end up bidding at all because they assume they have no chance. Spray and pray is a clever way to look at things especially with docusign. I could see someone paying 1.4-1.6 for that house but unless they have no desire to fix it up or are lucky enough to be a contractor or have tight connections with someone skilled and available to do the remodeling, I think they are going to end up spending too much. The real estate market in SF just seems insane to me right now. I know that it has had many booms and busts over the last 30 years. Granted those busts don’t last as long or go as deep as other parts of the country. There is something in my DNA that does not allow me to buy properties when you are competing for them in bidding wars. I know you are in it for the long haul with real estate and your results have worked well for you. I went for the bottom fishing offer survey option below the $899k asking price. Why not just save your cash for the next dip? It’s going to happen and you don’t want to get caught on the wrong side of it on a flip. I just saw so many real estate investors lose everything during the last recession that it’s hard for me to wrap my head around a real estate investment that does not provide good yield. This seems more like high stakes poker, even with the spray n’ pray strategy, but who knows?! I believe the fair market value for this property is ~$1.5 million in current fixer condition. I bid $1.2 million. And very shortly, we’ll see what it actually sells for. By offering 20% below current fair market value, I’m giving myself a cushion for a 20% fall, which may very well happen. And to ask your question on saving up cash… that is one of my top 5 goals of 2015. To save as much cash as possible. I’ve got the $1.2M cash given that’s what I bid, but want to get to $1.5M to have more fire power. It’s all relative. Sounds like you’ve got a good plan, and also SF is a real estate market unto itself. Plus if you have the cash anyway, it’s not like you’re betting on margin or betting even betting the ranch! Good luck with the offers! I’m not sure what the strategy is here? Once you buy this place are you intending to flip it? Renting certainly does not pencil out. SF housing is well into bubble territory so now is a really bad time to buy. It’s pending so I’m assuming your 1.2MM was not successful. I’d say this goes for around 1.3MM-1.4MM. Your anecdote is interesting, though. Do you think you might actually be better off bidding closer to asking on slightly higher priced homes? It seems that in this case, the low asking price meant that there was a ton of competition. Or, Golden Gate Heights really just has become the hot new neighborhood! I do like going after stale fish listings that have been on the market for over 30 days. Clearly, those homes are overpriced and must come down. I also like to bid on homes that price close to market b/c they almost never get the attention as underpriced properties do. I donno if GGH is the hot new neighborhood. I just think this house was priced so low that it brought out a lot of folks. But maybe after a year of writing the post about GGH being one of the best hidden gems in SF, it’s finally been discovered and I’ve screwed myself of buying up more! I think my original post was not accepted. Anyway, what’s the strategy here? Renting does not pencil out. Are you intending to flip? 1.2MM is overpaying for this place. It’s pending so I expect 1.3MM -1.4MM. We’re are in serious bubble territory in SF. Proceed with caution! Yes, the strategy is to remodel over the course of hopefully one year, and flip for a $200,000 – $500,000 profit, which would be highly feasible at a $1.2M purchase. I’ve got all the people who can do the work. I just need to win the place. This is spray and pray. All about “low balling” a low ball offer to begin with with a 5% hope of winning by spending one minute of my time using Docusign. This strategy is NOT about paying top dollar. It’s about potentially taking advantage of dislocations which happen. When do you think the SF bubble will burst? Are you selling or have you sold already? I’m thinking by this time next year SF housing prices will trend flat or slightly downwards. If you’re gonna flip I’d say you want to get this on the market by May 2016. I also feel 1.2MM is hardly a deal and you would want to expand square footage significantly if you’re targeting a 500K profit. An acquaintance of mine just sold a comparable home very close by and it sold for approximately 1.25MM. Just for fun, what are your thoughts with Spray and Pray for stocks? 3x indexes like UWTI, RUSL (3x Russian), GASL(3x Natural Gas), Yinn (3x China), TQQQ, etc. could return similar results to investing in start-ups? It’s not the same b/c there is capital outlay / risk. For real estate, it’s asymmetric risk/reward. You only have to risk a couple minutes of your time putting in low ball offers thanks to Docusign. For stocks, you’ve got to actually buy the positions and get blown up if the downward trend continues, especially with leveraged ETFs. I saw that listing come up as well and think sometimes when a house is priced that low, you get people who bid as first time buyers because nothing else is in their range. Cosmetically it doesn’t look so bad from the pictures so could see an owner occupier buying and fixing up slowly, I would expect that person to be willing to pay more upfront so the 1.3 range wouldn’t be too surprising. It is quite a lot of square footage. Assuming you didn’t get this property, check out Forest Knolls, lots of places have great views and prices for non-remodeled homes are close to the $1m mark. A flip just recently sold at 527 Oak Park Drive for $2.4m, the listing pictures are still up so you can check out what it looks like, but it is a nice neighborhood with lots of older properties that have room to expand. I dunno Sam, I’d be pretty wary in this environment around flipping any RE right now. However, I think the spray and pray strategy is always great if you’re targeting a cash flowing investment property. That way if the property value drops like a brick it won’t matter a bit as you’d be covered by the rental income and have time to ride out any market swings. Picking up cash flowing properties is obviously tough in any major CA city, but there are still some opportunities to be found out of state. I used the spray and pray strategy for a few cash flowing homes in Las Vegas back in 2012-2014. It took me on average of a dozen offers before one was accepted, at which point I’d have a quick inspection done and then fly out from San Diego to do my final due diligence. (I typically put 10%-20% down and financed the rest with a 30yr fixed loan. These each yield a couple hundred dollars in monthly cash flow after covering PI&T, PM fees, misc maintenance, vacancy, etc.) I’ll probably sit on these indefinitely. Although not a spray and pray strategy, have you considered crowd funding RE deals through Realty Shares (or similar sites)? These are the only “flips” I’ll participate in because you can diversify across markets and not commit a huge chunk of your capital to a single investment… plus you don’t have to do the extra rehab work yourself. You can also spread your money between debt and equity deals to add additional diversification. Sam, always admire your warrior spirit. A thought for your consideration. Let’s take all your numbers with some general assumptions… $1,550K at a 3.25% 5/1, carrying/opportunity costs to you at $50K/yr, plus Property Tax of $13K on a purchase price of $1,200K. $63K/yr, times 1.5 (18 months) is out-of-pocket $95K. Plus $350K renovations, you are now into $1,640K cost. Sell it for $1,900. Subtract 6% for realtor/escrow/transfer, etc. which is $114K for the privilege of selling it, and you now realize $1,786K from the sale. Gross profit $141K. Pay 33% in taxes, your net is $95K. That is 5% of your desired selling price. 18 months of work, if it all goes according to plan, for $95K. If it doesn’t go according to plan, and you pay more than 3.25%APR for points/fees/mortgage (didn’t you just get turned down for a loan?), or the construction schedule busts, or the construction budget busts, or you don’t get your desired price, and you have now tied up 18 months of your life and $1,640K at risk in order to possibly make $95K. Can you manage this project to within 5% of your predicted outcome? What would you be able to make risk-free with $1,640K over 18 months? 1%? 2%? 3%? Subtract that amount from $95K, and do you find this to be a worthwhile endeavor which will only cost 1 minute of your time now, but may cost 18 months or more and put stress on you and those around you? $1.55M is the MAX I would recommend anybody who is competent to spend on this place due to all the costs you’ve just pointed out. The buyer should have cash, so no 3.5% borrowing rate, and is probably going to be a licensed broker who will only pay a 2.5% commission to the buying agent, if there is one. Now you know why my offer price was $1.2M cash. I know I won’t win with 95% certainty. But that is the hole concept of “spray and pray.” You spray low ball bids now, one minute at a time, and hope you win. In real estate, the negotiation price is super important b/c you can never renegotiate after the sale, unlike a loan rate. I see that now. Although, the commission and c arriving costs are high. We’ll see the final selling price soon. I will happily take it down for )1.2M. My $1.9M sale price may be conservative by a couple Hindi as well. Am I the only one who thinks that real estate prices in this country are ridiculously high? I mean, comically high to the point of it almost being some sort of parody? I mean, that’s a beautiful house in the picture, but really? Over a million dollars!? I could see a couple hundred grand, but over a million dollars for anything that isn’t a private mansion? I’m sorry, I’m just not seeing it. Maybe I’m cheap and childish. I never said I wasn’t. But wow, even $899,000 for that house is way too much in my opinion. No wonder we’re all drowning in debt in this country. I just finished reading that post you linked. I’m not quite sure if you were intending to do so, but you just proved my point. These properties are comically over-expensive. Don’t get me wrong; every one you showed in both posts was absolutely beautiful. But $11 million for a property that doesn’t even have a driveway? You’ve got to be kidding me. Again, even the property that you showed in this post. Again, beautiful. But I’m not seeing the $1.whatever MILLION in value. I’m not seeing the value that comes with 30 years of debt. Not for what seems like a standard middle class sized house. And it has nothing to do with city vs city. The property prices of what you called “the cheapest international city in the world” still seem ridiculously high to me. Am I the only one who thinks this? That standard middle class homes should be a couple hundred thousand, not a million and a half? Or am I being a cheap, childish, and entitled Millennial? I’m just not seeing the value here. Not sure. The price is whatever the market will bear. Prices aren’t dictated by what you want or can afford alone. Is a Ferrari really worth $250,000 more than a Corvette? Probably not. But people buy it. Often times, there is a huge markup due to the scarcity. I agree that houses in SF, for example, will go down if the industry no longer pays 22 yo college graduates $100,000 + stock right out of school. These folks make $300,000 + stock easily by age 35. And if two of these guys buy together, then that’s why $1.5 million houses are in high demand. It’s just supply and demand. Do you currently own or rent? And where? You’re not seeing the $1.X million in the value of this house. But let’s see what other people see when it finally closes. Never heard of Realty Shares but just saw yet another informercial selling a course on how to “wholesale homes and have others pay for the renovations – states you never have to do a thing ” what on earth ?!? I sold real estate for 20 years in NJ high end suburb of NYC and never heard of that — but there’s a listing that says “wholesale” I don’t know that Realty Shares does a good job explaining what they do on their main page, but it’s legit. I’ve participated in a half dozen deals in the past year. However, you do need to be an accredited investor to participate currently. Prior to crowdfunding, participating in a first position trust deed usually required 6 figures minimum, but with RS you can spread your risk across multiple deals (similar to lending club). Of course you still need to do your own due diligence as all deals are not created equal. You mention ‘fair value’ in reply to several comments above. What exactly is ‘fair value’ – Is it just your opinion of what this should be or is it based upon some mathematical/historical number like ROI based upon rent or some other number..?? Thanks for your comment – If that is the case, then how does one explain what happened in 2006/2007. Take Las Vegas as an example – Realtors over there used almost the exact same words that you used above. Prices crashed by 50% to 80%. Even some areas in South bay and San Jose in particular crashed by tens of percent. So my question to you really is – What is the most compelling reason for you to say the prices will only go up from here to $1000/Sq Ft in selected areas. Love to know your viewpoint and why.how long have you owned, where have you owned, and what do you plan to do with your real estate over the next 5-10 years? If you don’t own, how old are you and do you plan to own and when. Thx In my view the current SF market is an aberration, just like Vancouver and Toronto and Manhattan. It happens all the time, almost everywhere on the globe, due to our inherent human herd instinct which has been with us from our caveman days. Real estate historically has yielded an average of 10%~12% return on its gross purchase price. This is from data averaged over 200+ years from several different locations worldwide. A lower return indicates an overvalued property. In 2009 Las Vegas properties were yielding 22% ROI as were many cities in Arizona and Florida. Today SF and Manhattan properties yield 2%~5%. In time, these returns will rise and probably yield much higher than the long term average. ‘In time’ could be few months or few years – this cannot be reliably predicted, but the trend is certain. In my 40+ years of RE investing, I have always looked for areas where extremes are prevalent and, never once, this metric has failed me. I have held and/or still hold investment properties in Las Vegas, Manhattan and San Francisco. I will surely be a buyer for SF area properties, sometime in the near future. You have an excellent blog – I may not agree with all your viewpoints but I am avid reader. Seems like it went for $1.4 MM. Add $350k in repairs (25%!) and you’d still come out $150k over market. Sam, it’s a small world. I actually toured that house and agree with you on it’s potential. It definitely needed an overhaul. Do you think you should have bid higher? Was this a pure appreciation play for you? In the event that the market turned and you were forced to hold, did you feel this could have been a positive cash flow rental? Frequent reader, first time commenter. And glad to see I connected with you this way. I have learnt a lot from this blog and wanted to say thank you. What is your opinion concerning real estate crowdfunding sites as compared to buying and managing tangible properties such as SFH and condo? I currently work a demanding full time financial executive job and teach accounting at a local college. The last thing I want in my life is to fix leaky faucets, mow lawns on weekends and deal with late rent. Investing in crowdfunding RE provides low minimum investments, professional management and diversity including commercial properties in great markets such as Seattle, DC,NYC and SF. Markets, I otherwise could not afford a 20% down payment on million dollar properties. Many of these investments provide 10-12% cash flow returns. PRIVACY: We will never disclose or sell your email address or any of your data from this site. We do highly welcome posts and community interaction, and registering is simply part of the posting system.DISCLAIMER: Financial Samurai exists to thought provoke and learn from the community. Your decisions are yours alone and we are in no way responsible for your actions. Stay on the righteous path and think long and hard before making any financial transaction! Disclosures	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Enterprises frequently handle sensitive customer and internal data, both of which must remain secure. Failure to do so can result in the loss of critical intellectual property, reputation-crippling breaches of customer data, and regulatory action. However, enterprise employees are besieged by security threats including malware, phishing scams, and the potential for portable endpoint devices (such as laptops or smartphones) to fall into the wrong hands. Guidance provides the oversight solution to secure all of an enterprise’s endpoints, and understand threats with forensic detail. Clement \| Peterson began by securing a record number of security reporters and thought leaders to Guidance Software’s annual customer conference, Enfuse. The previous year, a global PR agency who had worked with Guidance for several years secured 12 articles from the show. Under Clement \| Peterson, this increased to 28 articles in addition to several podcast interviews. Clement \| Peterson also increased the overall estimated number of article views by 1,004%, according to CoverageBook. As a continuous stream of high-profile data breach incidents captured widespread media attention, Clement \| Peterson positioned Guidance Software with national and security-focused reporters as go-to experts for insightful perspectives. This led to Guidance’s inclusion in reporter-written articles for publications like Wired and The Los Angeles Times. A program of developing thought leadership articles, bylined by Guidance executives and placed in targeted publications such as CSO, Risk Management, and Infosecurity Magazine, also served to grow the company’s reputation for data security expertise. Clement \| Peterson further bolstered Guidance’s renown as a data security leader by assisting in the production of industry white papers on high-traffic topics and leading media outreach to develop the as a relied upon information source. Similarly, Clement \| Peterson’s outreach around a number of Guidance surveys garnered wide spread media coverage from publications including SC Magazine, Infosecurity Magazine, IT Business Edge, Security Week, and Computer Weekly. Buoyed by the significant increase in visibility in 2017, Guidance Software was acquired by OpenText.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Wine country Luxembourg Where can you find wineries in Luxembourg ? It is no coincidence that the valley of the Moselle is one of Luxembourg’s major tourist attractions. The mild climate and the spectacular beauty of the hilly vineyards at whose feet the Moselle ambles, gives the region its quite unique character. Moreover the Moselle valley fulfills all the right conditions allowing vintners to grow excellent wines which are appreciated far beyond the borders of our tiny country. While the limestone soils of the area around Grevenmacher make for fine and vivacious wines, the keuper and marl soils around Remich give the wines a more opulent character. Furthermore, Luxembourg’s winegrowers have in the last decades acquired an impressive mastery in the manufacture of sparkling wines and crémants. Much to the delight of winemakers who love sharing the fruit of their labour, wine tastings -whether in private or in business circlesare increasingly popular. For a number of years now the “Wine tasting with friends” initiative gives individuals the opportunity of visiting wineries.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Monday, 30 January 2012 The Broken Dishes and Broken Sugar Bowl blocks are nice and warm in the Dominican. Unfortunately I couldn't fit in Noeline's suitcase so she took my blocks instead. I understand they had a great time! Meanwhile back in Canada..... My honey drove a group of Kamloops speed skaters to Ft. St. James for an outdoor race. Ft. St. James is about 8 hours north west of Kamloops. Luckily the weather wasn't too cold. However, it was a little snowy. While there Doug had set out a quilt I had made him on a makeshift resting area. Someone came by and asked if it was for sale. He said there was no way he could ever sell one of the quilts I made for him. Is he a keeper or what! While you are here, don't forget to go to the previous post to enter to win a Bali Pop. Thursday, 26 January 2012 This Cherry Bali Pop might just be on it's way to YOU! Leave me a comment and on February 3rd I will generate a random number from all comments. The winner will receive this Bali Pop! If you want a second chance, blog about the giveaway linking back to me. Leave a second comment letting me know you have done this. I will ship to wherever in the world you live! This Bali Pop is one of Hoffman's latest releases. Here are all the current Pops. I used the Key Lime for my tutorial Bali Popalicious. All of these are available at Katja's or a quilt store near you. For a consolation prize I have three fat quarters of some of by favourite Batiks. I will draw a second number from all entries and the winner will receive these. Thursday, 19 January 2012 What an honour to be asked to quilt Geraldine's latest quilt from the book Blooms and Baskets by Emily G Senuta. Geraldines appliqué is far superior to anything I will ever be able to accomplish! I wish I had a spot big enough to display the entire quilt. The detail is fantastic. Each year I tally up how many quilts I have quilted on my Longarm. Since I bought my machine in 2000 this was quilt 1751. Geraldine ask me once why her machine quilting didn't look like mine. I told her that I had lots of practice, just like she had lots of practice appliquéing. That is why my appliqué doesn't look like hers. Practice! Tuesday, 17 January 2012 Yes, winter has finally hit. -17 C with a wind chill of -33 C. It must be time to stay indoors and work on some hexagons. The block on the left is Katja's Hex-a-thon block #3. The block on the right is all the same pieces as the first, placed a little different. I couldn't help myself. I had to play with the design a little. I'm trying to make at least two blocks a week so that I will have a little bigger quilt. Pop over to Carla's blog and check out her first two hexagons. The fabric is adorable! Monday, 16 January 2012 This weeks blocks, Birds in the Air and Bouquet, have gone to the beach. Yes, even in B.C. we have beaches worth going to in January. This beach is at Harrison Lake. Doug and I went to the Harrison Hot Springs Resort for a little mini holiday. We weren't the adventuresome people on the beach. We stayed in the hot springs soaking our weary bodies or sat in the pub watching a little hockey. The perfect Canadian winter holiday. A couple of the women who have joined me in making the Farmer's Wife blocks have sent me pictures to share. Ronnie is making two sets of blocks. The first is from scraps and the second is from the Chocolat line from Moda. Way to go Ronnie, looking good! Linda R. has half her blocks made and is joining in to finish the "harder" blocks. I can hardly wait to see this one finished. Wednesday, 11 January 2012 Well, I finally caved and decided to join Katja's hex-a-thon. I wasn't sure with the Farmer's Wife Blocks happening if I would have time, but what the heck. I love English Paper Piecing and this will give me something to do in the evenings when I'm to tired to do much else. This is my offering for weeks 1 and 2. I'm not sure if I'll do two every week, but these were quite easy, and I got a little carried away. What else have I been up to? Well I just finished quilting this quilt for my friend Claire. This quilt has a definite African theme to it. The panels were a gift from a friend, several of the blocks are from block exchanges and with Claire's creativity, a beautiful quilt is born. I just love those funky chickens in the first panel. The swirling water was a lot of fun to quilt in the second. Some lucky nephew of Claire's is going to receive a wonderful gift to use on his boat! Monday, 9 January 2012 We have been having a mild winter here in Kamloops and up till yesterday, there wasn't any snow on the ground. I had to travel a ways to find some snow. This is the view at the Britton Creek Rest Stop near the summit of the Coquihalla Highway about an hour and a half drive south of Kamloops. I had worn my slip on shoes, so I was concerned about how I was going to get close enough to a tree to get a picture. Luckily for me, snowmobilers frequent the area and had made a path under the tree. Next time I will try to be a little more prepared. This picture was sent to me by one of the women that is following along. Great job! Thursday, 5 January 2012 To make this quilt you will need a Bali Pop, or 31 assorted 2 1/2" strips. Approximately one metre of background fabric, and then border fabric as desired. Cut a strip of background fabric 2 1/2" wide. Lay right sides together with a strip of your bali pop. Using the Easy Angle Ruler cut four half square units as shown above. Then cut four sets of 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles. Set the rest of the bali pop strip aside for later use. From the background strip cut a 2 1/2" square. The remaining background strip can be used with the next bali strips. Cut the 30 remaining bali pop strips the same way. Decide on two colours that compliment each other then sew your block together as shown above. Make 30 more blocks, for a total of 31 Churn Dash blocks. From the partial strips that you set aside above, find three that look good together and sew them together to make a strip set that should be 6 1/2" wide. Cut this strip set into 6 1/2" squares. You should get four per strip set. You need a total of 32 blocks, so you will need eight strip sets. I didn't think to take pictures of this step, so if you have problems, e-mail me. The left over bali pop strips may be used for the binding. Use the picture to lay out your blocks, paying attention to how the strip set blocks are placed. My inner border was cut 1 1/4" and my outer border was cut 5" for a finished quilt size of 52 1/2" x 64 1/2". I quilted leaves in the border and the strip set blocks and then quilted in the ditch for the Churn Dash blocks.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
General Information Traits The trait Deep Lore increases the amount of targets of this skill by 5. The trait Knowledge of the Past reduces the power cost of this skill by 3% and gives it a 20% chance to restore 50-55 power. The trait The Study of Fire-lore adds an additional 5% miss chance to the debuff applied by this skill. The legendary trait Force of Will extends the duration of the debuff applied by this skill by 30s. Effects Interactions The Lore-master's Book Legacy Fire-lore Debuff Strength increases the strength of the debuff caused by this skill by up to 5%. The Lore-master's Book Legacy Target Resistance (Debuffing Skills) decreases the resistance to this skill by up to 3608. The passive -...% Lore Power Cost that can be found on Second age and First age Lore-master Books reduces the power cost of this skill by up to 7%. This skill does not stack with Fire-lore of other Lore-masters. It stacks multiplicatively with the burglar's Trick: Disable or any other melee damage debuff. Tactical Information Fire-lore is a great skill for reducing damage dealt by melee enemies. You can use it to reduce the damage of a single enemy that deals a lot of melee damage (for instance a boss), or that of a group of enemies that all deal melee damage. Due to the cooldown of the skill it is usually not worth using on enemies with a low morale pool that will die quickly, unless there's a lot of them at once. Note that with trait and maxed legacy, this skill can even debuff a group of 13 enemies.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
FAQ Vad är Dragonball? What is "canon"? We define canon as anything that happened in the original manga. Non-canon is any addition from the animation or other stories. It concerns scenes, but also characters or techniques. Examples : Gokû destroyed the top of Cell with a Kamehameha. This happened in the animation and the manga, so it's canon. Gokû participated in a tournament in Otherworld. This only happenned in the animation, so it's not canon. Piccolo is a canon character. Pai Kuyan isn't a canon character. Tarble, Vegeta's brother, isn't canon. Tenshinhan's technique of separating into multiple bodies is canon. Piccolo uses this techniques in the animation, but not in the manga. Piccolo being able to separate isn't canon. etc. DBM Canon DBM adds elements to the story while following DB canon. It also takes elements from the animations and films, but modifies some of them. Usually when following the films, we take all the information, but sometimes change things to keep consistency with the manga. For example, Broly, who isn't "DB canon", is "DBM canon" but he isn't the one from the movies, and his story is different from the movies, too. What movies/OAV/TV Special are "DBM Canon"? Dragon Ball -not-Z movies didn't happen. DBZ Movies 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 didn't happen. Movie 6 (Coola) happened in many DBM universes, but differently (there will be a special chapter). Movie 13 (Tapion) happened, with slight differences, in Universe 18 and in Universe 16. It also happened very differently in Universe 3. The Dr. Raichi OAV may have happened in another universe not shown in the tournament. We'll tell you more later. The Baddack TV Special happened, in most of the universes, except Baddack can't see the future. In universe 3, it happened differently. The Trunks TV Special didn't happen in universes 16 and 18, but happened in universes 12 and 14. The Tarble Movie didn't happen. The Baddack TV Special where he goes in the past didn't happen. The series DBGT and the DBGT TV Special didn't happen. The manga Jaco may have happened. But not the chapter Dragon Ball Minus. Movies Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F didn't happen. The series "Dragon Ball Super" didn't happen. This series changes too much of the story and transformations and happens before DBM. We can't stay compatible, especially that we don't know how it ends. About DBM project Who are you? Click on the left-hand menu where it says "The authors". Are you sponsored or backed-up by Toei, Jump, Namco, and/or Toriyama ? No. But you're allowed to do that?... ...no. We could be if this was a parody (like the well-known Spanish Dragon Fall), but here, we'd need the copyright, and we will never get it. But, as we don't sell this comic, there is no reason to stop us from giving publicity to Dragon Ball :) In japan, fan-comics like this one, named Dôjinshi, are very popular and numerous. When will new pages come? Usually, there is one new page each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, 20:00 GMT. During a special chapter, there is one more page on Monday. The remaining time until next page is in "Read Comic" section. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. How many pages will there be? The final number of pages in unknown. Is there a printed paper version? We have one, in French, and only available in festivals/conventions where we go. Sorry, we're not selling them online. No need to ask. Is there an anime? Will you do an anime? No. Why don't you take DBGT into account? DBGT is "only" an anime, and is inconsistent with the manga. Also, we don't like it. And Vegeta with a mustache, that can't be excused. Comic Making How does Gogeta Jr draw? Before page 100: with a pencil and pen on paper A3 format. He scans, then changes little things on photoshop. With the draft, the penciling, inking, then scan and edits, one page takes two days. After: directly on the computer with a graphic tablet. Draft, penciling, inking, all are done on the computer directly. Then the page is sent to stef84 who makes the finishing details: spectators in the arena, black and grey surfaces... What font is the text? Where's the color? No colors. Mangas are in black and white, except for special chapters and covers. We're not looking for a colorist. Does Gogeta Jr make 2 pages a week? No. He usually makes 5-10 page drafts, then draws them. Pages are done "by pack". But on average, that's two pages a week. We can't do more. How do you all work together? All the team communicate over the internet. We live in different towns and never see each others. Translators and other helpers use online tools coded by Salagir. How do you manage so many languages? Salagir coded a translation interface for optimizing the work. As soon as he finishes the texts (after receiving the draft or ink from G.Jr), he puts the French text in it, plus his translation to English. The translators fill their language and the correctors for English and French fix Salagir's mistakes ;) There is the translation of the comic's pages, but also the website pages, of misc. texts (chapter titles, user messages), pages of the mini-comic, this page, news... translators have a lot of work, and thanks for the online tools, because I'm not copy-pasting from Word again. I want to add my language, how do I do that? Email Salagir. How do you choose the fights? Salagir answers: The matches are based on the dreamed fights I've seen online (forums, websites) these last ten years (NO NEED to suggest fights now), fanfics telling encouters...well, what I knew would please the readers. I'm the only one to decide, but before that I "consult" my ideas and outcomes with friends who have a good look on DBZ and a critical mind (as opposed to fanboys, for example). I also modify my choices depending on the story, because yes, I've got one. Why a sequel to DBZ? Salagir: For years I've written fanfics and have drawn comics, for the most part, about DBZ. This sequel is just one of my works, but it's the one that worked the best. As I often try to do fanfictions that are compatible with the original work, making a sequel gives me more liberties, and permits me to have characters at a good moment of the series, when all bad guys are known. Gogeta Jr: Because that's the style that I'm the best in. Fan talk Will you do a forum? Comments section is just as good as a real forum. Do you read our comments? We do what we can, but there are a lot and we don't have much time. We can only read English and French ones. Translators may tell us about interesting comments in their language. But it's not their job. The best way to be heard by the team is to email. Will you add my character to DBM? ...no. Want to see my drawings? Can you give me advice? We're not teachers. Plus the internet is filled with tutorials and advices. I'm a cartoonist, and would like to participate to DBM Other cartoonists make the special chapters, on a script by Salagir. Right now we have several propositions, so we only take the ones who are serious, very motivated, and who have done comics before. If you are like this, send an email to Salagir with a link to your creations. Questions about DBM's story Why are there several universes and how are they different? First, there are an infinite number of universes. They never come in contact with each other, except in case of time travel and Varga travel. All the universes began with an identical Big Bang. And then, everything happened the same in each universe. Exactly the same...except for little details here and there. Because of these details, many universes diverged from one to another, but even today, there are a lot of identical universes. Each divergence appeared in many universes as well. Whenever an event may end in two possible ways, then there is divergence. It roughly means that half of the involved universes go one way, the other half goes the other way. Example, in 10000000000 universes "X" (identicals), Gohan is fighting Cell, and during the final Kamehameha... 5000000000 (identical) universes X1 see Cell winning, and 5000000000 (identical) universes X2 see Gohan winning. Later, the universes X1 will separate into other universes (we know only of them the universe named 17) and the universes X2 separate split into universes 4, 6, 16, 18 and 20 (among others). Note: I used 5000000000 here as an example, but in fact, there are an infinite number of them: half of ∞, is ∞ (ask your math teacher). So like this, we never lack universes, and searching well, we can always find a universe (an infinity in fact) that's identical to ours. And time travel? When Trunks went back in time, he went into a universes identical to his own, and in the past. Then he travelled back and forth between these two universes only. (of course, an infinite number of Trunkses did that). Example: Trunks was in universe A, went back in time, which created a divergence in the past. The group of A is separated into groups A.1 (his universe whose past cannot be changed), and A.2 (the one "we know" where he kills Freeza). The A.1 then became universe 12 (among others). And A.2 became universe X (among others). There will be a great chart that will explain that in details, but not right now to avoid spoilers. How do the Vargas find the entrants? They have a "magic" detector telling them who are the strongest of the universe. This detector has no difficulty finding androids and beings that do not emit energy, but it does not check Otherworld, nor people that are unconscious, sealed by magic or Mafuba... Sometimes, as seen with universe #6, the detector finds two groups, in which case the Vargas pick both. The Vargas have visited hundreds of universes and sometimes found almost identical ones. They only invited the warriors when they saw an interesting difference. Why is Broly so strong? He's not the same Broly as in the movies (indeed, I give myself the right to change everything that's not from the manga). Broly's "legendary" power causes his strength to be always increasing, as long as he is alive. Thus his power rises with each passing minute. Our heroes have met Broly during an equivalent of Movie 8, and during an equivalent of Movie 10. Both times they barely succeeded in repelling him. Broly's "the Legendary Saiyan" special powers: (It's as they are in DBM. This is NOT manga canon, this is NOT official) - Every 1000 years, one Saiyan is born as "Legendary". - This Saiyan is very very strong. - This Saiyan loves violence, and is inhabited by rage. - This Saiyan can turn into SSJ easily. - This Saiyan got a special transformation named "LSSJ". - In LSSJ, he got white eyes, huge muscles and green aura. He is totally blinded with rage and seeks only violence. - In LSSJ, this Saiyan turns indestructible: attacks just don't hurt him. He can be pushed away, but not harmed. - In LSSJ, the power of this Saiyan grows constantly. - In LSSJ, this Saiyan won't get back to normal except in case a great shock. - In LSSJ, the lifetime of the Saiyan drops dramatically. But this weakness slowly reduces on each generation. Can you tell us all the differences between all the universes and how it happened? Vegeta, U18: Body and Mind is 63, Birth day is 61 years away. Two years in Room of Spirit and Time. Born 5 years before Gokû according to many timelines. Baddack, U3, U10: minimum 75 If he got Raditz as a teen and Kakarotto/Goku (who is 5 years younger) at 20, he is 55+20=75. Old King Vegeta, U10: about 101 Let's say old King Vegeta had Vegeta at 40. It's believable, as Saiyans this age are still young. That explains why he looks very old and Baddack doesn't. Where do the weapons and names of universe 19 come from? Carbonite: is a compound of self-replicating carbon nanoparticles able to grow indefinitely by devouring the energy of all the matter available to them. Such compounds exist in our world... in a laboratory. Names of Helior and Heloïte: Helior comes from the ancient Greek "helios" = sun, and is also the name of the Greek god who drove the sun chariot which allows daylight, as a reference to the artificial sun created by Heloïtes to enjoy optimal living conditions on their new planet. Heloïte = inhabitant of Helior.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Il Divo Tickets Il Divo The quartet, known for blending classical music with pop, are bringing their world tour “A Musical Affair” to the UK starting at Birmingham’s LG Arena on 18 October 2014. The 2014 tour will take Il Divo across the UK stopping off at Cardiff, Newcastle, Glasgow, Nottingham, Manchester, Dublin, Brighton, Bournemouth, Leeds and end at The O2, London on the 1 November 2014. Il Divo Tickets Do you want to see Il Divo in concert but it's sold out? As part of their forthcoming tour, Il Divo will visit the United Kingdom on various dates. Make sure you buy your Il Divo tickets here to avoid disappointment, alternatively if you have tickets to sell for any of the tour dates then you're in the right place as GET ME IN! is Ticketmaster's safe and guaranteed online ticket market. Please note, you are buying Il Divo tickets from a third party. Neither GetMeIn.com nor GET ME IN! is the ticket seller. GET ME IN! ensures your transaction is safe, secure and guaranteed. The ticket prices are set by the seller and may differ from face value. All sales are final.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Monday, February 21, 2011 I have a confession They say confession is good for the soul, and I have one to make, even though I don't believe in the concept of a soul. But here goes. I hate Republicans. Really, they are better referred to as Repuglicans, Rethuglicans, and even Republicons. I hate them. They are evil lying bastards. They are psychopaths. And I am not talking about the low information voter who has been manipulated into voting for Republicons. I am talking about the Repiglicans at the top, the various politicians in state and Federal government positions, or running think tanks, or even evil corporations who use their power to hurt the powerless while giving everything to the powerful. I hate them. I don't have it in my heart to love them because I can't love evil. I just can't bring myself to love them. But there are politicians I do love, like Jackie Speier. She just constantly makes me proud and here is one more recent reason why. But what to do about the evil Repiglican bastards? Peaceful protest. That is the way. It works. And when enough people wake up to what these bastards are doing to the country and protest like they are doing in Wisconsin, then we will have real change. I'm looking forward to that day. It just can't come soon enough! Sunday, February 20, 2011 Wisconsin: How YOU Can Help So, peeps, what the fuckety-fucking FUCK is going on in Wisconsin, huh? I turn my back for a few years, and this is what becomes of the world. Who EVER thought "Democracy is coming to the Middle-East in my lifetime"? Anybody? Anyone? Not me, for sure. But now a dictator-for-life has fled Tunisia (with a ton of gold, but still), and his fellow dictator-for-life has fled Egypt, and some other dictators-for-life are looking around nervously, wondering who's next. Jordan, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Saudi, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, all aflame. And now, Wisconsin. So it turns out that creepazoid Scott Walker, purported Governor of Wisconsin, was elected thanks to two slimy oil billionaires who poured money into his pockets. People of Wisconsin! How could you let this happen? In order to break the unions (a long-term goal of the Koch Bros. and the rightwing nutjob tools they have purchased), Walker declared that the state was having fiscal problems and needed to cut costs. Of course, he neglects to mention that while he's squalling about how awful the state's problems are, he just added a whole bunch of expensive tax cuts for the wealthy. Hmmm. Do I smell hypocrite? Here's something you can do to help, even if you're not a citizen or resident of Wisconsin. Update: And, if you actually have $$ to spare, throw a few towards keeping the protestors fed and warm right here. Wisconsin, you can recall these Republican buttfuckers that you handed your Legislature to. And clearly, you'd better do it fast, because your governor is willing to call the National Guard in to shoot you down, if necessary. Saturday, February 19, 2011 Eat the Richest 1 % (c) 2005 K. Smokey Cormier Republicans would rather go after teachers and other public employees than have us look at the pay of Wall Street traders, private-equity managers, and heads of hedge funds -- many of whom wouldn't have their jobs today were it not for the giant taxpayer-supported bailout, and most of whose lending and investing practices were the proximate cause of the Great Depression to begin with. Last year, America's top thirteen hedge-fund managers earned an average of $1 billion each. One of them took home $5 billion. Much of their income is taxed as capital gains -- at 15 percent -- due to a tax loophole that Republican members of Congress have steadfastly guarded. If the earnings of those thirteen hedge-fund managers were taxed as ordinary income, the revenues generated would pay the salaries and benefits of 300,000 teachers. Who is more valuable to our society -- thirteen hedge-fund managers or 300,000 teachers? Let's make the question even simpler. Who is more valuable: One hedge fund manager or one teacher?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Tamil people take pride in naming Murugan a Tamil Kadavul. Their love for this particular deity is high and he is the most worshiped god in Tamil Nadu. His popularity is very high in south unlike north. The concept of Murugan as Tamil Kadavul is even expressed in latest film Billa in ‘Seval Kodi’ song. Now let us make a small survey of names used to denote Murugan, Kandha (dervative of Sanskrit word Skanda) Subramaniyan(Sanskrit form Subhramanya) Saravana(One who is born in Sara Vana, where Vana means forest) Kumaran(which means younger one in Sanskrit) Shanmuha (one with six faces in Sanskrit) Karthikeya (also Sanskrit orgin) As you see all the names is either Sanskrit or Sanskrit derivatives. Let us now see his orgin, He is son of Shiva, Parvathi and brother of Ganesha. So what are the elements which make him a real Tamil Kadavul? What is the Myth as we know? The basic Myth we know is as follows : Shiva created Murugan to kill Curan. He was born as six children and later integrated into one. He arrested Brahma and taught Veda to Shiva in Swamimalai. He fought for Gyana Palam and became an Aandi(saint) and stood on Palani hills. He received his Vel from Parvathi in Sirakali He destroyed Curan in Thiruchentur. He freed the Devas and in turn got married to Indra’s Daughter Theivanai in Thiruthani. Fell in love and married Valli in Palamudhirsolai Settled in Thriparankundram as Deity with two wives. This myth is standard myth known to all Tamilians and explains the concept of Arupadai vedu(Concept of six sacred houses/Temples). How does it differ from Northern Myth? The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as ‘Agnibhuh’ or son of Agni, the fire god. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the ninth form of Agni. Unbarable to bear handle the heat , the sisu was split into six and put in the Pond in Sara Vana (Saravana Poigai). He is brought up as six children and later in fight with Indra he was combined as one person with six heads. He lead the army of Gods(Devas) to defeat Taraka. He is an eternal Bachelor or he is married to Devasena, which means army of gods. His weapon was raging fire , since he was a form of Agni. He is eternally young god He has attributes of attributes of being a teacher (The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the “way that leads to wisdom”) Myth of Skanda arresting Brahma also comes up. Some important points to be noted here are: Skanda is not son of Shiva. He has no mother. He is an eternal bachelor. He doesn’t have a weapon called Vel. There is no mention of Valli. What was the Early Tamil myth? There is no structured myth in Tamil for Murugan, but from various Sangam sources and archeological evidence and by inference, Murugan had the following features and attributes: Eternal youth and beauty Prowess in hunt and fighting Prowess in love making (like Kama in Sanskrit) Ability to enter and possess human beings Red colour Vel as his main weapon Connection with animals like peacock, cock ,elephant and possibly goat and snake Slayer of enemy cur ,representing fear ,terror and anxiety Love for and union with Valli Son of Mother goddess Korravai. So here you see Murugan has a mother and not a bachelor. He has lover Vali, the daughter of mountain chief with whom he makes sexual union. He is also god of love and victory. How was he worshiped in Early Tamilnadu? He was believed to posses Katampu tree , hence the name Kadamban He also possessed young women. His priest was known as Velan. Murugan was believed to posses Velan and give blessings to people. He was worshiped by a form of Dance called Veriyatu. He was also god of mountainous region Kurunji. He was worshiped as slayer of evil and terror Cur, which later became Curan. He was also believed to be god of Love, and often quoted in Sangam literature for his interludes with Valli. The Integration: Integration of Dravidian Murugan and Aryan Skanda has taken place when Pallavas came to Tamil Nadu. The Brahmins have spearheaded this integration. Some important points in the integrated form: The similar traits of both gods are eternal youth and destruction of evil. The Aryan god had a father but no mother and Dravidian god has mother but no father. The Dravidian mother Korravai was identified with Kali, Durga or Amman as early as Sangam age. Since Kali /Durga were identified with Parvati the consort of Shiva, Murugan was identified as son of Shiva. Taraka the asura in Aryan version was made brother of Surapadman(later name of Cur,Curan) The eternal bachelor who was married to Devasena(Army of god) was changed to God with two wife to accommodate Valli, which was very famous tradition among Tamil . Devasena was comfortably converted to Theivanai(Devayanai- Tamil myth says she was brought up by Ayiravatham the elephant of Indra – hence Deva yanai instead of Deva Sena or Deva Senai) a Brahmin girl and daughter of Indra. The myth also was made up to represent two kind of marriage, Kalavu – love marriage (a Tamil/Dravidian tradition- Valli and Murugan) and Karpu – arranged marriage (Brahmin tradition- Theivanai and Murugan). The fire weapon of North was replaced with Vel which is South Indian tradition. Murugan as a mountain god is still maintained with all his temples situated on or near mountains. When does the current myth come into Tamil Nadu? The first textual evidence of Murugan as on of Shiva appears in Silapadikaram(4th Century AD). The whole myth was first explained in Thirumurgatrupadai by Nakkirar(7-9th Century AD) Final form of myth we know was written by Kasiappa Civasariyar in Kanthapuranam(14th Century AD) Even in Kanthapuranam , Palani was not mentioned and surrounding myth of Gyana Palam was not included. The standard Myth we know about Murugan was only written in 14 th century by Kasiappa Civacariyar a Brahmin priest at Kanchipuram. How did the myth enter North India? The myth of Muruga as we know was first written in Sanksirt sources in Sivapurana. Sivapuranas were composed around 9-10th Century AD by Sanskrit scholars of south and it was heavily influenced by the Bakthi movement prevalent in south. Unlike south, the North Indian myth says that Karthikeya was elder to Ganesha. The popularity of Karthikeya is also not much in North India. This is very brief essay to outline the process of Skanda – Muruga integration. There some evidences which has come up recently to indicate Murugan might be Pre Historic god and an inherited God of Tamil people rather than an indigenous deity. My next essay would be on his Pre Historic origins. I have not read in detail about it , but have heard about it. I cannot speculate on it. They Usually say Thircendur is permual kovil because its near sea…. and Thirupathi is Murugan koil because its on mountain. But we have very very early record that Thirucendur is a sacred place for Murugan (as early as 1BC to 1 AD). So Thirucendur is surely not a perumal koil as speculated. But I have not read any thing about Thirupathi as of now….but there is a literature available…If I read it I can form an opinion about it. As of now my opinion is …it might be just a speculation. SIlapadigaram says Thiruvenkadam is Perumal Koil.Silapadigaram is 4th century AD. So any early lit should be reviewed. Appreciate the good work… However rig veda is not the only sanskrit literature on muruga that can lead to think that the aryans did not regard him as the son of shiva… Kalidasa’s ‘kumara sambhavam’ which dates back to period before nakkeerar describes the birth of muruga, from drops of rudra’s semen, which were burning like raging fire and cooled on reaching the holy waters. He is the son of shiva – parvati, but not born of parvati’s womb , instead only out of shiva…. Continuing on those lines, even ganesha was given life only through parvati and did not involve shiva… but that cannot lead us to think that he is not the son of shiva. Traditionally, it is believed that, those born out of womb are subject to the cycle of birth and death and hence gods aren’t born that way! Yes, the legend of valli is something specific to dravidian traditions… @ second and third comment- I have not heard/read anything about any controversy on thiruchendur. However the controversy on tirupati is more deep rooted and can’t be attributed merely to it’s location on a hill. Some facts- 1. On the four corners of the main sanctum, one sees lions facing upwards and guarding, which is not a feature of vaishnavaite traditions. 2. The shanka and chakra look as though standing on two separate rivets, which could have easily been attached to an existing idol. This is not the case generally with other idols like varadaraja of kanchipuram or shri vaikuntam. 3. Also, this could be likely, as the two hands attached to the idol also do not hold a lotus or a club (which is the general norm) and instead surprisingly one finds a ‘dhandam’ (a stick) besides it. Muruga is just one of the options presented by the fathers of this theory. There is an equal likeliness of it being a shakti temple or even of some jain (samana madham) god, considering the religiously charged atmosphere during those times, and how one tradition tried to superimpose the other… I have also come across some surprising references about tirupati in relatively recent sanskrit literature (16-17 AD), which seem to affirm such controversies… Wow every article were really interesting.Hey one more to add… I have see people saying that all Murugan temples will be in hills and Vishnu temple are not as it is said to highlight the Thirupathi issue… I know one Lakshmi Narasimham temple in sholingar which is on a small hill, but really dont know how old it is.. Also I read about Ramayana and Mahabaratha in some website as a story of a real king who lived 3000BC and 1900BC respectively and not the GOD myth as we all know by. I will try to post the web address of the article. 1. Murugan was not married to Devasena. Devasenapati means lord of devar senai (i.e he was army general of devas). It doesnt mean he married an army!!! 2. Indra gifted him his elephant airavatham (source for change of name from devasena to deivayaanai in tamil) 3. You say that “The first textual evidence of Murugan as on of Shiva appears in Silapadikaram(4th Century AD)” and also “The myth of Muruga as we know was first written in Sanksirt sources in Sivapurana”. However Kalidasa the poet who lived between sometime during 2nd-3rd century AD, has written a big work called KumaaraSambhavam (“birth of Kumaran”) as child of Siva and Parvati. Kumaarasambhavam is a very famous book. How did you miss this? 4. The aarupadaiveedu in TN (“six army houses” or “six barracks”) belonging to him, confirms his role as army general of devas. 5. You say “His priest was known as Velan”. This is wrong. Velan means “he who has the Vel aayudham”. 6. You say that “There is no mention of Valli”. Valli will not be mentioned in early literature since this story of marriage with valli is traceable only to TN. Valli was supposed to be a hill tribal girl or kurathi from TN (Western Ghats region). 1.If you see sanskrit literature …which i am sure you have not gone through…the original sanskrit Skanda purana….Skanda is married to Devasena. But other epics(skanda purana is not the only source of this epic…there are various different versions in ramayana ….mahabratha) so early Sanskrit literature …he was either married to women Deva sena or a bachelor in literal sense married to Deva sena(the army of god) I can quote 4 books for your reference….three as in my article on more book which extensively surveys sanskrit literature…. The many faces of Murukan_ : the history and meaning of a South Indian god / Clothey, Fred W. 2. Again you are wrong…… the myth is Deviyanai and Valli were daughters of Thirumal on previous birth, Deviyani is born as daughter of Indra in this birth and brought up by Airavatham his elephant hence the name deviyanai 3.Yes what I have said is right…KumaraShambava is about the myth of Kumara or Skanda…who then had no correlation with Murugan who was sung by Tamil poets….Hence Silapadikaram was the first literature to have Muruga(After integration with Skanda) as son of Shiva….Again sanskrit sources with the myth we know as of now Valli,Devasena ,Murugan,Surapadman and tharaka was only written in sivapuranas during 10th century 4.Arupadai veedu is a concept of very very late orgin, probably after 15th century….till 9th century there is no shrine with statue of Murugan with Valli or Deviyanai…he is always alone as statue….only one statue ofPallava temple has Murgan with only one bride….and there is a conflict whether it is valli or Deviyanai…in sangam literature except for Thirucentur and Thiruparankundram , there is no mention of any other temples as Murugans sacred places….even in Kandapuram of Kasiappa Ciasariyar there is no mention of Palani. So taking Arupadaiveedu as proof is not valid. 5.This clearly show u have never heard about Snagam literature…See my blog on love sickness….I have quoted around 4 poems which clearly show Velan was the priest of Murugan and not Murugan himself….. 6.Again you are wrong, Valli can be traced in Srilankan religions…not the Tamils in Srilanka but the Sinhalese in Srilanka. Sinhalese have a god Kathirgama who is identified with Muruga and Similarly a tribe gal is in love with Kathirgama and marries him. This shows that the myth of Murugan and Valli was famous very long ago and as early as 4 or 3 BC.Since Sinhalese are Aryans who travelled from north to Srilanka around 5th BC. @Palaniappan Vairam You have to get your facts right on kumara sambhavam… it is an epic that i filled with loads of references to the demons skanda slayed, the cause for his incarnation, etc. It is absurd to argue that he is different from the deity sung by tamil poets First people who quote Kumara Sambhava should be aware that only first 8 Cantos of it was written by Kalidasa and last eight, most scholars agree is later work by some other person The first eight cantos contain only till parvati and shiva make love play….Skanda is not yet born…. V Ragavan dates the last 8 Cantos be written only in 6th century…. And as far as Kalidas is dated some where between 3 AD to 4th century…. Sangam is dated between 1BC to 3 AD…. Kumara sambhava is later work compared to most of Sangam literature…. And by all means if any person has read sangam literature….he would surely accept that Description of murgan is no way similar to descriptions of Skanda in northern Literature…. There are so many literatures specific to Murugan as in Sangam literature….if any one is really interested….I can mail you the books…. Yes, he is correct, his analysis is also correct. While coming from north to south Aryans unable to invade in to south. South was having strongly with Murugan in hills , Amman, and pillaiyaar in plains. So the brahmins who came for aiyar boojari business, they were unable to enter into Tamilnadu. They divided and created languages mixing sanskrit. Thats how telugu , Kannada created. Latest is Malayalam. Only place they were unable to enter into was the large Tamil areas. They used this trick. Lord muruga is the younger son of Shiva (Hindu equivalent of Karthikeya), Pillaiyaar is the elder son of shiva (Hindu equivalent of ganesha). They told Muruga is having two wifes , equivalling to our Valli and Deivanai. Pillaiyaar is unmarried. But in north it is different , Karthikeya is elder, unmarried, no unmarried girl will worship karthikeya. ganesha younger, having two wives!!!. Aryans defrauded Tamils. Lord murugan is not son of shiva, not karthikeya, not killed any sooran or anybody, Lord pillaiyaar is not son of Shiva, norhing to do with Lord murugan , not brother of lord murugan. He is not Lord ganesha. Amman is not Shakthi or wife of Shiva. Look to your grand father names ,All our original names are tamil, when we enter in to temples they gave us sanskrit names. In the temple business battle tamils, we lost our originality, god and everything. we donot have even a single holiday for our god muruga’s festival. All we celebrate are the festivals who have cheated us…… They were unable to defeat tamils, so they called tamils as arakkans. Soorapanman , ravanan,narakasuran all are tamil kings who ruled this state. Just because they were unable to enter their gods into this state they made all gimmicks. Now we worship the people who defeated us. But actually who tried to protect us we are calling them as arakkans. Tamils ruled ceylon and yes ravana was defeated by ram. The vanara padai (monkeys army) they noted were north indians . Thats how the sanskrit based sinhalese linguistic people entered into ceylon. English and aryans are having similarities. From middle asia because of natural calamities aryans shifted towards east, Europeans moved towards west and remaining arabians. Maththiya asiavil irunthu mani adikka vanthavarkale aiyarkal.All over the world light skinned people ruled dark skinned people, as per english theory. ( http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/aryan/aryan_frawley_1.html ) Indus valley civilisation belonged to Dravidians and just of not knowing horse, iron etc., dravidians were defeated by aryans. Aryans pushed dravidians towards south. ( http://adaniel.tripod.com/aryans.htm ). Indus valley people worshipped nature. Still Tamils worship nature praising festivals only. Our Pongal, Aadi perukku are some of the examples for nature worship. We , Tamils not having any festival which celebrates others death. But unfortunately to celebrate death (Narakasuras death) we are having a holiday but aadi perukku we are not having any holiday. We speak all teh time about Thamil kadavul Murugan, we do not have even a single holiday for our lord. We should have. We have to find our one best day for Lord Murugan, Lord Pillaiyaar and Lord Amman. Let us find out a day and have a holiday different from north Indians. We all belongs to Tamil Religion where our gods are Murugan, Pillaiyaar, Amman, Ayyanar, Karupparayan, kannimaar, Annamaar etc.,. These gods are nothing do to with north indian gods. There exists a third story, which is as per all believable evidence the real one. ‘Vedic Hinduism’ has a History of assimilating local deities like Virumandi, Maduraiveerasamy, Sudalaimadasami, etc. Murugan, apparently, is one such village chieftain who was later ‘deified’, meaning made into a god. The EXACT story matches with the deity Kande Yakka, who was the village chieftain of Kataragama, more popularly known as Kadirgamam, in SL. Murugan/Kande Yakka were valiant chieftains who later married a local tribal girl called Valli. Vallimalai in Vellor District provides very good evidence of this. Virumandi in Theni district is worshipped as Viruman or Brahman. Maduraiveerasamy is another example, Kallazhagar is again a local chieftain…………most famously Ayyappan. Ayyappan is STILL worshipped by some tribal communities in Kerala, who wear white-and-white and NOT Kavi, they worship him as Kaval dheiyvam and do not believe in the Siva-Vishnu son baloney. My point is, both of these versions presented are to be appreciated, however based on Pagan folklore and the rest, the pieces do not fit. Murugan/Kande Yakka was indeed a village chieftsain who was later assimilated. The rest of the Shanmughan, etc……….were foisted on this new found man, whose name might not even be Murugan. List of chieftains, in accordance with Tamil beliefs of honoring their dead, which were hijacked by Vedic Hinduism: Murugan became Siva’s son Thirumal became Srinivasan Virumandi became Brahman Maduraiveeran became Vishnu (some versions) Sudalaimadasamy became Sivan Ayyappan became the son of Siva-Vishnu (total BS) Chinna/Periya Karuppannan became Jayan/Vijayan Kallazhagar/Azhagar became Vishnu With the help of brahmin poojaris Shiva , Vishnu and like Branhmin gods entered into temples of cities first. They have changed the Tamil temples into Brahmin temples. Tamil gods kept aside. Then it would have taken long time to enter into villages. First in cities they have changed the Tamil names in to sanskrit names as the naming ceremony takes place mostly in temples. The Tamils who left long long ago are worshipping lord muruka, Pillaiyaar, Amman etc and not worshipping gods with stories like shiva, vishnu etc. This is evident from Tamils in Malaysia , Singapore, Indonesia, Burma,Mauritious,south Africa etc.,. Because those who left from villages were not knowing about shiva, vishnu etc.,. slowly slowly we were converted into Aryans Hinduism. But to whatever level you convert into Aryan Hinduism they will not accept you as brahmins. This conversion process you can see this in your own eyes. When a Hindu convert into Christianity in the beginning they worship Some hindu gods also, they will be having some attachment to hinduism. In the change process second generation and furthergeneration people will be viewed differently by orginal christian . We are living in shadow, we donot know our own values and we are with austirity following hindu gods other than original tamil gods. As we are not worshipping our tamil gods we can say Tamils were converted in to hinduism just like how people are converted in to christianity or Islam. change of a man in to God is very clear from this : MGR is made as god. Mahatma Gandhi is a God. What about Kushboo?. We worship best performers. All these are having temples in Tamilnadu. Assume there is no communication and technology then after 500 years, All these people will be God List. That’s why christianity and Islam restricted number of Gods. Aurobindo Ghosh, who was a freedom fighter and a ‘terrorist’ during the British times fled British India and came to French Pondicherry and later got engrossed in spiritualism. Mother Mira Alfassa was similar, except that she was Polish. To try to know about Murugan from discussions about his “dravidian/aryan” origin would be pointless. since the aryan invasion theory is itself disputable, it makes no logical sense to ascertain the “ethnicity” of murugan… like many other myths, the versions differ according to region.. yet the tamil kanda puranam is a portion of the skanda purana..said that Murugan himself had revealed to kachiappar (16 century BCE) the portion of His history… Murugan, whether as the tribal hill god, or the vedic Skanda, or the consort of Valli, is One and One only… It is ridiculous to think of wheter the god i worship is a “pure tamil god” or some aryan import..i dun believe in racism even towards man, what about gods? if really the present murugan is declared as an “aryan”, how will it matter to a devotee? Such discussions are really of no religious value whatsoever…it is really a stage for reviving the old ” i hate aryan campaign, which is outdated, irrelevant to modern life and nothing more that bigotry int the guise ethnic pride. I would like to make certain clarifications, 1.I accept Aryan invasion theory is not true, that actually means the people of Indus valley were not chased away by the aryans, but rather they had insufficient resources in Indus valley hence they relocated. 2. The whole essay speaks of Aryan and Dravidian as a language group and not as an ethinic group. So the essay speaks about the Tamil elements and the Sanskiritic elements in simple terms. 3. Any person who has interest in sangam literature would go into this discussion since Murugan in Tamil sangam literature is totally different from what we know of him today 4. This is just history and analysis of written records, I am not questioning the faith of any devotee. 5. This essay truly dosent has any relegious value, rather it looks into roots of beliefs and history behind various myths. 6. All over my blog I treat Aryan and Dravidian as language groups. There is also one more language group in India namely Munda. And one small correction too…in Kandapuranam by Kasiappa Sivacariyar, he himself in chapter confessed that he has know many myths of Muruga and he has writtena myth which he believes to be correct. He also mentions he writes the verses and keeps it before the lord every night and next morning his verses were corrected of mistakes by the lord. Kirupanantha Variyar has commented that Kasiapacivasariyar has used a legend which could best describe the philosophy of Saiva Siddhantha. I have a critical analysis of Kandapuranam of Kasiappa Civasariyar with me. If you wish to read I can pass it on to you. Aryans came from outside India just like Christians and Muslims. Most of the historians accepted the fact that aryans came from outside india. Aryans are different from Dravidians and they are not in the same linguistic group also. White Aryans belongs to European linguistic group and Black Dravidians belongs to indo dravidian linguistic group. Both are from different race. We cannot accept all such stories just like that. No devotee accept muruka as son of shiva if he read pre sangam literatures. We believe only in Muruka, Pillaiyaar and amman who are not aryan gods. You read tamil literatures one by one from the past in chronological order then you will come to know when tamil was sanskritised and aryan gods were pushed into tamilnadu. Kudos to Palaniappan Vairam in his efforts to identify our ethnic group in a better way. The greatness, as well as the problem in India/Hinduism, is that we have been open and influenced by various doctrines/myths/influences both internally. Its completely ok in India to believe in a married Murugan or a bachelor.. as son of Siva or not.. as a small village hero who was deified or a true son of god. Whereas, look at the reaction to Dan Brown’s theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene! The whole confluence of Aryans/Dravidians, what ideas were Aryan vs Dravidian, who influenced whom is complex. In addition, there is still a lot of speculation around Mayan/Persian invasion of North India. I read that Aryans never had any god other than nature (similar to Greek thought) and absorbed Rudra/Siva, Sakthi worship from Dravidians. Murugan is my favourite God and I was looking for English articles about him when I came across this enlightening and interesting article. The discussions were an eyeopener too. Looking forward to your next article. Tks Thila All gods which are not having a relationship to tamil are having one holidays. But our motherly god murugan is not having even a single holiday. Let our politicians understand our feelings and give atleast thaipoosam as a holiday. I wish to ask Vairam one question : In Murugan how the letter G came instead of K? (I feel it should be murukan). Murgan means beauty,sweetness etc. where as Murukan means deadly terrror etc. When the aryans settled south they brought in their conception of God should be beautiful and devils hould be ugly… hence there seems to be a change of K to G…. See u cant just take a word out and say tamil is older or sanskrit is older so its tamil/sanskrit word… a word is believed to be of one language group based on etymology… skanda clearly has etymology meaning…something that is ‘oozing out’…in sanskrit… but Tamil Kandha has no etmology meaning except it has been adopted from a sanskrit word For Etmology of Murugan you can read my History of Murugan post. It has detailed explanation by world renowned scholar Irvatham Mahadevan. Centi is Tamil orgin word typically used to address Thirucenthur in Sangam Literature. Hi!Nice article… Now I’m more confused…More and more I research bout hinduism,more and more I get confused.Is aryan dravidian theory true or not,I’ve seen in a website that hinduism is not a religion.It was made into a religion by the british in which they included all gods except budhist,christian and muslim gods and again I hear here that tamil gods and north indian gods r different.Which is true and which isn’t can some one clarify??? Lets take up each issue one by one 1. The theory that was proved wrong was Aryan Invasion theory..i.e. Aryans did not invade and win over Dravidian and established a culture which solely represents aryan philosophy. Aryans were settlers in Indus Valley and due to over exploitation of the valley people moved south from Gujrat ,Saurastra towards Deccan. There is no pure Aryan culture as quoted by scholars in prev century as scholars now have proved there are 1000’s of words of Dravidian origin even in Rig Veda. Similarly Dravidian languages have influence of Sanskrit ,Pakrit and Pali. This is a well established fact. 2. The influence of each cultures have taken place over the centuries. But Tamil Sangam Literature is the only literature/culture which seems to have very minimal aryan influence. 3. Another confusion of yours is Aryan / Dravidan. Aryan and Dravidian are language groups not racial identity. So what ever I have mentioned here is from sources of Tamil and Sanskrit (the literary sources).The best example I can give to explain this concept is suppose a racially an Aryan who had come down to south before 500 years(say), he adapted to Tamil culture and Tamil language . After 500 years he is a Dravidian speaker and member of Dravidian culture but he is racially an Aryan. One present day example is Aishwarya rai’s mother tongue is Tulu which is a Dravidian language. 3. Hinduism term was coined by the British. But far before that the integration of the religions took place. When I mean Hinduism , I mean it as Vedic hinduism where the highest authority is Veda. There are other religions like village paganism, Jainism, Bhuddism which were very Popular in Tamil Nadu. Hinduism got popular only during the post 6th century and as Shaivism and Vaishnavism. Later Kings Like Raja Raja accepted both the gods and hence you can say the integrated Hinduism started 1000 yrs before British came. 4. The Early Tamils had different spiritual philosophies compared to that of the Vedic Hinduism. For them King was a god and to die in battle was to attain salvation. The code they followed was called Maram. 5. To explain in simple terms, there were many small operators but when the MNCs come in they take over the company, after 20 years no one remembers the small company which was there before 20 years and identify them as part of MNC. Hinduism is the biggest MNC in which so many small religions got integrated or taken over. I liked this post. While it is considered that anything that is related to hinduism is strictly not hard core dravidian, I wanted to bring up a semi-relevant point here. Just as a lot of words were imbibed from Sanskrit to Tamil, the reverse is also true. A lot of Tamil words were also absorbed into Sanskrit. An example is the word ‘dravida’ itself. Experts agree that the sanskrit word is a derivation of thamizha->Dramida->Dravida. Just because early Tamil records have been destroyed naturally/artificially, it is disputable that (atleast some of )the words you described were loaned from Sanskrit and not vice versa. i am simply blown away by your work and passion. kudos vairam and thanks so much ! this thread is of particular significance to me and i hope to read all your analyses in detail as and when time permits. As for skanda, the sanskrit word skandha means shoulder. kartikeya the general was famed for his strong and powerful shoulders – in the beginning, to handle weaponry, but soon enough, to support twelve arms and six heads . hey while u talk about the sanskirt origin of names of murugan…….u tend to take it for granted that the names are of sanskirt origin. Here is one that i can prove within the limits of my knowledge. KARTHIKEYA – kArthikaiyAn. Kar = Mazhai (tamil) or rain Thikai = pozhuthu or time An = suffix for a male kaarthikai means = rainy season. the month of karthikai in both tamil and sanskirt calender corresponds to the english months of OCTOBER roughly, when there is rain ONLY IN SOUTH INDIA (particularly Tamil nadu) due to Retreating or North east monsoon and Cyclone in Bay of Bengal. this clearly proves Tamil origin of the name… Similarly others might be proved by some way… Come out of the delusion that words came from sanskrit to tamil. Infact recent analysis have shown that most of the sanskrit words can be etymologically traced to Tamil as origin….. presence of sha, ja, ksha, sa…do not make the word of sanskrit origin…. Hi, Good work Palaniappan Vairam, u cleared all my doubts that i had for long years. I would like to you to know whether you wrote some article about occurrence of castes in Tamil nadu. If you have written please share with me. if u are so confident that karthigai is of sanskrit origin, could you please trace its etymology in sanskrit for me to understand how it is. i can understand some sanskrit also. u want to tell me that the name was first given by Sanskrit astronomy scholors or is of sanskrit origin. Two are different. Many of the greatest of the sanskrit scholars….were south indians….might as well be dravidians infact. Aryan – dravidian is, as per Max muller, not a significantly racial but a linguistic difference. What started as racial difference finally became a linguistic difference, thanks to intermixing of the races to such great extant. It’s not surprising to see may tamil origin words in great sanskrit texts written by many dravidian sanskrit scholars. Astronomy in ancient india had its base in south just as Alchemy was popular in north west. These Tamil speaking sanskrit scholars helped in introducing a lot of Tamil words into sanskrit texts. While some core words and especially the SYNTAX of writing was taken into the aryan folds from Tamil much before, might even be before Indus civilization. Even though i accept the fact that there were different names for the tamil months before wat we have now, this does not mandete that whatever that came later were from sanskrit. I find no reason to be convinced by your arguement. could you throw more light into the word in sanskrit. Sanskrit in an Indo-European family of languages, can u make some connection b/w karthikai in sanskrit and latin/greek for me to borrow ur concepts. I’ve clearly stated my idea breaking the word to pure tamil roots. and no need to relate it to any other language as tamil is the mother of a completely different and unique family of languages, unlike sanskrit which is a highly derieved language – greek, latin, Tamil, munda, tribal tongues, tibetian family, evrythng in one. All the best. I’m tough and dont bend easily without concrete convincing arguement. Not just bunch of names, how they were called befor and now. U said these names are still used in south east. the spread from india to SE countries took place during the later cholas, around 800-1400 AD roughly (Rara raja chola and others). these ancient names are not as ancient to be used in the arguement. before this tamils had no names for months?? why dont u research into that? I am giving you a detailed reply on etymology of karthikeya in terms of Sanskrit. Lets start from the base 1 kRtti – (= %{kR4ttikA}) one of the lunar mansions (the Pleiads) L. ; Kritti –> kRttikA 66 kRttikA %{As} f. pl. (rarely sg. MBh. iii , 14464 BhP. vi , 14 , 30)N. of a constellation (the Pleiads , originally the first , but in later times the third lunar mansion , having Agni as its regent ; this constellation , containing six stars , is sometimes represented as a flame or as a kind of razor or knife ; for their oldest names see TS. iv , 4 , 5 , 1 ; in mythol. the six Kr2ittika1s are nymphs who became the nurses of the god of war , Ka1rttikeya) AV. TS. S3Br. &c. ; white spots VarBr2S. lxv , 5 Sch. ; a vehicle , cart S3Br. xiii Sch. kRttika–>kArttika kArttika m. (fr. %{kRttikA} q.v. ; with or without %{mAsa})N. of a month corresponding to part of October and November (the twelfth month of the year , when the full moon is near the Pleiades) Pa1n2. La1t2y. MBh. &c. ; N. of Skanda (see %{kArttikeya}) BrahmaP. ; of a Varsha ; of a medical author ; (%{as} , or %{am}) m. n. N. of the first year in Jupiter’s period of revolution VarBr2S. Su1ryas. ; (%{am}) n. N. of a Ti1rtha MatsyaP. Keya —> means descendant kaikeya m. (Pa1n2. 7-3 , 2) `” a descendant of Kekaya “‘ Ambikeya m. (g. %{zubhrA7di} Pa1n2. 4-1 , 123) , a descendant of Ambika1 Karthikeya means – Ka1rttikeya may be derived from his foster mothers or from the month Ka1rttika as the best for warfare: in the Mr2icch. and elsewhere he is regarded as presiding over thieves) MBh. &c. (also from lexicon) kritti means the Pleiads –>krittika also means the same constellation –> Karttika means the month where moon is seen along with Pleiads –>karthikeya -descendent of Krittika(6 mothers) or Descendent of Karttika(month of warfare) Kumara the sanskrit word means kid or young boy and Tamil Kumaran is derivative of the Sanskrit word as indicated by the Tamil Lexicon. Both are used to represent Lord Skanda/Muruga since he is god of youth. typical case of touching the nose around the head. i know well that the sanskrit “scholars” can go to any extant to cook up a story. the vedas and purans are living example for the fact. you again mention that karthikeya came from krittika. you are dragging into the arguement whether egg came first or chicken to confuse everyone and claim victory in that confused environment. what i asked you to do is split the word and explain not to speak lofty mythologies. Also pls dont copy-paste from websites to prove ur point. it does not. read, understand and then write in this page. dont mis-inform people. see ur previous posting – u said karthigai was called madangal No.No. As per the site the karthigai (nov-dec) corresponds to nali. proves that u have not read properly. wat authenticity can i expect from other postings of yours. can you PLEASE refer to a similar word for a month in other Indo-European languages. I bet ur “source” website will not give any. çoz it’s a tamil origin word. the karthigai kannigal or karthikai pengal கார்த்திகைப்பெண்கள் are so called because they came in the month of karthigai and not vice-versa. still i dont see you splitting the word into roots as i clerly did in tamil. sit down & think for urself, if ur way of tracing into sanskrit and the reason u gave is anymore valid infront of what reasons and arguements i made accept it. Otherwise come up with a wise arguement. Not a copy paste from any website or nan online dictionary. kumaran is also of tamil origin. i’l come again with valid arguements to prove it. (not copy-pastings) bye. all the best If you can give one reference to your argument I will accept it. Copy and pasting is for reference of other readers to show that it has been taken from authentic reference. I have gone through every possible source from my side Dravidian etymology dictionary, Sangam Literature Word usage, Tamil lexicon,Sanskrit lexicon. Karthikkiyen is a sanskrit derivative word and I stand by it. Please post further comments with valid reference else it will not be approved. Kar in dravidian root never means rain. + Karthikeyan has never found usage in sangam literature + there is clear progression in sanskrit term kriti as explained in prev reply. I can pile you up with various references. All you are replying back is” I am sure”, “I know”. If you are so sure you can go ahead and publish a paper and once it is published, I will change that Karthikeyan is Tamil word and give your paper as reference. In my openion Murugan who married Valli and Karthikeya who married Devyani are separate.To unite the whole india they gave Murugan a second wife Devayani.Karthikeyan is worshipped only in sothern states and srilanka,but not beyond.beleiving puranas to ascertain historical facts is not correct.Puranas are written with motivation U are again dragged in the “which came first thing?” U comfortaly assume the common words are of sanskrit origin. To prove any theorem, assumptions are important. if they are biased, u cant prove anything. I hav jus copy pasted… u can refer to any sanskrit dictionary for all possible words for black in sanskrit.. Also pls check all possible words for Black in tamil. Its only Karuppu. So u mean to say that tamil had no word for black???? The single word is also borrowed??? There are hundreds of tamil words starting with “karu-” karuku- to burn kari – coal, elephant (black) U are doing good research using dictionaries.. But u failed to notice that the dictionaries were written in a period wen there was a bias in the society that tamil words are derived from sanskrit and tamil has no scholarliness Now, most of the words are found to be of tamil origin The etymology will be corrected in those dictionaries… So pls do sum research with logic.. To know wat dictionary says, v dont need u.. v can google it… v want to know wat u think…and how u prove it before us.. Its not necessary that, i shud use my brain and think and conclude only if i am a full time tamil scholar publishing research papers everyday. Dont be Brahminical in ur concept that u shut ur thinking mind and follow the books… Tamils always question… Take Thirukkural… any athigaaram… Read the couplets in order… wen u read one, u will get a question, the next couplet is the answer to it. Thiruvalluvar knew the importance of questioning in enriching knowledge. coz tamils are always rationalists. “Dont be Brahminical in ur concept that u shut ur thinking mind and follow the books… Tamils always question…” please be judicious in your comments… I have placed my arguments based on source…unless and untill I get another source which disproves it I would continue on the same source (which is considered a standard in Tamil Literature)…dont be caste ist while you argue , you have no right to judge what kind of person I am. I have referred to Dravdian etymology dictionary and found kar to be a dravidian origin. But Still that doesnt change anything in my essay. Karthikai – argument that season of end of rain has no reference to Muruga in Sangam literature (the only literature before sanskritization fo south)… karthikeya surely alludes to the myth of Skanda being brought up by kiritka so the discussion of kar and kal and karthikai and kirithai can lead us various debates..still we have no legends or references to connect kar –> karthikai to Murugan in Sangam literature.. infact Murugan is addressed as seyon and sevval namely red god..and is not associated with rain… if you want to argue further please quote me single credible evidence to show that karthiakai has any association with Muruga cult in Sangam litertaure. Basically in all the ancient Pagan regions……the Deities are different at the same time same…..”Hindusim” is the only surviving “Pagan religion” in the world….. we must preserve it and not fight….. Shiva was known as Dynosius in Roman mythology…. Amman (Mother Goddess) was common throughout the world…. Even know you can find mother goddess temples in all villages across India/Nepal/SL( all are “different deities”…. but they are identified with “Universal mother”) Calling “Muruga” as “Tamil Kadavul” is ok…. also “Ganesha” is a “Marathi Kadavul” and “Kaliamman” is a “Bengali Kadavul”……”Venkateshwara” is a “Telugu kadavul” & so on……. But please remember if “Muruga” is a “God” atleast he should be the same on “Mars” & “Earth” !… So relax and worship…. he will respond even if you are in space…! all glories to you and your wonderfull acheivement ,it is truely amazing to see the debate you have brought about. As a vaisnavite i know little of murgan but wanted to see images. I agree whole heartedly with the last comment “god dosent care which language you worship in” he wants only your true love and addoration,thus wilst vishnu and his incarnations belong to my tradition I,none the less want to learn more about all forms and incarnations .The arian,dravidan influences on the deity are facinating , historicaly and culturaly important they should not be dissregarded,however there is a ballance to be acheived , language is by its very nature constantly changing .as the lord buddha advised his deciples “look not at the word ,but at the meaning” this appears in the pali texts but not so literaly quoted in the vaisnava canon . we are however truely fortunate in the respect that we can cross reference so many texts,thus we broaden our understanding .Yet we must not loose sight nor reason ,all forms eminate from the supreme and from all forms we may come to know the supreme. words are but tools and can only express the understanding of the narator,and then are only truely understood by those who are pure of mind. I will be back to read more , thank you and god bless. Infact the son should be older than the Father, this is my current belief about Murugan and Siva. Murugan is a deivam natural force he was later adapted as Avalokoteswara during the buddhist period,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skanda_%28Buddhism%29 This is when he climbed on hilltop and became aandi and people started putting mottai going to his hills. Later in the Bhakthi period he became Siva’s son and got the Gyaana palam. The name of the person who wrote “Kandha Puranam” in Tamil is KACHCHIYAPPA Sivachariar who translated the “Skanda Puranam” written in Sanskrit by Sri Vidyaranya, the founder of the Vijayanagar Empire & it was Vidyaranya who chose the Kuruba boys Harihara & Bukka to head the Vijayanagar Empire. BTW the adhidevata of Kuja Graha or Planet Mars is Kartikeya. One Navagraha Stotram describes Kuja (Sevvai) as “Kumaram Shaktihastam”. This makes one think that it is planet Mars which is worshipped as Kartikeya. This comment might be very late… but documenting whatever I could analyse regarding birth of Murugan and Pillayar. Murugan is created by Shiva, completed by Parvathi… while Pillayar is created by parvathi and completed by Shiva. The concept of Vikku is very clear………. Palaniappan Vairum stick in one point without clear evidence…… also in little confusion….. As vikku said you must think about “When you blog please use history, science and etymology and archeological, geographical concepts, interpretations and explanations.” Pls. mainly concentrate on updates of Archeological evidence. Just try to know about recent archeological research in Aditchanallur…. you will get more info. Indian govt. is very careful in hide the truth from world……. Why is it that every discussion should have a few worthies passing extremely rude comments on brahmins? Is it because of their numerical inferiority? It is well known that the power and land ownership lies with the so called mbc etc. who enjoy extensive quotas.the dalits, who have been persecuted are still the same lot. Shame on you zealots, people like u.v. Swaminathan have done much more that pseudo tamils from adjoining states, who write 3rd poems, movies and other fakes who call tamil a barbaric language. Apologies being off topic, but these worms come out of the woodwork, bloated from freebies given by third rate government. To get into this topic, we must understand the truth of modern worship and the origin of the said God. We have similar trails in the concept of Lord Vishu & Lord Thirumal(Mayon). If anyone could say that Vaishnavam and its source god Vishnu is originated from Northern India, I would object as Thirumal is the god of Mullai landscape. The concept of integration with Mayon – Thirumal – Perumal – Vishu happened in Murugan – Karthikeyan – Kanthan – kumaraswamy and so on. Worst Analysis about Murugan Kadavul… Read kanda Puranam which is the largest and biggest form of 108 puranas. Murugan is the finest name which means beauty in Tamil.. Try to feel him inside you rather reading scripts and books then you will understand the mistake of the north Indian idiots and Aryans who spoiled the culture. This is my analysis based on Siddhartham ( sitthars). Every object has it’s place and time. Therefore who is Murugan is it an object (active) or subject ( passive)? First we need to find the property of Murugan ( Word). Murugan also called Sayon. This property concise of place ( idam) time ( kalam) for any occasions, occurrence and understanding. From my research everyone need space and time for everything even being within oneself. So how Murugan ( sayon) be noun ed in 300BCE. ” Vallalar Agaval’s” – in Tamil = Oru Katilley one Nilam, Antha nilathil oru Deivam( Mayon) Trimala(Tirumalai). Antha Deivathai angu koduvanthanvan payirseythavan Sayon ( Murugan). There is a basic flaw in this whole analysis Mr.Vairam, you are pointing out references in words saying that kanda, subramaniyam or saravana belong to sanskrit. you are assuming that sanskrit existed before tamil and tamil is an offshoot of sanskrit.. why cant the reverse happen … the existing tamil language is a revived version of older tamil that belonged to kumari kandam… My justification for saying sanskrit borrowed words from tamil is that Tamil language and its people saw one of the disasters like the end of this world (flood of lemuria).. and our oldest known literatures like agattiyam are completely lost… Why cant it be like what our literature says.. lord muruga taught tamil to our people and sanskrit became an offshoot of tamil.. For your reference there is no proof that sanskrit language existed before lemuria flood.. and lemuria flood is recorded 50000bc and there is no sanskrit literature written before 3rd or 5thce… And again for your reference tamil people have kula deivam… it means they cannot change their kula deivam as they like… most tamils have muruga as their kula deivam… since there is no change in kula deivam.. lord muruga is a tamil kadavul as long as tamil people existed… PLEASE DONT READ FOREIGN AUTHOR BOOKS ON TAMIL AND SANSKRIT AND ASSUME EVERYTHING.. I AM GIVING YOU MATERIALISTIC EVIDENCE ON EXISTENCE OF TAMIL COMMUNITY BEFORE HARRAPAN OR INDUS VALLEY.. THE BOOKS YOU’VE READ ARE INCOMPLETE… PLEASE RELATE THE INFO GIVEN IN BOOKS AND TRY TO MATCH IT WITH LOCAL TALES AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE…. if The six faces murgan represent the following: (i) Five, one element each: Ether, air, fire, water and earth. The sixth face represents the Spirit that bestows LIFE to the beings formed by the five elements. was the concept of mahabharta ‘ pandwas and different packets and groups of pandavas . if is true the ,then what would had been the big conspirances to kill the peoples . First let us get out of superstition and understand there is God and son for him worshipped as muruga,vinayaga,manna,ayyappa and esappa. But if we get out of religion v WL b saved from confusion. V r doing this in a village and succeeding. CTC 08056183186 or email [email protected] Alexander was the first great emperor Indians have encountered. He was called by Indians as Sikander, an uncanny resemblence to the name Skanda. The most famous weapon of Greeks to which Alexander belonged is Lance, in tamil we call it Vel. ChandraGupta Maurya and other elites of India who encountered Alexander were so admired that they deitifed him, built temples, mythologies and traditions after him and called him as Skanda. Mauryans were a tribe or a community who had Peacock as their state symbol. In fact the name Maurya itself a derived form of Mayura meaning Peacock. Hence their God Skanda naturally had mount as Peacock. All these happened around 300 BC. All Sangam literature were started around this period and ended in 300 AD. There is a 600 year duration during which North Indian Skanda tradition could have likely leaked into South India. There could have been a native Murugan God but his symbols of Vel, color Red, Peacock and War like nature were actually personification of north Indian Skanda A.K.A Alexander Fun fact, not just Indians many other similar cultures around the world who encountered Alexanders bravery deitified him. Alexander himself uplifted his status as a demi-God during his rule in Persia. However only Tamils follow him as God today and others have simply forgotton.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Clinton summit raises $6 billion, down $3 billion from ’09… Former President Bill Clinton’s annual philanthropic summit secured a record 291 pledges worth over $6 billion to tackle global problems, down $3 billion from last year and bringing the total raised since 2005 to nearly 2,000 commitments valued at $63 billlion, Reuters reported Sept. 23 (see Clinton Global Initiative story). Barclays chief says banks embracing social responsibility The head of Barclays Bank says the world financial crisis prompted a greater sense of social responsibility in the banking industry, Reuters reported Sept. 22 (see social responsibility story). Michelle Obama urges nonprofits to engage veterans First Lady Michelle Obama urged international development groups to engage military veterans and spouses in their work, saying the skills of service members are “woefully underutilized,” the Associated Press reported Sept. 23 (see Michelle Obama story). Philanthropy in China expected to grow quickly Charitable giving in China totaled roughly $8 billion last year, compared with $308 billion in the U.S. in 2008, but is expected to grow quickly because of changes in China’s economic structure and in government policies, The New York Times reported Sept. 23 (see Chinese philanthropy story).	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Algonquin Books Blog We have four exciting Jonathan Evison-related items to share with you today: 1) Behold, the brand-spanking-new website for WEST OF HERE. Isn’t it gorgeous? Bonus points if you can find the Bigfoot Easter egg! 2) That portrait of Johnny to the right? It was recently painted by none other than Don Bachardy, Christopher Isherwood’s lifetime partner and a well-regarded artist in his own right. (Their relationship was chronicled in the critically acclaimed documentary Chris & Don.) Johnny is currently writing an essay about meeting Don and sitting for the portraits–stay tuned for more on that. 3) Is it getting hot in here? CultureMob includes Johnny as the first of five people in the Seattle Hot List 2010. 4) And last but not least, we present you with Johnny’s brilliant ode to booksellers, which received a standing ovation at the MPIBA trade show and which appears in Publishers Weekly this week. Without further ado … Editor & author: Chuck Adams and Johnny A Bookseller’s Love Story For thirteen years I’ve been stocking the shelves at the Book Cathedral, and it is my love story. You will probably not remember me by my name, but call me Ishmael. Or Tom Jones, or Tom Sawyer, or Elmer Gantry, or McTeague, or The Idiot, if you like. You may not remember me for my wispy hair, or brick-shaped loafers, nor for the wealth of cat hair clinging to the seat of my faded Dockers. I distinguish myself by my love of books, and by never using the search function—I’ve no need of it. Ask me who’s between Allende and Sherwood Anderson, and I shall tell you without pause, Martin Amis; between Sartre and Schulberg, Saunders; and at the end of the line, you’ll find Zusak, unless of course we’re out, in which case you’ll find Zafón. Blindfold me and spin me around in circles, then set me straight and run my fingers down the spines, and I’ll tell you when we get to Proust, or the shorter novels of Melville. Ask me where to find Silas Wegg, and I shall point you to Dickens. Ask me, where is Oskar, and I’ll tell you he’s banging his tin drum between Golding and Graves. And if it’s Sancho Panza you’re after, you’ll find him chasing windmills with Quixote just to the left of Chaucer. Ask me All About Lulu. Ask me For Whom the Bell Tolls. Ask me where A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, or What Makes Sammy Run, and I shall tell you without hesitation that the answer to the universe is 42. Or that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood. Or that A Good Man Is Hard to Find. Or that The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Or that You Can’t Go Home Again. I will show you the beating heart of Ragtime, drag you kicking through Hard Times, In Our Time to Places Where I’ve Done Time, through The Age of Innocence, The Age of Reason to The Winter of Our Discontent. You’ll meet The Sleeping Father, The Time Traveler’s Wife, A Bigamist’s Daughter, and Wittgenstein’s Mistress. I’ll lead you to the Shining City, beneath The Sheltering Sky, past Lions and Shadows to The Dark Side of Guy de Maupassant—and if it pleases you, to the very Heart of Darkness itself. I will tell you The History of Love, The Brief History of the Dead. I will tell you The Secret Life of Bees. I’ll tell you A Tale of Two Cities that will make All the Pretty Horses whinny and All the King’s Men weep. I will explain The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, How the Dead Dream, and The Way of the Pilgrim. I will talk Of Mice and Men, Of Time and the River, of Leaves of Grass, until finally, at the end of the night, when The Moon Is Down, the sun will also rise, and everything will be illuminated. Now, ask yourself: where else on earth are you gonna’ get this kind of service but an indie book store?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
SandForce SF-2000 Series SSD Controllers Detailed SF-2000 Series of SSD Processors Continued The slide above shows the changes in bold text. SandForce informed us that the SF-2000 series of controllers will enter mass production between Q1 and Q2 2011 and that pricing will be in-line with the existing SF-1000 product line for the most part. SandForce will be launching new sku’s that they haven’t had before, so there will be some difference in the controller pricing. The company says they expect the SF-1500 will continue on in the Enterprise market, but expects the SF-1200 controllers to slow down as the market will move to the SF-2500 controller. They also mentioned that consumer drivers based on the SF-2000 controller will come to market slightly ahead of the enterprise drives since the require less testing and certifications. This means that we could be seeing some fast new SandForce SF-2500 controllers used on consumer SSDs as early as Q1 2011! Just how fast? SandForce showed us this slide that compares performance of a pair of 200GB drives running different controllers and they were showing nearly twice the performance across the board. Notice the SF-2000 series numbers are just estimates and not real test results. We can only hope that SandForce can hit these numbers in the real world. Most know that data is encrypted before it goes to the MLC NAND Flash, but here is a closer look at how the new SF-2000 series controller goes about it. A new AES-256 engine has been added in front of the old AES-128 engine to encrypt data, so the data is now double encrypted. The SF-2000 controller does have FIPS-197 certification of the AES engines. SandForce just recently signed deals with LSI and Seagate as OEMs & Manufacturers that use their controllers, which is a pretty significant design win for the company. SandForce expects companies like Corsair, OCZ, Mushkin, Patriot, G.Skill, ADATA and Super Talent to bring SF-2000 series drives to market once they ramp up production and get the firmware finalized this spring. SandForce also made mention that they are still the only controller company with a write amplification of less than one. They say it took three years of dedication to solve the write amplification equation and are shocked that the other companies haven’t figured it out yet. They say that features like this is what make their drives perform better than the rest. As you can see SandForce has some pretty big plans with the SF-2000 series controller and we can’t wait to see them in some SSDs first hand!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Electronic System for Travel Authorization ESTA Visa Contact Form If you have any questions about our system, the visa waiver process or have any issues with your ESTA online visa application, feel free to fill out the form below to contact us, or write us at [email protected]	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Guess which Texas cities rank highly for LGBT-friendliness Guess which Texas cities rank highly for LGBT-friendliness A new survey ranks the most LGBT-friendly places in America, and two Texas cities made the cut. To compile its rankings, Nerdwallet.com considered the percentage of households with same-sex partners, the presence of LGBT-friendly laws, and tolerance and safety issues such as hate crimes targeting LGBT people. Austin ranked No. 7 on the list. It's home to the Austin Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and boasts one of the lowest rates of hate crimes against LGBT people. Dallas came in at No. 17, just behind San Diego and ahead of Los Angeles, Phoenix and Sacramento. Both Dallas and Austin have 1.2 percent of households with same-sex partners. On a scale of 100, Austin earned an 80.9 and Dallas scored a 72.9. Although Houston is home to one of the first openly gay mayors, Annise Parker apparently wasn't enough for H-Town to make the 20-city cut. The No.1-ranking went to Seattle, which has 2.6 percent of residents in same-sex households and an overall score of 96.8. San Francisco and Atlanta rounded out the top three.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Receive the latest the-scene updates in your inbox AleSmith Brewing Company is tapping the talents of brew enthusiasts, asking fans to submit artwork that could land on a batch of beer bottles. For the first time ever, AleSmith is holding a contest calling for artists to make their mark on the company’s hoppy, crimson seasonal beer, Evil Dead Red Ale, which has been brewed every fall since 1998. Starting Friday, AleSmith will accept submissions of art created by fans. Ultimately, one design will be chosen to be included on the 22-ounce bottle of this year’s batch of Evil Dead Red Ale. The winning artist’s name and signature will also be included on the bottles. The contest runs through May 9, and the winning entry and artist will be announced during American Craft Beer Week, which runs May 16 through May 22. Currently the Evil Dead Red bottle label boasts a zombie motif. Hernandez says the ale is known for its "eerie" vibe, so fan artwork should follow suit. "With zombies and walkers being so en vogue these days, we expect to be overrun with stunning, bottle-worthy submissions like delectably plump survivors of the apocalypse cornered by a mob of flesh-seeking, reanimated corpses,” he said. "We’ve shared our art for brewing with fans for 20 years, so it’s exciting to turn the tables and allow AleSmith enthusiasts to share their art with us." Artists can submit as many entries as they would like. The contest rules state that by submitting their work, participants acknowledge their design becomes the property of AleSmith. The winning artist will receive a case of Evil Dead Red Ale, as well as brew bragging rights. AleSmith Brewing Company was founded in 1995 and celebrated its 20th anniversary in production last year by opening a new, upgraded brewery and tasting room in Miramar, located at 9990 AleSmith Ct. – formerly known as Empire Street. The 105,500-square-foot brewery boasts an 80-barrel brewing system with the capability to pump out more than 100,000 barrels of brew per year. The company is currently working to build an official Tony Gwynn Museum at the facility, too, which will pay tribute to the late, beloved Mr. Padre. Earlier this year, the ratings website RateBeer.com, dubbed AleSmith Brewing Company among the top 10 breweries around the world, ranking it No. 2.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
This is a true getaway into the sanctuary that defines retreat! Come for the yoga and discover why people return for the amazing friendships. This retreat will particularly focus on how to explore the Subtle Body through breath and other practices that build sensitivity to how we channel energy and direct energy for our highest good. The body is a sanctuary, a microcosm of The Universe byTiffany Wood Jul 10, 2014 The smell of Bar-B-Q is wafting in through my open doors. Sounds of laughter, live music and chatter fill the air. My street has been a virtual fun house for three days now as the Park City community celebrates the freedom of being alive. Community is the most precious resource we have collectively. Knowing that your community has your back is the most precious resource we have as individuals. I've lived in this house for 10 years now and we just now organized a block party! I'm thrilled that I can hear my neighbors playing together as I reach out to you, my extended community. Here is my wish and my challenge to each of you. Organize a block party this month! Get out and meet ALL your neighbors and invite them to bring their friends. Wear name tags and commune with those that you barely know and yet live so close together. Hire the kids that play in the garage band down the street to play music. Set up a play station for the kids. Get out and play! I do believe you will feel so much better every time you walk out of your house now that you have shared with those that live around you. Open your hearts and your ears so you can listen to them and give them permission to be held in their community. The world will know peace one neighborhood at a time! Be the change you wish to see! Thanks for being my community and for always having my back. I'm right here for you as well. Let’s play together soon because you mean the world to me and I love you.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Lisa Nakamura speaks on Tumblr activism and Navajo microchips In the past, Lisa Nakamura’s work has led her to write extensively on topics like racism and homophobia in gaming. For her piece on racism towards “gold farmers” in the World of Warcraft (WoW) universe, the University of Michigan professor (who specializes in digital media, race, sexuality, and gender) played WoW for hours, learning about its digital culture. During her visit to UVic on Feb. 19 and 20, Nakamura spoke on two very different aspects of digital media: virtual feminism on platforms like Tumblr, and the way tech corporations racialize their factory workers. Nakamura’s first lecture, titled The Digital Afterlife of This Bridge Called My Back: Women of Color, Feminism and the Internet, focused on the groundbreaking feminist book, This Bridge Called My Back, and the Tumblr activists who kept the book in circulation online after it went out of print. This Bridge Called My Back included writers from diverse backgrounds and helped formulate the concept of intersectionality long before social movements like the #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen hashtag caught the attention of white feminists. While the book was groundbreaking, it struggled to remain in print. Consequently, the book has become an scarce commodity, which has driven up the price, often making it too expensive for the very group of women it was written by and for. Tumblr, the home of SJWs (social justice warriors), offered a solution to this problem by sharing free PDF versions of the book online. Nakamura claimed that these virtual feminists were “taking the law into their own hands” by sharing the book without a copyright. Nakamura’s talk opened up a variety of questions for discussion. For example, does free access to the PDF on Tumblr prevent money from getting to the original authors? While the issue is not clear cut, Nakamura suggested that sharing This Bridge Called My Back freely on Tumblr was probably the most feminist thing to do under the circumstances. Unlike Nakamura’s first talk, her second lecture focused on the physical, rather than the intangible, element of digital media. While discussing the production of our digital media, Nakamura reminded her audience that “an Asian woman touched every single one of your phones.” According to Nakamura, Asian women are often characterized as uniquely suited to this work because of their “nimble fingers.” But, this stereotype was not new, and not exclusive to Asian women. In her paper on Indigenous circuits, Nakamura describes a 1969 Fairchild Semiconductor brochure celebrating a large integrated circuit manufacturing plant not in Asia, but on a Navajo reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico. The brochure features a photograph of a traditional Navajo rug and a photograph of a Navajo woman at a loom weaving a similar rug. Next, the brochure displays a large image of an integrated circuit, and then an image of a Navajo woman at a microscope, fabricating a circuit. The factory is considered a failure now, but the Navajo women who worked there were once characterized as the ideal workforce because of their “nimble fingers” and cultural traditions. These images, and their captions, aimed to convince readers that Navajo women are culturally predisposed to the kind of work being done at the factory. It also implied that the women were still practising their traditional craft while making electronic circuits. Presenting their factory work as a cultural practice allowed Fairchild to rationalize low pay and poor working conditions at their factory. Nakamura’s research on the Fairchild plant also demonstrates how companies racialize workers in order to rationalize business decisions that are actually motivated by profit. Nakamura closed her talk by encouraging her audience to “look behind the screen.”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
We have opportunity to see --graph of git hist in action. Adding the --graph option to git log causes the construction of a commit tree with the help of simple ASCII characters. We see both branches (style and master) and that the current branch is master HEAD. The Added index.html branch goes prior to both branches. The --all flag guarantees that we see all the branches. By default, only the current branch is displayed.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
But the outrage apparently doesn't end with spoiled food. Former KBR employees and water quality specialists, Ben Carter and Ken May, told HalliburtonWatch that KBR knowingly exposes troops and civilians to contaminated water from Iraq's Euphrates River. One internal KBR email provided to HalliburtonWatch says that, for "possibly a year," the level of contamination at one camp was two times the normal level for untreated water. "I discovered the water being delivered from the Euphrates for the military was not being treated properly and thousands were being exposed daily to numerous pathogenic organisms," Carter informed HalliburtonWatch. Carter worked at Camp Ar Ramadi, located 70 miles west of Baghdad in the notoriously violent Sunni Triangle, but he says water contamination problems exist throughout Iraq's military camps. He helped manage KBR's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU), which is a water treatment system designed to produce potable (drinkable) water from a variety of raw water sources such as lakes, lagoons and rivers. ROWPU is supposed to provide the troops with clean water from Iraq's Euphrates River. William Granger of KBR Water Quality for Iraq reached this conclusion in an email after investigating Carter's complaint: "Fact: We exposed a base camp population (military and civilian) to a water source that was not treated. The level of contamination was roughly 2x the normal contamination of untreated water from the Euphrates River." Granger admitted that the contamination was "most likely … ongoing through the entire life" of the camp, but that he was "not sure if any attempt to notify the exposed population was ever made." In a company email last March to his superior, Harold "Mo" Orr, coordinator for Halliburton's health and safety department said, "We have determined that the military (Command Surgeon) has not given any kind of signoff on the military ROWPU (As required by the military SOP) nor has KBR ever inquired about this before. This was only discovered thru the investigation of possible contamination by Ben Carter who is right now in charge of the ROWPU." Orr's request for further investigation into the matter was overruled by KBR's health, safety and environmental manager, Jay Delahoussaye, who said in an email that the initial health hazard turned out to be "erroneous" and that "corrective measures" were taken and "No KBR personnel were exposed to contaminated water." But Granger responded with another email, saying it was unclear whether corrective action had been taken. He said it was "highly likely" that someone from KBR finally started chlorinating the water this year, but that "there is no documentation" to confirm it. Nor is there documentation to show KBR is testing the water three times per day as required by the military, Granger said. Nonetheless, Carter said chlorination is not enough to remedy the problem since raw sewage is routinely dumped less than two miles from the water intake location, in violation of military policy and procedure. "Chlorination of water tanks, while certainly beneficial, is not sufficient protection from parasitic exposure," Carter said in an email to Granger, who is still employed with KBR. According to Carter, Granger had written a scathing, 21-page report to KBR management about water quality at Ar Ramadi. Carter says the report proves the company's "incompetence and willful negligence" in protecting the water supply. Granger has refused to comply with a company gag order and is convinced his employment will be terminated soon, says Carter. In an email to Ken May, Granger said, "I stand by all of my email's (internal or not). I have consistently been dogged in my approach that protection of the soldier, contractor, and subcontractor is paramount." In another email to Carter, Granger said he would support Carter's legal actions and that he's looking into legal protections for himself as a whistleblower. "I won't turn over any documents until I understand what is protected or not ... but know that if called to testify or such that I will disclose all that is in the report verbally," he said in the email. Carter is in the process of obtaining worker's compensation from Halliburton over an illness he says was caused by the contaminated water. Soldiers are often evacuated out of Iraq for non-combat related illnesses. The Association of Military Surgeons found that 9.1 percent of soldiers evacuated in 2003 suffered from problems of the digestive system; another 6.4 percent had nervous system disorders; 6.1% suffered urological problems; and 8.3 percent suffered from unknown illnesses. In the early months of the war, the Army sent a team of investigators to probe a series of mysterious illnesses. Earlier this month, Canada reported an outbreak of gastrointestinal problems among soldiers serving in Afghanistan, where KBR is also involved. Halliburton spokesperson, Melissa Norcross, told HalliburtonWatch that the water contamination allegations are "unfounded" and that "KBR has conducted its own inspection of the water at the site in question and has found no evidence to substantiate the allegations made by these former employees." Norcross confirmed that non-potable (non-drinkable) water "was produced" at Ar Ramadi at the time of the camp's inception until May 2005, but that the military approved its use for showering and doing laundry. "During that time, bottled water was used for drinking and food preparation," she said. Carter and May agree that KBR supplies bottled water for drinking, but that it's "absolutely untrue" that it's used for food preparation. Moreover, they never observed any posted signs or notices informing personnel not to drink the tap water, a possible sign of corporate negligence. Of a possible sign of things to come, May said he observed an unsecured potable water tank used for food preparation at a dining facility. The bolts used to tighten the lid over the tank were missing. In an email to HalliburtonWatch, May said the tank was located in an open area "for anyone to enter, including the enemy." He worries that "contaminants/poisons could be introduced which could result in mass casualties." Additionally, May said he and another KBR employee witnessed water being filled through an open lid on top of the water tank, thereby rendering the once potable water as non-potable. "Water is required to be pumped into the tank through a male/female hose hook-up with no direct exposure to the air," May said. Failure to do so would result in exposing the camp population to non-potable water. May and Carter say they notified KBR's quality assurance and quality control department, including Chief of Services Warren Smith, but no remedial action was taken. Today, Norcross says KBR supplies clean drinking water throughout Camp Ar Ramadi, but that "For drinking and food preparation, KBR continues to supply bottled water throughout Iraq." She insists that "there have been no documented cases of unusual illnesses or health conditions" at Ar Ramadi. But a private company email supplied to HalliburtonWatch appears to conflict with Halliburton's public denial. Halliburton public relations official, Jennifer Dellinger, wrote to her colleagues that Faith Sproul, who works in Halliburton's workers' compensation department, "does believe that initial tests showed some contamination to be present." As a result, Dellinger wrote, Sproul was concerned that former employees might "make a claim for disability" and "we could receive some queries on this if these former employees decide to go to the press." So, Dellinger asked her public relations colleagues, "Can you run some traps on this and see what you can find out?" When HalliburtonWatch asked about this internal email and its apparent confirmation of Carter and May's allegations, Norcross responded by saying the email was written last July, prior to the company's final determination that no contamination occurred. Carter resigned two weeks prior to Ken May, discovering what he said was "unsafe water and pressure to cover it up." "I tried to correct the problem, only to be blackballed by management and I eventually left this employment," Carter told HalliburtonWatch. Carter and May cite "poor company behavior patterns and practices from Site Management as the tell-tale sign of disaster looming around the corner if intervention is not taken very soon." KBR's health and safety manager at Ar Ramadi, Harold Orr, also resigned because of the water issue but has remained silent, says May. Carter and May also describe instances where a site manager urged everyone to conceal contamination information from the company's health and safety department. According to May, statements were made in an "All Hands Meeting" by then Site Manger Suzanne-Raku Williams, Warren Smith, and acting Medic Phillip Daigle suggesting that if anyone became sick, it was probably from the handles from the port-a-lets toilets and not from water contamination. In response, Ken May resigned out of disgust and frustration. In an email to superiors, he chastised KBR for what he said was "retaliatory behavior from dishonest site management" and "inaction" that "compromised" camp safety and the health of the people who work there. He expressed concern over "the lack of oversight from the outside to investigate, redirect, and periodically monitor" the water to assure a healthy workplace. "Unfortunately, because of the lack of regards for my wellbeing [and] no response or action from KBR/Halliburton I have no recourse other than to resign," he said in an email to his supervisor. Carter and May's experience is not uncommon at KBR, where former employees have described instances of being ostracized or terminated if they dare to speak out against company negligence, mismanagement or malfeasance. Other former KBR employees have testified about being fired or urged to quit or conceal information after pointing out low-cost solutions to simple problems. But, a cynic might note, allowing small problems to grow into expensive ones through purposeful neglect actually boosts KBR's profits as there is a profit guarantee of 1% to 3% over cost for the LOGCAP III contract. As with all of KBR's "cost plus" military contracts, the more expensive the problem, the greater the fee paid to KBR from the government. So, it would seem there is actually a built-in incentive not to prevent small problems or reward whistleblower employees like Carter and May when neglect will result in a costlier problem down the road and more profits for KBR.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
(Editor's note. Massachusetts has a rich history of farming as well as an active agricultural economy. Accurate valuation of farmland is thus an important concern for communities that have developed and want to sustain agricultural economies.) Land is just one of many factors of production in agriculture. Despite its critical importance and in the absence of efficient rental markets, the value of land, as with managerial labor, is often determined as a residual; subtract all other production costs from total revenue and what is left is the “rental value” for land. This annual value can then be projected into the future, discounted and summed to determine the value of agricultural land. This is essentially the capitalization of net income approach to determining agricultural land values. If rental markets are efficient in an economics sense, then an equivalent value for land can be determined by capitalizing “ground rent.” In Massachusetts, sufficient rental data do not exist to offer a reliable means of determining agricultural land values. Filing season is finally over and we know the last thing on your mind is next tax season. But did you know that if given more prep time, you could be saving yourself lots of stress and time? Start planning for next tax season now …Continue Reading Prep Early for Next Tax Season Once a month, the Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement (CSE) lawyers and staff volunteer to be a part of the Family Court Workshops for Mothers and Fathers at the Suffolk County Probate & Family Court in Boston. The workshops, a joint venture between community …Continue Reading DOR’s Participation in the Family Court Workshops Filing season is finally over and we know the last thing on your mind is next tax season. But did you know that if given more prep time, you could be saving yourself lots of stress and time? Start planning for next tax season now …Continue Reading Prep Early for Next Tax Season Once a month, the Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement (CSE) lawyers and staff volunteer to be a part of the Family Court Workshops for Mothers and Fathers at the Suffolk County Probate & Family Court in Boston. The workshops, a joint venture between community …Continue Reading DOR’s Participation in the Family Court Workshops	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
A Top's Eye VIew. I hope this will be fun, funny, complicated, opinionated and occasionally irritating. Say what you will. Agree, disagree, complain, rant, rave. It's fine. If I say something that offends you, go somewhere else. If you agree with me or any of my musings, please share this with your lifestyle compatriots. Sunday, September 30, 2012 There it is. Thank you Dick's. An amusing little aside: out in SoCal where I live there used to be a chain of sporting goods stores called Chick's Sporting Goods. They got bought out by Dick's. No kidding. So my family and I always refer to it as "Chicks and Dicks." God, I'm so junior high... Friday, September 28, 2012 For the past year I've been on a rather self-imposed censorship on this blog. You may have noticed I haven't had many personal posts over that time, that the content has been light and a bit frivolous. (Alright, well, I've always striven for a bit of light and frivolous to let my sense of humor show, but those of you who are regulars—and there seem to be far fewer of you than there used to be—know what I'm talking about.) You see, since September 7 of last year I've been in the process of getting a divorce from my wife of 28 years. Yes, it's as drastic and as torturous and as crazy and as emotionally upending as it sounds. From the start we didn't want it to get ugly. We agreed to mediation. In the end, it was very pragmatic, verygrown up and not at all hostile. I think we both ended up in a good place, but for the last year I've kept my head down, hunkered low and didn't rock the boat. I didn't go to any play parties, not really sure how to deal with it all.I didn't want to blog about what was up. It seemed too much. I went through depressive periods. I couldn't see the end of the process. Hell, just starting the process was hard enough and took a great deal of help and support from my kink-aware therapist, my friends and my family. As I told a friend: if you eat the same thing for breakfast every day for 28 years—even if it's your favorite food in the whole wide world—and all of a sudden you stop having it there is undoubtedly going to be weirdness, strife and a feeling of confusion. I certainly went through that, in spades. For economic reasons we cohabited in the same house, which held its own challenges as you might imagine. On September 1 (ironically, the date of my anniversary) of this year my ex moved out and I settled into a new state of being. And on September 19 (the day after my 50th birthday) the judge sealed the deal.So I thought it was about time to get back to my usual pithy, disclosing self. I'll share more of this new life adventure soon. In the mean time, special thanks to my kids (who don't read this blog but I wanted you all to know they were valuable support), to Erica, to Jada, to Michael & Kate and to Lizzie, whom I couldn't've gone through this without. Thursday, September 27, 2012 We've all talked about the 50 Shades phenomenon ad nauseum. I know my piece on the phenomenon (more than the book) covered it and certainly Erica has as well. So I feel a sense of obligation to mention something that Fellow Kinkster A'marie sent to me today, a new book on Amazon called 50 Shades of Chicken. A parody cookbook? Now that's a new wrinkle. I assume it's mostly about trussing chickens, but here's a passage of prose from this soon-to-be-released tome now in preorder on the site:Oh, chicken, did you just cluck at me?” Crap. “No,” I squawk hoarsely. “I believe you did. Yes, you did. You remember what I said I’d do to you if you clucked?” Aw, jeez. “Yes.” I pause before I add, “Yes, Chef.” “My word is my bond,” he crows. “I’m going to spank you. And then I will cook you, very hot and hard.” I know what his hard cooking is like. “I’m not sure I can take any more quite yet,” I whine. “Stamina, Miss Hen,” he says brightly. My inner goddess has donned a tiny cheerleader’s uniform and starts to chant. Give me a B! Whack. Give me an L! Whack. Give me an A! Whack. Give me a D! E! S! Whack whack whack. What does that spell? Control freak poultry-beater, that’s what it spells. But I don’t fancy another swat, so I manage to keep the thought to myself for once. He roasts me gently until I reach sweet doneness. “You are a most beautiful sight,” he says, pulling me out of the Wolf. “And your smell is intoxicating.” Afterward, everywhere he spanked me is stinging and warm. The experience was humiliating and mustardy and unbelievably hot. I definitely don’t want him to do that to me again. But now that it’s over I have this warm, safe, golden brown afterglow. I feel contented, and totally confused. I must remember to cluck at him more often. Of course, if that doesn't work for you, there's also 50 Shades of Bacon, an erotic cookbook... Thursday, September 20, 2012 When I travel and see something utterly kinky (or simply misconstrued as kinky) I like to snap a pic and pop it up on the blog here. I've found questionably kinky things in Lebanon and plenty of kinky humor in the UK here and here.Currently I'm traveling across these great United States with Lizzie traveling I-40, paralleling the magnificent Route 66. Along the way we've happened upon some very kinky things. Here are some pics we've snapped along the way to prove our point: Oh, those cedar souvenirs found in roadside gift shoppes all across this great Country of ours... I specifically recall Brad and Jada fondly mentioning the "Attitude Adjuster" and lamenting they can't be found anymore. Guess what? They CAN! (Lizzie likes that they sold the paddles with sling shots... And she says they should call the paddle: "No, we aren't there yet!") Tuesday, September 11, 2012 There is an odd, new indy film out (and it may be hard to find) that would be interesting to check out, Fellow Kinksters. It's called Compliance and rather than tell you about the premise myself, I'll simply quote Entertainment Weekly. They summed it up well: A man calls a fast-food restaurant and tells the manager that he's a cop and that an employee has stolen from a customer. Before the end of the movie, the caller persuades the manager (a female) to strip-search the suspect (another female). He also talks the manager into committing a sexual act. Sounds strange? You bet. But what makes it even stranger? It really happened in 2004 at a McDonald's in Kentucky. The employee was detained, stripped and sexually assaulted on the instructions of a caller pretending to be a police officer. A prison guard was charged with soliciting a sex act and impersonating an officer, but was acquitted in 2006. The restaurant manager however, received a year's probation and her fiancé, who helped guard the employee, pleased guilty to sexual abuse, sexual misconduct and unlawful imprisonment, and got a five year jail sentence. As for the victim, she got a cool $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages from McDonald's.It's a strange story, made stranger because some of this sounds like scenes I've seen, heard about, read about or watched on video. And being convicted of unlawful imprisonment certainly hits a tender spot. What top (or bottom, for that matter) haven't worried about getting accused by a stranger of just such a thing? Now, I'm not condoning and I'm certainly not aggrandizing the terrible experience the poor drive-thru employee went through, but you also gotta admit that it sounds like certain erotic humiliation scenes--if it had only been fictional.The director had this to say: "I hope the movie, in a way, isn't pleasant enough to be something that someone would want to be involved in. And you'd have to be a pretty devoted perv." Noted. Sunday, September 9, 2012 Okay, you guys know me. I travel constantly. Always on the go. Well, I've been traveling for weeks with only a 12-hour or so respite between. Middle East, home, midwest, home, Europe, home and then...Vegas! Shadow Lane time! Woo-hoo! But as I returned from Denmark I finally succumbed to all the travel and sleeplessness and crappy European beds and got sick. Just in case you aren't keeping a tally, I'm traveling for five weeks straight, with only a night home between each trip. Heading off to Vegas was trip four of five. So by the time I was in Vegas my head cold was in full swing, my jetlag a bit more than a mere annoyance and my desire to just relax was high. So now you have a bit of context to the weekend...Normally I arrive on Thursday and leave Tuesday, but with all the travel that was impossible. So I arrived Friday afternoon. Lizzie was already settled into our room when I got there and, as I walked from reception toward the elevator I was pleased when I ran into her in the casino, dragging an armload of water, groceries and wine. We followed each other to the room and then had a big hug, reuniting and melting in each other's arms. We enjoyed the first of many OTK spankings back in our room. It's always good to reunite that connection we share.Soon we were greeting Jada and her friend who had arrived after a protracted, three airport, 4 am EDT to 7 pm PDT travel day. It was great to see Jada again at a party for the first time in a long time. We enjoyed the vendor fair and then headed back to our room for some fun socializing, then ended up heading to bed early. Lizzie was tired from a long day of travel and the time difference and I was completely exhausted after having gotten back from Europe just the day before. But before bed Lizzie was a good girl and shared with me a recent surprise purchase: Saturday was a quiet day during daylight hours. Buffet in the casino, lazing by the pool, sometime at the fitness center, then, before too long, it was time for the banquet and dance. We got ready, went down stairs and ended up getting invited to Indy's table, where Jada and her friend joined us, and Michael and Kate soon followed. Jada, Lizzie and I had dinner earlier at PF Chang's (between Jada and Lizzie's food allergies it's hard to get anything decent for them to eat at the hotel banquet). We had a fun time chatting, catching up with old friends and then, as the evening wore on and Bob the DJ got the music rolling, Lizzie and I shared a dance. Afterward we went back to our room, changed, and went back up to the suites. We missed the midnight pillow fight with a bunch of the girls by mere seconds, hung out and had fun talking. Erica came out and I grabbed my opportunity and took her into the bedroom to give her a proper spanking. We had a pleasant scene, all hand. Afterward, Erica nuzzled into my hand. "That hand is still hard," I think she said. I looked up and John was there, he reached down and smacked Erica's bottom, trying to make her think it was me. This went on a couple times before she turned around and kicked her leg. "Oh, John!" She snickered and she and I hugged. It's always great to play with Erica. As soon as we finish I always realize how much I miss her. We went to another suite with Indy and the Northern Spankings group. We were thrilled to hang out with such a fun, diverse group of people. Lizzie had been strapped before by Paul and was really wanting me to see his technique. Given his reputation (and coming from the UK and all, it's no doubt he would be strong on technique), I thought I could learn something. So soon after we arrived, Lizzie was standing, her hands on the dining room table, presenting her beautiful bottom, ready for Paul's strap. Paul laid into her, very methodically and with a great deal of gusto, I might add! He proceeded to produce some canes and take care of her with some finely aimed moves. Afterward, I approached Paul to ask what about his technique had Lizzie so starry-eyed. We talked about what he did, but in the end I pulled my belt and asked him to watch so he could give me some pointers. I went through a few strokes on Lizzie, and Paul gave me some excellent notes. I kept an open mind, tried again, and Lizzie assured me the technique was an improvement. Thanks, Paul! I'm always happy to learn something new to improve what I do. Sunday arrived and Lizzie and I took a cab to a local breakfast place for some chicken & waffles. It wasn't nearly as good as he had hoped (not nearly as good as Roscoe's in LA or La-la's in Phoenix). Afterward, we grabbed a coffee at Starbucks, slathered on some suntan lotion and walked back to the Sun Coast. It was hot but we both enjoyed the walk, actually detouring from our Google Maps route to explore a desert preserve. Back at the hotel, Jada came to visit and we sat around and talked for a bit. It seemed like the two wanted to talk on their own and I had wanted some time in the casino so I took the opportunity to go downstairs to explore some casino machines while the girls caught up. After a few hours I got a text from Lizzie: I MISS YOU. So I went back up stairs. Much to my surprise, Lizzie (with the help of Jada!) had coordinated and organized an early surprise birthday party (my 50th birthday is a few weeks away still). I opened the hotel room door and, much to my dismay, the room was utterly clean--devoid of shoes or clothes or luggage--and sitting across the room was Michael! Then I noticed the cake. Well, really, it was a Boston Cream Pie, my absolute favorite dessert, complete with wax HAPPY BIRTHDAY candles on top! I was utterly shocked and surprised, which is amazing, because it's hard to pull a fast one on me. Kate was there with Michael and we had a lovely little birthday bash. Soon, Indy arrived as well Erica and John slept through the whole thing--sheesh you guys! ;-) Michael finally said, "Okay, it's Craig's birthday, time for his birthday present!" I think the below photo says it all: So Jada, Kate, Indy and Lizzie (not in that order) all took to the bed while I proceeded to spank them all--often in time to music--and Michael and I took turns, then we jointly had at it with them. What a perfect gift! I couldn't've asked for a better birthday present! Later that night Michael & Kate came by our room for an amazing scene and then we ended up back in the Northern Spankings suite and I was pleased to get to know the incomparable Zille Defeu. I think Lizzie and I both have a new crush... Lizzie and I did an OTK scene in the middle of the suite. It was a perfect end to a relaxing party. Between getting sick on my recent business travels and jetlag I'm surprised I hung in as well as I did. We had a fantastic Shadow Lane! Tuesday, September 4, 2012 As I prepare my party report from this year's Shadow Lane party, I'd like to tease something exciting and new. Going live later this month will be a brand new blog from yours truly and Lizzie Huckleberry. Our blog is going to chronicle our life, events, experiences and scenes--from the dual perspective of top/bottom, D/s, male/female in an unique side-by-side posting format. We'll pick a topic, event, activity, subject and discuss it from our own unique perspectives. Don't fret, I'll keep Dark Musing alive and active, sharing my own "top's eye view" of the scene and my own perspectives on life in the lifestyle, but our new blog with be a shared view, unique and fun and different. About Me Motto: Conversio Virium (latin for "exchange of forces") I am a MDHL (Male Dominant Het Leather) and am a proud member of the Monarchs. I am a Master and daddy to Lizzie. I believe discipline, caring attention, focused instruction and mastery of myself and my sub are the first steps in a meaningful D/s relationship. I'm enjoy bondage, impact play, spanking, erotic humiliation, humiliation & debasing, and scenes mixing sex and delivery of pain. I feel true protocol comes from respect, trust, communication and understanding. Because of my work and family I live the lifestyle 24/7 as best I can and am happy to have the balance I have. I enjoy not just finding play partners but meeting new people, making new friends and appreciating the connections that come from that. The serendipity I discover in meeting great people in the scene has been a pleasant surprise.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Friday, August 25, 2017 Sister Lucy Kurien, founder and director of Maher Ashram, an interfaith refuge for women and children headquartered in Pune, India, will be at Unity of Greater Portland in Windham this weekend to share her wisdom and philosophies. Kurien is a Catholic nun who founded Maher after an experience she couldn’t let go. While working in the convent, a pregnant woman came to her for shelter after her husband had threatened to kill her. The rules and regulations of the convent prevented her from immediately giving the woman the help she requested, and that same night her husband set the woman on fire. Sister Lucy was an eyewitness to the event and took the woman to a nearby hospital, but it was too late. Both the woman and the child she carried died that night. “After that I thought it’s time for me to do something, but I was not sure what I was going to do,” said Kurien. “Finally, with the Divine grace I was able to set up a home for women.” From that first home, Maher has grown to include 44 homes in three states in India. While the focus was originally on women, Kurien said, with women came children; and there are presently between 850 and 900 children staying in Maher homes. The focus of Maher, she said, has always been on how to unite people. She is committed to bringing people together, regardless of their caste or religion. “All the religions are teaching us to go to the Divine,” she said. “That is what we are teaching the children.” Maher focuses on value based education, rather than the teachings of any specific religion. “All religions do what common sense tells you,” said Kurien. “Let us use that and be good human beings!” The board of Maher has representatives from all faiths and the staff also comes from a broad range of religious backgrounds. “What we are trying to see is how we can get around this caste-ism, and the differences between the religions,” Kurien said. To mark Maher’s 20th anniversary, Kurien launched Maher’s Interfaith Association for Service to Humanity and Nature on February 2, 2017. In her talk, she will focus on:How people can come together and work as a community, interfaith and value based teachings, and what they are doing at Maher. Because they have lived these philosophies at Maher for the past twenty years, there are many beautiful stories to share, Kurien said. “It’s very important that you build communities of love, peace, joy and communities of acceptance and tolerance of each other no matter where we are,” said Kurien. When people ask her religion, she said, “I will say my religion is love.” Darcy Cunningham, owner of the Turning Light Center in North Yarmouth, is very familiar with Kurien and her work. She was asked by a colleague to write a book about replicating the Maher model. She first met Kurien in India, along the banks of the Ganga. Inspired, she returned to India to visit Maher. “All of these people had experienced such hardships, fear, abuse and despair – beyond my imagining – and yet this place was full of love, joy, generosity, playfulness,” she said. Cunningham felt compelled to understand how and why such healing transformations could happen. Cunningham said she is struck by how much Maher does, with so little. There is no maximum stay – women can stay as long as they want or need to. When they are able, Cunningham said, they are given small tasks to do, such as helping to prepare a meal or watch a group of children. “It was amazing to watch a woman arrive looking like the proverbial “deer in the headlights” and see her emerge, begin to connect with people, begin to feel safe. Then on my next trip she would be laughing and happy in this loving community,” said Cunningham. “It’s an incredible model, one I believe we could learn from. We seem to think one must first be fully healed and then one can give to others – yet it’s at least in part through the giving to others like yourself that self-worth is built and healing is supported.” Cunningham said she is inspired by Kurien’s story and background. Without college or any kind of formal training, Kurien has built communities where people, who have lived unspeakable trauma, can heal and find happiness and meaning in their lives, said Cunningham. She believes that by listening to and learning from Kurien, people can be inspired to make a difference in the world, be a part of the solution, and recognize that small steps count. Sr. Lucy Kurien will speak at the 10 a.m. service at Unity of Greater Portland, 54 River Road in Windham, on Sunday, August 27, and hold a workshop at 12 p.m. the same day. Cost of the workshop is $20. For more information on Maher, visit www.maherashram.org. As August comes to a close, the countdown to the first day of school begins. It’s a time when parents get their sons and daughters ready for another successful year of education; one of which includes the purchase of required back to school supplies. However, not all young students get the proper start needed and arrive on the first day of school without the appropriate educational materials. This is where Brothers Crew MC comes in and saves the day. Brothers Crew MC, a Windham based motor cycle club, has established in the past few years, a school supplies drive. “From now until mid-September, we will be accepting donations and collecting backpacks and other school supplies,” Steven Huntington, president and founder of Brothers Crew MC said. “Sometime after the end of the month, we will begin delivering the supplies that have been donated to all Windham schools as well as Portland schools, such as Bayside Learning. It is our intention to branch out into Raymond and Westbrook schools, too.” Brothers Crew MC began in 2013 as a group of men who enjoyed riding motorcycles and wished to dedicate a bike ride in the memory of the founder’s brother, Charles “Chucky” Huntington, who died at the age of 42. After the first ride, others were interested in participating in future bike rides. “As it continued to grow, we decided to become an official club with the intention to honor all brothers who have passed and in doing so, relieve a little suffering in the world at the same time,” Huntington explained in a past interview. And relieving the world of a little suffering is exactly what the club is doing. “It is so important to help students from low income families succeed with their education in order to help get them out of the cycle of poverty,” Huntington began. “I know because I was one of those students. I came from a really poor family and when I arrived on the first day of school with nothing, it affected my confidence and the level of security I felt. And when you’re young with low self-esteem, you can resort to bullying and other inappropriate behavior. We, as a club, want to prevent that from happening in our community and we want to help those students achieve a better life for themselves by giving them a head start.” President Steven Huntington Brothers Crew MC asks for the following supplies that are required by the Maine School system. Those supplies include: 1 backpack 12 #2 Pencils 2 glue sticks 2 pink erasers 1 package of washable felt markers 1 pair of scissors 1 pencil case 10 pocket folders 1 package of lined paper 1 package of plane paper 8 lined notebooks 2 blue pens 1 package of pencil crayons Huntington wishes to extend a special thanks to other motor cycle clubs, The Outlaws MC and The Raiders MC who both have made significant donations to the school supplies drive. To deliver or mail the supplies, please send to: 514 Falmouth Road in Windham 04062. Brothers Crew MC is also willing to pick up the supplies if one is unable to deliver or mail them. For pick-ups please call 207-310-7901 or message Huntington on their Brothers Crew MC Facebook page. The story is not over yet, as there’s one more thing to mention. Once the Brothers Crew MC School Supplies Drive is completed, they will begin gearing up for their Thanksgiving Drive in mid-October (last year they fed 927 Maine families.) After that, it will be their Christmas Drive for needy Maine families. It seems Brothers Crew MC never takes a break. Perhaps this is what one does when their goal is to relieve a little suffering in the world. Friday, August 18, 2017 The Windham Parks and Recreation Department in collaboration with Maine Alpine Guiding, hosted the first annual Windham Trails Day on Saturday, August 12 at Lowell Nature Preserve in East Windham and Donna Lippman Park on Route 302. The morning consisted of cleaning the trails of natural debris, followed by a free BBQ at noon and a free workshop on subjects such as mountaineering, ice climbing and hiking from Maine Alpine Guiding. Participants also received free t-shirts. Although one goal was to remove branches, brush and weeds from the trails, there were otherobjectives in mind that included bringing people together to foster community and a love of the outdoors. “The primary goal was met on Saturday,” stated Linda Brooks, Director of Parks and Recreation . . . that being to have people come together and volunteer for the community and, in return, have some good food and fellowship.” Molly Bennett, the Park Ranger Intern reiterated Brooks’ sentiments. “Even though there were a small number of people there, there was the sense of friendship and community between the participants,” Bennett said. “When I was out on the trails working with others, people were learning about each other and laughing together in minutes. They were even helping each other identify plants and swapping stories about wildlife sightings in Windham. Some local Girl Scout troop leaders seemed like they enjoyed the event and hopefully will use Lowell Preserve and Maine Alpine Guiding in their own troop activities.” The idea to have a Windham Trails Day was the brainchild of Rick Charity, owner and guide of Maine Alpine Guiding, a new guiding and eco-tourism company in Windham. “He called us and told us about his company and that he would like to organize a day for trail work and community,” Bennett continued. “I started working on it that same day. We set it on August 12 so that we would have time to publicize the event over the summer, but next year we are hoping to have it in June to coincide with National Trails Day.” For next year’s event, the hope is to expand the offerings by incorporating a 5k race with Baxter Outdoors, a company that does trail races throughout Maine and is also a brewery. In fact, conversations with Baxter Outdoors are already in the works. “Adam Platz, from Baxter Outdoors, is excited about the idea and we are working together to plan a trail race, which should attract outdoor enthusiasts around Maine,” Bennett said. Maine Outdoor Guiding, an outdoor adventure program that includes advanced expedition style adventures to Mt. Katahdin and ice climbing explorations in Graton Notch and which is also a Licensed/Master Level Adventure Therapy Program hopes to be a part of next year’s event again. It’s important to Windham Parks and Recreation to include local businesses to be a part of this yearly event. “We will encourage local businesses to join Maine Alpine Guiding in helping to make this a great event,” Brooks began. “And we will hope to collaborate with other entities to expand the offerings next year.” Both Bennett and Brooks are discussing various ideas that could possibly be part of future trail day events. Thoughts discussed so far include, but are not limited to, mountain bike racing, live music, bounce house and more, to encourage a more community members to have fun while also being a steward to the trails. One participant, Cindy Murphy, often walks the trails at the 308 acre Lowell Preserve and wanted to help out so others can enjoy the trail too. “I like hiking in Lowell Preserve,” she said. “I like the idea of repairing the trails and keeping it safe for others.” Bennett stated that the Annual Trails Day Event would also be a good opportunity for scouts to earn badges and do community service, as well as high school students who need community service hours to graduate. As for the actual clearing of the trails, a lot was completed at the two locations in the three hour time-frame that was dedicated to the nature paths. “We got pretty much all that we wanted done at Lowell Preserve, although it is a big property with a lot of room for improvement in mapping, signage, and more,” explained Bennett. “Lippman Park got a lot done with trash pickup and brush trimming with help from the Lions Club. For Linda and me, this event is not so much about the amount of work completed as a sense of community and a celebration of the outdoors. I was inspired by their attendance and hard work.” Astronomy buffs say the solar show will be less than spectacular, but worthwhile viewing The moon over Maine will obscure less than 60 percent of the sun on Monday. And although darkening is expected to be minimal, local eclipse fans have made viewing plans at work, from home or at special gatherings. The Windham Public Library will broadcast live streaming coverage (so to speak) of the solar eclipse for up to 50 people in the downstairs meeting room. Children’s room coordinator Diane Currier said the library’s Solar Eclipse Event will also feature information, activities and safe outdoor viewing of the partial eclipse, utilizing pinhole projections and protective solar eyeglasses. The event begins at 2 p.m. Safe eclipse eyewear is a must for direct viewing. Most local stores are sold out, but Currier says most visitors to the library event will get to use and keep a pair of the solar glasses. An eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon moves into a precise position between the earth and the sun, blocking its light. Even more phenomenal than the event itself is the fact that, at the time of eclipse, the diameter of the moon and the sun, as viewed from earth, is a virtual match. The result, as someone once put it, of sheer heavenly happenstance. The Great American Eclipse, as it’s being called, is unique in that it is centered only on the American continent. Totality will occur only in a narrow band, 67 miles wide, from Oregon to South Carolina. It will zoom across the country in 90 minutes. Latitudes north and south of the line will experience varying degrees of partiality. In the Portland area, 58.6 percent of the sun’s surface will be covered, resulting only in a slight dimming. That is, day will not become night and the stars will not come out, as in a total eclipse. “The dimming will be slight, almost imperceptible,” according to Ed Gleason, Windham resident and director of the University of Maine’s Southworth Planetarium in Portland; who adds, “The planetarium will be open with live NASA feeds of the eclipse starting at 1:45 p.m. and, weather permitting, we will also have someone outside with a scope to enable people to observe the eclipse.” The slow dimming of the sun, even during a partial eclipse, produces eerie daylighting, unlike the fading light caused by dark clouds passing in front of the sun. As described in a publication by Bill Nye (the science guy) recently, “Filtered sunlight creates alternating bands of light and dark on the ground – it’s otherworldly and spooky.” Looking directly at the sun will damage eyes, possibly leading to blindness. The only safe way to view the eclipse is through special-purpose filters, such as eclipse glasses. Sunglasses or exposed photo film (negatives) are not safe. Ron Thompson of Southern Maine Astronomical Group, who recently hosted a program on the eclipse at Windham Library said, “A solar eclipse is something you’ll never forget,” but went on to warn sternly and adamantly against watching it with the naked eye. Addressing both adults and children at the session, he added, “I don’t mean to scare you – but I do.” Thompson reviewed safe ways to view an eclipse, including watching it indirectly by constructing various pinhole devices and projecting the image onto a flat surface; #14 welders glass is safe. Other alternatives are solar telescopes and so-called sunoculars (specially filtered binoculars). On-line strategies for safe viewing can be accessed at eclipse.aas/eyesafety.org and tidelandshealth.org/see-it-safely. Of recent concern is the sale of counterfeit, or fake, eclipse glasses. One way to test whether solar glasses are safe to use is to make sure they are stamped with an ISO certification label. In addition, the American Astronomical Society recommends an at-home test. They suggest looking through the special lenses – you should not be able to see anything except for the sun or anything significantly bright, like halogen or LED lights. Even those should look dim. Also, check for tears or scratches. The best viewing time for Monday’s eclipse will be between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. If you miss it, just wait for the next one . . . in 2024. Friday, August 11, 2017 Raymond Hill Community Center (RHCC) located at 7 Raymond Hill Road recently began offering weekly Qigong lessons on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The first class began on Saturday, July 15 with plans to continue the practice into the fall. Qigong practitioners move in a meditative, calming movement The classes are taught by Karen Rendall, an instructor from the Maine Center for Taijiquan and Qigong, and they provide an opportunity for the community to experience the relaxation advantages and explore the many reported benefits of the ancient Chinese healthcare practice. Everyone, no matter the level of experience, is invited to participate. The cost is $5 per class. Registrations are not required as walk-ins are welcomed. Pronounced “Chee Gong”, the meditative movement practice is an integration of physical postures, breathing techniques, and focused intentions. Often associated with its cousin, Tai Chi (also written Taijiquan), the awareness of Qigong in Western culture began in the 1950’s and has been reported to be approximately 2,500 years. However, archaeologists and historians have discovered qigong-like techniques that are at least five thousand years old. Qigong has slowly become more popular in recent years. According to the Maine Center for Taijiquan and Qigong website, “Taiji & Qigong practice is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Part of the resurgence in popularity of this fabulous art can be attributed to increased cultural exchange, divergence from traditional teaching methods, evolved scientific understanding of efficacy of methods and growing demand for low cost holistic wellness modalities.” Many participate in the practice of Qigong due to the reported benefits. “I was motivated to create it [the Qigong class] as a result of the ‘Healthy Aging Initiative’ happening here in Raymond,” explained Mary-Therese Duffy, one of the founding members of RHCC. “The research and recommendations regarding Qigong practice and aging is striking.” Multiple scholarly articles can be found that verifies Duffy’s assertion, including scientific studies from Harvard Medical Center and Yale Medical School. According to the Journal of International Society of Life Information Sciences, the positive effect that Qigong practice has on the aging process should not be ignored. “These results show that qigong exercise decrease by about 50 percent the incidence of tota1 mortality, mortality due to stroke, and morbidity due to stroke. At the end of 30 years, 86 patients survived in the qigong group and 68 in the control group, these results clearly show that qigong has significant potential for preventing strokes and extending life.” Popular magazines have also published articles regarding Qigong, including a Newsweek article published in September 27, 2004 entitled, “The New Science of Mind and Body.” In that and other magazine articles, the additional benefits of practicing Qigong include but are not limited to stress relief, improving asthma, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and headaches. Those who attend the Saturday classes at RHCC include those who have been practicing Qigong for many years as well as those who are experiencing it for the first time. Participants who have made the practice a part of their daily life claim to experience certain benefits. Charlotte Engelman and Scott Sutton Scott Sutton from Raymond stated that his practice creates a level of wellness in his life. “Qigong is taking time to connect my body and spirit to experience greater wellness, peace and joy in the moment,” he said. Charlotte Engelman, also from Raymond, who has enjoyed the practice of Qigong off and on for 20 years states that it helps her face daily life more calmly. “The centering aspect blocks out the craziness of life and gives me a calm feeling for the day,” Engelman began. “And when I go out into the world, I feel I have more strength and stamina to face whatever comes my way.” “My practice keeps me mentally grounded, improves my quality of sleep, and keeps me feeling physically strong and balanced,” stated Rendall who has been practicing since 2002 and began teaching in 2011. For those who are experiencing Qigong for the first time or our new at the practice of Qigong, Rendall calms any apprehensions one might have. “It's challenging to walk into a room full of strangers and participate in something that you might not know much about,” began Rendall. “Every Qigong instructor I have learned from has worked hard to make participants feel comfortable, they have encouraged people to move with respect to their own comfort levels, and to have an enjoyable experience. I encourage everyone who asks me about Tai Chi and Qigong to visit a class to try it out. In a basic or beginner class, the moves tend to be simple and are practiced with a slow meditative quality - often people leave class and feel more relaxed.” For more information about Qigong (and/or Taiji), contact the Maine Center for Taijiquan and Qigong at www.mainetaiji.com or call 207 780-9581. "Windham Then and Now” - The fifth in a series of historical topics about Windham’s unique history and heritage Some local residents once said the establishment of a Walmart store in the center of North Windham was a watershed moment in the transition from country town to suburb. Today, many residents concede they don’t know or can’t remember what occupied the site before the big store’s arrival in 1994. The Manchester family, descendants of Stephen Manchester (a founding settler), have lived on the property for well over 150 years. In 1958, Lawrence and Francis Manchester established Sebago Basin Tenting, a campground that became a destination for thousands of visitors from all over New England and Canada. Some stayed for a few days and others, seasonal patrons, settled in for the summer. The area boasted 29 original campsites with a variety of activities from swimming and boating at nearby Sebago Basin beaches to ball games, dancing, horseshoes and campfire sing-alongs. Their son, David, and wife Carol, shared some of the memories. Built in 1961, the imposing rec hall, 32 feet to the ridgepole and easily visible from 302, accommodated registrations, dispensed information and was the central meeting place for gab, games, dancing and leisure. A gazebo was soon added. On warm summer evenings a pull-down screen would be hung from its side, film threaded through a 16mm projector and movies shown to campers who would gather under the stars, seated on in-the-round benches. In those times, a Maine camping experience was unique. David recalled a New Jersey camper’s remark about the crystal-clear Sebago Basin water. “He stepped into the water, looked down, and exclaimed, ‘I can see my feet.’” Over the 1960s and 70s, the campground expanded from 29 to 175 camp sites. The expansion, maintenance and administration was, according to David, the combined effort of the Manchester family, including his parents, six brothers and sisters, cousins, friends and neighbors. “For us, it was a great place to grow up. And many of the campers became our close friends.” As Sebago Tenting grew, so did the variety of campers and activities. The sandy basin beaches welcomed sunbathers and swimmers. The 20 or so boat slips afforded lake exploration and water skiing. Visitors also delighted in the live bands, square dancing, camp fires, cultural speakers and ping pong and pinball in the rec hall. Highlight activities for kids included hayrides behind the old Farm-All tractors; messy, but tasty, watermelon eating contests; decorating bicycles and floats for holiday parades through the wooded roadways and campfire songs with local singer/composer Rick Charette. Now: Walmart sits in the location now. Competitive games, remembers David, were wildly popular. “Every night, the ball field filled up with spectators to cheer on their favorite softball teams. Sometimes there was even a double-header.” Enthusiasm also ran high for tug-of-war games, 3-legged races and horseshoe tournaments. “We had so many wonderful people who energized the games and activities,” recalled David, “There was one guy. We called him the Mayor. He had a big presence. He looked and spoke like a mayor, a real unique personality and a natural supervisor. He was always helping and organizing.” The mayor, he said, returned for many seasons. Of the 175 campers each year, many were repeat patrons, and over 50 were seasonal. In addition to being the owners, “Our family was major participants,” said David. The high degree of hustle & bustle also spawned entrepreneurial opportunities for youth. David and Carol’s son, Lawrence, opened a steamed hot dog stand. Another son, Walter, became a bicycling newsboy, delivering Portland Press Herald and Evening Express newspapers to the campers. Through the 1970s and 80s, the camping experience and equipment became more sophisticated. The introduction of canvas top and pop-up trailers, and later, motor homes and RV’s prompted modern updates to the Manchester campground, including electricity and bath houses. Also, a name-change that was more in keeping with the times seemed needed. Sebago Basin Tenting became Sebago Basin Camping. In February 1986, a major set-back: Vandals broke into the A-frame and started a fire. As described in Carol Manchester’s article, it was “the beginning of the end. Because of the deep, snow-covered quarter mile road to it, firefighters could not save the building. The business opened for the next two seasons but the A-frame, center of the campground experience, was gone and greatly increased insurance premiums - it closed after 30 summers.” For those who remember, a shopping trip to Walmart and surrounding stores can be somewhat surreal. Whether treading through housewares or the market, it’s the same space occupied by 30 years of camping vacationers, back, not so long ago, in those country-town days. Sweet and juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, fresh herbs, fresh baked cookies and sweet breads; if your mouth is watering at the mention of these words, then what follows next will surely strike your interest - a farmers market where one can purchase fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables and homemade goods. The newly formed Farmers Market at the Rotary offers that and more every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Seavey’s parking lot located at 421 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. Other items that are available to purchase include: pork, eggs, goat milk soap, handmade baskets, granola, certified organic produce and herbs. Farmers Market at the Rotary is an independent group organized by Julee Applegarth from Sweet Relief Farm in Standish. It features local artisans from groups such as: Mini-Hooves Farm from Limington, The Purple Wisk from Westbrook, Bantu Somalian Community from Lewiston and Sweet Relief Farm from Standish. Community farmers markets have grown substantially in the past 10 years and are the place for entrepreneurs to test products and community members to gather. Their presence adds economic growth as well as increases the community networks.In fact, Applegarth expressed it best,“It is all about connections,” she said as she explained how this farmer’s market began. Currently there is not a town sponsored Farmers Market in Windham, but it is in the works. “Although Farmers Market at the Rotary’ on Thursday afternoons is a sole entrepreneurial venture and not a town sponsored market, it is in the plans with the Town of Windham to have a weekly farmer’s market as soon as next summer,” says Tom Bartell Director of Economic Development. “It is our hope that by next summer, we will have many area farmers gathering in one location on a weekly basis to provide fresh produce to the community and to promote economic sustainability for area farmers.” On Tuesday evening August 8, the proposed town sponsored farmers market was on the agenda to be reviewed at the Town Council Meeting. The Town Council continued its strong support for a farmers market and tasked the Windham Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to continue its organizational efforts toward starting a market early next year. The Council asked WEDC to return with a more detailed plan and any requests for resources in the next few months. For now, Farmers Market at the Rotary is the place to go for fresh local produce and goods.If you miss them on Thursdays, you can reach out to the artisans directly and check out what is upcoming by liking their Facebook page: Farmers Market at the Rotary. If you are interested in participating in and selling produce at the proposed Town of Windham farmer’s market, please contact Bartell at [email protected] Friday, August 4, 2017 Susan and Raymond Dupuis are just two ordinary individuals who have a passion for dance. They also both have an intrinsic yearning to take that passion and serve others in need within the community through various fundraising efforts. When they give their time and services, the couple shift into their alter egos, widely known here in the Windham and Raymond areas as Flamin’ Raymin and Sizzlin’ Suzzin. It all began approximately 25 years ago, when as single parents, the two met at a line dance event. Both being single parents who loved to dance, the two quickly became a pair – going to events and teaching line dance at least six times a week. “Line dancing was a very big activity during this time,” stated Susan Dupuis. “Sadly, after about seven years, its popularity seemed to take a dive. About the same time, we gravitated into entertainment.” That’s when their DJ business began. As far as the notable name, the story goes like this: “We began using the names Flamin’ Raymin’ and Sizzlin’ Suzzin when we became dance instructors,” Susan Dupuis began. “Ray had been known as ‘Framing Raymond’ since he was known as one of the fastest framers around in the construction industry. One night he wore a flame shirt to a line dance event and he was dubbed Flamin’ Raymin. We decided I would need a catchy name so as a joke, we came up with Sizzlin’ Suzzin’. Had I known it was going to stick, I would have chosen a different name,” Susan Dupuis joked. Over the years, the two noticed a resurging interest in line dancing but realized there was not a venue to provide this form of entertainment. This is when they decided to donate their time as DJ fundraisers. “This gives the dancers a place to dance and helps out people in need,” Susan Dupuis stated. “It’s a win/win situation.” Recent fundraising and dancing eventshave included but are not limited to monies raised for needy children at Christmas time, as well as funds raised for and donated to a two-year old girl in Windham who is fighting leukemia. Raymond and Susan also enjoy fundraising on a personal level. “The one fundraising event that is closest to my heart is the event we did to help my daughters meet their fundraising goal for Tri for a Cure,” explained Susan Dupuis. “Both of my daughters are breast cancer survivors.” As for their DJ fundraising efforts, they both acknowledge the help they have received from the community to assist with the success of the events. “We are most thankful for Dena, the owner of Dena’s Restaurant, who has donated the use of her facilities for many of our events. We also would like to thank the Town of Windham for the use of the Town Hall Recreation Room for the events that we have done for the community.” Flamin’ Raymin’ and Sizzlin Suzzin’ still offer line dancing classes at Windham/Raymond Adult Education as well as in Gray. For more information, contact Susan and Raymond at raysuedance.com or 939-4254. It is their goal to provide a fundraising event once a month, beginning this fall. When one gives in ways that helps others, feeling fortunate seems to go with the territory. “Ray and I feel truly blessed to be able to do something we love to help benefit others” said Dupuis. The seventh annual Kelli’s 5K is just around the corner; all area runners and walkers are invited to participate. There’s only a little over a week to register. Those who wish to get in an early morning jog or leisurely walk and contribute to a great community cause at the same time, can do so on Saturday, August 12 at the Windham High School’s cross country course. Located at 406 Gray Road, the annual Kelli’s 5K will begin at 9 a.m. with two courses to choose from. The first, a challenging and timed 5K run that will include rolling terrain, a series of bridges and a steep path. The second course is a non-timed walkathon around the Windham High School Campus. Registration for the annual walk/run has already begun and will continue to be accepted up to 30 minutes prior to the race. But hurry! The first 50 paid registrants will receive a Team Kelli T-shirt. The Kelli’s 5K, hosted by St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, became an annual running and walking event in 2010, to remember and honor Kelli Hutchison, a member of the church. Kelli passed away at the age of 10 on February 16, 2010, of GBM brain cancer, an aggressive form of cancer that most often occurs in adult men ages 50 to 70. Although the run/walk may have been precipitated by somber beginnings, the true focus of the Kelli’s 5K is to spread light, friendship and the art of giving to others, which represents Kelli’s true life expressions. Every year, proceeds from the event are distributed in a number of ways. As always, monies raised are contributed to the anticipated growth of theKelli Hutchison Memorial Playground, located on the grounds of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road. To continue and honor Kelli’s desire to help others, portions of the funds raised this year will go toward the Windham/Raymond school district for activity fees as well as to Nolan Cyr, a local boy battling cancer. A portion of funds raised will go toward Nolan Cyr “Each year we like to share some of our proceeds from Kelli's 5k,” said Melissa Hutchinson, Kelli’s mother. “This year we thought of Nolan Cyr, a 10 year old boy from Windham who is battling a disease and is someone that our church has been praying for - someone that could probably use a bit of a distraction in his life - maybe have a chance to do something exciting or even something that makes him feel regular - to forget the disease - a family that could use a bit of something special or even something normal.” It is also important to the Hutchinson family as well as the Kelli Memorial Playground committee to give a portion of the monies raised to the RSU14 activity fees. “We know there are kids who can’t afford to participate in various school activities but want to,” explained Dan Wheeler, chair of the playground committee. “We want to help those children join in on the activities they would not be able to participant in otherwise.” As for the anticipated growth of the playground, there is an expansion that will soon occur. “We hope to freshen up the present playground by installing new equipment this spring,” Wheeler said. “Presently, the playground has no trees so we will be planting six trees strategically around the play area this fall.” A photoshopped rendering of trees added to the playground The Memorial Playground was built to not only honor Kelli’s memory, but to be a fun and well used community recreation spot for all children to play. It seems that the purpose and goal of the playground’s existence has been met. “I work every day at the church, and there are always children using it,” stated Wheeler. “It is very well used and that makes us happy.” For those who have not yet registered for the run/walk and wish to do so, it is not too late. To register, go online at www.kellis5k.com. The cost to register is $15 before the event, $20 the day of the event. To make a donation for playground improvement visit Playground donation or for further information, please contact Dan Wheeler at [email protected]. For more information about Nolan Cyr, his journey with cancer as well as other fundraising efforts, please visit the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/fightlikeacyr/. If you can’t make the event or are unable to make a financial donation, there is one more thing you can do. “I hope everyone keeps Nolan in their prayers,” said Hutchinson. “This was one thing I'd ask of people if they wanted to do something for Kelli or for us; prayers. Anyone can do them, they don't cost anything and they mean so much.”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Tuesday, December 20, 2005 Well, I've held my tongue long enough and so I just have to share my thoughts on the Cubs 2005-2006 offseason thus far. Signed Glendon Rusch for 2 years at $6M. Not a bad move to sign him as an insurnace policy since he can both start and relieve. Good move. Picked up options on Todd Walker and Scott Williamson. Both good moves since Walker is probably as good at secondbase as they would have been able to get and Williamson is worth the risk. Declined option on Jeremy Burnitz and bought him out for $500K. Not a bad move if, and I say again if, you actually have a plan for filling the right field slot. Burnitz had the kind of year you expect from him but he contributes both defensively and on the bases. Signed Ryan Dempster for 3 years at $15.5M. Probably overpaid for a guy who, to me anyway, just isn't cut out to be a closer. Yes, he had a great run in 2005 but I'll be surprised if we see that out of him again. Signed Neifi Perez for years and too much money. Why two years? I don't mind having him back as a backup but we all know that Dusty will rely on him in all kinds of situations and he'll bat leadoff or second and do alot of drag bunting...yada yada yada. A bad move based on the two year contract and the fact that he'll take at bats from Ronnie Cedeno who looked good last year and is having a good winter. Traded John Leceister to the Ranger for a PTBNL. 27 year old that didn't really figure in the Cubs plans. Remains to be seen whether this one is good or bad. Signed LHP Scott Eyre to two years plus an option for 2008. Now 34 years old and coming off the best season of his career. Look for him to regress. Will Ohman wasn't quite as good last year but probably good enough to eat those innings as the LOOGY. Signed RHP Bobby Howry to a three year deal. Back to back good seasons in Cleveland and at 32 years old should be good for one or two more. Not a bad deal and makes me wonder why they spent $15.5M on Dempster. Traded Jermain Van Buren to the Red Sox for a PTBNL. Hard thrower whose strikeout rates increased the last two seasons in AA and AAA. Hope they get somebody decent or this might be a big bust. Acquired Juan Pierre for Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco, and Renyel Pinto. Nolasco at 22 years old went 14-3 at AA with 173/46 K/BB ratio in 161.7 innings. Pinto has always had more control issues but did fairly well at AA last year (101 hits in 129.7 IP). And of course we all know Mitre has a great arm and could be the Marlins number two starter. This was alot to give up for an outfielder with a .350 SLUG. Major injuries to Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and/or Carlos Zambrano could have the Cubs wishing they still had these three arms. Too early to tell. Signed John Mabry to a one-year deal and designated Jose Macias for assignment. Half of this I like. Mabry, on the other hand, struggled last year and probably won't be getting any better at age 35. I've often called for the Cubs to strengthen their bench by acquiring some hitters but this aint it. Picked up LHP Carlos Jan, RHP Geivy Garcia, and INF Aaron Rifkin in the Rule 5 draft. Then sent Rifkin to the Rockies for a PTBNL. Jan hasn't played above A ball and is a hard thrower with control issues. Garcia has struggled in A ball the last two seasons and isn't going anywhere. We'll see what they get for Rifkin but there are no contributors here. They also lost Juan Mateo who struck out 123 in 109.7 innings and walked only 27 in A-ball last year so it appears the Rule 5 was a net negative this year. Signed Jacque Jones for three years and $16M. Ouch. I said earlier that it was OK to let Burnitz walk if you had a plan. Obviously they didn't and had to grab what they could. On the wrong side of 30 Jones hasn't played well since 2003 and so I wouldn't expect him to even replace Burnitz's declining Win Shares. Bad idea for one year let alone three. I also see that they've offered a contract to Corey Patterson since they now need him to compete for the left field job with Matt Murton with Pierre in center and Jones in right. Those four together combine for a pretty weak offensive outfield. Thus far I'd give Jim Hendry and the gang a C-. Could be worse. And it probably is as Kerry Wood will not be ready by the start of the season. Just waiting for the other shoe (or achilles tendon) to drop regarding the health of Mark Prior.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Sumi-e WorkshopPresented by Japan House Sat, Jan 20, 20181pm Sumi-e is a style of Japanese black ink painting, with roots in Chinese calligraphy traditions, that focuses on creating detailed, nature-inspired compositions. Join Professor Shozo Sato, founding director of Japan House at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, for a sumi-e demonstration and workshop. The workshop is now at capacity. To be added to the waitlist, please fill out the form below.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The Academy of Country Music just unveiled the lineup for this year’s ACM Weekend on Fremont Street Experience, which will take place the Friday and Saturday leading up to the ACM Awards (March 30 and 31) in Las Vegas. The packed-out lineup for the event will feature several ACM nominees, as well as a handful of guests. In order to handle the crowds that will be coming out for this star-studded event, the Academy will be blocking off five city blocks in Vegas in order to provide a designated entertainment zone. But there’s no reason to fear the crowds. Even if you can’t inch up to the stage to rub elbows with your favorite talent, the experience will feature the world’s largest video screen, measuring in at 1,500 feet long — so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting a glimpse of the show. Last year‘s Fremont Street concert series included performances from country talent like Chris Young, Sara Evans and Lee Brice. The ACM Weekend at Fremont Street is just one part of the festivities leading up to the red carpet event, a week better known as ‘the week Vegas goes country.’ The Fremont Street Experience attracts more than 18 million people annually, so it’s not an event you’ll want to miss!	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Google, Udacity introduce programme for Android beginners The "Android Basics Nanodegree by Google" is aimed at those with little or no programming experience and provides entry points into Java, web APIs and will enable a beginner to be able to turn his idea into an actual app.IANS \| Updated: June 24, 2016, 12:51 IST Online education company Udacity has partnered with Google to introduce "Android Basics Nanodegree by Google" programme in India that will provide a guided path for new beginners to learn essential skills needed to build apps for Android. The programme will cost Rs 9,800 per month and if the new developers complete the course before 12 months, they will get 50% fees refunded. The "Android Basics Nanodegree by Google" is aimed at those with little or no programming experience and provides entry points into Java, web APIs (Application program interfaces) and will enable a beginner to be able to turn his idea into an actual app. "Google, in partnership with Udacity, is making Android development accessible and understandable to everyone, so that regardless of your background, you can learn to build apps that improve the lives of people around you," said Shanea King-Roberson, Program Manager at Google, in an official blog post. By way of encouraging early sign-ups for the new Android Basics Nanodegree, Google is also promising to give the first 50 graduates scholarships to enroll in the more advanced "Android Developer Nanodegree" programme.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The gateway hosting service at Indiana University provides science gateways and portals with hosting resources to facilitate the use of computation resources and storage within the TeraGrid. This service is designed with ... Like many large institutions, Indiana University has thousands of desktop computers devoted primarily to running office productivity applications on the Windows operating system, tasks which are necessary but that do not ...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
UTStarcom PPC-6700 XV6700 Sync Cradle - Original (OEM) CRU6700 UTStarcomVerizon Wireless XV6700UTStarcom PPC-6700 XV6700 Sync Cradle - Original (OEM) CRU6700This sync and charge cradle is specially designed for the PPC6700 and XV6700 devices. It is an elegant solution that makes syncing and charging your PPC6700/XV6700 easier than ever. With this device you can charge your phone, while charging an extra battery at the same time. The USB Sync Cradle is an original UTStarcom product. Comes with a USB Data cable.http://www.wirelessground.comutppsycrandm.html$6.95 This sync and charge cradle is specially designed for the PPC6700 and XV6700 devices. It is an elegant solution that makes syncing and charging your PPC6700/XV6700 easier than ever. With this device you can charge your phone, while charging an extra battery at the same time. The USB Sync Cradle is an original UTStarcom product. Comes with a USB Data cable.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Egg Runner iPhone App Review. Amidst all the alien invaders, sudoku or tetris-like games lies EggRunner, a fun and innovative game for your iPhone and iPod Touch that's pure fun in an eggshell. The game requires concentration and skill, but, at the end of the day, one thing is key: balance. Your task is to balance the virtual egg on the surface, don't let it fall over and avoid all the bugs that might get in the way. There is certainly one thing that really stands out with EggRunner, and that is the highly detailed graphics. The egg actually looks and behaves like a raw egg, with a perfect flow of the egg white on the surface. Maneuvering the virtual egg is perfectly realistic and it gives the game the upper hand when comparing it to other similar games. The game certainly has a lot more than sweet graphics and realistic animation sequences to it. With EggRunner, you're looking at a set of intuitive and innovative controls. Balancing the egg and controlling its flow on the board is controlled by the iPhone's accelerometer as you might have guessed. You can double tap to pause the game and take a breather. So far, so not-innovative. But in comes innovation: with EggRunner you get to use another built-in feature of the iPhone that's too rarely used with iPhone games - the proximity sensor. The developers found an interesting twist to the game by adding occasional flies that roam around your egg, that not only adds to the difficulty of the gameplay, but also increases its realism. In order to swat the flies you have to wave your hand across the screen, with the iPod Touch, or across the iPhone's proximity sensor. The idea itself is great both in thought and in execution. The longer you play and the longer you stay in the game, the more slippery the surface will get, and having to battle both the occasional bugs and the slippery surface is not an easy task. And as if these were not enough obstacles to surmount, as you progress through the levels, try balancing two eggs at the same time on super slippery surfaces while swatting the annoying bugs away. Difficult? Yes! Fun? Hell yeah! You don't worry about losing your best times though. Your progress is automatically saved and recorded in a hall of fame. There's two game modes to choose from. In Time Trial, you're battling time as you try to keep the egg balanced for as long as possible. In Challenge mode, you have to progress through the timed levels with ever increasing difficulty. I've had the chance to talk to the developers of the game and they've been kind enough to provide me with some up-to-date info on the progression of the game's development. 5th Floor Productions are about to finish a major updated for the game. They will be offering online high scores tracking, leaderboards and achievements. One extra viral feature will be a Facebook connection to share achievements and challenge friends at a game of EggRunner. So far, these upcoming updates have completely shut me up on moaning about what I'd like to see with the game. But that's not all. The developers are about to add more fun to EggRunner. Apart from Challenge Mode and Time Trial, EggRunner will feature another completely new game mode with different mechanics and looks. To top it off, they are including a minigame with a distinct and unique gameplay. One can only guess how EggRunner will look like soon, and needless to say we can't wait to see it available in the App Store. For now enjoy the great game that EggRunner is for only $0.99, a steal if you take into account all that's put on the table and all that will be available in the future update.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
GLAAD, the spayed and neutered gay media watchdog, released its annual Network Responsibility Index, which charts the gay content of television networks. Guess what they found? The highest percentage of programming with gay and lesbian characters is targeted at young audiences. For the second year running, the barely post-pubescent CW had the highest percentage of primetime content with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise fruity characters. Most of these hours of television were on 90210, Gossip Gurrrlll, and America's Next Top. Shockingly enough, Fox came in second, mostly thanks to Glee, which is gayer than Cristiano Ronaldo's underwear drawer. Still the network has gay characters on many of its shows including American Dad and, appropriately, Bones. The rankings for the networks didn't change at all, with ABC, NBC, and CBS coming in third fourth and fifth for the second consecutive year, but NBC and CBS did have a slightly higher percentage of gay content this year than last. The 3% hike in gay and lesbian "impressions" on CBS was enough for its grade to go from "failing" to "adequate." Of all the cable networks ranked, number one, by a wide margin, was your high school-aged nieces' and Richard Lawson's favorite channel: ABC Family. Of it's original prime-time 55% of it had gays in it. Yes, Greek, Pretty Little Liars, Make It or Break It and all the other embarrassments on your DVR all have gay characters. Meanwhile those that scored the lowest on the Index—CBS, USA, A&E, and TBS—all have audiences that skew older than their more gay-minded counterparts. What does that mean? Well, what we knew all along—that the kids love the gays and that as they grow up, the entertainment aimed at their generation will probably continue to have just as many gays as you would want to see in the mainstream media. As for CBS and the rest, they'll eventually retire, live off their pensions, and yell at same-sex couples from their front porches until they eventually die and gays come in to gussy up the house and make it livable. The gay takeover is inevitable, so will you let us enjoy The Good Wife in our complacency while it happens?	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Everyone is awesome, so they can hire the very best people to do even the most mundane jobs. "The worst part of working at Google, for many people, is that they're overqualified for their job. Google has a very high hiring bar due to the strength of the brand name, the pay & perks, and the very positive work culture. As a result, they have their pick of bright candidates, even for the most low-level roles." "There are students from top 10 colleges who are providing tech support for Google's ads products, or manually taking down flagged content from YouTube, or writing basic code to A\|B test the color of a button on a site." Google staff are so outstanding that there's an internal joke about it. "… I used to joke with my colleagues that Larry & Sergey go out on their yachts - tie them together, sit back on the same recliners you'll find on their jumbo jet, each on his own yacht/set of yachts, smoke cigars, and put up pictures of Googlers with little snippets like "was a GM at muti-national telecomm company, got a Harvard MBA and is now answering Orkut tickets." and then they would erupt in laughter and clink their cigars & Scotch together in celebration. This, of course, is highly unlikely given neither of them would ever smoke a cigar or drink Scotch. Remainder is plausible." Google is not a startup any more. It's a big, big corporation. "Google was not a start-up environment by the time I left. The same office politics. It was easy to get promoted if you worked on the right projects and projected your work in the right way." Many of the engineers are arrogant. "Unfortunately, in spite of the common belief, I think the average level of Google engineers is mediocre. With a lot of arrogance, too. Everybody believes he (males dominate) is better than his neighbor. So it is really hard to discuss any issue unless it is your friend you are talking to. Objective discussions are pretty rare, since everybody's territorial, and not interested in opinions of other people unless those people are Important Gods." Google is so big you can't have any impact on it. "I worked at Google for 3 years and it was very difficult to leave but there was one major factor that helped me make the decision - the impact I could ever have on the business as an individual was minimal. As noted in many answers below, Google is an incredible machine that prints money thanks to AdWords. Unless you are an amazingly talented engineer who gets to create something new, chances are you're simply a guy/girl with an oil can greasing the cogs of that machine." Middle management is mediocre. "I'd say the relentless daily mediocre thinking of middle management types who are completely focused on metrics to the exclusion of all other factors. They don't want to rock the boat, they don't know how to inspire their workforce, and they rely far too much on the Google name and reputation to do that for them." Google may understand engineering, but not design. "There is not enough focus on product and visual design. This has led to many aborted/semi-successful products, like Wave, Google Video, Buzz, Dodgeball, Orkut, Knol, and Friend Connect. There is probably too much focus on pure engineering." Your office space can be too small. "... if you have to work in one of the four main campus buildings, you will most likely be extremely cramped. It's not uncommon to see 3-4 employees in a single cube, or several managers sharing an office. With all the open areas for food, games, TV, tech talks, etc, it can be surprisingly hard to find a quiet, private place to think." Get things in writing. "If you are in the process of gaining employment with Google, negotiate hard, be demanding, and make sure to get EVERYTHING in writing. Google makes lots of vague promises, and seems to not deliver." Googlers can get caught up in trivia. "In Zurich there is a quiet room where people go to relax, or take a nap. There are very nice looking fish tanks there and you can waste as much of your work time there, watching the fish do fishy things. There was a 100+ emails thread about removing the massage chairs from that room because some people allegedly were being kept from sleeping because the massage chairs were too noisy." The culture is immature. It's like never-never land - people never grow up. They drink at all hours, socialize constantly, play games, and do little to no work You can't work remotely. But the killer to me was the inability to work remotely, which I have been doing successfully for the past 5-6 years. Googlers treat temps with disrespect. As someone who has worked for a temp job working for Google, the worst part is the smug attitude of those who work for the REAL Google. They seem to think that anyone who isn't working for the actual Google like they are is somehow mentally and morally inferior.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Why man may have sacked don jazzy,tiwa savage,davido retaining There was a big buzz on Thursday when top telecommunications company MTN announced that he would be retaining the services of some artistes as brand ambassadors, while disengaging some for the year 2016/2017. The big names that had their contracts suspended include MAVIN’s big boss, Don Jazzy, his First Lady, Tiwa Savage and Omo Baba Olowo, Davido. While the trio got the axe, the likes of Hafeez Oyetoro (Saka), Nkem Owoh (Osuofia), Chidinma Ekile, Praiz, Iyanya, Falz, Tekno, Skales, Nedu and Adamu Zango will continue smiling to the bank on the bill of the GSM operator. Though the company declined giving any reason why some were sacked while others were retained, industry watchers and Potpourri in particular believes their decision might have been influenced by scandals some artistes got themselves embroiled in the past months. For Tiwa Savage, her getting axed may not be unconnected with the crashed marriage and infidelity involving her and ex husband, Tee Billz. Though Tiwa eventually warmed her way into the hearts of her fans by proving to be an angel in that union but it appears MTN didn’t find it amusing. Davido was never looking like he would be a pricy item this year, not after the brouhaha with his Baby mama, Sofia Momodu, and the resultant face-off with the uncle, Ovation magazine publisher, Dele Momodu. The Dubai child trafficking allegation didn’t help matters either – At least, MTN could have thought so too On Don Jazzy’s part, his spat with Olamide at the Headies might have been bigger than we thought. Though it was a beef started by Olamide, but Don Jazzy’s conduct after the showdown could have embarassed the Y’ello people. However, MTN’s General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Richard Iweanoge explained why they are keeping past winners of their Project Fame reality music TV show, which include Inyanya, Chidinma and Praiz, saying “MTN is particularly proud of these musicians because we not only gave them the platform to express their talent through Project FAME, we have consistently supported them over the years by making them our ambassadors. We are proud to have been able to contribute to some of Nigeria’s biggest music acts.” Beyond the Project Fame alumni, Iweanoge also said that in order to nurture other artistes so that they too could attain greater heights, MTN would still retain the services of some of its newly-signed brand ambassadors like Falz, Skales and Tekno who are the faces of its youth segment proposition – MTN Pulse. He added that there will be a renewed focus on building MTN’s digital platforms.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
A new biological-behavioral-operational computer model could help policy makers choose the best intervention strategies to rapidly contain an infectious disease outbreak. The model is based on the dynamics of disease transmission across different environments and social settings, and provides critical information about how to mitigate infection, monitor risk and trace disease during a pandemic. This full article appears on <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170219165113.htm">Science Daily</a>	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Are Sniffer Dogs at Music Festivals a Massive Waste of Money? Greens MP David Shoebridge claims every dog costs $2,000 an hour. Drug detection dogs tracing the lines out front of music festivals has become the norm in New South Wales. Dogs will often sniff their way through cars, bags, and up and down the legs of festival goers. And an indication from a drug dog can be all the police need to search you without your consent. Since the NSW drug sniffer dog program launched in the early 2000s, there's been a lot of concern around whether it violates civil liberties. The Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act 2001 gives police the right to use sniffer dogs outside any venue selling alcohol, any sporting match or music festival, train station, at any public place in Kings Cross, and—interestingly—inside any tattoo parlour. This week though NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge has adopted a new angle of criticism, and that's the cost of sniffer dogs on taxpayers. According to figures released by the NSW Greens, each drug dog present at a music festival comes at a cost of around $2,000 an hour. "Based on the NSW Police Standard Operating Procedures and cost-recovery rates, three drug dogs at a festival costs $6,000 per hour," they said in a media release. "This means if each dog spends six hours at a festival it's a total cost of $36,041." "$2000 per hour for a dog who will 60 to 80 percent of the time sniff out someone who is not carrying any drugs... $6000 per hour for an operation to subject festival goers who are not carrying drugs to strip searches," said Shoebridge, who heads up the anti-drug dog Sniff Off campaign. "$6000 per hour for an operation that will mostly catch people carrying only small amounts of drugs." WATCH: VICE has teamed up with harm minimisation group The Loop to bring you Safe Sesh And according to all the evidence, he's mostly right. In 2006, there was an extensive review of the NSW drug dog program. The results were almost totally negative. Ombudsman Bruce Barbour found police uncovered drugs only 26 percent of the time that dogs gave a positive indication. That means in three-quarters of cases, the dogs were wrong. "Despite the best efforts of police officers, the use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for detecting drug dealers. Overwhelmingly, the use of drug detection dogs has led to public searches of individuals in which no drugs were found," Barbour wrote, "or to the detection of (mostly young) adults in possession of very small amounts of cannabis for personal use." Barbour also found those singled out by drug dogs were overwhelmingly young people—some 47 percent of them under 25 years old. Most were picked up at train stations or outside bars or clubs. Only 2.4 percent of detections happened at "dance parties." And yet, NSW Police is spending—on average—some $9 million on its drug dog detection program, by far the largest in the country. "Any other expensive and ineffective police program that got it wrong this often would be scrapped," Shoebridge said. "It's time for the drug dogs to go and the government to implement harm minimisation policies that actually work." However, that doesn't seem to be the way things are going. Victoria Police has this year started using sniffer dogs to patrol Chapel Street, a popular nightspot for young people. And in the Northern Territory, politicians are considering using drug detection dogs in schools. Contacted for comment, the NSW Police told VICE they would never comment directly on figures.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
First Arriving Truck for 5 Alarm Fire April 24, 2017 Images courtesy of Mark Brady PGFD PIO Truck 14, Squad 14, Squad 14B, Chief 14 and Chief 14A At 0934, Truck 14, Squad 14, Squad 14B, Chief 14 and Chief 14A were dispatched to th 4700 Block of Berwyn House Road for a fire in a building under construction. Truck 14, the first arriving truck, observed fire showing from the 6th floor of the building on the east side, and the incident quickly progressed to a 5 alarm fire. Firefighters were evacuated from the interior of the building after the fire extended to the top floor and roof. Fire suppression was left to master water stream devices on ladder trucks. Over 200 firefighters from Prince George’s, Montgomery, Howard County and the District of Columbia were utilized to extinguish the fire. The estimated fire loss is $39,000,000 and this incident is the largest suppression effort in the history of the Prince George’s Fire/EMS Department. All BHVFD apparatus were placed in service at 2003. Facebook Feed Multiple crews and a paramedic ambulance staffed for the evening. The truck crew took advantage of the nice weather to work on ground ladders while the squad crew completed miles for driver’s training. #NoHoseNation#BHVFD14 ... See MoreSee Less Over the past 2 weeks, several members from Berwyn Heights participated in a technical rope rescue class. Our members are constantly training to further their knowledge and provide the best possible service to our citizens. Interested in learning more about membership? Call the station at (301) 474-7886 to schedule a ride a long or visit our website at bhvfd14.org.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
China Faces Headwinds As It Tries to Prop Up Growth Industrial Production Rose at Slower Pace in November BEIJING—China’s state-run banks stepped up lending as Beijing sought to prop up growth, but new figures pointed to further signs of weakness in the world’s second-largest economy. The central bank oversaw a significant increase in new lending in November as economic momentum slowed, according to data released by the bank Friday. Separate figures showed investment and industrial production decelerated in November, while housing sales...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Bugs item #445910, was opened at 2001-07-30 04:07 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=445910&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None Status: Open Resolution: None Priority: 5 Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Summary: getting segmentation failure Initial Comment: Hi, I tried to build the cscope-15.3 for solaris. I followed the steps given in INSTALL file. But when I goto 'src' directory and try to execute cscope, getting segmentaion fault and core dumped. Can we change the path of 'prefex' to a user home directory rather than 'usr/local'?. The thing is I don't want to build cscope as a root. Want to build under my home directory. So, please suggest me to over come this problem. Thanks, Aravinda ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Date: 2001-07-30 05:10 Message: Logged In: NO I got 'ocs' in bin directory. Executed it and got following error. exec cscope cscope: Cannot find /lib/ld-linux.so.2 Killed ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=445910&group_id=4664 Bugs item #445910, was opened at 2001-07-30 04:07 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=445910&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None Status: Open Resolution: None Priority: 5 Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Summary: getting segmentation failure Initial Comment: Hi, I tried to build the cscope-15.3 for solaris. I followed the steps given in INSTALL file. But when I goto 'src' directory and try to execute cscope, getting segmentaion fault and core dumped. Can we change the path of 'prefex' to a user home directory rather than 'usr/local'?. The thing is I don't want to build cscope as a root. Want to build under my home directory. So, please suggest me to over come this problem. Thanks, Aravinda ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=445910&group_id=4664 Bugs item #229144, was opened at 2001-01-17 08:08 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=229144&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None Status: Open Resolution: None Priority: 5 Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Assigned to: Petr Sorfa (petr) Summary: Build failed on Solaris. Symbol 'yywrap' unresolved. Initial Comment: Make failed with linker unable to find symbol "yywrap" in file scanner.c. Running Solaris 5.6 with user install of flex. Tar of cscope v15.1. Make summary: ./configure --with-flex --prefix=/home/myuserid/usr-solaris make clean make Work around by copying my local 'libfl.a' library to the cscope-15.1/src directory. Changing 'LEXLIB=' line to 'LEXLIB=libfl.a' Compile passed and first uses of cscope works. Apparently my libfl.a could not be found during configure process and I didn't know how to specify directly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Date: 2001-07-28 12:03 Message: Logged In: NO I experienced a similar problem while building 15.3 on Mac OS X 10.0.4. The OS includes both flex and lex, but only libl.a. Configure finds flex first, and so only checks for yywrap in libfl.a, but doesn't try looking for libl.a if that test fails. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Petr Sorfa (petr) Date: 2001-01-23 07:41 Message: Seems like a config problem. Will have a closer look. Petr ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=229144&group_id=4664 Bugs item #206950, was opened at 2000-06-05 09:55 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=206950&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None >Status: Closed >Resolution: Wont Fix Priority: 5 Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Assigned to: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Summary: crashes after being suspended Initial Comment: when trying to fg after being suspended, cscope dies. Cscope version 15.0bl2 OSF1 V4.0 alpha ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2001-07-12 05:57 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=27517 I've found some time to check whether my impression that this was a curses-related problem actually holds --- and it does. On a Digital Unix Alpha box, the problem went away as I moved to NCurses instead of /usr/lib/curses. I'll put a paragraph about this into the INSTALL document. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Ali Bahar (ouipapa) Date: 2001-05-11 19:12 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=33103 I used to see this very often on Sun Solaris (2.7) machines. Highly reproducible in my environment, and not at all infrequent. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to work on it (been running around 3 countries over the last year), and I no longer have access to Suns. It's fine (15.0b12, and 15.1) on x86 Linux, though. I suspend cscope very often, and it resumes itself nicely. By contrast, on the Sun Solaris boxes, it would die as soon as I'd run the 'fg'. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2000-10-31 04:17 Message: Seems like the problem is with the 'curses' library. At least, it does not occur if cscope is running in line mode (-l), with no curses involved. And the crash backtrace also points into the direction of the curses wgetch() function, roughly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2000-07-11 07:00 Message: Reproducible with latest version on Alpha box, but not on i386 Linux. I tried to debug this, but gdb doesn't seem to want to let me trace into cscope again once I've interrupted the debuggee with ^Z :-( ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=206950&group_id=4664 Bugs item #434309, was opened at 2001-06-18 15:09 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=434309&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None >Status: Closed >Resolution: Fixed Priority: 5 Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) >Assigned to: Petr Sorfa (petr) Summary: Infinite loop in scan_dir() Initial Comment: When cscope is invoked recursively to process a source tree, a symlink which points to the current directory (e.g. `ln -s . symlink') will cause scan_dir() to go into an infinite loop. The fix is to change the call to stat() with a call to lstat(). You may need to check for existence of lstat in configure.in. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Comment By: Petr Sorfa (petr) Date: 2001-07-09 08:03 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=26835 Fixed. I used a more generic fix than that provided by the submitted patch. Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2001-06-19 06:54 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=27517 I don't think it's as simple as that. It still would fail if you created a cycle of more than one directory, as in: cd /tmp mkdir a mkdir a/b ln -s ../.. a/b/c which has /tmp/a/b/c point back to /tmp/a. Nor will the loop truly be infinite, on any sane OS --- sooner or later the fixed limit on number of nesting levels of symlinks would strike back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=434309&group_id=4664 On Fri, Jul 06, 2001 at 11:47:24AM +0200, Hans-Bernhard Broeker wrote: > You open the bug, and select 'Closed' from the chooser box that read > "Open" before. You may have to be raised to "Bug technician" privileges > by Petr to be allowed to do that. Thanks. I think that's the problem: I don't have the privileges (I never see any chooser box). Petr? -- Darryl Hi, all, just so you all know, the next thing I'm going to do is rip build() and all related subfunctions (roughly half of it) out of main.c into a new separate source module, 'build.c'. The editing is done, already, but CVS doesn't seem to work, at this time, otherwise I'ld have checked this in already... -- Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker@...) Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain. On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Darlene Wong wrote: > Whenever I attempt to build the cscope database, I get this error > "input in flex scanner failed". Have you ever received this error? No, I don't think I ever have. > What should I do to try to fix flex? Nothing, I think --- it's not flex that's broken, I assume. But a few more details would be handy, such as: Is cscope configured for using 'flex' instead of 'lex'? Please double check your src/Makefile: it should have the LEXER_SOURCE=scanner.l commented out, and the fscanner.l one commented in, and 'make' should actually be calling 'flex'. Other possibly vital information would be: 1) platform 2) compiler 3) The source code you're running cscope on. -- Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker@...) Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain. On Thu, 5 Jul 2001, Darryl Okahata wrote: > This may be a stupid question, but how does one close bugs/patches > (the ones listed on sourceforge)? I've looked through the sourceforge > docs, and searched the help forums, but I can't find anything. You open the bug, and select 'Closed' from the chooser box that read "Open" before. You may have to be raised to "Bug technician" privileges by Petr to be allowed to do that. -- Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker@...) Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain. This may be a stupid question, but how does one close bugs/patches (the ones listed on sourceforge)? I've looked through the sourceforge docs, and searched the help forums, but I can't find anything. Thanks, -- Darryl Hi, Whenever I attempt to build the cscope database, I get this error "input in flex scanner failed". Have you ever received this error? What should I do to try to fix flex? I am using cscope 15.3, flex 2.5.4, and running cscope with the -b -c options. Thanks a million! Darlene Bugs item #208551, was opened at 2000-06-28 18:59 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=208551&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None >Status: Closed >Resolution: Fixed Priority: 5 Submitted By: Andy Newman (atrn) Assigned to: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Summary: Handling of -d switch broken Initial Comment: If you try to load an existing database without building it, i.e, use the -d switch, cscope exits. It is unable to parse the cross-reference file. Try this in line mode (so the UI doesn't get in the way) and you receive the message, cscope: cannot read list size from file cscope.out Has bad affects with cbrowser :( Platform: FreeBSD 4.0-STABLE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2001-07-05 07:45 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=27517 I've checked in changes that should fix most, maybe all of these, for good. dbfputs() now always uses strlen() instead of looking at the return value of fputs(), and the ftell() calls are #ifdef'ed upon a telltale macro PRINTF_RETVAL_BROKEN, instead of checking for particular platform #defines. I'm closing this report. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Steven Elliott (selliott4) Date: 2001-06-22 00:14 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=77630 If the -d switch is still not working on your platform you might want to try patch #435355. It fixes the -d switch for at least Windows NT 4.X + cygwin 1.1.8. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Date: 2000-12-07 12:37 Message: Re: the person reporting problems under cygwin-NT Cygwin defaults to the wrong version of the dbfputs macro. Modify the source to compile with the version which uses strlen to maintain dboffset and you should be fine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Andy Newman (atrn) Date: 2000-11-01 14:01 Message: All modern BSD systems (since 4.4) have ANSI C libraries. fputs() doesn't return the count of characters written so BSD shouldn't be using it. The code is old and back then BSD had a, let's be polite, unique view of the C library. At least different to the east coast people. Hence all the USG vs. BSD #ifdefs in places. A lot of those #ifdefs didn't get changed now that 4.4BSD is more common). Anyway thanks to all for helping fix it. Didn't think it would cause so much bother. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2000-10-27 05:53 Message: After checking in the relevant fix, I think this should now be handled correctly. Regarding the dbfputs() stuff: Should FreeBSD have been using the version of that macro which assumes that fputs() returns the number of chars written, in the first place? Doesn't it #define BSD 1? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Andy Newman (atrn) Date: 2000-08-11 04:40 Message: Now that some else has reported this I did a little digging. The test case is cscope's source. Step 1 is to build the database "cscope -b" in cscope/src directory. Then try "cscope -d -l". The header has a wrong seek position for the include/source file lists in the file. In my test case the header says the first list is at offset 381880 but its actually at 383083 (in my test case, it'll be different elsewhere of course). The first call to skiplist() trys to read the count of the number of lines and fails - the next getc() will read from the wrong position (right in the middle of what looks like a cross reference entry in my case). So it's off to check out how the database gets built... A quick scan shows that dboffset is not correct when it is assigned to traileroffset in build() (main.c:1011). Hmm....dboffset and ftell(newrefs) are out of sync...Use a smaller test and whammo... In putfilename() at the invoccation of the dbfputs macro. A quick look at it.... dbfputs is wrong. fputs() returns 0 on success on this platform (FreeBSD) as it should. So dboffset doesn't get incremented by the length of the filename just written. I've fixed mine version. I'll send a patch that fixes this and also fixes the case when you run with -d and there are no source files - srcfiles is NULL in this case and the exit code was assuming it wasn't and dumping core. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Jerry Iseri (jiseri) Date: 2000-08-10 10:32 Message: PLATFROM: CYGWIN_NT-4.0 I have the same problem using the cygwin environment on Windows NT 4.0. Not sure what the format of the database is, without spending too much time on it. But even a small test like: main() { int a; } has the same problem when "cscope -d" is used. If you just type "cscope" things are okay. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Petr Sorfa (petr) Date: 2000-07-10 14:25 Message: Sorry if I'm repeating myself. Latest code in CVS should solve this problem. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Petr Sorfa (petr) Date: 2000-07-10 13:47 Message: Broeker is right, we need some more info. Try downloading the CVS source and try it with that if you aren't already ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2000-07-10 12:32 Message: Tried the given sequence --- still no success reproducing buggy behaviour. It may be necessary for you to mail your cscope.out file to someone for cross-checking... My guess would be it's some platform-specific details that cscope doesn't anticipate. Hard or impossible to debug from remote. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Andy Newman (atrn) Date: 2000-07-07 12:50 Message: For me the following sequence works... $ touch junk.c $ cscope -b junk.c $ cscope -d -l junk.c cscope: cannot read list size from file cscope.out $ I had a quick look the other day to see if it was something simple but it isn't. It appears the database is organised as a number of "chunks", each having a size. The message is about it not being able to parse the size header from one of the junks. It seeks to the start of the chunk and uses scanf to read the size. It fails. I haven't traced through it any more and haven't bothered to check the details of the file format (sorry I'm not beng more helpful but I've got my own bugs to fix too :) Could be in the area of stdio setpos implementation spefics or similar. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2000-07-07 08:41 Message: I think we'll need more details. A precise sequence of cscope invocations with all the flags, and maybe an idea what size of source base you're talking about. I couldn't seem to reproduce the problem here, on a Digital Unix 4.0 box, no matter how hard I tried. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=208551&group_id=4664 Bugs item #424198, was opened at 2001-05-15 02:44 You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=424198&group_id=4664 Category: None Group: None >Status: Closed >Resolution: Works For Me Priority: 5 Submitted By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) >Assigned to: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Summary: not a bug more of a porting problem Initial Comment: Hi I'm attempting to compile cscope 15.1 on HP-UX 10.20 or 11.00 or SunOS 5.6 or 5.8. I get the same messages with configure and the same errors on all platforms. I am running configure with the following set to local destinations:- --prefix=<path> --exec-prefix=<path> --with-flex=<path> --with-bison=<path> --with-ncurses=<path> Where <path> is the path to the directory required, I checked this in the Makefile after. Things i have tred so so in various combinations; HP-UX's ANSI comipler cc, gcc 2.8.1 and gcc 2.95.2, with HP's lex and yacc rather than Flex and bison. SunOS gcc 2.8.1 and gcc 2.95.2, with flex and bison only. during the configure stage on all platforms I get the following lines that may be of importance checking for flex... (cached) flex checking for yywrap in -lfl... (cached) no checking lex output file root... (cached) lex.yy checking whether yytext is a pointer... (cached) no checking for bison... (cached) bison -y and from the compiler out put gcc -g -O2 -o cscope scanner.o egrep.o alloc.o basename.o command.o compath.o crossref.o dir.o display.o edit.o exec.o find.o help.o history.o input.o invlib.o logdir.o lookup.o main.o mouse.o mygetenv.o mypopen.o vpaccess.o vpfopen.o vpinit.o vpopen.o -L/users/contrib/pkgs/ncurses/ncurses-4.2/SunOS/5.6/lib -lncurses Undefined first referenced symbol in file yywrap scanner.o ld: fatal: Symbol referencing errors. No output written to cscope * Error code 1 make: Fatal error: Command failed for target `cscope' Current working directory /users/contrib/pkgs/cscope/dist/cscope-15.1/src * Error code 1 make: Fatal error: Command failed for target `all-recursive' Current working directory /users/contrib/pkgs/cscope/dist/cscope-15.1 *** Error code 1 make: Fatal error: Command failed for target `all-recursive-am' I am running 'make distclean' between attempts to clear out the shrapnel left over and yes when I tryied to use the HP versions of lex and yacc I did add the configure switches --with-lex and --with-yacc I read the readme and install files :-) not much info in those. btw. There does not seem to bew a way to specify the location of include header files for ncurses as they are assumed to have the same base as the lib files. :-) Thanks in advance Richard. ps. could not login to sourceforge with Netscape as it kept timimg out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker) Date: 2001-05-25 05:21 Message: Logged In: YES user_id=27517 The key problem with your flex usage, I think, is that you don't have libfl.a installed in a place where the linker (and thus 'configure') can find it. That's essentially a flex installation problem, IMHO. You don't have to hack the Makefile or copy libfl.a, though. Just run make LEXLIB=/wher/ever/it/is/libfl.a With a similar override, you can make your ncurses.h header visible to the compiler. Just override the CPPFLAGS to add an '-I/my/ncurses' option. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment By: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody) Date: 2001-05-15 03:14 Message: Logged In: NO oops, ok now I've read the other posting I find the answer so that's what traker is :-) Answer is copy your flex library liblf.a to the src directory hack the Makefile in the src directory to Set LEXLIB=liblf.a make and it worked with gcc 2.8.1. bye for now ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can respond by visiting: http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=104664&aid=424198&group_id=4664 Hi All, First of all, thanks to everybody that made 15.3 possible. Well done! We did a great job particularly due to the efforts of Hans-Bernhard and Darryl. I've updated the TOT to version 16.0a which will be the next release. So the tree is unfrozen, and go ahead and commit when you wish. Petr -- -------------------------------------------------------- Petr Sorfa Senior Software Engineer Caldera 430 Mountain Ave. http://www.caldera.com Murray Hill 07974 NJ, USA -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: All my comments are my own and nobody else's ----------------------------------------------------------	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Stevens teamed up with Bayer HealthCare and Liberty Science Center (LSC) on a fun and educational science and engineering event on June 8, 2013 when they challenged 500 middle school students from across New Jersey in a contest to build and launch high-flying rockets fueled by Alka-Seltzer®, a Bayer product. Dr. Mae Jemison, the country’s first African-American female astronaut in space, served as emcee, which saw teams of students using their science literacy, teamwork and critical thinking skills to construct rockets out of film canisters, water and Alka-Seltzer, which flew more than 15 feet into the air. Jemison – Bayer’s longtime national spokesperson for its Presidential award-winning Making Science Make Sense® initiative who recently launched 100 Year Starship®, a mission to accelerate scientific and technology innovation by pursuing human interstellar flight – spoke emphatically to the students about the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in 21st century society. “These students are America’s next generation of inventors and innovators – aerospace engineers, astronauts and scientists – something they cannot fully realize without the kind of quality STEM education that builds a foundation to support and encourage ongoing science learning,” said Jemison. “Liberty Science Center strives to expose learners of all ages to the excitement of science and technology,” said Bryan Blaney, LSC’s Director of Guest Engagement. “This program offered a great opportunity for kids to get hands-on experience in the classroom and at home, culminating with a fun competition here at LSC.” CIESE at Stevens was responsible for developing a comprehensive professional development curriculum for teachers at the 22 participating schools and conducting a series of workshops which instructed them how to use the well-known Alka-Seltzer rocket experiment as a STEM educational tool. CIESE staff members also helped judge contest. “The Alka-Seltzer rocket project can be used as a vehicle to teach higher level concepts about chemical reactions, Newton’s Law, and other topics in physics, chemistry and engineering,” said Adam Scribner, CIESE science professional development specialist. Alka-Seltzer rockets work when Alka-Seltzer reacts with water to produce carbon dioxide, which creates enough pressure inside the canister to pop off the lid and propel the rocket upward. Before competing against rival schools at the June 8 event, each class ran experiments to determine the right combination of water and Alka-Seltzer to use as “fuel” and the optimal length of the fuselage and shape of the nose cone for the rocket to launch to the highest possible height. Philip G. Vroom School from Bayonne, N.J. achieved the highest rocket launch of 15.3 feet, winning the $1000 grand prize. The second place prize of $750 and the third place prize of $500 went to Wallace Primary School in Hoboken, N.J. and Clifton Avenue Grade School in Lakewood, N.J., respectively. “As a science-based company with a rich history supporting experiential science education and fostering science literacy for all students, Bayer’s Alka-Seltzer Rocket Contest is the latest demonstration of this long-standing commitment,” said William B. Dodero, Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Bayer HealthCare Consumer Care. “The contest shows students, teachers and parents just how fun and exciting science is and also reinforces science as something that is all around us in everyday life – whether it’s in the kitchen or medicine cabinet, the schoolyard, science center or the launch pad.” As the 21st century unfolds, Stevens has evolved its mission and focus to meet key societal needs, including innovative approaches to STEM teaching and learning at every level to expand and prepare the nation’s technical workforce. Through programs like the Alka-Seltzer rocket contest, CIESE plays a leading role in this effort. “At Stevens, we call ourselves The Innovation University®, which means we live where industry, academics and research meet, so the Alka-Seltzer Rocket Contest is right up our alley,” said CIESE Director Arthur Camins. “We are proud to partner on this project and to play an integral role both in the curriculum design and the professional development sessions provided to all the teachers involved.”	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
"He really likes the coaching staff and he likes the offense," coach Joe Hamilton told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He said he and his parents talked it over, everything looked good about Pitt and he liked it a lot. He said he wanted to commit, so I said OK. We called coach (Todd) Graham this morning." Kincade, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound sophomore, received a scholarship offer from Pittsburgh in August. He's been Blackhawk's starter since early in his freshman season. According to multiple sources, Ohio State and Penn State were also recruiting Kincade at this early stage. To continue reading this article you must be an Insider Insider myESPN Tags: ABOUT THIS BLOG On The Trail is ESPN RecruitingNation's home for all the latest news and information. With some of the nation's top recruiting writers contributing, OTT provides the latest details about commitments, visits and other notes to give fans the most comprehensive recruiting news source in the country.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Had a brilliant time in Brighton. Our contact with the Stag Company was Alex who was brilliant in organising our weekend. From the first phone call to just before the Stag do he was very helpful and informative. The numbers of the group changed throughout the planning but any adjustments were easy to make thanks to Alex. Highly recommend The Stag Company for a Stag or Hen weekend. Brighton stag do guide Brighton holds a special place in The Stag Company's heart; not only because this is our home, but because we have seen so many stags have the night of their lives here. A Brighton stag do guarantees everything you’d want from a lively British seaside resort. It’s got the famous pier, top restaurants, live music venues, and a multitude of adrenaline-pumping Brighton stag activities on the South Downs! It’s also a hubbub for hen parties so you may run into a few… There’s no doubt that a stag weekend in Brighton will never disappoint! Great if you are looking for A city that's quirky and full of hidden gems (and a few crazies) An impressive selection of beachside bars and pubs Bar crawls, clay pigeon shooting, It's a Knock Out, and mud buggies Getting around Walking is the best way to venture across town on a Brighton stag do due to its compact size and pedestrian friendly shopping lanes. So bring your walking shoes (it’s quite a hilly city, you have been warned!) Parking is a bit of a nightmare and can become very expensive, so we recommend you don’t drive if you can avoid it. The train station is right in the centre of town and will only take you 10-15 minutes to walk from the station to the centre of town. There are plenty of buses too, a flat-rate, single journey ticket is £2.40 but we recommend you get a SAVER ticket which gives you the freedom to travel anytime and hop on pretty much any bus. SAVER tickets come in a one day or a seven day. You should buy tickets in advance. You can get them in most convenience shops or at post offices. Tips and ideas Brighton can easily be split into different quarters. First off, you’ve got the famous Brighton lanes with its narrow streets, in the middle of the road cafes and craft beer pubs. Hit up this area if you want to experience Brighton in all its quirky glory and stay away from the beach side tourist magnets. In the winter time we recommend joining one of the weirder tours of Brighton, like the Ghost Walk of the Lanes which runs every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and lasts approximately 70 minutes. In West Street you’ll find the more commercial bars like Vodka Revolution, though they are still really popular with stag and hen groups and they are great places for pre-drinking. Also on West Street is Brighton’s favourite Irish pub Molly Malone’s, which is again, very popular with stag and hen groups. If you plan it right, you can make your stag to coincide with the Brighton Fringe Festival or Gay Pride, two of the biggest social events in the city, and not to mention two of the biggest drinking events! Both have an eclectic mix of carnival fun, music and parades, so if you want a real taste of Brighton, check out when these events are on! Nightlife Brighton has a varied and unique nightlife that draws in thousands of people from all over the U.K. The main draw being the beachside clubs that really come to life in the summertime - one such club is Shoosh on the seafront. Complete with an outdoor area this club opens up its doors (when it’s hot) to welcome in the ocean air and really provide that unique Brighton clubbing experience. There’s also Pryzm, whilst not literally on the seafront, it is close enough for you to walk from one to the other on foot with ease on a stag do in Brighton. Saying that, if you like the idea of people watching and having a drink then head to Revolution Bar Brighton, it’s fun, has great cocktails and is a popular place to be seen if you want to attract the trendy, city drinkers of Brighton. Finally, if it’s lap dancing you’re after then we recommend popping over to visit the sexy ladies at Platinum Lace, our favourite lap dancing club in Brighton and it’s right in the middle of the city centre! Inside you’ll find private booths and lots of plush seating for you to sit down and enjoy the view… so to speak! Reviews Jamie has made my life so easy in booking stag do in Brighton.... nothing is a problem,very helpful and sorted everything that I wanted to sort! Great service highly recommend. Thanks again Jamie! Darren Neal Great weekend Had a brilliant time in Brighton. Our contact with the Stag Company was Alex who was brilliant in organising our weekend. From the first phone call to just before the Stag do he was very helpful and i... Danny Wood Very good Booked for a stag weekend in Brighton. Everything was well organised and timed perfectly. Staff were helpful in the lead up to the event and during the event. Would highly recommend using as me and th...	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Published 12:27 am, Friday, November 23, 2012 At UConn, Conlon's team went to four NCAA Tournaments and won three championships and four Big East regular-season titles. Her team set an NCAA women's basketball record with 70 consecutive wins. Conlon played basketball at Seymour High School with Christin Morgatto, Bethel High School's girls basketball coach. Their team won two state championships, four league titles and finished with 96-4 record. Morgatto said she is good friends with Conlon and is excited for her to come to the clinic. "I think it's important for them to see a successful female athlete. She worked tremendously hard," Morgatto said. "She did it all. She played other sports, and we ran track together. She was well-rounded, and I think that's an important message for these kids in the day of specialization." The clinic's first session, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., is for second- to fifth-graders. The second session, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., is for sixth- to eighth-graders. The price is $20 at the door. Morgatto attended Western Connecticut State University, where she played on the women's basketball team and was a captain for three years. She was an assistant coach at Western for four years. She is in her fourth year at Bethel. The clinic is a fundraiser for the Bethel High School Rebound Club, said club organizer Stewart Teed.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
You searched for: "“Lebanon--Description and travel”" (page 4 of 16) Elizabeth Battey Papers Elizabeth Battey served as a Housekeeper for aristocratic English families during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. At the turn of the century, she was employed by Frances Evelyn Greville the Countess of Warwick, and former mistress of the Price of Wales, to oversee the female staff at Warwick Castle, and from 1904 until at least 1914, she was Housekeeper under Richard George Penn Curzon, the 4th Earl Howe, at his estates Godshall and the Woodlands. The letters of Elizabeth Battey offer insight into the daily life of a member of the upper staff at an aristocratic Edwardian estate, revealing an acute class sensibility and attention to the duties of a woman of her station. The letters are filled with information about the estates on which Battey worked, her famous employers the Countess of Warwick and Earl Howe, and the social milieu she witnessed at a servant’s distance. Arthur Cleveland Bent Collection An avid birder and eminent ornithologist, Arthur Cleveland Bent was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, on November 25, 1866. After receiving his A.B. from Harvard in 1889, bent was employed as an agent for the Safety Pocket Company and from 1900 to 1914, he was General Manager of Mason Machine Works. His passion, however, was birds. An associate in Ornithology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, Bent became a collaborator at the Smithsonian and president (1935-1937) of the American Ornithologists’ Union. The culmination of his research was the massive, 26 volume Life Histories of North American Birds (1919-1968). The Bent collection is a glimpse into the birding life of a remarkable amateur ornithologist. It contains the field notebooks of his collaborator, Owen Durfee (1880-1909), his own journals (1887-1942), photographs and negatives (1896-1930), correspondence concerning the photographs (1925-1946), and mimeographed and printed material. Bent’s records cover nest observations, egg measurements, bird sightings, and notes on specimens provided to organizations such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Bristol County Agricultural School, and the United States National Museum. Subjects American Ornithologists' Union Bent, Arthur Cleveland, 1866-1954. Life Histories of North American Birds David M. Berke Collection of Nuremberg Trials Depositions During the latter months of the Second World War, Edmund F. Franz served with the U.S. Army’s War Crimes Branch in Wiesbaden, Germany. Part of the team involved in war crimes investigation, Franz processed hundreds of pages of first-hand accounts by perpetrators, eye witnesses, concentration camp survivors, political prisoners, and prisoners of war that ultimately served the prosecution during the Nuremberg trials. At the war’s end, he returned home to Aurora, Ohio, eventually bequeathing a collection of depositions from his wartime work to a friend, David M. Berke. The Berke Collection contains copies of approximately 300 pages of material gathered by U.S. Army investigators in preparation for the Nuremberg trials. The depositions, affidavits, and reports that comprise the collection are varied in scope, but most center on German maltreatment of prisoners — both political prisoners and prisoners of war — with a handful of items relating to larger issues in intelligence and counter intelligence. Gathered originally by the Office of Strategic Services, the Counter Intelligence Corps, and other Army units, the materials offer chilling insight into the brutality of the concentration camp system, “labor reform” prisons, and police prisons, and the sheer scale of wartime inhumanity. Maurice Emmanuel Hippolyte Binet Collection During the revolutionary era of 1789-1848, Belgium was ensnared in power politics on a continental scale, with all the drama and turbulence entailed. From the conquest of the region by French Republican forces under Napoleon in 1794 through the dissolution of French control in 1814, modern-day Belgium was divided into nine administrative departments, including the centrally-located Département de la Dyle, which included the key cities of Brussels, Louvain, and Nivelles. Collected by Maurice Emmanuel Hippolyte Binet, this small collection of manuscripts is relatively tightly focused on the years of French Republican domination of Belgium (1794-1814), with a particular focus on the Département de la Dyle. The majority of the collection consists of letters received by the Central Administration in the Dyle, including letters to and from Napoleonic generals and French military hierarchy, civic authorities, administrators, and police. Many of the letters concern the challenges of asserting control over a subject population and the political fallout of the French Revolution, but the collection also reflects the greater tensions within a complex society changing rapidly during an age of revolution. Types of material Sam Bishop Bronx-Lebanon (N.Y.) Incinerator Collection 1982-1997 4 boxes6 linear feet Call no.: MS 703 A new medical waste incinerator for New York city hospitals became the focal point of drawn-out controversy in the 1990s. After proposals to place the facility in Rockland County and downtown Manhattan were scotched, a site in the South Bronx was selected. Even before it opened in 1991, the Bronx-Lebanon incinerator touched off fierce opposition. Built to dispose of up to 48 tons per day of medical waste gathered from fifteen regional hospitals, the incinerator was located in a poor and densely populated area, and worse, raising charges of environmental racism. Making matters worse, during its years of operation, it was cited for hundreds of violations of state pollution standards. A coalition of grassroots organizations led an effective campaign to close the facility, and in June 1997 the plant’s owner, Browning Ferris Industries agreed. In an agreement with the state two years later, BFI agreed to disable the plant and remove the emission stacks. Gathered by an environmental activist and consultant from New York city, Sam Bishop, this collection documents the turbulent history of public opposition to the Bronx-Lebanon medical waste incinerator. In addition to informational materials on medical waste incineration, the collection includes reports and legal filings relative to the facility, some materials on the campaign to close it, and a small quantity of correspondence and notes from activists. Subjects Bronx (New York, N.Y.)--History Incinerators--Environmental aspects Medical wastes--Incineration Types of material Lea K. Bleyman Papers 1958-2004 2 boxes3 linear feet Call no.: MS 548 The protistologist Lea Bleyman has conducted research into the genetics, mating systems, and life cycles of ciliates. A former student of Tracy Sonneborn, Bleyman has served as past Secretary and President (2001-2002) of the Society of Protozoologists, and spent many years on the faculty of the Department of Natural Sciences at Baruch College. The Bleyman Papers contain lab and research notes, abstracts of talks and conference materials, along with some correspondence and annual progress reports from Baruch College. The earliest materials in the collection relate to her years as a student in Sonneborn’s lab; other Bleyman material is located in the records of the International Society of Protistologists at the University of Maryland Baltimore County Library. Book of Hours (Use of Rome) Books of hours are the most common surviving form of the medieval book and are as diverse as the patrons who commissioned them. Beginning in the mid-thirteenth century, they flourished as part of a rich array of devotional works used to frame the temporal structure of a community’s spiritual lives. In keeping with individual spiritual and aesthetic preferences, books of hours were often customized to appeal to the particular purchaser, and they vary greatly through time and from region to region. This diminutive and comparatively austere book of hours (Use of Rome) appears to have been produced near Bruges between about 1460 and 1470, possibly influenced by the prolific illuminator Willem Vrelant. Written in Latin in a skilled Gothic Italic Rotunda hand, the book lacks a calendar and miniatures of any kind, nor is there any evidence that any were ever present. Allan C. Boschen Esperanto Collection A constructed language developed by a Polish physician, L.L. Zamenhof, and first published in 1887, Esperanto is the most widely spoken auxiliary language in the world. Fundamentally utopian in origin, Esperanto is a simplified and highly rationalized language derived from a pastiche of languages, primarily European. By creating a universal second language, Zamenhof hoped that Esperanto would help transcend national and cultural boundaries and thus promote peace and understanding in a fractious world. Allan Boschen, an engineer with General Electric in Pittsfield, was a student and teacher of Esperanto and longtime officer with the Esperanto Society of New England. The Esperanto book collection includes instructional materials in the language from around the world along with a diversity of imprints ranging from novels and poetry to travel books, histories and biographies, political writings, materials on China and Vietnam, children’s literature, and even a cookbook. We expect to add to the collection in future. Boston & Albany Railroad Engineering Department Map Collection The Boston and Albany Railroad was formed between 1867 and 1870 from the merger of three existing lines, the Boston and Worcester (chartered 1831), the Western (1833), and the Castleton and West Stockbridge (1834). The corporation was a primary east-west transit through the Commonwealth, with branches connecting towns including Athol, Ware, North Adams, and Hudson, N.Y. The nineteen atlases comprising this collection include detailed plans documenting the location and ownership of rights of way, land-takings, and other land transfers to or from the railroad company. Dating from the early years of operation for the corporation to just after the turn of the century, the atlases include maps of predecessor lines (Boston and Worcester Railroad Corporation and Western Rail-Road), as well as the Grand Junction Railway Company (Charlestown, Somerville, Everett, and Chelsea), the Ware River Railroad, and the Chester and Becket Railroad. Subjects Boston and Albany Railroad Co.--Maps Boston and Worcester Railroad Corporation--Maps Chester and Becket Railroad--Maps Grand Junction Railway Company--Maps Railroads--Massachusetts--Maps Real property--Massachusetts--Maps Ware River Railroad--Maps Western Rail-Road Corporation--Maps Contributors Boston & Albany Railroad Company. Engineering Department Types of material Vincent Brann Papers ca.1917-2005 7.5 linear feet Call no.: FS 094 Vincent Clinton Brann was a Professor of Dramaturgy and Directing at UMass Amherst. Born Feb. 19, 1927 in Knoxville, Iowa, Brann served in the United States Army during WWII. After completing his B.A. at the University of Iowa in 1950 he was again called to serve in the Army during the Korean Conflict (1950-1951). Brann held faculty positions at Carnegie Institute of Technology, University of Maryland Overseas Program Europe, and Smith College before joining the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Speech Department in 1964. Brann remained in the Speech Department until 1972 when it became the Department of Theater; he continued to teach in the Department of Theater until his retirement in 1988. Brann was well-known for his oral interpretation and performance classes as well as his productions and original scripts. At the time of his death in 2007 he was Professor Emeritus of Dramaturgy and Directing. The Brann Papers are a collection of genealogical materials dating to the early 20th century, correspondence, family and travel photographs (particularly of Spain and France), play scripts with director’s notes, musical theater scores, and Brann’s college yearbooks.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Christian Louboutin’s first eye collection is as stunning as you’d expect After the lip lacquers, the perfumed oils and the iridescent nail varnishes, Christian Louboutin has now launched four new beauty products for eyes. Eyelids are enhanced by the velvety matte black Kâjal eye-pencil while eyelashes are amplified with a lacquer that guarantees ten times their normal volume and a luminous finish that lasts all day. The double-ended Brow Definer allows you to create the perfect shape and also comes with a cream-coloured pencil and a curved brush to create definition. You can also match your iconic Louboutin red soles to the new Vinyl Eye ultra-pigmented, vibrant red eyeliner. And with packaging covered in black dresses and gold headdresses, the must-have collection pays homage to Ancient Egypt. What’s more, the curves of the packaging are like antique-ornaments making them treats to treasure.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Petraeus resigns as head of CIA President Barack Obama on November 9, 2012 accepted the resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, praised him as as one of the most outstanding generals of his generation and expressed confidence that the intelligence agency would continue to thrive. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) In a statement sent to CIA staff, Petraeus said he had personally delivered a letter of resignation to President Barack Obama on Thursday, which was accepted on Friday. "After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair," Petraeus said. "Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours." Petreaus, who turned 60 this week, assumed leadership of America's fabled spy service in September 2011, replacing Leon Panetta, who became secretary of defense. He previously served as top commander in Afghanistan, head of U.S. Central Command, and top commander in Iraq. Petraeus' wife, Holly Petraeus, is an official with the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A long-time military wife, she was appointed in 2011 as head of the agency's Office of Servicemember Affairs, which looks out for the financial interests of people in the armed services. Petraeus and his wife have long had a seasonal boat house in Springfield, N.H., where Mrs. Petraeus' family lived for many years. Petraeus is registered to vote in Springfield. White House press secretary Jay Carney, who was holding his regular press briefing as news of the resignation broke, declined to offer any details. But in a statement released later Obama thanked Petraeus for his "extraordinary service." "By any measure, he was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end. As director of the Central Intelligence Agency, he has continued to serve with characteristic intellectual rigor, dedication and patriotism. By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger," he said. Obama said he was confident the CIA would "continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission."	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Archives Categories Meta Tag: Homesick I first went to Kitacon last year so I had a rough idea what it would be like this year. Big events like this can be tough and challenging for me due to my autism. This means that I tend to get overwhelmed in huge crowds, meeting new people in unfamiliar surroundings and loud noise. It was a shock to my system when I first went to Kitacon to the point where I went for long periods of time feeling faint and dizzy. I sometimes felt that I couldn’t think or move properly whenever I went to panels or spoke to new people. I experienced a lot of highs and lows last year and admittedly I was anxious about going to this one. THE ANTICIPATION In the end, after much discussion with my brother and my family, I decided that I wanted to go. Last year I think I put too much pressure on myself and tried too hard to experience everything about Kitacon rather than doing what I wanted to do. When it comes to big events or social gatherings like Kitacon I will always feel faint, dizzy and suffer many headaches due to the stress of meeting new people and socialising. I’m very self-aware of who I am and I’m no longer ashamed of what I am. I will always suffer from these quirks but I’m able to cope and subdue the negative emotions that I often experience. Even if I do feel ill at certain moments I can still enjoy the times that’s given to me and think positive. =) FIRST DAY AT KITACON I settled in the building much better than I did last year, and it helped a great deal that I got the same room from last year too. I got into the Kitacon spirit quite well. I knew that my art was going to feature in the Kitacon book but I submitted two back in January and I was not sure which one was going to feature. It was my illustration of Kirin from The Asterisk War anime. It was a really exciting moment when I saw the picture in the programme for the first time. It was a humongous achievement for me and I was excited at the prospect that a lot of people from Kitacon were going to see it. That book is definitely a special souvenir. =) The uneasiness that I felt for obvious reasons suddenly faded to the back of my mind and I then had the confidence to go round and take photos of cosplayers in their amazing outfits. I was more confident at taking people’s pictures this year. I still had to prepare myself mentally to ask their permission but it was much easier to approach them. They were all friendly and I managed to make small conversations with some of them. This lifted my spirits and my confidence went even higher and I like to think that I was able to speak to so many people because of my photography. Taking photographs was the perfect icebreaker for me otherwise I don’t think I would have the courage to speak to anyone at all. There were some panels that I didn’t enjoy last year, namely the Hentai Panel, because it was so crowded it made me feel unwell so I decided to leave. I decided to give the Yuri Panel a try but I was a little bit anxious about that panel as I anticipated it was going to be like the Hentai Panel from last year. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. The two ladies spoke about the concept of Yuri, played a few clips and showed a few photos of female couples, including Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. There were some very risqué photos and clips but it didn’t overwhelm me once and I think it helped that I sat right in the corner near the back so I could “escape” anytime but luckily there was no need to “=) I was nearly tempted to go to the Burlesque show but by this time I felt that I needed a rest from socialising and big crowds and I went back up to my room for a couple of hours to be on my own in the peace and quiet. After some respite I went to the party with my brother to dance to the loud music. I didn’t really enjoy it this time around as my body started to feel light and I was suffering with a really bad headache. I was really quite ill by this point so I left the party early to go to bed. I didn’t particularly have a good night, I was restless for stress related reasons and for the sheer fact that I was sleeping in a bed that wasn’t my own. However, I wasn’t as homesick as I was last year and that was a humongous positive. The other positive so far was that I get to spend some more time with my niece as this was her first ever holiday away from home and I can say that I was part of that. =)	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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Meek Mill Fires Back At Nicki Minaj After Changing Directed At Ex - Music News Posted on November 25, 2018 by Admin93 out of 100 based on 939 user ratings Rapper Meek Mill has urged Nicki Minaj to leave him alone after she switched up a song lyric onstage and teased fans with "secrets" about her ex. The Anaconda hitmaker was performing at the FOMO Festival in Australia over the weekend (05-06Jan19) when she changed a line referencing Meek in Barbie Dreams, a song in which she poked fun at rumoured love interests and other male rap peers. On the tune, she claimed her former boyfriend was repeatedly direct messaging (DM) her on social media as she went on to reference their sex life, but on the revamped version fans heard Down Under, Nicki appeared to send her ex a little warning message. "Meek still be in my DMs, I be having to duck him," she rapped, just like in the original, before dramatically halting the music and adding, "I could tell you secrets but I won't/Cause being a bitter bch is what I don't." Shortly after the news of her lyrical change surfaced online, Meek took to Twitter and appeared to respond to the remarks, although he didn't address Nicki directly. "Why you be sooo mad at me and not the people that came right at ya neck (sic)!" he wrote. "I'm cool I'm doing good lol (laugh out loud) something is wrong here." Meek then suggested he had some of his own gossip to share about Nicki, continuing, "Leave me alone you know I get a lil too out of control with the truth (sic)!" "Keep it classy," he concluded. Nicki, who dated Meek for two years until their split in 2017, has yet to comment on his Twitter posts. Meek previously insisted Nicki's Barbie Dreams line wasn't actually based on any truth. "I ain't get no heads-up (about the song), but I definitely wasn't in nobody's DMs (sic)," he told Vulture last year (18). "And definitely wasn't nobody ducking me, st (sic). That's a fact." She has since moved on to a new man, going public with Kenneth Petty on Instagram last month (Dec18).	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Norway case: India can diplomatically 'do something' December 03, 2012 16:24 IST India can diplomatically 'do something' in the alleged child abuse case involving an Indian couple in Norway, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said on Monday. "The government can diplomatically do something," he told reporters in New Delhi. The couple -- Chandrasekhar Vallabhaneni, a software professional from Andhra Pradesh, and his wife Anupama -- have been charged with 'gross or repeated maltreatment' of their child and remanded in custody. Asked to comment on External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's statement that the issue did not relate to the government but to a private citizen and to the local law of that country, Ravi said, "That is a legal position but diplomatically we can try to influence the government." "We can tell him (ambassador) to try to help the family," Ravi said, adding he had tried to contact India's ambassador to Norway but his efforts did not succeed. "I hope the ambassador must have done something," he said ahead of pronouncement of judgement by Oslo district court in the case. Asked whether the government will provide consular assistance to the couple, he said, 'that is not under my control' and only Khurshid as the external affairs minister could handle such issues. Ravi said he could only tell the ambassador that if he needed any fund from his ministry for the case, he could sanction it. The couple's seven-year-old son was found wetting his pants in the school bus which was reported to his father, who in turn 'threatened' the child that he would be sent back to India if he repeated that again.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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Apr. 18, 2013 Written by Detroit Free Press Washington Staff WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Carl Levin said this morning that a suspicious letter received at his Saginaw office on Wednesday has tested negative for harmful agents. Levin’s office in Saginaw was evacuated Wednesday after a staff member there received a letter he or she considered suspicious. It occurred after letters that tested postive in preliminary exams for the poison ricin were sent to the the White House and a Mississippi senator. Those letters were received at an off-site mail handling facilities and never reached their destinations. It was not immediately known what made the letter received in Saginaw seem susipicious, though, like the others, it did not have a return address. Levin put out a statement this morning saying the FBI advised him that testing done by the Michigan Department of Community Health in Lansing “showed negative results” and that the office was “open as usual” this morning. The FBI would not immediately say what the letter had been tested for, but it was presumably tested for ricin, given that positive results on the letters in Washington is what led to the staffer in Saginaw considering the letter suspicious.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
The continuing currency crisis in Iran, which has seen the rial go into freefall, has been cited, with some celebration in certain quarters, as proving that US-led sanctions are "working" against Tehran. Increasingly shut out from international banking and struggling to sell its oil, Iran has been forced to sell more cheaply while buying raw materials at a higher cash price. This, in turn, has led to currency speculation that the government has done nothing to halt, and to sharp devaluation. But what does "sanctions are working" actually mean? Some hawks have read it as the possible beginning of the end for Iran's nuclear programme and the collapse of the clerical regime. For others, including those anxious to avoid conflict over Iran, it has been seized on as a suggestion that the crisis might be resolved through negotiation and non-military pressure. The reality is that the political, economic and social impact of sanctions can produce very different results from those allegedly desired, more often than not hurting ordinary people. And there is a third scenario, in which sanctions might actually make the confrontation with Iran more dangerous still. The increasing popularity of economic sanctions, as Britain's former ambassador to the UN, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, has observed, is due to the perception that no other tool exists "between words and military action if you want to bring pressure upon a government". When three academics – Gary Clyde Hufbauer, Jeffrey Scott and Kimberly Ann Elliott – examined the history of sanctions between 1914 and 1990, in Economic Sanctions Reconsidered they determined that out of 115 cases that they looked at, only a third had seen any measure of success. The US political scientist Robert Pape has challenged even this measure, claiming that of the 40, only five can be determined genuine successes for sanctions. As Pape argued in his essay, Why Economic Sanctions Do Not Work, "The … case that we should expect sanctions to be more effective in the future is also flawed, because it relies on the expectation that economic punishment can overwhelm a state's commitment to its important policy goals." Rather, he argues, at times of sanctions, the opposite is often true: "Pervasive nationalism often makes states and societies willing to endure considerable punishment rather than abandon what are seen as the interests of the nation." Even in cases where economic sanctions are generally considered to have had a positive impact – bringing about the end of white minority rule in South Africa and Rhodesia – there is disagreement over how decisive sanctions alone were in effecting that change. And if there is a disagreement over the efficacy of sanctions, what is also obvious is that they can come at a high price in terms of the impact on populations, and the risk that, far from undermining the legitimacy of regimes, they can entrench power – in a short term at least – around the regime elites being targeted. For Saddam Hussein's Iraq, which lived under a sanctions regime from August 1990 until 2003, that meant a sharp increase in childhood mortality for infants under five years old, even as Saddam's regime used money earned from avoiding sanctions to reward supporters. There is evidence too that states under sanctions have been able to use the cover provided by them to put the heaviest burden on unpopular groups and minorities. But one thing should be clear to all from the experience of global recession, ensuing austerity programmes, and recent global disturbances prompted by high grain prices. While it is easy to predict that people may become angry as they feel rapidly poorer, in such times of febrile politics how they will react is far harder to predict. So to those celebrating Iranian pain, be careful what you wish for in desiring a crisis. It was hyperinflation under a regime of reparations that contributed to the collapse of the Weimar Republic. Few foresaw then what might occur. And few, now, are considering what a sanctions-triggered economic crisis might really mean for Iran and the region.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Imagining the 'Cosby' episodes that never were March 13, 1992\|By John Barry \| John Barry,Knight-Ridder Newspapers AJB Now that "The Cosby Show" has taped its final episode, let it be said the show was indeed a good thing, very positive, inspiring, constructive and wholesome ... but ... really, wouldn't a tiny, just barely perceptible streak of perversity, have made it more interesting? Advertising Age asked its readers for piquant themes for "The Cosby Show" and they pounded out: * Mike Tyson, William Kennedy Smith and Clarence Thomas, guest-starring as themselves, gang up on Rudy on the playground during recess and beat her up.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, buys the freedom of a slave, Django, and trains him with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the site of Django's wife who is under the hands of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner. Django Unchained presents the larger-than-life tale of a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) who collaborates with Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz)—a German dentist-turn-bounty hunter—in order to rescue his wife from the servitude of a ruthless Mississippi plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The story begins in the US state of Texas in the year 1858—two years prior to the start of the American Civil War. The tone of the movie is set by Luis Enriquez Bacalov's original "Django Theme Song" sung by Rocky Roberts—taken as it is from Sergio Cobucci's Django (1966)—which plays with the opening credits. Django Unchained is Tarantino's tribute to the visionaries of Western filmmaking—those who conceptualized the decorated genre and more so those who prevented it from dying by reinventing it. The Western genre has always fascinated Tarantino. Right from the beginning of his career it has been his dream to make a Western of his own. Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci are the two filmmakers who seem to have inspired him the most. With Django Unchained, Tarantino finally seems to be living his lifelong dream of emulating his childhood idol. And what makes Django Unchained even more special is the fact that it comes at a time when the Western genre once again finds itself on the brink of obsolescence. While the classic works of John Ford and Howard Hawkes epitomize the golden age of Western filmmaking, the grotesque, tongue-in-cheeky works of Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci—often referred to as Italo-Western or more prominently as Spaghetti Western—clearly represent its new age. At a time when Western genre was looked upon by most filmmakers as dead and buried, Leone and Corbucci not only rejuvenated it but also changed its very face for the better. The Old West which was once governed by the tenets of pride, honor, chivalry, machismo and idealism got metamorphosed into a brutal realm inhabited by realistic, grey-shaded characters that despite their endless flaws couldn't be deemed completely devoid of human virtues. While Leone is often regarded as the master creator of Spaghetti Western cinema, people often overlook the indelible contribution made by Corbucci. With movies like Django (1966) and The Great Silence (1968), Corbucci succeeded in adding a whole new dimension to the Spaghetti Western canvas by painting a nightmarish world haunted by fascist ideologies. In fact, Corbucci's depiction of the Old West was so lurid, stark, brutal and vicious that it made Leone's portrayal appear remarkably dull and placid in comparison. There's absolutely no doubt whatsoever that with Django Unchained Quentin Tarantino consummates his trademark style—built around the uncanny combination of gore, glamour, grotesquerie, and dark humor—which is often described using the adjective "Tarantinoesque". The movie's filming style also bears a striking similarity to Sergio Corbucci's sanguinary, majestic Spaghetti Western masterpiece: The Great Silence (1968). In Django Unchained, Tarantino fiddles with history (but falls short of rewriting it unlike his previous film Inglourious Basterds) to present his own perspective on several delicate issues mainly concerning slavery. Tarantino's naked display of uncorroborated brutalities associated with the inhumane practice of slavery, especially Mandingo as its extension has given rise to discontent among certain sections of the white community. Likewise, the movie has received condemnation from the likes of Spike Lee and Tavis Smiley for glorifying the n-word in the tradition of blaxploitation films. Django Unchained features special appearances from Jonah Hill, Don Johnson, Quentin Tarantino and Franco Nero who had played the titular role in the 1966 Spaghetti Western classic Django. Tarantino's imaginative direction is well backed up by some commendable acting performances from movie's lead as well as supporting cast. Jamie Foxx delivers his best performance in years, one that is perhaps bettered only by his Oscar-winning portrayal in Ray (2004). Despite bearing several similarities to his multi-lingual part in Inglorious Basterds, Christoph Waltz portrayal easily forms the backbone of the movie. Tarantino once again takes full advantage of Waltz's polyglot abilities and uses it to great effect at different points in the film. Waltz's Schultz is basically a representation of all those white men who raised their voice against slavery and contributed to its abolition. Behind his facade of a cold-blooded bounty hunter we discover a righteous human being whose superior intellect is well matched by his great sense of compassion. He inexorable resolve to rescue Broomhilda and his sacrifice in the end inexplicably brings to mind of the great sacrifice made by Abraham Lincoln. Schultz is a symbol of white men's conscience, courage and virtue in the same way as Samuel L. Jackson's Stephen is a symbol of Black men's pusillanimity, servility and hypocrisy. Thus, Stephen in many ways is Waltz's antithesis and the movie's true antagonist. And to Jackson's credit, he plays the part with great subtlety, guile and conviction. According to this critic, it's his best performance since Pulp Fiction (1994). Leonardo DiCaprio, in a rare negative portrayal, delivers a thumping performance as the sadistic Calvin Candie. A megalomaniac who dresses with the perfection of a fop, Candie is quite easily one of the most menacing Western villains of all time. Kerry Washington plays the part of the slave-girl Broomhilda—the only major female part in the movie—with exquisite charm. Overall, Django Unchained has its flaws and suffers from anachronisms and incongruities, some deliberate and some not so. But, Tarantino still manages to pack a strong punch. From the cinematic point of view, Django Unchained is undoubtedly a lesser work in comparison to Inglourious Basterds (2009). But the audacious yet effective manner in which Django Unchained retraces the history, fiddles with it, and presents its dark side makes it an important work of cinema. Django Unchained is unusually high on style, but luckily there's enough substance to keep an intelligent viewer interested. Highly recommended! 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Paradox and Paraconsistency: Conflict Resolution in the Abstract Sciences Published: June 06, 2003 Reviewed by JC Beall , University of Connecticut and David Ripley, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill When physicists disagree as to whose theory is right, they can (if we radically idealize) form an experiment whose results will settle the difference. When logicians disagree, there seems to be no possibility of resolution in this manner. In Paradox and Paraconsistency John Woods presents a picture of disagreement among logicians, mathematicians, and other “abstract scientists” and points to some methods for resolving such disagreement. Our review begins with (very) short sketches of the chapters. Following the sketches, we respond to a few of Woods’ arguments. Chapter Sketches In Chapter 1, Woods outlines what he takes conflict in abstract sciences — sciences that do not make use of empirical results — to be. He claims that there are only two ways to decide an argument in the abstract sciences that can be effective: cost-benefit considerations and the “method of analytic intuitions”. The former is common (witness David Lewis’s cost-benefit arguments for modal realism); the latter, in effect, amounts to conceptual analysis. In Chapter 2, Woods presents and rebuts Quine’s arguments against quantified modal logic and then turns to the arguments of relevant logicians against the Lewis-Langford “proof” of ex falso quodlibet, claiming that such logicians have largely begged the question against ex falso. In Chapter 3, Woods presents one possible strategy for conflict resolution: Reconciliation, or ambiguation. The strategy is this: discover a distinction that shows that there was never a disagreement to begin with; each side was talking about something different. Woods distinguishes argument, inference, and implication, and claims that paraconsistent logicians draw their intuitions from argument and inference only and so should not expect implication (the chief concern of logic, according to Woods) to be paraconsistent. In Chapter 4, Woods outlines what he takes intuitions to be and what role they play in argument about abstract sciences. He uses Frege and Russell as examples of philosophers who have dealt with abstract conflict (in particular, the Russell set) in different ways — for Frege, says Woods, the Russell set ended set theory, while for Russell it modified set theory. In Chapter 5, Woods sketches the present state of dialetheic set theory and semantics, as well as the differences between truth-value gluts and truth-value gaps. He argues that, as far as intuitions go, the dialetheist and the non-dialetheist, in argument, must beg the question against each other. However, since the dialetheist opposes tradition, the burden of proof rests firmly on her shoulders, and so dialetheism is defeated. We briefly address this issue below. In Chapter 6, Woods explores whether fiction might provide some motivation for dialetheism beyond what has already been offered. He analyzes fiction and fictional truth in ways that draw on his earlier work (1974) but that are significantly updated. For example, here he deals with the possibility of inconsistent but non-trivial fiction. In the end, however, he concludes that fiction provides no motivation for dialetheism. We briefly comment on Woods’ discussion of fictionalism about the abstract sciences below. In Chapter 7, Woods presents his responses to the semantic paradoxes. These are, to our knowledge, new responses and are discussed in more detail below. Woods concludes that, in fact, no contradiction is derivable from Liar and Liar-like sentences or from Curry sentences (although, for reasons we discuss below, the support for his conclusion remains unclear to us). In Chapter 8, he discusses normativity. He claims that there are certain conditions that must be met for something to be an inference and that beyond those, there are conditions for its being a good inference. He develops this view by analogy with sentences. He also discusses the method of analytic intuitions as it applies to normative claims. Dialetheists Versus Non-Dialetheists Dialetheists accept that the negation of some true sentence is true. Non-dialetheists reject that. (Contemporary philosophy is populated by a few more non-dialetheists than dialetheists.) Woods argues that, short of cost-benefit considerations (regarding which, he claims, the jury is still out), the only way to resolve a debate (about dialetheism) between dialetheists and non-dialetheists is via burden of proof. Conceptual analysis, Woods argues, comes up empty — ultimately stalemate. On whom does the burden of proof rest? Woods’ answer: On the one who bucks tradition to a greater degree. Suppose that that is right. Another question emerges: Who bucks tradition to a greater degree? Woods’ answer: Dialetheists, clearly. We think that that is too quick. After all, precisely what tradition does dialetheism buck? Perhaps the best answer is that dialetheism bucks classical logic; and it does. But how much weight does that carry? By our lights, the weight of a traditional theory ought to be heavy only if the evidence is correspondingly so — only if tradition is well-founded. What is the evidence for classical logic? What, that is, is the evidence that classical logic is the correct theory of our logical particles? (One might invoke mathematics, which, in its standard and widespread guise, is certainly classically based; however, mathematics is also “spoken” in an artificial language — a meager one that none the less yields extraordinary results. The relevant concern, however, is natural language — with all its pimples and palpable lack of mathematical precision.) By “conceptual analysis” one’s intuitions strongly point towards classical negation, conjunction, and so on. (Conditionals may not fare so well, but we ignore those here.) Indeed, such “analysis” of our intuitions yields many classical principles, including that no sentence is (or even could be) both true and false. Is that not enough evidence for the classical tradition? Such “evidence” for classical logic — and, in particular, the “law” of non-contradiction — would be strong were it not for one fairly conspicuous feature of their formation: they were formed on the basis of normal cases. Suppose that you are set the task of formulating logical “laws” (or principles, etc.) governing English. You put together a committee of competent speakers. The principle of non-contradiction is advanced for consideration. After a few minutes, everybody agrees that they cannot so much as imagine a counterexample to that principle. Everyone agrees: “Our intuitions are firmly for that principle: no truth could have a true negation.” But then a priest named ‘Eubulides’ enters the room. Seeing your principle on the board, he modestly asks whether there mightn’t be a sentence that says of itself only that it is false. You reply: “No, there could be no such sentence.” Eubulides replies: “But what I am now saying is false.” What would be the reasonable response to Eubulides? At the very least, the committee should recognize that their “intuitions”, while probably accurate as far they go, simply did not go far enough; such intuitions were formed on the basis of normal sentences, not the sort of sentence to which Eubulides pointed. If, as we think, that is the correct account of our intuitions on which classical logic is based, then such intuitions are based on an inadequate diet — or at least an incomplete one. And if that is correct, then invoking the “tradition” behind classical logic does very (very) little towards establishing burden of proof. What tradition, then, does the dialetheist buck to a greater degree than the non-dialetheist? She bucks classical logic, to be sure; but we have already covered that — it is insufficiently supported by intuitions (given that such intuitions were formed via ignoring important prima facie counterexamples), and so insufficiently supported. Unfortunately, we do not know of a well-founded tradition that the dialetheist bucks to a greater degree than the non-dialetheist. Pending discovery of such a tradition, we conclude, pace Woods, that the burden of proof does not rest with the dialetheist. Interestingly, it may well be the non-dialetheist who bucks tradition to a greater degree than the dialetheist. Which tradition? Not classical logic, of course, but rather philosophical inquiry itself. Tradition has it that philosophers aim to question foundational principles as far as reasonable inquiry may go. (Of course, even that principle is up for examination.) That, in the end, is precisely what dialetheists have done: namely, the traditional philosophical chore of examining foundational principles — in this case, non-contradiction. So far, dialetheists have discovered that inconsistent but non-trivial theories have a lot going for them, at least qua models of our naïve theories (of truth, reference, etc). But so far, non-dialetheists have yet to evince any philosophically or rationally bad features of such (dialetheic) theories, and yet the non-dialetheist continues to claim that tradition is on her side. While we in no way wish to put much stock in this observation, we do think it is worth noting that the dialetheist seems to have an important tradition on her side — the heart of philosophical inquiry, as it were. But we will leave that observation there. As above, Woods’ chief case for tradition (with respect to non-contradiction) is true but irrelevant; tradition dictates burden of proof only if it is well-founded, and in the case of non-contradiction the well-foundedness is (at best) unclear. Fictionalism and Stipulationism In Chapter 6, Woods discusses fiction and whether it can provide intuitive motivation for the dialetheist. Near the end of the chapter, he also discusses fictionalism about abstract sciences, preferring to replace it with what he calls stipulationism. Fictionalism, taken as the thesis that the truths of some theory are “secured and validated by analogy with how the truths of fiction themselves are secured and validated” (196), is unattractive for the simple reason that there is no clean explanation of how the truths of fiction are to be treated, especially when they conflict with truths about the world. In place of fictionalism, Woods presents stipulationism, the thesis that stipulated truth is one kind of truth, in particular, what Woods calls a “hyphenated truth” (221), one that is true-in-system-S, but may be untrue-in-system-S*. For example, the law of excluded middle is true-in-classical-logic, but untrue-in-K3 (or “strong Kleene”). If we use a system for long enough, Woods claims, we forget that its truths are hyphenated. He looks at the example of ZF set theory. When it first arose, it was counterintuitive enough to require hyphenation; nobody confused truths-in-ZF with truths about sets. But naïve set theory had enough problems, or so people thought, to make ZF an attractive replacement. As time passed and ZF became an accepted theory, people lost track of the hyphens. As Woods says: It is a powerful dynamic. Stipulated truths are hyphenated truths. If, as sometimes happens, these become received truths, those who see them so fail to see their hyphens: in fact, fail to see their hyphens even if they are made aware of the received theory’s stipulative origins (221). If we use a theory for long enough, we are likely to confuse its hyphenated truths with truths simpliciter, not from any dishonesty, but from our innate preference for adopting the realist stance. We endorse this claim, and with it what Woods calls benign pluralism: the acceptance of many hyphenated truths. Disjunctive syllogism is valid-in-classical-logic and invalid-in-LP; there is no need to abandon these hyphens, even if we are naturally inclined to do so. Woods on the Liar A typical Liar sentence appears to assert of itself only that it is false (or untrue). How can the sentence refer to itself? There seem to be at least three options: i) by name; ii) by indexical; iii) by description. Examples of the three sorts of Liar-like sentences are (1) (1) is false. (2) This sentence is false. (3) The third-displayed sentence in the section labeled ‘Woods on the Liar’ in Beall and Ripley’s review of Paradox and Paraconsistency is false. Woods takes the classic presentation of the Liar to be something of type i). He dubs the following construction ‘L’: (1) (1) is false. As Woods rightly points out (246-248), L is itself a baptism, and thus not itself paradoxical; it is not the sort of thing that can easily be called either true or false. What is paradoxical is the sentence — namely, (1) — that L baptizes. (1) seems paradoxical because of the following argument, which uses only disquotation, quotation (its converse), and substitution of identicals ((1) = ‘(1) is false’) (248-249): (a) Suppose (1) is true. (b) ‘(1) is false’ is true, by substitution in (a). (c) (1) is false, by disquotation on (b). (d) Suppose (1) is false. (e) ‘(1) is false’ is true, by quotation on (d). (f) (1) is true, by substitution in (e). It is clear that this argument depends heavily on disquotation. What is disquotation exactly? Woods never tells us what he takes the answer to be. He does give us some evidence, however. He tells us (251) that we can move correctly from ‘The cat is on the mat’ is true to The cat is on the mat by disquoting. So it seems that some sort of standard disquotation is at play. We take the following to be a standard definition of disquotational truth: For truth to be disquotational is for it to license the following inferences, where ‘p’ is a sentence and ‘ ‘p’ ‘ a name of ‘p’: (DT1) ‘p’ is true / p (DT2) p / ‘p’ is true Certainly, the above inference (regarding the cat) conforms to this definition, in particular (DT1); however, not all of Woods’ claims about disquotation so conform. He claims that if truth is disquotational, the inference from (1) is true to (1) is licensed (251-252). But this inference is not of the form licensed by (DT1) or (DT2). It is rather of the form (MT) α is true / α, where ‘α’ is a name — and that, nota bene, makes no sense. ‘(1)’ is the name of a sentence; we cannot conclude a name. (In fact, so long as nothing is simultaneously a sentence and a name of a sentence, (MT) will always fail to make sense.) Woods sees that this is a problem, although he sees it as a problem for disquotational truth, as defined above. Suppose, for example, that ‘9’ names the sentence ‘The cat is on the mat’. Woods claims (253) that the sentence 9 is true is in fact oblique; it somehow stands either for ‘9’ is true or for That 9 is true. As he rightly notes, neither of these reconstructions will do; they allow us to conclude, if anything, ‘9’, but not 9, which is what we want. Therefore, Woods concludes, truth as used in 9 is true is not disquotational. But that makes little sense. After all, if ‘9’ names ‘The cat is on the mat’, then 9 = ‘The cat is on the mat’, in which case neither of Woods’ “oblique readings” of ‘9 is true’ is an accurate reading. We conclude that Woods’ use of ‘disquotational’ is a deviant one, and one that, unfortunately, remains obscure. It is important to note that Woods never tells us just what, given the stipulation that ‘9’ names ‘The cat is on the mat’, is wrong with 9 is true. Why isn’t ‘9 is true’ (given the stipulation) simply a claim about a sentence made by using the sentence’s name? He says it cannot but be oblique because “truth is disquotational” (253). In fact, he asserts that … is true is not really the form of an assertion of truth. Rather, it is ‘…’ is true. This is because “Truth is disquotational; it is also quotational” (255; emphasis in original). But what does it mean for truth-assertions to have the latter form? Does it simply mean that ‘is true’ must be preceded by a name? It cannot; ‘9’ is a name, but Woods claims that ‘9 is true’ is illegitimate (255). Does it mean that truth-assertions must literally include quotation marks to be legitimate? It cannot; Woods mentions with approval sentences such as ‘What Charlie said is true’. It seems to mean this: that truth-assertions must literally include quotation marks to be taken disquotationally. Woods claims (257) that, were we to disquote What Charlie said is true, we would conclude What Charlie said. Note that this is another inference of the form (MT), a form that is not disquotation as usually understood. Woods follows (DT1) and (DT2) whenever a orthographically includes quotation marks; he follows (MT) whenever it does not. This is a significant departure from standard accounts of what it is for truth to be disquotational, and it is entirely unargued for (as far as we can see). A usual disquotational inference involving ‘What Charlie said is true’ would look something like this (where, again, we stipulate that ‘p’ is a sentence): (a) What Charlie said is true. (b) What Charlie said = ‘p’. (c) ‘p’ is true, by substitution in (a). (d) p, by disquotation on (c). Woods’ attack on such arguments is merely this: substitution is blocked because such an assertion as (a) is oblique (254). Again, we are given no reason to conclude that (a) is oblique. If, however, we allow standard disquotational inferences like the one above, Woods’ argument crumbles. His attack on the Liar paradox requires (1) is true to fail to be a legitimate assertion; however, he gives us no reason to believe this, besides reminders that “truth is disquotational” and an occasional inference of the form (MT), which we have no reason to accept. That, then, is Woods’ account of the Liar when it refers to itself by name — the derivation fails due to opacity. Unfortunately, Woods’ “opacity”-claims turn on a notion of disquotation that remains unclear, and in that respect his account of the Liar remains unclear. (Note that Brian Skyrms argued in the 70s and 80s that the Liar fails for reasons of opacity, that ‘… is true’ is opaque. But Woods’ position is not Skyrms’ position, as Skyrms’ argument for opacity invokes standard disquotation and turns simply on the premise that substitution of identicals fails in the Liar derivation — it must fail, on pain of inconsistency, according to Skyrms. It would have been useful to see Woods’ discussion of Skyrms’ position, but Woods does not discuss it.) Recall that the Liar can refer to itself in at least two other ways beyond using a (constant) name: by indexical and by definite description. So even if we accept Woods’ account of the “name Liar,” he still owes us an account of these other sorts. Although he does not provide an account of the “indexical Liar” This sentence is false he does provide an account of what he calls the “Following-Preceding Paradox” (264). If we let ‘FS’ abbreviate ‘the following sentence’, and ‘PS’ ‘the preceding sentence’, then the following pair is often taken to be paradoxical: FS is true. PS is false. We rehearse Woods’ argument to contradiction (264-265): (a) Suppose FS is true. (b) FS = ‘PS is false’. (c) So ‘PS is false’ is true, by substitution in (a). (d) PS is false, by disquotation on (c). (e) PS = ‘FS is true’. (f) ‘FS is true’ is false, by substitution in (d). (g) FS is false, by bivalence. (h) Suppose FS is false. (i) ‘PS is false’ is false, by substitution in (g). (j) PS is true, by bivalence. (k) ‘FS is true’ is true, by substitution in (j). (l) FS is true, by disquotation on (k). Woods advises us to be a bit more careful. ‘FS is true’, he says, can be more perspicaciously rendered as (4) The sentence immediately following this very sentence is true. Likewise, ‘PS is false’ is perhaps better put thusly: (5) The sentence immediately preceding this very sentence is false. We should wonder, Woods claims, about what ‘this very sentence’ means. It seems that in the first sentence, (6) This very sentence = ‘The sentence immediately following this very sentence is true.’ and in the second sentence, (7) This very sentence = ‘The sentence immediately preceding this very sentence is false.’ Thus, by transitivity of identity, ‘The sentence immediately following this very sentence is true’ = ‘The sentence immediately preceding this very sentence is false.’ This is unacceptable; what has gone wrong? Woods claims that (6) and (7) are to blame. He says that in identity assertions like these, “[L]eft ‘This very sentence’ refers to itself if it refers at all. But it is not a sentence, rather an empty singular term. So is [sic] does not refer, and the identity collapses” (266, emphasis in original). We think that a more natural evaluation of the problem is available. What makes indexicals indexicals is their sensitivity to context. The above argument is insensitive to such sensitivity. On one natural reading of the indexicals above, (6) is true given that its context is (4); (7) is true given that its context is (5). Further, once we become aware of context in this way, the contradiction is indeed derivable. Woods owes us some argument against this sort of account of indexicals, but none is given. Even if we accept Woods’ arguments regarding Liars that refer to themselves using names and indexicals, there remains a third type of Liar sentence, one that uses definite descriptions: (8) The last-displayed sentence in the section labeled ‘Woods on the Liar’ in Beall and Ripley’s review of Paradox and Paraconsistency is false. But no account at all is given of such sentences; they are not so much as mentioned. So it seems that Woods is left with the Liar paradox and its cousins in all three forms. Closing Remarks It is important for philosophers to discuss the resolution of logical disagreements. Paradox and Paraconsistency is a good effort in this direction, and Woods’ exposition of stipulationism in the abstract sciences is valuable. While some of Woods’ arguments are unconvincing and his discussion of the semantic paradoxes seems to be based upon a deviant usage of ‘disquotation’ that remains obscure, the book, on the whole, is well worth reading. Conflict resolution in philosophy of logic, of mathematics, and of language, is not only philosophically interesting but also practically important (for purposes of progress). Woods’ discussion serves as a very good point of departure. We also feel obliged to note that the book has frequent typographical errors throughout, enough to significantly slow the reader.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Related topics Snoop bill opponents post Swedish spy IDs on net Even Google condemns eavesdropping bill Common Topics The chief of Sweden's defense intelligence agency admitted Thursday that about 20 of its staff members have had personal information about themselves posted on the internet as part of a mud-slinging campaign. According to Swedish blog Politikerbloggen the information included addresses, phone numbers and even credit card numbers. On Wednesday, a far-reaching eavesdropping law granted Sweden's intelligence agency National Defence Radio Establishment the right to scan all international phone calls and emails in a move to combat terror plots. Wednesday's vote has angered many in Sweden and abroad, including even former members of SÄPO (the Swedish FBI) and the Justice Department. Some experts insist that it is almost impossible to differentiate between domestic and international traffic. Sweden's Pirate Party, which strongly defends bittorrent site The Pirate Bay, says it will take the country to the European Court of Human Rights because the law is a clear breach of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Google's global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer believes the Swedish government is following the examples set by governments ranging from China to Saudi Arabia. Swedish telecom company TeliaSonera condemned the law as well, calling it the most far-reaching eavesdropping plan in Europe. ®	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Laplace (Free MMORPG): Creation & Prologue (Open Beta Taiwan) Laplace is the new game from X-Legend Entertainment, makers of Aura Kingdom, Dragomon Hunter and Astral Realm, among others. Sometimes criticized for making games that are very similar to one another, the studio is now shifting the perspective in Laplace to a top down, isometric one, not too far from what we see in Tree of Savior. Here is some open beta gameplay including the character creation and prologue.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Alzheimer’s Disease This is the most common cause of dementia and accounts for about 7 in 10 of all dementias. It typically begins with memory problems and slowly gets worse over time. People will often notice that they can't remember things that happened recently, even though they can still remember what happened years ago. They will often find that they have difficulty recalling particular words and naming objects. Sometimes they are not aware of their memory loss and the problem is noticed by others. They may also find it hard to: Learn new things. Remember recent events, appointments or phone messages. Remember the names of people or places. This can lead to problems with even simple daily activities. Understand or communicate with others. Remember where they have put things. They may worry that someone has been in their house or has taken things. Understand that there is anything wrong with them. They may become cross when someone tries to help them. Carers often comment that people with Alzheimer’s show subtle changes to their personality. For example, they might behave or react differently to how they did before they became ill. In Alzheimer's, damaged tissue seems to build up in the brain to form deposits called 'plaques' and 'tangles'. These cause the brain cells around them to die. The disease also affects the chemicals in the brain which transmit messages from one cell to another. The chemical most affected is acetylcholine. Vascular dementia This is usually caused by the blood vessels supplying the brain becoming damaged or blocked. This can lead to small strokes, or parts of the brain dying, as they are starved of oxygen and nutrients. This dementia can come on more quickly than Alzheimer’s. Someone with vascular dementia is more likely to suffer from conditions which lead to blocked arteries, such as high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes or high cholesterol. It is difficult to predict how vascular dementia will progress. There may be no further problems for months or years, but then more strokes, or other illnesses, can lead to further deterioration. The problems caused by vascular dementia depend on which part of the brain is affected. There may be memory loss and difficulty concentrating. Language difficulties are common - as they are in Alzheimer’s. It is common to suffer from mood swings or to feel depressed. Some people have episodes of confusion and may be aggressive or distressed. Others may experience hallucinations (where they see something that is not there). Sometimes there are physical problems, for example difficulties with walking or incontinence. It is possible for people to have a combination of vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia. It can be very hard, even for doctors, to tell the difference between them. A brain scan can sometimes help. Lewy body dementia This seems to be caused by protein deposits (Lewy bodies) building up in the brain. This can lead to symptoms which overlap with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. These include: Memory problems and difficulty planning tasks. Confusion which can vary during the course of the day. Vivid visual hallucinations of people or animals. Trembling of hands, muscle stiffness, falls or difficulty with walking. Fronto-temporal dementia This dementia seems to affect the front of the brain more than other areas. It often starts in people in their 50s and 60s. Because it affects the front of the brain, it is more likely to cause personality and behavioural changes. So a person who is usually very polite and proper might start to become irritable or rude. Memory can remain good for a long time. Rarer causes There are many different causes for dementia and these account for less than 5% of cases. Some of these are listed below: This will depend on the diagnosis and your circumstances. Unfortunately, there are no cures for these conditions. It is important to help someone with dementia stay as independent and as mobile as possible, for as long as possible. A psychological treatment called group cognitive stimulation has been shown to help with memory and improve the quality of a person's life. Reminiscence Therapy involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people. This has been shown to have beneficial effects on both understanding and knowledge (cognition), and in reducing the strain on carers. A group of drugs called Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors and another drug called Memantine that can treat some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia, and help people to maintain their independence for longer. Lifestyle Eat a healthy diet (supplements such as Vitamin E and Ginkgo Biloba are not currently recommended). Planning There may come a time when it is difficult to make decisions about important matters in your life, such as managing finances or medical decisions. You can give a trusted relative, friend or solicitor the right to make such decisions on your behalf if you cannot. This is called a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). A solicitor can help you arrange an LPA. There are 2 types of LPA - one for the management of ‘Property and Financial Affairs’, and another for matters involving ‘Health and Welfare’. Property and financial affairs LPA - Attorneys can be appointed to make decisions about such things as banking and investments, property sales, tax and benefits. Health and welfare LPAs - Attorneys can be appointed to make decisions about such things as medical treatment, day-to-day care and place of residence. All LPAs must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before they can be used. Note re: Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA): the LPA has now replaced the EPA. However, valid EPAs that were executed before 1 October 2007 will continue to be valid, even if they have not yet been registered. Advance Decisions - it is possible to make known decisions to refuse certain medical treatments in the future should you lose the capacity to make decisions. These will be respected by the professionals providing care. This can be made at the same time or separately from a LPA. This is me For people with memory problems, it is important that professionals can easily see important information about them. ‘This is Me’ is a document that can be completed for this purpose. It has lots of useful information about people's medical history, their life and preferences. It can travel with them to appointments or hospital admissions and is available here; This is Me Depression and anxiety People with dementia commonly become depressed and anxious. But, it is also possible for depression to look like a dementia. Like dementia it will affect a person's ability to look after themselves. This is called ‘pseudo-dementia' and it is important to identify it and treat it. If you are concerned that you or a relative may be depressed, seek advice from your GP in the first instance. Depression can be treated with antidepressants and talking therapy. Getting help and support If you are worried about your memory, make an appointment to see your GP. They may do some simple tests to check your memory, and perhaps organise some blood tests. If needed, your doctor can refer you to a specialist team, a psychologist or a specialist doctor. These people can carry out more detailed tests and arrange a brain scan if needed. Some areas have memory clinics where these assessments are carried out. Also see below for other organisations that can provide information and support. If you need help with practical activities and day-to-day care or benefits, you can contact your local authority for advice about social care and carer support services. If you know or care for someone who is having difficulties making decisions about their personal health, finance or welfare, you may need to apply to the Court of Protection so that you (or someone else) can make decisions for them.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Spice Routes – Luxury House Boat in Alappuzha Spice Routes- Luxury House Boat Spice Routes stirs up the spicy scent of an old era when large barge-like boats laden with spices and coir plied through the canals of Alleppey. “Spice Routes Cardamom” is a luxury houseboat on par with five star facilities. So large and convenient, it manifests modish charm and cozy ambiance. Rooms and Accommodation “Spice Routes Cardamom” is built in with two spacious rooms –Alleppey Green Bold and Njallany – which are fully air-conditioned and splendidly decorated and has all the modern amenities for your complete comfort and happiness. The rooms are named after two exquisite varieties of cardamom and splendidly appointed with everything for your comfort and convenience. “Spice Routes Cardamom” is extraordinarily elegant with its facilities. Each room on it has an en suite bathroom and toilet with quality accessories of international standard. Disclaimer: All efforts have been made to provide the accurate information about Kerala. However we do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same. Please check with the Kerala local authorities and Govt websites of Kerala for latest and correct information on Kerala. Some of the pictures and copyright items belong to their respective owners. If any copyright is violated, kindly inform and we will promptly remove the picture. This website is not the official Govt. website of Kerala.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Re: Ford Ln700 tires What kind of tires do you have on the rear? If they have a very very aggressive tread on them it can cause this problem. Speaking from experience here. In the 22+ years I owned a tire shop, I saw lots of straight trucks with radial on the front and bias on the rear with no drivability problems. As stated, jack up the front end one side at a time and check for loose parts.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Old City / New City On our second day in Shanghai, we took a taxi out to the Old City, passing the Bund Financial Centre along the way which we’d seen by night the previous evening. I really enjoyed the contrast of the Old City, with every place we’d seen so far having looked like Europe. (I originally wrote that they’d felt like Europe, but actually, that was at no point even remotely true.) We did, however, discover that the receptionist in our hotel had lied to us and that there was, in fact, a subway station that went right there. Oh well…she was probably exacting some sweet revenge on behalf of her co-worker. These old men were just hanging out in an alley playing mahjong. Pet birds overseeing the proceedings. At least I hope they were pets… (Prize to any ornithologically-inclined soul who can tell me what kind of bird this actually is?) One of these things is not like the other. For all of you True Blood fans: Fangbang Rd.! Oh, how I laughed. “Biiii-uhhhhhhhlllllllll!” I really was much too amused by this. And again with the KFC. The real question here isn’t so much why as who the fuck would buy this? There was also a guy who offered to make a cool shadow cut-out of our faces but exorbitant price tags and questions of custody soon made us reconsider. Yuyuan Garden! Over 400 years old and one of the finest Chinese gardens in the country. …we were so over this place the minute we entered and didn’t set foot in another temple/castle/ancient garden for the rest of the trip slash our lives. Sorry, Asia! Instead, we kept ourselves amused with impromptu photoshoots. I really want to use an ANTM reference but I think – over the course of the eight thousand pictures I’ve taken of Lindsay – I’ve exhausted every one I could ever write. Feeding frenzy in the koi pond. Note my inevitable, super-deep-V-shaped sunburn. One thing I liked were the undulating “dragon walls” separating the gardens, each terminating in the dragon’s head. They still didn’t keep us from leaving within 30 minutes of entering. Note that she’s looking directly at the camera and still walking straight towards us. Thanks…thanks. Lawson! We were waaaay too happy every time we stumbled across something Japanese, haha. That night, we crossed the river and climbed the 88-storey Jin Mao Tower in the Pudong district. Actually, all of its proportions revolve around the number 8 which is apparently lucky in Chinese culture. Pearl Tower…we meet again! We thought we were being terribly clever by going up the building adjacent to it instead of the Pearl Tower itself, but as it turns out, the queues to climb the Jin Mao Tower were equally mental. They even had those claw crane games set up in the line to keep people entertained while they were waiting. Uniform of 7’6 basketball player Yao Ming; who – as it turns out – is from Shanghai! How much is that 2G in the window? This still looks completely unreal to me – like a still from Blade Runner. This is actually the exact skyline from the previous night in reverse. That strip of buildings lining the opposite bank of the river is The Bund. On the left there is the Shanghai World Financial Center. Incidentally, Jin Mao = the “Golden Prosperity” building. Lindsay took one for me so that I, too, could be part of the crazy sci-fi cityscape. Totally looks like the rainbow bridge in Tokyo. I really hope that’s what they named it. My favourite story(/ies) about this tower: on February 18, 2001 Han Qizhi, a 31-year old shoe salesman from Anhui province “struck by a rash impulse”, climbed the building barehanded. Well-known urban climber Alain “French Spiderman” Robert had earlier been trying to convince Chinese authorities to let him climb the structure. Referring to the tower’s scaffold-like cladding, Robert commented that his six-year-old son could climb the building and that he himself could do it using only one arm. He faced the possibility of 15 days in a Chinese jail for an unauthorized attempt but finally scaled the building anyway in 2007. He was arrested and jailed for 5 days before being expelled from China. There was also one about a BASE jumper whose parachute malfunctioned but that didn’t have quite such a happy ending… She looks quite happy here so I can only assume this was taken before I pretended to be a mugger and tried to steal her bag…as actually happened to her in Malaysia the previous year. She may or may not have found it funny, slash didn’t speak to me for the next 20 minutes. (Rub uuuuuu! ♥) The view from the top of the Jin Mao Tower all the way down to the atrium on the ground floor. If the first thing you thought on seeing this was, “Wow, it looks just like the reactor shaft Darth Vader threw the Emperor into”…well, then you’re probably as big a nerd as I am. Post-tower, we headed back to Xintiandi in the French Concession near our hotel: possibly the highest concentrations of bars and clubs in the whole of Shanghai. We also found a dedicaton to our dear friend, Joy; who’s never been drunk, but has – on occasion – gotten a teensy bit ‘high’. (Or, as with Halloween 2009, really REALLY high, ooOOOoOOOOOooofffffFFfff.) With a long day ahead of us, however, we were a teensy bit lame and opted for food and coffee. Well played, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Cat! Alas, like all stray cats in Asia, he was filled with hate and rage. Aaaaand back at the Ruijin. Its only problem: the estate itself was ridiculously expansive. Even after we got back to the hotel, it was still a ten-minute walk to Building #4 where our beds awaited. Thats a tough one – most either stretch or cut unless you go back and resize. The one I use, Choco, is just about the only one that resizes correctly and automatically …although now I’m stuck with Choco…	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Due to work assignment not coming through, I need to pay an overdue bill. So, I'm selling this handgun. I hope some of you good people can help me and get a nice gun for yourself! I'm in the DFW area and prefer face to face with LTC holder. 1 This is a Springfield Armory EMP in .40 S&W. I like this one a lot. I've put 1000 rounds through it and runs like a champ. It has stainless steal frame and slide. 3 inch barrel. You get all factory papers and plastic case along with the Springfield goodies included( holster, mag pouch, lock, cleaning brush). It came with two mags and I bought two more EMP mags as well, for a total of four, and these are included. This my only .40 caliber gun, so I'm including all my .40 ammo in a package deal! You'll get 1525 rounds. Various weights in FMJ and JHP. The picture shows all of it. I'm asking $700 for the EMP and $300 for the ammo, for a total of $1000 cash. IMG_8735.1.jpg	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
They look cool, but certainly would not seal against your face well enough to be comfortable. The eye and nose piece are hard plastic. I have some of the base goggles they are made from, and I promise, they suck. I've yet to find goggles which I can wear over my glasses, I made some custom ones by gluing old lenses from my prescription glasses into sleek motorcycle goggles. My pics aren't loaded up right now, so I can't show them to you. MyLarry swears by his reflective bugeye goggles. Daytime only of course. these goggles from ess failed me miserably last year i assumed that since they're for military desert use that the foam covered vents would keep out the dust but i was sorely wrong even after taping all sides of it dust still came in very easily to the point that i just gave up on em and had about the same amount of dust in my eyes when i only wore my regular sunglasses. bottom line i need a major upgrade for this year in the goggles department The come with three sets of lenses and are easy to swap out. I got them from a fellow burner off craigslist for $10. She never wore them so they were brand new. They aren't wild but they kept the dust out of my eyes. I love them! Those look like dressed up cutting goggles..you can get them at welding supply stores. I think the model used didn't really show how they fit a human face. Actual cutting goggles fit quite well. Unfortunately, they come with tinted lenses(which are great during the day)...fortunately, the lenses are easily replaced. You'd have to look on line, but they have clear and multiple colors. They run around $20 bucks at a supply store, and I've seen em in black or medical green. you can kinda see mine in my profile pick over there <--- Those are cheapy ebay 'vespa' googles. They're really light on the face, don't fog up and keep the dust out. I was really suprised. This will be their 3rd year out there. I found a pair of these next ones at a barter camp in 2008 and traded some blinky junk for them. I already a pair of motocross goggles that worked well, so I gave them to a friend, she wore them that year and in 2009 and loved them. Very stylish! http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merc ... /19473.jpg I got these in clear: http://tinyurl.com/ycz4bwn, and a second pair in tinted: http://tinyurl.com/y96nocq. They're really low-cost, and I figured that since they were made for motorcyclists, they'd be good at NOT filling up with dust. They won't fit over glasses, though. I'm planning to wear my contacts. You can find them cheaper on ebay. They fit over glasses and fold up flat. They are also very tough - I was caught in a stuffed animal fight a few years ago and got hit hard enough to pop one of the lenses out. I put it back in and they were good as new. lonestoner916 wrote:I found a pair of these next ones at a barter camp in 2008 and traded some blinky junk for them. I already a pair of motocross goggles that worked well, so I gave them to a friend, she wore them that year and in 2009 and loved them. Very stylish!http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merc ... /19473.jpg Those are exactly like the ones someone stole off of my Bucky skeleton in front of camp... yes in 2008. Bucky is still sad. I had a pair of motorcycle googles last year. Looked cool but had a vent gap that allowed way too much playa in. I have found motocross goggles to be best. The Smith goggle , the SME, has vent that have high density foam in the holes. Supposed to work. At $23 I will try them. The factory recommended them. lonestoner916 wrote:I found a pair of these next ones at a barter camp in 2008 and traded some blinky junk for them. I already a pair of motocross goggles that worked well, so I gave them to a friend, she wore them that year and in 2009 and loved them. Very stylish!http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merc ... /19473.jpg Those are exactly like the ones someone stole off of my Bucky skeleton in front of camp... yes in 2008. Bucky is still sad. Oh no! They seemed so nice... Of course I guess it's possible that the thief traded them off to the barter camp. I would get them back for you AntiM but I'm afraid my friend lives in Cape Town and is not coming to the Burn this year. I spoiled myself with some goggles by Adidas with snap-in prescription lenses. They look a bit like these: They are of a modular design so you can snap in clear or dark lenses, strap or ear-hangers, foam surround or nose bridge. I just blocked the vents with electrical tape and they were a Godsend all week long. There are more fashionable styles out there, but clear eyes on the playa is the ONLY way to experience all of the amazing visual spectacle to its fullest. Victorian, very good topic, I've been wondering this my self. I have been goggle shopping since late September of 2009. Last year a buddy let me borrow his. Things I like: light weight folded in half and fit in day bag well small and close fitting to the eye Didn't like: Red lenses, made day look funny, and night useless. This year I plan to have a Polarized day pair and a clear night pair. It would be nice if I could find a goggle with Polarized/clear removable lenses. I've seen lots of goggles with changeable lenses, but non that are polarized, has anyone had any luck with this? Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~pieholePlan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave Victorian, very good topic, I've been wondering this my self. I have been goggle shopping since late September of 2009. Last year a buddy let me borrow his. Things I like: light weight folded in half and fit in day bag well small and close fitting to the eye Didn't like: Red lenses, made day look funny, and night useless. This year I plan to have a Polarized day pair and a clear night pair. It would be nice if I could find a goggle with Polarized/clear removable lenses. I've seen lots of goggles with changeable lenses, but non that are polarized, has anyone had any luck with this? SORRY FOR THE DOUBLE POST. DIDN'T MEAN TO, NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED. IF A MOD. COULD PLEASE REMOVE I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU AND SORRY Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~pieholePlan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave I usually just use motorcycle sun glasses with the lightest colored lenses I can find. I'm with Anti.. I HATE when they are TOO air tight & my face sweats & the lenses get foggy. If enough dust gets into my eyes I just rinse with eye drops. lonestoner916 wrote:I found a pair of these next ones at a barter camp in 2008 and traded some blinky junk for them. I already a pair of motocross goggles that worked well, so I gave them to a friend, she wore them that year and in 2009 and loved them. Very stylish!http://images.buycostumes.com/mgen/merc ... /19473.jpg Those are exactly like the ones someone stole off of my Bucky skeleton in front of camp... yes in 2008. Bucky is still sad. Oh no! They seemed so nice... Of course I guess it's possible that the thief traded them off to the barter camp. I would get them back for you AntiM but I'm afraid my friend lives in Cape Town and is not coming to the Burn this year. Ah no worries. Besides, it was 2007 now that I think about it. Still, who'd steal goggles right off a nice guy like Bucky? teardropper wrote:I had a pair of motorcycle googles last year. Looked cool but had a vent gap that allowed way too much playa in. I was wondering about that. Tape? The hole was a gap in the padding on the side of the eye, on each side. A common way to vent them. I could not figure a permanent way to solve this. I believe it is fatal. My new ones will be motocross goggles, made for dust.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
For full functionality of our forum it is necessary to enable Javascript in your browser. If you're not sure about how to do this you will find easy to understand instructions at: http://www.enable-javascript.com Hardware accelertion settings grey out I am running windows 7 and my hardware accelertion settings can't be accessed because my "Change settings" box is greyed out. I know that ATI CCC program takes over it but i can't find it in that program. I really need to changed it because i uninstalled the driver and the projector was able to play video fine but when i have ATI CCC there is no or laggy video clip playing on the projector. Reply to this topic This thread has been locked. For full functionality of our forum it is necessary to enable Javascript in your browser. If you're not sure about how to do this you will find easy to understand instructions at: http://www.enable-javascript.com	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
A new Disney movie has hit the big screen and, as expected, Disney Interactive has a game to accompany the film. However, do not expect the usual faulty game we have grown accustomed to when Disney is involved in the inception or development, let alone a game based on one of their latest movies. In fact, Meet the Robinsons uses the plot of the movie that debuted over the weekend and broadens it while staying true to its source material. The movie's storyline involves a young boy named Lewis, a brilliant twelve year old who has created several inventions prior to the start of the movie. He is also an orphan. His latest invention, the memory scanner, will help him locate his birth mother, but when it is stolen, all hope seems to be lost. Until a boy from the year 2037 named Wilbur Robinson pops in and plucks Lewis from his own time. Lewis and Wilbur return to the future, where Lewis meets the most eccentric Disney family ever - The Robinsons. A lot of ups and downs and twists and turns later and you have one of the best Disney films in a long time. At least that is the story of the movie; the game on the other hand has a different approach. Players will take control of Wilbur Robinson, the adventurous "thrill" seeker of sorts. While the story you follow has Wilbur in the spotlight instead of a supporting role and is parallel to the film, there is definitely an amped up feel to the action you might have missed in the movie. The main difference is that Wilbur has control of the time machine and, through him, we travel through time to various locations seeking adventure. The main elements of gameplay are nothing new to gamers of the movie sub-genre. An adventure platformer in a colorful landscape at heart, Meet the Robinsons does incorporate new elements in the game that feel new to this particular type of game. Your main weaponry controls are displayed on screen, which come in handy, just in case you tend to forget the button that correlates with the weapon you need. This feature is one of the refreshing additions to the genre that I personally feel should be included on these types of games from here on out. Sure, this would seemingly make the game simpler, but having your array of weapons readily available to you has been a feature present in a certain green hat-wearing adventurer and has proven successful. This is also a family game, and this simplified display is a welcomed addition for players of all ages. Having pinpointed that particularly improved feature in the sub-genre, it is safe to say that Meet the Robinsons plays extremely close to other adventure platfomers on the market. In addition to the simple control schematics, the game is enjoyable to play. The levels are made up of your basic object-moving puzzles and mazes. Each one is filled with area-specific baddies and bosses. Meet the Robinsons further adds to the enjoyment of the game by including an invention system which will allow you to build new items throughout your adventure. Your main assortment of items and weapons includes the Disassembler. The Disassembler shots a spark of energy that tears apart objects and certain enemies in order to receive the parts you need to make and enhance new items. The Chargeball Glove, which is primarily used to stun certain enemies before you capture or disassemble them, also opens the Chargeball mini-game. Finally, there is the Robinson Scanner, an all-purpose scanner used to detect hidden areas, find weaknesses in enemies, and solve puzzles. In addition to your primary items, there are the Havoc Gloves and Levitation Ray, as well as a bunch of other hidden items such as action figures, concept art, and blueprints. The Chargeball mini-game is a nice variation to the Pong that we all know and love. Though a little more complex, you can definitely spend hours mastering this mini-game without being bogged down by the story. There are also Virtual Reality discs you can find in order to open new arenas to compete in. Regrettably, there is no multiplayer in the game. Being able to challenge your friends to a game of Chargeball would have been a nice addition to the game, and it would have increased the playability a great deal. The characters are colorful and capture the feel of the film eloquently. Aside from the traditional over-the-top movements of the characters, there is hardly anything to complain about as far as the design of the game. The main location of the game, the Robinson home, adds enough originality while staying true to the feel of the Robinsons themselves. The voice cast handles the chores of bringing the Robinsons to vocal life splendidly. Hey, any game that has Adam West doing the voice for a pizza delivery superhero has got to be a great game. However, there is one thing that I have to point out about the sounds of the game. While in the Robinson abode, there are plants throughout the house, and inside the plants live characters named Spike and Dimitri that constantly spring their heads out of the dirt and scream. An occasional scream is okay here and there, but when the screams start to become overlapped and louder, it is extremely annoying, almost to the point of turning down the volume while in the Robinsons' home. While Meet the Robinsons is nothing revolutionary, it does provide an enjoyable experience all the way around. If you are the type of gamer that loves platform games and loves the movie sub-genre just as much, then this game was designed with you in mind. Even if you are a casual gamer looking for a way to dig into gaming, this is definitely a good start. So on your way home from the cinema, stop and pick up this gaming nugget, for an enjoyable gaming experience equal to the movie.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
We usually stick to FBS college football on here but this is the time of the year when the FCS and their playoffs get to have a little fun while the "big boys" prepare for their Bowl Games. Today, ESPN featured a really intriguing match-up on their flagship channel. The Old Dominion Monarchs (11-1) faced the Georgia Southern Eagles (9-3) in the quarter-finals of the FCS Playoffs. This game was a rematch from 2011 when Georgia Southern beat Old Dominion 55-48 late in the season. This game was intriguing mainly because of the offenses that both teams featured. The Eagles run the triple option and the Monarchs like to spread out their receivers and throw the ball around. Old Dominion's sophomore QB Taylor Heinicke got some press earlier this season when he threw for 730 yards in a 64-61 win over New Hampshire. This game did not disappoint. The Monarchs jumped out to a 21-14 halftime lead while Taylor Heinicke broke Steve McNair's single season FCS passing record. ODU extended it's lead to 28-14 lead in the third quarter and finally had a 35-21 lead late in the third but after that it was all Georgia Southern.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
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. Table 1 Cases of invasive pneumococcal disease, underreporting rates, and numbers adjusted for underreporting among children <15 years of age, 4 European countries, 1996–2006* Country/epidemiologic year Total typed Underreporting, %† Total adjusted‡ Serotype PCV7 types NVT 1 7F 19A Spain 1996–97 155 18 869 544 325 62 0 28 1997–98 179 19 919 590 329 41 15 5 1998–99 191 26 740 415 326 81 16 31 1999–00 211 30 713 463 250 88 7 20 2000–01 252 28 901 580 322 107 11 54 2001–02 301 30 1,014 613 401 91 3 44 2002–03 426 39 1,092 528 564 131 31 97 2003–04 434 45 959 433 526 106 22 128 2004–05 528 43 1,228 367 860 207 70 198 2005–06 493 42 1,185 288 896 312 74 168 Belgium 1996–97 160 44 363 225 138 34 7 11 1997–98 202 46 436 272 165 32 9 32 1998–99 185 55 339 179 159 31 7 29 1999–00 197 55 356 218 138 40 5 23 2000–01 256 56 455 293 162 52 11 32 2001–02 295 65 454 268 186 48 11 32 2002–03 370 75 497 283 214 66 15 42 2003–04 382 73 521 270 251 91 20 42 2004–05 437 76 578 315 263 103 22 45 2005–06 378 75 506 190 316 102 37 58 France 1996–97 258 33 773 547 226 52 0 40 1997–98 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 1998–99 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 1999–00 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 2000–01 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 2001–02 320 41 775 497 278 64 15 53 2002–03 399 46 864 531 333 92 32 87 2003–04 384 47 811 424 387 119 23 90 2004–05 438 54 806 359 447 159 41 71 2005–06 389 50 774 277 497 157 62 93 England and Wales 1996–97 378 60 630 315 315 45 13 13 1997–98 429 62 689 462 226 43 14 26 1998–99 438 67 654 473 181 24 10 16 1999–00 429 64 666 453 213 36 8 37 2000–01 518 71 735 562 173 37 23 21 2001–02 557 72 770 549 221 37 14 28 2002–03 541 67 804 579 224 37 24 30 2003–04 627 71 889 628 261 67 16 37 2004–05 672 74 914 590 324 114 20 39 2005–06 775 76 1,014 640 374 139 38 38 *PCV7, heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; PCV7 types, serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F; NVT, non-PCV7 vaccine serotypes, i.e., serotypes not included in the PCV7 vaccine; NA, not available.†Underreporting rate = number of cases for which an isolate was typed at the national reference laboratory on the total number of laboratory-confirmed invasive pneumococcal cases estimated in the country (by capture–recapture or other methods) in children <15 years of age.‡The sum of PCV7 types and NVT cases may slightly differ from the total adjusted because of rounding.§Data have been adjusted for ascertainment and for the distribution of blood/cerebrospinal fluid isolates. The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
SHARK CAGE DIVING If you’d like to have a scuba diving adventure and enjoy a unique experience, L’Aquàrium has organised exactly what you’ve been looking for. Become a scuba diver for a day, and when you’re underwater in the Oceanarium, you’ll have sharks and thousands of fish swimming beside you. Your adventure as a scuba diver begins with your first dive. You’ll learn all about hand signals, using a regulator and breathing underwater, and practise buoyancy control and moving around by means of underwater rings. Come and show us how good your underwater skills are! Then it’s time for L’Aquàrium de Barcelona’s main tank. From an observation platform and with one of L’Aquàrium’s instructors by your side, and while breathing underwater, you’ll be able to observe all of our guests: sharks, rays, moray eels, moonfish, etc. And you’ll be sharing the experience with your family or friends watching from outside the water. Come and enjoy our facilities and you’ll discover all of the hidden mysteries of marine animals. Give it a go and experience something unique! What includes? You’ll learn scuba diving techniques on your first dive. You’ll observe the sharks and fish from an underwater platform inside the Oceanarium. You’ll be using scuba diving equipment and clothing in your size. You’ll be covered by a one-day insurance policy. You can invite a person if you book in advance to accompany you and share this unique experience. He or she can enter free-of-charge to take photos (without flash) and wave to you. Duration: 3 hours Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 09:30/12:00/16:00 Wednesday and Weekends: 12:00/16:00 Please Note: You need to bring a towel, a swimsuit, toiletries and written permission from your parents if you are under 18	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Smooth and Fast Pace Chart Danish research has revealed that women outperform men in distance running because they are better at maintaining a consistent and controlled pace. Research shows that both men and women excel if they maintain a steady pace and they reap certain health benefits with this kind of running. The Danish study gathered data from 1.8 million finishers from 131 races around the world to scrutinize the strategies of males and females and then determine the best pacing strategy that would bring better performance and health improvements. Researchers concluded that women are 18.61 per cent better at pacing. Often driven by ego, men tend to prioritize their ranking rather than their health and running performance. In order to improve pacing, researchers found that runners should be willing to take it slow until finding a pace that seems natural. It is best to forget about the competition and the crowd, because these factors would drive you to go faster than what you are capable of and lead to burn out, injury and poorer performance. Men and women should practice pace so it comes naturally during a race. Starting out slow and ending slow seems to be a great strategy to maintain an optimum physical performance. Better pacing would help runners enjoy the activity more and forget about pressures like pride and ego. By pursuing consistent pacing in marathons, runners can have better experiences and more success.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
New York Times Columnists Support the Nuns, Tell Bishops to Back Off A lot of Americans, Catholic or otherwise, were offended, even outraged when the Vatican presumed to lecture America’s nuns about being too devoted to helping the poor and insufficiently obedient in spreading blatantly discriminatory Vatican doctrines against gays, contraception, and the whole question of women’s place in the church. Catholics were especially shocked at the overtly male attack on the respected nuns and appalled when the Vatican assigned an out-of-touch American Archbishop to start an inquisition attempting to force doctrinal uniformity and silence the organization representing 80 percent of American nuns. As Lisa’s Dad says in the Eddie Murphy comedy, “this is America, Jack,” and folks here are not fond of foreign rulers, let alone religious potentates, telling us what to believe. It just struck a lot of folks as being not just out of touch but unAmerican. It’s more than a little hypocritical at a time when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and a prominent American Cardinal have been whining that rules requiring insurance companies to offer coverage for contraception violate their consciences and principles of religious freedom. But here’s the Vatican’s exclusively male hierarchy, led by the group assigned to impose doctrinal uniformity, ordered by the Vatican to start an Inquisition to tell America’s respected symbols of the Catholic faith that they have no right to even discuss, let alone question, the male hierarchy’s discriminatory dogma. This weekend, two prominent New York columnists used their Sunday columns to send a united message to New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the Catholic hierarchy: lay off the nuns unless you want to read a lot of stories about pedophile priests and the massive coverup scandal involving the Bishops and Vatican. In a column entitled, We Are All Nuns, Nicholas Kristof starts with “nuns rock” but then tells the Vatican to back off: They were the first feminists, earning Ph.D.’s or working as surgeons long before it was fashionable for women to hold jobs. As managers of hospitals, schools and complex bureaucracies, they were the first female C.E.O.’s. They are also among the bravest, toughest and most admirable people in the world. In my travels, I’ve seen heroic nuns defy warlords, pimps and bandits. Even as bishops have disgraced the church by covering up the rape of children, nuns have redeemed it with their humble work on behalf of the neediest. So, Pope Benedict, all I can say is: You are crazy to mess with nuns. . . . In effect, the Vatican accused the nuns of worrying too much about the poor and not enough about abortion and gay marriage. What Bible did that come from? Jesus in the Gospels repeatedly talks about poverty and social justice, yet never explicitly mentions either abortion or homosexuality. If you look at who has more closely emulated Jesus’s life, Pope Benedict or your average nun, it’s the nun hands down. And then he fires this shot across the altar: At least four petition drives are under way to support the nuns. One on Change.org has gathered 15,000 signatures. The headline for this column comes from an essay by Mary E. Hunt, a Catholic theologian who is developing a proposal for Catholics to redirect some contributions from local parishes to nuns. “How dare they go after 57,000 dedicated women whose median age is well over 70 and who work tirelessly for a more just world?” Hunt wrote. “How dare the very men who preside over a church in utter disgrace due to sexual misconduct and cover-ups by bishops try to distract from their own problems by creating new ones for women religious?” Who thinks it’s cool to bully nuns? While continuing to heal and educate, the community of sisters is aging and dying out because few younger women are willing to make such sacrifices for a church determined to bring women to heel. Yet the nuns must be yanked into line by the crepuscular, medieval men who run the Catholic Church. “It’s not terribly unlike the days of yore when they singled out people in the rough days of the Inquisition,” said Kenneth Briggs, the author of “Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church’s Betrayal of American Nuns.” How can the church hierarchy be more offended by the nuns’ impassioned advocacy for the poor than by priests’ sordid pedophilia? Looks like American’s Catholic/media elites are signalling they’ve had enough bullying from the boys. Dowd’s final shot: Church leaders behave like adolescent boys, blinded by sex. That’s the problem with inquisitors and censors: They become fascinated by what they deplore. The pope needs what the rest of us got from nuns: a good rap across the knuckles. New York Times Columnists Support the Nuns, Tell Bishops to Back Off A lot of Americans, Catholic or otherwise, were offended, even outraged when the Vatican presumed to lecture America’s nuns about being too devoted to helping the poor and insufficiently obedient in spreading blatantly discriminatory Vatican doctrines against gays, contraception, and the whole question of women’s place in the church. Catholics were especially shocked at the overtly male attack on the respected nuns and appalled when the Vatican assigned an out-of-touch American Archbishop to start an inquisition attempting to force doctrinal uniformity and silence the organization representing 80 percent of American nuns. As Lisa’s Dad says in the Eddie Murphy comedy, “this is America, Jack,” and folks here are not fond of foreign rulers, let alone religious potentates, telling us what to believe. It just struck a lot of folks as being not just out of touch but unAmerican. It’s more than a little hypocritical at a time when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and a prominent American Cardinal have been whining that rules requiring insurance companies to offer coverage for contraception violate their consciences and principles of religious freedom. But here’s the Vatican’s exclusively male hierarchy, led by the group assigned to impose doctrinal uniformity, ordered by the Vatican to start an Inquisition to tell America’s respected symbols of the Catholic faith that they have no right to even discuss, let alone question, the male hierarchy’s discriminatory dogma. This weekend, two prominent New York columnists used their Sunday columns to send a united message to New York’s Cardinal Timonthy Dolan and the Catholic hierarchy: lay off the nuns unless you want to read a lot of stories about pedophile priests and the massive coverup scandal involving the Bishops and Vatican. In a column entitled, We Are All Nuns, Nicholas Kristof starts with “nuns rock” but then tells the Vatican to back off: They were the first feminists, earning Ph.D.’s or working as surgeons long before it was fashionable for women to hold jobs. As managers of hospitals, schools and complex bureaucracies, they were the first female C.E.O.’s. They are also among the bravest, toughest and most admirable people in the world. In my travels, I’ve seen heroic nuns defy warlords, pimps and bandits. Even as bishops have disgraced the church by covering up the rape of children, nuns have redeemed it with their humble work on behalf of the neediest. So, Pope Benedict, all I can say is: You are crazy to mess with nuns. . . . In effect, the Vatican accused the nuns of worrying too much about the poor and not enough about abortion and gay marriage. What Bible did that come from? Jesus in the Gospels repeatedly talks about poverty and social justice, yet never explicitly mentions either abortion or homosexuality. If you look at who has more closely emulated Jesus’s life, Pope Benedict or your average nun, it’s the nun hands down. And then he fires this shot across the altar: At least four petition drives are under way to support the nuns. One on Change.org has gathered 15,000 signatures. The headline for this column comes from an essay by Mary E. Hunt, a Catholic theologian who is developing a proposal for Catholics to redirect some contributions from local parishes to nuns. “How dare they go after 57,000 dedicated women whose median age is well over 70 and who work tirelessly for a more just world?” Hunt wrote. “How dare the very men who preside over a church in utter disgrace due to sexual misconduct and cover-ups by bishops try to distract from their own problems by creating new ones for women religious?” Who thinks it’s cool to bully nuns? While continuing to heal and educate, the community of sisters is aging and dying out because few younger women are willing to make such sacrifices for a church determined to bring women to heel. Yet the nuns must be yanked into line by the crepuscular, medieval men who run the Catholic Church. “It’s not terribly unlike the days of yore when they singled out people in the rough days of the Inquisition,” said Kenneth Briggs, the author of “Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church’s Betrayal of American Nuns.” How can the church hierarchy be more offended by the nuns’ impassioned advocacy for the poor than by priests’ sordid pedophilia? Looks like American’s Catholic/media elites are signalling they’ve had enough bullying from the boys. Dowd’s final shot: Church leaders behave like adolescent boys, blinded by sex. That’s the problem with inquisitors and censors: They become fascinated by what they deplore. The pope needs what the rest of us got from nuns: a good rap across the knuckles.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
May 8, 2009 Woahshhh. Feelin' the love. Hahaha. Okay, it wasn't that funny. Anyway, I agree with all of you basically, except Scolesies. Actually, I don't remember what you said anymore but I remember I didn't agree with all of it. Like, just because you fall out of love with someone doesn't mean you never loved them. I think you can love someone at one point in your life and then move on later and not love them. Idk, you'd probably know better than me. Also, I think you just know when you love someone. Most of the time anyway. I mean I guess I've never been "in love" but even from a friend/family standpoint. Like, I know that I love my dad. I don't think there is anything he could do short of killing someone that could change that. And we fight A LOT. I mean he didn't abuse me or anything hahah but, we have definitely gotten in some bad fights. I just feel like there is hardly anything he could ever do that I couldn't not forgive him for you know? Also, I love you! Yes, you! Reading this right now!! Haha, unless of course someone let Peggy on this blog (that was a joke Laura, and anyone else who pretends to like that girl). Anyway, really, P-gig and I get along better now. Weird. I don't hate her or dislike her. Just the things she says. So, back to the love. I feel like I love all of you for different reasons in different ways. Idk. Okay, I can't talk about this anymore. I don't know what else to say and now I feel weird. Someone say something funny. Lauren....	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
I have multiple Yahoo Fantasy Basketball 10 team ROTO leagues, Snake Draft, I am running. All leagues are set-up exactly the same they just have different buy-ins. Looking for some highly competitive managers to join these leagues that will play all year round. These leagues will only be 10 team leagues. My leagues are on a first come first serve basis. The leagues are set-up to allow 18 teams in the league but only the first 10 teams to pay will be in the league. If you are interested in a league email me at [email protected] and I'll send you the commish's note for that league. If you are still interested after that I will send you an invite to the league. These leagues will payout the top 3 finishers at the end of the year. League fees will be held through Leaguesafe.com.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Scathe Zombies Edition: 4th Edition Color: Black Type: Creature — Zombies Rarity: Common Cost: P/T: 2/2 Text: Flavortext: "They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose,/ Nor spake, nor moved their eyes;/ It had been strange, even in a dream,/ To have seen those dead men rise. -Samuel Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Server Busy Timeout This is a discussion on Server Busy Timeout within the MapPoint Desktop Discussion forums, part of the Map Forums category; I am creating a ActiveX DLL for MapPoint and I encounter a server busy timeout dialog whenever there is a ... Server Busy Timeout I am creating a ActiveX DLL for MapPoint and I encounter a server busy timeout dialog whenever there is a period of inactivity. I tried increasing the OLERequestPendingTimeout and OLEServerBusyTimeout values but that does not help. I also tried setting the APP properties (i.e. OLEServerBusyRaiseError etc) but I encounter an error stating that those operations are not allowed in a ActiveX DLL.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Director Eli Roth has filmed a number of horror films, but he’s never filmed a commercial about any of his, and certainly not one about films and television shows he hasn’t directed. Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood released a 30 second spot by Roth featuring a number of their horror houses from this year’s annual event. Roth’s commercial features a veritable Halloween feast of classic scenes from the Shining, Saw, and American Horror Story. Earlier this week, Universal Studios Orlando announced a “best-of” house called “The Horrors of Blumhouse” which will feature a triple threat of Blumhouse studio hits including: The Purge, Insidious, and Sinister. Stay tuned to Horror News Network for more announcements about Halloween Horror Nights as the September 15th opening night approaches. Nick joined the website in 2015. His lifelong love of comics and horror began with Universal Monsters and the Incredible Hulk. He has fond memories of going to Waldbaum’s supermarket with his mother and being rewarded with a 3-pack of sealed comics. It’s been all downhill from there… Since those early days, his life has been immersed in four color action and scares on the silver screen.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Sacrifice Civil war rages as the Galactic Alliance led by Cal Omas and the Jedi forces of Luke Skywalker battles a confederation of breakaway planets that rally to the side of rebellious Corellia. Suspected of involvement in an assassination plot against Queen Mother Tenel Ka of the Hapes Consortium, Han and Leia Solo are on the run, hunted by none other than their own son, Jacen, whose increasingly authoritarian tactics as head of GA security have led Luke and Mara Skywalker to fear that their nephew may be treading perilously close to the dark side. "The ambition of most beings is just to stay alive, overeat, spend too much, and avoid hard work. I'm happy that I can achieve much more than that ... and we die sooner or later. A death in service of a great ideal is a fine thing." -Lumiya. BEN: "Mom, have you ever had to do something you didn't want to do, but you knew you had to?" MARA: "Yes, sweetheart, I have. And the problem was that when I looked back, I found I'd done the wrong thing sometimes. But it'll be years before I'll know if what I'm doing now is right." Comment Not being a fan of Mara Jade, such as myself, one might actually find this novel quite enjoyable as she finally meets her end. Throughout the course of the book, she is really quite annoying in that she only gets mad and wants to kill other people. She also proves herself to be a terrible mother when she doesn't at least reprimand Ben for all the murders he begins to commit. Boba Fett's story is pretty boring until the end when he learns that his wife is still alive. Inclusion of the Mandalorian language is cool, but requires you to have to do lots of guessing as to what some of the words might mean. Lumiya is a great character in this book, but like Mara, also meets her end. The best part of this novel is probably when Luke realizes that he wrongfully killed Lumiya for Mara's murder and feels more concerned over her death instead of his Wife's. This is the middle book in the nine-book Legacy of the Force series, set about 40 years after the original Star Wars movies. As such, this is the book where the key event of the series takes place. A major character turns to the Dark side of the Force, becoming a Sith Lord, and killing another major character in the process. The backdrop for this is the war between the Galactic Alliance and the Corellian-led Confederation. There's also a sub-plot involving Boba Fett and the Mandalorians. Written by Karen Traviss, who wrote the excellent Republic Commando and Imperial Commando novels, the Mandalorian sections are sometimes more interesting than the main plot. The Mandalorians, for all their odd warrior-nomad culture, are easier to relate to than the Force-using characters. In fact, on more than one occasion, a Jedi character reflects on all the history-making events his family and friends are always involved in compared to the ordinary lives of ordinary people. Overall, the plot moves along well, although I found a political assassination in the middle to be unrealistically planned and executed. You'd think they'd have a better plan for extracting the assassin from the scene. Sacrifice is a major theme. The Sith Lord-to-be must sacrifice something to achieve a new level of Force mastery. Meanwhile, a character sacrifices himself to save a colleague. The former is an emotional sacrifice only on the Sith's part; he remains physically intact while his victim serves as an involuntary sacrifice. The latter is a true sacrifice, offering himself up willingly to save another. We've been a long time getting here -- five books. Now comes the battle against the newly minted Sith Lord. I am hopeful that the tension and drama will climb a bit from here on.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Imperial Blaze Press It Up, the second single from Sean Paul’s upcoming album Imperial Blaze is now available on iTunes. The album, which is Sean Paul’s fourth studio effort will be available in stores on Tuesday, August 18.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Witches Further Abroad: Part Three Consider an evil grin; consider the figure on the dark side of Kreludor wearing it. He walks quickly away from the beam weapon as soon as it discharges. He doesn’t even bother to look up into space; he knows the space station is already spinning wildly out of control. His black Wain hops effortlessly onto his shoulder in the low gravity as the figure walks purposefully away. He had needed privacy to build his weapon; now he needs to be in public, but to be in a disguise. Most importantly, he needs to get away from the beam weapon as soon as he can. “Halt,” the mechanical sound of a robot Grundo greets him as he reaches the moon base. It is a sentry robot, one of dozens the Kreludor settlers deployed to keep their moon base safe after Dr. Sloth’s attempted invasion. The figure doesn’t bother with pleasantries. He draws a ray gun and fires a single shot. Electricity courses through the Grundo and its circuits are disabled. It falls to the floor in a crumpled heap. As the black Wain watches on from a nearby rock, the figure carefully prises off the robot’s casing, and slowly applies it to himself. It is the disguise he needs; the fools won’t even see him coming. Not until it is far too late. *** The space station rocked with the force of the impact. The lights in the chamber blinked off for a second, before returning in hues of red. From unseen speakers sirens began to wail, deafening the witches for a moment. “What’s all this racket about?” Morguss shouted over the din, covering her ears. “It must have breached the station’s hull,” Grimilix told them. “It’s depressurised the station; we need to evacuate!” “The escape pods?” Captain K asked. Grimilix nodded. “Right, sorry about this, ladies, but I shall have to ask you to follow me!” the Captain told the witches. He led them back through the maze of wires in the maintenance access corridors to the panel where the lever of doom had been. On the Supply Deck, people were running about screaming. “The nearest pods are on level 9,” Grimilix said from behind the witches. “Up two levels,” Captain K muttered. “What’s the matter? Let’s get going!” Sophie shouted. “You don’t understand...” Grimilix told her, “In the event of a hull breach, all levels are sealed off from each other in order to contain the damage. There is no way to get up there. Besides, level 9 might be where the beam hit; we might walk out of the elevator and get swept off in the vacuum of space.” “Let me get this straight,” Morguss said, pointing an accusing finger at Grimilix. “In the event of a large metal box in space getting a hole in it, you decided it would be a good idea to trap people in smaller metal boxes with no way of escaping?” “Well, not quite like that... but yes,” Grimilix admitted, “But it’s only a short term solution. The plan is that sealing off the levels keeps people safe until the Defenders of Neopia arrive.” “Which Defenders would these be?” Sophie asked. “Oh, when we thought out the evacuation plan, we assumed they would send Captain... K,” Grimilix said, turning to the Captain. “Great,” Captain K replied, “So you’ve trapped your rescuer in the bowels of the station. It’s a wonder Sloth ever got any work done here with you people helping him.” “There’s no need to criticise our work. The plan was flawless,” Grimilix muttered. “On paper,” Captain K added. “On paper,” Grimilix echoed. The crowds that had been running around had now settled down, and were watching the argument. Most of them were Grundos working in the station, but a few were tourists. You could tell which ones; they were wearing lurid colours and smiling as if it was a theme park ride. “Right,” Edna said, turning to face the crowd. “We are getting out of this metal coffin. Follow me.” She led them down the corridor to the large metal elevator that connected all of the floors. She pressed the button to call it to their floor, but there was no response. “It’s no good,” Grimilix said quietly. “The lift doors act as bulkheads. They won’t open. I did tell you.” “We’ll see about that,” Morguss said, barging her way through the crowds. She rolled up her sleeves, and launched a fireball at the lift doors. They buckled under the force, and fell inwards with a clatter. “Everyone get in!” Edna shouted. “That was very irresponsible,” Grimilix muttered. “Not only was it destruction of property, but we could have all been sucked out into space.” His complaints were lost as the thirty or so residents of the Supply Deck piled into the small elevator, causing the witches to be squashed against the back wall. Grimilix disappeared underneath several large mutants. “Whoever has their elbow jammed in my hip can either remove it or lose an arm,” Sophie growled in a muffled voice. A muffled noise came from under the mutant Grundos. “Have you got indigestion?” Edna asked, raising an eyebrow at the Grundo. The Kacheek near the door nodded and pressed the big button with the number 9 on it. The elevator slid upwards, making a groaning noise from the weight it was carrying. Several people would have fallen over with the sudden movement, but they were packed in so tight that it was impossible. The elevator came to an abrupt halt, and the undamaged doors of level 9 slid open. At once, it was like there was a dreadful wind, sucking the occupants out into the corridor with the force of a hurricane. Everyone who could grabbed onto a nearby pipe or wall. Everyone was lifted off their feet, including the larger Grundos. “Very impressive,” Grimilix said as he ran forward and tested the bubble barrier. “With magic like this we’d have no need for metal bulkheads. Magical barriers could just be summoned... why; with these we wouldn’t even need windows on the station anymore!” “Oh no, I’d prefer glass, thank you,” Morguss said from the back of the crowd as she dusted herself off. “Still, the escape pods are on the other side of this barrier,” Grimilix told them. Sophie sighed. “You could have told me before I cast the spell,” she groaned. “How far?” “Just round that corner,” Grimilix informed her. Sophie extended her hand and tried the spell again; the magic bubble slid back to behind the corner. The crowd advanced, reaching the doors to the escape pods. At the end of the corridor, the damage caused by the Kreludor weapon could be seen. It had ripped clean through the entire level; bits of pipe and other debris were flying out into the void of space. “Everyone, get in the escape pods,” Captain K ordered, dividing the crowd up so they would all fit. Once they were all in, Morguss, Sophie, Edna, Grimilix and Captain K boarded the final pod. “Something about this isn’t right,” Grimilix worried as the small pod detached itself from the station and blasted away. “What do you mean?” Sophie asked. “The shield systems for the space station were designed by Dr. Sloth himself,” Grimilix told her. “He made sure that they were completely resistant to all of his weapons. They should have held; they were an example of some of his finest work.” “So?” Morguss said. “Someone just fired a different weapon, or a stronger one.” “No, you don’t understand,” Grimilix corrected her. “All of the laser beam weapons we have today come from Virtupets brand prototypes; they were all developed by Sloth. He oversaw all of the development projects. He knew about all of the weapons. Nothing Kreludor has should have been able to cut through the station like that.” “Well, we shall soon find out what it was,” Captain K said, staring out the pod’s front screen. “Why?” Edna asked. “I set the other escape pods to go back down to the safety of Neopia,” the Captain explained, “but this one is heading for Kreludor. We are going to find out who is behind this and bring them to justice.” “Thanks for volunteering us,” Morguss muttered. “I am sorry,” Captain K told her. Sophie looked back at the station, from the lower levels other escape pods were leaving. “Will the station be alright?” she asked. “Oh yes,” Grimilix told her, “Once the station’s sensors register that all organic life has left, they open all the bulkheads and depressurise the entire place. Then automatic repair robots are released to patch up damaged sections. She’ll be up and running again in no time. That’s another one of Dr. Sloth’s ideas; it meant the space station could repair itself while he was out conquering more of the universe.” All eyes drifted back to the front of the craft, and through the view screen, to the looming mass of Kreludor. Something there was wrong; someone had fired a weapon that shouldn’t exist. The Witches were going to find out just who it was. In all likelihood, they’d turn him into a Mortog as punishment.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }
Emotion regulation strategies as an important meansures of the individual coping with the negative emotions，is extremely significant for individuals’ physical and mental health.We developed emotion regulation strategies scale for adolescent which was fit for China on the basis of literature review and experimental analysis.The scale consisted of nine dimensions which are cognitive reappraisal，positive refocusing，seeking help，behavior diverting，self-blame，rumination，self-suppressing，attacking and letting off compliant.We tested the reliability and validity of the scale and found their indexes were good.	{ "pile_set_name": "Pile-CC" }

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