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August 14, 2009
My life is the story – often the tragedy – of a woman on her own, her miseries, her grandeur, her uneven and fascinating struggle against herself, against men, attractions, weaknesses, and dangers that arise from all sides.
Coco Avant Chanel premiered in France earlier this year and now the eagerly anticipated Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel biopic is hitting stateside this Fall. In English speaking countries, the film is dubbed Coco Before Chanel, and like the title indicates, the feature focuses on the formative years that made Coco Chanel the fashion icon that she is today.
The movie opens up with Gabrielle Chanel being dropped off at an orphanage by her father – a glimpse into the sadness and betrayal that she felt from a very early age. Rather than knocking her down, young Gabrielle knew that the world had much to offer, and her resilience and cleverness made her successful, though the road to success was paved with obstacles.
I have always found Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel inspiring. Fashion influence aside, I am most impressed with what she was able to achieve in the time period that she lived. She was born in 1883, during the Belle Époque when corsets and show-piece hats ruled the day. Your family determined your wealthy, social status and whom you could marry. While men could make some efforts to advance through work, at this time, women of status didn’t work. So what’s a girl to do? Chanel did not let her poverty get in her way. Her fierce determination and ambition is what got her ahead – in a time when it was unheard of for women to do so – is what I find most inspiring about Mademoiselle Chanel.
Anne Fontaine, the director of the film, does an excellent job of showing us that it was not an easy road to success. By focusing on her early life and rise to fame, Fontaine helps us understand the woman behind the myth. I think that the director herself is a woman helped bring a sensibility to the portrayal of Chanel’s life that I don’t think a man would have been able to grasp. She elaborates, “It was not so much the fashion as the characteristics of this exceptional woman that interested me. I had been particularly touched by the fact that she was a self-made person.”
Audrey Tautou plays Coco Chanel and I can’t think of anyone that would do the character more justice. A French woman herself, Tautou transforms into Gabrielle Chanel and the resemblance is remarkable. She breathes life into the designer at once being fragile and robust, vulnerable and determined.
“Coco Before Chanel” Movie Stills
And the costuming! Coco Before Chanel was produced with Maison Chanel’s blessing and the company opened up its archives, the Chanel Conservatory, so that actual original pieces could be used in the final catwalk scene (that was filmed on the actual famous mirrored staircase). In fact, she met with Karl Lagerfeld to go over sketches. Regarding her experience designing the costumes for Coco Before Chanel, Catherine Letterier explained:
Chanel’s [style] is instantly recognizable. What Karl Lagerfeld did in adapting the Chanel style to the future, I did backwards towards the past. I went back in time, designing the first models that Chanel might have created and which could have fashioned her style. The Chanel style is distinctive in its cut, the supple hang of its fabric and the perfect simplicity of its finish. The costumes designed for the film had to be up to the exacting standards of haute couture.
Since Chanel started her career in fashion as a milliner, they brought on the best hat makers alive today – Stephen Jones and Pippa Cleator. Coco Before Chanel definitely does not disappoint in bringing the spectacle of fashion in all of it’s glory from the extravagant gaudiness of the Belle Époque to the simplicity of French sailor shirts.
Though the fashion in the film is spot on, a lesson in fashion history it is not. Letterier definitely took artistic license to the extent that the film showed certain looks and pieces well before they actually became part of the Chanel repertoire. For examples, Chanel didn’t focus in on black as a main theme until after the death of Boy Capel in 1919. Before then, black was predominantly worn for mourning. When she invented “the little black” dress she was rumored to have said “I’m going to put the whole world in mourning for him.” (Chanel: A Woman of Her Own, Axel Madsen) Little did she know she was starting a trend that still hold weight today.
The men’s French sailor shirt that she appropriates doesn’t actually happen until the 1930s. The film ends with a fashion show that is essentially a “best of” collection of a lifetime of work. The tweed box suits that figure so prominently didn’t actually come into existence (in that form/style/silhouette) until Chanel’s comeback collection in 1954. However, the artistic license in not conforming to a strict fashion historical time line enhances the story. Though not historically accurate, it’s a testament to the longevity of Mlle. Chanel’s career – spanning decades and trends – as if we are watching her entire career pass us by. The final catwalk scene exemplifies the impact of Coco Chanel, and is so timeless and classic, it looks just as chic today as it did sixty-plus years ago.
There have been several films that have come before such as Chanel Solitaire and Coco Chanel, the Lifetime made-for-television movie – all of which interestingly focus on Chanel’s early life and rise to fame. However, none come close to capturing the true essence of Mademoiselle Chanel the way Coco Before Chanel has. The rare combination of an artistic screenplay, sensitive director and selfless actress have made Coco Before Chanel an excellent film. I will watch this repeatedly because in some way, it will be closest I can ever come to knowing Gabrielle Chanel. Bring plenty of tissues – the story is inspiring but if I said I didn’t shed a tear I’d be lying. The only downside to the film? As a former smoker, watching Coco Before Chanel made me want to run out and smoke cigarettes as elegantly as only Coco Chanel could.
Coco Before Chanel premiers in NY an LA on September 25, 2009, and in the Bay Area on October 2, 2009.
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Sunday, July 22, 2012
ABANDONED THEATER: Pain, the major theme of The Dark Knight Rises
WARNING: There be spoilers, here. Do
not read this if you have not seen the movie. MAJOR SPOILERS! OK, continue.
Every movie has someone who hates it. The Godfather, Casablanca, Citizen Kane,
Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Bladerunner. They all have naysayers and some
of these haters have legitimate concerns to the “quality” of these films. I
think it is safe to say they are adored and acclaimed on a critical and
cultural level, though. They are great art and/or entertainment. The Dark Knight also holds a special
place in critical and cultural cinematic history. While some do not like it, it
has enough backing to make it an important landmark in genre film.
I have to admit, I did not anticipate The Dark Knight Rises, the third movie
in this trilogy about a man who dresses as a bat, to be this divisive. The
opinions are still pretty high when you aggregate them, but even the most
positive reviews tend to focus on the movie’s flaws, which are undeniable,
instead of its successes. They focus on its lack of Heath Ledger and the facts
that it is not a game changer like The Dark Knight or Batman Begins were. So,
in the spirit of refutation, allow me to take as many criticisms as I’ve read
and try to debate them, culminating everything into my biggest reason why this
film is the best blockbuster of the year: it flawlessly executes its major
theme (Pain).
First off, the movie is not too long at
2 hours and 44 minutes. The story moves by at a clip and in the two times that I
watched it, it never felt overlong or boring. If anything, Nolan could have
taken more time on certain scenes and stretched the movie to 3+ hours. While the pacing could use some ironing out,
this flaw hardly ruins the movie. A lot of the emotional impact still resonates
with the audience, whether it is Alfred’s pleas to Bruce or Bruce’s evolution
in the Pit. The end, too, feels completely earned, in spite of the criticisms
against the movie’s clunkiness. Nolan probably could use some pointers in 5-Act
structure, given his Shakespearean intents, but he still knows how to craft a
story as shown in the earlier Batman
movies, The Prestige, Inception, ect,
even going as far as to play with structure as in Memento. He knows story, but occasionally he loses sight on how to
fill it. If he clunky plotting was a major problem, though, the end would not
have worked. If the movie still impacts the audience in a positive way
emotionally, dramatically, and thematically, then it’s pacing is moot because
it still managed to work.
Now to Bane. Is Tom Hardy as brilliant
as Heath Ledger in the villain role? No, absolutely not, but he doesn’t haven’t
do be. He is still great, while doing something completely different than
Ledger, overcoming what could have been a role-killing facial apparatus that
allows his character to inhale morphine. Bane is a psychotic terrorist who
represents pain and plays a significant part in Bruce’s evolution. The Joker
proved to be the anti-Batman in his chaotic aspirations. Bane is the
super-Batman, filled with almost supernatural strength and the ability to dole
out bone-crushing blows like no other opponent Christian Bale’s Batman has ever
faced. The fight scenes between these two characters are incredibly well-shot,
and prove to be some of the highlights of the entire trilogy. They are brutal,
a physical representation of the movie’s and the character’s themes onscreen
for all to see and experience. The punches seem real, the sounds crack. When
Bane bashes in Batman’s cowl, I wince. When he punches with lightning-quick
blows, I suck in a breath. When he iconically breaks Batman’s back over his
knee, I close my eyes. Bane’s manipulative, detached, flamboyant
speech-patterns and voice stick in my head, and make a wonderful, memorable
vocal performance by Hardy. Is he hard to understand, sometimes I guess, but
Bale’s Batrasp (Batgrowl?) and Gary Oldman’s mumbling are sometimes hard to
hear, as well. The movie requires paying attention, and in a second viewing, which
I gladly sat through, all dialogue is picked up. Hardy and Nolan have pushed
Bane to be the second-best villain in the series, matching Aaron Eckhart’s
great all-American depiction of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight.
Bane maybe the physical representation
of this major theme: of pain and resurrection, but other characters have their
parts to play, too. Ra’s Al Ghul died a painful death at the hands of Thomas
Wayne’s train in Batman Begins, but
he overcame even death to continue his plans through Bane (and Talia!). Gordon’s
pain is from the guilt of using Dent’s death to lie and create the Dent Act
(The Patriot Act). Alfred’s pain is from watching the person he cares about
more than anyone, Bruce Wayne, constantly put himself into near-death
situations. And of course there is Master Wayne himself, always pushing himself
to the brink, trying to reach his limits, not fearing death. But as we see,
pain is used to teach Bruce that the theme of Batman Begins, fear, what Scarecrow represented in that film and in
the Batman canon, is necessary. In order to reach his true potential as a crime
fighter and as a person, Batman must not use his rage to defeat Bane and the League
of Shadows. Instead, he must use his own fear of failure to win out the day. Through
the physical agony of having a vertebrae sticking out of his spine, through the
anguish of failing and falling from climbing out of the Pit, Bruce learns the
truth, and literally rises to the occasion with an apt and well-done metaphor. The
speed of Bruce’s recovery stretches believability, but the intent is well-known
and well-done thematically. And the Pit itself, so connected to Ra’s Al Ghul,
has another theme that only Batman fans could truly pick up on: The Lazarus
Pits that resurrected Al Ghul in the more supernatural, less realistic comics
and cartoons.
For a movie so dire and depressing, the
victories of the characters are all the brighter at the end of the film. Even
with Bruce’s supposed death, the city bands together, honoring the Batman and discovering
a new future, possibly with a new Batman?
These sorts of sentiments are why The
Dark Knight Rises is a great ending to one of the Top 5 trilogies in
cinematic history. The ending was satisfying. Bruce lives a mostly normal life,
we assume, giving into Alfred’s well-intentioned and wise advice, with Selina
Kyle. Jim Gordon is a patriarch for the city, respected for his sacrifices and forgiven
for his trespasses. Wayne Manor will provide a real service to Gotham as a
foster home for a city with an obviously many orphans. John “Robin” Blake, with
the help of Bruce, finds the Batcave and is the protégé to Batman, leaving it
in honorable hands.
The hints towards the movie’s 3 major twists
(Bruce will give up crime fighting, Miranda Tate is Talia Al Ghul, Blake is
Robin) were more obvious upon a second viewing, some being more obvious than
others. Miranda is idealistic and black & white, like those of the League
of Shadows when we first meet her. She is scarred physically. When the
prisoners in the Pit describe Bane and “the child,” they choose their words
carefully, leaving the door open for Bane to not be child, who was Talia after all.
She is the brains behind the operation, which takes a bit from Bane’s
importance in the wider view of things, but impacts Bruce more personally,
having him being betrayed by someone he cares about and by someone so connected
to his own past. When she stabs him, it shows the pain theme (emotionally and
physically) pushing itself back into the forefront of The Dark Knight Rises. Bale’s face, mostly obscured by the cowl,
displays such agony that he looks worse off here than he even did in the Pit.
It takes Catwoman’s timely entrance to save him, which comes back at the end of
the film, where she even saves Bruce from having to be Batman.
Bruce gives up crime fighting, which is
not surprising given Alfred’s impassioned speech about his fantasy in Florence,
where he sees Bruce Wayne with family, having moved on with his life, living
normally. When Alfred’s fantasy comes to fruition, it is powerful, and earned
by Nolan and his team. Everyone wants Alfred, the loveable man he is, to be
satisfied. Everyone wants Bruce Wayne to be satisfied. We root for these
characters.
But who will take the mantle? How about Robin? John Blake, played by the talented Joseph Gordon-Levitt
being the heir to Batman is hinted
throughout the entire movie. He is a good detective, knowing Batman’s true identity
by deducing it both through personal experience and his intelligence. He is a
beacon of justice and good. He hates guns, as shown when he kills the goons
running the cement trucks in self-defense. He becomes disillusioned with the
current justice system. He is a “hothead.” And, most of all, Batman is training
him when he returns to Gotham from the Pit: Batman tells him to wear a mask to
protect those he loves, shows him how to use his tools, and tells him to go be
a hero by saving the children which pretty much tells him that his time to be a
superhero has not arrived yet. Blake is reckless and brave, a true heir to
Batman’s throne. Again, his plotline is developed and earned.
So in a movie where nearly everything
is earned and developed, even the love interest between Bruce and Selina (played
flawlessly by Anne Hathaway), which is 100 times better than Bruce’s
relationship to Rachel in the previous films, how can this movie be anything
less that good? Its flaws pale in comparison to where it succeeds. It is not
the best installment to the series, and it is not a game changer to the super
hero genre, like The Dark Knight was,
but it is truly and utterly satisfying.
Solid review TJ. This is probably my favorite movie of the year for one reason and one reason only: it was probably, if not, the most epic piece of cinema I have seen in quite some time. Great send-off to everybody’s favorite caped-crusader, even as sad as it may be. Now it’s just time for Superman to hit that big-screen once again.
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Jamaica Plain Man Killed in Shootout
Three Officers Injured in Exchange; Area Residents Meet Flynn to Air Concerns
NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED
November 26, 1990
BOSTON--A Jamaica Plain man is dead after a weekend shootout with undercover police that also left three officers injured, two of them with gunshot wounds.
Hector D. Morales Jr., 19, died at Boston City Hospital. Police said he exchanged gunfire with two plainclothes officers on routine patrol near Egleston Square in the city's Jamaica Plain section on Saturday.
The incident, which occurred at about 9:20 p.m., remains under investigation by the district attorney's office and the police department.
A second suspect also is being sought.
A group of about 16 Jamaica Plain residents met last night behind closed doors with Mayor Raymond Flynn and Police Commissioner Francis Roache to air concerns about police conduct in the incident. A spokesperson for the residents, Pablo Calderon, said Roache and the residents will meet again tonight.
Roache said yesterday that police would launch an investigation into the incident and he had appointed Deputy Superintendent Roy Hechavarria as a liaison between the community and the police department.
Police said two plainclothes officers were outside their unmarked car near Washington and School Sts. when Morales opened fire with a shotgun Saturday. One of the officers was struck on the head and the other in the hand.
The two returned the fire, hitting Morales in the abdomen.
Roache said Sunday night that the officers were acquainted with Morales.
Both injured officers were taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital. The first was released yesterday and the second was undergoing surgery to his hand.
Their names have been withheld in accordance with police policy.
A third officer, who police said was hit in the face by a suspect with the butt of a gun, was hospitalized for exhaustion and hyperventilation. He also has been released.
Roache said the third officer saw the incident and chased another suspect through the neighborhood.
Morales' gun and several spent shells have been recovered and are being examined by ballistics experts, the police said.
Police action in the incident has apparently angered some in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.
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Tampa World War II Veterans Celebrate Final Reunion
Over 70 years ago, members of the 451st bomber squadron were taking bombing runs across Europe—flying 296 missions in their B-26 Marauders. Just one year after World War II ended in 1945, Squadron 451 came back together for a reunion in Chicago. The location may have changed, but this tradition continued every year with the last two remaining members getting together here in Florida.
In 1969, the group took a bottle of cognac and sealed it into a box. Each member signed his name on the wrapping. As the years passed and the men passed away, their names were crossed off. This year, Colonel Sanford Graves and Lieutenant Marshall Clark were the last two surviving members of the group.
They had the honor of dusting off the package and opening the almost 50-year-old bottle. They poured glasses and made toasts to each other before reading off the names of all the other squadron members. Other family members were there and joined in a toast to the 451st squadron.
These Tampa World War II veterans hope to continue the tradition of their reunion, which was nicknamed the “Alligator Wrestle.”
Here at Rivard Buick GMC, we would like to thank these honored veterans for their service.
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Comprised of Fraser McCallum, Roger Carter, and Adam Gallant, Racoon Bandit show a knack for warm folk-rock arrangements that hide an anthemic bite. Equal parts roots, pysch-rock, and indie, the Bandits turned heads across the country this fall with their fourth independent release Close Your Eyes. They followed this with an 11-date album release tour presented by Upstreet Craft Brewery and supported by Dylan Menzie’s Ghost.
The lads’ 12-song recording is co-produced with Colin Buchanan (Paper Lions; producer for Coyote, the Lions, North Lakes, and Wildcat) and features song-writing and lead vocals from all four members and contributions from guest artists Kinley Dowling, Allison Kelly, Jill McRae, Buchanan, and more. Second single ‘On the Hook’ hit #1 on the East Coast Countdown after climbing for 5 weeks, and the full-length album is currently charting across Canada. RB's cover of 'Passing Through' (Dick Blakeslee) can currently be heard as the opening and closing credits theme to the acclaimed web series Just Passing Through.
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100+ Ways Frugal People Save Money Every Day
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
When it comes down to saving money, getting out of debt, and achieving financial freedom, the little things that you do day-to-day matter a lot! Saving money should not be as difficult as many people think. While it may require some tweaks to how you currently do things, the changes do not have to be overly radical.
As expected, you will need some type of a budget; you will need to start paying attention to how you spend your money; and, you may need to embrace a “frugal” lifestyle. By frugal, I do not refer to a complete shutdown on living and denying yourself of the pleasures of day-to-day existence. Rather, it means you become generally smarter with your money.
Below, I list the major articles I have written on various ways and strategies to save money easily (and everyday) on different categories of spending. I also summarize the money saving ideas included in each post.
To get the full gist on how to execute each strategy, click on the related articlefor more details and examples on how you can go about saving more money than you have ever imagined possible.
If you are able to apply ten, twenty, thirty or more of these strategies, you will find yourself chipping away at your debt faster, growing your account balance, and moving a step closer to achieving your financial dreams. Do you have other ways you are saving money on a daily basis? Drop them in the comments section – thank you!
29 Brilliant Ways To Save Money On A Daily Basis
Saving more money may require require a few changes to your lifestyle, but that does not mean you need to turn your life upside down. A few creative strategies to slash your monthly expenses here and there can get you on your way to significantly boosting your net worth. See the full gist on how to save $5,000 or more this year here.
1. Create A Budget: Start your savings journey the right way by keeping track of your spending and savings with budgeting apps like Empower, Pocketsmith, YNAB, Mint, Pocket Guard, Wally, and others.
2.Pack Your Lunch: Brown bagging your lunch can save you thousands of dollars per year. By our estimate, my wife and I save about $2,800 every single year with this easy hack.
3. Eat Out Less: Apart from lunches, eating food prepared at home in general will save you lots of money without having to earn more. The average American household spends over $3,000 on food outside the home, and for Canadians, about 30% of the annual food budget is spent on eating out. Want to cook your own yummy meals, check out the $5 meal plan for tips!
4. Make Coffee At Home: Coffee-lovers, don’t let your coffee drinking render you penniless! Choosing to buy all your coffees in cafes as opposed to making your own may be costing you as much as $1,155 per year. That’s a lot of money for coffee in my opinion.
5. Save On Movies: There are many tips and tricks for saving money on movie tickets if you must go to the theatres. Consider movie nights at home to save money and use a credit card or loyalty/rewards program that pays you back whenever you go to see the movies. A 1,275% markup on movie theatre popcorn is just one of many reasons why movies are expensive.
7. Shop For Insurance: You can obtain cheaper insurance for your car, home, and life insurance by shopping around and comparing quotes. We save about$300 annually on our home insurance by shopping for the best deal available (similar coverage). Term life insurance is more practical and is definitely cheaper for most people compared to whole life insurance. Try Lemonade for low renter’s and home insurance premiums in the US.
8. Pay Insurance Premium Upfront: Paying your premiums upfront on an annual basis may get you up to 8% in discounts.
9. Bundle-Up Your Insurance: If the individual quotes you are being offered are reasonable, there are usually savings to be had when you obtain multiple insurance from the same provider.
10. Quit Smoking: Seriously, give this a good try and stop. This single tip can make a world of difference with your finances! Your smoking habit may easily cost you more than $1.1 million over your lifetime.
11. Walk, Bus, Bike or Carpool: This will lower your transportation costs and save you hundreds to thousands of dollars per year. Walking and biking are also good for your health and the environment.
12. Hand-Me Downs For Kids: Kids cost money – duh! Buying (or swapping) fairly used items including toys, sporting gear, and even clothing and footwear will save you a lot of money. Thrift stores are great places to find items in good condition and at reasonable prices.
13. Buy A Gas Friendly Vehicle: Choose a vehicle that is fuel efficient to save on gas. Consider a hybrid, electric vehicle, or a smaller car.
15. Buy Regular Fuel: Most cars do not require premium fuel to run efficiently. Buy regular gasoline and save the additional 15 to 40 cents per litre – potentially hundreds of dollars per year.
16. Buy Cheaper Gas: Buy regular gas and buy it cheap. Use websites/apps like Gas Buddy to find the cheapest gas in your area. Use a cash back or points rewards card to pay for gas for even more savings.
17. DIY Car Maintenance: Replace your car’s wiper blades, cabin and engine air filters, fluids, and more by yourself to save money. Here are 13 car maintenance tasks you can easily do yourself.
19. Visit Yard Sales: You can get great deals on equipment, tools, and other items at yard/garage sales. Use Craigslist, Kijiji, Yard Sales Search, Garage Sale Hunter, and others to find them in your area.
20. Re-Think Your Gym Membership: I agree that health is wealth and if you are keeping your New Year’s resolution and visiting the gym regularly, keep your membership. If not, forgive yourself, cancel and stop wasting money. Consider a home gym if you can find the motivation…it will save you money.
21. Save On Haircuts: Learning to cut your own hair will save you money. We save close to$1,000 annually by cutting our own hair. I have not been to a barbershop in more than 7 years.
22. Check-out The Dollar Store: You can get some items for cheaper at dollar stores and not lose out significantly on quality. Better still, focus on buying run of the mill items like freezer bags, lunch bags, duct tape, picture frames, greeting cards, disposable plates and spoons, etc. from these stores. Make sure the item you are paying for is worth a dollar.
23. Cancel Unused Subscriptions: If you are not really reading those magazines cluttering up your home, it’s time to cancel your subscription and save the money and your sanity.
24. Visit The Library: Save money on buying books by borrowing from your local library. You can also utilize their free activities, classes, workshops, tool rentals, and more.
25. Learn Sewing: Learn to sew/mend/repair clothing and save money by doing so. Due to my wife’s sewing skills, we are able to save $$$ every year on kid’s clothing that would otherwise need to be replaced.
28. Don’t Keep Up With The Joneses: Forget about impressing people who don’t give a hoot about you. Live within your means and save some money at the same time.
29. Learn To Negotiate: Very few things are set in stone… most are negotiable. Be willing to ask for more (in income) or less (in expenses). I have negotiated our phone, internet, and cable bills for the last two years and saved75% on the cost per year.
21 Practical Ways To Save Money On Groceries And Other Shopping
Food occupies a significant portion of most budgets. In 2018, the average U.S. household is expected to spend over $7,000 on food, and for Canadians, the numbers are much higher. The ability to save on groceries and your other shopping can mean the difference between living from pay cheque to pay cheque and attaining debt freedom. Save hundreds of dollars annually with these grocery-shopping tips.
30. Prepare a Grocery List: A well-organized grocery list will keep you focused when in-store and also save you from frequent return trips to the store.
31. Earn Cash Back on Groceries: Save a few hundred dollars every year by effortlessly using these cash-back grocery apps: Checkout 51, Caddle (Canada only), SavingStar, TopCashBack, Ibotta, and Berry Cart.
32. Buy in Bulk: Buy non-perishable grocery items in bulk when they are on sale. Get a chest freezer for items like meat and fish that can remain in excellent condition for up to 6 months when they are properly frozen.
33. Be Wary When Buying Organic: Purchasing healthy food can be good for your health and ultimately your wallet. However, take organic labels for what they are worth and ensure you are getting value whenever you pay premium prices.
34. Buy Produce in Season: Purchase what’s in season to save money. Process and store whenever possible if you want to use all year round.
35. Buy Generic: Generic brands of a product may be just as good but sell at half the price.
36. Use a Calculator: Retailers are professionals in the art of creating savings illusions. Use your phone’s calculator to ensure you are interpreting the discounts being displayed correctly. For example, “buy one and get one 50% off” is at most a 25% discount on your total purchase (not 50% as your lizard brain is wont to think!).
37. Check Your Receipt: If your grocery shopping always involves a full cart, do yourself a favour and scan your receipt before leaving the store. Cashiers are human and they may erroneously scan an item more than once, costing you money.
38. BYOB: Bring your own bags to save on the cost of purchasing store bags. While this may not save you more than 5-10 cents per bag, it does add up.
39. Eat Before Shopping: An empty rumbling stomach will make you spend more in-store since more food items will catch your eye.
40. Scan Purchases to Earn Money: Some companies are willing to pay you to scan your weekly grocery purchases in exchange for rewards including cash. They include: National Consumer Panel (U.S.) and Nielsen Homescan (Canada).
41. Cook in Bulk: This will save you money and time when you cook a lot of meals at once for later use.
45. Buy Quality Items: Don’t be cheap. Buy quality if you intend to use an item for some time to save on frustration, time and money. Do you research and read user reviews to make an informed purchase.
46. Avoid Extended Warranties: They are often a waste of money and you are better off putting that money into a savings fund for replacing that item sometime in the future. Your credit card may also double the manufacturer’s warranty up to an additional 1 year.
47. Shop Brands On Sale: Save on branded clothes and footwear by buying them out of season when they are on sale at steep discounts. You may also be able to find them for cheap at discount clothing stores.
48. Do Holiday Shopping in Advance: Shop holiday items out of season. Consider buying holiday decorations and gifts after the holiday season in preparation for the next one. For example, Christmas decor is significantly cheaper after December 25.
49. Avoid Impulse Purchases: If you feel the sudden urge to buy it right now, the right call is probably to wait a day or two to mull things over and be sure you are meeting a need as opposed to a want. The extra time would also allow you to research and compare prices should you choose to proceed with the purchase later.
50. Don’t Window Shop: Be wary when your intention is to just go window-shopping. Many a budget have suffered from unintended purchases following what started as a casual look around.
18 Easy Ways To Save Money On Your Credit, Banking, and Investing
Banks are places where you expect to put your money and have it grow. However, if you are using your bank wrong, the reverse is the case – you could be leaking money on a daily basis and sinking your net worth. Do you have a credit card, investment, savings and chequing accounts? Here are some easy tips to up your financial game!
51. Cut Investment Fees: Save thousands of dollars every year by investing right and avoiding unnecessary investment fees. Keep things simple by indexing. If you are uncomfortable with going DIY, consider a robo-advisor.
52. Cut banking Fees: Save hundreds of dollars every year by signing up for a no-fee banking account. These include Ally and Schwab bank in the US, and Tangerine ($150 cash bonus) and Simplii Financial in Canada.
53. Use a High-Interest Savings Account (HISA): Get the most from your savings account with a HISA that offers a much higher interest rate than your big bank does. In Canada: Tangerine (2.75%), EQ Bank, Wealthsimple, and more. In the United States: Discover Bank, Ally, Synchrony, etc.
54. Use a High-Interest GIC/CD: Compare the best rates available on GICs/CDs to get the most for your short and long-term savings. Compare rates at EQ Bank and Ratehub (Canada) or Bank Rate and Nerd Wallet (US).
55. Set Up Automated Savings:Pay yourself first by automating your savings efforts. Apps that can help you set aside money painlessly include: Mylo (Canada); Acorns, Digit, Qapital, Stash (US), and more.
57. Save Salary Increases: When your salary goes up, your savings should do so as well.
58. Use Cash More Often: It is easier to overspend when you are paying with a credit card. You can keep yourself more accountable by paying in cash. Consider using the “cash envelope” budgeting system.
60. Use Rewards Credit Cards: Earn hundreds to thousands of dollars annually by using a credit card that offers rewards (cash-back or points) when you use it to make purchases. Even better, look for one with zero annual fees. Don’t forget to pay off your card balance monthly to avoid paying interest.
61. Pay Off High-Interest Debt: It is a no-brainer! If you are carrying credit-card debt, pay it off first and save yourself 20% or more in fees. Do this before you consider saving or investing.
62. Use A 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card: If you have racked up credit card debt and ever-increasing interest payments are making your life miserable, consider moving your CC debt onto a card that offers a promotional 0% balance transfer interest rate. Pay off your transferred balance as soon as possible, preferably within the promo period. A lower-rate personal loan may also help you pay off your debt faster at a lower rate – check out Tally, LendKey, and Debt Genius.
63. Automate Bill Payments: Avoid late payment fees and save money. A poor payment history will damage your credit rating and make it impossible for you to qualify for the most competitive rates when next you seek out a credit facility.
64. Improve Your Credit Score: Pimp up your credit score and get the best rates possible. A small difference in interest rates can amount to savings of thousands of dollars every year. Get your FREE credit score from Borrowell (Canada) or Credit Sesame (US).
65. Avoid Overdraft and Credit Card Fees: Spend only what you have and save on overdraft and/or NSF fees. Pay your credit card balance within the grace period to avoid paying interest.
66. Don’t Wait For Tax Refunds: Reduce your tax withholding and stop extending the government a free one year loan when you can save or invest it to generate returns. Ask your employer to update Form w-4 (US) or Form TD1 (Canada).
21 Smart Ways To Save Money Around Your Home
A mortgage is the biggest debt most people carry. While there may not be much you can do to get rid of your mortgage right away, there are many options to speed things up to become mortgage-free quicker. In addition, there are several ways to save thousands of dollars around your home this year.
69. Cut Your Water Bill: Slash a few hundred dollars this year by taking small steps to use water more efficiently. Install low-flow fixtures, run full loads in the dish and clothes washer, use rain water for your gardening, take less baths and shorter showers, and more.
70. Become A Landlord: Rent out a room that is sitting empty in your home and make some money to offset other costs including, property taxes, utilities, etc.
72. Get A Competitive Mortgage Rate: Shop around for the best mortgage rate possible and don’t just settle for what your traditional bank offers. On a $400,000 mortgage, a 0.25% point difference in rates could mean savings of$600+ per year. Compare rates in theU.S. using Smart Asset and Nerd Wallet. And in Canada, check out IntelliMortgage and Ratehub.
74. Decline Mortgage Life Insurance: Mortgage life insurance is expensive and is a declining benefit. Consider using a standard life and disability insurance instead to protect your loved ones.
75. Prepare A Bigger Down Payment: Plan a bigger down payment (20% or more) on your new home to avoid additional thousands of dollars in mortgage or home loan insurance costs. This includes the Private Mortgage Insurance(PMI) in the U.S. and CMHC mortgage insurance (Canada) that are designed to protect lenders should you default on your loan.
76. Replace Incandescent Bulbs: Use CFL or LED bulbs to save on electricity usage and cut your energy bill. LEDs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last for decades.
77. Time Outside Lights: Install a timer on outdoor lights to save on your energy bill.
78. Upgrade To Energy-Efficient Appliances: Save 10-50% on your energy bill by replacing older appliances with ENERGY STAR® rated ones. You could save up to$110 per year by just changing out your pre-1994 washer.
79. Use A Smart Power-Strip: Phantom loads, standby power, vampire power…all these refer to the continued use of electricity by electronics and appliances when they are turned off. Use a smart power strip or simply unplug to ensure that only electronics being used are consuming power and save up to$200 per year.
80. Summer-Proof Your Home: Cut your energy bill in summer by closing curtains to keep radiant energy from overheating your home, use fans to increase ventilation, and set your thermostat as high enough as comfort would allow.
81. Winter-Proof Your Home: Replace weatherstripping and caulk where necessary to reduce your energy use by up to 25%. Insulate your basement, attic, and other crawl spaces.
82. Lower Water Temperature: Your water heater is set to 140 °F (60 °C) by default and can be lowered to 120F (48.9 °C) without a loss of function/comfort, saving you 10% in water heating costs.
83. Dress in Layers: In summer, put on less clothes to stay cool and pile them on in winter to stay warm. This will allow you to turn up/down the thermostat and save on energy.
84. Use A Programmable Thermostat: Save money on heating and cooling by using a thermostat that can be programmed to adjust your home’s temperatures around your schedule and comfort.
85. DIY Furnace Service: Keep your furnace running when you most need it by replacing the filter regularly, cleaning and vacuuming debris from registers and surrounding areas, and ensuring intake and exhaust pipes are always open.
86. DIY Air Conditioner Service: Vacuum debris and remove any obstruction to airflow, insulate pipes, straighten bent fins, and turn off in winter to avoid damage and to save money on repair/replacement costs.
87. Plant A Garden: Grow your own vegetables and herbs to save money.
88. Sell Your Clutter: Continuously find ways to dispose of items you are no longer using or which are not necessary.
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NASFAT unveils six-point agenda for new Hijrah year
A reputable Islamic Organization, Nasrul-lahi-l-Fatih Society (NASFAT), has charged Muslims to improve on personal development around their spiritual life, carrier, finance, human relations, health and Family.
Speaking at a forum to commemorate the beginning of the New Year in Lagos, the Acting Missioner of NASFAT, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Onike congratulated Muslims on the celebration of the Hijrah 1439 and charged them to continue to reflect on the lessons of Hijrah.
Onike said: “Today we are marking the commencement of the hijrah calendar which means the period of reflection, thanksgiving and making of resolution. We give tanks to Allah for seeing us through 1438AH”.
He enjoined Muslims to turn a new leaf, to make resolution base on the six-point agenda of NASFAT.
“We have prayed and committed ourselves unto Allah; in Islam we have social affairs. There is nothing wrong with using the Gregorian calendar for our daily life activities but for our spiritual activities or religious activities our Creator who knows us better has enjoined us to make use of the Hijrah calendar for our spiritual activities. That is why we are urging the Muslims to use the Hijrah calendar for their spiritual activities”.
The Missioner urged Muslims in the country to continue to display love, care and peaceful co-existence with neighbors irrespective of religious affiliation or tribe.
“We will continue to promote peace and pray for peace in the country. People are beating drum of war, but if war breaks-out where will they run to? Those that are initiating it have never witnessed any war. All of them are young men, if war breaks-out, it will not differentiate between a Yoruba, Hausa or an Igbo man that is why we are enjoying peaceful co-existence among ourselves”.
He condemned the statement made by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) condemning SUKUK. He said although the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed as replied them, SUKUK an Islamic bond is adopted in Europe, America and they have more Christians than in Nigeria.
“We shouldn’t let sentiment becloud our sense of reasoning; it has nothing to do with Islamisation of our country.
“When some states in East went to Islamic Development Bank last year to collect interest free loan, nobody cried of Islamisation of the country. People need to be educated, Sukuk is about using people resources to develop our structure, our ethical values in Islam is against taking interest and if there are so many other system like Sukuk for government to develop our infrastructure by asking the citizen to bring money to develop our infrastructure and give them stipends after seven or six years, what is bad in that?
“I am disappointed because of the statement issue by CAN leader and I want them to withdraw the statement. By introducing Sukuk the government has meant well for us, they are not reading religious angle to it. I enjoin CAN to support the present administration.
Onike advised IPOB agitators to use dialogue and peaceful negotiation to pursue their ambition.
“If they have any grievance there is better ways of going about it. They should go to the National assembly to lay their anger, table their point because the least President Muhammad Buhari will expect from us is destruction. The man is working to build the nation; I employ the entire Nigerians to give him supporting hand” he said.
Onike said the organization is planning a special prayer for Independence on October 1st.
The National Women Affairs secretary, NASFAT Worldwide, Alhaja Samiat Mumini appealed to the state government to declare 1st of Muharam as a public holiday for spiritual growth and prayer for the nation.
She urges Muslim women to be tolerant and ensure to take care of the family and the community at large.
Member of National Mission Board of NASFAT, Alhaji Dawood Oniyide said: “Hijrah means a lot to the Muslims, it is a period of reflection on significant of Hijrah
“Muslims must have the ability to make change, the Prophet migrated from Makah to Medina. This means that when a Muslim find himself in a place that is unbearable the next thing is to move to where he will be accepted. We need to change our ability and perception towards everything when there is need for a change” he said.
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Community fruit park prepared in San Bernardino
SAN BERNARDINO >> It was supposed to take six hours to dig the 30 holes where fruit trees will soon be planted, but with more than 30 volunteers, the stage was set for the state’s third community fruit park in less than half that time.
“I was trying to make this happen since I think 1997,” said Charlie Jacobs, who co-founded the Terrace West Neighborhood Council that year and has been pushing for a community garden since. “And now, with all this help, here we are.”
Saturday’s “big dig” — digging holes three feet deep and three feet wide — prepared the way for a community planting April 26.
That’s when the work — and the reward — starts for neighbors like Gena Nelson, 38, and the eight children she cares for.
“It’s great to have organic food that we can walk to, something that’s not filled with pesticides and preservatives,” Nelson said as she put a piece of chicken wire into a hole to test that it was big enough. “And to know how to garden, that’s something my kids wouldn’t get otherwise.”
The community aspect is key, said Mary Petit, founder and president of the nonprofit Incredible Edible Community Garden.
“We just facilitate, but this is all about the community,” she said. “They pick the trees they want, they plant them, they care for them. It’s really encouraging to see.”
The fruit park at Nicholson Park on San Bernardino’s Westside, just east of the Rialto border — Nelson, who lives two blocks away, is technically a Rialto resident — is considered the third in California and the second in San Bernardino County, after Petit’s group helped plant a similar one in Montclair, she said.
The goal is to have an urban growing space combined with education on growing, storing and preparing food, eventually combined with gardening certifications, mini-grants for local businesses and more.
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“We have so many problems with diabetes and cancer and being overweight, especially children, we wanted them to have an opportunity to be healthy and also the children to know where food comes from,” Jacobs said.
And, many observed, it brought together a wide group of the community — firefighters, parks and recreation employees, local homeowners and even the homeless.
“People want to volunteer,” said Kathy Mallon, a volunteer and newly sworn-in member of the city Parks and Recreation Commission. “It’s things like this that will turn San Bernardino around.”
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A New Debt Ceiling Strategy Is 'Gaining Steam' With Republicans
Friday
Jan 31, 2014 at 12:01 AMJan 31, 2014 at 10:09 AM
Brett LoGiurato
House Republicans are rallying around a new plan on their approach to raising the debt ceiling, according to The Washington Post's Robert Costa — a one-year increase tied to a request on the Affordable Care Act:
House members tell me this is the GOP debt-limit plan: 1-year increase tied to "no bailout for insurance companies" under ACA
— Robert Costa (@costareports) January 31, 2014
Costa clarified in a subsequent tweet that it's not a set strategy, but it's one that was discussed and was popular among Republicans at their annual retreat in Maryland on Friday. He said it was "gaining steam."
That means House Republicans could demand a repeal of Obamacare's "risk corridors." Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has said that the debt ceiling will need to be raised by the end of February to avoid a potential default on the country's obligations.
The "risk corridors" in question aim to make it easier for insurance companies to transition to the new health-care system, largely by making it less financially risky for them to sell new insurance plans on the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have recently begun referring to them as a "bailout."
The risk corridors are a temporary program that expire in 2016. Until then, the risk corridors are set up so that the government would compensate insurance companies that have bigger costs than they expected while transitioning to the new system. The provision is designed to protect insurers that see an especially unhealthy pool of customers and end up with claims that are higher than expected.
Democrats and President Barack Obama have remained firm on their position of not negotiating over raising the debt ceiling. Democrats believe that Republicans will eventually have to cave and pass a so-called "clean" debt-ceiling increase.
"They may find on this one that the nearest exit may be behind them," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Business Insider earlier this week.
"The more time Republicans spend dreaming up their latest debt limit wish list, the closer they are pushing workers and the economy toward another completely unnecessary crisis," Murray said.
"The American people are sick and tired of Republicans playing games with our economic recovery and Democrats have made it clear that Republicans don’t get to demand a ransom simply for allowing Congress to do its job. Hopefully Republicans will stop worrying about keeping the Tea Party happy and will work with us to prevent a default the way they’ve done the last two times, but this time without the drama and needless uncertainty."
See Also:
Why Republicans Have No Choice But To Cave On The Debt CeilingRand Paul Accuses Bill Clinton Of 'Predatory Behavior'One Of The Top Senate Democrats Just Called Republicans' Bluff On The Debt Ceiling
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Contact Us:
LAURIER INTERNATIONAL
Laurier International was formally established in 1994 to provide leadership, service and support for the international activities of the Students (Canadian and International), Faculty and Staff at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Laurier International encourages, promotes and seeks opportunities for members of the Wilfrid Laurier University community to effectively pursue their interests and careers in a globalized world. Through its Programs and Services, Laurier International gives students (Canadian and International) , Faculty and Staff the opportunities to enhance their international and intercultural competencies by way of networking with international academic, government and non-government agencies around the world and in the KW community.
Services include the management of the Laurier Student Abroad Program (including the academic exchange program with more than 60 partners), International Student Services, and International Relations on behalf of Wilfrid Laurier University; providing students (Canadian and International), Faculty and Staff with the opportunities to acquire the skills needed to function as effective and interculturally competent individuals, and to maintain relations with a number of academic and non-academic agencies involved in international education and international research in Canada and around the world.
International Students: Interested in studying at Laurier in a full-time degree program or obtaining credits toward your degree at your home institution?
Laurier Students: Laurier students can study abroad and earn credits towards their degree through exchange.
If you have any questions regarding the information found on this website, please do not hesitate to contact us for further clarification at [email protected] . For exchange inquiries, please email [email protected]
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125 Catholic Leaders Sign Letter Supporting Clean Power Plan
One hundred and twenty-five U.S. Catholic leaders have signed a letter organized by the Catholic Climate Covenant in support of the Clean Power Plan (CPP). The CPP is a significant U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) effort to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. The Clean Power Plan is the nation’s most ambitious effort to reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas pollution but faces an uncertain future in the Trump administration. The letter has been delivered by the Catholic Climate Covenant to the new EPA administrator as well as President Trump, top Congressional leaders, and state governors.
The group of Catholic leaders – which includes college and university presidents, women and men religious, theologians, and Catholic non-profit directors – stresses that Church teaching on the care of creation is deeply connected to the protection of human life and dignity, especially of the poor and vulnerable. The leaders also highlight Pope Francis’s emphasis on the “urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy” (Laudato Si’ 26).
In response to the call of His Holiness, the leaders join with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other faith leaders who have called for a national carbon pollution standard like the Clean Power Plan. In particular, the leaders believe that the Clean Power Plan “will protect public health, promote equality, address climate change, and help create new economic opportunities in communities across the country.”
Nearly two-dozen states, including Oklahoma where nominated EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was attorney general, filed suit against the EPA to stop the CPP. That suit currently awaits a ruling by the DC Federal Circuit Court. The Catholic leaders continue that “if the Courts do not uphold the Clean Power Plan, then we call upon Congress to replace the CPP with new policies that will achieve the same or more ambitious carbon reduction goals. In that case, we also urge elected officials in each state to meet and exceed the carbon reduction goals identified for their state in the Clean Power Plan.” However they continue that “no matter the legal fate of the CPP, we believe that Congress will need to take additional steps in the years ahead to reduce domestic carbon pollution even more.” In conjunction with such legislative action, the leaders also advocate for accompanying transition programs (e.g., job training) that assist local communities which rely heavily upon some aspect of the fossil fuel industry.”
Following delivery of the letter, Catholic Climate Covenant Executive Director, Dan Misleh, said, “Saint John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis all explicitly recognized human-forced climate change as a moral issue and called on people of faith and goodwill to take action. The U.S. Catholic bishops recognize a national carbon pollution standard like the Clean Power Plan as one such important action, and this letter demonstrates the commitment of the U.S. Catholic community to prophetically advocate for policies that care for our common home.”
Clean Power Plan Support LetterBy Leaders of the U.S. Catholic Community
To the President of the United States,
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
the Democratic and Republican leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives,
and the 50 Governors of the United States,
As Catholic individuals and representatives of Catholic institutions, we call upon our state and federal elected officials to address the emerging climate crisis and lead the transition to renewable energy by taking legislative and executive action to meet and exceed the carbon reduction goals as laid out in the Clean Power Plan.
In Laudato Si’ (LS), his groundbreaking encyclical on ecology, Pope Francis echoes Saint John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI by calling climate change an urgent moral issue that wounds creation, threatens human life and dignity, and disproportionately harms the poor and vulnerable who contribute the least to climate change.[1] Pope Francis writes, “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day” (LS 25).
In keeping with traditional Catholic teaching, Pope Francis says that we must all care for creation and the poor. Individuals, families, communities, governments, business and other institutions – including religions – all have a role to play in safeguarding our common home. In particular, the pope observes that “technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels – especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas – needs to be progressively replaced without delay” (LS 165). Additionally, the Holy Father underscores the “urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy” (LS 26).
One such policy in the United States is the Clean Power Plan (CPP). It is the most significant step that the U.S. has ever taken to address climate change. By 2030, the CPP is projected to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants by nearly 30 percent relative to 2005 levels. The Plan would also reduce other dangerous power plant pollution like sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. These reductions are expected to prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths, 90,000 asthma attacks in children, and 300,000 missed work and school days.[2] They are also anticipated to produce up to $54 billion in public health and climate benefits – benefits that would be lost if the Clean Power Plan is not upheld and implemented.[3]
A national standard for reducing emissions in the electricity sector also goes a long way towards promoting human equality and environmental justice. African American children in the United States are four times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma and 7 times more likely than white children to die from asthma.[4] Nearly 40 percent of Latinos and 68 percent of African Americans in the United States live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, and the health of these persons and communities at a greater risk because of their increased proximity to these plants. Reducing or eliminating emissions will thus go a long way towards reducing this risk.[5]
We therefore join with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other faith leaders who have called for a national carbon pollution standard like the Clean Power Plan.[6] We agree with them that the CPP is, as the U.S. Catholic bishops say, “an important step forward to protect the health of all people, especially children, the elderly, and poor and vulnerable communities, from harmful pollution and the impacts of climate change.” We believe that greenhouse gas pollution reduction efforts like the CPP will protect public health, promote equality, address climate change, and help create new economic opportunities in communities across the country – including an expected national net gain of thousands of new jobs.[7] We also believe that the CPP provides the flexibility needed for states to meet reduction goals and recognize the widespread public support for the CPP and other efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas pollution.[8]
If the Courts do not uphold the Clean Power Plan, then we call upon Congress to replace the CPP with new policies that will achieve the same or more ambitious carbon reduction goals. In that case, we also urge elected officials in each state to meet and exceed the carbon reduction goals identified for their state in the Clean Power Plan.
No matter the legal fate of the CPP, we believe that Congress will need to take additional steps in the years ahead to reduce domestic carbon pollution even more. As Congress looks to take legislative action like placing a price on carbon pollution, however, we advocate for accompanying transition programs (e.g., job training) that assist local communities which rely heavily upon some aspect of the fossil fuel industry.
In sum, we call upon our elected leaders to care for our common home by taking legislative and executive action to meet and exceed the carbon reduction goals as laid out in the Clean Power Plan. We urge our officials to exercise strong leadership and help transition the United States away from its reliance on fossil fuels towards a clean and renewable energy future characterized by justice and peace “with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself” (LS 66).
Signed,
Laura Anderson
Director of Marketing
Franciscan Peace Center
Sister Joan Agro
Sisters of St Dominic
Blauvelt, NY
Sister Carol De Angelo, SC
Director of Office of Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation
Sisters of Charity of New York
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For many years, Carl Millocker's Der Bettelstudent was one of the most frequently-played operettas of all time. Polish resistance to Saxon rule in the 18th century supplies the political background to a romantic comedy that gave the composer the chance to spice up the Vienese operetta style with Polish mazurka rhythms. For this Electrola production, whose "verve and liveliness: were praised by critics, conductor Franz Allers had several of the EMI ensemble's best signers at his disposal.
The Electrola Collection is a series from EMI Classics that celebrates the historic record label, Electrola. Electrola was part of the EMI Classics unit in Germany best known for their rich catalog, masterful artists and the iconic gramophone trademark. This second edition features eleven captivating titles including Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, Joseph Haydn's The Creation and Rene Kollo sings Wagner and Strauss.
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Spirituality Education and Catholic Programme
As a Catholic mission school (under the auspice of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore), we emphasise universal Christian values such as love, compassion, integrity, humility and social justice in our curriculum and programmes. We work closely with our partners such as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and our Catholic parents to develop and deliver our programmes and activities.
There are spirituality development activities for Catholic students, offered under our Good Steward Programme. These include:
Student volunteers make up the prayer team which starts the school day with prayer and scripture reflection each morning;
Fortnightly masses and Holy Days of Obligation are held in school for all Catholic staff, students and all who are interested;
Weekly Religious and Moral Education sessions, with the incorporation of Christian Values in programmes;
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prize
Boardwalk Betty here! I am excited to start sharing all of my experiences relating to Seaport Village . Hopefully I will have some stories about the "behind the scenes" action as well as add some insight into the events, shops and people that make up this fun atmosphere. Keep checking here for video, pictures, features and discussions. If you...
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Quotefish
We instantly connect qualified leads to local businesses.
Quotefish
We instantly connect qualified leads to local businesses.
Quotefish instantly connects qualified leads to local businesses. Consumers simply post their need via a short form which results in an email being sent instantly to subscribed local businesses, who then have the opportunity to act on the request. It's ideal for consumers that are looking for a professional job at a competitive price done by a local business, and it's the perfect solution for small to medium businesses that are struggling, starting out, or are simply looking for qualified leads.
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About the ProgramLaunched in 2012, The Civic 50 is a national initiative to survey and rank S&P 500 corporations on how they engage with the communities they serve and institutionalize these practices in their corporate culture. Specifically, The Civic 50 recognizes companies seeking to best use their time, talent, and resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.
The survey was developed by the nation’s definitive experts on civic engagement, the National Conference on Citizenship and Points of Light. Bloomberg News, one of corporate America’s most respected sources of business and financial information, is the media partner. The survey is powered by True Impact.
The Civic 50 Mission: to identify the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation.
The Civic 50 Values:--The business sector plays a critical role in engaging and empowering communities.--Working in partnership with government, nonprofits and individuals, corporate leaders should focus their civic engagement programs (CEP) on solving community problems by effectively contributing the expertise and resources of their businesses and employees.--A corporate culture of civic engagement is institutionalized when a business aligns its CEP strategy with its underlying business competencies.
2013 Timeline:June 5, 2013: Program launches and survey opened to all S&P 500 corporations June 5-August 16: Survey in the field for company completionJune 27: First Technical Assistance Webinar (links coming soon)July 22: Second Technical Assistance Webinar (links coming soon)August 16-November 21: Evaluation and data analysisLate fall: Results published and celebration event for participating companies
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Pages
Protect Your Computer
June 13, 2011
In a document entitled B"lackwater Press Release," it has been revealed that Erik Prince is working with 505 Games to help create a video game based on battles fought by mercenaries against soldiers in fictional lands. The mercenaries are modeled on the former Blackwater Company that Erik Prince founded several years ago. The game will be called "Blackwater," and will use Xbox 360 Kinect technology. According to the press release:
Blackwater is an intense, cinematic shooter experience unlike anything you’ve ever played before. Lead a team of Blackwater Operators protecting a fictional North African town, battling dangerous warlords and fighting back two opposing militia forces. Using the motion-sensing Kinect controller players can do everything from moving their character to aiming and firing a weapon as you work your way through pressure-filled missions. The game is also playable with a standard controller.
While Prince busies himself with this war game, the New York Times has reported that, although Reflex Resources has denied any involvement by Erik Prince in the Abu Dhabi company, a Congressional investigation is continuing about whether Prince may have participated in recruitment of employees or their training for the company, known as R2.
The game should go on sale by the fall of 2011.
Published: June 6, 2011
WASHINGTON — The president of a company training foreign mercenary troops for the United Arab Emirates has told the State Department and members of Congress that Erik Prince, the former head of the security firm Blackwater Worldwide, plays no role in operating the business.
In letters sent to lawmakers and Obama administration officials, the head of Reflex Responses, a company based in Abu Dhabi, said that Mr. Prince “has no ownership stake whatsoever” in the business.
“He is not an officer, director, shareholder, or even an employee of R2,” wrote the company’s president, Michael Roumi, referring to the company by its common name.
Mr. Roumi’s letters, dated May 18, were sent in response to inquiries by members of the House of Representatives after The New York Times reported last month that the United Arab Emirates had signed a $529 million contract with R2 to build the foreign battalion. According to American officials and former company employees, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi hopes to use the foreign troops to put down labor unrest in the country and defend the U.A.E. from terrorist attacks. One of Mr. Roumi’s letters was passed to a group of congressmen by Victoria Toensing, Mr. Prince’s lawyer.
The Justice Department has opened an inquiry into whether the company may have violated United States laws prohibiting Americans from transferring military technology or expertise overseas. Investigators have interviewed at least one former R2 employee, according to two people familiar with the inquiry.
American officials and several former company employees said Mr. Prince was deeply involved last year with R2 and in recruiting contractors to train the foreign troops, The Times reported. Mr. Prince’s current relationship with the company remains unclear.
Five former employees, speaking on condition of anonymity because they had signed confidentiality agreements, said Mr. Prince had overseen the hiring of American military and law enforcement veterans for the project, as well as European and South African contractors. They said he made occasional trips to the desert camp where the foreign troops, many of them Colombians, were being trained. And some of R2’s top managers had worked with Mr. Prince at Blackwater.
The former employees said that Mr. Prince took pains to mask his role in the operation, and that his name did not appear on contract documents between R2 and the U.A.E. that were provided to The Times. R2’s origins and affiliations are unclear; most corporate records are not public in Abu Dhabi. R2’s commercial license lists two other companies as partners, and the name of a third business was posted outside the office suite R2 had been using in the last year.
American laws governing the export of defense technology are murky, but American citizens involved in training foreign troops run legal risks if the State Department does not grant permits for the training. A State Department spokesman said the Obama administration was aware of R2’s operations, but would not say whether the company was operating with licenses from the department.
A version of this article appeared in print on June 7, 2011, on page A12 of the New York edition with the headline: Head of Private Military Firm Denies Affiliation With Ex-Blackwater Chief.
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Mumbai: Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, “Over-the-top (OTT) Video Services Market, India, 2017–2022”,reveals that the OTT video market in India is beginning to see real traction with more competitors and new innovative platforms on the back of cheaper data bundles. With 180.3 million active online video viewers and almost 4 million registered subscribers, the OTT video services market earned over ₹37 billion in 2017, and will likely grow at a CAGR of 17.3% over the next five years.
The OTT video market in India is gradually becoming a mainstream entertainment destination with the rapid rise in the internet user base. With the commoditization of internet and growth of mobile demography, many households are supplementing their television subscriptions with multiple OTT video platforms. The inclusion of regional content by vernacular-specific platforms has paved the way for a mass-market adoption as opposed to the erstwhile niche offerings catering to urban households. Live sports and other marquee titles offered online have reiterated the growth opportunity of OTT video, encouraging global internet companies to invest and enter this lucrative market.
Aafia Bathool
“The customer experience and user interface need to be prioritized by an operator to stand a chance in this market. Exclusive, original programming and live content will give an edge to some platforms that can afford to offer such services. Platforms with vernacular options will strike a chord with the masses, capturing audiences beyond urban areas. The market is just waking up to the subscription video on demand (SVOD) proposition, and it will have more takers in the next five years,”said Aafia Bathool, Research Analyst, Digital Media Practice, Frost & Sullivan.
As seen in other regional markets, Bathool finds that telcos are using OTT video services extensively as a bundling strategy for attracting and retaining their consumers. The study highlights growing partnerships among telecom operators, handset OEMs and distributors, FMCG brands, and content aggregators. The study also outlines investment and funding in the market, as well as an extensive competitive analysis of leading platforms, based on their feature sets and content strategies.
However, India continues to be challenged by inadequate broadband infrastructure. Despite an increase in adoption of 4G services across India, consumers often report slow access and inconsistent speeds, thereby affecting the quality of experience. This has led to significant churn across service providers. The other challenge that market participants have to contend with is low ARPUs in subscription based services.
Vidya S. Nath
“As a result of aggressive pricing and bundling strategies by companies such as Amazon (through Prime) and ALT Balaji, the ARPU for SVOD services in India fell to ₹65 in 2017. Among freemium model platforms, service providers are seeing conversion of only about 2% of viewers From advertisement based video on demand (AVOD) to SVOD, clearly establishing a dominance of AVOD based business models in the long term,”says Vidya S. Nath, Senior Research Director, Digital Media Practice, Frost & Sullivan.
From 2018 to 2020, OTT platforms will be focused on acquiring content rights to vernacular videos and sports; while telecom operators will focus on bundling or acquiring the increasingly popular OTT platforms.
“The market will be dominated by the global incumbents with heavy capital to invest, as the smaller, regional platforms learn the ropes and learn to strategize optimally in the market. Monetization of SVOD platforms will take off with skinny bundles and promotional packages From OEMs and telcos. Content preferences are gradually shifting toward longer-form content, indicating the increased time spent on OTT platforms,” said Bathool.
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Love
"How difficult it is to love. Many think that the feelings they have are love. But what if in reality those feelings are only liking? What is love, and how can we describe the love that knows no end?
Love is eternal. Love cannot be turned on with a switch or turned off when no longer wanted.
When you love somebody, your heart is stirred and love becomes a source of wondrous warmth and forgiveness. A person you love can make you sad and angry, but that person cannot make you lose the love.
Love is God. When you love, it is your godself that loves. Your personality can also love, but its love is a love mixed up with human feelings, and it comes and goes like the wind.
True love can be described in beautiful ethereal words, but few know it. They know the love that comes and goes which is not unconditional, but conditioned by feelings, thoughts, and actions.
This solar system is built upon the Love of God. Unfortunately, we who live here have not reacted well to God's Will. And our reactions have caused much disturbance and havoc to life of all kinds.
There are so many kinds of love. One of the most holy is the love between guru and disciple or between two soul flames. The most holy is between God and His-Her creation.
Then all other loves can be discussed. There can be great love between some mothers, fathers, and their children. There can be great love between some couples, some friends. There can be great love for one's country or one's possessions or one's work.
But the pure love that just is cannot be described in words. It must be felt.
Pure love permeates all that breathes. It is God moving within and without all living matter. Materialising within it. Being that spark of life that cannot die but can transfer from one consciousness to another.
Love that has something to do with appearance, with money, with power is no love.
But love that comes from the inner heart and flows endlessly whatever happens is that love which holds the solar system and its planets in balance and harmony. It is that love that breathes life into all living matter and which retracts the last breath from the living flesh so that the inner person can move into a new home, the home where the inner consciousness truly belongs.
When one day you shall look into the loving eyes of your Master, you shall know the love that knows no end. It is there for you to see and to be embraced, to be lifted into without concern. It is pure, it is clear, it is there for you, for everyone – freely given, and it is never changing. You know that whatever you have done, God forgave you before you did it.
But you must allow yourself to open to it. The love is always around, but will you receive it? Do you dare? And will your conscience admit it?
This is for you to ponder on and reply to. Remember that love is. Your own heart must let it in. If it cannot, ask yourself why."
From "The Teachings of Ananda Tara Shan", chapter 14.3, writings of Ananda Tara Shan, 24 June 2000 (Also available as "Love", a booklet of Ananda Tara Shan)
"Heart Flow is the flow of love that will ultimately transform the world."
From "The Teachings of Ananda Tara Shan", chapter 11.2
"Use the power of prayer, meditation and invocation to right seemingly impossible situations and conditions of human endeavour. Even the deepest wrong can be righted when the heart is allowed to flow unhindered by doubts and scepticism. What are miracles but love in action."
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In response to Mark Jones' critical points of view concerning clicks
in hunting talk, I would like to express my own reflections on this
topic. The following is an excerpt of my conference contribution on
the topic:
According to the Modulation Theory (Traunm�ller, 94), speech arises
when speakers modulate their voice with conventional linguistic
gestures. The voice as such is still used for conveying paralinguistic
information about the speaker and his state and attitude. This is
characteristic of all human speech. However, voiceless fricatives and
clicks do not convey such paralinguistic information. Out of context,
they do not even identify themselves as human sounds. Listeners who
are not familiar with click languages tend to perceive the clicks as
extraneous noise even within the context of a stream of speech.
The property of fricatives and clicks not to disclose themselves as human
sounds appears to be exploited in cooperative hunting. Knight et al. (02
report: "During stalking of prey, Ju'hoansi revert to a hushed
whisper-like communication. The speech is devoiced and consists almost
entirely of clicks". Clicks are short in duration but more intense than
other speech sounds. They are easily audible to the prey as well as to the
hunters, but if the prey does not recognize them as produced by a predator,
their use is likely to positively impact hunting success. Thus, it may be
that the phonemic use of clicks originated in the context of hunting.
Subsequently, the use of clicks may have spread to other groups of hunters
who noticed their advantage. This advantage is quite independent of a
possible relationship between the groups and its recognition does not
require a high frequency or intimate nature of contacts between the groups,
although this condition was certainly fulfilled when the Bantu who migrated
into southern Africa adopted clicks.
However, we are still left with the question of why the phonemic use
of clicks did not arise elsewhere. Olle Engstrand, who had previously
sought a connection between the origin of clicks and labial-velars,
which also are used predominantly in Africa (Engstrand 97), drew my
attention to the possibility that an anatomical feature might be
responsible: Four of the five speakers of !X��, investigated by
Traill (85) had gently sloping palates without an alveolar
ridge. Traill quotes a study by van Reenen (64), according to which
this feature is widespread in the San population. This feature
reduces the amount of distortion of the tongue that is required in
producing clicks, especially for laminal clicks. It predisposes
speakers for the production of such clicks and thereby increases the
likelihood for clicks to acquire a function in speech. In order to
evaluate this hypothesis, it would be informative to know whether
gently sloping palates without an alveolar ridge are common also among
the Hadza and to what extent this trait was present in prehistoric
African populations and elsewhere.
For references consult "Clicks and the idea of a human protolanguage"
http://www.ling.umu.se/fonetik2003/pdf/001.pdf
(In the previous posting, there was an error in this URL)
Hartmut Traunm�ller
Dear All,
re-reading my post, I feel I should perhaps elaborate a little on my
'whispered-clicks' theory.
In whisper, the vocal folds do not vibrate and phonetic voicing is not
produced. This greatly reduces the amplitude of the speech signal,
though some voiceless sounds, like fricatives, are relatively
unaffected.
Clicks are produced using the velaric ingressive airstream mechanism,
which does not use the lungs. Consequently, no matter whether we
whisper or shout, clicks are essentially unaffected. They also have a
very high amplitude relative to other speech sounds.
A hunter who speaks a 'non-click' language can attempt to whisper to
other hunters, but once the distance between them has exceeded a few
feet, whispered speech will not be heard.
A 'clicking' hunter can whisper to others, and they will hear the
clicks even when the rest of the whisper is inaudible.
This means that, as long as the message contains enough clicks (as is
likely in most languages which possess linguistic clicks) with a
pattern which can be attributed relatively unamibiguously to canonical
speech, verbal communication can continue, even across relatively wide
distances.
So, clicks will appear to be used in hunting, but in fact, the hunters
are merely able to use whisper across greater distances. It is crucial
to realise that the use of clicks here would be a consequence of their
established use in everyday communication.
The questions to which answers are needed in this matter (I feel), are
whether or not the hunters are whispering to each other, and what
relationship obtains between the hunting use of clicks and everyday
usage (same lexical items, same phonological distribution etc.).
Of course, not being an expert in these languages or having heard the
data, I can't be sure from the comfort of my armchair in Cambridge,
but nevertheless it seems likely to me that the origin of linguistic
clicks must be sought elsewhere, not in hunting speech.
Roger Lass is right that click production is essentially the same
mechanism used for sucking, but in sucking the velum tends to be
lowered, and not all clicks are nasalised. Interestingly, many
non-clicking phonetics students (including me) seem able to produce
nasalised clicks before non-nasalised ones, and some click languages
have some degree of spontaneous nasalisation with their clicks
(e.g. Sandawe, Wright et al. 1995, UCLA Working papers in Phonetics
91: 1-24). Nasalised clicks also occur in the rendition of a Chinese
nursery rhyme (G. Nathan, 2001, Journal of the International Phonetic
Association 31(2): 223-229).
The Pacific language to which Roger refers is perhaps Damin, a
ceremonial language of the Lardil tribe of Mornington Island in
Australia. Here the clicks are egressive, not ingressive (Laver 1994,
Principles of Phonetics, Cambridge University Press, and others). My
own musings on egressive clicks suggest that they don't sound very
different from ingressive clicks, though they tend to be more
fricated, presumably due to the great pressures involved in their
production and the ineffectiveness of the seal provided by the lips
and tongue under these conditions, as well as tongue movement during
compression of the air.
Mark
Mark Jones
Department of Linguistics
University of Cambridge
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Resources to Study Health Data About Our Region
The United Health Foundation and the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. 23rd Edition of America's Health Rankings: A Call to Action for Individuals and Their Communities.
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Cannondale
Slate Ultegra
- 2017
Details
Redefine what a road ride looks like on Cannondale's Slate Disc Ultegra. Cannondale's unrivaled SmartFormed aluminum is lightweight, sports puma-like responsiveness, and—thanks to SAVE Plus micro-suspension and slack angles—handles a host of surfaces with panache. A Lefty Oliver fork breaks all the road bike rules, adding 30mm of ride-anywhere suspension to your rig. Press the norm a little further with 650B Slate Disc wheels and fat, 42mm-wide Slate tireswhich give you the same rolling diameter of a traditional road wheel while providing all the plush, comfortable, and grippy benefits of a high volume tire. Throw the Shimano R685 levers to effortlessly engage the 11-speed Ultegra drivetrain, or apply the smooth, powerful Shimano hydraulic disc brakes to scrub some speed. You'll love the weight savings from Cannondale's own handlebars and stem, and a Fabric Scoop saddle provides compliance and support for the long haul. So, forget old ideas of what a bike should be—the Slate will wipe them all away.
On a recent 100km ride that was mainly gravel - rail trail, bike path and back roads - the Slate had me grinning like a schoolgirl with a new Snap filter. I absolutely loved every minute on this bike. The Slate is very comfortable - not just the suspended front end but the rear end was smooth as well. The wide tires at lower air pressure helped, too. I could point this bike down any hill - paved or rough - and it literally took off! Doing 60kph down a concession road or 70+ down a paved hill, the Slate always felt stable. I could bomb through loose sand and gravel without a deflection. Acceleration was snappy - just ask the Mercedes SUV driver I passed on the gravel road :-) The Ultegra shifters are peerless - solid and accurate - well worth the upgrade over 105. Thankfully, the disc brakes worked very well, too. My only sore point was the saddle, it's not designed for rides this long.
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Book Description:1925. This volume discusses an extension of the art of healing through spiritual knowledge. The authors had no thought of underrating the scientific medicine of their time. Their aim was to supplement the science already in existence by the illumination that can flow, from a true knowledge of the spirit, toward a living grasp of the processes of illness and of healing. Their purpose was to bring into new life, not the instinctive habit of the soul which still existed in the mysteries of ancient time, but a method of research corresponding to the fully evolved consciousness of modern man, which can be lifted into spiritual regions.
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Beach weekend
Dark clouds seem to hang over my quest to visit all of Manitoba's road-accessible provincial parks. Every journey that my friends and I made in May, June, and July included at least some rain, more often than not, a lot of rain. Downpours and thunderstorms plagued our trips to Pembina Valley Provincial Park, the Saint Lakes provincial parks, and Spruce Woods Provincial Park. I was beginning to think that this quest was cursed.
NEIL BABALUK FOR THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
The lake at St. Malo Provincial Park was created with the damming of the Rat River in 1958, and immediately became a popular swimming spot.
NEIL BABALUK FOR THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, near St. Malo Provincial Park, and its accompanying chapel were constructed between 1896 and 1904 by Father Abel Noret and his parishioners.
NEIL BABALUK FOR THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
The long, arrow-straight lake at Stephenfield Provincial Park is a magnet for boaters and wakeboarders.
Thankfully, as summer has progressed, the rain-filled weekends have disappeared and the mid-summer heat has finally arrived. It's perfect beach weather. With that in mind, this past week's travels focused on lounging in the sun and taking it easy - a relaxing beach weekend.
We headed to two popular provincial parks south of Winnipeg - St. Malo and Stephenfield. Both parks surround reservoirs that are popular with both the beach and the boating crowds. St. Malo was our first stop.
St. Malo Provincial Park is located 75 kilometres south-east of Winnipeg on Highway 59. The park encompasses St. Malo Lake, an artificially created reservoir. The lake was created in 1958, when the Rat River was dammed due to concerns over a shortage of water in the area.
The lake immediately became a popular swimming spot for the locals, and in 1961 the Manitoba government created St. Malo Provincial Park.
St. Malo Lake remains a popular spot to lie on the beach and go for a swim. When we arrived just after noon, the parking lot was already full. Families were barbequing and playing catch in the shaded grove that separates the beach from the parking lot, while several hundred people blanketed the beach and small swimming area.
It was obvious that St. Malo was not the place to get away from the crowds, but that wasn't going to dissuade us because the sun was shining and the temperature was rising.
The beach is may not be as good as some we've visited, but St. Malo is still a great place to head to for a beach day with friends or family. Besides the beach, hiking trails wind through the park's wooded areas and tall grass prairie.
Just outside the park gates is the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, a reminder of the French Canadian Roman Catholic influence in the region. The grotto and its accompanying chapel were constructed between 1896 and 1904, by Father Abel Noret and his parishioners.
Father Noret built the grotto because the woods along the Rat River reminded him of the area of the famous Grotto of Lourdes in his native France. Since 1896, parishioners have made an annual pilgrimage from the town of St. Malo to the grotto.
The grotto sits just below the chapel in a small clearing on the banks of the river. A stop here as you leave the park is recommended if you are a history buff or just looking for a spot for some quiet contemplation away from the noisy beach.
The next stop on our beach weekend was Stephenfield Provincial Park. The park is 21 kilometres west of Carmen on Provincial Road 245.
What I wrote earlier about St. Malo Lake applies to Stephenfield Lake as well: It's a man-made reservoir on the Boyne River, with a small, busy beach. The long, arrow-straight lake is a magnet for boaters and wakeboarders.
Just like at St. Malo, the sun was shining and it was a perfect time for some sun tanning. Stephenfield is quieter than St. Malo or the Lake Winnipeg beaches. I would recommend it if you're more interested in a quiet day of sun and sand.
This week's beach adventure was a huge success. The weather seems to have finally made a 180 and the dog days of summer are here.
It was good to have a relaxing weekend because next week we're heading north again, this time to the region between Thompson and The Pas to explore Pisew Falls, Little Limestone Lake, and Wekusko Falls.
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments.
All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.
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ALGONA, IA—Sitting in the diner where he now eats breakfast every morning, Senator Cory Booker announced Monday that he was dropping out of the 2020 rat race after falling in love with small-town Iowa life. “I’ve spent my whole life worrying about my career, chasing the next big position, but after spending all this time in Iowa, I’ve realized it’s community and family that count,” said Booker, who revealed he’s taken a position at the local auto parts store, bought a cute little ranch house, and started volunteering at a nursing home. “The air is fresher, the people are nicer, and everyone knows your name. I’ve found peace here. I was working my ass off every day, and for what? To be president of the United States? To pass some immigration plan? That stuff doesn’t matter. I just want a quiet garden and people who love me.” Booker added that while girlfriend Rosario Dawson was thinking about moving in, she was more interested in a place with a little more hustle and bustle like Fort Dodge.
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July 27, 2010
My mother used to tote me along to these parties when i was younger. She always packed me an egg salad sandwich, properly sealed in a Tupperware container, of course. This childhood memory sparked my grown-up curiosity in learning more about the 50s phenomenon.
I needed to know the secret on how to get rid of the dreaded tomato stain. Sadly, i forgot this information shortly after seeing the film.
before
A new recipe experiment–key ingredient: tomato sauce–recently left my Tupperware lids with a orangey, spray-tanish glow. First, I soaked them in baking soda and then tried rubbing lemons over them. With no change in color, i went to the internet for help.
After filtering through the methods i’d already tried, i stumbled upon a post suggesting i lay the lids, stain-side up, out in the sun. No scientific explanation accompanied this, in my mind, utterly ridiculous approach on how this was going to get my lids back to their original pasty color. And to my astonishment, it did just that!
after
How is this possible? What kind of sun magic is this? Will this miracle also work on clothing? I’m still in shock! Really, how many things have you tried because you saw or read about it on the internet and it actually worked?
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There is no central switchboard number – all calls will be direct dial.
We apologise in advance if there is any delay in communications between 4 and 15 October 2018. Please send an email to the person with whom you wish to contact and they will reply you as soon as possible.
In the case of an urgent query please contact Simon Davis on 07585 998 704, Matt Friend on 07585 401187 or Rose Hill on 01752 590625. If you wish to get in touch with the Professional Support Unit please email: [email protected].
Dental - In the case of an urgent query please contact Matthew Hill on 01454 252672
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"These changes will offer consumers protection from high interest rates, unfair business practices and a cycle of debt that many people have trouble getting out of," Family Services and Consumer Affairs Minister Gord Mackintosh said at the time.
The new rules also require lenders to be licensed and bonded. Cheque Stop, according to a government spokesperson, did not have a licence.
The stores that have closed are in the minority, said the spokesperson.
There are still 83 payday loan locations in Manitoba, representing 21 companies, said the spokesperson.
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Charting: TimeSpan on Dependant Axis
I'm collecting process runtime statistics, and want to show the time the process took to run for every run. I'm currently doing this with a different wpf charting component but I would love to use the wpf toolkit charting component instead.
Am I right to say it's currently not possible? Would it be considered as a feature anytime soon?
What I do now is add the TimeSpan to a DateTime (2000-01-01 00:00:00.000) and format the output to only display hours, minutes and seconds. Full TimeSpan support would be great, because a DateTime with 0 for date does not work and neither for month and year.
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5:12 PM,
Feb. 8, 2013
Cynthia Tucker
Written by
Cynthia Tucker
Universal UClick
Bob Barker, the retired game-show host, has no idea why he ended up on the National Rifle Association's enemies list. I know exactly why the NRA cited me.
I've spent years pushing for sensible gun-safety laws, including universal background checks, a ban on assault-type weapons and a waiting period before firearms purchases. I wasn't surprised to learn that my name was among those on a surprisingly long and eclectic list of corporations, Hollywood celebrities, medical groups and even sports teams that the NRA has declared "anti-gun."
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Tuesday, March 28, 2017
If you read my blog over the last year or two, you'd know that I was a fan of Perfectly Clear by Athentech because it really was a one-click photo editing tool. While I loved it for what it was, it did have some weakness which included:
a crude UI (especially advanced settings)
hard to discover features like Perfect Exposure, Perfect Eyes, etc...
face enchantments that would fail or miss people
the inability to save your own favorite settings
I'm happy to report that these issues have been addressed and featured in a much improved new user-interface:
Video Demo
Here's a video where I show off the new features editing the images you see in this article...
Special Offers
Conclusion
While I tested with a pre-release version that still needed a few tweaks, I didn't have any crashes or performance problems so I'm pretty happy. All of the things I didn't like about its predecessor have been addressed and my wish list has been answered.
If you like one-click photo editing but want to dial in your own secret sauce, then this is the software you need to get!
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5 Uses For Lifestyle
It is usually more stressful when an individual wants to travel more but do not have enough money for that. There are tips that such an individual can consider in order to travel more and use less money as discussed in this page. It is crucial to do reconsideration on what one really wants from a vacation. There are some destinations that are very expensive compared to others which are cheap and offer the best sceneries. It is advisable to choose a destination after research which is cheap, with beaches that have great waves, and with attractive scenery. Having a cheap destination will allow an individual to travel longer.
It a swab to be flexible when flying. This should prompt an individual to look for them and with the cheapest flights. The desire of an individual is to save a lot of money which can be achieved by the difference between the cheapest and expensive flights. This flexibility means that an individual is able to adjust to traveling during the month with the cheap flights. It is advisable not to skimp or pay a fortune on the travel insurance. This should also mean that before selecting an insurance an individual can consider picking the best insurance with the best coverage in order to save more.
Travelling a week is preferred rather than on a weekend. This is crucial in saving on a lot of money especially on the hotels. Due to the propensity of people to travel on weekends, many hotel rooms are usually fully booked and have high charges to acquire a hotel room which can be avoided by simply booking on a weekday. In order to travel more and wide, an individual can use the money saved by travelling on a week.
It is wise to consider an alternative accommodation. This is the process that leads to an add-up of a lot of money. It is evident that many destination areas do charge high for accommodation than the places far from the targeted destination. Due to this, an individual should consider having an alternative accommodation far from the targeted destination.
It is important to check the days when the museum or the targeted destination are offering discounted prices. There are times when the destinations and museums offer free services especially on most Sundays which could mean saving a lot of money that can be used in traveling more. It is advisable to consider as a tourist card. These are cards that can be found in many places around the world. They enable a tourist to have free entrance or a discounted entrance into major tourist attraction as well as free public transport. In conclusion, traveling slightly off the season is advisable as this is the season with fewer prices on various destinations.
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Top positive review
I'm a big fan of the Need for Speed series and always have been. I own almost the whole collection and have beaten every single one of them. As for Need for Speed: The Run, it was a great game. It was really enjoyable and I nearly had to give myself time limits to stop myself from beating it all in one go. For those gamers who go all-night until you beat the game, you could have it done in one day if you started early on. That is one of the only downfalls to this game. The career mode is a bit short, but very enjoyable. To make up for the short career mode however, there is a challenge series section of the game where you can complete very difficult missions to earn a bronze, silver, gold, or special medal and that mode can last a while. I haven't tried the multiplayer mode yet, but it sounds to be very fun as well. The scenes where you take the main character out on foot are probably my favorite parts. Altogether, this game is great fun, just a bit short.
Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsThe weakest Need for Speed I have ever played - but okay at best, mediocre at worst.
ByAnthony Marsh Jr.on July 22, 2015
The Run was complicated. I was expecting a NFS game where I would do the usual like in past games of the series. Just as soon as I started playing it, I was in a long road trip speeding through a trail that would lead me to NYC (one of my favorite cities and states ever). This NFS - in terms of music and sound volume - is very loud than previous games. While playing it, it's like watching a movie in a movie theater but actually playing it.
The game itself comes off like a high-adrenaline action movie and it ends like a high-adrenaline action movie. The Run can be tough in some areas though. There were some races that were linear for me to beat. Like I just said It is very different from previous entries. It's good but it wasn't really all that great. This felt like I was playing a Fast and the Furious game than a Need for Speed one. It barely acts and sound like it. Heck, it's like EA just blended elements of Forza Motorsport - if that Xbox exclusive racing franchise actually HAD storylines - and The Fast and the Furious movies into this. Steering controls is very weak. I say it is weaker here than in let's say Need for Speed Undercover.
The only good thing about this game for characters would have to be the game's casting of Christina Hendricks (ala Mad Men) as the game's lead female character (Sam Harper) supporting Jack [Rouke] (the main protagonist you are playing throughout these lethal races) on his journey to race around the country of the USA from the sunset strip of San Francisco, California to the bleak, wet, loud, metropolitan streets of N.Y.C. Speaking of Hendricks, I would never really think she would ever appear in a Need for Speed game. Over the years that I ever played a NFS game where some of the most recognizable actresses/models that I've glared my eyes at (like Brooke Burke in NFSUG2, Emmanuelle Vaugier in Carbon or Maggie Q in Undercover) that I would ever expect Christina Hendricks being a character in these games. Kudos to EA/Black Box for casting her to play such a supporting character. Also 2 models of Sports Illustrated fame are in this too but they wasn't featured much often.
The soundtrack on the other hand, I am not a big fan of. Sure Brian Tyler is a great composer and all but I never really was a big fan of this soundtrack for this game that much. Sure it's action packed and it has the feel of adrenaline but it's meh to me.
In conclusion, The Run is perhaps the weakest out of all Need for Speed games. It's barely worth playing. I just wished before I played it that the game would be like past games but then I realized it was an entirely different game. This is perhaps the most divisive game in the series. I can tell you this, there is some good DLCs and an okay graphics engine. If you are a long-time fan of the series you are going to be in for a very disappointing ride to NYC.
The Run was complicated. I was expecting a NFS game where I would do the usual like in past games of the series. Just as soon as I started playing it, I was in a long road trip speeding through a trail that would lead me to NYC (one of my favorite cities and states ever). This NFS - in terms of music and sound volume - is very loud than previous games. While playing it, it's like watching a movie in a movie theater but actually playing it.
The game itself comes off like a high-adrenaline action movie and it ends like a high-adrenaline action movie. The Run can be tough in some areas though. There were some races that were linear for me to beat. Like I just said It is very different from previous entries. It's good but it wasn't really all that great. This felt like I was playing a Fast and the Furious game than a Need for Speed one. It barely acts and sound like it. Heck, it's like EA just blended elements of Forza Motorsport - if that Xbox exclusive racing franchise actually HAD storylines - and The Fast and the Furious movies into this. Steering controls is very weak. I say it is weaker here than in let's say Need for Speed Undercover.
The only good thing about this game for characters would have to be the game's casting of Christina Hendricks (ala Mad Men) as the game's lead female character (Sam Harper) supporting Jack [Rouke] (the main protagonist you are playing throughout these lethal races) on his journey to race around the country of the USA from the sunset strip of San Francisco, California to the bleak, wet, loud, metropolitan streets of N.Y.C. Speaking of Hendricks, I would never really think she would ever appear in a Need for Speed game. Over the years that I ever played a NFS game where some of the most recognizable actresses/models that I've glared my eyes at (like Brooke Burke in NFSUG2, Emmanuelle Vaugier in Carbon or Maggie Q in Undercover) that I would ever expect Christina Hendricks being a character in these games. Kudos to EA/Black Box for casting her to play such a supporting character. Also 2 models of Sports Illustrated fame are in this too but they wasn't featured much often.
The soundtrack on the other hand, I am not a big fan of. Sure Brian Tyler is a great composer and all but I never really was a big fan of this soundtrack for this game that much. Sure it's action packed and it has the feel of adrenaline but it's meh to me.
In conclusion, The Run is perhaps the weakest out of all Need for Speed games. It's barely worth playing. I just wished before I played it that the game would be like past games but then I realized it was an entirely different game. This is perhaps the most divisive game in the series. I can tell you this, there is some good DLCs and an okay graphics engine. If you are a long-time fan of the series you are going to be in for a very disappointing ride to NYC.
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I'm a big fan of the Need for Speed series and always have been. I own almost the whole collection and have beaten every single one of them. As for Need for Speed: The Run, it was a great game. It was really enjoyable and I nearly had to give myself time limits to stop myself from beating it all in one go. For those gamers who go all-night until you beat the game, you could have it done in one day if you started early on. That is one of the only downfalls to this game. The career mode is a bit short, but very enjoyable. To make up for the short career mode however, there is a challenge series section of the game where you can complete very difficult missions to earn a bronze, silver, gold, or special medal and that mode can last a while. I haven't tried the multiplayer mode yet, but it sounds to be very fun as well. The scenes where you take the main character out on foot are probably my favorite parts. Altogether, this game is great fun, just a bit short.
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Personally, I enjoy the game play on NFS: The Run. It feels smooth and is intuitive. The courses have a beautiful look and are a lot of fun to play. The only issue I have with this game is the story. It is just lacking and unrealistic...if that's even fair to say about a video game. From course to course the objectives change between gaining a certain number of positions to picking up lost time or just defeating one particular opponent. They are sort of strung together because they have to be but they don't really have any flow or make sense. There is really no connection to the protagonist that you are playing as. There are scenes on the game that require you to get out of the car and run or escape some situation or person. They are awkward and out of place mini games.
The multiplayer is fun except you cannot set up a race just between you and a friend. You are forced to play in sessions with as many as eight other players.
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On one side of this country lie the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and cable cars -- on the opposite coast there are massive skyscrapers, the Statue of Liberty and the endless glow of Times Square. What separates these two great cities is nearly 3,000 miles of roadway through dense urban centers, over epic mountains, across arid deserts and in constricted canyons.
Evade the PoliceA race to get your life back!Gorgeous car designsSynopsisWith no speed limits, rules or allies available, only Jack's determination and driving skills will keep him going in this heart-stopping race to get his life back. Thrills and excitement hide around every corner of this breakneck race across the country, but so do the police -- and the men who want him dead. Evading these ruthless forces in one town won't be enough. You must have the Need for Speed.
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I had low expectations for this one. But as a quick little racing game this is actually really nicely done.. I live in San Francisco Area and was stunned at how believable the city and suburban tracks were. It's not geographically accurate but it's totally believable and true to the look and feel. As you progress, the game does a nice job going through the country: Sierra Nevada, desert, and so on, but after Chicago they must have run out if budget or something because the quality drops significantly. Some roads even get repurposed, as you will encounter them in reverse, what a cheap shot... Game is easy to beat and unlikely to keep you interested afterwards because the multiplayer is just plain boring. The thing that made this a standout for me was that it really delivers on the feeling of racing across the USA. I still remember some areas as if I went on a high speed road trip.
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Well I have to say that this game is not what I expected it to be. In fact I didn't know it was going to be like this. The fact that I don't have to repeat the same tracks again and again is a plus. But being unable to customize the car bothers me a little.
Some people may say you just have to go forward but the title says it all. There is no hidden subject there. It is a one way race. It gets very interesting when the road is crowded. Also, the way you switch cars is well thought and makes you realize that you need to know something about engines.
When it comes to graphics, I think EA could have done it better with Frostbite2. At least the driving feels more realistic as the game goes by.
To make it short, I like the game. The feeling you are competing against 200+ racers makes it interesting. I recommend it to people who enjoy racing in different stages.
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if you want to know why PlayStation does so well with people over the years one of the things you need to examine or look at is the sheer number of racing games using top notch technology in hard drive and software. Dirt 3 is by far the best racing game I've played outside an arcade. Need for Speed the run is another great if not good one as well that is vastly overlooked by modern gamers. you drive from coast to coast in my favorite NEED FOR SPEED game ever. its fun. its fast. It keeps you entertained. is it as good as dirt 3? Not even close but what can equal that perfection? by the way EA games are usually not as good as their counterparts. IE look at PES soccer by Konami as a better alternative to FIFA on PS3. PES is amazing and helped lure me to buy the PlayStation if you can believe that. It's that good. but again I grew up playing soccer and I've always loved a good soccer game.
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I love the Need For Speed genre....but, I am not impressed with this game. I do/did enjoy the storyline, but, the races are pretty much fixed. I hated the fact that in order to win certain races, you have to change the car class (or you are serverely handicapped). Now, I am a bit whiny about this, because where you expect not to need a car class change, you do, and it isn't apparent and certainly, not obvious, until you lose the race(without cheating) that you are so commandingly leading. Then, you can only change during the race... seriously, come on. Not the greatest NFS game, but it is better than Carbon and Street Pro. Get it as cheap as you can.
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NLC wants El-rufai’s aide prosecute for thuggery
The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) is demanding the arrest and prosecution of the Special Assistant to the Kaduna state Governor on Public Affairs, Mouktar Maigamo for allegedly mobilising thugs to attack workers during the mass rally organised by the Congress in Kaduna to protest the sack of teachers by the government.
Not less than 10 hoodlums were reportedly arrested on Thursday in Kaduna while attempting to infiltrate the protesters armed with dangerous weapons.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the congress is also demanding proper investigation and prosecution of all those arrested, while condemning the action of security agents for preventing several union leaders and members from entering Kaduna on the day of the protest.
The Congress said the mass action against the sack of the workers has just started, pointing out that nobody can prevent organized labour from exercise the right to protest as enshrined in the nation’s constitution as the Supreme Court has already ruled on that.
The statement reads: “we have been reliably informed that the thugs who were sent to attack workers during our mass protest in Kaduna on Thursday were led by the Special Assistant to the Governor of Kaduna State on Public Affairs, Mouktar Maigamo who was seen among the machetes wielding hoodlums as they moved towards the secretariat of the State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress in Kaduna.
‘Though we have also been reliably informed that 10 of the hoodlums were arrested, we insist that the Special Assistant must also be arrested. All those arrested must be prosecuted by security agencies.
“We condemn the security agencies for preventing several union leaders and workers from entering Kaduna city as all the entry points were occupied by heavily armed security agents. The actions of the security agents, ostensibly at the behest of the Governor, are clear violations of the fundamental rights of workers, like every other Nigerian, to free movement.
“Before the mass protests, we had informed all security agencies especially the Police and Department of State Security and what we expected of them was the provision of adequate coverage and security for the protection of workers participating in the procession and not to prevent entry of labour leaders and workers into Kaduna city.
“For us, the actions of the police, army and other security agencies, who chose to act against the people on the orders of the State Government cannot and will not deter us from taking further mass actions against the illegal and irresponsible sack of workers in Kaduna State.
“We are fully determined to ensure the recall of all the sacked workers and will not relent in our efforts as we will use every lawful means to compel El Rufai to reverse his anti-workers stance.
“The mass actions just got started and nobody, group of persons or authority can stop us as peaceful protests are not only lawful but a fundamental right of the Nigerian people as guaranteed by the constitution and strengthened by the Supreme Court.
“The only way the mass protests and strike can be stopped is by the Governor respecting the judgement of the National Industrial Court by reversing the sack of over 36, 000 workers.
“We thank all the workers and our allies who participated in the protest march yesterday and reassure the Kaduna State workers of our continued support,” NLC stated.
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The Dardanelle School Board will vote on a reformatted dual credit program for their high school next week, following a growing trend of varying dual credit programs in the River Valley area.
Principal Marcia Lawrence has looked into a new format for high school students looking to earn both high school and college credits. The format, which Arkansas Tech University advocates, includes credentialed high school teachers teaching college courses at the school.
“We were encouraged by parent groups to consider this option, and we started researching it this summer,” Lawrence said.
The new program would see the Dardanelle School District paying for students’ tuition and books, in addition to billing Arkansas Tech for the teachers’ time. If passed, the program will initially offer six hours of concurrent English credit — Composition 1 and 2 — for students.
Despite the program’s obvious advantages — students get a head start on earning college credits, in addition to getting a feel for college classes — several of the board members express concern about the impact the program might have on their curriculum.
“The board feels that we do what we do very well,” Lawrence said, citing the school’s high standardized test scores. “So we don’t want to do something that makes our foundational classes less effective.”
Lawrence cites research showing that while concurrent credit courses do give the students an early start on college, it could come at the cost of a solid educational foundation.
Dardanelle currently offers concurrent credit options through AP and vocational classes. Seniors also have the option of enrolling at Arkansas Tech and driving their for classes two hours per day. But with this option, students must pay for their own tuition and books.
“[With the new plan], kids are going to get six hours for no cost,” Lawrence said. “The classes will be taught on our campus, by our teachers, with Tech’s syllabus.”
But while the Board faces a dillemma, Lawrence sees plenty of positives in the conundrum.
“I do appreciate the fact that they are proud of their curriculum and cautious to change it. I feel like we’re choosing between two good things,” she said with a laugh.
Dardanelle is the latest school to consider offering more diverse dual credit options for its students. Other schools, such as Pottsville and Russellville, offer distance learning programs for their students. In a distance learning format, students sit in a classroom while a teacher interacts with them through a television screen at the front of the class through a video link. This allows the teacher to interact with and teach students without physically being in the class.
“Students can get a taste of college with a safety net at Pottsville High School,” Pottsville counselor Mark Lee said. “They can try it out, and see if it’s something they like.”
Pottsville offers a multitude of courses for high school students, including Composition 1 and 2, College Algebra and Trigonometry, U.S. History, Public Speaking, and Western Civilization.
“Some kids graduate our high school with over twenty-four hours of college credit,” Lee said.
Russellville also offers distance learning courses in addition to allowing students to drive to Arkansas Tech campus to attend classes. “Most students enroll in day classes, and some take night classes as well,” counselor Charlotte Locke said.
Like the other school districts, Russellville’s distance learning program is free for its students.
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NOTE: Tractor features vary by model. NOT all parts listed above and pictured on the previous page are standard equipment. Ref. Part Number Description 1. 918-04822A Spdl Asm ...http://www.oscar-wilson.com/MANUALS/MTD/769-05403.PDF
Warning: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near any unimproved forest-covered, brush-covered or grass-covered land ...http://manuals.mtdproducts.com/mtd/DocGetter?doc=769-01641c.pdf
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test
40-25-13
Records.
It shall be the duty of every person, firm, corporation, club, or association
of persons, receiving, storing, selling, or handling tobacco products
enumerated herein in any manner whatsoever to keep and preserve all invoices,
books, papers, cancelled checks, or other memoranda touching the purchase,
sale, exchange, or receipt of any and all tobacco products enumerated
herein. All such invoices, books, papers, cancelled checks, or other memoranda
shall be subject to audit and inspection by any duly authorized representative
of the Department of Revenue at any and all times. Each operator of a
retail outlet shall receive, examine, and retain the purchase invoice
from the source of the tobacco products for every purchase of tobacco
products for a period of 90 days at the retail location. At the end of
the 90 days, the purchase records shall be maintained with the required
books and records for a period of three years from the date of purchase.
Invoices received by the retailer dealer must be computer or machine generated
and must show the seller's or supplier's name. Invoices cannot
be handwritten. Failure to acquire appropriate invoices, substantiate
tax payment or retain invoices in the above manner may result in confiscation
of the tobacco products in accordance with the procedures of this chapter.
Any person, firm, corporation, club, or association of persons who fails
or refuses to keep and preserve the records as herein required, or who
upon request by a duly authorized agent of the Department of Revenue fails
or refuses to allow an audit or inspection of records as hereinabove provided
may be subject to a department imposed penalty of not less than five hundred
dollars ($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). This penalty
is multiplied by the number of violations of this subsection.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
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"The Doc Files" offers young viewers a glimpse into Doc’s keen deductive skills as she shares an in-depth look at specific cases and diagnoses after the clinic doors close for the day. Produced using a combination of CG and 2D flash animation, each episode opens with Doc dictating a toy patient’s chart and recalling how she solved the case from allergies to splinters to the importance of healthy eating and exercise. (Source: Disney Channel)
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Getting Forensics Right
March 06, 2019
What are the stakes when forensics go wrong? Keith Harward tells his story: he was exonerated by DNA testing, but spent 33 years in prison in Virginia for a murder he did not commit, based on multiple erroneous bite mark comparisons. Peter Neufeld, co-founder and co-director of the Innocence Project joins in the conversation. M. Chris Fabricant, who directs special litigation for the Innocence Project, moderates. Prof. Brandon Garrett introduces the panel.
The conference is made possible for the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Science (CSAFE), and it is also supported by the Innocence Project.
Sponsored by the Duke Wrongful Convictions Clinic and Criminal Law Society.
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Argonne Study Examines Impact of Real World Drive Cycles on Efficiency and Cost of Different PHEV Configurations
11 June 2009
Results from a study by Argonne National Laboratory on the impact of real world drive cycles on the fuel efficiency and cost of different plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) configurations suggest that while different PHEV configurations all demonstrate great potential for displacing petroleum use (with fuel displacement increasing linearly with available electrical energy), the relative benefits of adding more battery capacity seem to decrease with increasing pack size.
Aymeric Rousseau, program manager at Argonne, presented a small slice of this wide study at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference 2009 (AABC) this week in Long Beach.
In the segment of the study presented, the Argonne team modeled four PHEV configurations: an input power split with a fixed ratio between the electric machine and the transmission (e.g., Camry hybrid) PHEV with a 4 kWh and an 8 kWh pack; and a series hybrid (extended-range electric vehicle, e.g., Volt) with a 12 kWh and a 16 kWh pack. These were compared to a conventional HEV, using the same hybrid drive as the power split PHEV, and a conventional combustion engine vehicle.
For drive cycles, the Argonne team used the Kansas City data collected in 2005 by the US EPA, which instrumented more than 100 drivers and collected their driving statistics for one day.
The PHEVs used different control strategies:
EV/CS (Thermostat) strategy for the series configuration. Here the controller drives as long as possible using battery energy, depleting the state of charge (SOC) from 90% to 30%. The engine turns on only if the road load exceeds the power capability of either the battery or the motor. Once the battery reaches charge sustaining mode (regular hybrid mode), the engine is to regulate the SOC.
Load engine power strategy. An SOC-based power threshold is used to urn the engine on. As a result, the engine can be turned on during charge depleting mode. To maximize charge depletion, the engine only provides the requested wheel power without recharging the battery.
Optimum engine power strategy. Similar to the Load Engine strategy, the engine is turned on based on a threshold. Here, however, the controller attempts to restrict the engine operating region close to its peak efficiency. As a result, the engine might be used to recharge the battery during charge depletion.
Basic comparison of fuel consumption showed mean values of:
Basic conventional: 6.6 L/100km (35.6 mpg US)
Hybrid (HEV): 4.69 L/100km (50.2 mpg US)
Split 4 kWh: 3.27 L/100km (71.9 mpg US)
Split 8 kWh: 2.32 L/100km (101.4 mpg US)
Series 12 kWh: 1.50 L/100km (156.8 mpg US)
Series 16 kWh: 1.23 L/100km (191.2 mpg US)
The larger the battery, the more fuel saved. However, what we also noticed was that the delta for consumption is not linear. The fuel we save by going from 4 to 8 kWh is much greater than the fuel saved going from 12 to 16.
—Aymeric Rousseau
On top of the significant gain achieved by using a standard HEV compared to a conventional vehicle (27.6%), the 4 kWh configurations adds an additional 20%. The gains from adding further battery capacities decrease when going from 8 to 16 kWh, with only a 10% increase from 12 to 16 kWh. Looked at another way, 4 kWh of battery energy provides 50% of the fuel displacement gains achieved with a 16 kWh battery.
The Argonne team found similar electrical consumption across the PHEV options for short distances. The largest discrepancies are found with medium distances of 15-25 miles; these drive cycles are characterized by both low and large power demands. While the split 8 kWh option will have an engine on event, the series configurations will continue to operate in all electric mode.
Cost benefit analysis. Based on the results, Argonne also modeled out the cost-benefit of the different configurations. Some of those findings included:
Assuming an electrical cost of $0.09/kWh and a fuel cost of $4/gallon, the HEV breaks even at 7.5 years, while the PHEVs range from 8 to 12.5 years.
A longer daily drive distance can significantly reduce payback time. Based on the assumption considered, one should drive at least 30 miles per day to have an acceptable payback (4-6 yeas for small energy batteries and 6-8 years for larger battery energies).
HEVs are more cost-effective than the split 4 kWh for driving longer than 30 miles, but the order is reversed for shorter distances.
When driving long distances (> 40 miles), both series configurations achieve similar payback since the additional battery cost is offset by fuel efficiency benefits.
Compared to the HEV powertrain, payback is close to 8 years for low energy batteries and 11 years for larger batteries.
An increase in fuel price from $4 to $5/gallon decreases the payback time by one year on average.
The group is looking at additional drive cycles, Rousseau said.
Based on the assumptions considered, for the mid-term, the cost of PHEVs remains high, requiring further research and development for batteries and electric vehicles.
You get the payback for the country in less imported oil. I know the individual has a payback period, with car price and fuel price, but what is the payback for all of us with less imported oil? We do not have to go to war nor get jerked around by people that want to mess with us....priceless.
Agree with SJC on this. Payback or ROI for hybrids generally does not factor in the added cost of petroleum based economies. And the idea that we could be growing a new industry domestically (GM's Volt battery facility)adds to dollars remaining at home. These li-ion batteries are currently factored at the highest price per kWh they will ever be.
This Argonne Study confirms the Voltage design choices. The "sweet spot" for fuel and economic efficiency is 8 kwh USABLE, which is the choice taken for the the Volt EREV Series electric vehicle.
As prices for batteries drop, it still appears that the smart course is to make the EREV less expensive, rather than boosting the AEV range from 40 miles as the 80-20 rule seems to be prevalent in the actual driving patterns of the 100 drivers monitored.
Way to go Volt Engineers. Also Kudos to Dr. Frank at UC Davis for his pioneering work to determine that "sweet spot" for hybrid vehicles. It was he and his Graduate students who conducted the original studies to determine that 80% of USA drivers drove less than 40 miles per day, most of the time.
This study is third party validation of GM's product strategy and confirms their earlier publications on the topic. The GM SAE studies, published in 2008 (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/02/gm-study-shows.html) and earlier this year (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/05/gm-quantifies-20090516.html) show that basically, the E-REV (VOLT) will do much more than a blended PHEV converted from a regular full hybrid (plug in PRIUS). The Volt will use much less fuel, make less CO2, and will make less pollution (HC) than the PHEV Prius, especially when run in the real world, and especially as charging opportunities become more prevalent.
This study shows that Parallel Plug-in Hybrids are an evolutionary dead end. They achieve no economies of form, requiring both mechanical and electrical drive trains. A series hybrid can dispense with the mechanical drive train.
The Volt's failure lies in morphology. A commuter car does not need 5 seats and the shape does not have to slavishly follow the form of a standard sedan. A smaller vehicle with a smaller genset tucked away could achieve high fuel economy at lower cost.
The first 4kWh displaces the most fuel and offers the best bang for the buck. It makes more sense to sell FOUR Prius PHEV with 4kWh rather than ONE 16kWh Volt. This would displace 48 times more fuel.
This study confirms that the next step in PHEV is with the parallel-series PHEV hybrids.
Note that Series hybrid can not use a small battery pack because it won't have enough power. This study is a bit flaw because we do not have a 12kWh battery pack that can accelerate Volt size/weight car 0-60 in 9 second (premise of the comparison).
You are really stretching to try and make a point for a Plug in Prius, like somehow minimizing the use of batteries to displace fuel is a good thing.
In the process you are comparing one car against two car. Why would I drive two Prius when I need to go somewhere? And if I used two Prius' for my trip, I wouldn't displace any fuel. Logically, I would drive one Volt instead.
The object is electrification, and the Volt does more than a Plug In Prius.
One Volt displaces more fuel that one Prius.
Two Volts displaces twice as much as Two Prius.
You can fill in the rest, because that is the future.
Sadly, the end goal, to reduce oil imports and GHG emissions is not very relevant here.
Sales drivers are 1) affordability and 2) perceived utility/style (4 or 5 seats, range, convenience etc; i.e. a “normal” car).
Expecting the imported oil and GHG problems to incentivize the individual buyer when it will cost more than +20% is foolish.
The Prius succeeds only partly, at this time, because of cost; it is a desirable vehicle otherwise for way more people than it’s present 2% sales penetration.
The Volt will apparently have the same cost problem but may be a bit more desirable, at least for some, so it might add another 2% to the hybrid sales penetration.
The common, and I believe correct assumption is that vehicles that are much less desirable will not sell in quantities, regardless of price or fuel consumption.
So, while this site might have many readers that believe all (or many) people should be driving EV1s, Insight-1s and Aptera’s, that’s not likely to happen, whether such vehicles are available or not.
Li-Ion battery cost/performance is, apparently, one of the few (maybe only) technologies that can turn the tide.
Higher gas taxes can make that happen sooner – maybe with tolerable side effects, maybe not.
Cellulose biofuels and PHEVs can make a difference, 2% may go to 5% in the next few years. Cellulose E10 and E85 available everywhere with all new cars FFV could make quite a big difference. No silver bullet, but a lot of golden BBs.
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Flu cases mounting in Ulster County, across US
Flu season seems to have come early this winter, local and federal officials say, but it's not too late to be immunized.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, activity during the 2012-13 influenza season began relatively early compared to recent seasons, but it is impossible to predict when the season will peak or how severe it will be. Locally, 77 cases of flu had been confirmed in Ulster County as of Tuesday, said county Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith.
Kingston Hospital's Emergency Department has seen more than 300 patients with flu-like symptoms in the last week, said Stuart Hirsch, administrative director of emergency services for HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, the hospital's parent company. He said those symptoms include body aches, fever, cough, congestion and fatigue.
Hirsch said the flu in elderly people can progress to become pneumonia.
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"It just seems to be a very strong presentation this year," Hirsch said of the flu.
Hirsch said the flu vaccine is recommended for people who meet the criteria to receive it, though there are some who would be allergic to it. He also said people can help prevent the flu by avoiding those who already are ill and by washing their hands. People also should stay hydrated and eat healthy, he said.
At the end of December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC, reported flu activity continued to increase nationwide, with most of the country experiencing high levels of flu-like illnesses. The agency said there had been 2,257 flu-associated hospitalizations nationwide since Oct. 1 and 18 flu-associated pediatric deaths.
Smith, the Ulster County health commissioner, said this "is an unusually early and intense flu season."
"The flu virus has been with us for many years and some people have never gotten seriously ill from the flu, so they downplay the need to get vaccinated," Smith said in a press release. "At best, getting sick with flu can put one out of commission for several days or weeks. At worst, it can result in hospitalization and even death. It's not too late to get a flu shot. Influenza vaccine is safe, effective and inexpensive. Everyone, age 6 months and older, should get vaccinated immediately."
The Ulster County Executive's Office said in a press release that, according to the CDC, "this year's vaccine is well matched for the three strains of influenza that are circulating.
The release said flu vaccinations in Ulster County are available at county-sponsored clinics, doctors' offices and retail pharmacies.
Ulster County Executive Michael Hein received his flu shot Tuesday and Smith and Hein urged everyone to take immediate action to protect themselves and their families from "this serious and preventable disease."
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Banana Bio-fortification
“Development and Transfer of Technology from Queensland University of Technology, Australia to India for Bio-fortification and Disease Resistance in Banana”
Queensland University of Technology, Australia has developed bio-fortified banana under the Grand Challenges in Global Health Program to alleviate vitamin A and iron deficiency in Uganda. They have also developed technologies related to Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and Fusarium Wilt resistance in banana. QUT is willing to share these technologies with India. An agreement was signed between BIRAC on the behalf of Government of India and QUT, Australia for “Development and Transfer of Technology from Queensland University of Technology, Australia to India for Bio fortification and Disease Resistance in Banana” on 24th August, 2012.
Under this project, it is proposed to utilize the experience and achievements of Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia for the development, validation and transfer of specific traits in two Indian banana varieties cv. Grand Nain and Rasthali. QUT has done substantial work on efficient regeneration & transformation of banana for provitamin A (PVA) & iron bio-fortification. They have also obtained good leads related to Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and Fusarium Wilt resistance. The QUT group has developed and evaluated a large number of promoter-gene combinations, made transgenic lines and evaluated in field trials. On the basis of results, QUT has been improving the constructs (Generation 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3) with respect to fold increase in expression of the above mentioned genes. Banana plants having several of these gene constructs (especially Gen2 and Gen3) are currently under field and selection for enhanced level of micronutrients that may match PVA and iron requirements is desirable for India. QUT is willing to share these constructs, data on performance, bioavailability studies, bio safety data and protocols for efficient regeneration and transformation in banana. The technology developed by QUT to improve banana varieties for iron, PVA, BBTV and Fusarium Wilt resistance will be applied to Indian banana varieties, evaluated under Indian conditions of growth and improved, as may be required. Accordingly, QUT will provide Gen1 constructs. This will be followed by the development of data and sharing of Gen 2 and Gen 3 constructs in a timely manner.
The Technology Transfer for Bio-fortified Banana from QUT, Australia, would be to 5 Indian Partners
Scope of application indicating anticipated product and processes: This study will lead to the development of bio-fortified and disease resistance transgenic Indian bananas. High level expression of gene constructs involved in carotenoid & iron biosynthesis pathways and BBTV & fusarium resistance will be aimed through joint efforts with QUT, Australia. On successful achievement of milestones, bio-fortified and disease resistant varieties of Rasthali and Grand Nain will be developed.
iv. This will include aspects of (i) Safety, (ii) Compliance, (III) Containment and confinement, (iv) Product identity and (v) Quality and sustainability. Travel, accommodation and living expenses to be covered by DBT
v. Make data available on the human iron bioavailability study and human PVA bioavailability study
vi. Transfer best BBTV and FOC resistance construct
The Indian component deliverables are as follows:
i. The first phase constitutes the development of PVA & iron bio-fortification of Indian banana by NABI, Mohali and BARC, Mumbai respectively. NRCB, Trichy will do work on both PVA & iron bio-fortification
ii. The second phase will have the BBTV & Fusarium Wilt disease resistance components by TNAU, Coimbatore and IIHR, Bangalore, respectively. Efficient embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) culture of the Rasthali by NRCB, Trichy and Grand Nain by BARC, Mumbai will be developed as a continuous source for genetic transformation and distributed to all the Indian partners. Wherever available, the Indian gene constructs will be compared with the gene constructs developed at QUT, Australia. Most suitable modified banana lines will be evaluated under field conditions, in next phase of the project.
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In the Town of Adventures Fame, personal glory is everything. Three times a week, all warriors gather in the arena to discover who is the best. If you are to become the most famous warrior of all time, you must have enough skill and stamina to best your peers in open combat. In order to do that, you must explore the countryside and seek out monsters on which to practice your martial abilities. Only through their blood can you become trained enough to win the ultimate battle of fame and glory!
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An exciting opportunity for a Marketing & Business Development Executive to join the team of this Birmingham based Professional Services firm.
Client Details
A Birmingham based Professional Services firm seeking to engage a Marketing & Business Development Executive.
Description
Reporting to the Business Development Manager, the Business Development Executive will work with key staff and partners across the not for profit sectors to ensure the firm effectively targets new work, and acquires quality new business and clients.
Responsibilities
* Work with the BDM and sector heads on preparing marketing and business development plans, checking progress against plan regularly, and ensuring delivery within budget and adequate ROI
*
* Attend national sector business development meetings to feed in ideas and help drive and challenge action
*
* Undertake research to identify national targets and to support national targeting campaigns and activity
* Coordinate and roll out national targeting campaigns working closely with regions to ensure local follow up takes place and ROI measured
* Feed in to large PQQs, proposals and presentations as appropriate, providing national credentials, best practice information and ensuring processes are followed
* Coordinate the development of a credentials and tenders bank across not for profit sectors.
* Plan and coordinate national events within budget, ensuring appropriate follow up action is undertaken to convert leads and measure ROI
*
* Support the sectors in delivering all external communications material and collateral, ensuring this is on brand and in support of the firm's strategy
* Champion the use of social media across not for profit sectors to increase engagement, linking in with the firm's strategy
* Support and deliver on strategic sponsorships and initiatives with third parties, ensuring activities meet objectives and produce an acceptable ROI
Profile
The successful candidate for the role of Marketing and Business Development Executive will be working within the professional services sector and have a broad range of experience with Bids and Tenders as well as marketing & Communications.
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The Prophetic Mosque Training
Join ISNA and the Sisters Committee of ISGH as we host a full day training for members of the community and local Islamic organizations. The Prophetic Mosque training is a crucial element to continue serving all members of our communities, including women and minorities, in the way prescribed by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
This training will be led by Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) President Azhar Azeez, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Sister Hind Makki at ROIC.
This event is free, but we ask that you register to reserve your spot for this training.
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You are here
Australia: Shares end up 0.7% on resources lift
Tue, May 17, 2016 - 3:13 PM
PHOTO: REUTERS
[MELBOURNE] Australian shares closed 0.7 per cent up on Tuesday, stoked by steel, mining and energy stocks, with commodities benefiting from better risk appetite as oil prices hit six-month highs due to supply worries.
The S&P/ASX 200 index climbed to 5,395.90 points by the close of trade. The benchmark ended up 0.6 per cent on Monday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index climbed 0.9 per cent, or 60.7 points, to 6,974.9 points, having marked a new record high at 6,988.38.
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I joined Double Negative as an HR Administrator in May 2008, at the end of Hellboy II and The Dark Knight. The following August I became a rotoscope artist and a year later became a junior compositor. I've now been working there for just over 7 years and am a lead compositor having worked on many films which can be found on my IMDB profile.
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) An insertion usually abolishes the activity of a gene. Savic. 31 FIGURE 20 Specular reflectance spectra of PDR surface and 60 infrared black coatings. Properties of lamin A mutants found in Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy and Dunnigan-type partial lipodystrophy. 22) where xcl(t) is the classical path which connects the accлunt points (x0, t0) and (xNtN ), namely, xcl(t) x0 xN x0(tt0). FEBS Lett. They will need strong leadership and pressure from the United States and from some of the rest of the international community.
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SENTENCES I'M MOST LIKELY TO START A CONVERSATION WITH
After making this list, I've realized I'm not a very exciting conversationalist.
•
"So I was listening to NPR this morning..."
A guy once told me "maybe you should take a break from NPR. You talk about it a lot." Guess someone was just jealous of my trove of semi-useless information.
•
"Guess what happened to my car today..."
5 years of a shitty car made for a lot of boring car-problem stories. #RIPFordFocus 🚗⚰
•
"Did you see that SNL skit..."
Once I start explaining it the funniness level of it quickly goes downhill.
•
"So I was at Trader Joe's and the checkout guy..."
I'm convinced the only requirement to work at Trader Joe's (or Whole Foods) in Seattle is to be a hot guy. So many beards.
•
"I had this dream last night..."
I have bizarre and intricate dreams every night and no one is ever as interested in hearing about them as I think they should be.
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"You won't believe what this guy texted/snapchatted me..."
Always accompanied by screenshots. Top source of entertainment.
•
"You know that Seinfeld episode where..."
A reference to Seinfeld is always appropriate.
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"Have you heard that new Drake song?"
One of my self-appointed jobs in life is to keep all my friends up to date on Canadian music. Also related: "Have you seen the music video for this song?" The answer is almost always no. I miss the MTV era (not that I had cable as a kid so I don't really know anything about that era).
•
"So today, one of my students..."
I love telling everyone about the college students I work with. They teach me new things and are funny and awesome and write me nice notes and occasionally make questionable decisions.
•
"That's not gonna be a good situation for my asthma/hives..."
Bad genes, leaving me on the sidelines since 1990. #lilweezy
•
"I was talking to my counselor..."
It's a miracle I survived being a member of my crazy family/being a twenty-something before I started going to counseling, and I always want to talk about what I learned #besthourofmyweek
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Underground Authority
Rock
Underground Authority is one of the fewest rap-rock outfits in India. From gigging in clubs to being the finalists of India’s Got Talent Season 2, Underground Authority has had the taste of indie as well as the mainstream sides of the music industry. However, the band’s focus has always been about making music around subjects that they feel passionate about.
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Ballet Rambert Applies for Brunnel Facilities
8 July 2005
As part of the redevelopment of Brunel University’s Richmond Lock Campus, Ballet Rambert, the oldest dance company in Britain, has submitted an application for proposed changes to Violet Needham Chapel and extensions to Clifton Lodge so that they be retained as an educational facility, as required in the planning permission.
According to Councillor Hambidge, “this is great news for the local community” and that the application should come before the Committee in late July or the beginning of August.
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Can -can leather boots
calf height
unlined
Boot with laces
reinforced heel and toe
* Different heels and colors are avaible on request for dance schools and if you order more pairs.
Colors avaible are:red-white-flesh-gold-silver. For extra informations email us at : [email protected]
The Capezio DS01 Dance sneaker is durable and will provide you with greater support, stability and flexibility. Made of leather.
Features a • split-sole • lightweight, polyurethane sole that allows dancers to turn on any surface. • Excellent shock absorption. • Box toe. • Padded collar and tongue..
Greek sandal featuring a traditional X-Barre design and buckle fastening. The upper is made from superior leather in either black or classic cream. It has a 1" heel and a suede sole.
upper of leather
elastic criss crossed
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Greek sandal featuring a traditional T-strap design and buckle fastening. The upper is made from superior leather in either black or classic cream. It has a 1" heel and a suede sole. upper of leather elastic criss crossed plantar flexible for the pointe entire sole of leather
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In the path of an oncoming army: civilians in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction
The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2013 is in full swing, welcoming thinkers and writers from across the globe to our wonderful city of Oxford. We’re delighted to have over thirty Oxford University Press authors participating in the Festival this year! OUPblog will be bringing you a selection of blog posts from these authors so that even if you can’t join us in Oxford this year, you won’t miss out on all the action. Don’t forget you can also follow @oxfordlitfest and check the event schedule here.
Mike Rapport will be giving a free talk at the Oxford Literary Festival on Saturday 23 March 2013 at 1.15 p.m. to talk about The Napoleonic Wars. The Very Short Introductions ’soapbox’ talks will be running twice a day during the festival.
By Mike Rapport
Modern wars, someone once wrote, are fought by civilians as well as by armed forces. In fact, it is of course a truism to say that civilians are always affected by warfare in all periods of the past — as the families left behind, by the economic hardship, by the horrors of destruction, plunder, requisitioning, siege warfare, hunger, and worse. The involvement of civilians in modern wars, however, became more intense because, with the advent of ‘total war’, belligerent states began to mobilise the entire population and material resources of the country. The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars were an early example of the ways in which a modern war could grind millions of people up in its brutal cogs, whether as conscripts in the firing lines of Europe’s mass armies and navies, or as civilians caught in the path of the oncoming battalions and trapped in the crossfire of the fighting itself. At the Oxford Literary Festival on 24 March, I will be speaking about the non-combatants who, in one way or another, found themselves entangled in the wars.
Civilians were of course victims. Four years ago Karen Hagemann published a fine article on the civilian experience of the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, the largest battle in European history before 1914. The local people started as horrified onlookers, as maimed, sick French troops retreated into the city to find treatment in makeshift military hospitals But soon the fighting arrived on their streets and doorsteps and they themselves became the victims. First, they suffered economically with the pillaging and requisitioning of tools, furniture, food and livestock. Then they found themselves under fire, huddling in churches and cellars to shelter — sometimes in vain — from the bursting shells, or they fled the carnage, carrying what they could on carts and wheelbarrows and dragging their terrified children along with them.
Yet this was a ‘people’s war’ not only because the conflict may have killed at least one million civilians (and very likely many, many more). It was also a ‘people’s war’ because the civilian population of all the belligerents mobilized behind the war effort. Economies were reoriented into supplying armies and navies, while the recruiting-sergeant and press-gang became all-too-familiar sights across Europe. In revolutionary France in 1793, the ‘mass levy’ of the entire population for the war effort gave men, women and children explicit roles to play in the mobilisation of all the nation’s resources for the sole purpose of fighting the war. Yet civilians also voluntarily engaged in the prosecution of the conflict. In France in the 1790s, communities collected money and valuables and presented them to the government as ‘patriotic donations’. Women played a pivotal role: in Germany, a ‘Women’s Association for the Good of the Fatherland’ raised money and collected valuables for the Prussian war effort against France in 1813: it boasted some 600 branches by 1815. In Britain, women raised subscriptions for the wounded, the widowed and collected materials and clothing for the troops: there were, again, hundreds of such organisations. In Spain, men and women joined bands of guerrillas to fight and plunder the French, although in many cases such actions appear to have been little different from banditry, since Spaniards suffered from these depredations too.
Yet it all shows that people were not simply coerced. They were stirred by propaganda fed to them by governments and by a media trying to convince them that the war was, variously, a struggle for survival, for liberty, for religion, for monarchy, or for the Emperor. The people themselves played a role in shaping the propaganda, in defining what the war was about. With an expansion in literacy in the eighteenth century, such popular support would have been impossible without an interaction between public opinion and governments. In the varieties and intensity of the civilian experience, the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars are a chilling anticipation of the ‘total wars’ of the twentieth century.
The Very Short Introductions (VSI) series combines a small format with authoritative analysis and big ideas for hundreds of topic areas. Written by our expert authors, these books can change the way you think about the things that interest you and are the perfect introduction to subjects you previously knew nothing about. Grow your knowledge with Very Short Introductions on Facebook, and OUPblog and the VSI series every Friday!
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Troopers shoot man in standoff
Debbie Caldwell Editor
October 7, 2013
Kentucky State Police troopers and Cumberland City Police Department officers found themselves involved in a standoff situation on Monday afternoon where gunfire was exchanged resulting in the alleged shooter being wounded.
According to a press release from KSP Public Affairs Officer Shane Jacobs, Post 10 troopers responded to the assistance of the Cumberland City Police Department on Old College Road to a shots fired complaint.
Jacobs said upon troopers’ arrival, Jason W. Edmond, 42, of Cumberland, had barricaded himself inside of his residence after firing several shots into several neighboring homes.
“Mr. Edmond exited his home and came out into the front yard and began screaming and threatening officers,” Jacobs said. “Mr. Edmond raised his weapon in the troopers’ direction when two troopers shot him.”
Edmond was transported from the scene by LifeCare Ambulance Service to the lower level area of Southeast Community and Technical College’s campus where he was airlifted to a trauma center.
Jacobs said Edmond was flown to Holston Valley Medical Center, Kingsport, Tenn., for treatment. He is listed in critical condition.
KSP acting post commander Lt. Jason Adams said the investigation is being conducted by Lt. Ryan Catron and other Post 10 personnel. Lieutenants from Pikevile and Hazard posts are also assisting in the investigation.
It is unclear at this time as to what triggered the incident.
The incident occurred near the former Cumberland High School and not far from Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. The campus was placed on lock-down during the incident. An alert telephone call went out to many Harlan County residents to inform them the college had been placed on lock-down.
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Friday, 21 October 2011
"...Since our favourite group of UMNO-loving inbreds have run out of sextapes in their porn stash to target politicians opposing UMbred, they have turned their focus towards Lim Guan Eng’s 16-year old son.
It’s one thing to watch sextapes over and over again – like a sex maniac – just to spot if the ‘actor’ looks like Politician X or Customs Officer Y.
But it’s an entirely different thing to conjure up stories of a 16-year old boy ‘touching’ a 16-year old girls private parts.That’s called being a pedophile.
Or at least, a pedophile with sex fantasies involving MINORS i.e. kids below the age of 18. Punishable by law, if I may say so.
Especially since they made this up, it involves actual living people, and involves the fabrication and defamation of minors in the context of sexual elements.
Khairy ‘sonafabitch’ Jamaluddin’s displayed a sexual interest into the propagated fictional story of LGE’s son: See this Link: Khairy Twitter
UMNO is fucked up. They’re comprised of sexual baboons that once they hit 60, they rely on Viagra and watching shit on papagomo’s blog."
The girl whose photograph was used by pro-Umno bloggers (ie PAPA GOMO) to level accusations of sexual harassment against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s son has denied ever meeting or hearing of the 16-year-old schoolboy.
Chess grandmaster Anya Sun Corke said today that she was “shocked, dismayed and baffled” as to how her photo was used without her knowledge or consent.
“I have never met or even heard of any of the people involved. I have never been physically assaulted in any way. I have never been victimised in any way by this boy or his family.The only way in which my ‘modesty was outraged’ has been by the publication of my picture in connection with these scurrilous and unfounded rumours,” the undergraduate at Wellesley College said in a statement.
Pro-Umno bloggers had claimed that Lim’s son had assaulted a 16-year-old schoolmate and tried to escape punishment by using his father’s name.
But the DAP showed at a press conference on Wednesday screenshots from the blogs which used pictures of Corke that matched those from www.chessbase.com.
Lim had denied the allegations on Tuesday, saying he was furious with the “barbaric lies” made about his teenage son by “pro-Umno ferocious beasts.”
His colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have come out strongly in support of the DAP secretary-general against what they call “the lowest gutter politics” seen in decades.
The principal of SMK Heng Ee in George Town also moved two days ago to put an end to the accusations, calling them “completely untrue.”
Sensing growing public anger, Umno MPs have been quick to distance themselves from the allegations.
Corke said today that she has NOT visited Malaysia for seven years.
“I would also like to express my sympathies to the boy who was defamed by these baseless allegations. Last but not least, I hope that members of the public and the Malaysian media will respect my privacy and refrain from making unsolicited contact with me and my family, college, chess federation, and any other affiliation,” she said.
According to Corke’s Wikipedia listing, she “is a Woman Grandmaster and the top chess player from Hong Kong who is currently playing for England.”
She earned the title with her performance in 36th Chess Olympiad, playing for the Hong Kong men’s team.
She was the 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 Hong Kong National Champion (for men and women), thought to be one of the youngest national champions ever.
The principal of SMK Heng Ee in George Town today moved to put an end to accusations that Lim Guan Eng’s son had sexually harassed a female student of the school, calling it “completely untrue.”
Goon Boon Poh told The Malaysian Insider that he was “shocked” when he read news reports of the allegation, and that he wanted to put an end to the matter as it could affect the image of the high school.
Pro-Umno bloggers including Bukit Gelugor Umno division chief Dr Novandri Hasan Basri had claimed that the Penang chief minister’s son had assaulted a 16-year-old schoolmate and tried to escape punishment by using his father’s name.
“The allegations are completely untrue. It is very simple, there’s absolutely no truth to it,” Goh told The Malaysian Insider today. The blogs said the incident occurred in May this year. CM’s son has not been a student of my school since the beginning of this year,” he added.
Goh said that the pictures posted on the blogs were not of Lim’s son, and that pictures of the alleged victim was not even a student of Heng Ee.
The principal said that officers from the state education department had conducted an investigation into the allegations on Monday, and were satisfied with his explanation on the matter.
“If I had kept quiet, the silence would have put me, the school in an embarrassing situation. Very simple if it had happened I would have known about it, wouldn’t I. No students had complained about any such case and the girl is supposed to be a classmate, so I want to just clarify the matter,” said Goh.
The girl whose photograph was used by Umno bloggers to level accusations of sexual harassment against Lim’s son has been identified as 21-year-old chess Grandmaster Anya Sun Corke.
Corke, who represents England in chess, has no ties with Penang and has never been a classmate of Lim’s son as alleged by Umno blogs, the DAP said in a press conference in Parliament today.
The girl is understood to be currently an undergraduate of Wellesley College in the United States.
Without revealing details of the allegation, the Penang CM (picture) said yesterday he was furious with the “barbaric lies” made about his teenage son by “pro-Umno ferocious beasts,” singling out Khairy Jamaluddin and other ruling party leaders for perpetuating the allegations through snide comments on blogs and social media sites.
The Rembau MP had written on micro-blogging site Twitter on Monday, “Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada” in response to another tweet by PapaGomo. [English translation: Maybe he destroyed Kampung Buah Pala because he wants to replace it with Kampung Buah Dada].
The DAP called on Khairy today to “retract his snide remarks and apologise to Lim’s son, who is an innocent victim.”
Sixty Pakatan Rakyat MPs are pushing for a motion to censure a Court of Appeal judge for alleged plagiarism.
Leading the pack, Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh said that justice Abdul Malik Ishak had allegedly committed the offence while serving as a High Court judge in Johor in early 2000.The judge was accused of plagiarising a judgment by then Singapore High Court judge GP Selvam and the irony of the matter was that Malik was hearing a case regarding copyright.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament, Karpal said: “We have filed the motion (to discuss the censuring) with the secretary of the Dewan Rakyat.”
“This motion (is in line with) Article 127 of the Federal Constitution which allows for discussion of the conduct of judges if 1/4 of parliamentarians support the motion,” he added.
The total number of MPs is 222, and with 60 backing the motion, it exceeded the required number.
Meanwhile, Karpal described the charge against the judge as serious, and did not reflect well on the judiciary.
“It is clearly misconduct of a very serious nature on the part of Malik bringing the Malaysian judiciary into disrepute,” he said, demanding that the judge be suspended and brought before a tribunal.
Karpal said that portions of Selvam’s judgment were copied without quoting and acknowledging the original source.
The DAP leader said he had written twice to Malik in August and September this year but did not receive a response from him over the matter.
Karpal added that the motion filed today was also in line with Parliamentary Standing Orders 27 and 36 (8).
Standing Order 27 states that advance notice must be sent to the Dewan Rakyat secretary before tabling a motion in parliament.
While Standing Order 36 (8) required a motion to be tabled in parliament first before there is any discussion regarding a public officer appointed under constitutional provisions.
According to the judiciary website, the Johor-born Abdul Malik was appointed to the Court of Appeal on July 16, 2007.
A law graduate from the University of Singapore – graduating in 1974 , Abdul Malik was appointed as a Judicial Commissioner on Oct 1, 1992, and subsequently, as a Judge of the High Court of Malaya on Aug 17,1994.
Prior to that he had served as a magistrate, deputy public prosecutor, state legal adviser, senior Sessions Court judge and advisory board chairman at the Prime Minister’s Department.
the implementation of hudud is a Constitutional impossibility until and unless two-third of our Members of Parliament would vote to amend the Federal Constitution to allow it to happen.
the time when such Constitutional amendment is moved would be the first time when our Members of Parliament would vote solely or predominantly along racial and religious line regardless of party policy or party whip.
The Bar Councilhas since issued a statement which basically echoes my opinion. Lim Chee Wee, the Bar Council’s President was quoted as saying:
"Hudud cannot be implemented within the current constitutional and legislative framework.”
Professor Aziz Bari Got It Wrong on the Federal Constitution
My friend, the learned Professor Aziz Bari was reported to have DISAGREED with the Bar Council’s view. The learned Professor was quoted to say:
“The key here is Islam, not criminal law.”
The learned Professor pointed out that the Federal Constitution has set out the respective jurisdiction and powers of the Federal and State legislature.
As the powers to legislate on matters pertaining to Islam rests with the State, he argued that the State, including Kelantan, may pass hudud laws accordingly.
He also refuted that such move would result in double jeopardy for Muslim wrongdoers as, in his words:
“In other words, two systems is not a problem and we are not the only country in the world where this duality prevails.”
The learned Professor opined that “power on Islamic law belongs to the State.”
He then referred to the decision of our Supreme Court (then, the highest Court in Malaysia) Mamat bin Daud vs Govt of Malaysia where the Court held that a provision in the Penal Code which impacted on Islamic law was invalid as the Parliament had no power to legislate over Islamic matters.
The learned Professor therefore challenged the Bar Council’s view that the Kelantan State does not have the power to enact the hudud law.I have the highest of respect and regard for the learned Professor but I beg to differ on his opinion on this matter.
(Although) the respective State Legislative Assembly (“SLA”) has the power to legislate on matters pertaining to Islam, I am somewhat doubtful that the SLA may pass any kind of law which creates offences and prescribes punishment for those offences in accordance with the tenet of Islam, especially when such offences and punishments are ALREADY created and prescribed by PARLIAMENT.
Division of Legislative Powers between Parliament and SLA
The Federal Constitution divides the legislative powers between the Parliament and SLA quite clearly.
The Parliament, or loosely, the Federal government, has the power to legislate over matters specified in List 1 (or otherwise known as the “Federal List”) of the 9th Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
The SLA on the other hand may legislate on those matters in List II (also known as the “State List”)of the 9th Schedule.
In addition, there are matters which may be legislated by both the Parliament and the SLA. These are contained in List III of the 9th Schedule (also known as the “Concurrent List”).
Included in the Federal List is, among other things:
“civil and criminal” law;
the constitution of all courts other than the Syariah Courts and
the jurisdiction and powers of all such courts.
That much is clear.
All this while, it is the PARLIAMENT which creates and defines all criminal offences as well as prescribing all punishment for those offences. There is no doubt about that.
(In this respect, there are already laws governing murder, theft and slander, which are three of the HUDUD OFFENSE prescribed by the Quran.The ONLY HUDUD offence which is NOT criminalised by the secular law isADULTERY).
THE STATE LIST (LIST II)in the FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
Let’s reproduce the whole paragraph 1 of the State List, so as not to cause any confusion*:
Except with respect to the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan,
i. ISLAMIC LAW and PERSONAL and FAMILY LAW of persons professing the religion of Islam, including:
Wakafs and the definition and regulation of charitable and religious endowments, institutions, trusts, charities and charitable institutions operating wholly within the State;
MALAY CUSTOMS: Zakat, Fitrah and Baitulmal or similar Islamic religious revenue, mosques or any Islamic public places of worship.
ii. Creation and punishment of offences by persons professing the religion of Islam against precepts of that religion, except in regard to matters included in the Federal List;
iii. The constitution, organisation and procedure of Syariah courts, which shall have jurisdiction ONLY over person professing the religion of Islam and in respect only of any of the matters included in this paragraph, but shall NOT have jurisdiction in respect of offences except in so far as conferred by FEDERAL law,
iv. The control of propagating doctrines and beliefs among persons professing the religion of Islam;
v. the determination of matters of Islamic law and doctrine Malay custom.
****The above provision is actually contained in one paragraph. I have broken it into several parts denoting the different areas of Islamic matters which the SLA may legislate to maintain clarity. ****
It is quite clear from the State List reproduced above that various Islamic matters ARE WITHIN the purview of the SLA.
The decision in Mamat bin Daud reinforces the view that STRICT adherence to the respective lists by the Parliament and the SLA in enacting laws is called for.In that case, a provision was included in the Penal Code by the Parliament which makes it an offence for anybody to cause religious disunity. The purport of that section was to maintain public order, a matter which is quite obviously within the purview of the Parliament.
However, in a 3-2 majority decision (with the late Eusoffee Abdoolcader, among others, dissenting), the Supreme Court held that that provision impinges on Islamic matters, which is in the State List and consequently the Parliament had no power to legislate on it.
It follows from that decision that the Court jealously guarded the purview, width and breadth of the respective Federal and State lists.No amount of encroachment will be allowed by either the Parliament or the SLA on each other’s powers.
Although the offence created by the Parliament in that case falls under public order, which comes under the purview of the Parliament, the Court still viewed that as an encroachment of the SLA’s power to legislate on Islamic matters.
It is therefore clear and obvious that the Court took a strict and stringent approach in determining the rights and powers to legislate of the Parliament and the SLA.
Kelantan State Assembly Has NO POWER to Legislate on HUDUD LAW
Applying that strict rule, it is my humble opinion that the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly does NOT have the power to legislate on hudud laws or the power to create criminal offences and prescribe “Islamic” punishments for those offences.
Matters concerning CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAWS are clearly within the power and purview of the PARLIAMENT by virtue of the Federal List.
To allow the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly to enact a law to create hudud offences and prescribe punishment for those offences would amount to the usurpation by the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly of the Parliament’s power to legislate over criminal matters.
Applying the strict approach in Mamat bin Daud case, any law passed by the Kelantanese State Legislative Assembly as such would be void for being ultra vires the Federal Constitution.
Does HUDUD come under State List of the Constitution ?
Is it true that hudud comes within the State List and therefore the SLA has the power to legislate on it?
We have to analyse the above State List to answer this question.
Paragraph (i) above:
concerns family, personal, inheritance and trust matters. That much is clear.
Hudud does NOT come within the ambit of paragraph (i) above.
Paragraph (ii)
The bone of contention is paragraph (ii) above.
It states that the SLA has the power over the creation and punishment of offences by persons professing the religion of Islam against precepts of that religion, except in regard to matters included in the Federal List.
There are three important points to be made about THIS provision.
Firstly, the said provision is far narrower than the power given to the Parliament. Paragraph 4 of the Federal List spells out in the widest term possible the power of the Parliament to legislate over “civil and criminal law.”
That includes everything under the sun.
The only exception is “Islamic personal law relating to marriage, divorce, guardianship, maintenance, adoption, legitimacy, family law, gifts and succession, testate and intestate.”
Any OTHER matters would come within the power of the PARLIAMENT to legislate.
Contrast that provision to paragraph (ii) above.
Paragraph (ii) does NOT say “ISLAMIC CIVIL and CRIMINAL LAWS .”
NOR does it say “the creation and punishment of offences IN the precepts of that religion.”
It also contains a very important exception, namely, “except in regard to matters included in the Federal List.”
That brings me to my second point.
Paragraph (ii) above only gives the SLA power to create and punish offences AGAINST the precepts of Islam. It does not give power to the SLA to create and punish offences IN the precepts of Islam.
The established hudud offences, namely, murder, adultery, slander and theft are not offences against the precepts of Islam. They are offences within or in accordance with the precepts of Islam.
The failure to observe and appreciate this aspect of the provision has often led to a misconception that the State has the power to create any kind of offences as long as those offences are regarded as offences IN Islam. That is entirely wrong.
No less than our Federal Court, in Sulaiman Bin Takrib v Kerajaan Negeri Trengganu & Anor has, with respect, fallen into such interpretational misdeed when it held that the SLA had power to create offences “against the precepts of Islam” although by doing so, a criminal offence would be create so long as no such offence has been created by the Parliament. Former Chief Justice Abdul Hamid in his judgment says:
“In the instant case, as the offences are offences against the precept of Islam, as there are no similar offences in the federal law and the impugned offences specifically cover Muslims only and pertaining to Islam only, clearly it cannot be argued that they are “criminal law” as envisage by the Constitution.”
It has been my absolute pleasure and honour to have appeared before the learned CJ on some occasions. FCJ Abdul Hamid was a learned Judge for whom I have the highest of respect. However, his Lordship’s test in the above case is, in my humble opinion, wholly unsatisfactory.
The test is not whether there has been an offence created by the Parliament on the issue at hand.
Rather the test is whether the offence created by the State Legislative Assembly is “against the precepts of Islam.”
In this respect, offences AGAINST the precepts of Islam are TOTALLY DIFFERENT in nature and manifestation from offences IN the precepts of Islam.
This brings me to my third point. Paragraph (ii) above clearly prohibits the SLA from legislating on matters which “are included in the FEDERAL list.”
How clearer can that be?
Is there any ambiguity there?
The prohibition is as clear as daylight.
As long as the matter sought to be legislated by the SLA is included in the FEDERAL list, the SLA is PROHIBITED from legislating on it.
It does not say the prohibition only applies if the matters are included in the Federal list and they have been legislated by the Parliament. CJ Abdul Hamid is WRONG in Sulaiman Takrib case in this respect.
It is clear therefore that the State list does NOT vest the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly, or any other SLA for that matter, the power to pass hudud laws or to create criminal offences.
The law passed by the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly on HUDUD , in my humble opinion, is VOID for being ultra vires the Federal Constitution.
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Monday, 21 September 2009
Played to the absolute hilt by Elizabeth Taylor in Tennessee Williams's film adaptation of his play The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore (1963) entitled Boom! (1968). Appearing along side Miss Taylor are Richard Burton, Noel Coward (pictured above in his role as the Witch of Capri), and Joanna Shimkus.
And Alexandre was responsible for milady's intergalactic headgear, I think, as well as her other coiffures in the movie. It is such an awful, wonderful, mesmerizing movie. And Taylor played Sissy Goforth quite past the hilt, wouldn't you say?
that's crazy- why have i never heard of this? please tell me the headdress made of daisies and cigarettes dipped in glitter, as well as miss taylor's bouffant avec ponytail, are both prominently featured throughout the film.
terrifying and splendid- but is it even watchable beyond the crazy opening sequence? do i need to search it out, or have you given me the best it has to offer?
M21 - It is fabulous in that car wreck kind of way. If given a choice between being bored to death by the likes of "Coco, Avant Chanel" (seriously, I could have opened a vein) and sitting through this thinking "NO?!?", I'd sooo much rather sit through this.
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Samsung technology sets sail to new generation of ‘smart ships’
MSC Cruises has partnered with Samsung to develop technology for the next generation of smart cruise ships, making the travelling experience increasingly intuitive for guests.
The announcement revealed that contactless payment, interactive screens to allow guests to book restaurants and excursions, as well as visual displays, including in-cabin flat screen HDTV’s, public screens and digital signage will all be used throughout. Samsung will also be supplying mobile solutions such as smartphones, tablets and accessories as well as the medical equipment and technology for on-board medical centres.
Samsung will support the cruise ships near-field communication (NFC) technology on-board, enabling guests to use a cruise card, bracelet, or smartphone to geo-locate themselves or their children, access their cabin or make payments while on-board.
The technology will be rolled out on new ships, MSC Meraviglia next June and MSC Seaview next December, with another five ships on order for delivery.
However, it’s not the first cruise ship to launch as a ‘smart’ experience. A Royal Caribbean ship launched last year which featured robot bartenders that created drinks based off orders taken on tablets aboard the ship.
Samsung Italia President Carlo Barlocco adds: “The partnership with MSC Cruises is an example of how our advanced solutions are able to enhance the passenger experience: not only monitors and tablets to access information and infotainment contents on board but also advanced medical equipment to support first aid in case of emergencies.
“This partnership, finally, will allow Samsung and MSC to bring innovation to the whole cruise industry.”
MSC Meraviglia will be the company’s biggest ship, carrying 4,500 passengers, and will be sailing in the Western Mediterranean from Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona.
Three sister ships are expected to be delivered in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
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Cook pasta shells as directed on the package.Drain and cool.Place remaining ingredients except vinaigrette in a medium bowl.Pour vinaigrette over the salad, toss to coat.Stuff the shells with the salad.Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
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Agra Fort
Agra Fort (आगरा का किला) is also known as “Lal Qila”, and “Red Fort of Agra”, and is one of the most important forts in India.
Not much is known about the origins of Agra Fort, but the history books mention it for the first time in 1080AD. Since then, Agra Fort has served as home to many great mughals and has served as the governing fort of the country. Like many other historical sites, Agra fort was constantly re-built and remodeled through-out it’s history.
Today, Agra fort contains many smaller sites within it, and half of it is still occupied by the Indian military who use it as a base.
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Major new study says jails hothouse infectious diseases, which are then passed on to the wider community. THE PRACTICE OF imprisoning drug users is driving huge epidemics of infectious diseases such as HIV, according to major new international research. Levels of HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C infection among prisoners are far higher than …
New Drugs Minister Catherine Byrne is expecting some people to react negatively to supervised injection clinics for drug users, but insisted the drugs crisis must be addressed. Legislation allowing the centres is due to be published soon, and Ms Byrne said that despite the challenges in the current Dail make-up she is confident it will …
Many children whose parents are heavy drinkers grow up worrying about their siblings’ health and safety, while others report being unable to sleep at night because of parents’ partying or recount being verbally and physically abused by drunk parents, according to the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC). Speaking at a Leinster …
There was a sharp division in the Seanad when Minister for Health Simon Harris introduced legislation to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act for prescription medicines. The new legislation will make “unauthorised possession” of prescription medicines for on-street trading a criminal offence. It will also include certain designer drugs such as “clockwork orange” on the list of …
Prison health authorities should be tracking the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis in jails, the Irish Penal Reform Trust has urged. The Irish Prison Service is responsible for the health and wellbeing of prisoners, but the IPRT wants the Department of Health to be involved as well. The IPRT said the monitoring of …
Bray Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force is a committee of statutory organisations, community groups and public representatives that aim to address the drug problem in Bray. The Task Force has in place prevention and education programmes, treatment services for active users and rehabilitation service. To address addiction related problems is an on-going, multi-dimensional and evolving effort. Alcohol and alcohol addiction related interventions are formally included under the Task Force brief from January 2014.
Major new study says jails hothouse infectious diseases, which are then passed on to the wider community.
THE PRACTICE OF imprisoning drug users is driving huge epidemics of infectious diseases such as HIV, according to major new international research.
Levels of HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B and C infection among prisoners are far higher than in the general population, globally, the study finds.
The authors say the The War on Drugs – where governments treat drug use as an issue for law enforcement rather than public health - and mass incarceration mean jails are hothousing infectious diseases.
Around 30 million people pass through prisons every year, often passing on diseases caught while behind bars, due to a lack of adequate treatment in prisons.
Around 10.2 million people are imprisoned worldwide at any given time – nearly 2.2 million in the USA alone.
Eastern Europe
Moreover, up to half of all new HIV infections over next 15 years in eastern Europe will stem from inmates who inject drugs, according to the study, presented at the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa.
The study concluded that treatment like ‘opioid substitution therapy (OST), in prisons and after release, could prevent over a quarter of new HIV infections among injecting drug users.
A US prison watchtowe
Incubator prisons
Professor Chris Beyrer, lead author of the study and president of the International AIDS Society, said:
“Prisons can act as incubators of tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and HIV and the high level of mobility between prison and the community means that the health of prisoners should be a major public-health concern.
“Yet, screening and treatment for infectious diseases are rarely made available to inmates, and only around 10% of people who use drugs worldwide are being reached by treatment programmes.
The most effective way of controlling infection in prisoners and the wider community is to reduce mass imprisonment of injecting drug users.
Worldwide, between 56% and 90% of people who inject drugs will be incarcerated at some point.
In parts of Europe, over a third of inmates inject drugs (38%), in Australia it is more than half, or 55%.
This is in stark contrast with injecting drug use the general population (0.3% in EU and 0.2% in Australia).
A prison officer holds heroin, pills and hashish along with some home made knives and mobile phones confiscated in prison from Mountjoy Prison.Source: Rollingnews.ie
Eastern Europe
The series of studies show that the prevalence of infectious diseases has grown in keeping with growing numbers of injecting drug users in prison.
Levels of HIV infection are 20 times higher among prisoners in western Europe than the civilian population (4.2% vs 0.2%).
HIV rates are around three times higher among prisoners in eastern and southern Africa (15.6% vs 4.7%) and north America (1.3% vs. 0.3%).
While most prisoners are men, women and girls are the fastest growing imprisoned group worldwide.
People queue outside Dublin’s Amiens Street City Clini for methadone, a synthetic d
In most regions of the world, levels of HIV infection are higher in female inmates than male prisoners including eastern Europe and central Asia (22% vs 8.5%).
High rates of hepatitis C are also seen among prisoners, with one in six inmates in parts of Europe and the USA carrying the hepatitis C virus.
Prevalence of active tuberculosis is higher in prisons than the general population in all settings.
Brazil
The prevalence was 40 times higher in one prison in Brazil than the general population.
Imprisonment could be responsible for three-quarters of new tuberculosis infections among people who inject drugs, and around 6% of all yearly tuberculosis infections.
High rates of injecting drug use in some settings, lack of access to condoms, unsanitary conditions, and gross overcrowding have made prisons and detention centers high risk environments for spread of these infections.
Almost half of countries in sub-Saharan Africa report that prisons are at 150% capacity or higher.
File photo
If a prisoner is locked up frequently and for longer periods, they are more likely to be infected with HIV and tuberculosis – and then export the problem to the world outside.
An estimated 30 million pass in and out of prison each year, meanwhile, bringing large numbers of undiagnosed and untreated prison infections to the community at large.
The research shows that countries can reduce and even reverse levels of infectious disease by scaling up opioid agonist therapy, antiretroviral therapy, hepatitis B vaccination, condom distribution, and sterile needle and syringe exchange.
Reducing mass incarceration of people who use drugs by a quarter could result in a 7–15% drop in new cases of HIV among injecting drug users in the wider community over five years.
European successes
Globally, only eight countries provide six key interventions recommended by the WHO for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in prisons – Portugal, Spain, Germany, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
In western Europe, only a third (10 of 29) of surveyed countries reported hepatitis C screening programmes for prisoners; and in 2012, and antiretroviral therapy was available to prisoners in just 43 countries worldwide.
Iranian reduction
Yet in Iran, where more than 60% of prisoners are incarcerated for drug-related crimes, HIV prevalence among injecting drug users in prisons dropped from 18.2% in 2003 to 2.3% in 2007.
This was down to a combination of voluntary HIV testing, OST, condoms, and needle and syringe exchange programmes.
Professor Beyrer added:
“The response to the HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis epidemics in prisons has been slow and piecemeal, and the majority of governments continue to ignore the strategic importance of prison health care to public health.
“Most strategies for dealing with infectious diseases in prisons focus on a zero-tolerance approach to drug users.
“The fact that infection rates are still climbing confirms that this approach does not work.
author:
New Drugs Minister Catherine Byrne is expecting some people to react negatively to supervised injection clinics for drug users, but insisted the drugs crisis must be addressed.
Legislation allowing the centres is due to be published soon, and Ms Byrne said that despite the challenges in the current Dail make-up she is confident it will pass.
A pilot project will be set up in the inner city, but a location will not be finalised until the new law has been approved.
“I know people in communities are fearful about things like this, but we have a crisis and we have to accept that we have a crisis with chronic drug users and this works in other cities,” said Ms Byrne.
Many children whose parents are heavy drinkers grow up worrying about their siblings’ health and safety, while others report being unable to sleep at night because of parents’ partying or recount being verbally and physically abused by drunk parents, according to the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
Speaking at a Leinster House briefing outlining how harmful drinking affects children, chair of the Oireachtas cross-party group on alcohol harm, senator Frances Black, said children living with parents who drink excessively often “suffer in silence”.
“The wide range of harms that are caused to children as a result of harmful drinking in the home is known as ‘hidden harm’, as the harm is not often visible in public and largely kept behind closed doors,” she said.
“These vulnerable children do not know where to turn for help, and the impact of harmful parental drinking has a deep and long-lasting impact.”
There was a sharp division in the Seanad when Minister for Health Simon Harris introduced legislation to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act for prescription medicines.
The new legislation will make “unauthorised possession” of prescription medicines for on-street trading a criminal offence. It will also include certain designer drugs such as “clockwork orange” on the list of scheduled substances.
Mr Harris said legislation was part of the Government’s approach to dealing with the serious crime situation in the north inner city of Dublin.
The regulation of prescription drugs governed legitimate trade rather than as a criminal code. “It is clear there are those who are exploiting this for their own criminal gains,” he said.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee said Summerhill in the north inner city had been described as “the sleepy mile” because of the prevalence of zopiclone, a psychoactive drug, often used in the treatment of insomnia. It was linked to 51 deaths due to poisoning in the north inner city in 2013.
She said children walking to school were stepping over empty blister packs and witnessing people under their influence.
‘Short-sighted’
But Ms Ruane said comments about people “walking across empty blister packs” were a red herring. “We walk across empty cans and bottles every day.”
She said she was angry at what she called “a very short-sighted measure”.
Ms Ruane, who works with addicts, described the legislation as “very much an attack on the addict” and it would do nothing to dismantle the drug trade at the top level. “It’s not ever going to be the person who is ever going to bring the drugs trade down” who would be charged.
She said the court and prison system would be blocked by these cases, and she described the move as a “reaction to make it look like we’re doing something”.
She said that when a drug was banned another came in.
Sinn Féin Senator Máire Devine said “we have many reservations and severe misgivings about the amendment”, which was taken in isolation rather than as part of a suite of amendments.
She said the Bill would fail in its aim without further investment but they would support it to committee stage.
She said parents saw their children being used as runners for the drugs barons. They were trying to shield their children but this was often impossible.
Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said his party would support the Bill’s move to committee stage although he said the legislation was in effect “criminalising marginalisation”.
Campaigners say pills at Manchester’s Parklife festival had up to 250mg of MDMA, which could prove lethal to some
Mastercard ecstasy pills. The Loop is calling on clubbers to beware of these and yellow Mickey Mouse pills, which were found to contain potentially harmful doses. Photograph: web
Drugs harm reduction campaigners are warning about high-strength ecstasy pills on the market in Britain after an analysis of drugs at a Manchester festival found some that contained double or even triple doses.
Fiona Measham, a member of the government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and founder of The Loop, a charity which tests drugs found or handed in at festivals, said she and her colleagues found ecstasy pills at the Parklife festival containing as much as 250mg of MDMA, the active ingredient. That makes them significantly stronger than the pills available during ecstasy’s previous hey-day in the late 90s, when average pills contained about 100mg of MDMA.
After a string of recent deaths attributed to MDMA poisoning, particularly among young women, she is calling on clubbers in the north-west to beware of red Mastercard and yellow Mickey Mouse pills, which were found to contain doses that could prove harmful or even lethal to some users.
There are particular concerns that irregularly shaped tablets, often with no score lines to easily split them, are confounding harm reduction advice that tells users to test their reaction to a half or even a quarter of a pill rather than swallowing the whole thing.
What has convinced some researchers that the risks of heavy cannabis use now warrant public health campaigns to warn people of potential harm?
How real is the risk of psychosis among vulnerable users of the drug?
And why has the number of young people receiving treatment for cannabis-related problems seemingly been on the rise in the UK?
Ian Sample is joined by Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London, Suzi Gage, senior research associate in the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at Bristol University and Ian Hamilton, a mental health lecturer at the University of York.
Listen to the full podcast here: https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2016/apr/15/how-harmful-is-cannabis-podcast
A little boy whose body has been racked with seizures up to 20 times a day since he was five months old has been seizure free for three months following his mother’s move to the US for cannabis oil treatment.
Last year the Irish Examiner highlighted Yvonne Cahalane, from Dunmanway in West Cork, and her two-year-old son Tristan, who was born with Dravet syndrome, a severe, incurable form of epilepsy.
Tristan’s first seizure occurred when he was five months old and his condition escalated to the point where he was experiencing epileptic seizures as many as 20 times a day.
The combination of his condition and the side-effects from his prescribed pharmaceutical medications resulted in numerous neurological and cognitive problems that affected his speech, movement, appetite, and behaviour.
In December 2015, Yvonne and Tristan moved to Colorado to begin cannabis treatment with the hope of easing his debilitating symptoms.
Since relocating, the positive changes in Tristan’s condition and wellbeing have convinced Yvonne that her desperate decision to leave their home in Ireland was the right one.
360p
01:41
In December 2015, Yvonne and Tristan moved to Colorado to begin cannabis treatment with the hope of easing his debilitating symptoms. Since relocating to the US, the positive changes in Tristan’s condition and well-being have convinced Yvonne that her desperate decision to leave their home in Ireland was the right one. Video by Briona Gallagher. Irish Examiner
Tristan has not had a seizure in three months. He has not needed rescue medication or oxygen since beginning his cannabis oil. Within days of his first medicinal marijuana treatment, there was a noticeable improvement. He has been weaned off three pharmaceutical drugs and is about to begin removing a fourth. Any previous attempts to wean off medications in Ireland had always resulted in Tristan being hospitalised.
Administrated orally, Tristan’s whole-plant medicine oil utilises the full spectrum of therapeutic compounds that cannabis has to offer.
Yvonne said there are significant differences in her son. “Tristan was suddenly able to make eye contact and became more alert. He began to babble, repeat sounds, and say new words. All of which had vanished since his spate of violent seizures last May when he stopped talking altogether,” she said.
“During the second week he began to get steadier on his feet, he wasn’t falling after a few steps, he was bending with stability. He would sit down without help and he began to kick a ball.
“His seizure activity lessened with every few days and once he had been increased to his optimum dose with the introduction of tiny amounts of THC, he was 99% seizure free and has been ever since.”
Yvonne said Tristan’s personality is beginning to shine through now that the fog of seizures and medications is lifting and she is enjoying a new, happier side to her son.
Yvonne Cahalane
Tristan attends the Children’s Hospital Colorado.
“The hospital and doctors we have caring for Tristan are wonderful, they hold cannabis in high regard as a medicine. Colorado in general is a very open-minded and beautiful state. There are educational events all the time to spread awareness of people’s options in using cannabis as their medicine,” said Yvonne.
Cannabis oil is illegal in Ireland and will not be available to Tristan when he returns home.
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04:10
Yvonne and Tristan are leaving Ireland on the 13th of December and moving to Colorado where they will live for the next year to eighteen months. Once there, Tristan will begin a hospital-based therapeutic treatment using cannabis. Video by Briona Gallagher. Irish Examiner. oil as a supplement.
With a visa set to expire, returning home is inevitable. Yvonne has left her husband John, and their other son Oscar behind as she concentrates on Tristan’s recuperation. While the progress Tristan is making is giving their family the strength to carry on, it is not always easy in Colorado.
Yvonne has launched an online petition on change.org that has acquired almost 3,000 signatures, and is asking everybody who agrees with changing the law to sign it.
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Inside Khloe Kardashian's Quietly Momentous Pregnancy
Khloe Kardashian is officially having the best year of her life. Until next year, that is.
In 2018, the E! star and member of one of the most famous families around will be branching off to start a family of her own. Khloe has confirmed that she is pregnant with her and boyfriend Tristan Thompson's first child together, taking to Instagram to share a photo of her bare, till now just speculated-upon baby bump.
While the exciting news hasn't exactly been kept under wraps—"Khloe is so happy, you have no idea," a source told us in September—the usually more demonstrative fam has been noticeably quieter this year, particularly when it comes to any and all blessed events.
But now that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, the Kardashians have been in a more giving mood.
One day at a time for almost three weeks now, the Kards have been rolling out a scene from their big holiday card photo shoot (which they skipped last year), timed to have the whole finished product on display by Christmas.
The card sort of serves as a metaphor for all of 2017—bit by bit, the family is coming back into clear focus after a most unusual year.
Though Khloe has talked extensively about intending to become a mother one day, her decision to not flaunt her expectant status or engage in the sisterly tradition of baring bumps in bikinis and posing for elaborate photo shoots (till now) makes sense as far as the timing goes.
For starters, why not keep a little something for herself? Khloe has lived the last 10 years of her life almost entirely in public, getting married, ending up separated, dating again, aiding ex Lamar Odom's recovery after he overdosed and ultimately getting divorced in full view of the cameras. Then of course inquiring minds wanted to know all about her romance with Thompson, which blossomed in the fall of 2016 after they were introduced on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.
Thompson was fresh from winning his first NBA Championship ring with the Cleveland Cavaliers and, once the 2016-17 season got underway, Khloe started spending more time in The Land than she probably ever expected to spend in her life. But already knowing she wanted to make it work, Khloe adjusted, even when obstacles seemed to loom.
In addition to abiding by his usual grueling schedule of workouts, practices and games, Thompson also became a first-time dad last December when his ex Jordan Craig gave birth to their son, Prince Oliver Craig Thompson. Maybe all of the above would've been a stumbling block to some—the whole family knows how hard it is to date professional athletes—but Khloe and Tristan had fallen fast for each other.
Instagram
Fast-forward to now and, with Khloe given carte blanche to decorate any Kardashian-Thompson abode as she sees fit, she's in "the best relationship" she's ever been in and the expectant couple are happily cohabitating in Cleveland and L.A.
"I do really love Cleveland," she assured Steve Harveyduring an appearance on his talk show in September. "Everyone is like, 'Oh, you don't have to say that.' I really enjoy it. It's so different from L.A. and I love the seasons. I spend Christmas out there and I've never had a white Christmas. I've never gotten to experience that, so I enjoy it. The people are so nice...They're so real."
This momentous time in Khloe's life also happens to have coincided, not just with momentous moments for sisters Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, but also with the wake of Kim's traumatizing, entire-family-dynamic-altering experience being robbed at gunpoint in Paris in October 2016. Kim stayed off social media for three months, a lifetime in Kardashian years, and her husband, mom and sisters all had to rally to help her feel like her normal self again.
"It's traumatizing and terrifying, but you genuinely...that's when you get down on your knees and you pray and you thank the lord that nothing worse happened," Khloe recalled hearing about the robbery during an interview on Today in January.
Snapchat / Tristan Thompson
Meanwhile, practically since she and Thompson started dating, they've been the subject of engagement and pregnancy rumors.
"There's rumors I've been pregnant for I think eight years now," Khloe said on Today. "Rumor after rumor after rumor...we've just learned not to address them."
In a June episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Khloe sees a fertility specialist—at first because she and Kim were pondering the idea of Khloe being a surrogate for Kim and Kanye West. Her first visit left Khloe wondering whether she could even get pregnant and the doctor advised her to stop taking birth control pills so he could fully suss out her situation.
All looked promising in the end, and that apparently marked a turning point for Khloe and Tristan's future together.
"Tristan and I definitely talk about starting a family," she said. "He wants to have five or six kids with me and that's lovely. We could start at one and we could grow from there. But now knowing I'm not on birth control is just like—it's scary. It's like a really big step."
In an interview this summer with The Mail on Sunday's YOU magazine, she expanded upon the subject, saying, "Tristan is a great dad and he definitely wants more children, but we both feel that it will happen when the time is right. We're still in a new relationship and I love us having time together. Once you have kids you can't get back your non-kid years...You worry about your children for the rest of your life. The concern I have is raising little human beings in a world that's filled with such hate and terror. That seems very scary."
There is, indeed, also that.
But barely a month after the interview was published in August came word that Khloe and Tristan were indeed expecting a baby, and scary world aside, the mommy-to-be was thrilled.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Good American
As for the other ever-present rumor, Khloe told YOU, "I believe in marriage and I want to be married again one day but I don't have a time frame. Why do people think that marriage equates to happiness? There are a lot of people in unhealthy marriages."
And Khloe of course knows from experience. Though in the moment she was hoping at the time that she and Lamar Odom could fix their marriage, she revealed earlier this year that she had actually "fake tried" to get pregnant while she and Odom were still together—meaning, she told the former NBA star she was on board with their efforts to have kids, knowing deep down that it was not the right time to have a baby.
"When I was doing my fertility treatments, they were more so for Lamar," she admitted. "I had to stop because there was much deeper stuff that was happening in our marriage. I knew that it wasn't the right situation to bring a child into, and I think I've done a lot of covering up for him, like even when it made me look like I was the problem. But I was fine taking on that burden on my shoulders because he had a lot of other deeper s--t to deal with."
And though mum had been the word, Khloe and Tristan did seem to be having some fun keeping their "secret."
For instance, on June 26, Khloe Snapchatted a picture of three Polaroids of her and Thompson, having written on one of them, "DAD + MOM." And on Sept. 25, when word was first starting to get out, Khloe commented on a photo of Tristan in his Cavs uniform, writing, "Daddy looks GOOD," along with the emoji with hearts for eyes.
Contributing to the silence quotient was the fact that, all within days of each other in September, out came the news that Kylie Jenner was also pregnant, and then Kim Kardashian finally confirmed that she and Kanye West were indeed expecting their third child via surrogate.
While Khloe's pregnancy is now Instagram-official, Kylie—who was the guest of honor at a baby shower thrown at her house last month—has yet to say a word or share any definitive bump picture.
So the Kardashian-Jenner family's approach to sharing a major life event was noticeably different in 2017, and they were all in it together. On Ellen in November, Kim failed to cave to Ellen DeGeneres' good-natured pressure to spill the family secrets. "When there are lots of rumors, we have this family group chat and we threaten each other's lives if we speak for the other one," she explained, having already let it slip that she and Kanye are having another girl(!). "We threaten each others' lives if we speak for the other one. We just decided there's so much that goes on that we respect each other's right to speak for themselves."
Kim later sipped a sardine milkshake on the Late Late Show With James Corden, rather than say anything about her sisters' reported pregnancies.
Jackson Lee / Splash News
And while blood relatives have largely closed ranks, Khloe's BFF Malika Haqq told E! News this summer, "Tristan's a very grounded, sound human being that comes from a great family...Sometimes you recognize other people come from similar backgrounds that might work a little more closely to the way you were raised or the way you do things. Morals and boundaries and all those things are really important and I think that they have a lot of the same morals and goals in life. I think that's why their relationship is successful."
But Thompson's normalcy was a selling point for Khloe, too. "We both felt this strong energy," she told London's ES Magazinein April. "I was like, oh this is such a nice, normal man—the normalcy is what I was craving." She said that, early on, the NBA star—who knows about commitment, having played in a league-leading 447 straight games until a thumb injury forced him to the bench last season—accepted her lifestyle, in which mass public attention is just built in.
"You could tell that was a big pill to swallow," Khloe recalled. "But he accepts who I am. He likes to protect me, which I haven't had before—someone looking out for me almost before himself."
"He is a father, and I know for a fact that he would be an impeccable father [to their own kids]," she also said. "I definitely want to be a mom. But I don't put the pressure on it. It's not like, 'the clock is ticking.' I feel in my soul it will happen."
A post shared by Khloé (@khloekardashian) on Dec 20, 2017 at 2:41pm PST
And it is happening.
"My greatest dream realized! We are having a baby! I had been waiting and wondering but God had a plan all along. He knew what He was doing. I simply had to trust in Him and be patient," she captioned her photo, in which both her hands and Thompson's are caressing her stomach together. "I still at times can't believe that our love created life! Tristan, thank you for loving me the way that you do! Thank you for treating me like a Queen! Thank you for making me feel beautiful at all stages!"
Khloe continued, "Tristan, most of all, Thank you for making me a MOMMY!!! You have made this experience even more magical than I could have envisioned! I will never forget how wonderful you've been to me during this time! Thank you for making me so happy my love!"
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Follow Us
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DILEMMA
I can see
the eyes
of your ….
staring at me
through your
pink night wear
protesting to
escape from
within your garment
and desperate
for my hands
to caress
Such beautiful
words above
i sent to you
two nights ago
could this be
the reason
you didn’t
chat your words
flowing to fill
my heart
yesterday night?
but i survived
for the sake of
hope
that this morning
you will replenish
all that i lost
Guess you were
scared of getting
……. on again
since am not there
to calm you down
but you need
not to worry
it’s simply
a sign of your
feelings for me
and in a little
while
i will be with you
in flesh and blood
and not of words
to satisfy your
desire.
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onahdave
Onah is a graduate of Banking and Finance from the University of Calabar,Cross River State,Nigeria. He has over 6 years Banking experience in various aspect of Treasury Operations. He is working towards becoming a qualified financial analyst in the future and enjoys reading, research and writing, especially Finance and Economic related topics. As much as he enjoys writing and reading he also enjoys playing chess, watching movies ,workout and other activities to live a balanced life.
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Cycling: O'Grady retires after 17th Tour
Australian rider Stuart O'Grady has announced his retirement, one day after completing a record-equaling 17th Tour de France.
The 39-year-old O'Grady called time on a 19-year professional career after a strong performance by his Orica GreenEDGE team in this year's Tour. Teammate Simon Gerrans won the third stage and O'Grady stood on the podium when the Australian-based outfit won the team time-trial in the fourth stage.
O'Grady competed at six Olympics, winning a gold medal with Graeme Brown in the men's madison in 2004, and won the 2007 Paris-Roubaix race. He has competed in the Tour every year since 1997, and this year matched American rider George Hincapie's Tour record of 17 appearances.
O'Grady won three Tour stages in his career, and wore the leader's yellow jersey for nine days.
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Methodology
Sensus services are provided on a professional and independent basis. Sensus evaluates accessibility to web sites and is furthermore available to discuss accessibility issues with organizations and web developers.
Web accessibility services are based on national and international guidelines for accessible web design, including the Web Contents Accessibility Guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - links to external website). Additionally, Sensus works with a wide network of people with special needs to ensure the validity of the services provided.
Sensus participates actively in national and international standardisation efforts on the subject.
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised the diplomatic insights of Vice President Hamid Ansari, a career diplomat, as the Rajya Sabha bid an emotional farewell to the outgoing Chairman of the Upper House.
Ansari chaired the House on the last day of his second term, and members cutting across party lines praised how he conducted the Rajya Sabha for a decade, upholding constitutional and parliamentary values.
Modi said that Ansari was leaving behind “great memories” and his “contributions have been important”.
“You have been a career diplomat, what it means I got to know when I became the Prime Minister. Observing you I saw mannerisms of a career diplomat.
“Your diplomatic insights were invaluable, especially when I discussed with you before and after my bilateral visits. I appreciate your insights. I am grateful to you and your talent in leading the way for the nation,” Modi said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also leader of the House, said it was “a nostalgic occasion” to bid farewell to Ansari “after completing 10 years as a very distinguished chairperson of this House”.
“You had experiences in various fields of public life. But dealing with the political fraternity was a different experience all together,” Jaitley said, praising how well Ansari did the job which “is very challenging for the reasons that this House unlike in the 1950s and 1960s now has a changed character”.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also wished Ansari the best and said he was grateful to the “best” Chairman compared to the others.
“You have been running sessions with diplomacy. You are a sportsman too. Now I think you will have time to play golf. I wish Allah give you a long life,” Azad said.
Tiruchi Selva, a DMK MP from Tamil Nadu, said while Ansari was being praised for his various attributes as a politician, as a Chairman, as a sportsman, he as an individual wanted to say thank you as “we have learned a lot from you”.
“I had the opportunity to travel abroad with you where I saw a different dimension of you – your magnanimity, tolerance and humility. You were concerned about the country. You have given simple solutions to bigger issues. It is not an exaggeration to appreciate you. Something that I learned from the north Indian members here, ‘Kabhie alvida naa kehna’.”
Ansari has served as India’s ambassador to several countries and was India’s Permanent Representative to the UN. He has also been Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.
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Celebrate Valentine's day in a worthy but less traditional way
A traditional campaign dedicated to blood donation, entitled Valentine’s Blood Drop, was launched throughout Slovakia on Monday, February 12. Each year, the Slovak Red Cross (SČK) organises the campaign in cooperation with the Slovak National Transfusion Service. Its main goal is to encourage young people to donate blood and to attract as many first-time donors as possible.
People can join the campaign by donating blood at blood donation centres in hospitals and in mobile blood donation centres throughout the country. Over the past five years a total of 130,645 voluntary donors have joined the Valentine’s Blood Drop campaign, of which 23,420 donated blood for the first time.
“This year is the 23rd that the campaign has taken place,” said SČK general secretary, Zuzana Rosiarová, as cited by the TASR newswire. “Its main aim is to attract and encourage people to stop for a while and spare some of their time for a good cause. Giving blood is so simple and at the same time so irreplaceable.”
Any healthy person aged between 18-60, and regular donors up to 65, can give blood. It takes between 5-15 minutes, with about 450 millilitres of blood taken. In order to give blood, donors must not weigh less than 50 kilograms, they must not be receiving treatment for any chronic disease and women must not be menstruating or have given birth recently. People with Rh-negative blood are considered to be the most precious donors.
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Sullivan, the director of horticulture at La Cañada Flintridge’s Descanso Gardens, was selected to judge Pasadena’s Rose Parade. The three-member panel also included Amy Kule, the executive producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Shane Connolly, who works with the British Royal family.
“It was effortless on my part,” he said. “[The Tournament] did all the coordinating. They made it so easy to judge.”
Sullivan and the other judges were given a narrow window to rate the floats on technical details, design and other factors, such as how well they represented California or the United States. They spent five minutes with each float — half of that time talking to float designers and engineers — on Dec. 30 and 31.
On the first day, judges take a quick tour of all the floats. On the second day, the music and animation is turned on. The scores are tallied that night and the winners are announced the next morning.
“It happens very quickly,” said Sullivan. “ You try to take it all in because you’re looking at everything.”
As an employee of Descanso since 1995, Sullivan took a particular interest in creative and unusual plant designs.
One that stood out to him was the city of San Gabriel’s float, “Celebrating Our Journey,” which was inspired by California’s early Spanish roots.
“They built plants out of other things and they did a really nice job,” he said. “They made orange trees and lemon trees. They used real lemons, but orange roses, so they mixed it up. Very, very pretty.”
“Dino-Soar,” the 2013 La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. float, which displayed a moving, smiling brontosaurus, won best animation.
The float featured 38 moving parts, more than any float in this year’s parade. Sullivan said when he saw the local entry in action on Dec. 31, he was impressed.
“It was really quite stunning,” he said. “Sometimes when you see Rose animation, it’s choppy. This was very smooth.”
La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Assn. President Ann Neilson said she suspected the float would win an award when she heard the initial concept of how the brontosaurus would move from its tail to its nose.
The crew tested out the movements only two hours before the judges stopped by.
“We just knew that this was big animation, and that this would capture the judges’ attention,” she said. “There was just not any doubt in our minds.”
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Tag Archives: Alcohol Advertising and Marketing
I welcome the Minister to the House on this, our penultimate day of term. I heartily welcomed the initiation of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. As did Senator Burke, I participated in the hearings of Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children on the scrutiny of the heads of the Bill. We covered the aspects of the Bill and I thank the Minister for taking on many of the committee’s recommendations in what we see today. It does show pre-legislative scrutiny works. The Bill is about reducing alcohol-related harm, improving people’s health and, ultimately, saving children’s lives. From my reading, a children’s rights focus is evident throughout the Bill.
I acknowledge and thank the Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland, which is spearheaded by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and Alcohol Action Ireland, for its work and advice to me in this area. In all of our debates on alcohol, even those on reducing the alcohol-related harm which we all agree is extensive and needs tackling, we feel we need to clarify that we are not anti-alcohol. This is because our relationship with alcohol is so twisted into our culture and psyche we do not wish to be portrayed as judgmental and anti-fun. I have been rapporteur for two EU reports on the issue of alcohol-related harm. I have seen the drinks industry in action first-hand so I have no doubt of the pressure it must have put on the Minister. At EU level, I was on the European Economic and Social Committee, which was small, and the industry tried to silence me and discredit me and undermine the work of the NGO for which I worked. Thankfully, the majority of my colleagues on the committee were willing to stand with me and face down the vested interests and defend the public good. This is what we are trying to do with the Bill.
My entry point to the issue is the impact of alcohol-related harm on children. Four in ten children in Ireland are at risk of being adversely affected by alcohol misuse. Four in ten child protection cases are associated with alcohol misuse. It is a significant contributor to the neglect and abuse of children, to domestic and sexual violence and family breakdown. I welcome the support for the Bill and its harm reduction measures from several sectors of the industry in Ireland, including the vintners’ associations, the majority of publicans, the National Off-Licence Association and the C&C Group.
I use the term “drinks industry” but I speak more about the giants who see Ireland as a small pawn in the global drinks industry. The drinks industry speaks about responsible drinking, but the way we drink in Ireland is only responsible for the huge profits the industry makes here every year. As soon as the Minister launched the Bill I could almost hear the smoke machine of the drinks industry spluttering into action and, through its puppet drinkaware.ie, a soon to be launched rebranding of MEAS, talk about the importance of education. We see drinks industry initiatives all the time and the involvement of the drinks industry in public health campaigns despite clear and definitive statements from the World Health Organization that it should have no role in public health initiatives.
Drinkaware.ie is funded by Diageo, Heineken and Irish Distillers. Earlier this year we saw it advertise for an education programme manager to head up an education programme targeting young people, parents and teachers. This is completely inappropriate. If I put it this way, who would entertain the idea of an education programme about the dangers of smoking being designed and delivered by an organisation that is funded by tobacco companies? We cannot let the drinks industry in whatever guise it manifests itself to go into schools and purport to educate our children about the usage of a substance on which its entire profit is made. I hope the Department of Education and Skills takes a firm stance. I have tried to raise this issue several times in the Seanad. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption for children and this is the clear message we must send. We know education informs our behaviour, but it does not influence our behaviour. It is the actions contained in the Bill which will change and reduce alcohol consumption.
I have no doubt that, as has happened in Scotland, the industry will go to court if it feels it can delay or frustrate the implementation of the Bill. In my opinion, this tells us the Minister is on the right track. With regard to sponsorship and sport, the drinks industry spends £800 million a year in the UK on advertising, and research has shown that children there as young as ten are familiar with, and can readily identify, alcohol brands, logos and characters from television. In many instances, recognition was greater for alcohol brands than for non-alcoholic products targeted at children. This tells me a lot. The study also provided new evidence that many children are familiar with the link between alcohol brands and the sports teams and tournaments they sponsor. This is why I welcomed the initiatives the Minister is taking. He knows my position, which is I would love to see a full ban, but I welcome what he is doing in this area to try to reduce the impact on children.
It was very interesting that in the days after the Bill was launched we saw a headline stating it would undermine the rugby World Cup. I cannot see the evidence for this. We have seen the rugby World Cup successfully held in France, which has a ban, and it made a profit. It made me think of FIFA, because it has influenced legislation in Brazil. Brazil has a law whereby alcohol is not sold in stadia, but a change will be made to enshrine the right to sell beer. Surprise, surprise, Budweiser is a big sponsor of FIFA. When the ban on tobacco sponsorship of sport was introduced we were told it would be the end of golf championships, and we would never see again championships such as the Carrolls Irish open. This has been disproved. It can still happen.
With regard to minimum unit pricing, over the past several years the alcohol strength of drinks has increased greatly. The alcohol strength of beers and wine has increased. The pricing the Minister will introduce is within the power of the drinks industry. If it reduces the alcohol strength we will not see price increases. It is simple because it has the power. The introduction of minimum unit pricing will not have an impact on people who drink alcohol in pubs, clubs and restaurants. We are speaking about off sales. People who drink alcohol purchased in supermarkets and consume it within the safe limits will pay 30 cent a week more, which is €15.70 over a full year, with minimum unit pricing. The difficulty is that people drinking cheap high-strength alcohol purchased in supermarkets and other retailers will notice, but we know this is what causes the most deaths, injuries, accidents and incidents. I recommend as reading the University of Sheffield report, which the committee dealt with during its hearings. We know minimum unit pricing works because we have seen it work in Canada.
I welcome what the Minister is doing with labelling. We very much see the importance of people having information. After we discussed it at the committee, we started looking more at labelling on bottles and we can see the misinformation, deliberate or not. It is very difficult to make informed decisions. For the first time, labels on alcohol products will include information which will tell consumers what they are consuming and the impact on their health and weight. More than 90% of Irish adults do not know what is meant by a standard drink. I must look it up and I am involved in the area. A total of 95% of people have said they support the labelling initiatives. The Minister knows I have raised with him the issue of cancer, and we know that alcohol is associated with 900 new cancer cases every year and 500 cancer deaths.
There is an issue with regard to structural separation, which the committee considered and brought to the Minister. I have read the explanatory memorandum which comes with the Bill. The Minister is taking a very pragmatic and easily implemented approach and I commend him for it. We have seen seepage in supermarkets with meal deals which normalise drinking wine every day. I commend the Minister on the pragmatic approach being taken. We will get to tease out each aspect of the report on Committee Stage and I say “Well done” to the Minister in respect of the children’s clothing issue also. We see the seepage on that matter throughout department stores. The Minister has my full support.
Full debate https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2015-12-17a.93&s=jillian+van+turnhout#g103
OPINION
of the
European Economic and Social Committee
on
How to make the EU strategy on alcohol related harm sustainable, long-term and multisectoral (Exploratory opinion)
_____________
Rapporteur: Ms van Turnhout
_____________
In a letter dated 18 December 2008, in the context of the forthcoming Swedish Presidency of the European Union, the Swedish Minister for European Affairs asked the European Economic and Social Committee to draft an exploratory opinion on the following subject:
How to make the EU strategy on alcohol related harm sustainable, long-term and multisectoral.
The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 1 September 2009. The rapporteur was Ms van Turnhout.
At its 456 plenary session, held on 30 September 2009 and 1 October 2009 (meeting of 30 September 2009), the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 128 votes to 5 with 4 abstentions.
*
* *
1. Summary and recommendations
1.1 Drawn up in response to a request by the Swedish Presidency to the EESC, this exploratory Opinion focuses on how to make the EU strategy on alcohol related harm sustainable, long-term and multisectoral . The goal of the Swedish Presidency is to support the implementation of the horizontal EU alcohol strategy and the establishment of long-term preventive work at both EU and national level.
1.2 This Opinion builds on the previous EESC Opinion on alcohol related harm, which looked at five priority themes: protecting children; reducing alcohol related road accidents; preventing alcohol related harm among adults and in the workplace; information, education and raising awareness; and common evidence base .
1.3 The Opinion highlights the following four priorities of the Presidency:
– the impact of advertising and marketing on young people;
– the influence of price on the development of damage;
– children in focus – specifically foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and children in families; and
– the effects of harmful alcohol consumption on healthy and dignified ageing.
to achieve a comprehensive approach, all of the themes dealt with in both opinions and other relevant matters should be taken together.
1.4 Drinking patterns vary significantly across countries, but most consumers drink responsibly most of the time (see 3.2) . Having said that, the EESC is concerned that 15% of the EU adult population are estimated to drink at harmful levels on a regular basis, and that children are the most vulnerable to the harms caused by alcohol. Policy measures should be designed to reach those already drinking at harmful levels.
1.5 Alcohol marketing is one of the factors that increases the likelihood that children and adolescents will start to use alcohol, and will drink more if they are already using alcohol. Given this, the EESC calls for a reduction in the exposure of children to alcohol marketing.
1.6 Appropriately designed alcohol pricing policies can be effective levers in reducing alcohol related harm, particularly among low income and young people. The EESC believes that regulation governing the availability, distribution and promotion of alcohol is needed; self-regulation in this area is not enough.
1.7 To raise awareness about the risk of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the EESC supports national and EU level awareness-raising campaigns.
1.8 The EESC believes that more information is needed about the effects of harmful alcohol consumption on healthy and dignified ageing at an EU level.
1.9 The EESC recognises that alcohol policies should be comprehensive and include a variety of measures for which there is evidence of reducing harm.
2. Background
2.1 The European Union has competence and responsibility to address public health problems related to harmful and hazardous alcohol use on the basis of article 152 (1) of the Treaty , which states that Community action shall complement national policies.
2.2 Following the Council Recommendation of 2001 on the drinking of alcohol by young people , it invited the Commission to follow and assess developments and the measures taken, and to report back on the need for further actions.
2.3 In its Conclusions of June 2001 and of June 2004, the Commission was invited to put forward proposals for a comprehensive Community strategy aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm which would complement national policies .
2.4 In 2006, the Commission adopted the Communication: An EU Strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol related harm . It aims to “map actions” put in place by the Commission and Member States, and explains how the Commission can further supports and complements national health policies. The EESC believes that the Communication falls far short of a ‘comprehensive strategy’ as it does not provide a comprehensive and transparent analysis of all the relevant policy areas and of the difficulties some Member States have experienced in maintaining quality public health alcohol policies due to EU market rules . The Strategy also fails to acknowledge that alcohol is a psychoactive drug, a toxic substance when used to excess, and, for some, an addictive substance.
2.5 The European Court of Justice has repeatedly confirmed that reducing alcohol related harm is an important and valid public health goal, using measures deemed appropriate and in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity .
2.6 The EESC acknowledges the work performed by all relevant stakeholders within the European Alcohol and Health Forum since its launch in 2007. The EESC welcomes similar developments at local levels.
3. Overview of harmful effects
3.1 Globally, the European Union is the region where most alcohol is consumed, with 11 litres of pure alcohol consumed per person each year . Overall consumption declined between the 1970s and mid-1990s, since when it has remained relatively stable; however there are still differences between countries in terms of both consumption and harm, also in terms of the form the harm takes ; however, harmful drinking patterns remain significant .
3.2 Most consumers drink responsibly most of the time. However, the EESC is concerned that 55 million adults in the EU (15% of the adult population) are estimated to drink at harmful levels on a regular basis . Harmful alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for approximately 195 000 deaths a year in the EU due to accidents, liver disease, cancers and so forth. Harmful alcohol use is the third biggest cause of early death and illness in the EU .
3.3 The EESC believes that harmful alcohol consumption by individuals is not a problem that develops in isolation, but rather one that can have a variety of causes including poverty, social exclusion, family environment, and work-related stress.
3.4 While different cultural habits related to alcohol consumption across Europe exist, it can also be observed that different cultural habits related to harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption, including among children and adolescents, exist . The EESC urges the Commission and the Member States to take account of these national and local patterns when defining policies.
3.5 Children are particularly vulnerable to harms caused by alcohol. It is estimated that in the EU 5 to 9 million children in families are adversely affected by alcohol. Alcohol is a causal factor in 16% of cases of child abuse and neglect, and an estimated 60 000 underweight births each year are attributable to alcohol .
3.6 Harmful alcohol consumption can cause harm not only to the individual but also to third persons. Alcohol-related harm should also be addressed in the workplace, in the framework of health and safety regulations, which is primarily the responsibility of the employer. Workplace alcohol policies could help reduce alcohol-related accidents, absenteeism and increase working capacity. The EESC urges employers, trade unions, local authorities and other relevant organisations to closely cooperate and to undertake joint actions to reduce alcohol-related harm in workplaces.
3.7 Alcohol is an important commodity in the Europe creating jobs, generating revenue through taxes and contributing to the balance of trade. However, harmful alcohol drinking also affects the economy, due to increased health care and social costs, and loss of productivity. The cost of alcohol related harm to the EU’s economy was estimated at EUR 125 billion for 2003, equivalent to 1.3% of GDP .
4. The impact of advertising and marketing on young people
4.1 The EESC urges the Commission to acknowledge the WHO European Charter on Alcohol adopted by all EU Member States in 1995 and, in particular, the ethical principle that all children and adolescents have the right to grow up in an environment protected from the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and, to the extent possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverages.
4.2 The EU Council recommendation urged Member States to establish effective mechanisms in the field of promotion, marketing and retailing and to ensure that alcohol products were not designed or promoted to appeal to children and adolescents.
4.3 Binge drinking by young adults (15-24 years) is a growing concern at EU and Member State level; 24% of drinkers in this age group reported binge drinking at least once a week in 2006 . Beer (40%) and spirits (30%) are the most often consumed alcoholic drinks among teenagers , followed by wine (13%), alcopops (11%) and cider (6%). Alcohol sales promotions such as “happy hour” and “two for one” promotions also increase alcohol consumption and the likelihood of binge drinking among youth . As a step forwards, the stricter enforcement of legal drinking age by authorities is required.
4.4 Alcohol advertising and marketing are influential in shaping young people’s attitudes to and perceptions of alcohol, and encouraging positive expectations of alcohol use amongst young people . A review of longitudinal studies by the Science Group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum found “consistent evidence to demonstrate an impact of alcohol advertising on the uptake of drinking among non-drinking young people, and increased consumption among their drinking peers. This finding is all the more striking, given that only a small part of a total marketing strategy has been studied” .
4.5 The EESC is concerned that alcohol marketing attracts underage drinkers , and draws attention to consistent findings that exposure to television and sponsorship that contains alcohol predicts the onset of youth drinking and increased drinking .
4.6 The WHO Expert Committee considered that “voluntary systems do not prevent the kind of marketing which has an impact on younger people and that self-regulation seems to work only to the extent that there is a current and credible threat of regulation by government” .
4.7 Actors in the alcohol beverage chain have declared their willingness to be more proactive in enforcing regulatory and self-regulatory measures . They have a role in working together with the Member States to ensure their products are produced, distributed and marketed in a responsible manner, contributing to reduce alcohol related harm.
4.8 The Audiovisual Media Services Directive helps set minimum standards for alcohol advertising. It specifies that “[…]alcohol advertisements shall […] not be aimed specifically at minors, shall not link the consumption of alcohol to enhanced physical performance, social or sexual success and shall not claim that it is a stimulant, a sedative or a means of resolving personal conflicts” . The EESC believes that this Directive alone is not sufficient to fully protect children from alcohol marketing.
4.9 The EESC urges that a reduction in the exposure of children to alcohol products, advertising and promotions be stated as a specific objective by the Commission, and that tighter regulation in this area be introduced.
5. The influence of price on alcohol related harms
5.1 There is increasing pan-European interest in measures to combat alcohol related harms. Alcohol is an important commodity in Europe, creating jobs, generating revenue through taxes and contributing to the EU economy through trade. However, an estimated 15% drinks at harmful levels generating harm for individuals and societies. In 2003, the cost of alcohol misuse in the EU was estimated at EUR 125 billion, equivalent of 1.3% GDP .
5.2 Based on the RAND study, there is a trend across the EU towards more off-trade alcohol consumption, which tends to be cheaper than alcohol sold on-trade . However, it should be noted that the study focused only on off trade alcohol prices and did not compare off trade prices to on trade prices.
5.3 Studies show that alcohol became more affordable across the EU between 1996 and 2004, in some countries by more than 50% . Evidence shows that there is a positive relationship between alcohol affordability and alcohol consumption in the EU .
5.4 Young people are sensitive to alcohol price increases, which lead to reduced frequency of drinking among young people and, to smaller quantities drunk in each drinking event . However, other studies show that young people may turn to more harmful drinking patterns in response to price increase, e.g. pre-drinking where people consume cheaper alcohol at home before going out. This finding has important implications for alcohol policy in the EU, particularly given the increase in harmful youth drinking.
5.5 An estimated 3.8% of all global deaths and 4.6% of global disability-adjusted life-years are attributed to alcohol. There is a positive relationship between alcohol consumption and traffic injuries and traffic deaths . Alcohol is the sole cause of some diseases such as alcoholic liver disease and alcohol-induced pancreatitis, and is a contributory cause of other diseases and injuries (e.g. certain types of cancer, heart disease and strokes and liver cirrhosis) . Harmful alcohol consumption is a contributory factor for crime, violence and family deprivation, risky sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted disease .
5.6 It is estimated that across the EU heavy episodic drinking contributes to 2 000 homicides, 17 000 traffic deaths (or one in three of all traffic fatalities), 27 000 accidental deaths and 10 000 suicides .
5.7 Alcohol pricing policies can be effective levers in reducing alcohol related harms . The EESC nevertheless believes that pricing policy should be considered when developing strategies to address alcohol related harm in a long-term, sustainable and multi-sectoral way.
5.8 Alcohol policies should be comprehensive and include a variety of measures for which there is evidence of an impact in reducing harm, such as drink drive policies and primary health based interventions. The EESC recognises that no single measure can solve alcohol related harm.
5.9 The EESC believes that efficient enforcement of regulation governing the availability, distribution and promotion of alcohol is needed. Self-regulation in this area is part of the solution, but in itself not sufficient. Restrictions on sales below cost and on sales promotions should be possible without being trade restrictive or in contravention with EU law.
6. Children in focus – specifically foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and children in families
6.1 The destiny of Europe depends on a healthy and productive population. The evidence that a higher proportion of the disease burden from harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is experienced by young people is therefore of grave concern to the EESC .
6.2 The Commission recognises that children have a right to effective protection against economic exploitation and all forms of abuse . The EESC strongly supports this position.
6.3 The EESC notes that harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption impacts negatively not only on the drinker but on people other than the drinker, especially in relation to accidents, injuries and violence. In families, the EESC recognises that the most vulnerable group at risk are children.
6.4 It is estimated that 5 to 9 million children in families are adversely affected by alcohol, that alcohol is a contributing factor in 16% of cases of child abuse and neglect, as well as contributing to an estimated 60 000 underweight births each year . Further negative effects for children include poverty and social exclusion, which can affect their health, education and well-being both now and in the future.
6.5 Domestic violence, a serious problem in many countries , is strongly linked to problems of heavy drinking by the perpetrator . While domestic violence can occur in the absence of alcohol, heavy drinking can contribute to violence among some people. A reduction in heavy drinking benefits the victims and perpetrators of violence, and the children living in such families.
6.6 Alcohol can affect children even before they are born. Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a continuum of permanent birth defects (physical, behavioural and cognitive) caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.
6.7 Awareness about FASD and its effects is low. Disseminating evidence-based examples of preventive programmes to reduce alcohol harm during pregnancy is critical. The EESC supports the use of targeted EU and national Government campaigns to raise awareness about the risk of FASD.
7. The effects of harmful alcohol consumption on healthy and dignified ageing
7.1 Older people are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. Specific problems include balance and risk of falling and the onset of health problems that can make older people more susceptible to alcohol. About a third of older people develop drinking problems for the first time in later life, often due to bereavement, physical ill-health, difficulty getting around and social isolation .
7.3 Alcohol Use Disorders are common among older people, particularly among males who are socially isolated, and living alone . Problematic alcohol use is associated with widespread impairments in physical, psychological, social and cognitive health. Around 3% of those over 65 years suffer from these disorders , though many cases may go undetected as diagnostic criteria and screening are directed at younger adults. However, treating older people for alcohol problems is often easier than treating younger adults.
7.4 Alcohol can add to the effects of some medications, and reduce the effects of others. Raising awareness among care professionals, informal carers and older citizens of potential interaction between medication and alcohol is important.
7.5 The EESC believes that more needs to be done to address the wellbeing of the ageing population in the EU, including information about the effects of harmful alcohol consumption on healthy and dignified ageing at an EU level.
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In the Brotherhood Without Banners' hideout, the Hound's trial begins. Thoros of Myr slices Lord Beric Dondarrion's outstretched hand, using the blood to ignite Beric's sword. Arya Stark is thrilled to see Beric's flaming blade gives him an advantage, until the Hound crashes his sword down on his opponent. Thoros begins to pray over his brother's dead body while Arya rushes at the Hound yelling, "Burn in hell!" "He will... but not today," answers Beric, miraculously alive. After the fight, the Brotherhood seizes the Hound's gold but sets him free. Beric silences Arya's protests, declaring the Hound innocent in God's eyes.
At the wildling camp, Orell and Tormund prod Jon Snow for information about the Night's Watch's patrol of the Wall. Because Jon's response is guarded, Orell accuses him of lying. Ygritte comes to Jon's defense, pulling her knife on the man. Tormund breaks up the dispute but informs Jon he will kill him if it turns out he lied. Out of earshot, Jon tells Ygritte he doesn't need her protection. She reminds him he does and lures him into a cave. Now secluded, Ygritte tells Jon to prove his loyalty by breaking his vow of celibacy. He relents and the two consummate their relationship.
"It doesn't matter what we want. Once we get it, we want something else."
Tyrion Lannister voices his concern about the expense of the royal wedding to Lady Olenna Tyrell. Although disappointed that Tyrion isn't nearly as debauched as his reputation suggested, Lady Olenna agrees to foot half the bill. In a different part of the castle, Cersei approaches Littlefinger with a specific request: Find out if the Tyrells have the crown's best interests at heart.
Lady Margaery and Sansa Stark watch as Ser Loras Tyrell trains with a man-at-arms. Margaery assures the smitten Sansa she can persuade Joffrey to consent to the union. After the squire tending to Loras suggests he "spar with a proper partner" the two fall into bed together. Loras reveals that he is engaged and the squire, a spy for Littlefinger, moves quickly to report this development. Littlefinger approaches Sansa with an offer to leave, but claiming concern for his safety, Sansa tells him she'd prefer to wait.
"Could you bring back a man without a head? Not six times. Just once."
Robb Stark, along with Catelyn, Talisa, and Edmure Tully regard the corpses of young Willem and Martyn Lannister. Lord Rickard Karstark defends his actions, but Robb sentences Karstark's accomplices to hang. Robb's mother, wife and uncle plead with him to spare Karstark's life: Robb cannot win the war without him and his men. But the Young Wolf believes there's only one honorable course of action. The next morning he takes Karstark's head.
In the Brotherhood's hideout, Thoros informs Arya she's a hostage; they'll obtain her ransom from Robb at Riverrun. She pretends not to be frightened as Beric explains he died and was resurrected by the Lord of Light. He's been killed and brought back six times, though each time he returns as "a bit less." Arya laments her father couldn't cheat death this way.
"By what right does the wolf judge the lion?"
Still bound, Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth arrive at Harrenhal. Locke presents the Kingslayer to Lord Roose Bolton, who toys with Jaime about Cersei's safety before sending him to the maester. Qyburn, who lost his chains for "bold" experimentation, advises amputating the full arm to protect from infection. Jaime refuses and forgoing milk of the poppy, screams while Qyburn cuts away the rotten flesh.
Arriving at the bathhouse, Jaime finds Brienne already in a tub. To her horror, he hops into the same one. After some teasing, he proposes a truce, claiming he trusts her. He makes good on this sentiment by telling her the story of how he got the name 'Kingslayer.' After the Lannisters entered King's Landing and sacked the city, Aerys not only refused to surrender, he prepared his pyromancers to set the city on fire. Jaime was told to bring his father's head. Left with no choice, Jaime drove his sword into the Aerys' back and climbed atop the Iron Throne. Ned Stark found him there and immediately judged him guilty; Jaime never told him the truth. Woozy and weak, the former knight struggles to stand in the bath. Brienne catches him and calls for help for the Kingslayer, but he corrects her: "My name is Jaime."
"I want to know what it's like to serve with pride. To fight for someone I believe in."
Arya finds Gendry repairing Beric's armor. Drawn to their atmosphere of equality and family, he's decided to stay with the Brotherhood. Arya is heartbroken.
While Selyse Baratheon prays to the Lord of Light, her husband, Stannis, enters her chamber. He confesses to his affair with his red priestess but is shocked to learn Selyse not only knew, she "wept with joy" when she learned of his "son." Her complicity fuels Stannis' guilt as the couple stands in the shadow of their stillborn baby boys, preserved in jars.
Selyse turns bitter when she realizes Stannis wants to see their daughter too. Shireen, who suffers from disfiguring greyscale, is pleased to see her father. When she inquires about Davos Seaworth, Stannis tells her of his treason. She ignores her father's order to forget her friend and sneaks down to Davos' prison cell with a book to keep him company. Learning that Davos cannot read, Shireen insists she will teach him how.
Daenerys Targaryen marches with her army of Unsullied. Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy follow, trading war stories. Jorah digs to see if Barristan knows how he betrayed Dany, but learns that the Lord Commander was not welcome at Small Council meetings. Dany asks her new army to choose their own leader; they select Grey Worm. Perturbed that the Unsullied are named after vermin, she encourages them to select new ones. The solider maintains 'Grey Worm' is honorable because it's what he was called when Dany set him free.
Staring at a map of Westeros, Robb ponders his options without the Karstarks. At Talisa's mention of Winterfell, Robb realizes he needs to take Casterly Rock and catch the Lannisters unawares. Robb tells his wife that will mean turning to Walder Frey, the man whose daughter he was supposed to marry.
"You've both disgraced the Lannister name for far too long. Now do your duty."
Tyrion enters Lord Tywin's chamber, surprised to find Cersei present. Tywin discloses that the Tyrells are conspiring to wed Sansa to Loras. He views this union as a betrayal against the crown and a strategic plot to control the North. Aware that the Tyrells' hands are tied until after the royal wedding, Tywin decrees they must act quickly; Tyrion will marry Sansa. Smug at her brother's predicament, Cersei is taken aback to learn her father's plan for her: She's to marry Loras Tyrell.
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From Dec 13th – 16th 2018 the Bird Migration Research Station (BMRS) from the University of Gdańsk, together with the Operation Baltic Foundation, hosted the international conference on “Migrant Birds as Indicators of Climate Change”. This event was part of a larger project, “Building an Early Warning System for Biodiversity in the Face of Climate Change”, jointly funded by the National Centre for Research and Development (Poland) and the National Research Foundation (South Africa), within a research cooperation agreement between the two countries. In total 65 participants from Poland, Holland, Denmark, France, Belgium, England and South Africa gathered in Hotel Orle in at Sobieszewo Island’s Baltic coast in southern Gdańsk.
In spirit of our mission to foster flyway-scale collaborations for migrant landbird research, MLSG ExCo members Lykke Pedersen, Rien van Wijk and Wouter Vansteelant organised workshops on ‘geolocator data analysis’, ‘visualization of GPS tracking data in R’ and ‘networking’ on the first day of the conference. Antoine Grissot graciously volunteered to assist in the geolocator workshop. The workshops were found to be very useful by most participants, which is the most rewarding response we could hope for. We also hosted a speed-talk session to ensure every participant in the congress had an opportunity to showcase their work.
The conference continued with various oral sessions in which a wide range of research was covered, ranging methodological aspects of acoustic monitoring and geolocator tracking, to environmental drivers of migrant movements and population changes.
The MLSG believes that establishing more collaborative research networks such as the one that exists between Poland and South-Africa will be key to achieve full annual cycle understanding of migrant birds and the development of effective conservation strategies. It was a great pleasure for us to be able to support this great event.
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Crater Chains
The large crater at the top of this THEMIS visible image has several other craters inside of it. Most noticeable are the craters that form a "chain" on the southern wall of the large crater. These craters are a wonderful example of secondary impacts. They were formed when large blocks of ejecta from an impact crashed back down onto the surface of Mars. Secondaries often form radial patterns around the impact crater that generated them, allowing researchers to trace them back to their origin.
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Amazon Invests Into Self-Driving Tech Company Aurora
Amazon has invested more than $530 million in Aurora, a self-driving technology startup.
Led by former Google Self-Driving Car Project chief Chris Urmson, Aurora said Silicon Valley-based venture firm Sequoia Capital led the Series B round that included Amazon and T. Rowe Price. Carl Eschenbach, a Sequoia partner, is also joining Aurora’s board, which includes fellow tech investors Mike Volpi, Ian Smith and Reid Hoffman.
Aurora's plan is not to operate or build fleets of self-driving vehicles like Alphabet’s Waymo, successor to the Google program, General Motors, Tesla and robo-taxi startup Zoox. Instead, it's forming partnerships with the likes of Volkswagen, Hyundai Motor and Chinese-backed electric vehicle startup Byton to help develop those companies' autonomous vehicles.
"Aurora designs the software and hardware that will power the next revolution in transportation. We bring partners together to move more quickly than any one company can move alone," Aurora says on its website.
Amazon has been quiet about its plans for autonomous vehicles.
“We are always looking to invest in innovative, customer-obsessed companies, and Aurora is just that,” Amazon said in a statement. “Autonomous technology has the potential to help make the jobs of our employees and partners safer and more productive, whether it’s in a fulfillment center or on the road, and we’re excited about the possibilities.”
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School board hears report that says current funding system is outdated
At the regularly scheduled December board meeting for Sleepy Eye Public Schools, Superintendent John Cselovszki said if the state restructures the current financial goals, the district could potentially see $1,000 more per year phased in over a period of four years.
At the regularly scheduled December board meeting for Sleepy Eye Public Schools, Superintendent John Cselovszki said if the state restructures the current financial goals, the district could potentially see $1,000 more per year phased in over a period of four years.
“I truly believe this is a good proposal,” Cselovszki said. “If this (proposal) would go into place, we would have to take a hard look at whether we would seek another levy referendum.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Finance Working Group recommendations and report, Minnesota’s current system of funding schools is in need of systemic overhaul.
The report states that while the current funding system served the state well for many years, changes in student demographics, higher numbers of student in poverty or in need of special education and increasing demands for what every student should know and be able to demonstrate has left the system outdated.
Major recommendations from the 2012 Commissioner’s Education Finance Working Group for education finance reform include all-day kindergarten for students living in poverty, less reliance on local levy referendums, and restoring the inflation-adjusted general education formula to the FY 2003 level, reform special education funding and compensatory funding to more effectively close achievement gaps.
The report says that many factors have contributed to the state’s funding system becoming outdated. One of those factors is Minnesota’s concentration of students living in poverty, special education students, students with limited English proficiency and students of color significantly increasing.
In addition, state aid per student for K-12 education has increased over the past eight years, but at a rate well below the rate of inflation, the report says. Due to the increasing reliance on referendum levies and wide variations in districts’ ability to pass referendums, the gap between the 95th and fifth percentiles of general education revenue per student increased from 19 percent in FY 2003 to 31 percent in FY 2013.
Further compounding the problem, according to the report, is the decline in the state’s equalization aid for operating referendum and debt service levies during the past decade.
Superintendent John Cselovszki was optimistic about the district being in a better financial position, according to the figures in the report. Those figures show that revenue would rise from $10,411 under the current law to $11.501 under the working groups recommendation.
In other news the board approved:
• the reviewed 513 policy on student promotion, retention and program design as recommended by the policy committee.
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Congratulations to Hollywood’s own newly married Laura and Mike Schlagnhaufer! Today was their wedding day at Rosewood Caterers on Frankford Avenue in northeast Philadelphia.
Mike and Laura worked with me to created a beautiful and unique Journeys of the Heart ceremony which included a blessing and presentation of a St. Nicholas metal to Laura’s son, Kevin, by his new step-Dad, … [Read more...]
Ali Grusha and Matt Jenco wed on a farm in Berks County
Officiated by Urbane Peachey, Officiant, Journeys of the Heart
June, 2010 included a memorable wedding on a manicured horse farm in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The ground of the spacious indoor riding stable was covered with carpets; lovely sweeping white drapes created a centerpiece high above. The aroma of a … [Read more...]
The Hollywood wedding of Randy and Ping
The beautiful yard of Hollywood resident and Abington political activist, Robin Beall, was the setting for a small and intimate group that gathered for the wedding of Cai Ping Zhang and Randy Tang.
Randy called the Journeys of the Heart office just two weeks prior to discuss with Marguerite possible options for the … [Read more...]
Journeys of the Heart Officiant Jim Rosengarten presided at the wedding of Julie Meyer and Aaron Larson on July 17, 2010 at the Abington Art Center.
Julie and Aaron have known each other for about nine years and have created a very sweet son, Elliot, who is about 1 year old. Elliot actually came with them when they met with me to plan their ceremony. He stared at the three of us quietly with … [Read more...]
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The adventures of a digital monk living on the edge of technology in our modern times
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
sys/net/ethertypes.h
What is so interesting about the 13th and 14th octets packet and how does it relate to anything I may have to say?!
If you are on a Unix based system you may want to have a look at ethertypes.h. Scan down to find 0x1989 and look at it. ETHERTYPE_DOGFIGHT. And the comment may say something to the effect of: /* Artificial Horizons ("Aviator" dogfight simulator [on Sun]) */
History first
Part 1: The military
During my time at ANL one of projects I worked on was some application work for CENTCOM. That is the United States Central Command. We've sadly heard alot about them since when I first did this work for them. They are the military folks with responsibilty for the middle east. The general public probably really became aware of them with the invasion of Kuwait and the continued conflicts in Iraq. But so what? Well CENTCOM is located at MacDill AFB and that just so happened to be, until around 1993, the home to an F16 training sqaudron.
Part 2: The technology
As our work on Sun workstations was proceeding there was a revolution going on in the workstation space at that time. Things like the SPARC processor and RISC computing in general were improving performance of desktop workstations and the love affair we still have (Nvidia and ATI?!?) with graphics was starting to come to the fore on workstations. Sun had developed their first accelerated 2D and simple 3D framebuffer the Low End Graphics Option (LEGO) graphics card called the GX when it finally debuted. This framebuffer was fabulous for the improved shared memory blitting and other line/area accelerations it offered and also the ability to draw flat shaded polygons really fast (for the time).
Couple a 10 MIPS SPARC processor with a GX to produce a flight simulator that simply rocked.
Aviator
There really isn't a lot of the history Aviator that I can recall. I recall we got a demo of the GX when it was still in development and we started to plan how to utilize all the great features of the new framebuffer on our existing 2D mapping applications. Then we were given some software that had been written as a demo for the card. It was a flight simulator that modeled an FA/18, X29 and 727(?). It utilized DTED terrain data for the display and it allowed you to fly one of these airplanes over the Hawaiian islands. In fact it let you enter your own physics data into a file that it would read to create your own plane. Not only that but best of all it let you duke it out over the LAN in a dogfight! Remember this is around 1989 or 1990. LAN Multi-player DOOM was still 3 or 4 years away.
Result
So I got to play against my co-workers and we developed a number of strategies for flying these things. We actually got pretty good at this. Then as our CENTCOM work brought us down to MacDill we noticed that they finally acquired a number of SparcStations with GX graphics cards. We loaded Aviator and it was now possible for me to fly against a real pilot. Real dogfighting against real aviators! We did a number of trials against a couple of different aviators. One machine in one room the other just around the corner in another. We could taunt each other by speaking loudly but couldn't "cheat" and see our opponents screen.
It was a riot! We won most of the engagements against the real aviators. We were all pretty close in age and we had a blast being the desk jockeys and nerds that opened a can of whoop-a** on them. Oh sure they whined about the physics being unrealistic and that manuever never being possible in a real plane but that didn't change the fact that they were "dead" and we had won! :-D
Sadly I know of no screen shots of the game available anywhere. I don't know what happened to the folks who created Aviator. I think I heard that one of the creators of the GX board went on to co-found Nvida but don't know how accurate that is. The simulator kind of dropped off the face of the earth.. except for ethertypes.h! It's a shame really because it brought a taste of the Evans and Sutherland type emulators to a much larger audience.
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The Lookout & Wonderland fiber art project is a concentrated focus on the exploration of the applied arts. The mission is to create a range of multi-use textiles that allow the viewer to become an active participant in the form and function of the artwork. With the ultimate goal being the creation of a life that is the ideal work of art.
Indigo WORKSHOP in ojai!!
INDIGO 101 • Beginner Dyeing Class, September 24 (12-5 pm)
$150.00
Examined the history, alchemy and beauty of the natural Indigo plant, various sacred traditions of creating indigo vats, as well as the delicate process of indigo dyeing with expert dyer Niki Livingston of Lookout & Wonderland. You will also learn hands on how to create a chemical free, food grade organic indigo vat that is easy to create at home for a day of dyeing. Then learn the foundation techniques of the art of shibori, along with the conceptual ideas surrounding surface design concerning ready made garments and flat surfaces.
SKILLS LEARNED • Basic Knowledge of the indigo plant and tradition. How to create a chemical free, food grade organic indigo vat. How to properly prepare fabric for dyeing, dyeing with an indigo vat and proper finishing of the dyeing process. A foundation to understanding and creating shibori designs.
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Miniatures RAR
Charles & Ray Eames, 1950
The Fiberglass Chairs are rare examples of a satisfying synthesis of formal and technical innovation. For the first time in the history of design, Charles and Ray Eames utilized the unlimited malleability of plastic for the development of a comfortable seating shell that corresponds to the shape of the human body. The idea of making a three-dimensional molded shell goes back to a design from 1940. The original attempt to make the shell out of plywood was unsuccessful, however, due to the extreme conditions necessary to mold the material. Only with the advent of fiberglass technology was it possible to achieve satisfying results. The first Fiberglass Chair went into production in 1950.
After years of experimentation, Charles and Ray Eames were able to realize their goal: an industrially produced chair that is inexpensive, sturdy, and comfortable. The Fiberglass Chairs come in several versions: with an A-shaped shell (armchair) or S-shaped shell (side chair) and on different bases, one of which is the famous »Eiffel Tower« base. Until 1968, Herman Miller also produced a rocking chair base. Every Herman Miller employee who expected a baby received it as a gift until 1984.
For over two decades, the Vitra Design Museum has been making miniature replicas of milestones in furniture design from its collection. The Miniatures Collection encapsulates the entire history of industrial furniture design – moving from Historicism and Art Nouveau to the Bauhaus and New Objectivity, from Radical Design and Postmodernism all the way up to the present day. Exactly one sixth the size of the historical originals, the chairs are all true to scale and precisely recreate the smallest…
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GOP aims to hold advantage
With the election a little more than a year away, Florida’s top Republican leaders gathered here this weekend aiming to re-elect Gov. Rick Scott, keep three state Cabinet seats and retain large majorities in the state Legislature and congressional delegation next year.
Scott did not attend the Republican Party of Florida’s annual Statesman’s Dinner on Friday or a quarterly meeting of the party’s executive board on Saturday, instead remaining in Tallahassee readying the state for the potential impact from Tropical Storm Karen this weekend.
It may be fitting that Scott remained on the job, because his re-election is likely to hinge on how Floridians feel about his performance as governor.
Polls have consistently shown more Florida voters disapprove of his performance than approve — with a new Democratic poll putting his approval-disapproval rating at 33-55 percent earlier this week.
But Scott has factors in his favor, including a recovering Florida economy and the inability of the Democrats yet to unify behind a candidate, although speculation remains rampant that former Gov. Charlie Crist will be Scott’s opponent.
“We should be very proud and we should be bragging,” Scott told the 700 Republicans attending the dinner in an Internet broadcast from Tallahassee. “We’ve had a significant economic turnaround in our state...Conservative solutions are working.”
Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry said Scott’s message for the next year will be based on his achievements, including the creation of 365,000 private-sector jobs, the reduction of state regulations and taxes and a $3.5 billion drop in state debt.
“The governor’s race is going to be run from Rick Scott’s perspective on the facts and what he has delivered,” Curry said. “It’s going to be a record of success. His campaign slogan was ‘Let’s get to work;’ that was his big promise and he has delivered on that.”
As for bolstering Scott’s image among voters, Curry said there is work to be done. “We are going to have to continue to communicate the success of Rick Scott,” he said.
Scott will have an advantage in money, already having raised more than $13 million for his re-election campaign so far this year. And that money will help him define Crist, hammering him over his transition from a “conservative” Republican to a Democrat.
“The average voter doesn’t know Charlie’s record,” Curry said. “If and when he announces then they’ll know his record.”
But while the theme of the weekend was party unity, there are clear divisions that could complicate Scott’s re-election, as well as the campaigns of other Republicans next year.
Florida Republicans could be impacted by the ongoing debate over the role of long-time Republican leaders and the newer wave of leaders who came in with the surge of the Tea Party — which also propelled Scott into office in 2010.
Meeting with GOP county leaders and state committeemen and committeewomen on Friday, Peter Feaman, a national Republican committeeman for Florida, made it clear where the Republican National Committee stands.
“When Sen. John McCain speaks by and large it does not represent the view of the Republican National Committee,” Feaman said, drawing applause from the local Republican leaders.
In contrast, Feaman said the RNC stands “100 percent” behind Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who drew national attention for his 21-plus hour filibuster on the Senate floor in opposition to the federal health care law.
On another potentially divisive issue, Feaman said the RNC is opposed to the Common Core education standards, which have come under criticism from conservative groups in Florida and will be the subject of three public hearings later this month.
Feaman said the RNC passed a resolution calling the standards “an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children.”
Some Republicans in the middle of the Common Core debate downplayed its potential to disrupt the party heading into a critical election year.
“I’m looking forward to having an honest debate about it,” said Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, who opposes the standards. But he said party leaders will reach a “consensus” on the issue and then move on.
“We can disagree amongst ourselves,” Pilon said. “But when it comes down to the final, we will act in concert with each other.”
Other Republican leaders talked about their efforts to energize voters and to potentially counter Crist.
Bill Bunting, a state committeeman from Pasco County who leads the party’s Second Amendment campaign, talked to local leaders about the effort to connect with gun owners and underscore the party’s support for issues like concealed weapons permits.
“We’re hitting hundreds of thousands of people,” Bunting said. “But we have to hit everybody. We have to hit every gun shop, every gun range, everybody who owns a gun.”
Connecting with the gun owners is way for the party to help candidates like Scott and the three incumbent Cabinet members, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Bunting said.
“Gov. Scott is going to have a real tough re-election,” Bunting said. “Charlie Crist is on the ground and he’s running and he’s got a very good record on guns.”
“We need every vote,” Bunting said, adding the party’s new efforts to identify and reach likely voters through social media and other digital efforts “is great.”
“But boots on the ground wins elections,” he said.
Lloyd Dunkelberger
Lloyd Dunkelberger is the Htpolitics.com Capital Bureau Chief.
He can be reached by email or call 850 556-3542.
""More Dunkelberger"
Make sure to "Like" HT Politics on Facebook for all your breaking political news.
Last modified: October 4, 2013
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published without permissions. Links are encouraged.
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Hi. I have a problem with the DNS of one of my servers. I have several sites hosted with their domains and they all work correctly except a domain that does not resolve with the primary dns. only with the secondary (cluster). If I add new records, they don't work. What can be?
Please install "gcc" if it is not installed on your server and then execute the following repair command to resolve the issue :
Code
/usr/local/vesta/php/bin/php /usr/local/vesta/softaculous/cli.php --repair
Hello!! vestacp does not let you power invalid characters or spaces. That's not the problem. I've tried it on with Ubuntu 14 and 16 with DNS cluster. I have deleted the cluster dns and it continues to fail (only that domain fails in particular) the rest of the domains work correctly. it's like there...
I have a problem with DNS. I have added a domain xxxx.net, when adding between 90 and 100 records the DNS server stops responding for this domain. all domains work correctly except that ping xxxx.net ping: unknown host xxxx.net all domains work correctly except that Any idea that can happen ?? its a...
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Peace talks resume; Uribe calls for rebellion against Santos government
Former president Alvaro Uribe on Thursday called out for a rebellion against the government of his successor Juan Manuel Santos over the recent capture and release of a general by FARC rebels.
Now a senator for his own Democratic Center party, Uribe has established himself as the principal critic of the current administration and the ongoing peace process with Colombia’s oldest guerrilla group.
His scathing attacks on Santos and his policies have by now become part of the Colombian political landscape. But even Uribe is still capable of surprises.
“Rebellion” is the latest go-to term used by the former president in his tireless criticism of the current administration.
“Doesn’t matter if many or a few, we have the obligation to rebel against Santos’ deceit, which leveled democracy and its soldiers with terrorism,” wrote Uribe on his Twitter account on November 30.
Just a couple of days later, the word was back in Uribe’s lexicon as he took to social media again to write: “We rebel against Santos’ mistreatment of Colombia, as he puts drug-trafficking down as an altruistic end in the nature of political crimes.”
The comment referred to Santos’ suggestion that FARC drug-trafficking could be considered a political crime in a move aimed at boosting the peace talks through sparing guerrillas from prosecutions.
The term “rebellion” has garnered controversy and sparked voices of disapprobation from part of the Colombian political scene. According to some, the term can be read as nothing less but a call for disorder and even mutiny.
For the president of the Senate, Jose David Name, using words such as “to rebel” is “inappropriate” in the context of Uribe’s traditionally sizable influence over the Colombian military.
“To me it seems inappropriate to use such words. They are an act of instigation of civil disobedience and that is not good, especially coming from the ex-president Uribe. It’s a very unfortunate term,” said Name.
Even more alerted is Ivan Cepeda, the senator of Polo Alternativo. “I consider it an act of instigation of a coup. The word couldn’t have any other meaning here. Uribe has to come clean about what games he is playing. He has to say if what he is looking for is to subvert the government and promote an attack on political power and its institutions. It’s very dangerous,” said Cepeda.
The leftist law-maker admitted that although it didn’t have to be Uribe’s intention, “he should clarify if these messages are directed to the military forces or to certain extremist sectors. Such statements coming from someone with this much influence are dangerous.”
However, according to one of Uribe’s closest allies, senator Jose Obdulio Gaviria, there is no reason to worry about the comments. The senator explained to “El Tiempo” newspaper that to “rebel” in this context means to confront, oppose and question and that it “is something we are doing with reference to the politics” of the current government.
Gaviria also referred to the alleged influence Uribe maintains inside the army claiming that although some think that the former president is seeking to undermine the institutions of the country, it is simply not the case.
Another member of the “Uribista” party Ernesto Macías also rejected the criticism of the new term used by the former president. For him, “Uribe rebels against the government every single day.”
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Creative Label Solutions.Modern Technology.Innovative Thinking.
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We have an expansive list of capabilities enabling us to deliver the best-quality and most-effective label solutions for your specific application. Our team can print any label, meet demanding timelines and fill a wide range of order sizes.
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Foster your career growth here at Resource Label Group. Our locations around the country are hiring creative and critical thinking employees for permanent positions. Become a member of our family, challenge yourself and grow within our company. We’re always looking for problem solvers to come on board.
2 RFID applications that unlock the power of smarter labels
Comparing different types of RFID tags
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are a broad category of smart labels encompassing near field communication (NFC) tags, ultra-high-frequency (UHF) tags and more. If you’re considering deploying an RFID solution, it’s important to understand the […]
Wine label facestock choices and their customization options
Latest iPhone models support native NFC tag scanning
Sparkling wine packaging: RLG in the news
The September 2018 edition of Wines & Vines magazine examines trends in sparkling wine packaging, including the value of label design. Two Resource Label Group companies contribute to the discussion– Taylor Made Labels’ wine division, […]
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Guardian
Inspiration
Being the new guy in town can suck when you unknowingly take a turn into the wrong neighborhood.
What it does
Guardian watches your GPS location and the time of day to predict the likelihood of becoming victim to crime within the city of Philadelphia, if it believes you are at risk it will push a notification to your phone via SMS.
How we built it
By cleaning up crime statistics provided by the city of Philadelphia, identifying features within the dataset, and applying machine learning techniques to the data, we created a model that is able to determine the level of your safety at a given time/location.
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The Old Soldiers' Home
By Howard Nemerov
Trumpet and drum, the old soldier said,
What has become of the regiment,
What of the company and the squad?
Some must be living, though cracked or bent
But I can't get it out of my head
How trumpet and drum paraded before
The marching young men, how they led
Us, green and dumb, where the war
Opened his mouth to be fed
There was a hill, the old soldier said.
The military and manly thing
Was to take the hill, and we near did.
We got our fill and had our fling
And sowed our wild oats and our blood
All up and down the slope, before
We turned back, broken, and fled,
Bleeding and chill, where the war
Opened his mouth to be fed.
God bless the State! the old soldier said
Which lets me wait in a fine house
With a bronze gate and an iron bed,
Reciting the roll call, win or lose,
The order of battle, the old parade
Climbing the hill. How long before
Trumpet and drum prate over my head?
I, chill and dumb, where the war
Opens his mouth to be fed.
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No makeup date has been announced; Wilson to start series finale
CLEVELAND -- Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms forced the Angels' first postponement of the season at Progressive Field on Wednesday.
They'll wrap up the four-game set against the Indians on Thursday, then announce a makeup date for Wednesday's contest at a later date. The two teams have three common off-days the rest of the way (July 28, Aug. 14 and Sept. 8), basically making a doubleheader unnecessary.
"Any time you don't have a doubleheader, you're happy," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "There was no way we were going to be able to play tonight."
The two scheduled Wednesday starters, Angels lefty C.J. Wilson and Indians righty Justin Masterson, were pushed back to start Thursday afternoon (start time is 9:05 a.m. PT). Scioscia will also push Garrett Richards back to Friday's series opener at home against the Rangers, and Saturday and Sunday are currently TBD.
Jered Weaver will take the ball one of those days -- he was originally slated to start Saturday -- and the other game will either be started by lefty Hector Santiago or righty Matt Shoemaker. The Angels will then have an off-day on Monday.
The Angels and Indians share off-days on July 28 (Angels on their way to Baltimore; Indians returning home from Kansas City), Aug. 14 (Angels on their way to Texas; Indians in the middle of a homestand) and Sept. 8 (Angels on their way to Texas; Indians in the middle of a homestand).
Umpires determine whether or not there's a doubleheader. The fact that the Angels have to fly all the way back to the West Coast after Thursday's game, and that there's about a 30 percent chance of rain around game time, probably influenced that decision.
"I'm hearing there's chance of rain tomorrow," Scioscia said, "but we'll take it one step at a time."
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"Photography designed to capture andpreserve your memories for alloccasions."
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Padalacs Photography offer a portrait journalistic style of digital camera work. Photographer Lee Steinbacher listens to your thoughts and ideas, blending them with her own skills to produce memorable moments for any occasion.
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She worked for the West Australian Newspaper group for many years and has worked for numerous other organisations both on contract and as a freelance photographer. Lee has recently decided to take photos professionally and start up her own business, Padalacs Photography.
Available throughout Australia and residing in the South West of Western Australia, Lee is an emerging member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers.
Place an order
Have you seen a photo you like? Ordering a copy is simple! Contact Lee on [email protected] or print and complete this order form and email it to Lee so she can follow up.
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39th Street Gallery
SCROLL DOWN
39th Street Gallery
The 39th Street Gallery is dedicated to fostering fresh, creative exhibitions and projects that engage artists, curators, critics and the public in contemporary art dialogue. Located a quarter mile from the Washington, DC line this 450 SF Gallery is located on the second floor of the Gateway Arts Center.
The gallery has a full schedule of artists talks, workshops, and a variety of programs that engage artists and the DC Metro community.
Artist Studios
Artist Studios
Amazing artist studios for lease in the Gateway Arts District. Studios range in size from 265 to 1100 square feet starting at $380 per month. Parking, major street visibility and best of all, a collaborative arts community. Call or email Zina Dixon for a private showing at 240.450.2995 or [email protected].
EZ StorageAvailable Studios:
ezStorage - Studio 315B (interior) -- 270 sf
gateway arts centerAVAILABLE STUDIOS:
Gateway Media Arts Lab
Gateway Media Arts Lab
The Gateway Media Arts Lab is home to over 20 resident and non-resident enterprises with a passion for design and innovation. Collectively their services include projection design, digital media services, film and video production, graphic and web design, photography, storytelling and content creation. In addition to collectively producing projects that will support Gateway CDC's mission of economic development through the arts, the companies offer professional creative services to businesses, non-profits and other entities in the region and beyond.
Property Development
Property Development
Gateway CDC works with the most innovative developers to bring exciting and sustainable mixed use projects to the Gateway Arts District. Here are links to a few of the projects that began construction in 2016.
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NAIC Conference Attendee Reported Missing
Chicago police say Matthew Soumakis, a 31-year-old manager of an insurance industry software support servicer, vanished from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Winter National...
December 13, 2005
Chicago police say Matthew Soumakis, a 31-year-old manager of an insurance industry software support servicer, vanished from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' Winter National Meeting in Chicago. Soumakis was last seen early Tuesday walking from a bar to his hotel. His friends and family are now there searching for him.
Police say he called his mother Monday morning and was scheduled to return home on an American Airlines flight Tuesday but did not get on the plane. Friends and family came to Chicago to investigate and they say they found his bags unpacked in his hotel room. The friends say Soumakis has been married for eight months and his wife is four months pregnant.
Acting on the wishes of Soumakis' family, the NAIC on December 9 issued an alert that included a photo of Soumakis beneath a red banner with the word "MISSING" in white letters. By December 8, Chicago police were using sonar equipment to comb the Chicago River and the shoreline of Lake Michigan, while teams of divers searched the 39-degree waters that run just behind the hotel, finding nothing.
As a manager with SS&C, Soumakis may have been tracking sessions at the NAIC conference that had to do with any pending changes to company reporting requirements. The company had no comment.
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Since 26 May 2011, the law now states that cookies on websites can ony be used with your specific consent. Cookies allow us to ensure that you enjoy the best browsing experience.
GPs exposed to legal risk through 'informal' shared care agreements
GPs have been urged to go through their records and ensure all patients on shared care have written agreements in place, after rising numbers of 'informal' requests to share responsibility for prescribing specialist drugs.
LMC leaders in Devon have issued the warning after several legal cases in their area in the past year went against GPs because they did not have the relevant skills to manage the agreements.
Devon LMC recommends that GPs should resist pressure from consultants to take on shared prescribing responsibility, as it can result in harm to patients.
Its June newsletter says: 'For each patient accepted, you should have a signed declaration from the consultant that the hospital has completed all of the initial work in starting the drug and there are clear instructions for drug monitoring.'
‘We are increasingly alarmed that these agreements are not being signed and sent to practices, and that many GPs are taking over shared care prescribing on the basis of informal requests in out-patient letters.'
The LMC has recommended that local GPs should search their records to identify patients on shared care and ensure that this is being done on the basis of a written agreement with a named consultant.
Dr Andy Sant, executive vice-chair of the LMC, told Pulse: `There have been two to three adverse events in the last year or so, and GPs were left in the wrong medico-legally because they didn't have the relevant skills and knowledge.'
Dr Sant said that GPs should `understand that the risks rest solely with them' and should only prescribe shared care drugs when they felt they had the skills and knowledge to do so safely.
He said the LMC would be raising the issue of informal requests for shared care with local providers.
Dr Nick Clements, head of medical services at the Medical Protection Society, saidwhen sharing care doctors must be `fully competent to exercise their share of the clinical responsibility'.
He said: `The decision about who should take responsibility for continuing care or treatment should be based on the patient's best interests.'
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After 10 Years, IMG Still Revolutionizing Genomics
In 2005, the Integrated Microbial Genome (IMG) data management system was launched to support comparative analysis of genomes sequenced at the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute (JGI). At that time, the system had only a few registered users and contained about 3,000 genomes.
Today, IMG is one of the largest publicly available data management and analysis systems for microbial genome and metagenome datasets, containing about 50,000 datasets. The system also has more than 13,500 registered users from 93 countries across six continents, has contributed to thousands of published papers and has served as a tool for teaching genome and metagenome comparative analysis at numerous universities and colleges around the globe.
On this milestone anniversary, the two researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) who have led the development of IMG—Victor M Markowitz, leader of the Lab’s Biosciences Computing Group, and Nikos C Kyrpides, head of JGI’s Prokaryotic Super Program—reflect on the development, evolution and impact of this system.
Question: Looking back, to what do you credit the success of IMG?
VICTOR: When we started developing the IMG system 10 years ago, there were several similar data management and analysis systems for microbial genomics but no systems for the emerging area of metagenomics. Over the last decade, some of those systems survived, some ceased to exist and new systems appeared. What made IMG unique was the tight partnership between Nikos and his colleagues at JGI, with the computer scientists and software engineers in Berkeley Lab’s Biosciences Computing Group (formerly known as the Biological Data Management and Technology Center).
From day one, IMG’s development was anchored in the scientists’ view of how the system would serve their analysis needs. They provided us with very detailed requirements and use cases which drove our engineering decisions. Supporting the scientific users of the system was and remains the main focus of the system. The steadfast support we got from JGI, which stood by us in good and bad times, was also essential to our success.
NIKOS: I agree with Victor that the source of IMG’s success has been the very close collaboration between JGI’s scientists and Berkeley Lab’s Biosciences Computing Group. I cannot emphasize enough how important this collaboration is. We have seen time and time again when computer scientists and software engineers believe they know what the biologists want and then build a system that we can’t use. Or a biologist with some computer programming experience tries to create a system that doesn’t come close to what the computer scientists can build.
The first years were very difficult in terms of communication. Computer scientists and biologists speak very different languages, so often it’s very hard to bridge the communication gap between them. But the persistence, understanding and confidence that we had in each other—trusting that the other team knew what to do to make this endeavor successful—ultimately made this collaboration so impactful.
Question: From a scientific perspective, what makes IMG unique?
Nikos: In my view, IMG provides one of the best—if not the best—integration of genomics data that I have seen. Everyone agrees that we need to integrate data, but there are various ways to do this. At the very minimum, you can collect data in different ways—genes, pathways, various types of omics data or even metadata—put this information into a database and that’s it. Users will not be able to compare the different types of data. So they collect the data, but there is no real data integration there.
The strength of IMG is that its integration allows scientists to compare across different data types. We have to work with diverse types of data from many different datasets. For example, if we have a lot of metagenome datasets from the human body but we don’t know where they came from, which body site or the exact conditions of the individual from which those samples were collected, the datasets are of little use. Yes, we can compare the datasets, we can identify commonalities or differences between datasets, but we cannot explain them. The explanations emerge from integrating different types of data and metadata. With integration the meaning of comparingdata is revealed and we are able to interpret the results in a comprehensive global data context.
The strength of IMG’s integration is directly related to our strong partnership with NERSC (National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center). The reason is that before datasets are integrated into IMG, they require a lot of processing which involve massive computations. Today we have more than 35 billion genes in IMG, and supporting gene-based comparisons between datasets wouldn’t have been possible without the computing infrastructure at NERSC.
Question: What have been some of your biggest challenges over the last 10 years?
VICTOR: The rapid growth in the number of sequence datasets generated by new sequencing technology platforms and the massive increase in the number of genes in individual metagenome datasets have been the toughest challenge we’ve encountered.
Since IMG serves as a vehicle for processing and distributing the datasets sequenced at JGI, the top priority for IMG is to serve JGI scientists and their collaborators. Increasing the number of datasets included into IMG improves the efficiency of the analysis supported by the system, so we try to get as many genome and metagenome datasets into the system as possible. In addition to all the microbial genomes and metagenomes sequenced at the JGI that are included into IMG, we integrate all genome datasets available from public sequence data archives. In addition, we encourage users to submit their own datasets (sequenced elsewhere) for processing and integration into IMG.
As the cost of sequencing dropped, we saw an explosion of data being generated around 2010. As expected, the data management technology that we were using at the time just could not sustain the growth. The 2010-2012 period, was tough as we had to scramble for solutions to sustain the data growth. The computational challenge of integrating new genome and metagenome datasets into IMG was facilitated by the supercomputing infrastructure at NERSC. To address the data management challenge, we extended IMG’s data base infrastructure using open source data stores and by developing custom access methods. But this solution is difficult to scale and ideally would be replaced by gaining access to high performance data management resources and new database technology platforms, hopefully also at NERSC.
NIKOS:Ten years ago, the scale of genomics data was completely different than today. When IMG was launched, we had only a few thousand genomes in the system. The amount of data included into the database on a quarterly basis, was significantly less than what is included into IMG on a weekly basis today.
When we started IMG in 2005, scientists who were submitting proposals to JGI had one or maybe a handful of genomes that they wanted to sequence and analyze. Today, scientist are using IMG to compare several hundred to thousands of genomes and metagenomes. For instance if you want to understand a single organism like E.coli, we now have thousands of genomes for this organism in the IMG database. So scale has been one of our biggest challenges, and will continue to be one of our greatest challenges moving forward.
Question: What are some of the goals for the next 10 years of IMG?
NIKOS: The key is integration of data, especially metagenomic data. In the beginning, our goal was just to provide a system that would integrate all of the microbial genomes sequenced at JGI. But it quickly became obvious that we needed to integrate the genomes sequenced at JGI with those sequenced elsewhere. So we began integrating all publicly available microbial genomic data from resources like NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) into IMG. But we haven’t been as aggressive in integrating publicly available metagenomes into IMG because this is a tougher challenge that will require substantially more resources.
Right now, there is no centralized resource that integrates all publicly available assembled metagenomic, datasets. This is one of the biggest challenges and one of our biggest goals for the future. It is also one area where our partnership with NERSC is very valuable. Our relationship with NERSC gives us access to high performance computing and storage, which allows us to process larger datasets than ever before. As we improve our pipelines, we will be able to start processing the increased number of datasets that are being submitted to IMG from other centers.
And as JGI moves into the field of functional genomics, we now have the capabilities to do more than just sequencing, including DNA synthesis and metabolomics. All of these technologies are generating new types of data. Eventually, we would like to integrate these new data types into IMG. This will be a huge step forward in facilitating discovery.
VICTOR: In sustaining IMG as a leading genome and metagenome data management and analysis system we are facing two major challenges: maintaining a rapidly growing production system in an academic environment with inherently tight funding and lack of access to advanced data management technology.
The limitations of the data management tools we have access to were and continue to be the main hurdle for IMG’s future. We succeeded to overcome partially the limitations of the data management tools available to us, by experimenting with and deploying various open source data stores wrapped with custom data access methods. But these solutions have their own limitations, are difficult to scale and need to be replaced within the next two to three years, ideally by gaining access to cutting-edge high performance data management resources and new database technology. Such resources are available commercially at a high cost, but unfortunately are not currently provided by academic computing centers like NERSC. We would like to work closely with NERSC to overcome this challenge.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Computing Sciences organization provides the computing and networking resources and expertise critical to advancing the Department of Energy's research missions: developing new energy sources, improving energy efficiency, developing new materials and increasing our understanding of ourselves, our world and our universe.
ESnet, the Energy Sciences Network, provides the high-bandwidth, reliable connections that link scientists at 40 DOE research sites to each other and to experimental facilities and supercomputing centers around the country. The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) powers the discoveries of 6,000 scientists at national laboratories and universities, including those at Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division (CRD). CRD conducts research and development in mathematical modeling and simulation, algorithm design, data storage, management and analysis, computer system architecture and high-performance software implementation. NERSC and ESnet are DOE Office of Science User Facilities.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the DOE’s Office of Science.
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.
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Raigmore Hospital C.diff deep clean underway
A deep clean is underway at Raigmore. Picture: PA
ALISTAIR MUNRO
DEEP cleaning has begun on an emergency ward at the Highlands’ flagship hospital after a superbug outbreak.
Health bosses at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness shut Ward 7C after two patients were diagnosed with C.diff.
Dr Jonty Mills, Consultant Microbiologist at Raigmore Hospital, explained that with no new cases of Clostridium difficile in the ward since Monday deep cleaning was able to begin.
He said: “The actions we took were largely to reduce the risk of the infection spreading within the ward environment.
“We have been closely monitoring the situation and I am content that it has now come to an end and deep cleaning can begin. Our domestic team will start this late afternoon today with a view to reopening the ward on Monday.
“All staff involved, which includes the nursing team, infection control, pharmacy, clinical colleagues and our team of domestics, have worked incredibly hard throughout this week to ensure that this is kept under control and there has been no impact on the running of the hospital.”
C.diff is a bacterium which particularly affects patients on strong antibiotics.
It is spread in the faeces through bacteria and by spores which allow the bacteria to survive in the environment. It
is a serious problem for hospitals because many patients are on antibiotics and are also already sick which makes them susceptible.
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related
related
related
People can debate forever about the best bike tool, but it's very clear — the best bike tool is the one that you have when you need it. Taking ten essential bike tools and condensing them into one handy keychain, the Ringtoolwill help keep you from getting stranded. Unless you lose your keys.
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related
The Ringtool has 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 8-millimeter hexheads, flat and phillips screwdrivers, a Torx key, and two spoke wrenches for two different nipple sizes. Getting torque can be a problem with such a small amount of leverage, but you can always put a stick or bar through the hole and give yourself more purchase on those rusty bolts.
Ethan Wolff-Mann is the Gear editor of Supercompressor. He usually carries redundant sets of bike tools with him, but bad things always happen on the days he forgets them. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.
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Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
About Deborah Wilhelm
Dr. Deborah Wilhelm is the author, with Bishop Sylvester Ryan, of Preaching Matters: A Praxis for Preachers (Paul Bechtold Theological Library). An active preacher, teacher, writer, retreat leader, and Camaldolese Benedictine Oblate, she holds a D.Min. in preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology. She has taught theology, presiding, and preaching for the Loyola Institute for Ministry; preaching for the Aquinas Institute of Theology, for Santa Clara University, and for the Diocese of Monterey (California); and writing at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She lives and prays with her family among the rivers, trees, and blackberry vines of rural Oregon.
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If you have seen this movie, please write a review below. Once your review is submitted, I will post the review below.
Thank you for your review on this film.
Your Email Address:
How many stars would you give this film? Four being
the best.
Your review/thoughts on "No More Ladies":
Reviews
Reviewer: robertbertrand
Stars: 2 1/2
Review: Critics of this film said that Carol Lombard should have played the role instead of Joan Crawford. But, this discounts
the fact that "No More Ladies" was not meant to be a screwball comedy. Based on the play by A.E. Thomas, "No
More Ladies" is a comedy about New York City socialites and the mixed up situations they get themselves in. The play
may have been successful on Broadway, but by the time MGM was through editing and rewriting it, the material was mediocre.
In fact, Rachel Crothers who helped write the screen play was so disgusted with the way MGM forced her to change parts of
her adaptation, (that in turn weakened the plot) she asked to removed from the credits on the film.
Joan plays Marcia Townsend, a socialite who has reluctantly fallen for wealthy playboy Sherry Warren, played by Robert
Montgomery. Marcia tries to hide her love for Sherry; after all, he is responsible for the heartbreaks of several New York
women. Sherry is even responsible for breaking up the marriage of a high society couple; Franchot Tone plays Jim Salston,
the husband of the broken marriage. Edna May Oliver plays Marcias wise, but sarcastic, grandmother Fanny Townsend. Although
her character is minor, Oliver ends up stealing most of the scenes she's in. She's about the only one in the cast who can
deliver the would-be-witty lines in a way that makes the audience light up.
After a night on the town, Sherry realizes he's in love with Marcia and asks her to marry him. Overjoyed, Marcia accepts,
but realizes she still may have to tame the man she loves. Not too long after the marriage, Sherry and his friend, Edgar
Holden, go out for drinks before heading to the train station to meet Marcia and Fanny for a weekend stay at their country
estate. Charles Ruggles plays Edgar, the slurring, stumbling drunk everyone can't help but love. Along with Oliver, Ruggles
character provides the majority of humor throughout the picture. Sherry runs into Therese Germane (played by Gail Patrick)
who was a former nightclub dancer and the two ending up having several drinks. Sherry gets drunk, misses the train and ends
up going home with Therese for a one-night stand. When Marcia finds out what's happened, she's not surprised but still is
furious. Devising a plot to get back at Sherry, Marcia invites several people to the estate for a party. The guests include
Jim Salston, Jim's ex-wife, Diana, who brings her new husband, played by Arthur Treacher, and Therese Germane. When the guests
realize what's going on, they make the best of the situation. Knowing Jim has always liked her, Marcia gets back at Sherry
by running off with Jim for the night. When she returns, Sherry is livid and ready for divorce. Beforehand, Sherry admitted
his failings and was ready to try harder. Although the audience is left to assume Marcia and Jim had a fling, it's never actually
stated. In the end, Sherry and Marcia decide to stay together, realizing what they went through was a test of how much they
love each other.
Anyone who has seen "The Philadelphia Story" and watched this picture cant help but make comparisons. The scenario
is very similar, with ex-husband and wife in awkward social settings, the playboy who can be tamed by only one woman who needs
a bit of work herself, the family and friends who give the sarcastic running commentary of the situations that unfold before
them. For some reason, however, the film just doesn't flow well. There was a great, noticeable effort on the writers parts
to have the dialog witty, sharp and satirical; but because the supporting cast was mediocre and Crawford delivers most of
her cunning lines like she's beside Clark Gable in Chained, the films intended overall effect is lost.
The one unique thing about "No More Ladies" is the viewpoints it presents on marriage. Several of Crawford's
speeches on the subject are quite surprising, given the time in which they were written. Everything she says about marriage
and relationships in the picture can be applied to relationships today.
Joan also wore some extravagant creations by Adrian, one of which is the kite collar on a backless gown Joan wears half
way through the picture; the gown is different from anything he had created up to that point. The most famous costume from
the picture, however, is the suit Joan wears at the train station. The form-fitting dress was made of black crepe, and the
best part about the ensemble is the wide-brim hat she cocks to the side, giving her a diva/gangster look that is stunning.
Look for Joan Fontaine in her first film role in this picture. She was known then as Joan Burfield and plays one of Sherry's
many heart broken women still yearning for him. Crawford did not do badly in the film, and Carol Lombard would have been totally
wrong to play the part. If the film failed, it was because it was poorly written, and the supporting cast, Montgomery and
Tone, were wrong for their parts, particularly Robert Montgomery. "No More Ladies" gets by being mediocre, but its
still a film Crawford fans should see once or twice to appreciate.
~~CLICK ON THE YELLOW STARS BELOW TO VOTE FOR THIS SITE!~~
Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction
in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,
teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In
determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include;
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational
purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration
of all the above factors.
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Nutrition & Digestive Health
Nutrition & Digestive Health
There is no doubt that western diets and western lifestyles are causing us to carry more weight, to be increasingly unhealthy and unhappy and often tleading us to be seriously unwell.
We are barraged with a mass of information about what constitutes a healthy diet and how to lose weight but much of it is confusing and contradictory and some of it is downright wrong. Let us help guide you through the facts to help you find the approach that is right for you. It could be nutritional advice that you need? It could be that by diagnosing a food intolerance you are able to make dietary changes that will make a real difference to you?
Sometimes we need to examine the psychological reasons behind our unhealthy eating habits in order to make changes? You can do this with Counselling and Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, Emotional Freedom Technique or with out weekly wieght loss club - Mind Your Weight.
And if you are struggling to manage a condition like IBS, Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue, to name but a few then how about considering Kinesiology or Nutritional Therapy as there can be no doubt that your diet is a major underlying factor in so many persistant health problems.
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suraj.sun writes: Apple is being sued in federal court in San Francisco over allegations that every touch-based product the company makes infringes on a patent relating to touch-based interactive museum displays. According to the complaint, Professor Slavoljub Milekic conceived a system that used a touchscreen that allowed children to move virtual objects around the screen, which he used to build interactive displays for the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, KY, in 1997, and filed for a patent on his design that same year.
The patent in the suit, US Patent #6,920,619 named "User interface for removing an object from a display," was issued by the US Patent & Trademark Office in 2005. According to the lawsuit, Milekic formed FlatWorld Interactives in 2007 to "promote and commercialize" his invention. Curiously, FlatWorld was incorporated on January 2007, just weeks after Apple announced the original iPhone at Macworld Expo. In July 2007, just after Apple shipped the original iPhone, FlatWorld filed a reissue request for the patent, which appears to have been done in order to modify some of the patent's dependent claims.Link to Original Source
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Before we get into the real-world tests, we wanted to see how the QuadroCX stood up in a basic OpenGL workstation-class rendering benchmark. As the QuadroCX is based on the same hardware as the QuadroFX 4800, it's not surprising that we see these two cards giving virtually identical numbers. Both cards are slightly bested by ATI's new FirePro V8700, but easily best the GeForce 9600 GT (thrown in to showcase what a "basic" graphics card can handle today, in comparison to these high-end workstation cards).
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Say the name Figueres in Costa Rica and it's bound to get a reaction. José "Don Pepe" Figueres led the 1948 revolution, was president three times, nationalised the banks and gave women and black people the vote. His daughter Christiana is the UN's climate chief trying to steer almost 200 countries through the most complex international negotiations ever attempted; and her brother José María was one of Latin America's youngest ever presidents at the age of 39.
Now José María – who coined the phrase "there's no planet B" when head of the World Economic Forum – has joined his sister in the fight for a global energy revolution by taking over as head of the climate change business thinktank Carbon War Room, which aims to get business to cut gigatonnes of carbon by sharing best practice information.
She hopes to lead the world's public sector into a low carbon future, he the private sector. But is it an accident of history or sibling rivalry played out on the international stage that accounts for so many revolutionaries in one central American family?
"I call her 'Hermanita', or Little Sister," says José María. "We pulled each other's hairs out [as children]. It's always been a fierce but friendly rivalry between us. We have worked together before. When I was minister of agriculture she was my chief of staff. I was the boss, but she solved the problems. When I was president she was on the government's climate negotiating team. I like to think she is responsible for finding solutions for 50% of the carbon cuts needed and I must find them for the other half. I'd love to be her chief of staff."
Their father was a landowner and coffee grower who launched a revolution of intellectuals and farmers from the small family ranch he called "La Luccha sin Fin" (the endless struggle) high in the central mountains. The revolution was, he says, based on a liberal, Scandinavian model of universal healthcare, public education, and strong institutions.
"Mother was an MP and later a diplomat. Father taught us the values of no wastage and austerity and of a life in harmony with the natural habitat. We learned politics at the family table. We ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every conversation was about politics, the challenge of development, inequalities and legislation. A table with all of us was so argumentative. There must have been something in the water we drank," he says.
But José María says that when 18 he wanted a change and chose to go to leading US military academy West Point, whose alumni included presidents Ulysses Grant and Dwight Eisenhower as well as five people who have walked on the moon. This is remarkable, he accepts, because his father is the only president in modern history to have abolished a standing army. "Father had a fit when I went to West Point. He never went there. Perhaps it was my challenge to him," he says.
There followed years at Harvard, as an engineer, a farming boss and then in public service. "I was invited to turn around the railways and then I was made minister of agriculture and forests. We concentrated on resource management and efficiency. We moved to the biological control of pests instead of pesticides."
When he was elected Costa Rican president in 1994, the Berlin wall had come down, the Soviet Union had imploded, the Gulf war had been fought and the Rio Earth summit had been held. He says the world had changed and Costa Rica would not be able to compete in the new world without new ideas – so he turned to business and sustainable development.
"I brought in economists like Jeffrey Sachs. I was strongly influenced by people like Maurice Strong [who headed the Rio earth summit] and his adviser on business, the Swiss industrialist Stefan Shmidheiny who set up the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
His single term – all that was allowed – was the start of Costa Rica's move towards an economy based on eco-tourism, conservation and national parks. "It began my thinking about the ethical and moral necessity to be efficient with natural resources," he says.
Today, "eco-travel" is the country's biggest industry, worth billions of dollars a year, and sustainable development has proved lucrative. Most farmers benefit in some way from eco tourism, and, from a country in real danger of losing all its forests in 1970, 25% is now dedicated to conservation.
"Climate change is the ultimate challenge. But I am convinced that the development opportunity of our lifetimes lies in the transition to a low carbon economy. If we are to solve it we need to scale up our responses. We need to attract capital and resources to get there."
The Carbon War Room has addressed shipping and aviation and will move to become a major international NGO, says José María. "Business needs to learn from civil society. The world can live far better than it does now. Six billion people aspire to live like the other one billion. That is a just aspiration. I really believe that moving to a low carbon economy would unleash entrepreneurship."
But how would Don Pepe, the old revolutionary, see his two children today? "He would be at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution. He'd be enjoying it. He'd get a kick out of smart grids. Meanwhile, big brother is not waiting for little sister. I wish her the best but we in business are going full steam ahead. At the moment I think business is doing better than countries on climate change, but the jury is out. I know if it were up to Christiana alone that governments would be leading ahead by leaps and bounds."
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8 Easy Steps To Getting Hired By A Startup
Many job seekers do: In the average small business there's usually less bureaucracy, greater opportunities to step outside defined roles... and if you someday hope to own your own business, a look behind the scenes at some of the realities of entrepreneurship.
Great — but landing the job can require a different approach. While some business owners do have a corporate background, many are lifelong entrepreneurs. And many see the hiring process as a necessary evil; as a friend says, "I don't have time for this... I have a business to run."
That perspective makes getting hired a lot harder for a job seeker who takes a conventional approach... and a lot easier for a job seeker who puts in the time and effort — and it will take time and effort — to understand their audience and really set themselves apart:
1. Decide who you want to work for.
Obvious, right? Not really. Many job seekers play the numbers game and respond to as many job postings as possible.
That means the owner has to sift through dozens of potential candidates to find the right person. (Good luck emerging from that particular pile.) To show a small business owner that you are the right candidate, that means you have to do the work.
Instead of shotgunning your resume, put in the time to determine a business you definitely want to work for, and then...
2. Really know the company.
Pretend I'm the owner. "I would love to work for you," you say to me; what I actually hear is, "I would love for you to pay me."
You can't possibly know if you want to work for my company unless you know a lot about my company; that's the difference between just wanting a job and wanting a role in my business. Talk to friends, relatives, vendors, customers... anyone you can find. Check the owner and the employees out on social media; when you know the people, you know the company. Learn as much as you can.
Then leverage what you learn and...
3. Determine how you will hit the ground running.
Most small business owners hate to train new employees. Training takes time, money, effort... all of which are in short supply. An ideal new hire can be productive immediately, at least in part.
While you don't need to be able to do everything required, it helps if the owner is confident of getting some level of immediate return on their hiring investment. (Remember, hiring you is an investment that needs to generate a return.)
Identify one or two important things you can contribute from day one. Then...
4. Don't just tell. Show.
Put what you can offer on display. If you're a programmer, mock up a new application. If you want a sales position, create a plan for how you'll target a new market or customer base, or describe how you will implement marketing strategies the business is currently not using.
A show and tell is your chance to prove you know the company and what you can offer. Your initiative will be impressive and you'll go a long way towards overcoming concerns that you're all talk and no action.
Is it fair you're doing a little work on spec? Should you have to create a mockup or plan in order to get the job? Not really and probably not... but doing so will definitely set you apart.
Never let "fair" — when the only person "disadvantaged" is you — get in the way of achieving your goals.
5. Use a referral as reinforcement.
Business is all about relationships. Everyone has made made bad hiring decisions, so a referral from someone we trust is like gold.
You may have to dig deep into your network or even forge new connections, but the effort will be worth it.
Knowing that someone we trust is willing to vouch for you is a data point that often tips the decision scale towards giving you an interview... and even giving you the job.
6. Knock on the door.
You don't have to wait for an opening to be posted; after all, you've identified ways you can immediately help the company you want to work for. Show up, ask to speak to the owner, and pitch away.
Just make sure you go straight to the benefits of what you will do. You could say, "Your website is good but it could be a lot better. Here are changes I will make in the first month, and here is how those changes will improve conversions and SEO results. And here's a mock-up I created of a new site design."
I promise people will listen. I don't know any entrepreneurs who won't drop everything to learn about ways to improve their business.
7. Assert yourself during the interview.
Many small business owners are terrible interviewers. As a friend of mine says, "I don't work in HR. I run a business."
Be direct and to the point. Explain what you can do. Describe your background. Talk about how the owner will benefit from hiring you. Show you know working for a small business is different and you're excited by the challenge. Sell yourself, using what you know about the company and how you'll make an impact to back up your pitch.
And never be afraid to run the interview. Many business owners will be happy to let you.
8. Ask for the job.
Business owners know how to close a deal, so most don't mind being closed. Plus a decision put off until tomorrow is a decision added to the to-do list; no one wants more on their plates.
If you want the job, ask for it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you've worked hard to truly set yourself apart you might get hired on the spot.
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