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{"text": "Fiat Chrysler Automobiles posted a 6 percent increase in US sales last month.\nThe company sold 189,027 vehicles in the US in the period, marking it as the best April since 2007.\nThe strong performance was driven by record sales of Jeeps. The Jeep brand reported its best monthly sales, at almost 72,000 – a 20 percent gain compared to the same month last year.\nThe Jeep Cherokee.\nFiat Chrysler’s Ram brand sales increased 4 percent, and pickup truck sales gained 3 percent.\nThe Cherokee was the company’s best selling Jeep and the second-best selling vehicle in April, behind the Ram pickup. Over 19,000 Cherokees were sold for the second straight month in April.\nThe results still fell short of what nine analysts polled by Reuters expected though.\nGeneral Motors and Ford also post gains\nSales at General Motors and Nissan rose 6 percent. Ford sales increased 5 percent. Hyundai gained 2.9 percent and Toyota sales rose 1.8 percent.\nVolkswagen sales dropped 3 percent and Honda sales fell 1.8 percent.\nFord F-150 sales gained 8.0 percent, but total."}
{"text": "Navy Blue And Chikoo Jacquard And Net Gown\n- US $114.32 US $148.37 (23%-Off)\n- Availability: In Stock\n- Product Code: st-6948-12\nTags: gown, net gown, jacquard."}
{"text": "Just for the Halibut House\n7020 Neptune Ave\nGleneden Beach\n4 bedrooms 3 baths Sleeps up to 13\nDog Friendly\n$192 - $892/Night\nWith an open concept main floor living space and a deck off of the living/dining room you will be able to enjoy the ever-changing sky and ocean views. Use the binoculars to watch fishing boats, birds, whales or the night sky. The cozy gas fireplace warms the great room on cool mornings or stormy days, while gorgeous windows keep it bright. Two decks invite refreshing sea breezes while grilling, sipping or basking. There is a well stocked kitchen with a glass top range, comfortable counter stools and a large dining table that’s perfect for entertaining and making memories together.\nYou will relax and fall asleep to the rhythmic sound of the surf in any of the four bedrooms. The main floor bedroom, with a queen bed, is perfect for those that don’t like to do stairs. On the second floor, you will find the other three bedrooms. The master bedroom has all the amenities to encourage you to relax! From a private ocean view deck, Keurig coffee cart, and a see-through gas fireplace shared with the ensuite bath, you won’t want to leave! Choose from the walk in shower with six shower heads or the Jacuzzi tub to wash your cares away.\nEnjoy your time in the game room or go outside for a rousing game of horseshoes and get ready to test your skill at throwing a ringer -- or maybe a leaner! After a day of exploring the many wonders of the coastline or walking the beach looking for treasures, submerge in the ocean view hot tub for the ultimate in relaxation.\nTake time to explore the community of Gleneden Beach and treat yourself to wonderful restaurants like The Red Roof, the Side Door Café and the shops at Salishan Marketplace. This home is a one-of-a kind getaway for a romantic stay on the coast, a family gathering, or an adventure at the beach with friends.\nSleeps up to 13 – 4 Bedrooms, 2 Kings (one can be split into 2 twins with advance notice), 2 Queens, 1 Queen Sleeper Sofa, 3 twin rollaways, 3 Bath.\nVehicles: Licensed for 5 (strictly enforced)\nWinter: 2 night minimum; Standard & Holidays: 3-4 night minimum\n*Each home is individually owned. Amenities and furnishings are subject to change at any time. Please contact our office with any questions.\nJust for the Halibut House\nPlan & Book Your Trip\nQuestions?\nAvailability\nRates\nReviews\nGuest Reviews\nVery clean & well taken care of. Easy access to the beach & close to town. There were 9 of us so there was plenty of room & lots of activities for us. We all had a very relaxing fun week there.\nMichelle , August 2022\nTHE LOCATION OF THIS HOME IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT . THE BEACH IS BASICALY RIGHT OUT THE DOOR AND IT IS A WONDERFUL BEACH. WE HAD OUR 3 GRANDCHILDREN WITH US AND THEY LOVED THE BEACH. EASY ACCESS TO HWY 101. EVERYONE IN THE AREA WAS SUPER FRIENDLY, ESPECIALLY THE DEPOT BAY FIRE DEPARTMENT. THEY INVITED THE LITTLES TO CLIMB IN THEIR FIRETRUCK AND WEAR THERE FIRE COATS. MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME. COMMINICATION WAS SUPERB, ANY QUESTION WE HAD WAS ANSWERED WITHIN MINUTES. THE HOUSE WAS SUPER CLEAN AND OPEN.\nPatricia , August 2022\nOur large family enjoyed the house and it’s wonderful location. We were just a short staircase from the ocean. We had a campfire on the beach. The weather was perfect. The house worked out very well!\nMichele , August 2022\nNice, new property. Very clean and well maintained. Not directly on the beach front but you can see a bit from the living room. And you definitely hear the waves. I especially liked the bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor which was good for my elderly mom\nPaul , August 2022\nA really great house with beautiful ocean view and easy access to the beach. It was perfect for our family and the oversized table, game room and deck were great hangouts! Will definitely stay again!\nJay , July 2022\nGreat location, perfect size for our family gathering.\nDiane , June 2022\nBeautiful house with great beach access.\nJames , June 2022\nHouse was incredibly well kept and clean. We had a smaller party of ppl compared to the maximum occupancy and it felt very spacious for us. Loved the size of the kitchen and front room. Compared to other places we've stayed around the area, this one had the best bang for buck price and space wise. Would definitely come back to in the future.\nSam , May 2022\nThis place was perfect! I plan on renting again. Very accommodating and clean. I would definitely recommend the halibut house to anyone!\nMariah, May 2022\nWe really enjoyed this property! It was exactly as described, clean, comfortable, great view of ocean, and easy beach access. Our family of 4 plus my parents had enough room to be comfortable but also enjoyed being together in the open concept kitchen/dining/living area. Fireplaces were a huge hit as it was quite stormy for a few days. The hot tub was perfect for after long walks each day. We really appreciated the camping chairs available to use on the beach! On our last day our youngest said he didn't want to leave and could we come back!\nSarah, April 2022\nGreat place. The second house from the beach. Easy find it. We enjoyed it. Worth the money.\nVasily, March 2022\nThe home had everything we needed to feel comfortable and enjoy our vacation.\nTara, March 2022\nThis is a beautiful home, natural light and great views of the ocean. The home was clean, inviting as soon as we walked in. (There was soothing music playing upon entry) The only downside-the primary suite bed wasn't terrible comfortable, unless you really like a firm mattress. I would absolutely rent this house again.\nKirsten, February 2022\nThank you so much for allowing us to stay at your special property. Wonderful, wonderful. Thank you!\nJonathan, December 2021\nThis home is fantastic. A great location. Beautiful views and easy access to the beach. I highly recommend staying here.\nTony, November 2021\nGreat for the money and a very relaxing get away! Accommodates large groups comfortably.\nKristyn, November 2021\nLovely place with beach access a few feet away. Perfect for watching the sunset while hot tubbing.\nYufeng, October 2021\nThe layout of the home was nice and the access to the beach was wonderful.\nJudy, October 2021\nJust For the Halibut House was exactly as advertised! 4 bedrooms made it very comfortable for two adult couples, one infant and one teenager. The house is spacious and comfortable for that size of group. Kitchen was well equipped for meal preparation. The pool table got a lot of use, as did the selection of movies. We would definitely rent this house again!\nNancy, August 2021\nWe were overjoyed with the property. It was very clean, the kitchen was supplied nicely with the cooking pans and utensils we would need. The home was well supplied with extra rollaway beds for all our grands and the bedding and blankets. Overall we were extremely happy with our stay.\nCynthia, July 2021\nThe house was beautiful with breathtaking views. We loved that there were beach toys for kids and plenty to say busy with the beach so close, the hottub and pool table. This house did not disappoint\nAshely, May 2021\nWe loved this floorplan for our family & the close beach access is provided!\nJohn, May 2021\nWe had a wonderful weekend with our 4 son/mom retreat. The house was lovely and had plenty of things for our 13 year old sons to do. The house was clean and close to the ocean.\nSharon, May 2021\nThe whole family stayed at this house and everyone was so pleased! Such a short walk to the beach. Very happy with your stay.\nMontana, May 2021\nIt was a beautiful home, loved the view and the decor of the home was perfect. Very comfortable beds. Not a lot of sitting space for the living room but who goes to the beach to sit in the house? Perfect home and will be booking again, perhaps when it's a bit warmer.\nMichelle, April 2021\nI would recommend this house to any family traveling to the beach. Plenty of space, had everything we needed.\nAmber, March 2021\nWe stayed here with our parents-took the senior dogs to the beach to enjoy it. Really appreciated the baby gate. We were able to block off the steps so the dogs wouldn't go upstairs and get stuck (they're old so the stairs were difficult for them). They lounged in front of the fireplace, went on lots of walks as the beach is RIGHT THERE. Loved this home! Everything was wonderful.\nJosh, February 2021\nWhat an awesome location with great views! The house was great for our large family getaway to the coast.\nTara, February 2021\nWe really enjoyed our stay here\nJeff, February 2021\nThis is a large and comfortable house. The touches make everything more fun like games, hot tub, ping pong. There was so much room for everything and everyone. The beach is right there and even in February our kids had a blast going to the beach and exploring. Make sure you bring any cooking supplies, plastic bags, also grab a extra roll of paper towels. The beds are incredible and there are roll aways for extra kiddo sleeping. There is a ton of parking.\nJoanna, Just for the Halibut February\nNice open floor plan. Big table to comfortably accommodate our group. Nice deck and easy beach access. Dogs allowed!\nAnonymous, January 2021\nGreat location. Room for multiple family's. Roll away beds x2 were a nice addition. Plenty of towels and extra sheets. Updated home very convenient to ocean. Way better view and access than portrayed online! Would definitely stay again. Living room furniture could be updated for a more comfy sitting area. Great family table. Also needed more toilet paper. Great rental. Keurig x3 and a coffee pot.\nAnonymous, January 2021\nJust like home but with the majesty of the ocean.\nJeff December 2020\nLoved the location and ease to get to the beach. Great set up for a beach location!\nOlivia., November 2020\nWhat a great house with an amazing hot tub and ocean view. So many things have been thought of and provided. The master suite is simply perfect. Very comfortable place for my long family weekend.\nJason June, 2019\nAmenities\nSunny and bright great room is a perfect family getaway!\nThe ocean view hot tub is the perfect spot to sit and relax.\nStay connected while you enjoy the open concept living space.\nThis open concept is perfect for watching television, visiting or warming up by the fire.\nPlenty of room to enjoy family and friends.\nThe sofa converts to a queen sleeper in case you need more sleeping room!\nGather around this large dining table for a great meal or a rousing board game!\nThe kitchen island is a great gathering spot while the cook is preparing a feast.\nThe large kitchen island gives you plenty of prep space.\nYou won't be left out of the action in this large and sunny space!\nThe spacious master bedroom with king bed has its own private balcony.\nThe large windows let in a lot of light.\nEnjoy the see-through fire place and large screen television from the comforts of bed.\nAhhh, relax!\nSnuggle up in the master bedroom while enjoying a cup of coffee from your own in room Keurig.\nRead a good book while sipping your favorite coffee in the comfort of your master suite.\nThe master suite has its own private deck to enjoy the ocean views.\nWatch the sun rise or set from the south facing balcony.\nRight below the house is the ocean access.\nThe master ensuite walk in shower has 6 shower heads!\nLuxuriate in the jacuzzi tub while the fireplace makes it warm and cozy.\nOpen the windows and let the ocean lull you to sleep.\nThis upper level bedroom has a a comfy queen bed.\nPerfect spot to relax after a day on the beach.\nAnother upper level bedroom is a perfect getaway with a king bed.\nThe king bed upstairs can be split in to two twins with advance notice.\nThree bedrooms upstairs makes this perfect for a family getaway.\nThe downstairs bedroom with a queen bed is perfect for those that don't like stairs!\nThe game room in the garage will keep you entertained.\nBask in the southerly sun and watch for whales.\nRelax on the deck or take a dip in the hot tub.\nHorseshoes anyone?\nBeautiful sandy beaches and rolling waves for your enjoyment.\nGleneden Beach is a beautiful spot to explore.\nJust For The Halibut has ocean view decks for your enjoyment.\nWelcome to Just For The Halibut!\nJust steps away from miles of sandy beach.\nEnjoy exploring the beach where you can walk for miles.\nPrivate stairway leads to the path<<"}
{"text": "Columbus Tip Sheet: December 2017\n- 27Shares\nThe What Should We Do Today? Columbus Tip Sheet serves to inspire you to try something new, explore Columbus and keep on top of what’s happening around town this month!!\nKarilyn K.\n1. Locker Soccer Academy in Powell\n2. All the parks in Dublin\n3. Pancakes at First Watch\nLindsay W.\n1. All of the local splash pads\n2. Graeters on Bethel Rd.\n3. Events at Columbus Commons\nAmanda P.\n1. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium\n2. Whetstone Park of Roses, Whetstone Park and Whetstone Branch of CML\n3. Clintonville Farmers Market\nDecember Tips:\n1. You can get a $2 discount to the Chinese Lantern Festival on Mondays by bringing a donation of a canned food donation. Additionally, admission for college students is $12 on Thursdays and regular admission for active and veteran military members and senior citizens is $12 with ID. See info here:\n2. State Auto’s Christmas Corner will have it’s official lighting on Tuesday, December 5 at 5:30 PM and Columbus Children’s Choir will perform!\n3. Paw Patrol Live is coming to Ohio Theatre December 28-30, 2017!\n4. Each Saturday in December you can watch Regal Holiday Classics for $5/ticket at Regal Georgesville Square. Movies featured are: 12/2: A Christmas Story, 12/9: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, 12/16: Elf, and 12/23: Gremlins. Regal Crown Club members can also get a $5 medium popcorn and soft drink combo.\n5. Gateway Film Center offers a full month of Holiday Film Classics with your choice of Naughty or Nice! The movies selections range from classic to modern to horror and also include a special holiday edition of Saturday Morning Cartoons on Saturday, December 9, 2017. See the full list of movies and dates here!\n6. During the month of December you can go on the 12 Elves of Dublin scavenger hunt. Pick up your 12 elves card and hunt for an elf in each of the participating locations – at each stop you will receive a treat for finding it!\n7. This December, the YMCA Family Center is raising money during the Give Her Hope Campaign to help families in Central Ohio who are experiencing homelessness. Your donation provides blankets, care packages,and more. For a donation of $10 or more, you can receive a Bracelet of Hope as a reminder of the difference you have made! See all of the details here.\nCBUS Blogger Buzz\nWant to keep up on what other Columbus bloggers are up to? Here are some must-read posts from our local bloggers:\nShannon from My Life in the Blink shared her Pumpkin Pie Truffle Recipe which contains many of my favorite ingredients all rolled up into one recipe! I can’t wait to try it!\nLindsay shares On Motherhood, Self-Care and Inclusion and how she created her class Squats and Tots, which allows you to exercise WITH your kids! Classes are going on now!\nI recently started a 12-week strength training program with Kathleen from Just Keep it Simple Fitness. She’s kicking my butt, but I still love her. She shared How to Keep the Holidays Healthy But Still Fun!\n!*\n- 27Shares"}
{"text": "Lasonya Baker\nBiloxi High\nMemories of Lasonya Baker\nAre you Lasonya Baker?\nThis page means someone is someone is looking for you. Register for free to let other alumni contact you and more:\n- Let others find you\n- Contact old friends\n- Share photos and memories with other registered alumni\nLooking for Lasonya Baker?\nThis is a placeholder page for Lasonya Baker, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Lasonya Baker.\nAbout placeholder profiles\nYou are visiting the placeholder page for Lasonya Baker. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Lasonya Baker. We created this page automatically in hopes Lasonya Baker would find it. If you are not Lasonya Baker, but are an alumni of Biloxi High School, register on this site for free now."}
{"text": "Quote of the Day\n\"Both in practice and in advocacy, much of what is called evidence-based investing now fails that test. \"(Tom Brakke)\nChart of the Day\n(pensionpartners.com)\nWill higher mortgage rates kill the housing market?\nStrategy\n- The problem with the Fed and Shiller models of market valuation. (alphaarchitect.com)\n- Why new investment strategies often charge very high fees. (bloomberg.com)\nCrypto\n- The CBOE ($CBOE) plans to roll our more cryptocurrency-related derivatives. (bloomberg.com)\n- Why the SEC is taking a deep dive into hedge funds focused on cryptocurrencies. (bloomberg.com)\nFinance\nFunds\n- Why AI won't really change investing. (blog.validea.com)\n- Fidelity's target date funds take on more equity risk than their competitors. (fiduciary-matters.russellinvestments.com)\nEconomy\n- Weekly initial unemployment claims continue to trace at low historical levels. (calculatedriskblog.com)\n- The oil and gas industry has become a big user of technology. (aei.org)\nEarlier on Abnormal Returns\n- Startup links: shifting strategies. (abnormalreturns.com)\n- Pursuing understanding in a messy, polarized investing world. (abnormalreturns.com)\n- What you missed in our Wednesday linkfest. (abnormalreturns.com)\n- Personal finance links: tackling lifestyle creep. (abnormalreturns.com)"}
{"text": "About 3 to 1 Video in 2010. We have lots of sample films so you can see the quality of our work.\nWe're always excited to hear from brides and grooms, so feel free to get in touch and let us help you choose the options that best fit your needs!\nCategories: Wedding Videographer\nRegions serviced:"}
{"text": "Tension has been high in Wisconsin for nearly a month as a result of Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget. A major issue with his proposal is that it makes it mandatory for public employees to pay higher percentages of their medical and retirement plans.\nIn addition, unions would only be able to use their collective bargaining rights to increase salaries accordingly to inflation rates. To get increases higher, they would need to have a voter referendum.\nNot surprisingly, the people of Wisconsin were not pleased with the proposal and are protesting the passage of it.\nWalker has been refusing to negotiate with Democrats to find middle ground on the issues. The governor was adamant that the proposal would be best for the state financially in the long term. But the people of Wisconsin say the hit is too hard on them right now.\nHowever, Walker’s team has been talking to Democrats via email about potential ways to end the standoff and come to terms on a budget that both sides can agree with.\nIn the email, there were numerous compromises discussed.\nOne of the points made was that unions could fight for salary increases past the natural inflation rate without having to go through a voter referendum. Also, they could fight for other financial issues like overtime, bonuses, and issues pertaining to school, certifications, and licenses for certain jobs.\nIn addition to police officers and firefighters, employees at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Authority would also keep all of their collective bargaining powers.\nPublic employees could also negotiate safety concerns, but not hours, overtime, and time off.\nDemocrats also sent a letter to Walker asking for compromises on public defense, medical, and the Department of Corrections and the private bar. The letter also makes it clear that Wisconsin is not in as deep of an economic hole as Walker is making it seem.\nIt is true that Wisconsin is set to be short $137 million at the end of the fiscal year, which will come at the end of June. However, the areas where Walker is looking to save the money would result in an attack on the middle class.\nThe majority of the public employees effected by the proposed budget would be middle class citizens who at the very least deserve to have the collective bargaining power that they have had up until Walker made his proposal."}
{"text": "The Best Ways to Learn Drawing\nVideo by Vladimir London, Drawing Academy tutor\nAs the Drawing Academy’s tutor, I am often asked, “What is the best way to learn how to draw?“\nMany art students have erroneous ideas and excuses that prevent them from learning to draw. Such excuses include:\n- I’m too old or young to start learning drawing.\n- I’m not naturally talented enough to succeed at drawing.\n- It is very difficult to learn to draw.\n- I tried it once, and it didn’t work.\n- I was told that drawing is not for me.\nThis list can go on indefinitely, since everyone has their own personal thoughts.\nSo, let’s begin by busting those erroneous beliefs and then discuss the best ways to succeed.\nHere’s what you need to understand:\n- Drawing is just a skill.\n- Just like every skill, it can be learned.\n- There is only one person responsible for learning a skill: you.\n- If you want to become skilled in drawing, you must take responsibility and take action! No one else will do it for you.\nIf you can truly believe this logic and have a burning desire to become a better artist, no one can stop you from achieving success.\nTo help clear away these erroneous beliefs that can prevent you from learning and improving, let’s deal with them one by one.\nThere’s no such thing as being “too old” or “too young” to learn drawing. In the Drawing Academy, we have a student who is 75 years young! If you can hold a pencil, you are fully capable of succeeding.\nA lack of inborn talent is one of the biggest excuses. I personally wonder if there is such a thing as “natural talent.” No one has ever seen a child take a pencil in hand and create a masterpiece equal to or better than those ones created by the Old Masters on the first try. It would be a miracle!\nSome people may have a predisposition toward drawing. However, it is the tendency to draw often and for longer stretches that results in better drawing skills, not any inherent gift.\nMichelangelo Buonarroti, one of the best fine artists who ever lived, once said, “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.” Even one of the greatest artists will admit that he was not born with his skills; they came from practice and hard work.\nWhen it comes to the excuse that learning drawing is difficult, I have to say that the approach must be methodical. Gradually progressing from easy to more challenging tasks is the way to learn. It is like the old joke goes: “How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time.”\nArt students may also be limited by what they experienced in school, having been told that drawing is not their strongest skill. I think a law should be passed to disqualify any teacher who dares to say such an absurd thing. Every person is unique, talented and creative. Everyone can learn how to draw, and everyone should have drawing skills. Drawing is one of the ways to communicate and express your thoughts and ideas.\nHaving good drawing skills is as necessary and essential as having good verbal abilities. But you were not born with language skills; you had to learn the language you use today. It took months and years for you to learn it. Your parents didn’t give up on you, saying: “Oh, you only know five words, it’s pointless to continue talking to you.” Language learning is a life-long process; you are still learning new words as they are invented! The same applies to learning drawing skills. It takes time and practice. You need to have good teachers and solid examples of how to draw.\nSo, what is the best way to learn to draw?\nThere are right and wrong ways. I will explain.\nIf your idea of good drawing skills is to be able to draw whatever you see, think or imagine, then drawing from photos will not get you what you want. Photographs will teach you how to copy, not how to draw.\nFor the same reason, in the Drawing Academy course, I encourage art students not to draw copies of the art lessons. Instead, you can watch the “How to Draw” videos to gain knowledge of drawing techniques and methods, proportions, perspective, human anatomy, and other essential skills, then apply that new knowledge to drawing from models, nature, and life.\nAnother wrong method of learning drawing is to start with advanced topics. Skipping the essentials is a mistake. I have seen many art students come to life-drawing classes in London and struggle from the very first minute.\nDrawing a live model requires knowledge of how to use drawing materials, human figure proportions, measuring techniques, constructive drawing methods, etc. A student should not expect to draw a good figurative work of art without ever having drawn a simple cube in perspective.\nUnfortunately, there is one more wrong way of learning art: applying for the wrong contemporary art college. It is heartbreaking to see that the quality of education in general, and of art education in particular, is declining. There are so many art colleges where students are taught how to be creative instead of developing good art fundamentals.\nOne student wrote to me saying: “I am a student who chose the wrong school to study under. I went in with little to no skill in drawing or painting. I will leave the same way. But I will have a degree that says I can put rubbish together and call it art!”\nDon’t expect an instructor at an art college to show you by example how to make a drawing from beginning to end in front of your eyes. The best you could hope for in a college is to get some advice here and there. Such “art education” can waste 4 years of your life and cost more than $100,000!\nNow let’s discuss the right ways to learn how to draw:\nI have combined them into seven groups:\n1. You must have good teachers.\nNot just any art teachers, either, but teachers who are professional fine artists and can draw skillfully.\nIn the Drawing Academy, you will benefit from the extensive technical knowledge and creative experience of two professional fine artists – Vladimir London and Natalie Richy.\nTogether, we have spent more than 20 years studying art and more than 47 years creating it.\nWe teach drawing by our own examples. In the Drawing Academy video lessons, you will see the complete process of creating works of art, starting from a blank piece of paper to the end product. You will receive a full explanation of how to draw and what techniques and methods to use.\nAs a Drawing Academy student, you will enjoy unlimited personal support from Academy tutors. We are ready to help you with any art-related questions you may have, advise you on your creative development, and give you professional feedback on your artwork and ways to improve your drawing skills.\nThis personal support extends even beyond the three-month course period.\n2. Your drawing education should progress in a methodical manner – from basic to advanced levels.\nThat is how the Drawing Academy course is designed. You will start with essential information on drawing materials and how to use them, such as how to hold and use a pencil in the correct way. You will progress from drawing simple geometrical objects to complex organic shapes; from the theory of proportions and perspective to human anatomy for artists. You will then learn the necessary information on how to draw portraits and human figures. Eventually you will acquire all the fundamental information that will enable you to draw whatever you want.\n3. You need to learn how to rely on your drawing skills, not on tools.\nThere are many so-called “art teachers” who advocate certain drawing tools and equipment. You might have heard of the five-pencil drawing method, use of a builder’s line, grey-scale values, or some other drawing aids.\nIn the Drawing Academy, we want you to develop your drawing skills. Such skills are inside you, not in your toolbox.\nAs Michelangelo Buonarroti said: “It is necessary to keep one’s compass in one’s eyes and not in the hand, for the hands execute, but the eye judges.”\nWe want you not to be handicapped by reliance on certain drawing equipment. You should be free and able to draw whatever you see, think, or imagine with whatever tools you have at your disposal.\n4. You need to learn the essential rules and techniques of drawing.\nDon’t just assume that every art teacher knows and teaches them. I have seen art teachers in highly regarded London art schools who don’t even teach their students how to hold a pencil!\nIn the Drawing Academy you will learn many rules of drawing, including:\n- Rules of perspective.\n- Golden proportions.\n- Proportions of human face and figure.\n- Principles of constructive drawing.\n- Principles of tonal values.\n- Techniques of rendering light and shade.\n- Application of human anatomy to figurative drawing.\n- Sequential steps for drawing portraits.\n- Rules for drawing human figures.\n- And more!\n5. You need to know the most common drawing mistakes and how to avoid them.\nThere are some common drawing mistakes that separate mediocre and amateur artists from skilled masters. You need to be aware of those mistakes and avoid them in order to improve your drawing skills. Throughout the Drawing Academy course you will discover what to do and what not to do when drawing.\n6. You need to learn to draw from your memory and imagination.\nThe Old Master Michelangelo once stated that “a man paints with his brains and not with his hands.” This also applies to drawing from memory.\nIn the Drawing Academy we advocate making both short sketches and long drawings, from life as well as from imagination. The Drawing Academy Assignment Book will guide you and give you valuable information on how to work on drawing from your memory and imagination.\n7. You need to develop good taste in art by studying the Old Masters and making copies of their artwork.\nHaving good drawing skills is not enough; a fine artist needs to develop their style as well. Good style grows from good taste in art, and good taste comes from studying the Old Masters and the history of art. That is why in the Drawing Academy you will learn drawing techniques that originate from the time of the Old Masters. Academy video lessons, bonus videos, books, and art albums will offer a comprehensive foundation upon which you can build your own creative style.\nThe Drawing Academy is much more than just a drawing course. In the Academy, you will also benefit from the Art Community.\nThis includes exclusive services, such as:\n- the critique of your artwork;\n- the student gallery;\n- and community feedback.\nMembership in the Drawing Academy is valued at $4,455 – 45 video lessons at $99 each; however, you can get the full drawing course for a one-time payment of only $257. This is the only fee you must pay in order to receive a lifetime membership. This includes all future updates and upgrades – free of charge!\nAlternatively, you can spread out your tuition payment in three installments of just $97 per month.\nIn both cases, you will be entitled to the Drawing Academy Diploma of Excellence after completing the course.\nYou are just one click from starting your art education – click the “Add to Cart” button"}
{"text": "Commission a Portrait\nA portrait painting is a perfect commemorative gift, and also a record for future generations. Painted with the best quality oil paints on lead white primed linen canvas and mounted on a Nick Jenke stretcher, you have a valuable artefact that can last down through time for hundreds of years.\nContact me at info@jonathantetley.co.uk to discuss your requirements, or to read more click here\nLandscapes\nWhen I go out painting, I try to keep a fresh eye and avoid routine. I find studio work tends to end up dull; what often happens with painting on the spot, is that things come about that are absolutely right and have to be included. I’m looking for strong composition and expressive accents, along with observed colour values. I like that feeling of the present moment being unique.\nContact me at info@jonathantetley.co.uk to discuss your requirements, or to read more click here\nArt Teaching\nWorking with the ‘sight size’ portrait drawing and painting method over a prolonged period allows the student to digest and apply what they have learnt.\nThis entails beginning with copying Bargue drawings, (monochrome) still life and cast drawing. From these beginnings, the student will progress through charcoal head to still life, grisaille cast painting and finally oil portrait.\nRead more about the teaching method\nJonathan Tetley\nJonathan Tetley is a portrait painter in Wiltshire who undertakes portrait commissions as commemorative gifts and biographical family records.\nFor details on painting courses in Salisbury please go to the contacts section to learn more about art teaching and tuition in oil and watercolour painting.\nCommissions.\nArt Teaching\nJonathan Tetley studied sight size portrait drawing and painting at Charles H. Cecil Studios, Florence. The student will progress through charcoal head to still life, grisaille cast painting and finally oil portrait . With hard work and application as well as some talent, it is possible to go far with this method."}
{"text": "First Week of (Virtual) School\nThis new year has us entering unchartered waters in our house. We've never done homeschooling, we've never been good at schedule and routine, and I've never considered myself a teacher beyond what was expected for basics. This year, I've been forced to see my own teaching methods in a new light.\nFor the year, thus far, I've followed a general rule of unschooling. I've taken each new question and curiosity and made a learning experience from it. Bugs in the garden, fish in the river, storms in the sky, everything is an opportunity to bond with them and increase their knowledge.\nTraditions\nSince my kids first started school, we've had a tradition. We do haircuts, and the option of a bright hair color the Sunday before the first day of school. This year, we were able to include my stepdaughter in the festivities.\nA few weeks ago, I shared with you lovely lot about her...... self-exploration through hairstyling. I was able to balance out the jagged cuts and give her a cleaner pixie cut. She chose pink, red, and purple for her colors. We used Lunar Tides. They're vegan, chemical-free hair dyes that are safe and semi-permanent (and they're local to the Pacific North West. I'll probably fade in some blue or purple to offset the Oompa Loompa orange that the red faded out to.\nMy boys chose colors that perfectly outlined their personalities. Connor chose a bold rainbow mohawk. He's been sporting the mohawk for the better part of 4 years. And he rocks it every time. Cohen chose blue with red tips, the tips fade into purple and deep blue as they get closer to his scalp.\nPreparing\nNow, the kids are asleep, and I'm writing. We're going to take tomorrow to finish organizing the school space. I need to make sure that Jes can sign into her online programs, and have them work on their focus spaces. I understand they're going struggle with staying still, and that they're going to need to adjust to online school. But it's either this or an extended break. We've been out of school since March, and Oregon doesn't look like it's going to start back up until at least November.\nIf you've got any suggestions for this chaos, please leave it in the comments. Or post on my FB/IG pages."}
{"text": "Some mornings, I know exactly how daisies feel. It's not enough for the sun's early appearance to turn night into day. What daisies need is to feel the sun's warm, direct rays beating down on their flowers, and then (and only then) will they open up and do their thing.\nLooking like a cluster of mini suns, the \"surprise\" part of this purple-leafed, yellow-flowered daisy bush is that it's a lettuce plant enjoying its floral fling before signing off on a life well lived, however briefly.\nThis handsome purple tower was once a low-growing, purple patch of \"pick-and-come-again\" loose-leaf lettuce, looking much like its green lettuce siblings growing at its feet. Then, two weeks ago, it made its break for adulthood and rose daily, inches at a time. I watered it and gave it a feed to encourage it, and in the last few days it has repaid the favour with its own flower show. Bravo!\nIn a recent posting on bees I showed you a photo of this shallot flower, but it's so delightful I want to show it again. And it's not alone in this world, either. While I have another mini patch of shallots growing well in another bed, I've very happily watched these shallots doing their flowery thing for the last few weeks. There used to be more of them in fact, but in the last few days both Pammy and I have harvested some from this patch for dinner, and they're still perfectly fine to cook with, but probably getting a bit too strong-flavoured for salads anymore.\nMy final little October surprise is this perfectly predictable scene of our common sage bush in bloom. The \"surprise\" factor is simply that it is flowering so well this year. It was looking utterly rough, scrawny and bedraggled in the middle of winter, so I adopted the simple policy of \"cut off all the ugly bits\" (and there were a lot of them, too). It seems to have worked. All the healthy wood that was left has burst out in new growth and, in the last few days, created this explosion of mauve good health.\nSage has wonderfully complex flowers, too. With their mouths agape as if singing a long, high note to finish a song, sage flowers remind me of some orchids.\nI have no problems imagining that on other planets, alien life could easily be comprised of flowering plants that talk.\n1 comment:\nIncredible display. I saw your tweet with pic but couldn't decipher if they were really daisies or not. Good I sat patiently for you to delight with your inimitable description\nIt must be so satisfying to see your hard work bloom so well.\nA request, kindly also say a few words for those beautiful, faithful geraniums, they seem to be always blooming in your garden or they'll feel neglected (they are my fav plants but don't like Delhi Summers)"}
{"text": "Business forum discussions\nSleep Deprivation\nCustomer Service - thoughts? Is it getting better or worse?\nDo you like being asked to leave a tip?\nContacting my Royal Mail Local Delivery Office\nThe Queen asks to meet Mr Farage\nTyn Llan Farm\nTyn Llan Farm\nCemlyn\nCemaes Bay\nIsle of Anglesey\nLL67 0DY\nUnited Kingdom\nTel: 01407 711479\nShare these details, email or print\nBusiness type:\nMap location: Select here to view map\nEditing or updating Tyn Llan Tyn Llan."}
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{"text": "Home > Art / Photo > Pen & Ink > Chained Barcode\nChained BarcodeReport abuse\nMore by this contributor\nAbout this contributor\nApr. 20, 2011 at 7:11 pm:\nPURE. EPICNESS.\nJun. 9, 2010 at 12:05 pm:\nI like that you took something ordinary and mundane and made it into something interesting. The color scheme you used with separation of chains made this work seem very harmonious. Great job!\nMay 26, 2010 at 6:08 pm:\nThis. Is. Awesome.\nJoin the Discussion\nThis art/photo has 4 comments. Post your own!"}
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{"text": "In the digital world, online reputation plays a huge part in determining success or failure. Ecommerce sites need to ensure a positive reputation circulating on the platform lest they want to turn off their target audience. Maintaining an excellent online reputation is crucial in ensuring that your site will continue to entertain organic traffic that’s ripe for conversion. One of the things that your team needs to do is to ensure that your page will have ecommerce optimization practices to keep your site ranking higher in search engine results pages.\nFor some businesses that have attracted a negative perception from the general public, it is still possible to salvage their reputation. It will not be an easy task, as they have to erase the negative impression that people associate with them. They need to have a team specializing in online reputation repair to address complaints and all other concerns that hinder their site’s performance.\nIn this article, we’ll explore various tips to ensure that your ecommerce business will continue to enjoy an excellent online reputation.\nFirst and foremost, if you want to boost your online reputation, you’ve got to find out what other people are saying about your site. Then, you need to listen to the feedback through the public mentions in discussion boards, in forums, and other social media platforms. You can also have your team look at the page engagement metrics to understand how your page engages the audience.\nYour metrics data will help you chart the response you would take to address what others perceive about your page. If it is positive, you need to maintain it and seek to improve it further. On the other hand, if the feedback is negative, you need to salvage your reputation through various specialized techniques.\nSecure your domain name\nOne of the secrets to securing a positive online reputation is to ensure that you have proprietary rights to your domain name. You have to have sole rights to use it because copycat websites will influence your page tremendously. In addition, you want your audience to take your ecommerce site seriously; you need to take steps to protect your image and brand. Therefore, securing exclusive rights to your domain name will be among the first steps you have to take.\nMaintain a social media presence\nIf you want your site to become well-known and grow its audience, you need to maintain a presence on relevant social media platforms. It will be a tedious task to keep track of all engagements of these platforms, but since you want your site to be as engaging as possible, you need to have your team put in the work. With more and more people logging in regularly to their social media accounts, your business needs to grab the opportunity to instill brand recognition and awareness.\nCorrect the negative feedback ASAP\nOnce your site receives negative feedback, have your marketing team correct it ASAP. You need to stem the negative page experience in the bud before it spreads. First, you’ll have to find out why the bad experience and have the team overturn it through various strategies. Once you know the reason, you have to figure out a way to remedy it. Once you’re able to address the negative perception, you’re on your way to establishing a solid relationship and trust with your clients.\nTry to be as transparent as possible\nMake your page as customer service-oriented as possible. Give your clients personalized attention, and your online reputation will soar to new heights. Engage them by responding to their feedback, listening to their thoughts, and providing discounts and other promotions. It will be a great way to endear your company to your audience.\nTakeaway\nBuilding an online reputation takes time. Your audience must learn to appreciate your site organically, but you can impress them through your willingness to be transparent, engaging, and accountable. You have to collaborate with your savvy marketing team to increase your reputation in different ways."}
{"text": "We are delighted to announce that Dr. Robert Miller from Artemida Pharma will take on a role as Chief Medical Officer at Phoenix.\nCollaborations with the TGen team on the ABC News\nPhoenix Solutions has just started up Proof-of-Concept studies with ACT® together with Translational Genomics Research Institute and the team of Professors Haiyong Han and Daniel Von Hoff.\nCEO Per Sontum: “We are very excited to have commenced collaborations with the TGen team of cancer specialists -their expertise on development of novel therapeutic regimes for treatment of pancreatic cancer is, I would say, unprecedented. These studies will form an important part of our pre-clinical development program and we are “on target” to start First-in-Man studies with ACT® 1Q2019”.\nPlease see ABC news flash (by clicking on the image), and read the news release at TGen`s website here.\nPhoenix signs supply agreement with GE Healthcare\nSvein Kvåle (left) and Per Sontum (center) at signing of ACT® supply agreement with Bjørn Fuglaas (right).\nThe: “We are very pleased that Phoenix has chosen to work with GE for this project, which is in line with the expectations we had when the company was spun out of GE in 2013. This is an area of interest and we believe GE to be uniquely positioned in this field given existing and strong capabilities within production of disperse pharmaceuticals, and microbubbles in particular ”. This will provide Phoenix Solutions with GMP ACT® drug product for clinical trials and ensure a way forward for supply of ACT® for commercialization.\nPhoenix wins grant from Innovation Norway/Oslo Cancer Cluster\nFrom the award ceremony. Ketil Widerberg (GM Oslo Cancer Cluster), Hanne Mette Kristensen (Senior Advisor Health, Biotech & Medtech at Innovation Norway), Per Sontum (CEO Phoenix Solutions AS) and Bjørn Klem (GM Oslo Cancer Cluster Incubator).\nThe Board of Directors of Phoenix Solutions is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a 500 kNoK grant (60 kUSD) from Innovation Norway, through Oslo Cancer Cluster`s Oncology Innovation Call 2017. The grant is awarded to co-fund the project: “Development and Validation of a Clinical Platform for Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT®)”, a collaboration between Phoenix, Humanscan Co., Ltd. (KR) and Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) (US). Humanscan is a leading manufacturer of speciality ultrasound probes and will develop clinically applicable hardware, optimised to the needs of ACT®. TGen is a world leading institute for development of novel therapeutic regimes for treatment of pancreatic cancer, and will contribute with validation of the clinical platform in their state of the art pre-clinical models. CEO Per Sontum; \"We are very pleased to receive this grant which will enable us to develop and validate an optimal ultrasound platform for clinical use of ACT®. In their respective fields, Humanscan and TGen both represent the cutting edge of science, and we are confident this will contribute to the clinical success of our program”. Humanscan CEO Sungmin Rhim; “We are excited to enter into this collaboration with Phoenix and participate in the development of ACT®. Ultrasound mediated, targeted drug delivery is an emerging therapy approach with great potential and we are delighted to be in the forefront of this development”. Prof. Haiyong Han (TGen); “We are pleased that this program becomes a reality and look forward to working with ACT®; the concept represents a novel approach to targeted drug delivery and looks very promising. TGen will contribute to this development with further, clinically relevant, pre-clinical validation”.\nAbout TGen: Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a non-profit research institute with a major focus on development of new therapies for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The TGen team led the clinical development of one of the current standard of care regimens for this disease - the nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine combination regimen, and they are currently involved in 13 clinical programs relevant to pancreatic cancer. TGen has also established a number of models for pancreatic cancer including patient derived xenograft (PDX) and KPC models, shown to closely recapitulate the human PDAC.\nAbout Humanscan Co: Humanscan Co., Ltd is focused on development of innovative ultrasound transducers. They have a unique expertise within single crystal probes and was the first company to mass produce this class of transducers..\nHans Henrik Klouman elected to the BoD of Phoenix Solutions\nThe Board of Directors of Phoenix Solutions is pleased to announce that Hans Henrik Klouman (Master of Law) has been elected to the company BoD. Klouman is currently General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Statoil ASA and on the board of several companies primarily within the financial and energy industry. Klouman combines a broad legal background with deep business knowledge and international experience and have held various executive and board positions within the financial and energy sectors since he started practicing law in 1987. CEO Per Sontum; \"We are very pleased to get Hans Henrik on-board with the rest of the team. With his vast legal and international business experience he will become an invaluable resource in the further development of the company”.\nPhoenix Solutions AS completes its Series B financing:\nThe Board of Directors of Phoenix Solutions is pleased to announce that the company has completed a series B financing led by current shareholder, Investinor AS and an expanded group of healthcare angel investors. CEO Per Sontum; \"We are very pleased to announce this second round of financing which, including the recently awarded BIA program from RCN, will give us the ability to meet a key developmental milestone; start of a clinical phase I/IIa program for treatment of non-resectable pancreatic cancer in 2018\".\nPhoenix Solutions and research partners will present a poster at the Cambridge Pancreatic Cancer Symposium, Cambridge, May 5th 2017. Come and meet us.\nJean-Claude Provost (MD) elected to the BoD:\nThe Board of Directors of Phoenix Solutions is pleased to announce that Jean-Claude Provost (MD) has been elected to the company BoD. Provost is currently Global Head of Imaging R&D at GE Healthcare Life Sciences. CEO Per Sontum; \"We are very pleased to get Jean-Claude on-board with the rest of the team. With his 25+ years’ experience from Clinical Research and R&D management he will add invaluable skill sets to the further development of ACT®.\nTargeted drug delivery platform company Phoenix Solutions AS is awarded 16 MNoK (1.8 M€) from the Research Council of Norway:\nCEO Per Sontum is pleased to announce that the company has been granted this significant award under the RCN BIA call; \"This funding will enable us to push on with our project to fight pancreatic cancer and meet a key developmental milestone; execution of a clinical phase I/IIa program from mid-2018\".\nPhoenix Solutions AS completes its Series A financing:\nThe Board of Directors of Phoenix Solutions is pleased to announce that the company has completed a series A financing led by a small group of healthcare angel investors. CEO Per Sontum; \"We are very pleased to announce this first round of financing. This funding will give us the ability to reach a key developmental milestone for our preclinical work in pancreatic cancer \".\nA Journal paper and cover story on ACT have been published.\nPark, K.: Acoustic Cluster Therapy for better treatment of solid tumors, Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 236, 28 August 2016, Page 117.\nVan Wamel et al.: Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT) enhances the therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel and Abraxane® for treatment of human prostate adenocarcinoma in mice, Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 236, 28 August 2016, Pages 15-21.\nArticles on ACT have been published in VG and GEMINI.\nA journal paper has been published on pre-clinical proof of principle for localised drug delivery with ACT.\nVan Wamel et al.: Acoustic Cluster Therapy (ACT) - pre-clinical proof of principle for local drug delivery and enhanced uptake. Journal of Controlled Release, Volume 224, 28 February 2016, Pages 158-164.\nPhoenix Solutions and research partners will present two papers at the 21st European symposium on Ultrasound Contrast Imaging, Rotterdam, January 2016. Come and meet us.\nA journal paper has been published on in-vitro and ex-vivo size measurements of activated ACT bubbles measured in a dog model.\nHealey et al.: Acoustic Cluster Therapy: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Measurement of Activated Bubble Size Distribution and Temporal Dynamics. Ultrasound Med Biol, 42 (2016) 1145–1166."}
{"text": "At a glance: The Activity dashboard contains app activity metrics for events that take place during the selected period. Current day counters update in real-time.\nActivity dashboard\n- Contains organic and non-organic traffic\n- Date range relates to the event date\n- Data freshness:\n- Current day: real-time. Like, DAU, sessions, revenue\n- Average: Daily. Example: MAU, Average DAU, Average MAU\n- Geo filter relates to the user location at time of install\nDashboard features and layout\nMetric definitions\nDetailed tab\nThe detailed analysis tab is divided into sections: headline metrics, activity trend, and activity summary.\nData freshness and limitations\nData freshness\nData freshness is as follows:\n- Metric (sum) Metrics: Real-time\n- Average Metrics: Daily. Note: Average Metrics are not calculated in real-time to avoid distorting the average with data from incomplete days. If the date range includes the current day, then the following occurs:\n- If the date range is for the current day only: average results are not displayed.\n- If the date range is for a period that includes the current day: the average is calculated without including data from the current day.\n- Ad revenue is recorded with a lag:\n- The data is available in the dashboard 40 hours after the end of day UTC on which the ad displays.\n- This means for example, that ad revenue for ads displayed on Day 0, displays on Day 2.\n- Ad revenue is reported under the following date:\n- Aggregate-level data: under Day 1 (the day the data is pulled).\n- User-level data: under Day 0 (the day the ad displays).\nData freshness rates in the Activity dashboard - Daily and real-time\nData presentation limitations\nThe data presentation limitations are described in this section.\nActivity Summary table:\ndisplays up to 50 media sources with data relating to impressions, clicks, installs, etc (to get all data use Master API or Pivot.)\nsorted by the number of sessions.\nability to drill down to the campaign level (it is not possible to drill down beyond this level.)\nActivity shown relates to the primary attribution media source. This means that retargeting activity is included but not presented separately.\nExample Re-engagement primary attribution\nA user clicks on a Network A ad and installs the app. Some days later, the user clicks on a retargeting ad on Network B makes an in-app purchase.\nIf the purchase is made within the Network B re-engagement window Network B is the primary attribution source and the purchase event is shown under Network B in the Activity report.\nThe Activity dashboard doesn't contain uninstalls.\nHistorical data limitations\nThe earliest date available for historical data in the dashboard is:\nHigh-Level tab: 12 months before the current month. Meaning if the current month is July, 12 months is August of the previous year.\nDetailed tab: January 2016\nMaximum display range: two months. If a longer period is specified, the range is reduced to two months and a message is displayed.\nGeo and Date dimensions are the only dimensions with historical data from before March 1, 2017."}
{"text": "The total has gone UNDER in 10 of last 13 games when playing MinnesotaThe total has gone UNDER in 8 of last 11 games when playing on the road against Minnesotais 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against MinnesotaThe total has gone OVER in 5 of last 7 games on the road\nWhen playing on Sunday are 2-8Before playing Chicago are 4-6After playing Washington are 5-5After a loss are 6-4\nis 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at homeThe total has gone OVER in 4 of last 5 games is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games The total has gone UNDER in 10 of last 13 games when playing New York\nWhen playing on Sunday are 6-4Before playing Atlanta are 9-1After playing Tulsa are 9-1."}
{"text": "- Courtesy photo.\nM.L. Elrick has a Pulitzer to his name for his coverage, with the Free Press’ Jim Schaefer, of Kwame Kilpatrick’s illegal exploits. When it comes to local TV news reporters, there usually isn’t much to celebrate beyond the timeless hairdos and gimmicky headlines, but Elrick isn’t exactly a normal TV news reporter. He’s, you know, smart, and an actual working journalist. We’re fans, so we grabbed the Fox 2 reporter for a few minutes to talk about covering Cushingberry and the rest of the low-level criminals that make up Detroit’s political ranks.\nMetro Times: Glad we could finally hook up to chat. It’s been awhile to get this cleared through corporate Fox PR. [A delightful Fox PR representative named Cindy is on the call with us from New York, listening to our dumb inside jokes to, ostensibly, make sure we don’t say anything too nasty about Roger Ailes.]\nM.L. Elrick: You ever wait to get your taxes back? This is fast.\nMT: We’ll take what we can get.\nElrick: That’s Detroit’s motto.\nMT: Is there a better time to be a journalist in Detroit covering this city?\nElrick: Given that it’s a time when they’re laying people off and cutting salaries, I’d say there are better times. This has always been one of the best news towns in America. You could build a silver and gold city on the news here.\nMT: What about the coverage of the bankruptcy? It’s such a huge, sprawling, complicated topic. Something monumental seems to happen every day.\nElrick: I think the coverage of the bankruptcy has been a shortcoming; there’s too much conventional wisdom, too much acceptance of the status quo, too little of the media challenging the orthodoxy of what we’re being given right now. It’s utterly outrageous. City workers are being told to accept less pay and fewer resources to make up the difference of their idiot employers. There was a contract between them and the people, and the city isn’t holding up their end of the bargain. I kind of feel like it’s the newspapers and reporters who need to speak for them. There’s a kinship with those people. My dad’s a retired cop who I don’t want living in my basement.\nMT: What do you think of the national coverage and the national narrative being told about Detroit? It seems like on one hand they’re finally paying attention, but on the other that there’s this doom and gloom that’s cherry-picked from the pile.\nElrick: I think it’s interesting. They don’t care. They really don’t. If it doesn’t cost them anything, if the Feds said there’s no bailout for Detroit, the country just fails to care. We’re that poor slob with four flat tires and no jack. They might stare and be mildly amused, but then they are going to go about their business. I think that the true Detroit story comes from Detroiters having to help themselves. If you’re looking for people we elected to help out, you’re looking in the wrong place.\nMT: Speaking of elected officials not helping us out, you’ve been on the Cush train for awhile now.\nElrick: Cush is interesting. With the move to districts, it was supposed to be that you know your constituents better. I run into people all the time who say they can’t believe he got elected. I have no problem with him being elected. The notion that the media didn’t do their job on background on him, that’s a fair complaint to make. At the same time, I’ve found dozens of former clients and colleagues who knew that he had problems and none of them ever called us before he was elected. It’s a democracy. The responsibility is not just on the media to hold them accountable. But the people … this election has caused some people some concerns very early. This is looking a lot like the Detroit that got locked up in federal prison.\nMT: Where do you keep your Pulitzer?\nElrick:.’\nMT: Who would you point to among Detroit politicians or leaders as someone doing yeoman’s work amongst the crap?\nElrick: I would say no one I can think of, and we should be looking at all of them more without exception. I say this as a guy who for the first year of his administration thought Kwame was going to be the greatest mayor of my lifetime. I’ve learned not to believe anything I haven’t had a chance to verify myself. Fortunately, I now work for employers who encourage me to do this. You hear that, Cindy?\nMT: Why do you say ‘now work’?\nElrick: My current employers support the work that I do unequivocally. They’re not afraid of who I’m going to anger. They might be afraid the story’s too long and won’t be ready on time, but I can’t think of any news operations I’d rather work at. If you want a comparison of some, you can look at my résumé.\nMT: Why do these guys always end up wanting to punch you? Lots of physical altercations here.\nElrick: It’s not that scary. Most of the politicians and bully boys in this town are play gangsters. They want the massages and the money and all the first-class treatment, but they’re not doing the work to get it. And they’re certainly not doing the hard work it would be to kick my ass.\nMT: You could probably hold your own.\nElrick: Everyone tells me I’m taller in person. I don’t know how short they think I am. But I’m not looking for any fights. People who are afraid of reporters probably should be; that means trouble for the rest of us. All we’re trying to do is get answers from them. To not answer a reporter’s question — how big of a coward are you?\nMT: What do you think of the current bankruptcy agreement beyond what you mentioned before?\nElrick: I haven’t looked at it so I can’t say. I’ve learned over the years that unless you look over something very closely, whatever you’re going to say is just a burp. I’m too polite for that. It’s one of my rare graces.\nMT: What are your others?\nElrick: I don’t know. I guess it’s my only grace."}
{"text": "Not.\nIn early 1976, I attended one such tri-continental meeting in Sri Lanka. The participating continents were, of course, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In one of the plenary sessions, I proposed the adoption, by the third-world countries, of seven concise policy guidelines, which can be summarized as follows:1\n- Trade between third-world countries should be direct. Imports from, as well as exports to, third-world countries, which pass through the intermediation of a third party, should be prohibited.\n- A system of generalized preferences should be established between third-world countries. That system should cover transport and insurance as well.\n- Payments from one third-world country to another should not pass through non-third-world intermediaries.\n- Third-world producers’ associations which result in the rise of prices should compensate other third-world countries for additional payments involved.\n- Technology devised in third-world countries should be made available freely, or at especially advantageous terms, to other third-world countries.\n- Transnational third-world firms should have preferential treatment in third-world countries. No firm in which non-third-world capital participates can be considered a third-world transnational firm.\n- Taxes should be imposed on all exports from third-world countries to non-third-world countries and on imports from non-third-world countries. The receipts of the taxes should be devoted to development purposes and operated by a special organization in which all developing countries are represented.\nAt present, when the third world is in retreat on all fronts, these guidelines may appear somewhat heroic. At the time they were proposed, they did not seem to be. In fact, they created quite a stir, both in the media and in academia. The reason should be ascribed more to the objective conditions then prevailing in the world at large than to the innate cogency of the guidelines.\nIn 1976, the third world was still living in the glow of the first important rise in oil prices, which took place in the wake of the 1973 Israeli-Arab war and the restrictions on production and exports used by Arab countries as a weapon in this war. Subsequent concerted, effective action, taken by the more important oil-producing countries (Arab and non-Arab), helped to maintain the level of prices reached at that time. On strict economic grounds, the rise was merely a readjustment of ridiculously low oil prices, which were maintained for decades by big oil companies, vehemently supported by their governments, which, together with banks and traders, reaped the main benefits. These adjustments were made and for quite some time maintained, notwithstanding the fulmination, threats and schemes the first world used to defeat what they considered to be an unforgivable affront to their supremacy—their ability to determine the size of world production, the location and prices of strategic commodities.\nLike the oil-producing countries, other third-world producers of agricultural and mineral commodities (coffee, tea, cocoa, rubber, copper, tin, and so on) saw the real price of their exports steadily fall, over decades, especially as compared to the rising prices of their imports from the rich industrial countries. The result was a decrease in their foreign earnings, an increase in their foreign debt, and a continuous fall in their standard of living. Notwithstanding vehement opposition and much obstruction from the first world, the successful example of the oil-producing countries encouraged them to set up or attempt to set up commodity-producers’ boards, associations and consortia.\nThird-world countries had many other grievances against first-world economic supremacy. Many other channels existed, through which surpluses flowed from the third-world countries to the first world. Most of the trade and financial transfers between third-world countries had to be intermediated by first-world countries. These countries naturally reaped for themselves the notorious surplus which intermediaries collected from both producers and consumers in every age and type of society. This was especially true if the intermediaries managed, as the first world generally did, to create for themselves various monopoly positions along the lines of intermediation.\nThe Hong Kong experience gives the measure of the enormity of this surplus. A little island with no natural resources or native industries to speak of, and a meager population of six and a half million, it managed, essentially through intermediation activities in trade and finance, to build an economy reaching US$700 billion (i.e., twenty-five percent of mainland China) and achieve a per capita GNP of US$21,650.\nAs used here and applied to North-South relations, the term “monopoly” has far wider connotations (closely connected to my own understanding of the theory of value and its determinants) than one usually meets in orthodox economic (read: Western) textbooks and their third-world imitations. It encompasses the exclusive historical sources of accumulation acquired by the West, the higher wages maintained there by trade union movements, acting in a democratic setting, and the power relations between North and South which forced on the latter a particular type of international division of labor, favoring the former and hampering the development of the latter. The other monopolies in the fields of technology, in advanced capital-goods sectors, in means of transport and communication, in banking, insurance, and maritime transport and, of course, in the fields of pure and applied science (R & D), are covered by the same concept of monopoly and were—and still are—as important a source for the transfer of resources from South to North as the ever-deteriorating terms of trade.\nThe successes of the first wave of the national liberation movements (1945-1978), their important social and economic content, the example of OPEC and other producers’ associations, and the flowering of various development theories in the third world (which freed many public opinion leaders, and far fewer academics, from the incapacitating hold of obscure ideological economic discourse masquerading as exact science), were all translated formally in the various UN declarations and resolutions which marked the seventies, and so much frightened the West. The Declaration and Action Program on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order [UN General Assembly Resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of May 1, 1974]; the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States (UN General Assembly Resolution 3281 (XXIX, December 12, 1976); and the resolution of the Seventh Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Economic Cooperation in November 1975, are three of the more remarkable examples of a series of historical UN resolutions dealing with the world economy and seriously taking into account the interests of the third world.\nThe Relapse\nThe practical impact of those unprecedented charters and resolutions on the actual working of the World Capitalist System (WCS), hence on the disadvantaged position of the third world, was rather limited. They were carried from the heated atmosphere of the General Assembly’s hall to the register of accomplished legislation on the high waves of successive third-world military and political victories in the field. When these victories dried up and ceased to astound the world, the UN legislative provisions became what every law not suported by power is: dry ink on the pages of closed books.\nA new World Economic Order (WEO) was indeed ushered in, in the wake of the second Gulf War of 1990-1991, but it was a very different order from the one aspired to and voted for by the peoples of the world in the UN assemblies. Indeed it was diametrically opposed to it, both in letter and spirit. I have no wish to determine here when the first great wave of third-world liberation subsided, for the decline of great historical movements is a protracted process which cannot be pinned to a definite date. Suffice it to say that the 1967 Arab defeat in the Israeli-Arab war and the subsequent generalized Arab decline on all fronts; the fratricidal (and suicidal) wars in Africa and elsewhere; the collapse of the Soviet Union, which whatever may have been its genetic or acquired weaknesses, has been in most crucial instances a staunch ally of national liberation movements; the ignominious Iraqi-Iranian War and the foolish Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; and the built-in weaknesses of the PLO, have all been landmarks along that road. No wonder the price of oil has now collapsed to an all-time low of eleven dollars, less in real terms than it was in 1971. Other raw materials, which are the mainstay of many poor countries’ foreign earnings, are experiencing similar decline. Foreign debts, especially when measured against foreign claims on their meager earnings, are becoming an intolerable burden and source of impoverishment.\nThe World Capitalist System as the Primary Unit of Analysis: An Analogy with the National Capitalist System\nThese developments should come as no surprise to anyone who takes the World Capitalist System (the WCS) as the primary unit of social analysis. For just as in a national capitalist system (NCS), relative or abolute impoverishment of the majority, unemployment or marginalization of many, and the spread of various manifestations of social disorder, are the natural results of the working of its laws, so do these phenomena manifest themselves in the WCS on a world scale as a result of the same laws, except, of course, that the mechanisms for surplus-flow from the base to the top may be somewhat different.\nThe achievements of first-world trade unionism (social democracy) in improving the conditions of labor in first-world countries may not be reproducible on a world scale; the dominant class in first-world capitalist countries can afford to make concessions to their working classes at the expense of third-world countries, to whom the burden of such concessions were shifted. No similar shift could operate in favor of the dominated and exploited countries within the WCS. The first-world countries cannot, as yet, compensate for concessions made to the third world by engineering a new flow of surpluses from the moon! The inevitable result is that, in a “fully achieved” WCS, impoverishment will hit the poor multitudes in its “base” countries heavier than it ever did in a national capitalist system; misery and alienation will hit them in more various and cruel ways, and despair may drive many into the blind alleys of regression. It should be clear, when making the analogy between the NCS and the WCS, that the totality of exploited and marginalized masses in third-world countries, and not just their working classes, form the base of the WCS. This means that any analogy between first-world trade unionism and its achievements in the developed NCS and the economic solidarity movement of third-world countries—which will be taken up at a later stage in this paper—should be taken for what it is: an (incomplete) analogy. It is an analogy between the labor-class solidarity within each developed NCS, taking the form of classical trade unionism, and the solidarity between the masses of the third-world countries, which obviously cannot take the “form” of classical trade unionism.2\nThe experience of some East and Southeast Asian countries may seem to contradict such dire predictions. There is no denying that in their various ways, they achieved remarkable successes in getting themselves out of the vicious circle of backwardness, in achieving unprecedented sustained rates of their GNP growth, their exports, the balance of payment surpluses, the application and adaptation of certain types of modern technology and, at least in some of them, in making concessions to some of their working people, which improved their standard of living.\nI do not know, however, that these success stories invalidate the analogy I have drawn between the essentials of the NCS and the WCS. Contrary to many other social formations, and to certain dogmatic theorizations, the capitalist system, whether national or worldwide, usually allows a certain degree of mobility between the units which make up classes (individuals in the former and nations in the latter).\nThis mobility is, however, limited to a definite minority: a small percentage of the privileged few joining the ranks of the impoverished majority, and an equally small—even minute—percentage of the poor rising to the ranks of the various levels of the bourgeoisie; however, a wide residual base remains in its place in both cases. Britain may have sunk to join the “genteel” poor had it not been saved by the United States for various geostrategic, political, and cultural reasons. Japan, notwithstanding its various present difficulties, has definitely migrated to the rich zone of the World System.\nThe case of the Four East Asian Tigers is different, as indicated in an important study by three notable Egyptian economists.3 The geopolitical and historical context in which these experiences took place was exceptionally favorable to them. For a considerable period before the Second World War, Korea and Taiwan were colonized by Japan, which, for its own purposes and admittedly using very harsh practices, gave these two countries an adequate modern infrastructure, developed their mineral and agricultural resources, and established some heavy and capital-goods industries—practices which ran counter to the colonial traditions of the West in the rest of the colonial world. Following the Second World War, with victories of socialism in China and the Soviet Union challenging them, the United States and Britain were determined to make the four colonies (later the Four Tigers) a showcase on the eastern edge of Asia, capable of competing with their socialist adversaries for people’s minds. For that purpose, development funds flowed to them on an unprecedented scale, technology was obtained at low or no cost, markets were thrown wide open for their products in the metropolitan countries, and radical agrarian reforms were not merely tolerated but positively encouraged. Most remarkable of all, development and trade strategies and policies (including a certain level of national planning and the development of a public sector), which were vehemently opposed in other third-world countries, were not frowned upon. Evidently, these favorable conditions, and many others, are not reproducible elsewhere.\nThe Four Tigers had in common many unattractive aspects, which are usually glossed over by the promoters of their type of development. Notwithstanding the initial radical redistribution of wealth—especially of land—and some nationalization measures with which two of these began their trajectory, they all had to be subjected to extremely oppressive types of regimes, especially in regard to the working class. Wages had to be kept at a ridiculously low level in order to maintain their export advantage over more advanced, high-wage countries. Thus, they burdened the disadvantaged poor with the enormous weight of the high rates of investment, which was one of the main factors of their success.\nWithout denying them, however, I do not give much weight to the stories of corruption, nepotism, and cronyism, especially within the financial sector, which were later blamed for their recent difficulties, for these pertain to the stages of primitive and early capitalist accumulation everywhere. Even now, the pages of contemporary advanced capitalism are not as lily-white as textbooks lead us to believe: witness the stories of corruption and mismanagement which periodically fill the papers in the United States (the notorious Savings and Loan scandals), in the United Kingdom, in Italy and in Japan, especially in the same financial sectors which were blamed for the difficulties of the Asian Tigers and Cubs. We should also discount as a reason for the recent setbacks the often-blamed high percentage of borrowing of short-term foreign currency, much of which was used to finance real estate speculation, for in various periods these were also features of the U.S. economy (note what happened during the second term of the Reagan administration).\nIf these cannot be the main reasons for the setbacks which struck East Asian countries one after the other, then what were they? Those setbacks, you will remember, happened only after the collapse of the socialist system, hence the disappearance of the need to maintain the East Asian economies as showcases. With the disappearance of this political imperative, economic considerations came to the forefront. These were two: one of a profit-making nature, and the other strategic.\nAs a result of fierce popular political and economic struggle, wages began to rise considerably, especially in South Korea and Taiwan. It became much more profitable for foreign capital (including American and Japanese) to move many of its productive facilities to other East Asian countries, the so-called Asian Cubs, where wages and other amenities were kept at a much lower rate. This enabled foreign investors to sell their products in their own home and international markets at cheaper prices, and thus achieve much higher profits. This capital migration could not fail to have a deep destabilizing effect on the previously favored Tigers, corruption or no corruption.\nThe strategic consideration comes from the internal economic and political needs of the highly-developed countries themselves. Certain sectors of their economy—the so-called transnationals—may find it more profitable to move part or all of their activities to cheap-labor countries. Contrary to popular belief, however, these do not dominate the economic policies of these countries, except with regard to certain sectors where strategic raw materials (i.e., oil) are involved. Other home-based industries may have different and more weighty interests. Other countervailing factors, such as home-labor interests and greater political and public awareness of the catastrophic societal results of de-industrialization, may come into play. There are many indications that these factors are progressively playing a more important role in designing the strategy of first-world countries, i.e, the various discrete restrictions on free trade with low-wage countries, and the ominous policy restrictions affecting growth in the defaulting East Asian Tigers and Cubs, imposed by the World Bank and the IMF.\nJapan managed to escape this fate because, for various historical reasons, it grew too big before it could be snared. Neither China nor India is likely to fall into this trap because, before opening up to the outside world, they made sure that, under some sort of auto-centered self-reliant development strategy, they built a broad and deep industrial base which could weather the onslaught of the turbulent storms of the WCS.\nIt is against this background that the series of summit meetings of the Group of Fifteen Third-World Countries must be viewed. The first of these meetings was held in Kuala Lumpur in 1990 and the eighth meeting is about to be held in Cairo. The movement is progressively broadening its aims from one summit to the next. It encourages deep reflection on the causes of the economic problems which plague third-world countries, and effective solutions to them. Most importantly, it strives to devise various businesslike organs and mechanisms whose task it is to insure that these solutions are implemented. I venture to think that, following the collapse of the first mighty Third-World Liberation Movement which began in 1945, the recent movement of the fifteen third-world countries may well be ushering in the beginning of a great second wave of third-world liberation. Given the deep, multifaceted crisis in which the first world seems to be engulfed, the world seems to be poised for such a rejuvenating movement.\nIn contrast to the first wave, it is essentially an economic solidarity movement, not a political one, though it is not oblivious to the wider political issues which can shape our world, such as the future of the non-aligned movement in the post-Cold War period, the necessity of restructuring the United Nations, especially the Security Council, and giving the poorer countries a more effective role in this body.\nThe greater emphasis on economic questions, especially those relating to South-South cooperation, may well reflect a laudable awareness that formal political freedom does not necessarily entail economic liberation. Building on the restricted political freedoms they had acquired, the best plan for achieving both sovereign political independence and genuine economic development is to concentrate on and focus their efforts toward economically meaningful goals.\nThe new movement definitely incorporates the great goals of the seventies, but adds to them more realism and practicality; periodicity of summit meetings is insisted upon. A permanent bureau for the movement was created. Projects like the study of ways and means for policy coordination and increasing South-South trade; the creation of a third-world database; and the criteria and measures of quality control and the mechanisms for strengthening the links between businessmen in third-world countries, have been assigned for research to certain countries. Institutional links between businessmen in both the public nd private sectors, such as fairs and facilities for making deals, are being created. This is a positive development. The temptation, however, to transform summit meetings essentially into fairs for showing off and making business deals must be resisted, for the new creation should be above all a think tank, a policy-maker and a decision-making body, and not just a marketplace dominated by businessmen.\nIt is heartening to read that a “moderate” head of state, in an informal press meeting, defined the Group as a “political economic group representing countries of the South and defending their interests and striving to organize South-South cooperation and inaugurating a serious and equal dialogue with the North.” He added in a recent public speech that, unless the international community enabled every country to introduce the economic transformation which takes into consideration its own conditions, the world transformation will rightfully lose its legitimacy and become furthest removed from globalism and universalism. It will become the monopoly of a definite group of peoples who reap the fruits of transformation, and lay down its rules, criteria, and dispositions. Another head of state, whose country was vandalized by irresponsible—or perhaps purposeful—financial speculation, announced that whereas the nineties were declared the decade of growth and sustained development in the North, for the South it is the lost development decade.\nMost heartening of all is the fact that the Group of Fifteen does not set itself up as an exclusive club. It speaks in the name of the third world, looks after the interests of its poorer segments, and attempts to co-opt more countries to the Group.\nSome countries of the South are still surprisingly absent, like South Africa. Less surprising, however, is the absence of the Four Asian Tigers. I certainly do not wish it upon them, but I think that future developments may convince them that their rightful place is with the rest of the third world.\nThe present article is being completed on the day when newspapers published the Declaration of the 8th Summit, so there is little time or space for analyzing its content. Certain remarks, however, strike me. The Declaration is less candid, less rigorous, in describing the present world economic situation, its roots, and the ways of reforming it, than even the statements made before and after it by some of the attending heads of state well-known for their “moderation” and caution. Perhaps that is the nature of conferences which tend to agree at the lowest common denominator, but it is a reminder of the famous Lebanese dictum “governments have their necessities but peoples have their needs.”\nThis dictum is not to be taken lightly. In our contemporary world, especially in the third world where some governments may be more eager to curry favor with the Great Powers than to mobilize and educate people about the tasks ahead, the fact is that unless third-world peoples move forcefully and lead their rulers into a struggle for the realization of their goals, those promising formal meetings, instead of being the harbingers of a mighty wave, will recede or break up on the shores of perilous little bargains, as the example of the Palestine National Liberation Movement shows.\nThe second thing to register here is that the last Summit Declaration was much more preoccupied with pressing issues, especially those relating to the East Asian monetary and financial crisis, than with the big strategic issues relating to the position of third-world countries within the World Economic System, and how that system could be reformed. Also, it was more concerned with the North-South dialogue than with the various types of South-South cooperation and the effective means of implementing them. This confirms what has been implied above: that unless the peoples of the third world, especially, in this case, its intellectuals and educated information media, strongly take possession of this great issue and make it their own, it will always remain fragile.\nThe third-world countries share the most essential causes of underdevelopment, many of its prominent features, and certainly the iron constraints which the first world forces upon them. They also vary enormously in per capita income, level of economic development, types of socio-economic formation, political institutions and culture, natural resources, geographical location, the nature and size of their imports, and in much else. These variations make for considerable divergence in their interests, and in their relationships with one another and the outside world.\nThe variations, however, should not be allowed to break up the unity of the third world. On the contrary, they can be transformed into grounds for solidarity and strength. This is neither impossible nor difficult. The living example is the states of the European Union, where many of the above differences exist (compare, for example, northern and western Europe with Greece and Portugal). They were able, nevertheless, through scientific thinking and practical constructive steps, to work toward the realization of their daring dreams and achieve unity. In contrast, Arab countries, where unifying factors are stronger, stagnated in their fragmented and conflictual condition, even moved backwards, because their ruling political elites, with their particular selfish interests, allowed what differentiates them to get the upper hand over what unifies them, and when pressed by their own peoples toward some form of unity or cooperation, failed to adopt a rational approach to this goal.\nGoing into these questions requires much more space than is available here. However, two major points can be stated briefly: On the economic side, the fifteen summit countries, and beyond them the third-world countries in general, should devise a reciprocal and balanced package deal in the fields of commerce and investment, of joint ventures, of the development and adaptation of technology, of policies affecting relations with one another and with the World Economic System, which insures that it will be accepted and implemented by the concerned parties. The guidelines outlined were designed to make possible such a package deal. I believe they can still serve this purpose, nothwithstanding the subsequent developments in the WCS, especially the creation of the World Trade Organization, and all of the agreements and decisions attached to it, which impose on third-world development permanent constraints not at all compensated for by the temporary concessions allowed. This is a specialized subject which should be dealt with by experts who are oriented toward the third world.\nOn the political side, each third-world state should completely refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other third-world countries, be they close or far, with full confidence that internal social forces will sooner or later affect internal conditions in various countries in ways which will draw them into the new ascending wave of national liberation.\nA few important points remain, and can only briefly be referred to here:\n- Third-world countries, forming an integral part of the WCS (the dependent part) cannot on their own, through South-South cooperation alone, hope to achieve results which exceed those attained by the trade union movements for the working classes in advanced countries. More likely, third-world achievements will be less because those countries will be moving inside the economic, social,and political structures of the advanced National Capitalist Systems to their own trade unions, notwithstanding the fact that the power of various organs of the WCS—states as well as international organizations like the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO—are less evident and transparent than the corresponding organs inside the states of the advanced NCSs.4\n- The hoped-for second wave of third-world liberation cannot achieve all or part of its goals unless it is accompanied in a significant number of countries by major social, political, and economic transformations which lead to the adoption of what I call here, for the sake of brevity, the Auto-Centered Self-Reliant Strategy of Development.5\nThis strategy does not mean, as some writers pretend, attaining self-sufficiency or isolating themselves from the outside world or fighting against ongoing globalization (as distinguished from the powerful processes of westernization). It simply means: a) the adoption of policies which endow every important third-world country or group of countries with a wide, deep, integrated industrial-technological structure, which is indispensible for the achievement of sustained growth; b) a capacity for the acquisition, application, development, and adaptation of modern technology; c) facilities for mastering engineering design and construction, which form the backbone of any proper industrialization;6 d) complete mastery over their monetary and financial systems, enabling them to determine the sources, rates, and spheres of saving and investment; and e) control over external economic relations, allowing them to deal with the outside world in such a way as to enlist these relations in service of their own internal development, rather than allowing the external world, especially international institutions, to determine their development strategies in the interest of the dominant countries. In short, the adoption of a bundle of strategies expressed a long time ago, which form the historical foundation and the real content of what has been called (under the misguided influence of ideology or wishful thinking) the stage of transition to socialism (or of building it in the less-developed parts of the WCS, like Russia and China), and which was no more than the occasionally erroneous response to the challenge of varying degrees of backwardness and dependency.\nThis is as far as thought can reach concerning future development, if my hunch (it is no more than that) is correct that the WCS, both North and South, is about to enter into a protracted global crisis in certain parts of the world which has already begun in others, and that a positive response to that crisis can only take place if the advanced part is driven to take a rational and gradual approach to real socialism, while the South adopts, under whatever name, the strategy of Auto-Centered Self-Reliant Development.\nIt is difficult to determine what will take place when this happens, to determine whether these two different lines (which, in an increasingly independent global world, cannot be parallel) will meet in a cooperative way or in a contradictory, possibly antagonistic way, with all the dire results that the second outcome would entail. This is what will essentially determine the course of development in the twenty-first century.\nThe overall optimism which dominated socialist thought in the nineteenth century, and called on the workers of the world (actually meaning the West) to unite, is no longer sufficient. Historical experience over a whole century has shaken some of the assumptions and theoretical foundations on which that optimism was based, and brought to the foreground other elements which tended to be underestimated, like culture, nationhood, and the sheer atavistic racist and exclusivist sentiment. These factors, which should not in themselves lead to irresolvable antagonism (as the history of many past tolerant civilizations evidences), are being fanned into dangerous flames by narrow vested interests and primitive instincts. All that can be added now is the hope that the encounter between the trajectories of the first and third world will be cooperative rather than catastrophic.\nNotes\n- These guidelines were first published in “Cooperation of Third World Countries: Guidelines for a Charter,” Washington “International Development Review,” February 1976.\n- This analogy, and the conclusions drawn from it, appeared in various works of mine, starting in 1976. Some of these works are referred to in the following footnotes.\n- Ibrahim el-Essawy, director and editor; Ramzi Zaki; Hassan Al-Fakir; “The Experiences of Newly Industrialized Asian Countries,” (Cairo: The National Planning Institute, 1992).(In Arabic.)\n- For the limitations of South Trade Unionism, see my article “Le nouveau syndicat du tiers mode,” Le Monde Diplomatique, June 1975.\n- For a more detailed account of this subject, see my study “Third World Revolt and Auto-Centered and Self-Reliant Development,” IDEP Reproduction 406, 1976. An abridged version appeared in Toward a New Strategy of Development, A Rothko Chapel Colloquium (Pergamon Press, 1979).\n- For the crucial importance of industrial design capability, see Ali Naguib, “An Essay on the Industrialization of Egypt,” (Cairo, 1985). (In Arabic.)"}
{"text": "An angler sparked an emergency this afternoon after they fished an unexploded hand grenade from a canal.\nThe emergency services were called to the scene in Wistow Road, in Kibworth Harcourt shortly after midday today.\nA section of the road was closed and an Army explosive ordinance disposal team was despatched to the scene.\nA Leicestershire Police spokeswoman said: \"We were called shortly before 12.15pm to a report to what was believed to be an unexploded hand grenade which had been found in a canal.\n\"Officers attended and, in the interests of public safety, the road was closed.\"\nThe spokeswoman added that the find had been reported by a person who had been fishing in the canal.\nThe road re-opened at 5.30 ."}
{"text": "The continuous verge range provides permanent weather protection for slate roof verges. They can be fitted in all weathers with neat installation, requiring no special components at junctions. Being manufactured from GRP, the continuous verges have the following benefits;\nHDL DV7\nThe HDL DV7 is designed for sark board or over batten."}
{"text": "Sample Flight Attendant CV\nJane Doe\n111 Apple St.\nSeattle, WA 54637\n(565) 555-7890\njane@email.com\nObjective: Responsible and experienced flight attendant eager to be a part of a cabin crew team for domestic and international flights\nExperience\nHead Flight Attendant, American Airlines, June 2010–September 2012\n- Supervised between 7 and 12 flight attendants on both international and domestic flights\n- Responsible for ensuring the safety of passengers on an average of 10 international flights and 20 domestic flights per week\n- Received “Most Courteous” award, as well as several honors while employed by American Airlines\n- Helped kickstart the “Comfortable Passenger” program, which encouraged passengers to provide feedback to the airline on how to improve future flights and increased customer satisfaction by 18%\nFlight Attendant, U.S. Airlines, May 2006–June 2010\n- Part of a team of 5 to 7 flight attendants on domestic flights\n- Responsible for making sure each passenger was greeted and comfortable in his or her seat\n- Helped ensure that the piloting staff had their needs met\n- Received honors for “Highest Attendance” each year employed\nFlight Attendant, California Air, July 2001–April 2006\n- Worked on over 10 flights a day that flew all over California\n- Promoted from Desk Clerk to Flight Attendant within one month of employment\n- Started a program to save the airline money by ordering our supplies from a different vendor, which helped the airline avoid bankruptcy\nEducation/Certificates\n- B.A. Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, 1997–2001 (graduated Cum Laude)\n- CPR/First Aid Certified, September 2012\n- Languages spoken: Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, English\nReferences\nLily Smith, Flight Attendant Supervisor, American Airlines\n7678 Main St.\nLos Angeles, CA 91234\n(818) 555-8989\nlily.smith@email.com\nRonald Kim, Flight Attendant, American Airlines\n3434 Walnut Dr., Apt. 3B\nSan Francisco, CA 94115\n(777) 555-9987\nronald.kim@email.com\nAndrew Jones, Head Flight Attendant, U.S. Airlines\n8777 Sunshine St.\nBrooklyn, NY 087767\n(212) 555-7654\najones@email.com\nDownloaded from"}
{"text": "Our Top Picks\nBest Overall: Chef’s Brand at Amazon\n“Matte aluminum finish looks classic and provides a secure grip.”\nBest High End: iSi 163001 Profi Professional at Amazon\n“Head and body of this dispenser are made from high-quality stainless steel.”\nBest Budget: EurKitchen Professional at Amazon\n“More durable that similar low-cost options with plastic heads.”\nBest Multipurpose: iSi Gourmet Whip Culinary at Amazon\n“You can also use it for making warm froths and whips.”\nBest Cream Whipper for Decorating: Otis Classic at Amazon\n“Commercial grade whipper that includes seven different tip style.”\nBest Mini: ZOEMO 250ml All Aluminum at Amazon\n“Takes less storage space than its larger cousins, but it still produces plenty.”\nBest Manual: Mastrad Qwik Wisk at Amazon\n“Handles are a comfortable silicone that’s easy to grip.”\n- 01 of 07\nBest Overall: Chef’s Brand Whipped Cream Dispenser\nMade to last, but still budget friendly, this dispenser will make plenty of whipped cream for family gatherings, parties and the neighborhood ice cream social, too. If you’re avoiding dairy, you can also use coconut milk in this dispenser. For best results, the coconut milk should be chilled before using.\nThis has a lightweight but sturdy aluminum body and three long-lasting professional grade stainless steel nozzles for dispensing pretty clouds of whipped cream with different designs onto ice cream, cakes, pies, puddings and more.\nThe matte aluminum finish looks classic and provides a secure grip. The dispenser should be washed by hand.\n- 02 of 07\nBest High End: iSi 163001 Profi Professional Cream Whipper, 1-Pint\nIf you’re looking for a professional-quality cream whipper that will last for years, look no further. The head and body of this dispenser are made from high-quality stainless steel. There’s a removable stainless steel piston and a silicone seal with a quick-release tab so you can clean every little space quickly and easily.\nSince stainless steel won’t stain, retain odors, or react with acidic foods, you can leave your lemon mousse mixture chilling in the container in the fridge with no worries about oxidation or off-flavors.\nThis includes a decorator tip with stainless steel threads for secure attachment, and a cleaning brush. It is entirely dishwasher safe, but is easy to rinse clean and wash in warm soapy water. For professional use, it is NSF certified.\n- 03 of 07\nBest Budget: EurKitchen Professional Whipped Cream Dispenser\nThis attractive black whipper does the job at an affordable price. It has an aluminum head and body with reinforced threads that make it more durable that similar low-cost options with plastic heads. Since aluminum is lighter than stainless steel, it’s easier to use for longer periods of time, and the lacquered finish will stay attractive for a long time.\nThis included three decorating tips and a cleaning brush for cleaning the tips. The container rinses clean easily and should only be hand washed.\n- 04 of 07\nBest Multipurpose: iSi Gourmet Whip Culinary and Cream Whipper\nMost cream whippers are designed for cold use, for making whipped cream, mousses or chilled frothy sauces. This whipper takes it a step further, since you can also use it for making warm froths and whips. Even if that’s something you don’t think you’ll need, it also ensures that the whipper is made to high quality standards. When you decide to make a warm foam to top your coffee, you’ll be ready.\nThis has a stainless steel bottle and head that are designed for professional use and are dishwasher safe. The stainless steel is stain-resistant and nonreactive, so you can load it with acidic liquids and store it in the refrigerator with no worries about oxidation or off-flavors.\nThis includes three different stainless steel tips: a star, a straight tip and a tulip tip. It also includes a cleaning brush for the tips. The one pint whipper is the perfect size for most home uses, but this design is also available in half-pint and in quart sizes for smaller or larger batches.Continue to 5 of 7 below.\n- 05 of 07\nBest Cream Whipper for Decorating: Otis Classic Whipped Cream Dispenser\nBring your whipped cream flourishes to a new level with this commercial grade whipper that includes seven different tip styles. This is made from food-grade stainless steel that won’t stain or react with acidic foods, so your lime mousse can be stored in the refrigerator in the whipper without worries about oxidation or off flavors.\nThis includes six interchangeable colored silicone bands for a secure grip. If you’ve got more than one whipper, you can use the bands to color-code the containers, so you know which one has the chocolate mousse, which has the lemon mousse, and which has the sweetened whipped cream.\nThe tips include three decorating nozzles for making fancy whipped cream designs and four injector nozzles for injecting whipped cream or mousse into pastries or cupcakes. A cleaning brush for the nozzles is also included. This should be hand washed.\n- 06 of 07\nBest Mini: ZOEMO 250ml All Aluminum Whipped Cream Dispenser\nThis cute little half-pint whipper takes less storage space than its larger cousins, but it still produces plenty of whipped cream for family desserts. If you’re serving more people, just refill, recharge and keep dispensing.\nThis is made from aluminum and includes three different decorating tips to make your desserts look pretty. Since aluminum is lightweight and this is half the size of the 1-pint models, it’s easier to hold than heavier whippers.\nThis should be hand washed with warm soapy water.\n- 07 of 07\nBest Manual: Mastrad Qwik Wisk\nJust grab the handles and pull up and push down. The spinners inside spin rapidly to whip the cream. While you can whip cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer, they aren’t particularly efficient when you have a small amount. This whipper is ideal for those small amounts, when you need just enough whipped cream for one or two servings in one batch.\nThis isn’t a one-trick pony, though. It can be used to emulsify salad dressings, make mayonnaise, or whip drinks to a froth. Measurements on the side are in ounces and milliliters, so you can measure ingredients right in the container.\nThe handles are a comfortable silicone that’s easy to grip. The base is removable and works as a lid for the container for storing your finished food. When it’s empty, it’s dishwasher safe, for easy cleaning."}
{"text": "Day 32 Clear night - Trial of 4\" Refractor and SBIG ST9XE Combination\nA clear night with a 99% phase Moon! I removed the focal reducer from my 4\" refractor setup and took a number of images. The go to was very accurate once I went throught the normal setup on the CGEM. Most gotos were dead centre. I targeted a number of open clusters. All my images were 30 seconds. First of all M35 taken with a V filter.\nI carried out a plate solution in SkyX to determine the field of view and plate scale.\nSo the field of view of the SBIG camera +4\" refractor without the focal reducer is 38' 37\" X 38' 37\" and the plate scale is 4.53 arcseconds per pixel. The camera is 83 degrees off north - I could rotate the camera to make north at the top to make life simpler. So the gotos were accurate to within that 38 minute field of view.\nThen M35 again with a B Filter this time for the same exposure. The star brightnesses change depending upon their colour.\nI will load both of these into VPhot at the AAVSO and determine V and B magnitudes for as many of the cluster stars as possible.\nThen on to M36 with a V Filter\nM37 with a V Filter\nand M38 with a V Filter\nOK not very exciting images but jam packed with data about the clusters. It just needs a bit of work to extract it!\nI can make it more exciting in Photoshop! - Same image as above\nOf course all of the data has now gone!!\nI took a 30 second image of M81\nand checked on the state of the supernova in M82\nThis was the image taken a few days back with my90 mm ETX and Canon 40D\nA 30s image of globular cluster M3\nand open cluster M44\nthen galaxy M64\nand finally open star cluster M67 (Unfiltered)\n"}
{"text": "Sean Lesh put together a rad video edit of Santa Barbara local, Bobby Martinez, surfing various California spots during this year’s winter swells. Martinez is captured destroying rights at Rincon Point and speeding through barreling lefts during the bigger days at several locations in Santa Barbara and Ventura County. He may be off the ASP World Tour, but he’s still shredding and charging cold water sets at some of the best locations. Watch the video below to see what Martinez was attacking this winter.\nMusic by Cheyenne /Rainbow Girls."}
{"text": "AJ remembers wearing a suit once. But since falling on bad times and moving south in search of work, he has been more concerned about keeping warm as he sleeps out in the cold each night.\nMore recently he’s set up ‘camp’ in a carpark, with the owner’s permission, and uses the locker room at the Hutt St Centre to store his few possessions.\nThose possessions will now include a new winter jacket – thanks to the team at Peter Shearer Menswear.\nDirectors Martin Gilligan and Dharmesh Raman today presented the Hutt St Centre with more than 1000 jackets that were collected by the men’s clothing business over the past three months as part of its inaugural Winter Jacket Appeal.\nMr Raman had previously donated a trench coat to Hutt St Centre regular Arthur and this was such a hit that he and the team at Peter Shearer Menswear decided to do something to help the homeless to get through these cold winter nights.\n“The aim was to collect as many jackets as possible,” said Mr Raman. “We predicted we would collect around 500 jackets, but due to the overwhelming support of the appeal we soon realised we would exceed this number.”\nBy the end of the appeal, not only had they collected about 1100 jackets, but they also had received hundreds of additional items such as thermal undergarments, blankets, shirts and pants.\n“We are so impressed with the generosity and community spirit of the Adelaide public and we are extremely happy with the awesome result,” Mr Raman said.\nMr Gilligan said there were some “beautiful stories” to come out of the appeal, such as school children and footy clubs collecting hundreds of items.\n“As a South Australian company, we are proud to support those in our community who are doing it tough experiencing homelessness,” he said.\n“We hope that they felt a little warmer this winter as a result of our appeal.”\nAJ said he had been visiting the Hutt St Centre for three years and had recently been getting some work at major events through the Centre’s work program. He said it was good to have an extra jacket to wear to interviews and to use when his other one was wet."}
{"text": "Book Marriott Mountainside Accommodations in Park City, Utah UT USA\nAmenities at Marriott Mountainside\nAir Conditioned, AM/FM Alarm Clock, ATM/Cash Machine, Barber Shop, Barber/Beauty Shop, $amenity.getChild(\"description\").getText(), Car Rental Desk, Coffee Maker in Room, Concierge Desk, Handicapped Rooms/Facilities, Drugstore, DVD Player, Elevators, Express Checkout, Fire Place, Florist, Free Parking, Game Room, Game Rental, Golf, Exercise Gym, Hairdryers Available, Horseback Riding, Ice Machine, High speed internet access, Iron, Childrens Activities, Kitchenette, Guest Laundromat, , Guest Laundromat, Maid Service, Microwave, Multi-line Phone, Free Newspaper, News Stand, Picnic Area/Tables, Pool, Outdoor Pool, Parking, Outdoor Parking, Private Bathroom, Radio, Refrigerator, Safe Deposit Box, Safe, Snorkeling, Sofa Bed, Telephone, Tennis, Temperature Control, TV, Television with Cable, TV Remote Control, Vending Machines, Voicemail, Volleyball, Wake-up Service, Water Skiing,\nCheck rates and availability, Then Book Marriott Mountainside Accommodations in Park City UT hotels motels.\nOur booking engine uses real time accessibility, so you can quickly check the availability of a hotel room at Marriott Mountainside. Then, you can compare rates with other area hotels to get the best priced hotels in Park City, UT. Book a hotel room online for Marriott Mountainside using a major credit or debit card on a secure server. Master Card, Discover, Visa are accepted.\nMarriott Mountainside Property DescriptionWorld-class skiing, cultural events and robust seasonal activities characterize Park City, Utah, home of Marriott's MountainSide. Alpine beauty continues in your two-bedroom villa with oversized soaking tub, full kitchen and graceful living room.\nMarriott Mountainside Room InformationThe amenities listed in this description represent a sample of amenities available in some or all guest rooms in this hotel\nDirections to the Marriott Mountainside\nResort - Location Type: Resort SLC Mountainside."}
{"text": "Van Nuys, CA\nA 23-year-old male asked:\n23m 5mm paracentral bulge @ l4-5 & l5-s1, 4mm retrolisthesis at both levels as well. s/p l5-s1 discectomy/hemilaminotomy & 3 epidurals. still have daily pain at least 4/10 & getting worse. what next?\n3 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in\nDr. Bahman Omranianswered\nPain Management 17 years experience\nWhats next: You are doing the right thing by asking questions as you will be better informed about the decisions you'll have to make. One has to first realize pain is a subjective perception which can be altered in a positive or negative way through outside forces. Think good & it should be good. It is best to discuss this in person with a doctor who is not \"trigger happy\" with their rx or scalpel.\n5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago\nDr. Richard Pollardanswered\nAnesthesiology 30 years experience\nTalk to MD: There is a possibility that you will need a surgical option . Talk to a spine surgeon for a consult and discussion of alternative treatments.\n5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago\nDr. Ionel Radanswered\nAnesthesiology 17 years experience\nCall MD office: If your pain is worse after surgery, please call the surgeon's office and try to see him again or try to get a second opinion.."}
{"text": "Things may not have been great\nIn 2008 -\nBut they’re going to be fine\nIn 2009!\nThat's my new mantra, folks. I've been very quiet for several months - I was without a computer at home for several weeks' worth of that time, so posting wasn't convenient - nor, to be frank, have I had much good to say about anything - 2008 was not my favorite year, as my employment situation has become more critical (I'm not alone in this, I realize, but let's face it: when you're single and wake up at 3AM and start worrying about it, you ARE alone in it) and ended on a sad note with the deaths of a beloved uncle, aged 90 (my mother's brother-in-law, and the last of the aunts and uncles on that side of the family) and a dear friend who was only 4 years older than I.\nHAPPY NEW YEAR, everybody!\n1 comment:\nAnd a Happy New Year to you too, old friend! I hope your 2009 is a better year!\nLuanne"}
{"text": "I’m on a HUGE bar cart kick lately. If it was acceptable to have one in every room, I would. Bar carts are just such a great way to add a little extra glamour to your entertaining space. The decor piece has become a trendy item in the design world because of its functionality and chic vintage flare. It’s a classic furniture piece that immediately ties your space together. A well-styled and stocked bar cart will keep any party rolling.\nSince I have a Pinterest Board dedicated purely to the art of bar cart styling, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite tips and bar carts!\nStep 1. The Basics\nIf you are a beginner bar cart stylist, I would avoid purchasing flavored liquors. Different flavors will limit the types of drinks that you are able to prepare for your guests. Stick with the classics: whiskey, vodka, tequila, gin or rum. I would also HIGHLY recommend including some bubbly – you know, for variety! If you are hesitant about which types of liquor to purchase, ask your guests if they have a preference. This is also a great way to be prepared with special mixers like cranberry juice, ginger beer or sparkling water. Incorporate some accent garnishes like mint leaves, lemons and limes. Or go by my number one rule: the prettier the bottle, the better.\nStep 2. Personalize It\nIncorporating a signature cocktail is ideal if you are hosting a themed party. I always think it is important to include nonalcoholic options so there is a refreshment for everyone. I like to keep assorted LaCroix or San Pellegrino flavors stocked on the lower level of my cart. Some adorable framed quotes are always a go-to as well.\nStep 3. Garnish\nA bar cart is simply not complete without chic coasters, napkins, an ice bucket, cocktail tools and chic glassware. Personalizing these items is an easy way to showcase your personal style. Incorporating trinkets can customize your cart as well. Another way to accessorize is by adding your favorite cocktail recipe book. To tie the space together find a painted canvas or art print to hang above your bar cart.\nStep 4. Style\nIncorporating pops of gold into your cart instantly channels old hollywood glamour. I would recommend gold accessories for a more elegant look. Now I’m all about the glitz and glam, but if you are looking for a more simple yet rustic feel, add some natural elements like a potted plant, fresh flowers or greenery. Plus flowers just make everything a little better.\nShop some of my fave bar cart styles!\n"}
{"text": "October 14, 2019\nSYNNEX Corporation and RingCentral Bring Leading Cloud Communications and Contact Center Solutions to SYNNEX’ US Channel Partners\nRingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG), a leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications, collaboration, and contact center solutions, and SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), a leading business process services company, announced today.”\nFor additional information, please visit ringcentral.com/partner/overview.html. To learn more about offerings, contact RingCentral.referrals, Work as One, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc. RingCentral's and/or SYNNEX’ actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance that may be suggested in this release. Neither RingCentral nor SYNNEX assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release.\nMariana Kosturos\nRingCentral PR\nmariana.kosturos@ringcentral.com\n(650) 562-6545"}
{"text": "A Lesson on Humility and Obedience: Covid Edition plus CLOY Hangover\nHappy Monday!\nLet me tell you an old story that is still relevant today.\nThere was an army commander named Naaman of Syria. He was well respected, just like Capt. Ri of Crash Landing on You. While Naaman was well-esteemed, he was a leper.\nOne day, a little girl, their maid, told Naaman’s wife that someone from the land of Israel can cure Naaman.\nThe wife told Naaman, and Naaman obeyed. He asked his King for permission to go to Israel and he was granted the permission.\nUpon reaching Israel, Elisha, the man who was supposed to cure him didn’t even meet Naaman in person. He just sent the message that Naaman should wash 7 times at the Jordan River. (Could it be that Elisha was practicing social distancing? Just my theory. )\nNaaman, though he felt angry and insulted at first, still had the humility to listen and the wisdom to obey. He obeyed and his leprosy was cured.\nThat story came from the Bible reading today and I can’t help but relate it to what’s happening in the world right now in lieu of covid.\nAuthorities and medical experts have been pleading us to\n– wash our hands\n– observe social distancing\n– stay at home (that’s the case in the Philippines right now).\nWe also see viral news how Italians are warning the world to take covid seriously and stay at home because that was something they didn’t do. Look how sad the situation in Italy right now is.\nI was chatting with my cousins who are front liners. Both of them are doctors — one in Manila and another in the province. These doctors and medical professionals have to buy masks using their own money because the supply in the hospital is running out.\nTheir advice remains the same and I’d like to echo it with you: Please stay at home.\nI read this from Leah Salonga’s and James Deakin’s posts:\n“To those who are complaining about the quarantine period and curfews, just remember that your grandparents were called to war; you are being called to sit on the couch and watch Netflix. You can do this!”\nIf you have family or friends in the medical profession or in front liners, another good idea is to gift them masks.\nIn the past few days, I was chatting with people from Malaysia, Bulgaria, U.S., Portugal, and other countries and the experience is all the same. We are so connected. I’ve never felt how real the cliche “it’s a small world after all” is.\nThe world is so connected. One person can spread the virus to the world. But one person can also spread love and healing to the world. There’s so much love and healing going around.\nIn lieu of the virus, the best we can do is to stay at home. I saw this going around on social media. I took this screen shot from my cousin Veena’s post.\nWe can do this!\nI wish you love, joy, and peace today and everyday!\nCheers,\nSha\nP.S. Staying at home doesn’t have to be boring. There are so many FUN and productive things you can do at home. As for me, I’m working on some exciting passion projects. One is writing a book, another one is… it’s a secret for now. But this photo will give you a clue.\nWhat keeps you busy these days? I’d love to hear from you. 🙂\nP.P.S. If you’re interested about book writing, here’s my video interview on ABS-CBN’s ANC on the Money. Watch it<<"}
{"text": "The Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation was in Singapore for the Bloomberg New Economy Forum to give a more comprehensive picture of the country’s economy and highlighted how even with the challenges of the pandemic Egypt has been one of the top three countries in the region to score positive economic growth. Dr. Rania shares the reasons why\nDR Rania was in Singapore to join 750 economic leaders to discuss global economic issues that straddled common visions and objectives, challenges unique to new and growing economies and funding for these economies to meet the challenges of climate change. The Minister also took part in a panel discussion that dealt with the world’s commitment to provide the necessary climate financing to address climate change’s repercussions.\nDuring the sidelines of the summit, she graciously took time out to talk to ONE Africa’s Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ms. Nomita Dhar on a range of topics that included the strength of the Egyptian economy and invesment potential. The Minister had also participated virtually in the Bloomberg Summit for New Economies last year and Bloomberg held up Egypt as one of the models for emerging economies in the region post pandemic as a result of “the economic homegrown reforms and the opportunities… despite the economic challenges on the regional and global level.”\nWelcome Excellency! How has the Bloomberg Forum been so far?\nThank you Ms. Nomita. It’s very productive. The discussions were very frank and open across many global topics that were in every policy makers’ mind. Of course, climate change is one of the major topics. This is especially relevant to Egypt which is hosting COP27 next year. It is one of the key areas of collaboration across different stake holders, governments, the private sector and citizens.\nThere were many discussions that looked at subjects related to the Climate, Finance, Green Recovery, Inclusive Growth, Geopolitics such as the US-China Relationship; the Importance & Role of Technologies, Crypto Currencies. Most generally they were also about how the private and government or public sectors can come and work together going forward using an inclusive social contract model for businesses.\nCOVID has impacted on all the world’s economies. How has it been from Egypt’s perspective and how has it affected the country’s investment climate?\nWe were the only country during the pandemic to post positive growth rates in the region and within the top three globally.\nUnemployment did not go up.\nWe have not been downgraded by any of the rating agencies. Our rating was solid and found to have a positive outlook.\nStructure reforms have been put in place to invite businesses. For example, Egyptian customs has introduced new electronic systems for pre-registration of shipment called ACI (Advanced Cargo Information) at all its seaports.\nThe Government has a very bold vision on Green Projects. We have an integrated sustainable energy strategy that does not use coal for electricity production.\nWe have targets for renewable Energy (Solar Energy & Wind energy 20% by 2022 and 60% by 2040). We export electricity and petroleum.\nWe are also with the IMF. We concluded a very important Micro Economic Reform programme between 2016 and 2019. During COVID we have another IMF Programme between June 2020 and July 2021. It was important for us during for this programme to make it very transparent. We shared the Micro Economic frame work with investors so they feel comfortable. In the ministry I handle transparency and visibility to investors is important for international corporations. We work with the international community on financing with the World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and many others.\nOur portfolio is a significant one with more than US$30 billion dollars and across several sectors in the economy: Renewable sectors, transportation sectors, social housing, gender equality issues, and agriculture. So it’s a very diverse portfolio. Egypt is very focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and we did a mapping exercise of that portfolio with the SDGs. The result – we identified many opportunities for companies to invest in sectors that are people centric that can create jobs and promote inclusivity.\nScale matters in Egypt. It’s a big country. We have the Suez Canal Economic Zone which is the hub for logistics and also manufacturing sectors.\nWe have new cities coming up. These are capital -sized cities with different governors.\nAnother important element we are implementing are infrastructure technology and ICT (infocomm technology) and that is nurturing a very vibrant Startup scene.\nEgypt is also between the Middle East and Africa and this interview is for ONE Africa. For someone navigating the international markets, how seriously should Asian investors look at Africa?\nI think Asia is taking Africa seriously and there are many other countries and regions that are looking in Africa’s direction. It is a very dynamic and young continent. It has the population, and resources; what it needs a lot of investment to create the value added.\nAbout Dr Rania A. Al-Mashat\nThe Egyptian economist and politician was the country’s Minister of Tourism from 2018 until December 2019. She previously held high level positions at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC and at the Central Bank of Egypt. She is presently the Minister of International Cooperation since December 2019."}
{"text": "Worship is the center of all we do at Grace Episcopal Church. Through the services of Word and Sacrament, we encounter God in Christ. We are nourished by God’s Word in the form of Holy Scripture and preaching, by God’s love in the form of the bread and wine of Communion, and by the beauty of God’s creation in the form of color, light, sound, space, and flowers.\nThe worship of the Episcopal Church is according to the Book of Common Prayer (1979) and the Hymnal (1982) along with supplemental texts. We use the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Each week, we hear a selection from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), one from the New Testament, and one from the Gospels; we also read a Psalm together. We sing hymns; hear a sermon; pray together for the concerns of individuals, the parish, the Church, our community, and the world; offer our gifts; and gather around God’s Table for the Holy Eucharist (Mass/Communion/Lord’s Supper). Lay people serve as greeters, ushers, readers, acolytes (altar servers), Eucharistic ministers (helping set the table and distribute the Communion wine), intercessors (leading the prayers), choir members, and in the Altar Guild (setting up and maintaining the spaces and objects used in worship).\nAs a church in the liturgical tradition, Grace Church uses a lectionary (a cycle of Scripture readings covering three years). The colors of vestments and altar hangings, and some details about the services, change from season to season throughout the year, from Advent, Christmas and Epiphany through Lent and Easter to Pentecost. This rhythm of highs and lows helps remind us of the story of our faith and provides a structure for our worship throughout the year, as the colors, words, and music emphasize different themes."}
{"text": "On the sidebar we have a Yardbarker widget and one of the articles I noticed this morning was this one: 3 Reasons the Chicago Cubs Should Trade Starlin Castro.\nStarlin Castro is currently the shortstop for the Cubs. This position is the de facto captain of the infield, and it needs to be manned by someone that will be very reliable in the field.\nThis position is what this blogger considers to be the de facto captain of the infield. SS is not a position in which the de facto captian plays at that position. I don't even know why there needs to be a captain of the infield. Let's say Darwin Barney is the captain right now. Can anybody tell? What exactly is he doing that is different than any other person who plays his position? What is Jose Reyes or Troy Tulowitzki doing differently? I sure as hell don't notice anything. What the hell could a captain of the infield even do?\nIf there is a captain of the infield it's the pitcher. He's the one with the ball. He's the one telling the fucking SS when he should cover 2nd base.\nCastro and his .958 fielding percentage is anything but reliable.\nIf a team had that fielding percentage overall, it would be a nightmare. So for one of the captains of the defense, who should be reflective of the unit as a whole, to put up that number suggests his is a liability to his team.\nThis year shortstops have a .975 fielding percentage. 1B's have a .994 FP. Obviously the 1B should be the captain as he should be reflective of the unit, right?\nTheo Epstein analyzed players this way in Boston, following the lead of the A’s Billy Beane and placing special emphasis on on-base percentage, and it brought Epstein’s Red Sox two World Series titles.\nThe fact of the matter is that Castro doesn’t fit well into this sabermetrics type thinking.\nThis guy is overthinking it. Since when do good players not fit well into sabermetric type thinking? Sure, Castro isn't going to walk much in his career, but sabermetrics is about more than walks. It's about more than home runs.\nWhile you can count on Castro to rake in a lot of hits and compile an average around .300-.310, his on-base percentage will likely only ever be about .20-.30 points higher than that.\nSo you're telling me he's going to rake and hit about .300 or so, have a better than league average OBP while playing a premium defensive position and that this doesn't fit well into sabermetric thinking?\nIs it okay that a very good hitter doesn’t walk much? It can be for certain players talented enough to overcome it. But when Theo looks through the sabermetrics lens evaluating his team, he’ll likely view Castro and his .340 OBP as very replaceable.\nTheo will likely view every player on the team as replaceable and it will have nothing to do with the kind of stupid shit this guy is talking about.\nA few infielders who could replace that OBP at a much cheaper price are Jed Lowrie, Marco Scutaro, and Omar Infante, just for reference.\nScutaro is in the final year of a 3-year, $17 million contract. Infante signed a deal for $6 million per year over 2 years. I'm not an expert in math, but if I recall correctly $6 million is greater than $5.7 million, which is greater than $0.5 million.\nSo whether you as a Cubs fan would like it or not, Theo may see a trade of Starlin Castro as far too sensible to pass up.\nHe might, but it sure as hell won't be for the reasons included in this article. I couldn't care less whether or not the Cubs trade Castro. If they do, I want them to get a reasonable package in return. If a good deal comes along, trade him. If one doens't, keep him. I sure as hell don't want the Cubs to trade him because they think he doesn't fit well into their sabermetric thinking. That's just not very sabermetric. And it's stupid.\nI love when you pick apart these stupid fucking articles. I know this guy is just trying to make money off ad revenue, but put some thought into something before you make any conclusion. This guy has no idea what sabremetrics is based on his extreme reliance on fielding % and OBP.\nI saw a link to a Red Sox blog where they thought they could get Castro for their # 8 prospect and ….. Chris Carpenter. (dying laughing)\nI think with sabermetrics and quality online deals. Do you have friends? Sabermetrics them to now with low, low cost.\nI will sabermetrics for parties and events. Call the number now that I have give to you.\nRemember, Cubs logic states that whenever a player is said to be “part of long-term plans” or “untouchable” that said player is soon to be shipped out.\nSo this recent gaff is an obvious attempt to trade a peaking Samardzija for prospects. I hope that Theo, given the reports, hasn’t decided to ship Starlin too.\nStarlin has quietly become a very good gap hitter. He has a SLG around .450 and is on pace for 103 RBIs. The power numbers keep increasing for him.\nPersonally, I’d try to move him to Third. I actually agreed with batting Starlin cleanup. That would give him a great opportunity to “grow in” to being a cleanup hitter. Starlin doesn’t hit a whole lot of home runs, but he seems to be developing gap power, which I believe is more reliable and less expensive than Home Run Power.\nThat’s against the laws of SABYRmetrics. Home Runs are valued highly by SAYBR. If you can get a godfather offer for Castro, especially two middle rotation starters or a ++ Catcher, go for it. If the orioles offer you Matt Wieters and/or some combination of Bundy brothers, go for it.\nI seriously doubt we’ll get that kind of offer for Castro. Nice to dream about though.\nDid I mention Billy Beane? You may remember his sabermetrics were very popular. Made movie of them all. I do so now.\n@ jtsunami:\nIf I read more articles about the Cubs I’d probably do this more often, but I’ve learned to shield myself from the stupidity. If I’m going to read something stupid it’s going to be something I’ve written!\nI just couldn’t help but click on that link because I knew it was going to be nonsense. There are good reasons to trade Castro and his reason number 2 is the start of it, but the rest is silly. And the guy has no idea what sabermetrics is.\n@ dylanj:\nReality is Iglesis or Middlebrooks or GTFO for the Sawx. Mike Alives has come alive this season. Big Papi slipped him some PEDs quietly sometime. SS isn’t really a need for the Sawx.\nThey need Pitching the most, probably followed by an Outfielder. I wouldn’t be suprised to see them make a run for Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster or Jeff Samardzija.\nIf they trade Youk, that would free up space for either LaHair or Soriano in Left, so those guys are also pieces I’d look at as a Sawx fan.\n@ Pezcore:\nI read a blurb just now about the Red Sox starting to give Middlebrooks reps at SS.\n@ Rice Cube:\nBut Why? Alives is on pace for 20+ home runs and 100+ RBI’s.\nDo Sawx fans just go on name value only and not watch the actual games? I’ve always had that impression. I guess this is proof.\ni used to think trading starlin would be a really good idea, provided you get a bevy of prospects in return to flesh out a prospect-poor system that needs decent salary-controlled bodies to start emerging from the pipeline in some numbers.\nthen i read this at fangraphs.\ni still think you can trade him. but you’d better get a few really solid prospects for him, because the thought of trading away the next robin yount makes me ache inside.\nhis transformation has been stunning, but to me trading spellcheck might be a better idea. he’s 27 and arb-eligible next year.\n@ gaius marius:\nAgreed, GM. I’m fine with trading Castro if they get A LOT in return. He’s an extremely valuable player who, to me at least, has looked a lot better defensively this season than at any time in his career. Those are my lying eyes telling me that so take it with a grain of salt. That’s all it’s worth, but if he has improved we’re talking about an annual all-star. If at that point he develops some power we’re talking superstar. I’m not trading that way for anything less than a little more than he’s worth. Any team trading for him has to pay for the potential too because it’s there. But I’m not at all opposed with trading him. If it’s a good deal, do it.\nI definitely agree on F7. I think he’s better than I thought and he’s someone I’d easily trade for the right package.\nThere are maybe 10 guys in the league I wouldn’t trade and the Cubs don’t have any of them. Strasburg, Harper, Trout, Kershaw……those guys are untouchable. The Cubs having any player labeled “untouchable” is comical. Theo obvioulsy knows what he’s doing so I’m not going to speculate on what he’s thinking but the Cubs have 3 pieces that could net a very nice package of young players. If offers come in that they like, then F7, Castro and Garza are probably gone I would imagine.\nEDIT: I forgot Kershaw signed that big extension so he’s not as valuable as the other three but still.\nThey could sit on F7 and let him build value. Unlike most players he’s got a shot at accumulating even more value as he continues to disprove his pretransformation numbers and shows some durability.\nMucker wrote:\nYep, which is why I don’t believe for a moment that they have any player who is untouchable. It’s not like if the Nationals offered Strasburg and Harper for Castro they wouldn’t make the deal in a heartbeat. That would never happen. They’d not even get offered one of those guys, but you know what I mean.\nI laugh at the “two young impact prospects” thing being thrown around. Basically Thoyer is saying that he would love to trade Starlin Castro for two Starlin Castros (dying laughing)\n@ Mucker:\nObviously if the right trade comes around, you take it, but at what point do you stop trading your own current “stars” for prospects? Castro is young and is something to build around. Also we can know with little doubt that is he is going to improve with age. A prospect isn’t guaranteed. I might be missing something here, but I wouldn’t trade Castro for much, except maybe two Castros, and that just isn’t going to happen.\nWhat is a realistic trade you’d make for Castro?\n@ mb21:\nthe thing few people seem to properly contextualize is his age. most kids at 22 are in college or double-a. he’s fully four years younger than barney, campagna, russell and the other “kids” on this team.\nhere’s the MLB list of guys 22 and under with 100+ PA. there are some really impressive (former) prospect names on this list, and starlin is currently 4th in WAR ahead of guys like bryce harper, jason heyward and brett lawrie.\nroll that same list back to include 2011, and starlin is #2 behind hyperprospect “giancarlo” stanton.\nI really would be giving Starlin reps at Second/Third and manning Dahwin Barney at Short. Shortstop is Barney’s natural, first position. Barney would be a ++ bat at short instead of a + bat. We aren’t going to win this year. I’ve always stated that 2012 has been dedicated to developing talent, raising the stock of trade assets, and getting a high draft pick. So I don’t mind bunting in every situation if we get better baserunners and fundamentally sound hitters out of the deal.\nWhat has been ignored in this conversation, but brought up about Castro numerous times, is the effect of physical developement on his play. If Castro continues to hit the ball harder and beef up, will his speed drop? This will affect his already poor fielding, his batting average, and his ability to steal.\nThis may be the highest value that Starlin will ever have. If he bulks up, moves to third, and slows down, we could be looking at a .275/.305/.490 hitter who has 20/100 power at age 26. Starlin’s greatest value is his potential. True, he could live up to expectations, stick at shortstop, and make us pay. He could also gain weight, slow down, and go through growing pains moving to a new position.\n@ Berselius:\nYeah, but I just worry that he would regress. Right now, he’s Optimus Prime…….next year he could be Jazz or IronHide.\nBerselius wrote:\nor if, which is where the risk comes on. i’m fairly convinced if dumbfounded, but he’s also 27 and this could be his career peak.\n@ Mucker:\nI hope he turns into Unicron and starts eating planets for breakfast.\nmb21 wrote:\ngaius marius wrote:\nOn the other hand, I don’t think the Cubs brass would have backed his move to the rotation so strongly if they didn’t see something there. I don’t think he’s 3.0 FIP good, but I don’t really see him regressing back to replacement level either. Injuries/durability are a bigger risk at this point I think.\n@ WaLi:\nWell I don’t really know. It would all depend on the team trading for him. Obviously, certain teams value players more than others and I tend to think teams value their own players more. But as a start, I would have to imagine a better package than what the Stro’s got for Pence from Philly, which was a pretty good haul.\n@ Mucker:\nI remember people complaining about that package (and what they got for Oswalt) since they didn’t bring back Dominic Brown. The Oswalt package was especially lousy, IIRC.\n@ gaius marius:\nSometimes I highlight more of his negatives than positives and I’m sure some take it the wrong way. I always try to point out that despite his negatives he’s still a very good player and so damn young. What he’s done is impressive. He’s not a power hitting walk machine that we’d all like to see. He’s not the most gifted fielder either. He does run the bases well overall, makes up for some of his poor fielding with above average range, and flat our rakes at the plate.\nEarly on his career I wondered if he could be Ichiro. The peripherals were very similar though Ichiro was obviously older when he accomplished his. Still, I think there’s reason to think he can be as good as Ichiro and maybe even better because he’s still maturing.\nThat said, I’m open to trading anybody in the right deal. This team needs help, Castro probably won’t be a part of the Cubs when they do contend and if they can get enough in return they might end up better in a year or two than they’d have been if they keep Castro. It’s a risk, but it’s also a risk that could pay off big for the Cubs.\nI guess I take that back about the Pence deal. Cosart and Singleton look like they’re pretty good prospects\n@ Berselius:\nyeah, i mean, they see a #3 starter with three salary controlled years left after this one — that itself is rare enough, right? so i can see why they’d want to hang onto that, even if we’re seeing his max upside right now.\nstarlin is a different story, though, different kind of potential. to take this theme out to its conclusion…\nhere’s the list of all players since 1945 sorted by WAR they accumulated to the end of their age 21 season. there are a metric fuckton of HOF players on the first three pages of this list. starlin is near the bottom of page one.\n@ Berselius:\nReally? They got 2 of their Top 3 and another good pitching prospect for a 3 WAR a year RF.\nEDIT: I just realized I looked at Pence’s WAR #s for 2011 as seperate seasons. He actually had a great year last year.\nI think Castro will be a Cub for a very long time. And be in the HOF.\n@ Berselius:\nIt’s tricky with trading F7. What do other teams think of him at this point? His projections are still below league average as a starter, but he clearly has the potential that the Cubs saw in him when they drafted him. It’s a risk to trade him now and get less than you might if you wait, but it’s also a risk to keep him and end up getting nothing. I don’t envy the Cubs here. They’ve got a pitcher who isn’t likely to be a part of a contending team whose value isn’t as high as it might be by the end of the season. They’ve got a guy who will be making big bucks who could regress to below average and be worth less than he’s paid. It’s a tough decision here. You don’t want to trade him for less than you could get later on, but at the same time you don’t want to turn down a trade that would offer you more than you may get later on.\npersonally, I’d hold onto him until the end of the season and then I’d trade him.\nThe bottom panel made me chuckle.\n@ mb21:\nI guess they’d have to offer him arbitration and sign him before the trade then, right? I don’t know when baseball contracts technically end, but I guess sometime between the end of the World Series and before the arbitration offer deadline is when they’d try a trade if that’s what they plan to do.\n@ WaLi:\nFrom the Braves: SS Andelton Simmons, RP JJ Hoover, SP Randall Delgado\nFrom the Jays: C Travis D’Arnaud, SP Drew Hutchinson\nFrom the Pirates: SP Stetson Allie, C Tony Sanchez, SP Luis Heredia, RP Bryan Morris\nSomething along these lines. These teams are on the playoff fringe right now, have needs at shortstop, and could be willing to make a ‘panic-trade’.\n@ Rice Cube:\nAssuming he continues to pitch well or even better than previously you offer him arbitration whenever that deadline is and work on a trade.\nIn the good old days, someone might have offered something ridiculous for Castro, but I doubt anyone will and I think it would take a ridiculous offer to move him.\nMichael Bowden experiment ————-> Over.\nBowden DFA’d and Jairo Asencio picked up, though maybe Bowden makes it back to Iowa.\nthe guy has been pretty good in AAA for the last few years and bad in the bigs in limited action.\nIt’s a year folks.\nApparently Bowden was a top prospect for the Red Sox two years ago? I think at this point the Cubs just want someone who doesn’t hemorrhage runs and they’ll worry about sentimentality later. I’m fine with that.\nHeyman says the Yankees would sure love to have Matt Garza\ni dont see the logic in saying Castro wont be around when we contend. Even if its 3 years from now he would be just entering his prime years. Lock him up.\n@ josh:\nYeah, I just don’t see the Cubs getting the kind of offer it would take to trade Castro. He’s quite valuable, but he doesn’t have much power, doesn’t get on base at a rate you’d like for someone hitting as well as he does and isn’t the best fielder. However, he’s valuable despite that and that’s impressive. He could be a lot better, but probably won’t be.\n@ josh:\nThey got him for Byrd. He’s been decent in the minors, but that’s about it.\n@ Berselius:\nDo the Yankees have anything THoyer might like to have?\n@ Mercurial Outfielder:\nChampionship rings\n@ WaLi:\nTouché\n@ mb21:\nI knew that, I just didn’t know he had been that highly valued as little as 2 years ago. He didn’t seem all that great on the MLB level.\n@ Mercurial Outfielder:\nMaybe a first base prospect?\n@ josh:\nI was thinking 3B, SP, or CF.\ninteresting.\nWow, Derek Jeter was drafted 20 years ago. I remember his rookie season well.\nI am now old.\nYankees Top 20 Minor League Ball\nTwo of 3B Dante Bitchette Junior, C Austin Romine, RP Juan Campos, and SP David Phelps would be my personal choice.\nSP Manny Banuelos and C Gary Sanchez catch my eye, but I think that would be asking too much. The Yankees gave up a lot for Pineda. While Garza is more expensive, he’s also far more established.\n@ Mercurial Outfielder:\nWE NEED MORE 1B!!\nI wish fangraphs broke it down with oWAR like b-ref does.\nWho are you looking forward too?\nI’d love to see Carlos Correa Bleed Cubbie Blue.\nJune 4th-6th — Cubs have pick #6, 43, 54 and 67.\nMb21 will need the Big Gulp for the post-draft writeup\nHoping for one of Zimmer, Gausman, Correa, Buxton, Appel. Giolito would be nice but his contract demands seem pretty real and would fuck up the rest of our draft budget. For those who don’t know, Giolito’s dad is pretty well off, is committed to UCLA, and is rumored to want 5-7 million….. for the (projected) 5th pick in the draft (dying laughing)\nA few years ago when ACB covered the draft extensively nobody else was doing it. now every blog is. Weird.\na few years ago we were one of the few blogs even bothering posting minor league recaps now everyone does. There is even a blog just about the minor leagues (god that would be depressing to write about)\nFuckin nerds\nIF he were to be traded it would be because of Javier Baez. I’d send him to Seattle with Alfonso and 54 million for Nick Franklin and Danny Hultzen or James Paxton. They have a bit of a stock pile of arms (prob trade away Felix next 2-3 years) and we can shift Franklin to 2B. 2 years from now – BIG ASSUMPTION TIME – c- Soto, Cleavenger Castillo or some “Molina” (they’re everywhere 1B – Rizzo 2B – Franklin SS – Javier 3B – Vitters (outside shot on Jeimar) OF – Jackson, Lahair (maybe) maybe “scrabble” or a FA in RF SP – Samardzija, Hultzen, 1st rd. pick ? Garza, maybe Trey McNutt? RP – TBD. That could be a pretty good young team that could be kept together. Oh, and drop the ticket prices RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT\nJavier Baez is a LONG way from being anything.\n@ Fndr5:\nNo.\nIn 2 years he’d be the same age as Starlin is now basically and is a better defender. As long as his hitting develops on track he should be fine. Dillon Maples to close the games and have a ton of FA dollars left over to fill in the blanks. Trade dempster for a solid catching prospect and that’s a nice young squad that we could keep together.\njtsunami\nYes.\nSeems like a big IF with Baez.\nWent to the Rockies game last night…..Tyler Colvin sporting a sexy 28:3 K:BB ratio in about 100 PA.\ndj wrote:\nDolis had a 15 inning save?\n@ Fndr5:\nI don’t see it either. Expecting a player to progress like one of the best young players in the game just isn’t reasonable. It’s more reasonable to assume that next year he’ll be in High A followed by AA in 2014 and AAA in 2015 with a call-up at some point that year and a chance to start in 2016. From everything I’ve read he’s destined to move away from SS too. And we’re still talking perfect world here and that means that he progresses like you hope. There’s a very good chance he and any prospect for that matter hit some road blocks.\nI said it at the time Vitters was drafted. Fans were saying we could pencil him into the lineup in 2010. There was just no way. He was too raw then and he was a better pure hitter than Baez is. It takes time. There’s no hurry with Baez. If anyone moves Castro off of SS it will be Lake and I just don’t see that happening as I think he’s more than likely a 3B or CF.\nBy the way, who the fuck is Dominican Eugenics in Bizarro Fantasy Baseball, and how the fuck does he or she have a 25 point first place lead in a roto league?\nHow is Baez a better defender? The kid made a TON of errors in AZ instructs and is just now starting his pro career. He’s 19. At 19 Starlin Castro was hitting HR’s in the big leagues not just starting out in A ball.\ni actually feel pretty good about what we could do by trading Dempster & Garza and then this draft and next years (probably) top 5 selection. If F7 has really TRANSFORMED! into a front line starter then it just accelerates the process all the more.\nmb21 wrote:\nMercurial Outfielder wrote:\nI don’t know how you can miss the Cubs glaring need for middle relievers MO. Cubs need to trade Matt Garza for Felix Heredia and Todd Van Poppel\njosh wrote:\nI always just subtract off the defensive score, it’s just two columns over from WAR\n@ Berselius:\n@ Berselius:\nIt’s easy on a player to player level or if you import the data into a spreadsheet, but if you just want to sort by oWAR you can’t really do that. i think you can sort by Batting or something like that.\n@ dylanj:\nThe full article is behind the paywall, but the summary is good enough. I’ve always thought Wilken did OK, at least when you take a longer view of the Cubs minor league system, say since the late 1970s when I started paying attention to baseball.\nBut the methods used were “name your top 3″ and Wilken was named on the most ballots. He could be everyone’s consensus 3rd place vote. While the other candidates could have been more polarizing and thus either loved or left off the ballot–kind of like people’s opinion of certain polarizing ballplayers. So the headline is perhaps a bit misleading, and I guess I’m nitpicking it. But hey, that’s what this thread is about, eh? (dying laughing)\n@ Berselius:\nIt’s not a straight subtraction, though is it? If so, then Martin Prado with his 7.1 fld and 2.9 WAR would have to be a really shitty hitter.\n@ mb21:\nThat’s what I was going for. I wanted to see who had the best offensive month last month by oWAR. I couldn’t figure out how to do that in b-ref, but Fangraphs does it easily, except you can’t sort by oWAR.\n@ josh:\nWell, you move the decimal point first. Prado would be around 2.2 WAR\n@ Berselius:\nSee, I didn’t know that. That’s the other thing fangraphs needs to do is have the little explanations that pop up when you mouse over a stat. Someone should combine the intuitive interface of fangraphs with the thoroughness of B-ref.\nIt’s not exactly right, because the runs to wins conversion isn’t exactly 10 but it’s a decent approximation\nJohan Santana has a no-hitter going through 7, but thanks to 4 bases on balls, his pitch count is already over 100.\nHey guys, what do you think about trading Furcal straight up for Tommy Hanson in a weekly Head to Head fantasy league? I have Asdrubal Cabrera at SS so Furcal is excess. The trade partner also has Dan Haren, Josh Johnson, Beachy, Morrow, and Johan Santana. I originally offered Furcal for Johnson since Tulo went on the DL for him.\nSo…Johan Santana is throwing a no-hitter.\n@ Berselius:\nAgain, didn’t really know that. I’ve found their site to be frustrating to learn from. For instance. How do you search for their formula for WAR? The only way I’ve found is to google something like “Fangraphs WAR” and then from there I can find a fangraphs article. Though WAR may be a bad example. Even the simpler stats. I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of them, and fangraphs seems geared toward making it as difficult as possible to understand what they mean. I should probably just avoid the site. I guess I’m just used to the way they organize information, now that I kind of know it.\n@ Rice Cube:\nAgainst the Cards? That would be very impressive.\n@ josh:\nTheir WAR is calculated in the bottom section (that is, they add up RAR and convert to WAR):\nBatting = batting/base-stealing runs above average (linear weights)\nBase Running = MGL’s Ultimate Baserunning\nFielding = UZR\nReplacement = Runs above replacement an average player is (used to conver RAA to RAR)\nPosition = Positional adjustment (in runs)\nRAR = Runs Above Replacement (all the other categories added together)\nI use FG more often than b-ref, mainly because they have FIP and pitch velocity and a few other stats that b-ref either doesn’t have or doesn’t make easy to look up.\n@ josh:\nThe problem is that a lot of that stuff is context dependent (i.e. stuff like run environment is factored in). They did add a page earlier this year that had their “Guts” exposed for those kinds of constants used in the calculation (similar with the FIP constant)\n@ josh:\nIf he gets three first-pitch outs this inning I think he might be allowed to finish it out. I don’t know Santana’s high pitch count this season.\nIt’s under the glossary tab under seasonal constants\ngnu preview up\nSantana just walked another batter."}
{"text": "This is the story of a Festival. The money, the people, the tears, the advertising, all make the story of the Belfast Festival. At its heart however, this Festival is about the sheer pleasure of art, the life changing benefit of attending a gig and the symbol that art can be for a city. Seamus Heaney, who plays a part in this story of the Belfast Festival, spoke of it being a ritual of a city, valuing art and valuing the enjoyment of the arts.\nIn December 1961, the Student Representative Councils, Societies' Committee, took a decision to gather some of the artistic societies together under the umbrella of an 'Arts Festival '61'. This Festival was organised by the Societies secretary, Brian Apfel. The programme contained the Dramatic Society's performance of Coriolanus, a sell out at the Whitla Hall. The Jazz Club, with help from local record store owner Solly Lipsitz, put on a selection of local bands, including the Embankment Six, the Rodney Foster Jazzmen and the Norman Watson Quartet. The 1962 Festival saw the societies being organised by Sheelagh Fullerton, with the Drama Soc contributing a production of Brecht's Galileo directed by arts faculty lecturer, Gamini Salgado. Overall, reaction to the two festivals was mixed to say the least, although The Gown, the student newspaper records one 1st year arts student as commenting, 'the jazz was so primitive, I really dug it'.\nJohn Teasey took over from Fullerton as coordinator for 1963, but left before delivering a Festival. For 1964 however, a new approach was tried. With a decision which would have wide ranging consequences, the University appointed one Michael Emmerson as the first Festival Director. Emmerson's vision of what a Festival could be was to make a huge mark on the development of the arts in Belfast, and it was he who was truly the creator of the Belfast Festival we know today. Chair of the English Society in 1962 and 63, Emmerson was ably assisted by his brother Tony, and was granted a secretary, Mary Mills, and an office by the university. Emmerson began the Belfast Festival proper on the 10th February 1964. The Societies of the university were still involved, but Emmerson began to bring in professional acts, bringing over Anthony Burgess who read from his recent book, A Clockwork Orange, and Tubby Hayes, then the star of British Jazz. The Festival was a success with even The Gown welcoming Emmerson's impact.\nWith the support of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, then Chancellor of the University as well as one of the world's leading theatre directors, and Havelock Nelson, Emmerson launched the '64 Festival Part II in November, as it was 'such a horrible dreary month that it needed cheering up'. The second '64 Festival cemented Emmerson's vision of a festival that shared his love of the arts with the widest possible audience, coupled with a desire to see Queen's take a lead role in the community.\nBelfast Festival has had a reputation of delivering an accessible programme of events across its 50 Festivals, and this began and grew with Emmerson. While you cannot please all of the people all of the time, Festival with a few exceptions has always managed to stay true to this vision.\nAs the 60s continued, Festival caught a wave of creativity that swept through Belfast, with Festival at the forefront. Known for their opulent programmes, edited initially by Angela McCourt and then taken over by journalist Ian Hill, the performers got bigger and bigger, the stages were filled with international artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Cilla Black, Norma Burrowes. The Festival also branched out and created work, being the first to publish Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, Derek Mahon and Stewart Parker. Emmerson and his team created links with Dublin artists, bringing the RTE Symphony Orchestra and making Sean O'Riada 'Composer of the Year' in 1965.\nBy 1969 the Festival had grown to such a size that it boasted 147 events over two weeks, and yet the developing political situation was having an impact on what the Festival could achieve and what the city could bear. The priorities of the city had changed since the days of 1964, that spirit of adventure and open mindedness was gone, and with it, for a short time did the Festival.\nWebsite by Eyekiller"}
{"text": "Tuesday, March 13, 2018\nIdea Donation Day\nDid you ever think of a great idea for the A to Z challenge, but not want to use it yourself? Perhaps it seemed like too much work for you, it didn't fit the \"brand\" of your blog, or you already had an idea you liked more.\nThat's what today's post is for! Out there in the blogosphere are people who are thinking about joining the challenge, but they don't know what they'd write 26 posts about. (Maybe you're one of these people.) And here in the A to Z community are people with more ideas for the challenge then they could ever post about. (It could be that you're one of them.)\nSo go for it! Drop off an idea in the comments that you'd like to see someone use for the challenge. Or pick up an idea from the comments and churn out 26 amazing posts. Maybe even both! Share with your community of bloggers.\n23 comments:\nThis is so cool! Thank you.\nHere's a possible A-Z theme\n26 under 26 - BYO-interpretation - 25 word flash-fiction or poems. A series of photos with 25-word captions. Or 26 films made/books written/song titles/news headlines from the last 25 years...26 places under 26 degrees North/South...many ways to go...\nI'd love to read something that finishes line \"26 steps to...\"\nWhat's your passion? What have you accomplished? Give us the steps in alphabetical order.\nYou can do a serial story that will continue from day to day.\nYou can loosely base the post around the day's letter, it does not have to be \"A is for Apple,\" more like \"Appalachian Trail, how to get there and what to do once you are there ...\"\nI tried the serial story a couple years ago, but it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Some read the story out of order, coming in the middle or reading the end(along with the twist). I even had a notice at the top of each post that it was a serial story and gave the link for the start at \"A for “Admit him. Now!” with no luck.\nI'm curious if others had more success.\nA-Z authors\nA-Z stories about animals, there is an animal starting with x?\nA-Z things not to do in an emergency\njokes from A-Z\nall your bad habits from A-Z\nsilly ideas but I think silly ideas works best though I really don't like themes because it's hard to stick to them but I'm sure other people have no problems.\nhave a lovely day.\nI'd like someone to take a popular book and make 26 blog posts that begin with words found in that book. for i.e: Lord of the rings, or even The Hobbit, I suppose it can be from a movie as well.\nI'd love to see 26 birds, or flowers, or even insects. Nature is so amazing in its variety. This would provide an opportunity for great photographs as well.\nI LOVE idea of a photo series with 25-word captions!!! My general theme is set but not the details of it. You might have just set it. Thank you, Nilanjana!\nKeith at Keith's Ramblings did that last year. Once I found his blog and enjoyed it, I jumped back to A to catch up.\n26 memories you made last year - I like reading about snapshots of other people's lives :)\nA to Z of Genres (Fiction and Non Fiction), A to Z of Mythical Creatures, A to Z of Story Plots No one is using.\nAnytime, Emily :) I really enjoyed your posts last year. Look forward to them this April. Nice to reconnect!\nWhat a great idea!\n26 Bucket List-type things to do\n26 People who changed History\n26 Ways to Improve (Healthcare, gun laws, LGBTQ issues, etc)\n26 Things we Don't need any more\n26 posts on Disney! :D\n~ Saraallie\nSara Writes ~ The Crazy Life of a Silly Little Sister\nI'd be interested in an A to Z of:\n\"Adulting\" tips\nCheap& Easy unique gifts to make\nBudgeting/ Financial Planning for the broke and disabled in America\nMobile games\nEasy car/vehicle tips\nFact guide to the 2018 elections\nReligious comparison\nFree places to travel\nSimple science everyone should know\nWriting prompts\nHere are some I thought of but didn't choose:\n- toddler snack ideas / kid-friendly meals / school lunches\n- toddler activities\nHere are some I'd love to read about:\n- unique festivals / holidays around the world\n- hidden,must-see treasures of the world / your country\n- foods of the world\nAs an author I'm focusing around the career of writing and marketing and have a few done but am honestly stuck on A. lol\nFor C I thought of Commitment or Content but wrote about Contests.\nZ could be about Zombies or Zombified.\nAnyone have one for X?\nHow about A - Z of backroads adventure destinations\n26 campgrounds you don't want to miss\n26 ways to make someone feel good about themselves\nA to Z of your hometown, the place you currently live in, or any city you love.\nA to Z of your favorite albums.\nA to Z of recipes.\nWow what a fab idea. I'm tempted to use it...anyone else using it?\nNilanjana love you theme ideas.\nA history of X as a letter, a number, a symbol, and a word. I've researched the topic twice. Really interesting. Especially the integration of X in illiterate societies of a certain religion, and the history of tic-tac-toe."}
{"text": "Gesipa Riveting Tools\nOur range of Gesipa tools includes hand rivet tools, lever riveting tools, battery powered riveting tools, pneumatic-hydraulic riveting power tools and blind rivet tools.\nRivet Holdings is a factory accredited service centre for Gesipa riveting tools.\nListed below are our categories for Gesipa rivet tools we have on offer at the moment. Please select the section that best meets your rivet tool needs."}
{"text": "-\n- Beauty\nEveryday is the same\nGirls looking at their appearance with shame\nThey worry about what to wear\nAnd how to wear their hair\nYoung girls would flip through magazines\nAnd see beautiful models bring down their esteem\nBehind make-up some hide\nAfraid that someone would see their ugly side\nOh how I wish they would see\nThe importance of inner beauty\nHaving a blemish or a scar\nDoes not define who you are\nGet rid of that frown\nAnd stop putting your appearance down\nDon't listen to what the mean girls say\n'Cuz you are beautiful in every way\nImagine how happy life would be\nIf we didn't care about beauty\nRight now we should take a stand\nAnd join together hand in hand\nLet us make a start\nBy focusing what's in your heart\nSimilar Articles\nVentura, California\nJOIN THE DISCUSSION\nThis article has 4 comments.\n1 article 0 photos 405 comments\nFavorite Quote:\nIt is better to write for yourself and have no audience than write for your audience and have no self.\n0 articles 0 photos 67 comments\nFavorite Quote:\nrumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, & accepted by idiots. 24 photos 136 comments\nFavorite Quote:\nDon't tell me how to live my life; I do what I want."}
{"text": "Review sunyoga.fr\nConfidence level \| 334 EVALUATIONS DONE\nBe vigilant when you visit this website.\nThis evaluation is based on technical criteria and will on no account constitute an estimate of the legal or illegal character of the site\nFor more information : Read the general terms and conditions of use\nTestimonies for sunyoga.fr\nYou have been a victim of this web site and wish to send our services a feed back.Share your experience\nAdvertisement\nInformation about the website: sunyoga.fr\nVisits on the website\nsunyoga.\nsunyoga\nsunyoga.fr website is hosted in Netherlands.\nPopularity on social networks.\nThis website sunyoga.fr has a low popularity on social networks ."}
{"text": "By Steve Matthews.\nThe share of analysts who said the U.S. is in or will have a recession this year rose to 56 percent from 45 percent in February. They anticipate that the Federal Reserve's steepest interest-rate cuts in two decades, tax rebates, record exports and some stabilization in housing will lead to a recovery this quarter or next.\n``We are most of the way through the downturn, or the worst of it,'' said Lynn Reaser, a Bank of America Corp. economist in Boston who chairs the economic survey committee. ``Recovery forces are in place and conditions should improve over the next year and a half.''\nThe worst housing recession in a quarter century, turmoil in financial markets and higher energy prices are taking a toll on current growth.\nSecond-Half Growth\nThe economists predicted the expansion will slow to an annual pace of 0.4 percent in the second quarter, following two straight periods of 0.6 percent gains. Second-half growth forecasts were cut to 2.1 percent from 2.8 percent in February. Still, about three-quarters of those predicting a recession said it will end in the second or third quarter.\nThe censored survey points to gradual improvement into 2009, when U.S. gross domestic product may increase 2.7 percent, a forecast trimmed from 2.9 percent in the February survey.\n``Although housing and credit markets will gradually loosen their grip, U.S. economic growth is expected to only slowly return to health,'' Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, the group's president and chief economist at Ford Motor Co., said in a statement.\nThe growth projections were slightly higher than those in a Bloomberg News survey of economists taken May 2 to May 8. The Bloomberg survey predicted average GDP gains of 1.5 percent in the second half and a 2009 expansion rate of 2 percent.\nLower Rates\nThe Fed will keep its benchmark overnight lending rate between banks at 2 percent this year, and raise the rate to 3 percent by the end of 2009 as the central bank fights the threat of faster inflation, according to the censored survey median.\nFutures markets show traders expect the rate to hold at 2 percent through October. The Fed's next policy meeting is June 24-25.\nPolicy makers indicated last month they may take a breather after lowering the benchmark rate by 2.25 percentage points this year, the most aggressive reductions in two decades.\nFed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, speaking last week, said financial markets remain unsettled and the central bank will increase its auctions of cash to banks as needed. Markets remain ``far from normal,'' he told an Atlanta Fed conference in Sea Island, Georgia.\nStronger Dollar\nThe U.S. dollar is expected to gradually strengthen as the economy grows and the Fed raises rates. The survey predicted the dollar will advance to $1.50 per euro at the end of 2008 and $1.40 at the end of 2009. The U.S. currency reached a record low of $1.6019 on April 22.\nSlowing growth didn't stop analysts from raising their inflation projections, the survey showed. The economists forecast the consumer price index will rise 3.1 percent in the final three months of 2008 from the same period a year before, compared with the 2.5 percent pace predicted in February.\nWeakness in housing was cited as the greatest single cause for pushing the economy into a recession.\nA recession hasn't been officially declared. The economy likely peaked in December or January and then started to decline, Martin Feldstein, a Harvard University professor and president of the National Bureau of Economic Research, said in an interview this month. The bureau's business cycle dating committee officially determines recessions.\nThe censored panel was divided on how effective the tax rebates will be in stimulating consumer spending. Thirty-five percent said households will spend between one quarter and one half of the money, while 31 percent expected a majority of the rebates to be spent."}
{"text": "Worldwide Locations\nPresident Barack Obama's visit to Southeast Asia, representing the first time a sitting American president has visited either Cambodia or Myanmar, is unprecedented in its timing and chosen itinerary.\nAfter years spent documenting underground child boxing in Thailand, filmmaker Todd Kellstein says, \"It became clear that as a foreigner, I was in no place to judge.\".\nStormy clouds gather above the water in Surat Thani, Thailand on September 14, 2007. (maistora/Flickr)\nWaterlillies float on the banks as the sun sets in Chaiyaphum, Thailand on September 22, 2012. (norsez/Flickr)\nThis past summer we asked readers to tell us what their favorite street foods were from around Asia and send us photos. This mouth-watering slideshow is what we got..\nDocumentary photographer and researcher Philip Jablon wants to cultivate an appreciation of stand-alone theaters in Southeast Asia in the hope of stimulating preservation efforts.\nYoung novice monks line up before starting their early morning procession to collect alms in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This photo was taken by Asia Blog reader Greg Knudsen in Apr."}
{"text": "Nightflower in Lord of the Rings Online and Second Life\nEditor's note: Before \"Nightflower\" officially joined New World Notes as a regular contributor, she sent this smart essay as a guest post -- opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the management etc. - Hamlet Au\nDuring an extended break from Second Life, Lord of the Rings Online acted as my virtual world methadone program. Leaving the delightfully anarchic culture of SL for the sturctured, purpose-driven community of an MMOG was enough to give me a dizzying case of virtual world whiplash. But in making the switch, I made a shocking discovery -- I made friends, found community, and had a blast in LOTRO far sooner than I ever did in Second Life.\nThe reason? LOTRO has formalized social groups that serve to integrate new players into the game, train them to thrive, and introduce them to friends for the journey. These groups are commonly known as guilds in virtually every MMOG available today. They are nearly universal to the genre because they work, leveraging the power of the player base to build community.\nNo, I'm not advocating that Linden Lab institute a formal guild system - because they don't need to. The Second Life social landscape is already a beautiful mosaic of tight-knit tribes and affinity groups. The problem is that is that these vibrant communities are completely invisible to those who are new to our world. To overcome that challenge, I believe there are three ways that Linden Lab could learn from the the ways MMOGs leverage guilds to improve the new user experience - without altering the fundamental character of the world we love so well:\nContinue reading \"Guest Post: 3 Lessons Linden Lab Can Learn From LOTRO\" »"}
{"text": "Just diagnosed. It's still sinking in, and weird to say those words together in a sentence. We don't have an exact diagnosis yet, still running tests, but it is some type of gastric/stomach cancer and it has spread a bit to his lymph nodes and possibly part of his liver. I don't really know much beyond that, and frankly at this point don't think I can handle more. He meets with his doctor again on Friday for more info.\nFrom what reading I've done on-line (always a bad idea!!) his category of cancer is typically not caught early (check) and doesn't generally have a good prognosis.\nI know I'm not the only one here who's gone through a loved one getting cancer- how do you deal with it? How do you adjust to the \"new normal\" and the uncertainty? How do you keep up optimism in the face of the odds? I work in the medical research field, and I know that generally, anecdotes don't mean squat, but at this point I would love to hear all the stories in the world of those who have had cancer and fought back to beat the odds. It's weird. And scary. I just want to bury my head in the sand and pretend it's not really happening\n(((HUGS))) to you and jingles for your family and your father.\nBig hugs! It is really hard. Try to stay off of the internet as much as you can and get the fact-specific information from his doctor. Dr. Google will just freak you out and keep you up at night. I've been through it with my mom and my grandpa, and it is really hard, but just be there for him and we'll all be jingling for you!\n\"Look, I'm trying not to test the durability of the arena with my face!\" (Because only GM can do that.)\nOh,my Dear, hugs for you.\nMy mom was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had no idea, did not feel ill. On a routine wellness visit with her doctor, her blood panel was done and the doctor noticed something. Sent her directly to the hospital for a colonoscopy, which was clean. Sent her directly for an MRI which disclosed a baseball sized tumor on the outside of her colon. She went directly into the operating room and the tumor was excised. She was to go for chemo, but after her second round of chemo she said she was done. (It made her soooo sick). We were all terrified for her. She lived, cancer free until she died of unrelated illness some 20 years after her surgery.\nHave faith. Be strong.\n\"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you...\"\nYou take it one day at a time, and sometimes you take it one hour, or one minute, at a time. You keep doing anything and everything that made life good and fun before the diagnosis, and you work around things you can't do or don't feel like doing or aren't fun anymore. Be kind to yourself and forgive yourself for those moments when you aren't at your best; it's OK. Let people help you; I know that can be really hard to do, but there will be times you will really need it, and it makes people feel good to give to others.\nThere are likely support groups out there for your dad's particular diagnosis; ask the patient navigator or patient advocate at your dad's treatment facility about these and other resources. In my area, there's a cancer support center that will match newly diagnosed patients with survivors of the same/similar type of cancer who volunteer to help guide new patients. That same center offers a lot of support options for caregivers and family members too.\nTalk with your dad about having someone go with him to doctors' appointments to take notes; getting a cancer diagnosis is a really big shock, and it's hard to focus on all the things the doctor is telling you, especially those first few visits.\nDon't be afraid to get a second opinion or try another doctor/treatment center if your current doctor/facility isn't meeting your dad's needs.\nBest wishes to your dad!\nFull-time bargain hunter.\nHugs to you and your Father and I'm sorry this is happening to your family. I've been in your shoes and it's a scary time. Onelaneroad gave you excellent advice....\nWhen my dad was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, it was like someone had taken my life as I knew it, shaken it like a snow globe, and the pieces of it were coming down all around me. The only way my brothers and I knew how to combat the feeling of utter helplessness that came with the diagnosis was to jump in and become active participants in his life and treatment.\nWe helped with appointments, transportation, note taking (as a previous poster mentioned), fielded phone calls and emails from his coworkers and friends, and supported my mother by cooking, cleaning and anything else she needed done. We advocated for him when he was too tired to do it for himself and butted heads with doctors or nurses when he felt he wasn't being heard. But most of all, we were there for him and spent as much time as we could letting him know how very much we loved him.\nHugs and good wishes to you and your family. It's a difficult diagnosis to wrap your head around, but never stop believing and hoping.\nA horse may be coaxed to drink, but a pencil must be lead..\nBlogging about daily life on the retirement farm:\nParadigm Farms on Facebook\nOriginally Posted by onthebit.\nOh my gosh, I'm so sorry That is so quick..I can't imagine what you're dealing with. Thank you for the offer to talk.\nYes, my sister and I are already changing our plans for the holidays- she wasn't planning on coming up for Christmas this year since she came last year and traveling with 2 toddlers is tough, but she's now booking flights for the whole family to come up for a week. My hubby and I will be spending Thanksgiving with my parents also, either at our place or theirs, and I'm sure we will be down in between everything as well. If he does go to DF, we are hoping he will stay with us as we are only 15 miles from Boston. Hoping for the best..\nI'm so sorry you're going through this.\nI was 10 years old when my dad was diagnosed with melanoma. I couldn't tell you much about it if I tried. My parents didn't go into a lot of detail about it when I was younger. I do know that he did a lot of chemo and removed the mole on his side where the cancer started. Then he was better for a long time. When I was 15 they found out the cancer was back, worse than before. He died shortly before I turned 17.\nEvery one handles it differently, I'm sure. You're an adult, so you'll handle it differently than I did as a young teenager. My brother is 5 years older than me, so I'm sure he handled it differently when he was 20 than I did at 15. I mostly remember the end when he was very very sick. I was completely freaked out, scared because I knew I was going to lose my dad, frustrated because there was nothing anyone could do, angry that my family was dealing with this, selfishly angry that I had to deal with it.\nMy whole thing is that, if he HAD to have cancer, I wish I'd been an adult when it happened. It's not like a 10 yr old can offer much support, and I was having increasingly more trouble dealing with everything at the end. I know I didn't always make the situation any easier. Had I been older I could have helped - gone to dr appointments, helped out with bills. Instead I was just a PITA teenager - at least that's how I feel whenever I look back on it.\nIt's been almost 12 years since my dad died and I still miss him so much it makes my insides ache. However, I've probably come out of it a stronger person.\nBe there for your family as much as you can, and stay as strong as you can. Spend as much time with your dad as possible. I don't know if you or your family are religous - my dad spent a lot of time reading the Bible and the pastor at our church would come over and hang out with him sometimes - sometimes just to hang and talk about whatever, because they genuinely became good friends. My family was always religous, but not as much a some - we didn't do church every Sunday or anything, just sometimes. But I think my dad found a lot of support in reading the Bible and talking to the pastor.\nCancer, in all its shapes and forms, sucks completely. I really feel for you, your dad, your family and friends. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you ever just need to talk stuff out.\nJust wanted to say good luck, and great idea to go to Dana Farber. One suggestion is for him or your mom (or both) to write things down as much as possible during/after appointments. It's hard to process everything they tell you, and comparing notes helps figure out what you missed.\nIt sounds like he will be in the very best of hands. Wishing you and your dad strength for the road ahead and best wishes for effective treatment and to beat this thing together.\nHugs\nI don't have much to add, but I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you.\nA good horseman doesn't have to tell anyone...the horse already knows.\nMight be a reason, never an excuse...\nHey you,\nYou are doing the right things. Dana Farber is an excellent choice and I hate to say, but doing research on your own can help you ask the right questions and understand what's happening with your Dad. You just have to stay strong and ask all the questions you can of your doctors and the nurses. I also suggest that you and your Dad contemplate support groups. They are great for emotional support and even better for helping people navigate the trials and tribulations of treatment.\nMy heart goes out to you and your Dad. Stay strong and do not give up hope!!!\nProud member of the Colbert Dressage Nation\nBig hugs to you. I've been there. I don't have any advice, as I think it is very personal, depending a lot on the family. Also, my dad's was terminal from diagnosis. It was really a matter of just making the best of the time we had left with him (ended up being about 10 months) and keeping him as comfortable as possible.\nLike I said, it really depends on the family and the individuals. My dad was very peaceful about the diagnosis, which helped all of us be peaceful. Our last months with him were spent loving and laughing.\nDo what feels right to you and your dad and your family and don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. That's all I can say, other than hang tight.\nAmanda\n\"It's such a fine line between clever and stupid.\" David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap\nI'm sorry.This is life changing for you and your family.You will have to just take it step by step and try to be strong,but allow yourself to melt once in awhile.I just lost my Mom to BC after she had 14 good yrs(diagnosed at stage 4 ,14yrs ago),she was a miracle to have had that many yrs.I have come to the realization that the day she was diagnosed I had to learn to live a new life,one filled with fear ,hope,angst,joy ,pain,etc.Then again,when she passed I'm faced with trying to learn to live this \"new\" life.It is a nightmare,but always remember to keep hope.My Mom is a fine example of the miracles that can happen.She never was expected to live so long. My biggest advice is to get a mini recorder and record EVERY doctor appointment.I took Mom to every appointment,stayed in the hospital with her when needed....at the end I lived in there for six wks with her.But even though I did that,I still was so happy to have those recordings for reference when needed.Even though I went to every appt....with all the stress of the situation,it is impossible to catch and remember everything that was said.Do yourself a favor and run to Radio Shack and get one.You can keep it in your pocket and use it to record.Big hug. I want to add....do NOT be afraid to be aggresive about your questions and concerns.The healthcare system can be difficult to deal with,as well as the staff at some times.You are the boss...don't forget that.\nI haven't read the other responses. But my dad was diagnosed on dec 30 2011. He went into surgery to remove a \"non cancerous\" cyst, and it ended up being cancer. We found out it was cancer in the middle of his surgery. They took many more biopsies.\nHe had radiation therapy for 6 weeks. He is now cancer free (thank god!) but he has side effects. He cannot eat almost anything, and he has severe pain. But he is alive!!\nIt's rough. But please pm me if you want to talk. Is hard to go through.\nCharlie Brown (1994 bay TB X gelding)\nWhite Star (2004 grey TB gelding)\nMystical Moment, 1977-2010.\nSo sorry your family is having to deal with this\nIs there a trusted friend who can go to his appointments as well? I have a good friend going through treatment for colon and liver cancer right now and she has found it very helpful to have someone in addition to her husband with her to take notes and ask questions. Someone who cares but is one step removed tends to be able to process all of the information more immediately.\nOriginally Posted by She's Pure Gold...\nHope's Legacy Equine Rescue, Inc.\nForum Rules"}
{"text": "We stayed in Prideaux Haven last night and walked from Melanie Cove to Unwin Lake. Sally went for a swim, we all enjoyed the walk (5 hours). Tonight we came into Gorge Harbour, saw a group of humpback whales jumping high on the way and enjoyed soaking in the hot tub.\n"}
{"text": "With.\nMore than three months into his administration, Biden has put forward just 11 ambassador nominations and has more than 80 such slots to fill around the globe. Administration officials this week signaled that Biden is ready to ramp up ambassador nominations as the president prepares for foreign travel and turns greater attention to global efforts to fight the coronavirus.\nLobbying has intensified for more sought-after ambassadorial postings — including dozens of assignments that past presidents often dispensed as rewards to political allies and top donors. Those appointments often come with an expectation that the appointees can foot the bill for entertaining on behalf of the United States in pricey, high-profile capitals.\nBut as he did with the assembling of his Cabinet and hiring top advisers, Biden is putting a premium on broadening representation in what historically has been one of the least diverse areas of government, White House officials say.\n“The president looks to ensuring that the people representing him — not just in the United States, but around the world — represent the diversity of the country,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters this week..\nMost political appointees from the donor class, a small population that’s made up of predominantly white men, have little impact on foreign policy. Occasionally, they have been the source of presidential.\nTrump donor-turned-envoy Jeffrey Ross Gunter left locals in relatively crime-free Reykjavik, Iceland, aghast over his request to hire armed bodyguards. In Britain, Ambassador Robert “Woody” Johnson faced accusations he tried to steer golf’s British Open toward a Trump resort in Scotland and made racist and sexist comments.\nIn 2014, the American Foreign Service Association called for new guidelines to ensure that ambassadors meet certain qualifications for top diplomatic posts after a series of embarrassing confirmation hearings involving top Obama fundraisers. At least three of Obama’s nominees — for Norway, Argentina and Iceland — acknowledged during confirmation hearings that they had never been to the nations where they would serve.\nAnother big Obama donor, Cynthia Stroum, had a one-year tour in Luxembourg that was fraught with personality conflicts, verbal abuse and questionable expenditures on travel, wine and liquor, according to an internal State Department report.\nSo far, Biden has made two political appointments — retired career foreign service officer Linda Thomas-Greenfield for U.N. ambassador and Obama-era Deputy Labor Secretary Christopher Lu for another ambassadorial-ranked position at the U.N. Thomas-Greenfield is Black, and Lu, who is awaiting Senate confirmation, is Asian American.\nHis other nine nominees are all longtime career foreign service officers, picked to head up diplomatic missions in Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Cameroon, Lesotho, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Somalia and Vietnam.\nJockeying for ambassadorial positions started soon after Biden was elected and has only heated up as administration officials have signaled that the president is looking to begin filling vacancies ahead of his first overseas travel next month.\nCindy McCain, the widow of Republican Sen. John McCain and a longtime friend of the president and first lady Jill Biden, is under consideration for an ambassadorial position, including leading the U.N. World Food Program. Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor, Illinois congressman and Obama chief of staff, is in contention to serve as ambassador to Japan after being passed up for the role of transportation secretary, according to people familiar with the ongoing deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.\nBiden is also giving close consideration to former career foreign service officer Nicholas Burns, who served as undersecretary of state under George W. Bush and as U.S. envoy to Greece and NATO, to become ambassador to China. Thomas Nides, a former deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration, and Robert Wexler, a former Democratic congressman from Florida, are under consideration for ambassador to Israel.\nThe White House declined to comment about any of the potential picks.\nOf the 104 diplomats currently serving or nominated for ambassador-level positions, 39 are women and 10 are people of color, according to the Leadership Council for Women in National Security, a bipartisan group of national security experts.\nA group of more than 30 former female U.S. ambassadors, in an open letter organized by the Leadership Council and Women Ambassadors Serving America, urged Biden to prioritize gender parity in his selections for ambassadorships and other high-level national security positions.\n“As you build out your diplomatic leadership, we hope you will pay attention to growing allies within the U.S. government who will also focus upon the diversity America’s representatives to the world should demonstrate,” the former ambassadors told Biden.\nDuring the transition, Reps. Veronica Escobar and Joaquin Castro, both Texas Democrats, wrote a joint letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the administration to address the “persistence of grave disparities in racial and ethnic minority representation in the Foreign Service.”\nTo that end, the State Department last month appointed veteran diplomat Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley as its first chief diversity and inclusion officer. Abercrombie-Winstanley will be the point person in a department-wide effort to bolster recruitment, retention and promotion of minority foreign service officers.\nBlinken, in announcing her appointment, noted “the alarming lack of diversity at the highest levels of the State Department” during the Trump administration, but said the issue runs much deeper.\n“The truth is this problem is as old as the department itself,” he said.\nAs a candidate, Biden declined to rule out appointing political donors to ambassadorships or other posts if he was elected. But he pledged his nominees would be the “best people” for their posts.\n“Nobody, in fact, will be appointed by me based on anything they contributed,” Biden promised.\nRonald Neumann, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, Algeria and Bahrain, said Biden’s team has made progress in the early going in diversifying the upper ranks of the State Department.\nHe pointed to the nomination of Donald Lu, a career foreign service officer, as the next assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia and Brian A. Nichols to be the top envoy for Latin America. Nichols would be the first Black assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs since the late 1970s; Lu is Asian American.\nIn addition, the State Department’s chief spokesperson, Ned Price, is the first openly gay man to serve in that role. His principal deputy, Jalina Porter, is the first Black woman in that job.\n“I think the administration is finding a good balance of experienced, accomplished career foreign service officers coming from diverse backgrounds,” said Neumann, who heads the American Academy of Diplomacy.\nFinding good picks from Biden’s donor class, however, might be trickier, Neumann said, adding, “I don’t know how you go about finding competent, big donors from a pool that might be limited in diversity.”\n___\nAP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report."}
{"text": "10 Things We Know About MAN OF STEEL, So Far\n10 Things We Know About MAN OF STEEL, So Far1 of 12by Newsarama Staff\nThe long-awaited Superman reboot film Man of Steel is now less than three months away, with a release date of June 14. Yet, there's still not a lot that's definitively known about the plot of the film, and that's by design.\n\"I'm genuinely pleased with how much secrecy we've been able to maintain,\" screenwriter David S. Goyer told Total Film. \"There's so much of the movie that people don't know, that hasn't been touched upon. The trailer's just the tiniest, tiniest tip of the iceberg.\"\nWhile there's plenty of rumor and speculation out there like how the movie may or may not connect to the planned Justice League film thanks to the most recent trailer and a few other tidbits, here's what we do know about Man of Steel, along with a couple of fairly educated guesses.\nGot a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTER!\nHE'S A HERO FROM THE START2 of 12Whether it's the adventures of Superboy or a young Clark Kent referred to as \"The Blur,\" part of the fabric of Superman's being is that he's simply always been a hero.\nIn the most recent trailer, with a few lines of dialogue and the scene of young Clark saving children from a sinking bus, we see that he's a hero long before he dons the S shield and the cape. In fact, with all of Henry Cavill's wondrous poses, the long walk on the snow with cape waving, the flight, and the action, there's one single look that makes Clark Kent look like Superman more than any other in the trailer, and it's given by young actor Dylan Sprayberry that look from outside the emergency exit of the bus looking in: that is Superman coming to life.\nThe cape is just what makes him identifiable the hero is there all along, and it looks like Man of Steel will make that apparent. (Lucas Siegel.)\nTHE LOOK3 of 12Man of Steel's Superman costume is unconventional, to say the least. Eschewing many classic elements of Superman's costume for an alien look that is, at once, both simpler and more complex, this suit looks to have more in common with the current New 52 comic book look than the traditional design that most recognize.\nFortunately, seeing it in action in the footage released thus far all but allays concerns that it won't be recognizable, as scenes of flight, super speed, and combat all look equally as powerful as the quiet moments, such as when Superman and Lois clutch each other's hands. It just goes to show that all you really need to make Superman look like, well, Superman, is that iconic shield emblem, and a flashing red cape.\nJust as important as the suit itself, though, are the environments in which the suit is placed, and its dynamic in the film. Man of Steel's Clark Kent looks almost disheveled, wearing every bit of the pressure he feels not just as Earth's protector, but as Krypton's only son on his character. By showcasing Superman against fiery, chaotic backgrounds, and sparse, arctic tundra, the idea that Superman is a symbol of hope, to be seen by everyone and instantly recognized really comes through, cutting what some would call the brooding, realist tone with a red and blue knife. (George Marston.)\nSUPERMAN DEBUTS AFTER ZOD?4 of 12Movie trailers are, of course, edited in ways that can be completely in conflict with the finished movie, but there's something about Man of Steel's trailer that makes one wonder whether Superman appears after Zod visits Earth. Perhaps it's the appearance of a spacecraft next to what may be the Kent farm, or the fact that Superman in chains makes a lot more sense if you imagine that the army thinks that he's working with Zod to try and take over the world or, maybe, the sight of Henry Cavill asking someone off-camera if they could explain where he came from.\nThere may be more of a reason to re-tell Superman's origin story than just \"It's been 35 years since Superman The Movie\" when Man of Steel is released; what if the new movie changes the origin as we know it to create a situation where Zod reveals Superman's true Kryptonian heritage to him, in an attempt to gain an ally only for Superman to turn around and reject that heritage and stand up for humanity? It would bring Zod more fully into the Superman mythos, and also give Superman a chance to embrace his human upbringing instead of long for his Kryptonian past... but is it something that the fan base could accept? (Graeme McMillan.)\nAN ARMY OF KRYPTONIANS?5 of 12You know, there's an awful lot of explosions in the second half of the Man of Steel trailer. Sure, at least one of them seems to be the destruction of Krypton, but the other ones...? Or the debris that includes buses? Or the multiple shots of spacecraft...? We see Zod, but it's possible he didn't necessarily come alone or, for that matter, necessarily come from the Phantom Zone this time around, either.\nIs Zod leading an invasion force made up of the last of the Kryptonian race this time around? That might explain why the military are so concerned about Superman, after all...\nWorth noting, perhaps: A leaked Lego product name revealed that something called \"Black Zero\" may be in the movie - \"Black Zero\" was the name of Zod's military outfit in the \"New Krypton\" storyline that ran through the Superman titles in 2008 and 2009. Here's hoping that this means that Zod will be accompanied by more than just Ursa and Non this time around. (Graeme McMillan.)\nLOIS WILL GROUND HIM (IN A GOOD WAY)6 of 12There hasn't been much revealed so far of Amy Adams as Lois Lane, but she provides a power image in the trailer comforting Superman with a supporting glance and held hand before he's, it appears, apprehended by military forces. (As seen in an early poster, the poor dude gets led away in cuffs at some point.)\nThe suggestion from the trailer is that in the same way Ma and Pa Kent ground and humanize Clark Kent in his early years, Lois will likely do the same for him in adulthood. It's worth noting that the characters' iconic romance isn't blatantly shown in this brief glimpse, but rather a more subtle display of Lois as an understanding partner in Superman's quest.\nWith a multiple Oscar nominee like Amy Adams in the role, odds are strong that Lois won't merely be a love interest or damsel in distress, but rather an important part of the film (and Superman)'s narrative journey. As Adams told Total Film magazine, \"I wanted her to be a woman other women could relate to. And not be sort of a pest. Lois can be kind of omnipresent, turning up at very inconvenient times which she does! ? but you understand her reasons.\" (Albert Ching.)\nJIMMY OR JENNY?7 of 12Much of the traditional Superman supporting cast is accounted for so far in Man of Steel: Ma and Pa Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White, plus Kal-El's birth parents Jor-El and Lara.\nConspicuous by his absence is Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen, and it looks like there might be a very good reason for that: IMDb lists Rebecca Buller as the \"rumored\" Jenny Olsen, which presumably means a gender-flipped version of the classic sidekick.\nIt would certainly be another way to show that Man of Steel is breaking from Superman tradition in some significant ways, and the trailer appears to show Buller whose role has yet to be officially confirmed running side-by-side with Daily Planet \"chief\" Perry White, as played by Laurence Fishburne. (Albert Ching.)\n'THE WORLD IS TOO BIG.'8 of 12In a simple sequence, juxtaposing a young Clark Kent suffering from the onset of his super-senses against an adult Clark immersing himself in the ocean to escape the noise and sensory input that plagues a man who can hear every voice on Earth, the Man of Steel trailer showcases just one of the ways in which Clark must struggle with his gifts, attempting to embrace humanity and live a normal life. Further, by using Ma Kent as a tool to help young Clark learn to control his powers, Zack Snyder cleverly gives each of Clark's parents a formative role in his upbringing as a superhero.\nBeyond simply humanizing Superman, or at least showing some of the internal conflicts he's dealt with, this sequence provides a credible glimpse at the extent of Superman's abilities, and provides more than enough motivation and need for Superman's famous Fortress of Solitude. With this scene, Man of Steel establishes the need for a place to which Superman can retreat not just to learn his culture, but to find true peace from the pressures of heroism. (George Marston.)\nYES, SUPERMAN WILL PUNCH SOMEONE9 of 12Two minutes into the Man of Steel trailer, your fears of another movie (like Superman Returns) that has the most powerful man on Earth not actually using his abilities offensively at all will be put to rest.\nIn the brief glimpse, we see exactly why having someone like Zod around is great for Superman: the villain represents someone the Man of Steel can hit as hard as he can. The two fly toward each other and, thanks to the solid editing job, the clash results in no less than a firy explosion.\nAnd that may be what Zack Snyder brings to this project from the start, his mind for big action. Remember, Superman stars in Action Comics, so his adventures should show what he can do in a big way. It looks, from this short glimpse, that Man of Steel won't disappoint there. (Lucas Siegel.)\nPA KENT'S IMPORTANT ROLE10 of 12Many fans are already latching on to a pivotal moment in the Man of Steel trailer, in which a young Clark Kent poses a moral question to his father, and receives a less-than-expected answer.\nWith one simple word, \"maybe,\" Zack Snyder says more about his vision for Superman, and the world in which he lives, than in much of the rest of the trailer as a whole. While many fans are uncomfortable at best with the grey area that Snyder's Pa Kent looks to embody, citing the character's history as Clark/Superman's moral guide, there are others who see the scene as being indicative of a deeper relationship between Clark and his father.\nIn fact, that idea, of a world in which Superman must choose his own path, and learn not only from his successes, but from his possible mistakes, speaks to a theme of consequence for Man of Steel, where Superman must consider the ramifications of every decision he makes, from something as simple, yet powerful, as saving a life, to something as momentous as revealing his existence to the world. For a being with such immense power, every step may have unintended results, and that idea of power and awareness seems central to Man of Steel's take on Superman. (George Marston.)\nNOT THE COMIC FAN'S SUPERMAN MOVIE11 of 12As lifelong comic book fans in the middle of it everyday ourselves, we think we're allowed to say this as a group we sometimes judge new works adapted from our favorite comics based less on pure artistic or creative merit, and more through the prism of how the interpretation reflects our ideas of what Superman, or Batman, or Spider-Man story should be how it adheres to and \"respects\" what we identity as the true \"spirit\" of the character or concept.\nWe hold certain \"truths\" as self-evident, and expect any adaptations to reflect them.\nSome of the early comic books fans reaction to Pa Kent's \"maybe\" line that this isn't something Pa Kent would ever think or say out loud to his adopted adolescent son is perhaps the trailer's best indicator that Snyder's vision might not try to be the Superman movie hardcore fans have unspooled in their heads since the Donner films... that the characters and the mythology won't be directly transplanted from stories we've read over the decades and given a new coat of paint. That his could very well be a genuinely new take on Superman.\nNow whether you regard that as a positive or a negative is a discussion for another day... (Michael Doran.)"}
{"text": "Secure Future\nThe Stock\nThe Trade: Symantec Corp (NSDQ: SYMC)—Buy < 17.50.\nWhy Now: In these uncertain times, the reliable cash flow produced Symantec Corp’s consumer segment should set the stock apart from other technology names. We expect the company to benefit in the near term from the launch of its Norton One service. Over the long term, the stock offers exposure to rising demand for Internet security among corporate and individual users.\nThe Story\nElliott shuts down his computer and packs up his belongings to head home for dinner. The Greek national anthem plays on his phone, which can only mean one thing: Yiannis is calling to talk shop.\nElliott: You again? I’m finished working for the day. I need a break from the market.\nYiannis: I know the feeling. You want to meet downtown for dinner?\nElliott: Let me guess, Café Milano?\nYiannis: Well done. If only the markets were as predictable as my eating habits…\nElliott: Yes, if only the EU were as predictable as your eating habits.\nYiannis: See you in Georgetown in 30 minutes?\nElliott: Sure, but you’re paying for this meal.\nElliott arrives at Café Milano, where he find Yiannis drinking champagne.\nElliott: What are we celebrating?\nYiannis: Nothing. I thought some champagne would lift my spirits. As Napoleon once said, champagne goes well with victory and defeat.\nElliott: That’s what he said?\nYiannis: Something to that effect–I wasn’t there.\nElliott: I’ll drink to that. Pour me one!\nYiannis: The waiter will oblige you, I’m sure.\nElliott: I know what will snap you out of this funk: We need to figure out our pick for the next issue of Cocktail Stocks.\nYiannis: I was thinking about that earlier today…\nElliott: And you have a brilliant idea!\nYiannis: I have two ideas–the stocks we discussed a few days ago. But I can’t stop thinking about our picks over the past few months. It’s been a difficult market.\nElliott: True. Our speculative picks haven’t fared well amid all the uncertainty in Europe, and we should have booked profits on some others when we had the chance.\nYiannis: The market’s recent strength has been somewhat encouraging.\nThe waiter arrives to take the stock-pickers’ orders.\nElliott: I’ll have the swordfish steak.\nYiannis: I’d like the Risotto Armani and a cheese plate for the table.\nWaiter: Sir, the cheese plate is no longer on the menu.\nYiannis: Ah, more uncertainty. Perhaps you can make it happen for me.\nWaiter: I’ll look into it.\nElliott: Always so demanding.\nYiannis: This is how it should be.\nThe cheese plate arrives, but neither Elliott nor Yiannis makes a move to eat any.\nYiannis: I was working on my economic outlook for 2012 before dinner. I expect slower economic growth and lots of uncertainty. The EU needs political solutions to its problems, while the US won’t address its issues until after the upcoming presidential election.\nElliott: Looks like the US and Asia will have to do the heavy lifting in 2012.\nYiannis: Barring a meltdown in Europe, global gross domestic product could exceed 3 percent in 2012, with the US and Asia leading the way.\nElliott: I’m going to put you on the spot: Of the two stocks we discussed last week, which one is best for Cocktail Stocks? I know which one I’d pick.\nYiannis notices the cheese plate and pulls it to his side of the table. Just then, the waiter arrives with the entrees and a peeved look.\nWaiter: Glad to see you enjoyed the cheese plate.\nYiannis: It’s a work in progress.\nElliott: No more stalling. What’s your call?\nYiannis: I like Symantec Corp (NSDQ: SYMC) because cybersecurity is a secular growth trend that will remain in play through bull and bear markets. The firm is also one of the biggest players in this space and has a bright future.\nElliott: We’re on the same page. The resilience of Symantec’s consumer business, which accounts for about 32 percent of the firm’s annual revenue, is a welcome advantage in these uncertain times.\nYiannis: The company’s popular Norton brand of security solutions includes antivirus software, as well as products that detect malware and thwart attempts to steal data from computers and home networks. Symantec’s online backup service holds about 13 million customers’ data, and the company has launched a suite of products for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.\nInternet security is of increasing concern to consumers. With more individuals shopping, banking and paying bills online, criminals have grown more innovative in their attempts to access and exploit sensitive information. Internet security software has become a necessity, not a luxury. Symantec’s results show that even when the economy weakens, PC users are willing to spend money to secure their data against cybercrime.\nConsumers usually sign up for the Norton suite of products online and agree to automatically renew their subscription each year via a credit or debit card. This structure guarantees that users have the latest updates and features, while these auto-renewals generate a steady stream of recurring income and yield robust profit margins.\nElliott: Reliable cash flow is one thing, but what about growth?\nYiannis: Symantec is also a growth story. The firm’s consumer segment has plenty of scope to increase its revenue in coming years. For example, the company can ink additional distribution agreements with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to pre-install free trials of Norton products on new PCs.\nIn the most recent quarter, Symantec signed 20 new deals with OEMs, including an arrangement with Samsung Electronics (Seoul: 005930) to install Norton Internet Security and Norton Online Backup software on all the company’s laptop and notebook computers. Customers who buy these PCs can register for a free trial of Norton’s services, during which they will receive frequent reminders to purchase an annual subscription. These agreements enable the firm to grow its customer base.\nElliott: Don’t forget about the launch of Norton One in early 2012. This innovative product protects PCs, Macs and smartphones–all of the devices in a single household–under one subscription that can be managed through a single interface. Meanwhile, the free-trial version of the company’s Mobile Security software, which protects smartphones from theft and malware, averages more than 170,000 downloads per month. Rising demand for security solutions among users of web-enabled mobile devices should be a boon to revenue growth in coming years.\nYiannis: Symantec’s storage and server management business is no slouch, either. This division accounts for about 37 percent of the firm’s annual revenue and yields profit margins of roughly 40 percent.\nElliott: Got to love those margins.\nYiannis: This business segment provides software solutions that back up and archive data on corporate networks, allowing crucial information to be recovered in the event of a system failure.\nSymantec also offers software and appliances that help large companies to manage their storage infrastructure. The volume of data collected and stored on enterprise networks is growing at an exponential rate, forcing companies to optimize their existing systems. Symantec’s deduplication software identifies and removes redundant data to free up capacity. The company’s software works across multiple platforms, though a good chunk of its revenue is tied to Oracle’s (NSDQ: ORCL) hardware.\nSymantec’s storage business faces competition from the likes of EMC Corp (NYSE: EMC), but the company’s well-regarded products, installed base and renewed focus on small and midsize enterprises should enable the firm to maintain its share of a growing market.\nElliott: Thanks for the overview. You really did your homework on this one. But you left out Symantec’s security and compliance business segment, which provides a long list of critical security solutions and services to enterprise customers. These products include solutions that authenticate users, protect e-mail servers, encrypt data and provide security for corporate websites.\nEnterprise’s digital security needs have grown in complexity, as the frequency of attacks on corporate systems has increased. In addition, corporate users no longer need to secure just a handful of desktop PCs; laptops, tablet computers and smartphones must also be protected outside the office. The compliance business helps companies to enforce corporate rules regarding the use of IT systems. In addition, Symantec can help corporations ensure they’re in compliance with the law and best practices regarding data security\nYiannis: Symantec’s security and compliance business offers its software as a surface.\nIn the past, companies purchased software licenses from a vendor and installed the software on individual computers within the organization. Any periodic software updates or enhancements would need to be downloaded and installed on each individual computer or system.\nSymantec hosts its enterprise-security software remotely, and customers access these programs via the Internet for a recurring monthly, annual or quarterly fee. This approach cuts customers’ costs, as they no longer need to store, maintain and update this software on their own.\nElliott: You’ve covered the business, but what about recent results?\nYiannis: In the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, 2011, Symantec’s revenue increased 14 percent from year-ago levels. Symantec derives a little more than half its revenue outside the US; on a constant-currency basis, sales were up 9 percent, fueled by 3 percent organic growth and assets recently acquired from Verisign (NSDQ: VRSN).\nAll three operating segments posted solid organic revenue growth during Symantec’s fiscal second quarter, with the consumer and security and compliance divisions leading the way.\nElliott: I like the stock because Symantec generates about 65 percent to 75 percent of its quarterly revenue from contracts that automatically renew. That makes the company one of the best defensive-growth plays in the technology sector.\nIn addition, consumers and businesses tend to regard Internet security as a necessity because the consequences of data theft can be severe.\nYiannis: True. But the stock isn’t without risk. A global slowdown in new PC sales would take a bite out of revenue growth, and the firm’s data storage solutions face increased competition.\nElliott: The stock trades at less than nine times analysts’ consensus fiscal 2012 earnings estimate, an undemanding valuation. The stock also has solid support around $15, limiting downside risk. As fears of a global economic slowdown abate, the stock could breach its 2011 high of $20.50.\nYiannis: It’s settled. Symantec Corp is a buy under 17.50. You’re picking up the tab on this meal, right?\nUpdates on Open Positions\nAugust 2010: Vale (NYSE: VALE)–Buy < 30\nAlthough commodities prices will moderate if the global economy slows, blue-chip miners are the place to be for a potential turnaround. Spot prices of iron ore have tumbled recently because of weak demand in Europe. Nevertheless, Vale’s long-term growth story remains intact, though it may take a few quarters for demand to strengthen in China.\nSeptember 2010: Teekay Tankers (NYSE: TNK)–Buy < 10\nA 21 percent yield is Teekay Tankers’ only saving grace. We have been in this trade long enough that all the bad news has been priced into the stock–including lower day-rates on the spot market in 2012.\nNovember 2010: True Blue (NYSE: TBI)–Buy < 15\nOur investment thesis for TBI remains intact. Part-time employees will account for a greater proportion of the US labor market. This high-beta stock should spike once it becomes clear the US economy will avoid recession. The company’s business continues to strengthen, as indicated by new contracts and stronger US employment numbers.\nFebruary 2011: ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury (NYSE: TBT)–Buy < 30\nBetting against US Treasury notes has been a losing proposition. This position could recover some lost ground when investors rotate funds from safe havens to equities, which should happen sooner rather than later.\nMay 2011: TAL International (NYSE: TAL)–Buy < 32\nTAL International is the top company in the shipping industry, and the stock will rally if global trade doesn’t collapse. Demand has remained fairly resilient, though container prices have declined. We continue to monitor the situation closely.\nJune 2011: iShares MSCI Italy Index (NYSE: EWI)–Buy < 15\nThis play on Europe’s turnaround is less risky than our Greece-related bet. The Greek experiment has forced the EU to deal more decisively with Italy’s fiscal challenges. Italian equities could rally once the country’s financial situation stabilizes.\nJuly 2011: TransGlobe Energy Corp (NSDQ: TGA)–Buy < 12\nThis small-cap oil producer has pulled back amid concerns that an economic slowdown will weigh on energy demand and prices. This speculative stock tends to outperform bull markets and underperform in bear markets.\nJuly 2011: Market Vectors Gulf States Index (NYSE: MES)–Buy < 23.50\nThis exchange-traded fund has held its own since we featured it in the July issue, especially given the performance in the global markets over the same time frame. We’re holding out for a powerful upsurge.\nAugust 2011: National Bank of Greece (NYSE: NBG)–Buy < USD6\nThis stock is our most speculative play to date and is only appropriate for aggressive investors who can stomach a bet that’s based solely on a turnaround in Greece. A resolution to Greece’s sovereign-debt crisis is far from a foregone conclusion, though steps are being made to the right direction.\nSeptember 2011: China Cord Blood Corp (NYSE: CO)–Buy < 4\nDon’t let near-term volatility shake you out of this stock; this bet will pay off over the longer term.\nOctober 2011: Infosys (NSDQ: INFY)–Buy < 55\nShares of Infosys could rally even further if the stock market finishes the year on a high note. Investors should adhere to our buy target and only add to their positions when the stock dips below 55.\nNovember 2011: Melco Crown Entertainment (NSDQ: MPEL)–Buy < 12.75\nThis casino and hotel operator remains the best way to gain exposure to lucrative gaming market in Macau. Melco Crown Entertainment will list shares in Hong Kong before year end. The firm has USD1 billion in cash on its balance sheet, and estimates calls for the firm to generate USD600 million in operating cash flow next year.\nStock Talk\nAdd New Comment\nYou must be logged in to post to Stock Talk OR create an account"}
{"text": "MELISSA + RYAN \| 06.27.15 COORDINATION + DESIGN + FLORAL DESIGNSample HeadingIt was a complete joy and blessing to be a part of this quaint wedding at a home in Camarillo, CA. We loved getting to watch Melissa and Ryan celebrate their love with their families! Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your special day and story!! LOCATIONCAMARILLO, CA PHOTOGRAPHER BRANDON J HOOK FLORAL DESIGNRUFFLE EFFECT COORDINATION RUFFLE EFFECT SARA + STEPHEN \| Santa Barbra, CASARA + LUKE \| San Diego, CALAUREN + EVAN \| San Diego, CAJENNA + MATT \| Lake Forest, CA"}
{"text": "Big Onion Walking Tours - New York\n$5 off all adult prices\nNew York City's premiere walking-tour company, with a rotating roster of more than 30 history-based neighborhood tours. ISIC cardholders receive $5 off all adult prices for full-time students on all tours.\nHow do I get this discount? Simply show and display your ISIC card upon arrival to receive $5 off.\nRestrictions\nNot valid with other discounts\nFor further information regarding Big Onion Walking Tours in New York, please visit their website."}
{"text": "Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Shave Soap - Organism 46-B\nYour wishlist has been temporarily saved. Please Log in to save it permanently.\nPhoenix Artisan Accoutrements Shave Soap - Organism 46-B\nDescription from Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements: is 2018 for most of us, holding onto winter while traipsing into spring or trying to at least.\nI was really inspired by the exceptionally strange weather we have been having all around the country, especially the extended winter my family and friends have been facing on the East Coast! It really kept me day dreaming, and with that, Organism 46b was born.\nThough inspired by the recent months, Organism 46b can and will be used throughout the summer months, it's a burst of super refreshing!\n(Psssssssst...All Our Soaps Are CK Formula Now!)]\nScent: Scent Notes: burnt sugar - bitter orange - brandy - Hedione - tobacco absolute - benzoin resin - ambergris\nSize: Net Weight: 4 oz - All Soaps come packed in a reusable container\nHand Made in Arizona, USA\nExternal Use Only, Discontinue Use if Irritation Occurs"}
{"text": "AFP, Thailand investigate claims of fake rescue of children from sex slavery\n- From: The Australian\n- January 09, 2012\nTHAILAND'S Department of Special Investigations has begun an investigation into the alleged fake rescue last year of hill tribe children from sexual slavery by an Australian charityr.\nAt the request of the Australian Federal Police, they will also submit a letter through Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking a parallel investigation in Australia that focuses on the alleged use of false advertising to solicit funds.\nThe move follows a meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (DSI), Trafcord (the anti-trafficking co-ordination unit of Northern Thailand) and the National Committee on Trafficking, foreshadowed in The Weekend Australian.\nAFP officers had been summoned to the meeting on Saturday at the DSI headquarters in Bangkok to hear the complaints. The AFP did not comment, but a source at the meeting said the AFP representative had asked the DSI to make the request formal through the normal channels.\nThe Grey Man's Brisbane-based president, John Curtis, said yesterday he had no difficulties with any investigation by either the Thai government or the AFP.\n\"We have no problem with any authority looking at our operation. Our major concern is for the children, and we stick with everything that we've done.\n\"We'll co-operate with any investigation, but we have no doubt that we'll be completely exonerated. We have no problems with the AFP looking at both our accounts and the basis upon what it was raised.\"\nThe move follows complaints that The Grey Man, which claims it is comprised of ex-police officers and special services veterans, faked the rescue of 21 Akha hill tribe children from the village of Baan Khun Suay in Chiang Rai province of northern Thailand last October.\nThe charity placed pictures of the children on their website and Facebook pages and began an appeal for funds.\nBut investigations by the Thai non-government organisation Trafcord and the DSI had found that the children had never left their homes, had continued to attend school and had suffered as a result of the publicity.\nMr Curtis said The Grey Man's activities seemed to be resented by Trafcord.\n\"The successes of The Grey Man seem to have raised sensitive issues with a Thai-based NGO, which unfortunately appears to have distracted them from their core activity while they pursue a vendetta against The Grey Man,\" he said."}
{"text": "About the job\n10x Future Technologies Services Limited (10x) is a B2B technology company that provides banks with a cloud-native core banking platform.. To support the achievement of our aim, we are looking for highly talented individuals to join our fast-growing team.\nDelivering the very best new cloud-native banking platform is at the heart of the 10x proposition.For the majority of banking customers, the way banking services are consumed has changed forever. Yet we believe there is so much more that can be delivered, and our technology capability is key to that new customer experience. Join us and you will help define an approach that is second to none and at the forefront of innovation in banking and the wider FinTech sector.\nAbout The Role\nThe Australian Payments domain is looking for skilled Software Engineers to help us build and maintain our Next Generation Banking platform.\nAs a Software Development Engineer at 10x, you are passionate about working with cutting-edge technologies, bring deep technical knowledge and experience with Microservice systems to deliver high quality, scalable solutions.\nYou have a track record of developing solutions in a fast-paced and dynamic environment and are comfortable owning code from inception through to deployment.\nYou will be keen to solve problems beyond the borders of your immediate team and demonstrate that you can think on multiple levels; from strategic and tactical to driving operational excellence and system availability. You are adept at reading code and designing systems that are able to exceed the exacting demands of our clients.\nEssential\nRequirements\n- Solid Java software development skillset, ideally utilising Java 12 and the Spring framework, in particular Spring Boot 2.x.\n- A demonstrable Test Driven Development mindset, with good experience in writing unit, integration, and functional tests specifically for web services.\n- Good knowledge of Linux, comfortable writing Bash.\n- Experience with Kafka, Hadoop, Spark, or other big data and streaming technologies.\n- Prior experience working with SQL databases, strong knowledge around PostgreSQL or CockroachDB.\n- A keen interest in Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment, capable of writing Jenkins pipelines, experience with build tools such as Gradle / Maven.\n- Experience in helping lead the development lifecycle process, best practices and operating distributed cloud-based microservices.\n- Broad knowledge of programming languages, operating system principles, networking, and software development best practices.\n- Strong knowledge of designing and building RESTful APIs.\n- Experience building and deploying production level Microservices using Docker / Kubernetes / Helm.\n- Excellent communication skills, solid work ethic, and a strong desire to write production-quality code\n- Good experience of delivering software in an Agile manner, working as part of a Scrum team.\nDesirable\n- Experience of Behaviour Driven Development using Cucumber\n- Performance testing with Gatling / JMeter and resilience testing with Gremlin / Chaos Monkey or similar.\n- Familiar with Contract testing using Pact.\n- Comfortable writing simple stubs using NodeJS.\n- Prior experience using Prometheus / Grafana to build a system monitoring dashboard.\n- Experience building and operating services on AWS\n- Past experience of designing systems or components on large projects.\n- Knowledge around the use of a Service Mesh (i.e. Linkerd / Consul)\n- Experience with NoSQL databases (Cassandra / Redis / Elasticsearch / Mongo)\n- A proven ability to learn and adapt to new, complex development environments.\nBenefits\n- Competitive compensation package\n- 23 days holiday and an extra day off on your birthday plus Public Holidays\n- Subscription to Headspace wellbeing app\n- Regular company-funded socials\n- All the latest tech you need to enable you to deliver excellent output\n- You will also be eligible for any additional employee benefits that the Company may introduce in the future\nMore About 10x\nOur 10x teams in. They work across API development, security, cloud-native engineering and payments technology and include UI and UX designers, technical architects and data experts.\nWe are driven by the belief that whatever we do as a business has to be done in the right way. Our three core values amid this are fundamental to our 10x approach Transformation, Integrity and Impact.\nApply\nYour application has been successfully submitted.\n{{notification.msg}}"}
{"text": "Picture sheets of rusty corrugated iron torn above eye level to create a skyline and give us a glimpse of the endless countryside sky. Imagine a strong and charming teenager, with dusty boots and a low ponytail, and give her a tiara.\nMeet The Deb, a new Australian musical.\nTaylah (down to earth charming Katelin Koprivec) lives in Dunburn, a fictional rural town suffocated by drought. As the mayor (Jay Laga’aia) films “singing cowboy” videos to earn relief funds before the dam runs dry, the teens are all focused on the local debutante ball, this dress-up party. white and Viennese waltz. .\nNo one is more excited for the deb than Taylah. Pariah, she is painfully excited for a night that could turn her into a princess. No one can stop her from enjoying this fantasy. Except, maybe, for Maeve.\nTaylah’s cousin from town, Maeve (newcomer Charlotte MacInnes, instantly a star), is quirky, poised and beautiful, burning with feminist rage. Sent to Dunburn after a political protest gone awry at her elite private school, she lashes out at Taylah, the town, and especially the deb, whom she immediately condemns as outdated and unnecessary.\nBut of course Maeve is quickly roped into the deb, and of course these cousins, from two different worlds, learn to understand each other. Their journey to best friendship takes the place of the romantic story of a musical, brimming with sweetly funny beats and the solemn exchange of friendship bracelets.\nWith a pastiche score by Megan Washington that touches on Broadway pop, adding R&B inflections for worldly Maeve, Oz-rock riffs for city life, and even transcendent 80s synth for a Bonnie-style makeover number. Tyler (local salon owner Janette, played by Monique Sallé, briefly steals the show), the musical moves winningly from punchline to punchline the length of a heartstring, deftly pulling it in the name of friendship , future and community solidarity.\nWriter and co-director Hannah Reilly uses conventional musical theater narrative beats to structure her offbeat story and provide a heartfelt foundation for her up-to-the-minute joke writing that allows the emotional moments to really soar. There are lovingly exaggerated country stereotypes and surprisingly pointed observations of small-town life, all wrapped in an arc of self-acceptance.\nThe good old musical B-story standbys – a love story between two secondary characters – is alive and well here too, in the touching and heartfelt romance that grows between Mayor Jase and Tara Morice’s Shell, whose clothing store and dance classes keep the deb tradition alive.\nThe story, score and tone owe much to Muriel’s marriage – both the 1994 film and the 2017 musical with the music of another Australian indie pop darling, Kate Miller-Heidke (he there’s even a trio of mean “can’t hang” girls. But it only seems fitting that Muriel and Rhonda finally have two rambling younger sisters; they carry their heritage proudly and loudly. Even mean-spirited Annabelle (Mariah Gonzalez) finds some of that pride in defying social norms by the end of the show.\nEmma White’s ensemble is an instant summoner of place and Mason Browne’s costumes build the world with equal doses of care and wit. Sally Dashwood’s choreography borrows from “physician” country culture and embraces the awkwardness of teenagers borrowing moves from music videos that don’t quite sit in their bodies, a self-aware pinch of irony in movement that feels uniquely Australian – an approach featured in recent musicals Fangirls and The Boomkak Panto.\nThe first act, heavy in the hands of Reilly and associate director Fraser Corfield, is a little too long and starts a little too tentatively. A revisit of the opening and second issue for simplified introductions to the world, its people and their needs would help. The story sparkles when the cousins meet, and moves better once their travels collide in song. In the Spotlight, which they sing together but separately, and Someone Brilliant, their love song for themselves and each other, are the show’s gems, and could have come sooner.\nIt’s a rare thing when the second act of a musical is louder than the first, but The Deb’s second half is exceptional: it knows exactly how to drive home, adding softer, more of emotional weight, and then a truly ridiculous political visual gag to erase any misty eyes.\nThere’s something wonderful about a new theater – The Rebel, the new home of Australian theater for young people named after its million-dollar benefactor, Rebel Wilson – which opens its doors with a show that’s an embrace and an expansion of new trends in Australian musical comedy. The Deb is a celebration of a joyful new onstage movement of local women-centric stories, complete with big laughs and big pop choruses. It anchors a story of youth in a story of community and creates in the rebel a new home for the future of storytelling."}
{"text": "MagBlind was born out of necessity. Most of us here at Gnatem are renters, and we all faced the same problem when moving to a new location. About a week in the Vertical Blinds would start falling, first because of the cats and then \"The Captain\". Once they fell we would find tape at the top, a previous tenants attempt to “MacGyver” the blind. It never worked and our living rooms became unsuitable for guests.\nMagBlnd is very easy, simply attach the 2 Magnets with 3M VHB tape to the top of the broken slat and insert the metal into the stem of the blinds. Then attach the blind to the stem. The magnetic force is strong enough to hold the blind and swing at a greater degree than before, while allowing for all the same functions. MagBlind can also be used for non broken slats in order to prevent ever breaking them."}
{"text": ".\nErik Holmlund has served on the Terra Board of Directors for the past seven years. He will be retiring from the board in March 2018, and we’re incredibly grateful for the significant contributions he has made to Terra and for his dedication to empowering teen parent families. We asked him to reflect on his time with the board.\nWhen I think about what makes me most proud over the past seven years, a few things come to mind, including the way Terra has:\nFor me personally, it’s so rewarding to see parents who spoke at Promising Futures six or seven years ago, who are now in the midst of their post-grad studies or have completed their studies and are thriving in our communities. I find this incredibly gratifying and it makes me very, very proud to have had the opportunity to be a part of Terra.\nThe Terra Board of Directors continues to improve as a strong governance committee that I think serves Terra better than it did seven years ago. This is due to previous board chairs for their guidance and vision, Karen Mottershead and her staff for their extraordinary effort and all the excellent people that I’ve been lucky enough to serve with on the board.\nThe last seven years have taught me the value of having different viewpoints in the room when you’re looking to make critical decisions, even when it can be uncomfortable. It means being willing to say my initial position may have been wrong, but as a group we worked together to make the right decision for the organization.\nMy hope for Terra is that the organization continues to focus on quality service delivery and growth. The organization drives so much value back into our community through education for parents and children, outreach in family homes, speaking at high schools as a prevention strategy in the community and supporting poverty reduction — Terra can’t stop moving forward.\nWe’ll be announcing our new board chair at our Annual General Meeting on March 21, 2018.\nWe’re located at 9930 106 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta. We are open 8:30-4:30 Mon-Fri."}
{"text": "Colony Bank headquarted in Fitzgerald,Georgia is established on 15-04-1976. FDIC Certificate Number for Colony Bank is 22257\nand this bank is currently Active and insured by the FDIC.\nColony Bank's primary specialization in terms of asset concentration is Commercial Lending Specialization and Bank Charter Class is (NM)\nCommercial bank, state charter and Fed nonmember, supervised by the FDIC\nColony Bank has 29 Domestic branches"}
{"text": "MEITUS: Grocers bolster gluten-free lines\nBy Marty Meitus, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)\nPublished July 15, 2008 at 3 p.m.\nUpdated July 15, 2008 at 3:10 p.m.\nMore Entertainment Columns & Blogs\nFive years ago, Pam Jones was down to 87 pounds before a doctor finally diagnosed her stomach ailments correctly. Jones, an assistant store manager for King Soopers in Colorado Springs, has celiac disease, a digestive malfunction brought on by abnormal reaction to glutens. She must avoid such foods as wheat, rye and barley.\nAs more people are diagnosed - some 3 million people suffer from it - companies are stepping up to the plate. First, small restaurants/ bakeries such as Deby's Gluten Free Gourmet in Denver began to find solutions, now the \"big guys\" are getting on board.\nAt a media launch last week, King Soopers introduced its expanded line of gluten- and wheat-free products. Jones was instrumental in getting the program off the ground, approaching her employer when she found that she was having trouble finding the gluten-free products that she - and her customers - were looking for.\nA new gluten-free tag appears on the packaging of a wide range of products, from ketchup to pasta, that will make them easier to identify. And Colorado- based Udi's Bakery has signed on to produce a line of wheat- and gluten-free products sold at the stores.\nEtai Bar-on of Udi's passed out samples of cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins and bread at the launch. Although many gluten-free products are made of rice flour, Udi's Chad White, a master baker and partner in Udi's Gluten-Free, found a way to use tapioca and potato starch to improve texture and product.\n\"It makes a dough that you can shape, rather than a batter that you pour. You could even make an artisan-like bread.\" (For a recipe from Udi's, see Recipe, Please 14.)\nI tried a couple of bites of pasta; it tastes no different than any other pasta. Then I slipped out to enjoy a tasty gluten-free snickerdoodle cookie in my car. So many products . . . so little time.\nAnd speaking of launches . . . When I was having dinner with my buddy Maryann Yuthas of the Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown, Chef Tom Baranoucky introduced me to their new green menu at the hotel restaurant, 1876. In partnership with the Denver Botanic Gardens and its Urban Nature Exhibit, the restaurant is featuring a special prix fixe menu showcasing Colorado herbs and other indigenous products.\nOffered in addition to the restaurant's regular a la carte selections, the $52.80 per couple (tax and gratuity not included) menu includes some great offerings - Crispy Skin Colorado Striped Bass and Tarragon and Tomato Risotto, Fava Beans and Leek Vinaigrette or Sage and Rosemary Smoked Pork Tenderloin With Creamy Corn Studded Polenta, Charred Vegetable Coulis and Rosemary Apple Syrup. You also get a recipe card from the chef for his homemade herbal salad dressing and tips on growing herbs in the region from Denver Botanic Gardens Director of Horticulture Sarada Krishnan.\nFor more info, on the prix fixe dinner or the tie-in with the Botanic Gardens exhibit, go to granddenver.hyatt.com.\nJust to whet your appetite, you'll find a recipe for Baranoucky's cauliflower soup on 5. Try some of those unusual-colored cauliflowers, if you really want to walk on the wild side.\nCauliflower Soup\nServes 8\n1 head cauliflower, florets separated\n1 1/2 cups diced onions\n1/2 cup diced parsnips\n1/2 cup diced celery\n1 garlic clove, minced\n1 shallot, minced\n1/2 cup white wine\n1/2 lemon, juiced\n1 1/2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock\n1 bay leaf, 4 white peppercorns, 1 sprig chervil, 1 sprig thyme, wrapped and tied in cheesecloth\nSalt and white pepper to taste\n2 cups heavy cream\n* Saute cauliflower florets, onions, parsnips, celery, garlic and shallot, covered, in a small amount of butter. Season with salt.\n* When onions are completely wilted and translucent, deglaze with wine and lemon juice. Allow the wine to cook off.\n* Add the chicken stock and the sachet of herbs and spices and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, add cream, and simmer for 45 minutes.\n* Remove cheesecloth bag and puree the soup with a hand blender or in a blender, in batches.\n* Strain through a fine strainer and adjust the thickness if necessary by reducing further. Season with salt and white pepper.\nNutritional information per serving: 316 cal., 24 g fat (14 g sat), 87 mg chol., 15 g carb., 7 g pro., 2 g fiber, 303\n5:25 a.m.\nSuggest removal\nJohntrythisone writes:\nMarty,\nthanks for the column. My wife is celiac and when we shop we have to read every label and have a company reference handy. The Gluten free markers are very helpful, and hopefully more companies will list this allergen/condition.\nJuly 16, 2008\n11:37 a.m.\nSuggest removal\nalek writes:\nAs a parent of two boys with Celiac Disease, ditto what the previous poster said Marty. My wife was ecstatic when she attended a gluten-free shin-dig a month ago where King Soopers mentioned their expansion of gluten-free foods and enhanced labeling.\nMost gluten-free breads taste like bricks or hockey pucks ... but as my kids attested then (and now), Udi's bread is by far the best gluten-free bread they have tried - they (and their Big Green Buddy) say it is SMASHING! ;-)\nWe had to go to three King Sooper's last week to find more - they all said it's so darn popular it's flying off the shelves - great job Udi's.\nI didn't see a way to thank Pam Jones personally for her efforts, but hopefully she reads these comment and great job Pam!\nAlek Komarnitsky\nLafayette"}
{"text": "For the final edition of 626 Night Market there as a few new tricks to keep it fun and fresh. First up is Saturday Nights open Mike with the kids from ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat” and then there is the dancing competiton. Full details HERE Even if the new stuff doesn’t entice, the old standbys…incredible food, street vendors and music should keep you entertained and satiated.\nHaving been a few times, its easy access just a few blocks south of the 210 in Arcadia. You can enter from the gates on Baldwin, but traffic is bad there with the mall. The other and better option is to exit Santa Anita, head south to Hungtington Dr and turn right (west) on to Huntington and enter in the massive gates there.\nDeets Friday 9/4, Saturday 9/5 and Sunday 9/6 4PM to 1AM. Santa Anita Park, 285 W Huntington Drive, Arcadia CA MAP HERE"}
{"text": "Reblogging for my roommate\nAnd then it goes into reverse Acceptance: “I love being in the Teen Wolf Fandom! Depression: “God, I just want all the...\nthats how i was\nI swear, I was ALL of 2 before I got to 5! LOL (And I didn’t cry for Stiles. I cried for Derek.)"}
{"text": "The Viridi-anne Clothing Philippines\nWhite, Grey and Black are just some of the most in demand colors of a The Viridi-anne Clothing. Dropped crotch distressed jogging pants, Dropped crotch gauze shorts and Cotton-linen knit bomber jacket are the most popular collection of The Viridi-anne Clothing. If you are thinking twice about purchasing The Viridi-anne Clothing, then check out other brands such as trendsgal, ed and Mbulon. You can get great deals on The Viridi-anne Clothing at iprice for ₱ 12,655.00 to ₱ 89,158.00! There are two types of The Viridi-anne Clothing: Pants, Shirts and Jackets."}
{"text": "Bets on for Harry eight\n<p>Ladbrokes has reopened its \"will there be an eighth Harry Potter book\" market, following a number of requests from fans. The betting firm is offering odds of 2/1 on JK Rowling releasing another instalment of the phenomenon by the end of 2012. It is offering 1/3 on there not being another Potter novel. </p><p>Spokesperson Nick Weinberg said: \"We thought we'd seen the last of the boy wizard. But some punters appear to think otherwise. In the days after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows our customers seemed quite optimistic that he'd be back. But it all went quiet and we closed the book. However, interest in the market has been revived.\"</p><p>The company stipulates that any new book would have to have Harry Potter in the main title, and must be a novel to qualify.</p>"}
{"text": "Save Search\nSet up Alert\nChange Search Filters\nNews results for 'Hungary'\nBrazil property prices soar as Eurozone markets slump\nInvestments Explained: Residential property\nMy Shortlist\nReal Estate for Sale in Hungary \| TheMoveChannel.com\nSome of the property types available in Hungary are: Apartment, Flat, Investment Property, Buy to Let and Holiday Homes.\nFeatured on Lead Galaxy, along with Homes Go Fast, Medhead, Global Property Guide, Unique Living, Sell My Property and more..."}
{"text": "I have read over the guides at help sites and have found them to be lacking\nwhen it comes to Neoquest 2 insane difficulty. This is especially true when\nit comes to the choosing of skills. Many of the help sites tout the use of skills\nthat will be useless in the final battle against King Terask. Therefore, you\nwill need to choose skills that will not only be helpful along your way, but\nwill be beneficial in that final battle.\nThis guide will take you through each Chapter, and lay out for you the necessary\nskills and tactics needed to be successful in beating Neoquest 2 on insane mode,\nand receive your 50,000 NP and gold trophy. Not to mention the rather rare item\nyou receive as well.\nESSENTIALS\nIn this section, I will help you to become familiar with some general essentials\nin the Neoquest 2 game. Since you have already played Neoquest 2 on Normal and\nEvil Difficulties, you are probably already familiar with some of these. Purchasing\nweapons is one of the essentials.\nIn every section, you will have many opportunities to upgrade your armor and\nWeapons. Also, you will be able to purchase new damage potions, hasting & slowing\npotions, and healing potions. One rule of thumb is that you should NEVER need\nto purchase healing potions. This is also why I suggest that you always use\nthe healing potions that are being replenished at the time.\nWEAPONS\nWhen choosing your weapons & armour, be sure to choose wisely. Every town will\nalways have weapons available from which you can choose. However, it may not\nalways be in your best interest to do so. You need to keep a few things in mind\nbefore you choose whether or not to purchase the weapons being offered.\nAs I’m sure you already know from playing previously, you will pick up weapons\nalong the way. Sometimes in battles along the way, also every time you beat\na boss you receive at least one new weapon. The ones you pick up in battle will\nincrease or decrease some of your skills. Be sure to take this into consideration\nwhen you decide whether or not you should equip it. Therefore, higher damage\ndoesn’t always mean it’s a better weapon. Also, when you go into a town, you\nneed to keep in mind that you may pick up more weapons and armour before you\nreach the next town. As you probably already know, you get less gold in Insane\nDifficulty than you received in the prior difficulty settings. So, when you\nspend, you will want to spend wisely. Therefore, even if you find that the weapon\ndoes more damage, you have to ask yourself if there is enough of a difference\nto make the purchase a wise one.\nFor example, in the town of Seaside, the weapon and armour I had for Rohane\nwere at 12 damage and 12 defense respectively. Mipsy’s weapon and armour were\nat 6 damage and 6 defense respectively. The upgrades for Mipsy would have given\nher 8 on each, whereas the upgrades for Rohane would give him 20. I considered\nit to be a wiser decision to purchase the two for Rohane, and hold off on the\npurchases for Mipsy.\nNow that you’ve purchased your armour, you have one more very important step\nto perform. Be sure to equip it. Believe it or not, that is one of the top mistakes\nin this game. Another thing you will want to do is to sell the old ones that\nyou no longer need, since this will help you to be able to afford more weapons\nlater on.\nENEMIES\nYou will have many opponents that you’ll come up against in this game, from\nthe little guys to the big bosses. So, having some tips to help you to know\nhow to handle them is very important also. One thing to remember all through\nthe game is that whenever you’re in a cave or a castle of some sort, the enemies\nwill always be tougher. Many times you’ll find that the ones on the other end\nof the cave are even easier than the ones inside. They tend to do more damage\nto you. Those are the places that you end up using a lot of the healing potions.\nThis is one good reason why when building your skill points, you’ll want to\nhave the hasting skills take a semi-prominent role. These will help to speed\nup your battles, and reduce the amount of damage to you, during each battle.\nAnother thing to consider is the hasting potions. Shortly into Terror Mountain\nyou will start building up Mipsy’s group haste. After that, you shouldn’t need\nany of the hasting potions until Faerieland. Of course, hasting and slowing\npotions are great in any battle. However, I tend to reserve them for just the\nbosses. They may speed up some of the battles, but they tend to really make\na difference in boss battles.\nWell, now that you have info on the enemies, it’s time to take you through\nChapter 1 of Neoquest 2, Meridell. This will be discussed in the next section.\nMERIDELL\nI suggest that when you start out at Trestin, you do not go more than two steps\naway from the village until you reach level 4 then between there and level 6\nyou can branch out. However, do not go into the Cave until you reach level 6.\nThe main reason for this is that after each battle you will most likely need\nto go see your mother in order to be healed. At level 6, you should really only\nbe at the mouth of the cave for the same reason. At this point, your enemies\nat the mouth of the cave and around the trees outside the cave should have between\n40 and 55 HP.\nYou will want to use Hunting mode, so you can build up your Experience points\nmore quickly. At first, you should focus on three main skills Damage Increase,\nCritical Attacks, and Innate Melee Haste. You will also want to throw one skill\npoint in Stunning strikes at this point, since it is of some help at this point\nin time. Overall though, you will only put a few of the skill points into Stunning\nStrikes.\nAt Level 9 you’re ready to go against the Miner Foreman. You should have the\nfollowing approximate skill levels:\nCritical Attacks 2: Serious Hit\nDamage Increase 3: Assured Stride\nStunning Strikes 1: Confuse\nInnate Melee Haste 2: Melee Haste II\nYou will find that with these skill levels at the time that it will be easy\nto beat this boss. Take the teleporter to return to the surface. Switch to Normal\nMode and head to the east, cross the bridge and head southeast to White River.\nYou’ll want to pick up some Blast Potion. The battles inside the cave heading\nto where Zombom’s lair is will not be easy. You will most likely need to return\nto white river and stay at the inn several times in order to refill your HP.\nZOMBOM\nWhen you finally reach level 13, it’s time to head toward Zombom. I recommend\nwaiting until level 14 to beat him, if you want an easier battle. However, he\ncan be beaten at level 13. If you go against him at level 13, you should have\nthe following approximate skill levels:\nCritical Attacks 2: Decisive Hit\nDamage Increase 4: Calm Presence\nInnate Melee Haste 5: Rapid Movements II\nIf you decide to wait until you reach level 14, you should add one skill point\nto Critical Attacks.\nAfter you finish beating Zombom, it’s time to go get Mipsy, which will speed\nyour game up a bit. Mipsy basically needs 4 main skills all maxed out by the\ntime you reach Faerieland. However, while in Meridell, you need to be concerned\nwith which skills will be more beneficial now. So, when choosing how to spend\nMipsy’s original 12 skill points I chose 7 in Direct Damage and 5 in Innate\nMelee Defense. Some people prefer to use Direct Damage, others prefer Group\nDirect Damage, but there is no need for you to choose both of them. If you do,\nit is just a waste of skill points that can be better spent somewhere else.\nHence when I use the term Direct Damage, I’m referring to either of the two.\nIt’s important to remember that while Mipsy is a hard hitter, she is also rather\nvulnerable. She has the least amount of HP in the game. Therefore, you need\nto be sure to protect her by building up her innate melee defense right with\nher Direct Damage skills. By doing this, not only will she hit hard, she will\nalso be able to stand when she is hit.\nGIANT SAND GRUNDO\nBefore you go through the Lost City of Phorofor, you need to stop at the city\nof Lakeside. As far as the purchase of armor and weapons, my rule of thumb is\n“buy sparingly”. You really don’t get as much gold this time, as you did the\nlast two. So you need to be choosy as to how you spend the gold you do get.\nAlso, keep in mind; you will pick up armor and weapons during battles. I usually\nend up purchasing the two most necessary weapons or armor, early in the game.\nMy suggestion is that when you get low on HP use the healing potions that are\nbeing replenished at the time, namely, the ones that give you the most hp. The\nreason I do this, is not just because it gives you the most, but because, those\nare the ones most likely to be replenished. So, you can use them, and when you\nmove on, you’ll still have 20 of them built up.\nGo into the Lost City of Phorofor with your party at level 16, and work your\nway toward the Giant Sand Grundo. You should be in the general area of the Grundo\nbefore you reach level 17. Be near him though, so that once you get to level\n17, you can immediately battle him, with full HP.\nYour Skill points should be as follows:\nROHANE:\nCritical Attacks 3: Decisive Hit\nDamage Increase 6: Intimidate Foe\nInnate Melee Haste 6: Rapid Movements III\nMIPSY:\nDirect Damage 9: Extinguish\nInnate Melee Defense 7: Diversion I\nMERIDELL CASTLE\nYou should be built up to Level 19 by the time you decide to take on Ramtor\nfor the first time. He won’t be hard to beat the first time. After you beat\nhim you will be offered a free place to rest. Whenever you’re offered a free\nplace to rest, it’s a good place to use to your advantage. Basically, you won’t\nhave to use any healing potions in the near vicinity, because you can keep going\nback to Meridell Castle to refill your HP for free if you are nearby and you’re\nclose to dying.\nSince you are only going up two levels, between the Sand Grundo and Meridell\nCastle, the simplest thing to do is explain where you should put the two skills\npoints you just received. For Rohane, you should put one point in Damage Increase,\nand one in Innate Melee Haste. For Mipsy, I suggest putting one in Casting Haste,\nand one in Direct Damage.\nRAMTORS TOWER\nYou will want to wait until you reach at least level 20 before you go into\nRamtors Tower. The reason is that you’ll want to build your party up to level\n22 before fighting against Ramtor. Keep in mind that right after you beat Ramtor;\nyou will not be able to stop at an Inn right away. You’ll have to go through\na battle with Leximp to retrieve the WordStone. Also, of all the enemies in\nRamtors Tower, the one that is the most problem is the Demonic Grarrl. You’ll\nwant to avoid battles with them if possible. If there is two or three in one\nbattle against you, I suggest that you flee the battle. You can beat them, but\nthey will deplete your HP during the battle, every time.\nWith this in mind, I suggest you do your building up while on the base level\nand in Dungeon level 1, then once you level up to 22, switch to Normal Mode,\nand go to the second floor and head right to Ramtor. You will want to have your\nparty at these approximate levels in order to succeed fairly easily:\nCritical Attacks 3: Decisive Hit\nDamage Increase 8: Battle Wrath\nInnate Magic Resistance 2: Magic Resistance II\nInnate Melee Haste 7: Lithe Agility I\nDirect Damage 10: Puree\nInnate Casting Haste 4: Rapid Invocation I\nSUMMARY\nThese tips will help you to be able to get through Chapter 1 of Neoquest 2\non Insane Difficulty fairly easily. While you may use several healing potions\nat first, you will find yourself using less and less as you go further along.\nI have tried to submit a walk-through that would make it so that your battles\nwith bosses would be fairly easy. I will be submitting follow up articles for\nthe rest of Neoquest 2 on Insane Difficulty as well. Please remember however,\nthat the skill points and levels are both approximations. You may adjust it\nas you feel necessary. If you find you’re having too much trouble, slow down\na little, and take extra time. If you feel more confident, move a little faster.\nHowever, be sure to be careful if you choose to move faster. I try to work at\na balanced speed. Either way, I think this guide will help you to feel more\nat ease when you’re playing, and more capable when coming against the bigger\nbosses."}
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{"text": "Looking for Military Schools or Boot Camps for Troubled Boys in La Vergne, Tennessee?\nWhile you look for military schools or boot camps in La Vergne, Tennessee, harmful patterns of behavior. Unlike military schools and boot camps you may find near La Vergne, TN, we believe that relationships are what make a long-term difference in a boy, not more anger, yelling and force.\nFamilies register their sons at Treasure Coast Boys Academy from across the nation, including from La Vergne, Tennessee, both to let them grow in a new environment and because of the loving and fun environment they find here. Enrollment is year-round.\nYou are Looking for Military Schools or Boot Camps in La Vergne, Tennessee enrolls 50 teenage boys at our residential boarding school on a 30-acre parcel surrounded by working ranches and orchards. Over our La Vergne, at the same time adventuresome and constructive.\nWhile we offer individual, group, and family counseling in traditional settings, we find that most life-changing experiences tend to happen during outdoor activities and during ordinary situations. Counseling is offered frequently during the day, in all settings, through conversations with mentors during chores or activities. We place boys. Boys from La Vergne, Tennessee resident."}
{"text": "Calling – Leadership Health and Integrity (Part 1)\nA Firm Foundation\nThe journey of healthy and sustainable leadership happens by building a firm foundation.\nThe bathroom remodel is nearing completion (finally!).\nOver the last several months, it has been a series of two steps forward and one step back.\nExciting progress met by a frustrating setback.\nThe subfloor was installed fairly quickly and easily.\nBut then, it took three orders of the shower to get one delivered undamaged, followed by three visits of the plumber to get it installed fully.\nBut after six weeks, we finally had a shower. So we put up the drywall and painted.\nProgress, Setback, Repeat.\nThat, as it turns out, is much like life.\nSlow, Steady Growth\nHealthy leadership is a series of growth events. Each is the opportunity to take a step forward. Unfortunately, we also experience moments of setback.\nFor every successful meeting or mentoring moment, we belittle an employee.\nEvery time we set healthy boundaries and engage in personal development, we scream at someone in traffic.\nFor every trip to the park with our kids or a date night with our spouse, there’s the emotional binge eating for temporary relief.\nIt’s this continual cycle of growth and progression that encapsulates the leader’s life. It’s also the reason that I started intentionally focusing on seven key areas and aspects of healthy leadership.\nOver the next couple of weeks on the blog, we are going to be covering each of these seven areas. In each area, we’ll examine the process of opportunity, growth, and reflection.\nFirst up, let’s talk about calling.\nCalling – Leadership Health and Integrity (Part 1)\nThe foundation for all leadership begins in a calling. God has been calling and shaping people since the beginning of time. Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul are a few examples. All have unique and personalized call stories that led them to live a life of mission.\nThere are two levels of calling that need to be identified. First, is a general calling. The second moves from general to specific.\nGeneral Calling\nThe general call focuses first on the development of leadership skills.\nFor me, it came as a freshman in college. Unhappy with where I was, how I felt, what I was looking forward to, and the classes I was taking, I remember the feeling of being alone, unloved, and unimportant.\nI had gone to college because it’s what I was supposed to do. However, I didn’t arrive with any real sense of purpose or direction. Having spent a semester as a science major, the only thing that I was certain of was that I couldn’t spend any more evenings in the lab staring at a microscope.\nI entered into a time of dedicated study, prayer, and reflection. I looked at transferring schools, changing majors, and dropping out and getting a job. After weeks of prayer and study, I was renewed with a sense of purpose and direction. I was reminded that I had once been called into leadership positions and that it might be time to explore that calling again.\nI began to argue with God about what that might look like. In my brokenness, I also listed the reasons why I was unfit and unqualified for leadership.\nI suffered from extreme shyness and public anxiety.\nI had a lack of public presence and a huge fear of the unknown.\nIn a sense of divine irony, I sensed the call to read my Bible. I randomly opened my Bible to the story of Moses in Exodus three and four. My reservations and fears had been calmed when I saw that I raised all the same objections Moses had. I became convinced that God delights in using our weaknesses in unique and exciting ways.\nGeneral revelations can happen at any time and force future leaders to have open hearts and minds about how God is calling and shaping them.\nSpecific Calling\nSpecific call stories take on a more detailed tone. If a general calling echoes my own idea of, “I’m not sure what this means, but I think I’m called into leadership;” specific call stories can fill in the blanks of to whom and for whom.\nOriginally for me, this meant youth ministry, but it didn’t take very long as a youth pastor to see that this was not what God intended for me!\nOver the last decade, I have continued to define and refine my leadership skills and capabilities.\nI now work with leaders, empowering them to get the right things done. My time is spent with success-oriented individuals helping them reach peak performance, accomplish their goals, and transform conflict into opportunity.\nGrowth Points\nLet’s wrap up today’s discussion by providing discussion plans and growth points for the leadership journey.\nThese questions are designed to help you gain momentum in your journey towards leadership health.\n- To whom have I been called to serve?\n- What energizes me?\n- How do I want to give back?\n- What gifts and talents do my closest friends and family see in me?\n- Have I experienced a general calling? What did that look like?\n- Have I experienced a specific calling? What does that look like?\n- Who am I trying to become?\nNext week, we are going to begin our look at the four internal aspects of leadership health and continue towards our final destination."}
{"text": "Professional MMA fighters are resilient, agile and expert when it comes to their craft. On top of that, they are in amazing shape.\nSo it is normal for people to wonder about how they can train like a fighter and even if you are not particularly a fan of this sport, you can reap the mental and physical benefits in a short amount of time.\nOr you may be more serious about MMA training, want to learn how you can train like one and start your journey as soon as possible. Who knows? Maybe you will be the one who will make the top MMA pound-for-pound fighter rankings.\nI would like to begin by saying this will be far from easy. It will take a great amount of time, dedication, however, when you see the results, which are both physical and mental, it will be worth it. In addition to this, you will know how to throw basic punches or perform submissions and these definitely can help you have more confidence in real-life situations.\nThis easy-to-follow step by step effective action plan can help you get started your journey and fast-forward your progress!\n1. Firstly Get Fit!\nDo you have an extra few pounds? Or can five years olds outrun you?\nIf you have not developed physical skills, you are simply not ready for rigorous MMA workouts. In order to perform well during intense MMA workouts you need to improve your physical skills especially endurance so you can reach a condition that allows you to perform the advanced movements, techniques effectively.\nHow Should an MMA Fighter Get Fit?\nThere are many things you can do to get fit. However, if you choose exercises that you will also do in your future MMA workouts, it can be more beneficial. Because you can develop muscle memory within a month! Thus, you will have an easier time during your future martial arts sessions.\nFor example, jumping rope, which improves footwork skills, and plyometric exercises, which can develop explosive power and strength, can be ideal. Because these can improve physical skills which can directly improve your performance in MMA training. Also, by increasing the tendon strength, which is one of the benefits of plyometric exercises, you are less likely to injure yourself while exerting a maximal force. And this happens repeatedly whether you are training or in a real match.\nAlso, cardiovascular endurance is vital for MMA fighters so they can compete at a high level during a match. This is the reason why UFC fighters seem like they always do intense cardio sessions including running, rowing and jumping rope.\nAlso, doing high-intensity interval training improves physical performance in the ring during five minute rounds as they need to react quickly for counterattacking the opponents, evading attacks and these can be followed by low-intensity moves.\nThis is actually what you exactly do during high intensity interval training and you can do certain exercises in your MMA workout routine as HIIT as well.\n2. Pick a Martial Art or Two\nMany MMA stars are experts at various martial arts styles. For example, Nate Diaz, who has the record for highest pay-per-view rate at UFC 202, is an expert boxer and knows how to submit the opponents with submission techniques.\nEven though it takes a long time to master a martial art discipline you need to start from somewhere right?\nMy site includes several articles about picking a martial art and these articles provide recommendations for choosing one for your fitness goals, self-defense goals and more. By browsing this page you can choose it without too much confusion.\n3. Pick a Gym\nAfter choosing a fighting style, then it is time to get a gym membership. This is not a daunting task at all as martial arts gyms’ quality increases every single day. Because people tend to make more research so they hire more experienced instructors and coaches.\nHowever, if you can’t find a legit one nearby or prefer training in your place, you can build a small martial arts gym in your own home. As a side note, there are many MMA workout routines that don’t require large spaces.\nAlso, exercise types like sit-ups and shadow boxing don’t require any equipment and these should definitely be in your routine for the following reasons.\nFor instance, training your core can help you improve balance. You can also throw more powerful kicks, punches and build your abs muscles which shows that you are badass!\nShadowboxing is a great training type for striking-based martial arts like kickboxing and Muay Thai. If you can practice it in front of the mirror, you can see how you throw kicks, elbows and make small adjustments to better your technique.\n4. Get Familiar with Basic Training Types\nWhich martial arts style did you pick? Is it a grappling style like BJJ or is it a striking martial art style? After choosing one, start getting familiar with the basic training types.\nIf you chose boxing, get used to calming noise of the speed bag. If you prefer concentrating on jiu-jitsu techniques then you will be rolling on mats for an extended period of time with another enthusiast so you can practice scarf hold escapes over and over again.\nIn order to train like a UFC fighter, you need to master these basic training types by performing them countless times.\nLearn Basics of Other Martial Arts\nWhen you learn a specific form of martial art and will become an expert at it eventually, it does not mean that you can become a great MMA fighter with expertise in only one martial art. It obviously helps however it is important to know the basics of other martial arts which are preferred styles for MMA.\nAlso, martial arts training types include way more than attacking. Thus don’t forget about defensive techniques such as takedown defense. Let’s say that you don’t know how to defend against takedowns. Even if you earned a black belt in karate, you would have a tough time while facing a seasoned wrestler in the UFC Octagon.\n5. Choose Your Trainer Carefully\nLearning these techniques and performing these in a proper gym environment with a good instructor is obviously ideal. The first goal of the instructors is to teach you basic techniques and improve your knowledge about martial arts however instructors can help you more than that.\nA decent MMA instructor should also be able to tweak your technique, movements while watching how you move so you can be a better MMA fighter.\nFor example, if you learn how to throw a cross on your own you may assume it is a simple boxing punch and it is not complicated at all. However, there are certain tweaks that can improve your boxing game. For example, if you lower your hips a little while throwing a cross you can punch harder effortlessly. Little tweaks like this can make a huge difference.\nSo, if you are a newbie in the gym, you can ask seasoned fighters about the coaches. Generally, they can tell you directly whether an instructor is legit or not. After all, they are also looking for improving their game so they probably followed many trainers’ advice in the gym. So you can trust their judgments.\n6. Stay Consistent!\nOver the years, I have noticed that many people do not remain consistent with their martial arts training regimen.\nWhether you want to get in shape or become a martial arts expert, being consistent is the key. You can’t expect to learn advanced techniques like heel hook if you only practice them a couple of times. Serious fighters’ second home is the martial arts gym.\nSo going to a gym somewhat regularly and giving your all while training makes the real difference. Thanks to that, you can throw side-kicks and your foot can land straight which many beginners don’t seem to do it right no matter what.\nThis is not limited to technique. Consistency is also a huge factor for building muscle or getting ripped. Whether you do abs exercises or beginner heavy bag workouts, if you get a good rest and your nutrition is on point, you tend to go longer and harder the next time you train. Consequently, your muscles are challenged more and these will grow. These also increase the burned calories during a single session and you can get defined abs in no time!\n7. Spar!\nEven you know how to throw a spinning back kick and there is a great amount of power behind it you may not effectively land it on a target during a real match.\nEven though you don’t exert maximum force, sparring still gives you the opportunity to practice the techniques in a real environment. Counter-attacks and timing of the strikes are simply vital for MMA fighters as the expertise of these helps them beat their opponents during fights regularly.\nAlso, no one is waiting to get punched during sparring and you can be sure that your opponent will try delivering as many strikes as possible. So you simply need to move fast and try landing your strikes on your opponents as quickly as possible and in the meantime, you need to avoid your partners’ attacks efficiently. Thus it is normal for a fighter to spend more calories than usual during a sparring session.\nShortly sparring can improve your mixed martial art techniques and get you shredded at the same time!\nEven if you train at home, you can find a sparring partner online or maybe you know someone who practices that particular martial art. As long as you have a safe environment that minimizes the impact like protective mats and right gears, there is no reason not to spar at your own place.\n8. Attend or Watch UFC Events\nSeeing UFC stars like Jorge Masvidal in action can motivate you. They perfected their craft and try their best to move up in rankings as all of them are extra competitive. So when you get a ticket for a UFC event, you will have a chance to observe these fighters closely and see how they look for striking opportunities, evade strikes…\nEven if you sparred, slow-sparred, these were not real fights in the cage. So, you can see little details and technique adjustments that fighters do during five minute rounds and you can add these new skills to your arsenal.\nRelated Read: Perfect Gift Ideas for UFC Lovers\nHow can you train like an MMA fighter at your own home?\nMany people’s goal is to achieve a UFC fighter’s body at home. If this is the case you can build your own MMA gym at home and train there. Obviously going to a gym, where has various training equipment for optimizing your sessions, would be ideal. However, a proper MMA home gym can be still enough especially for getting lean. Obviously; eating enough protein and nutrition dense foods is the way to go for achieving these desired results.\nAlso, you can incorporate many training types, which don’t involve any equipment, in your routine like bodyweight squats, core exercises, and push-ups.\nDoes Your Age Matter?\nIt depends on what you look for. If you want to have a successful MMA career, then preferably you should be young. After all, you can’t become an expert at any martial art style overnight. I would say that the cut-off should be thirty.\nHowever, if you just want to train like a fighter and immerse yourself in martial arts, then any age can be acceptable. Also, keep in mind that other than physical benefits and learning a fighting style that can help you protect yourself in a real fight, martial arts also cultivate peace. If you fall in any of these categories, age does not tend to matter.\nLet’s Wrap It Up\nTraining every single week regularly and learning a new martial art can be really tough for anyone but the benefits can’t be questioned. If you are talented enough and put in the hours, you can start competing in the Octagon one day and have a huge MMA fan base. Would not this be awesome?\nIf you follow the steps above, you can burn massive calories, get a body like your favorite UFC star, defend yourself in an extreme street fight and get a good grasp of martial arts which can develop mental attributes like mental toughness.\nAlso Read: Can MMA help you defend yourself in fights?\nSources:"}
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{"text": "Some it to generate business, thank top clients and referrers, and enjoy some tax-deductible food. Oh, and keep the receipts. 😉\nBut another way you can help your Bozeman, MT business is by getting clear on three points of leverage in your business.\nBrand Leverage: How to Maximize your Bozeman, MT Small Business’ Strengths\n Bozeman, MT."}
{"text": "Travelling on Cathay Pacific in Business Class is a wonderful delight – even on a red eye.\nCheck in\nBusiness class passengers are entitled to priority check in at Cathay’s counter at Sydney airport.\nLounge Access\nAs there’s no Cathay Pacific lounge in Sydney, passengers have access to the Qantas International Business Lounge. Oneworld Emerald members can head to the Qantas International First Lounge.\nSeating\nThanks to the reverse herringbone seat, passengers are able enjoy a decent amount of privacy. In addition, the 1-2-1 layout allows everyone direct aisle access. The fully flat seat comes in at a generous 208 cm (82 inches) when completely extended allowing most people to lie down and enjoy a good night of rest. Each seat can be customized to personal preferences courtesy of the easy to use controls located to the right of the seat.\nAlong with the seat controls, you’ll also find the entertainment handset, USB port, power plug, reading light and a small storage area (in which you’ll find the noise canceling headphones). While on the left is a retractable arm rest, that has to be stowed away during taxi, take off and landing.\nSeat controls\nService\nCathay’s cabin crew delivered polite and friendly service from start to finish. Although it’s a small gesture, I really appreciated that I was addressed by name when I boarded and during meal service.\nIn flight Entertainment System\nEach seat has a 15 inch touch screen monitor with Cathay’s StudioCX entertainment system. There’s a wide range of movies, TV shows, music and games to keep passengers entertained.\nThe system was intuitive and responsive though it was slightly jarring to see advertisements on the side of the home screen.\nThe noise cancelling headphones provided were comfortable to wear and did a decent job in blocking out noise.\nHeadphones on Cathay Pacific\nMeals\nAs I was travelling on a red eye flight, passengers would be served two meals – dinner and breakfast. Dinner consisted of 4 courses: a starter, a main, cheese plate and dessert. There was only one starter available, the Smoked Mackerel and Daikon Pepper Salad which was average and slightly bland. Passengers could pick from 4 options for their mains:\n- Kung po prawns\n- Roasted lamb loin\n- Braised chicken cacciatore\n- Rigatoni (vegetarian)\nI went with the Kung Po prawns with stir fried vegetables and steamed jasmine rice. The plump prawns were surprisingly flavorful and packed a spicy punch. Along with my dinner, I had ordered Cathay’s signature mocktail – the Oriental Breeze which consists of sour plum tea, cranberry juice, honey and fresh lemon juice.\nAfter my table was swiftly cleared by the cabin crew, I was served a moreish cheese plate complete with crackers, a few grapes and walnut prune paste.\nThe finale to the feast was an Orange Yogurt Cake that was satisfying and not overly sweet.\nBreakfast was served 1.5 hours before landing and there were 3 options on offer:\n- Dim sum, har gow and glutinous rice\n- Mushroom omelette, baked beans, chicken chipolata, bacon and Lyonnaise potatoes\n- Chicken and dried pak choy congee\nSince I was travelling to Hong Kong, I thougth it was only fitting to choose the first option. My breakfast was served with muesli, a croissant, fresh fruit and Illy coffee. It was a delight to see a small pouch of Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce included for my dim sum and har gow!\nAmenity Kit\nCathay’s amenity kits were created by Hong Kong based design company- Seventy Eight Percent. Skin care products were courtesy of Australian brand Jurlique. There was also a dental kit, mini size mouth wash, eye mask, ear plugs and flight socks.\nUnlike some airlines, Cathay Pacific doesn’t provide pajamas in business class. And there’s also no bedding available only a pillow and thin blanket. Fortunately, the temperature was comfortable throughout my flight.\nVerdict\nCourteous service combined with a solid seat and tasty meals makes Cathay Pacific business class hard to beat for those heading to Hong Kong.\nFlight Details\nAirline: Cathay Pacific\nRoute: SYD to HKG\nFlight number: CX138\nPlane model: Boeing 777-300ER\nThis review was based on award flight, I redeemed 30,000 Alaskan Air Miles and paid additional taxes."}
{"text": "Blockchain Definition of Terms for Beginners\nWhat is Blockchain in a few words?\nBlockchain Definition\nBlockchain is a decentralized ledger that operates within the global network of computers or computing devices. The ledger is used to store the users’ data and confirm all transactions carried out by the network participants.\nThe unchangeability of information which was written in the database along with the absence of necessity for intermediaries (banks, governments) to maintain and verify transactions are the blockchain’s main features.\nThe information stored on the vast majority of blockchains is publicly accessible; however, the ledger is absolutely secure because hacking it would require the unprecedented amount of computation power.\nBlockchain example by CryptoZebra\n"}
{"text": "JavaScript is required to view this email address\nReading this Belmont Club analysis (via Instapundit), I couldn't help but notice the reference to Muqtada Sadr's group calling itself \"the Mahdi Army.\" You'll recall the self-proclaimed 'Mahdi,' from your 19th century history as the quasi-messianic figure who led an Islamist revolt against the British in Sudan that was ultimately suppressed following the defeat of the Mahdi's army by General 'Chinese' Gordon at Omdurman (more on that in general here and specifically here)."}
{"text": "You may be called to a different path but that does not mean you are lost. You may have a greater purpose planned for you than you can ever imagine.\nWill you dare to accept the Call?\nMost women have a dream that we have slipped quietly on a shelf at some point in our lives, letting it slowly collect dust as the busyness of life engulfs us. We think that is where it is meant to stay, that to go after this dream would be unrealistic or selfish in some way. Some of us have let it stay there so long, we have actually forgotten it is there.\nWhat we didn’t realize is that in putting our dreams up on that dusty shelf, we forgot who we were. We have forgotten our true selves, the deepest part of us who knows our value and takes purposeful action, who follows our inner guidance and wisdom.\nIs this you?\nHow does this happen? At some point in your life, you made an agreement, perhaps unconsciously, to suppress your gifts and dreams in order to fit in, to be liked, accepted, and even loved. Fitting in – and seeking validation from others – became more important than being who you really are. Until the restlessness, boredom, and dissatisfaction crept in. Until you started to think, “Hey, wait, there is more to life than this…”\nThe truth of your heart is this: You are born to a greater purpose than you can even imagine. You been given a unique set of gifts and life experiences that are a part of your path, and you have everything you need within you to live your full potential and to create the life you always knew you were meant to have.\nYou also have a set of lessons to learn and barriers to overcome. Everything about who you are, what you love, what you have experienced is to prepare you for the moment in which you consciously say “YES!” to awakening to who you truly are and fulfilling your potential. Every woman’s potential is unique, just like she is.\nWhen you give permission for your spirit to awaken, to consciously say “Yes” to yourself, you release yourself from your inner suffering, experiencing a deep peace and freedom. From this place of inner freedom, you ripple out love and acceptance to others, healing and strengthening relationships,sharing the gifts that others are needing from you, and creating a web of love and support for this and the next generation.\nYou are much stronger and braver than you think. What I want for you is to fully and unapologetically tap into the your power – so you can experience the life you were born to have.\nWhere are you in your spiritual journey to becoming all you can be?\n“Nicole taught me to recognize my natural strengths and encouraged me to pursue a path that suited me, rather than reshaping myself to fit a mold I thought I should fit. “\n~Asma Stephan,\nContent Strategist & Woman-of-Many-Interests"}
{"text": "5 Fêtes To Kick Off Your Holiday Parties\nWeston Wear Opening Party\nLocal designer Julienne Weston will have you jumping into party mode once you see her collection of frocks at the newly re-opened Weston Wear flagship store. From denim to jewelry, the store is newly stocked with gorgeous, special pieces, so come sip a Julie-tini cocktail and nibble on creme brûlée while sifting through the holiday collection. There will be discounts for all, and the first 20 guests will also receive a gift designed by Weston herself.\nWhen: Wednesday, November 6, 5 to 8 p.m.\nWhere: Weston Wear, 569 Valencia Street (between 16th and 17th streets); 415-621-1480.\nWest Elm Store Opening\nWhere can you find yourself an Urban Remedy juice bar, an installation inspired by the redwood forests, and a whole slew of art and designs by local Bay Area talents? At the just-opened West Elm store in Mill Valley, surprisingly! The fête will take place Wednesday evening, where you may just run into some of your very favorite decor bloggers.\nWhen: Wednesday, November 6, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.\nWhere: West Elm, 800 Redwood Highway Frontage Road (at Reed Boulevard); 415-388-1950.\nRSVP: here!\nDetails & Herradura Tequila Party\nWho doesn't love a good surprise, especially one that is tequila-infused? The good folks at Details (yes, the dapper gents publication) will be popping by to say hello and shake up your week, with their good partner-in-crime, Herradura Tequila. This is where the secret comes in: Until you RSVP to the party, the location will be kept under wraps. Twist number two comes when you arrive to the party, when you'll find out who the mysterious promised musical talent will be. What you are really there for, however, is the collection of art by local-based artists, DJ Neon Indian, and above all, having a grand ol' time until the wee hours of the morning.\nWhen: Wednesday, November 6th, 8 p.m. to midnight.\nWhere: Location revealed upon RSVP.\nRSVP: here!\nAlyssa Nicole Trunk Show\nWe would assume that the most fun aspect about being a designer would be sharing your goods with adoring shoppers, or at least, Alyssa Nicole makes it look this way! The dressmaker — and total cutie — is spreading love from her current collection at FashionElles boutique. Along with complimentary fittings on special orders and one-on-one time with the creative herself, 20% off will be offered on everything in the store. Bubbly and cupcakes will also make a turn — sounds like a true girls night.\nWhen: Saturday, November 9, 2 to 5 p.m.\nWhere: FashionElles, 2030 Chestnut Street (between Steiner and Fillmore streets); 415-673-1471.\nArt.com Pop-Up\nGetting your weekly art intake is of great importance around here, and this week is no exception. With Art.com swinging into town and opening up a pop-up shop in Union Square, you can indulge in its rotating event schedule from now until January. This week: Edible Art: Recchiuti the Chocolatier, where artist and sweet-toothed creator Michael Recchiuti gives you a peek behind his yummy visuals and to the inspiration behind the collection. Future shows include Inspired By: Condé Nast, and Meet and Greet: Nigel Barker.\nWhen: Monday, November 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.\nWhere: Art.com Pop-Up, 117 Post Street (at Kearny Street); No phone.\nNow we're email buddies!"}
{"text": "Content\nHe rapidly informs you that this individual shall spend no time in taking that to the bismarck, the place this individual has arranged a counter for one following closing. Ik hoop zo menominee dat het vu een klein beetje raleigh opschiet accomplished het versturen van sobre brieven, desire ik ben er discussion een beetje klaar mee moet ik zeggen. When you donot have the special pinion instruments, you should use a piece of weighty pipe and the old pinion bearing correspond the size. Examine alfa romeo car opinions and assess east lothian alfa romeo prices and features at carsales. Active repair off the public domains needs to consider a number of prevalent rules. Will never provide primarily to give you throughout the world companies which might be dating U.\nThere is their ranking beneath – we take into account dependability, legality, status, and the comfort of the assistance. In Summer 2013, The Philippine charge in Seoul reported that it had got many complaints from Filipinas who have married Korean males by way of mail-order, frequently changing in “victims of plot abuses”.\nSeriously, if I observed a beautiful guy in a flavored coffee shop, I’d just strategy him rather than verify to see if he is in Happn. The app seems designed for individuals who don’t desire to use web based relationship sites but in addition shouldn’t strategy persons in every day life. Now all this is decided simply by you, mainly because mail purchase relationship sites offer you devices that you should meet up with your real guy. It remains to be to build an effective relationship, create a family and raise youngsters within the company of a loving and genuine person, suitable for you in figure and lifestyle values. That is real joy to meet deliver order star of the wedding from one various other nation. You will find free going out with websites with respect to available singles folks, nonetheless most solutions are paid.\nAlthough there happen to be numerous benefits to regular membership rights at the international female online dating internet website, you can also discover a level of cons. The main disadvantage is the fact you’ll never be allowed to speak to paid members right. It actually is real that the majority websites let you talk to completely different paid out members, however there are on top of that numerous participants that you’ll be attempting to contact right. Additionally , if you want achieve admittance towards the database of users, you’ll should pay back a one time payment. You can add profiles on your the, initiate instant shows with users that east online, and ship email, which east textual content solely. Regrettably, sites is not a audio or perhaps video support for email or chat. In the Voting section, you might be proven two profile photos side-by-side, also, you select and you simply discover more enticing.\nFontana additionally, its closeness to boston makes tinder date 5 men okcupid increase free a superbly easy break free from the city. Let us have your the best places to fulfill true romance in america free search checkbook enroll to the next degree. Under a modify of use bid, candidates was executed to remodel the workplace constructing in flats directed at the scholar market. H declaration of independence finally reaches area of the united kingdom. More intended for males the proper to the renowned use of the phrases males is disclaimed aside from the trade-mark. Just as a cold could be crucial for an tinder profile n cup or perhaps greater community intercourse hunt for girls man or woman, kennel cough can be strenuous on household pets who actually have critical diseases. The race car will likely be eligible to be competitive in numerous completely different nationwide and worldwide range, with alternatives for stamina racing and sprint race.\nYou can even establish who you’re looking european, addContent images, and interact up to questions, in 12 classes, which includes Love and Relationships, Way of life, and Figure. If applied, the petitioner should additionally confide in USCIS that she or he met the fiancé using a global marital life dealer. Extra supporting documentation must be submitted to proof that net web page is both not an IMB or adjusts to the IMBRA standards. Moreover, the rationale for that lady to hunt a international husband could be the reality there are no first rate men left the area they live.\nwho Foreign Marriage Sites app advertising girl\nSearch footage and females free online dating sites – if you right now have the millions of 438 singles near by. As an individual base of over 4 million grows, HER could possibly widen the dating pool past the peculiar girls you already know. The conventional textual content bio is a place you will still be capable of flex your sense of humor or perhaps describe the type of marriage you are seeking. Joining specialized niche teams just like “newly out” or “vacationers” can introduce you to folks using the app with respect to related triggers. Young individuals trying to at least go on a couple of dates considering the identical person before being the night the time has been the time hath been a serious impaired spot for relationship websites — until Hinge blew up. The basic appeal may be in the same sphere as Tinder and Bumble, however Hinge’s distinctive profile standards and algorithms primarily based on that specifications set the scene for the purpose of long-term potential.\nAt the very least, seclusion might have easily pressured even more folks to understand that they do, in fact , seek more firm than a butt name. Tinder says that more daters happen to be open to “seeing where concerns go” than they were prior to the pandemic. That implies that you might have more fortune discovering something critical over a dating iphone app that has historically had a position for everyday relationships and hookups. I’m committed pleasant serving to you discover the proper match very best matter the they’re. Our membership base is made up of thousands of beautiful ladies by International, Welcome Europe, Asia, Latin America and The african continent on the lookout for males just like you!\nIndividual can decide to blur their very own photos then unblur each time they’re snug with sharing with a match. The capacity to type almost all girls with the help of tangible filters the actual results healthier to your requirements and anticipations. It is less complicated and quicker when a single goes through websites like these. At the press of a mouse button, people surely have access to a very massive number of potential choices. But in actuality that individuals discover precisely what they’ve been on the lookout for. It is much easier once there is a website which requires into consideration your entire decisions and filters facts accordingly."}
{"text": "We weighted 8 top-grade Water Bottle 32 ozs over the latter 2 years. Distinguish which Water Bottle 32 oz is best. You can also Narrow by model, type, size and capacity or opt for one of our Water Bottle 32 oz feature picks.\nAs of our top of the heap pick CLEAR Everyday Tritan 32 oz Wide Mouth Water Bottle BPA FREE 1005 ml Grip Gulp is an exquisite place to start, it gives the majority features with a wonderful price only at 32oz.org."}
{"text": "Hip-pocket frogs in Australia have one of the unique breeding techniques in the world, and DNA research has revealed that they are really two species. Climate change, habitat loss, and introduced species pose serious threats to both species, with the newly identified form likely severely endangered. Hip-pocket frogs, commonly known as marsupial frogs, reside in the eastern Australian highlands’ rainforests. They deposit their eggs on the rainforest floor rather than in water, unlike practically all other amphibians.\nThe father rests on the liquefied egg mass after staying near the eggs for around six days. Tadpoles move up into little pouches towards the top of each leg, where they stay until they grow their own legs, at which time they begin their independent life.\nThe frog has been formally documented since 1933; however, it is likely that Indigenous peoples in the area have known it for thousands of years. However, a study led by Newcastle University’s Professor Michael Mahony examined its DNA and discovered that the frogs dwelling on Wollumbin (Mt Warning) are a different species from those found in the other five known places. The new species is known as Assa wollumbin, and it discovered in Zootaxa, Those who live in other places are known as Assa darlingtoni.\nEven herpetologists cannot tell the two frogs apart because they are both 16mm (0.6 inch) long. With hundreds of kilometers of hot, arid valleys separating A. Darlington’s known habitats, Mahony and co-authors reasoned that they had been isolated long enough to split into different species. They examined for changes in DNA samples taken from frogs in each site. Mahony told IFLScience that it was interesting those frogs from far-flung locations were genetically identical, yet those from Wollumbin were distinct enough to warrant a new name.\nAfter discovering the genetic differences, the scientists looked into it further and discovered variances in their mating calls. In warm weather, a wollumbin has a higher dominant frequency and seldom utilizes more than nine notes in a call, whereas A. darlingtoni uses approximately 13.\nHowever, Mahony told IFLScience that identifying species in the field based on this alone would be difficult without a recording of each for comparison.\nThere are no known variations between the two species’ approaches to their most distinguishing feature: the fathers’ parental care. “As far as we know, after depositing the eggs, the mother does nothing,” Mahony told IFLScience.\n“The father doesn’t appear to be providing any nourishment.” However, it appears that the protection he gives to the developing tadpoles – who are still eating the yolks of their eggs – is critical.\n“It’s not simple to see” how this originated in a world where many male animals give no parental care at all, and those who do generally share it with the females, Mahony said.\nOnly four of the world’s 4,000 [frog] species have male paternal care, in which the male bears the growing tadpoles, according to Mahony. The other two instances are rainforest-dwelling South American frogs, in which the father transports the tadpoles to water, where they grow on their own.\nBecause Assa’s habitat is frequently hilly, there are rarely standing pools of water, even if the environment is moist enough to keep the eggs from drying up. “By eliminating the need for standing water to procreate, frogs avoid predators and may breed wherever there is moist moss or leaves,” Mahony explained. Because it was found just within New South Wales, A. wollumbin is eligible for the state’s newly designated Assets of Intergenerational Significance category of protection, which may see it and Wollumbin National Park get more funding."}
{"text": "Wednesday, June 01, 2011\nAttention, kid in the black Ford Focus:\nTo the ass-weasel on I-64 westbound between Shelbyville and Louisville on or about May 31st, 1400hrs in the black Ford Focus ZTS with the University of Kentucky plates (I wrote down the number, but you know who you are...): After watching you drive for a quarter-mile in the left lane with an ambulance running code in your rear-view mirror, I sincerely hope that someday you are lying on the pavement, all busted up and bleeding out and screaming for your mother while the ambulance coming to rescue you is stuck behind a mile-long parade of inattentive asshats in black Ford Focii.\nLabels: Blog Stuff, Idjits, Zoom zoom\n28 comments:\nstands slack-jawed in awe at the sublime snark.\nIndeed!\nIn the immortal words of Ron White, \"You just can't fix stupidity.\"\ncap'n chumbucket\nCan we train ambulance drivers in PIT maneuvers?\nTam, you are hereby invited to ride shotgun in my ambulance anytime you like. I'll hand you the PA mike and let you run the siren.\nMy father was medically retired out of a municipal fire department, so you can imagine how I react to such stupidity.\nThere is something about the Ford Focus however that lowers the IQ of all its inhabitants.\n\"ass-weasel\"\nEverything that bothers me - no matter how minor - is going to get called ass-weasel for the next week or so. Thanks, Tam, that insult rocks.\nI had a friend like that. He told me that he was pulled over for speeding and the HP cop said he'd been behind ex-friend for 4 miles.\nSaw ambulances in New York City stuck in traffic where the pedestrians wouldn't let them through. One day - outside Grand Central Station at 42nd St - one of the attendants got on the speaker and said she hoped one day they each would need help and no one would be able to get to them. And no one so much as glanced over at her. Sucks! OldeForce\nTam -\nWho are you to scold that individual. Don't you realize that he's special and that common sense and decency need not apply to them.\nWell that's what their mommies and daddies keep telling them, so it must be true.\n:-(\nJosh\nMy father wishes he had a grenade machinegun for these kinds of people..\nI tried to argue it down to a flamethrower, but he feels only a GMG would be enough justice against road idiots..\nLanius: I feel a 20MM cannon with exploding rounds would be a better choice.\n@Robert\nCars are thin shelled.. 20mm might overpenetrate.\nHmm. Maybe a 30mm MK108 cannon. Does anyone make these anymore?\nAs the driver of ambulances stuck behind such \"ass-weasels' t many times in my career, is a good thing the PA was never on!\nEspecially after running through every siren sound we had!!\nThen you arrive and someone would invariably ask....\n\"What took you?\"\nPush bumpers and bump drafting.\nMy sister would have got UK fan boy up to speed in a heart beat.\nGerry\nWhen I see a rescue vehicle in the rear view, if there is no where else to go, I just drive into the ditch so that I am absolutely sure to be out of the way. I have a 4x4 jeep so I can get away with that. The problem comes when those sheep-like Americans that we all love to laugh at follow me because \"That guy is doing it, maybe we are supposed to\". More than once I've pulled a little econo car out of the ditch after the ambulence or fire truck are gone.\nI don't want the job, but if I ever became King of the world my first order would be to have the Interstates patrolled by big helicopters with large electromagnets. When they encounter those mobile parking lots they would issue an immediate automotive time out to the lead car in the left lane. Just a few minutes on side streets will give them time to contemplate their inconsideration to everybody. If discovered in front of an ambulance their landing would not be a soft one.\n+1.\nwv: haters. No, we're not.\nLanius: An RPG is what is needed.\nRandy: +1. Maybe you could get them to buy enough to re-start production of the Sikorsky Sky-Crane..)\n\"Tam, you are hereby invited to ride shotgun in my ambulance anytime you like. I'll hand you the PA mike and let you run the siren.\"\nNah, just give her the right to use that KRISS or a shotgun.\nThere's nothing like the windshield exploding to get a driver's attention, all that fresh air raises IQ you know.\nJoanna,\nI'm sure you have the advantage of a large head start.\nThis was always my favorite tag to write-failure to yield to emergency vehicle. I usually nicked them for inattentive driving too.\nAss-weasel-you kill me.\nHmmm. Put Snow Plows on the front of EVERY Ambulance, Fire Truck and Police Car. They can be used in Winter to get to the Side Streets that are blocked with the White Stuff, then they can be used in the Off Season to give out Darwin Awards to Over Educated Idiots in Focii. Those who live in Snow-Free States can still use them because they need to get through the Hurricane/EarthQuake/Mudslide/Wildfire Debris. Yes, I know they play Havoc with the Front Suspension, but with the quality of Rally Car Parts out there...\nIt's a Ford Focus. It can't get out of its own way, how the hell is it supposed to get out of the way of an ambulance?\nThis is why I say that ambulance lights and sirens should be replaced with twin Ma Deuces and a snowplow bumper.\nI make Jay G.'s road rage look mild in comparison, at least 3 times a shift.\nRonco had a microphone which would put one's voice on the radio. I have no idea how this worked, but if it could be used on the vehicle directly ahead of the ambulance, a message such as \"Hey, you in the ___, license # ____________, get uot of my way or YOU WILL NEED THE AMBULANCE!!!\"\nAll this followed by tocsins going off, through the imbecile's own speakers!\nUlises from CA\nP.S. If you have video of the perp, please forward it to your state's DMV.\nMuch as I'd have rather had the yahoo move over, it's a lot better than having them look up into the mirror (finally) and immediately hitting the brakes when they see the lights.\nJust MOVE IT. And if you can't move over, move faster."}
{"text": "When you hear the word yoga, words like – flexibility, stretching, and breathing comes to your mind. For those of you who might not be able to touch your toes, this can be very discouraging. There are a lot of misconceptions about yoga being not made for everyone which is not at all true. Let me uncover few yoga myths which will end all your thought bubbles.\nWe often hear people say “I’m meditating” or “I’m doing yoga”. Sometimes they are intending to suggest the same thing while other times they may be talking about drastically different things. Yoga means union. This union means the connection between your soul and the universe. Yoga is not only the word to describe this state of union but is also the means to attain this union. Meditation is essentially a state of awareness or consciousness. A yogi shuts off his senses and outer distractions to transcend into a peaceful state of mind. Yoga is not about meditation, it’s more than that. One cannot truly meditate without being in a particular state of mind. The practices of yoga are truly designed to help one learn to attain this state of meditation. Yoga cultivates discipline, devotion and self-love in an individual.\nHumanity is the only religion for yoga. People are God’s gift to mankind and everyone has the same body and soul. By respecting people he created we are actually respecting the creator himself. Yoga teaches us that hatred leads nowhere, only love goes a long way. It creates a sense of unity that neither power nor money can teach us. Everyone no matter what caste or creed is welcomed to practice yoga. Yoga is not discriminating people against gender, color or age. Yoga is about peaceful unity. Age is just a number in yoga. Whether you are a six year old or a seventy year old, age is no bar for you to practice yoga since yoga is not a destination to reach. It’s just a journey. They don’t call it a “yoga practice” for nothing. The beauty of yoga is not to meet an end goal; it is to learn how to surpass all the negativity you go through when you are on your journey.\nIf you are wondering that with all the bends, twists and poses that makes your body look like a human jalebi, yoga is only for the flexible body type then you are wrong. . I can’t tell you how many people tell me they can’t do yoga because they are not flexible. The point of yoga is not to show off how flexible you are, but rather to become more flexible over time while enjoying yoga’s other health benefits, like improved strength and reduced stress. Yoga is about much more than flexibility. In fact, being super stretchy doesn’t make you “better” at yoga at all. And regarding not able to touch your toes, it gets easier over time with regular practice.\nYoga is for everyone. It relieves stress in an incredible way and strengths the body. It is the best way to connect to one’s self. The best part about yoga is that it is portable and can be done anywhere, anytime by any gender, size or body shape. It is something you can do for your rest of your life. Yoga is empowering and life changing."}
{"text": "- 00:39:15: @rockinrobinp he is like Elton John & Freddie mercury had a baby. I love him. Hey what are u doing tomorrow or thur day?\n- 00:41:44: @estepmike yes dec 16-27. I'm having a gathering at a bdubs on the 18th for my college & hs peeps...others too\n- 01:40:06: @rockinrobinp yeah, he is. I was going to pick your brain for what to wear for my \"She's Got The Look\" audition on Sunday\n- 02:22:04: This can be quite a social day with the Full Moon visiting you... More for Leo\n- 02:34:51: @elizabeth_ann welcome to my world every time I go home to ohio\n- 04:01:13: heather locklear...what the HELL did you do to your face, sister? I still love you on Melrose Place though. The bitch is back!\n- 04:13:26: okay, job interview tomorrow for hopefully a better restaurant that will let me have ONLY PM availability.\n- 04:34:45: Sleep well. Zzzzzzzz.\n- 13:11:48: @thegregjohnson he looks like there is an inner fattie\n- 13:12:59: @jamesbaltazar that chick was on tool academy 1 & got dumped when the guy's REAL girlfriend showed up. She really likes being the other girl\n- 13:14:22: @SuzieMcNeil have some chili 3-way while in the Nasty-nati. Skyline preferably. Guarantee it rocks\n- 13:14:58: @rockinrobinp I think I only have ur email & Twitter\n- 13:16:42: Going to job interview in Weho. Hate parking cuz all the signs make me paranoid even though I'm legally parked\n- 13:44:11: @gradysize24 sometimes, sadly yes. It sucks.\n- 13:45:03: Yes, sometimes they are & it sucks RT @gradysize24 are secrets to much for this world to handle?\n- 13:50:17: I have a rocking body & the idea is clever, but I've decided no parody shoot out of respect for @gradysize24 & my team loyalty. Go Tribe!\n- 15:00:53: At the gym & testing my sirius iPhone app. Ish better work or I'm yelling at @cockswithp & @sarajbenincasa j/k haha\n- 16:36:03: Color me fangirl! Marshall from Alias is at my freaking gym!!!\n- 17:34:53: @SaraJBenincasa you're lucky....it works. drains the shit out of my battery, but it works.\n- 17:57:40: @SaraJBenincasa Leighton Meester for a girl. Neil Patrick Harris for a guy.\n- 18:17:27: @OGOchoCinco wait....what are you doing wearing a Raiders hat?!!?\n- 21:46:03: if i don't get my work schedule soon, i'm going to get really p'd off. it's supposed be posted by wed @ 5pm, i believe.\n- 21:47:03: @LasVegasAngel that's bs. probably some irresponsible twat, i'm guessing?\n- 22:53:32: i would kill for a giant ass frappacino right now.\n- 23:05:15: BTW, I saw a hooker on Hollywood Blvd tonight when I was going to Fresh & Easy. I'm sure she was easy, but she definitely wasn't fresh.\n- 23:15:28: @bonniegillespie welcome back.\n- 23:53:40: dammit! i lost my phone in my apt! someone freaking call it if you have the number. don't leave a voicemail, just keep calling.\n- 23:56:37: FOUND IT! haha, buried in the suitcase of clothes i was unpacking from my film shoot.\nTweets copied by twittinesis.com"}
{"text": "Black Friday 2012: Show Us Your Lines\nFind deals on Twitter and Instagram via our Black Friday New Jersey hashtag #bfnj …\nhsr\n6:32 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012\nNothing was ever said about Friday only the Holiday. Some people are sooo sour and mean. Cheer up . more ›"}
{"text": "Santa Clara Vacant Cleaning\nTrying to move in or out of a house in Santa Clara? If the home is currently empty then we can usually get to it just with a 24 hour notice and we’ll get it done – RIGHT. (Book Now!)\nSanta Clara Office Cleaning\nWe also offer Office Cleaning to the Santa Clara and surrounding areas. (Book Now!)\nSanta Clara New Construction Cleaning\nWe provide the most simple and affordable Post Construction cleaning services in the Santa Clara area. If you need New Construction cleaning services, Vacant cleaning, or move in/move out cleaning services, we can help. To get started, simply go to our house cleaning online sign up page and sign up! (Book Now!)\nSanta Clara House Cleaning\nIf you’re looking for quality, easy to use cleaning services in the Santa Clara area than look no further than Squeaky Clean House! (Book Now!)\nBook Now!"}
{"text": "I don’t have anything new to share due to most of my projects and all of my tools being in San Francisco, but I’m taking a big box truck to go get them all tomorrow morning! I’m excited!\nIn the meantime, here are some pretty pictures of the DR taken by the previous owner and posted on his website.\nI’m thinking about putting the stock tank back on for commuting since I don’t really ever need four gallons of gas and those graphics are so rad, but I don’t know.\nDepending on how late I get back tomorrow, I’ll try to get some pictures of the fun projects I’m bringing home. All in all I have 15 or 16 motorcycles and mopeds of my own, plus a couple projects for friends that need to be done, so hopefully I’ll be good on content for a while.\n0 Responses to “Pretty pictures of the DR”"}
{"text": "- Record second quarter revenue of $96.0 million\n- Record second quarter GAAP earnings per share of $0.32 and non-GAAP of $0.39\n- Increases revenue and earnings guidance for the third quarter and fiscal year 2016\nPLEASANTON, Calif., July 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Natus Medical Incorporated (NASDAQ:BABY) today announced financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2016.\nFor the second quarter ended June 30, 2016, the Company reported revenue of $96.0 million, an increase of 4.5% compared to $91.9 million reported for the second quarter 2015. GAAP Gross profit margin was 59.9% vs. 62.4% reported for the second quarter 2015. GAAP net income was $10.5 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net income of $9.9 million, or $0.30 per diluted share in the second quarter 2015, representing a 7% increase in GAAP earnings per diluted share.\nNon-GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 15% to $0.39 for the second quarter 2016, compared to $0.34 in the second quarter 2015. Non-GAAP net income was $12.8 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016 compared to the prior year's non-GAAP income of $11.2 million. Non-GAAP Gross profit margin was 60.5% vs. 63.2% reported for the second quarter of 2015.\nFor the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Company reported revenue of $183.3 million, an increase of 1.1% compared to $181.3 million reported for the same period in 2015. GAAP Gross profit margin was 61.0% vs. 61.2% reported for the same period in 2015. GAAP net income was $19.1 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, compared with GAAP net income of $18.4 million, or $0.56 per diluted share in the same period in 2015, representing a 4% increase in GAAP earnings per diluted share.\nNon-GAAP earnings per diluted share increased 11% to $0.72 for the first six months in 2016, compared to $0.65 in the same period in 2015. The Company reported non-GAAP net income of $23.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016, compared to the prior year's non-GAAP net income of $21.4 million.\nCash and cash equivalents increased by $15.0 million to $96.3 million during the quarter. The Company repurchased $7.7 million of its stock during the second quarter of 2016. Cash flow from operations for the second quarter was $13.6 million.\n\"I am very pleased with our record second quarter revenues and earnings per share. Our domestic neurodiagnostic and newborn care businesses reported record results in the second quarter. Our fast growing new service initiatives continued their strong performance as NicView revenues grew by 90 percent, Peloton by 80 percent and GND by 45 percent verse our second quarter last year. We remain committed to achieving our full year 2016 non-GAAP operating margin goal of 20%,\" said Jim Hawkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.\n\"We recently announced the acquisition of RetCam, the worldwide leader in imaging systems used to diagnose and monitor a range of ophthalmic maladies in premature infants. We believe RetCam technology has exciting growth opportunities in the years ahead and are looking forward to further developing the newborn retinal imaging and screening market. Our growth strategy continues to include selective acquisitions like RetCam and potentially larger acquisitions that will expand our product offerings in the markets we serve,\" said Hawkins.\nFinancial Guidance\nThe Company provided revenue and earnings guidance for the second quarter and updated its revenue and earnings guidance for the full year 2016.\nFor the third quarter 2016, the Company expects revenue of $97.0 million to $98.0 million, GAAP earnings per share of $0.35 to $0.37 and non-GAAP earnings per share guidance of $0.41 to $0.43.\nThe Company increased its full year 2016 revenue guidance and now expects revenue of $388 million to $390 million compared to previous guidance of $378 million to $382 million. The updated revenue guidance includes $7 million attributable to the acquisition of RetCam. Full year 2016 guidance for GAAP earnings per share is $1.35 to $1.38. Non-GAAP earnings per share guidance is being updated to $1.67 to $1.70 compared to previous guidance of $1.61 to $1.65.\nThe Company's non-GAAP earnings guidance excludes amortization of acquisition related intangibles, acquisition related charges, restructuring charges, and their related tax effects. All non-GAAP earnings per share amounts are on a diluted basis.\nUse of Non-GAAP Financial Measures\nThe Company presents in this release its non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP earnings per share, non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP operating margin results which exclude amortization expense associated with certain acquisition-related intangibles, restructuring charges, certain discreet items, direct costs of acquisitions and the related tax effects. A reconciliation between non-GAAP and GAAP financial measures is included in this press release.\nThe Company believes that the presentation of results excluding these charges or gains provides meaningful supplemental information to both management and investors that is indicative of the Company's core operating results and better reflects the ongoing economics of the Company's operations. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate comparison of operating results across reporting periods.\nSpecifically, the Company excludes the following charges, gains, and their related tax effects in the calculation of charges. The Company has over time completed multiple acquisitions of other companies and businesses. Following an acquisition the Company will, as it determines appropriate, initiate restructuring events to eliminate redundant costs. Restructuring expenses which are excluded in the non-GAAP items are exclusively related to permanent reductions in our workforce and redundant facility closures. 3) Certain.\nThe Company applies GAAP methodologies in computing its non-GAAP tax provision by determining the annual expected effective tax rate after taking into account items excluded for non-GAAP financial reporting purposes. The Company’s non-GAAP tax expense and its non-GAAP effective tax rate are generally higher than its GAAP tax expense and GAAP effective tax rate because the income subject to taxes would be higher due to the effect of the items excluded from non-GAAP financial reporting.\nThe Company's management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the Company's performance and when planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods and the Company believes that investors also benefit from being able to refer to these non-GAAP financial measures along with the GAAP operating results., July 20, 2016. Individuals interested in listening to the conference call may do so by dialing 1-844-634-1441 for domestic callers, or 1-508-637-5658 for international callers, and entering reservation code 42221163. A telephone replay will be available for 48 hours following the conclusion of the call by dialing 1-855-859-2056 for domestic callers, or 1-404-537-3406 for international callers, and entering reservation code 42221163., improved margins, and revenue and non‑GAAP profitability for the second quarter and full year 2016., risks associated with bringing new products to market and integrating acquired businesses, risks associated with our Venezuela contract, risks associated with product recalls, 2015.\nNatus Medical Incorporated Jonathan A. Kennedy Sr. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (925) 223-6700 InvestorRelations@Natus.com\nSource:Natus Medical Incorporated"}
{"text": "MARTHA MCCOLLOUGH\nMARTHA MCCOLLOUGH\nMartha McCollough, 80, of Webster City, died Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Van Diest Medical Center. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 21, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Faith United Methodist Church with Pastor Jan Burnett, officiating. Burial at Cass Center Cemetery will follow the services. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the church.\nMartha Mae Anderson, the daughter of Ben and Margaret Shafer Anderson, was born on January 27, 1938 in Randall. She graduated from Randall Consolidated Schools. Martha married Keith McCollough on March 8, 1957 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. She was the bookkeeper for McCollough Bros Service Station for over 50 years.\nShe is survived by her husband, Keith McCollough of Webster City; children, Randy (Jacquie) McCollough, Sherri (Dennis) Staley, all of Webster City, Teresa (Ron) Behnke, Amy (TJ) Reisen, all of Cedar Rapids; six grandchildren, Regan (Brian) Peck, Tyler McCollough, Cody McCollough, Chris Staley, Avery Reisen and Anna Reisen; three great-grandchildren, Dylan, Adalie and Conner Peck; brothers, Glen (Mary Ann) Anderson of Story City, Art (Gerry) Anderson of Randall and Harold (Candy) Anderson of Story City.\nIn addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her grandson, Gabriel Reisen and sister, Grace Anderson.\nMartha was a member of Faith United Methodist Church. She enjoyed collecting Department 56 houses, genealogy, puzzles, traveling to Branson and supporting Keith in his many collections. She was a past Girl Scout Leader and was known for her 7-layer rainbow jello dessert.\nIn lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to the family.\nOnline condolences may be expressed at."}
{"text": " lawyer advising Donald Trump on ethics issues said Wednesday he will give hotel profits generated by foreign government payments to the U.S. Treasury as part of a plan to avoid possible conflicts of interest.\nBut the attorney says he will not divest his business or create a true blind trust, as ethics organizations have called for him to do.\nSheri Dillon, a tax attorney at Morgan Lewis, announced the action at Trump's news conference in New York, along with a plan for the president-elect to hand over his business to his two eldest sons and a Trump Organization executive.\nIt is not entirely clear how much money Trump's hotels would make from foreign governments or who would ensure that Trump donates those profits.\nTrump has faced questions about reports of foreign officials staying at his Washington hotel in order to curry favor. Critics have said that could violate a constitutional clause barring accepting gifts from foreign governments.\nDillon argued that the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution did not apply to the hotel stays, though some experts have disagreed with that assertion.\nMany ethics experts urged Trump to completely divest or set up a blind trust for his assets. Dillon said Trump decided not to do that because it was not realistic, adding that divesting may have created more possible conflicts."}
{"text": "Subscribe to newsletter for chance to win t-shirts and other cool weekly prizes. Also receive weekly blog summary and deal notifications.\nWe respect your email privacy\nIt's a lot easier to get your kids hooked on shredding when they can see clearly and feel warm. The Anon Kids' Relapse Jr. Goggles offers the same premium optics and high tech features as its adult sized counterpart, and an integrated facemask fights off frostbite. MFI technology features a moisture wicking facemask that magnetically attaches to the goggles for seamless protection from wind, snow, and cold. This means no more bunching under goggles or exposed skin, and the facemask has vent holes to prevent warm breath from fogging the lens up. ICT anti fog tech and full perimeter channel venting also do their share to keep the lens clear. The Relapse is also helmet and eyeglass compatible so it works for everyone, and an included microfiber pouch offers a convenient storage space to keeps the lens from getting scratched in your kid's backpack.."}
{"text": "Tem genetics classes online, and registering for elective seminars. Which college degrees give you the best chances of finding employment after graduation? There are accredited nursing certificate programs that can help launch your career, performing a variety of medical services within a hospital setting. Concentrating on Temple University genetics classes online, for example, you may gain an advantage in job recruiting on-campus. Check with the molecular biology department for course registration deadlines, and genetics program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Templeumbia State Community College optometry Registered Nurse (RN)\nCommunity Healthcare Network\nParticipates in maintaining standards of nursing practice. Records, reports and interprets nursing services and client's responses..\n3 hours ago Staff Registered Nurse ( Hemodialysis RN )\nDaVita\nAs part of our professional team of clinicians, you will ensure the compassionate, professional delivery of all dialysis-related nursing services in an..\n7 hours ago"}
{"text": "This Monday, April 8, 2019. This item is in the category “Sporting Goods\\Cycling\\Bicycle Components & Parts\\Electric Bicycle Components”. The seller is “buy_and_buy24″ and is located in Shanghai. This item can be shipped worldwide.\n- Design: Brushless\n- Wattage: 301 – 400w\n- MPN: Does not apply\n- Country/Region of Manufacture: China\n- For Bike Type: Hub motor\n- Brand: kun ray\n- Electric Bike Part Type: Hub motor\n- Type: Hub motor\n- Voltage: 48V\n"}
{"text": "Do you have a photo of Jonathan?\nLost to gun violence on October 6, 2014 in Saint Louis, Missouri.\nNews sources:\nAlso killed were:\nThe people with the most candles in the past 24 hours are featured on our homepage.Ask your friends to light a candle or come back tomorrow to light another candle for Jonathan."}
{"text": "I platoon commanded by a Lt.. Three rifle platoons to a company commanded by a Capt. Three companies to a battalion commanded by a Lt Col. etc.\nTeam: Four individual Marines assigned to a specific team (Three team members, plus the team leader).).\nBattalion: Three companies/batteries are assigned to form a battery a battalion.\nRegiment: Three battalions form a Regiment (Sometimes called a Brigade).\nDivision: Three Brigades are assigned to make up a Division.\nMarine Corps: Three or more divisions make up the Marine Corps. \"Super Stallions,\" CH-46E \"Sea Knights,\" UH-1N \"Hueys,\" and AH-1W \"Super Cobras.\" Ace assets may also include the fixed-wing aircraft such as the AV-8B \"Harrier\".\nMarine Aviation\nThe Marines structure their aviation commands a little differently.."}
{"text": "The Contender\nCon (against)\nWinning\n38 Points\nTorture is sometimes morally permissible.\nPost Voting Period\nThe voting period for this debate has ended.\nafter 11 votes the winner is...\ntribefan011\nDebate Rounds (3)\nVotes (11)\n11 votes have been placed for this debate. Showing 1 through 10 records.\nVote Placed by CrusaderDebater 7 years ago\nVote Placed by Youngblood 7 years ago\nVote Placed by LightningRod 7 years ago\nVote Placed by greenlightgo08 7 years ago\nVote Placed by tribefan011 7 years ago\nVote Placed by YukaYuka2486.\nReason For Decision\nB/A: Con\nConduct: Tied. Both sides remained cordial.\nSpelling and grammar: Con. Pro had more grammatical mistakes, and I can point them out if someone wants me to.\nArguments: Con. Pro conceded that torture is ethically wrong.\nSources: Con. Pro's first source was irrelevant to the resolution. I didn't bother to go through the second source, as Pro failed to show how he used the second source. I had 8 sources, which all were pretty relevant to the resolution.\nThe problem is you're taking it out of context. It's not inevitable without action. The action has to be taken to engage in war. Even then, much collateral damage can be avoided. The sheer fact that we do something does not make it morally permissible. The fact that we take steps to avoid collateral damage shows that we think it's wrong. Justification and moral justification are not the same. I can simply say that greed is inevitable in society and obviously in a capitalist society. That does not make greed morally permissible.\nIt's not absurd in the slightest.\nExcellent point, I'll try to do that next time."}
{"text": "Every year since 1942, the CSX Corporation has run a special train from Shelby, KY to Kingsport, TN at the beginning of the holiday season. Known as The Santa Train, it makes stops in 14 different communities along the way, distributing gifts to less fortunate families in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.\nIn the early days, this train was all that many impoverished Appalachian families had to look forward to for Christmas cheer, and folks still line the route for a chance to visit with Santa at each stop.\nCSX also brings along popular figures in the music world to meet the kids, and this year bluegrass/country superstar Ricky Skaggs will be riding the train. He be on board for the full journey on Saturday, November 18, with a performance scheduled for when the Santa Train pulls in to Kingsport that afternoon.\nTori Kaplan, Vice President of Communications and Field Support for CSX, says they are delighted to have the Kentucky native with them this year.\n“We are so excited to have an icon like Ricky Skaggs join us on this year’s Santa Train. This year’s train marks 75 years of giving back to the families of Appalachia, and we couldn’t have picked a better partner and representative of Appalachia than Ricky.”\nFolks along the route can find stop times for the 18th from local CSX offices.\nRicky is ready to go!\n“So excited to get to do the Santa Train this year… it’s a beautiful thing. I love the children of Appalachia and I love Christmas, so it’s gonna be a great thing for my heart. Can’t wait!”\nBut will he wear a Santa cap?"}
{"text": "Have you discovered that you need a lawyer? Despite the reason for representation, finding a lawyer can be expensive. But, if you take note of the advice that has been provided to you here, you don’t have to spend a fortune hiring a great attorney. Continue reading to find out the best ways to find a lawyer.\nBefore you sign up for a lawyer’s services, find out about his or her past. Not all practicing lawyers are successful. An attorney may have a valid license, but not be very good. Knowing a lawyer’s record will enable you to determine whether or not he or she can handle your case successfully.\nYou need to get a good lawyer immediately if you have been accused of a major crime. Let your lawyer guide you, because after all they are the real experts. Good lawyers contain adequate experience for handling your situation.\nConsider having a lawyer on retainer to prepare for the worst before it happens. You won’t feel pressured and can take the necessary amount of time. Expert advice will be at your disposal with a lawyer to fall back on.\nYou don’t just want to choose the first lawyer you find. Blindly choosing a lawyer is never a good idea. I went with a referral from my realtor, but that lawyer turned out to have been disbarred for malpractice. Doing your own research can help you avoid problems in the future.\nYou need to touch base with your lawyer on a specific schedule. Many lawyers get paid and go without client contact for a long time. Coming up with a schedule beforehand will help alleviate any of these problems.\nWhen looking for a business lawyer, try getting some business recommendations. They may be able to share the name of a great attorney they had success with in the past. For example, if you are thinking about small business laws, speak with a banker or an accountant. They will have experience with these lawyers and be able to help you.\nMake sure your attorney has won other cases similar to yours before you sign a contract. Stating that he or she specializes in that type of case does not mean they have experience. You may be able to find some of this information online, but if you do not the lawyer really should be more than happy to share their past cases with you.\nYour lawyer you hire should be one you trust. This is especially important for financial and business matters. They may ask for retaining fees and blank checks. If you go along with this, your lawyer has great control over the fate of your finances. Protect yourself as much as you can.. Look at their qualifications to pick the referral service that works best for you.\nYou want a lawyer who is going to give you attention that you deserve. The tips here will ensure your search is fruitful. You need the best help you can, so that your case doesn’t go down the tubes."}
{"text": "Merciless in multiple ways, might we add.\nMoments after Leicester City saw Ederson save a Jamie Vardy header and a follow-up hit the post, Man City showed Leicester it can counter pretty effectively.\n[ VIDEO: Mane’s sweet strike ]\nKevin De Bruyne led the charge with a diagonal ball to the corner, and Leroy Sane held up play as the Belgian worked his way toward the top of the arc.\nThat’s when the ball came back to KDB and, well, ka-boom."}
{"text": "There are a variety of roof coatings available in North America today. These high-performance coatings provide a variety of benefits, such as moisture resistance, reflectivity, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance and ultraviolet (UV) resistance. These coating properties come from the components that are used to formulate the coating. But these components and how they are formulated into the product will determine the handling properties and how the coating will cure and perform when applied on the roof.\nExterior-grade roof coatings are all typically formulated using three basic raw material categories: pigments, resins and a liquid carrier. These components first stabilize the coating so it can be packaged, delivered to the roof and applied onto the surface. The remaining ingredients bind together to form the protective film and provide the desired service once the coating has fully cured.\nEven though coatings are typically classified by the type of resin (or polymer), we can also categorize coatings by the liquid carrier. More specifically, roof coatings types are broken into the following categories:\n- Solvent based.\n- Waterborne.\n- Multi-component reactive, moisture cure.\nIn spite of the wide differences in the makeup of the products in these three categories, they are for the most part very similar in application and handling. This article will describe the unique properties of each category of coating and detail the potential issues that may arise with the application and function of these coatings on the roof.\nIn this photo, a roof contractor is using plural component spray equipment to recoat an existing SPF system with a two-component polyurea coating over a urethane primer. This polyurea coating cures within 30 seconds of application.\nSolvent-Based CoatingsMost traditional roof coatings are formulated using a solvent (other than water) to dissolve the solids (pigment and resin) so they can be applied in a uniform film on a surface. These solvents are hydrocarbon or chlorinated solvents that evaporate at a rate much faster than water. Some of these solvents are mineral spirits (naphtha or turpentine), toluene, xylene, acetone, MEK, methanol, trichloroethane, and methylene chloride. These solvents have been used in many durable, highly reflective, protective roof surface finishes over the past century.\nThe foremost advantage of a solvent-based coating is the ability to be stored and applied under cool weather conditions. A solvent-based coating will withstand freezing temperatures during storage without damage, whereas a waterborne coating can become permanently damaged by this exposure. In addition, during application in cold temperatures, the solvent will continue to \"flash off,\" or evaporate, unlike the waterborne coatings, whose cure rate will come to a standstill. Films from a solvent-based coating are not susceptible to damage from freezing, since there is no water for ice crystals to form.\nSolvents typically have a much faster evaporation rate than water. A fast evaporation is desired so the coating can successfully form a film and cure in order to support foot traffic and resist rain wash-off. However, the evaporation rate of the solvent must be matched to the coating system. If the solvent evaporates too fast, the coating may not properly adhere, flow, or self level. If the solvent evaporates too slowly, the coating may sag or may thin out in areas.\nIn addition to evaporation rate, \"solvency\" is another key property considered when formulating a coating. The solvent must be strong enough to suspend the resin (or polymer) within solution at a viscosity low enough to be applied at the ideal coverage rate. If the solvent is not strong enough, the coating may be susceptible to settling of solids and resulting in poor properties of the coating film due to inconsistent coverage. Even when a coating has good solvency, it is always a good idea to mix each container prior to application to assure the components have not separated during storage.\nOn porous surfaces, solvents help to wet out the substrate, which allows the coating to penetrate and develop stronger adhesion. When applied over previously coated surfaces, the solvent conditions the surface, which helps improve the bond of the new coating to the existing. As a final note, the solvent in the new coating must not soften the existing coating so much that it softens and lifts the previous coating from the surface. Application of a test patch is always recommended to ensure compatibility and proper adhesion.\nWhen specified, primers can help improve adhesion of a coating. A primer usually has more solvent and less solid material than a top coat, so the primer can penetrate into the substrate and make the surface more similar to the intended top coat; therefore, the adhesion between these compatible surfaces will be better than without the primer. A primer can also function as a way to hold down minor contaminants, such as dust, which can inhibit adhesion and act as a bond breaker to a coating.\nThe strength of the solvent must be balanced by other factors, such as environmental and safety aspects. Certain solvents, such as those containing chlorine and benzene, can be toxic in high concentrations. Products containing these types of solvents should only be specified in situations where there is sufficient fresh air that the solvent concentration in the air will not exceed OSHA action levels or where the installer is protected with a properly fitted respirator that is designed to protect the user from organic vapors.\nAnother potential issue with solvent-based coatings is flammability. Because most solvents are petroleum-based and volatile, they generate a vapor that can combust when in enclosed areas and exposed to a spark or flame source. Flammability issues with solvent-based coatings can be addressed by using coatings containing chlorinated solvents, which are noncombustible due to the fire-retardant properties of chlorine.\nMany chlorinated solvents are no longer available due to their status as ozone-depleting chemicals. Solvents such as Trichloroethylene and Trichloroethane, in spite of their advantage of having excellent solvency and fire resistance, have been limited by international agreement through the Montreal Protocol because they are believed to have a destructive effect on the ozone layer. There are other chlorinated solvents still available, such as methylene chloride, which are not reactive with ozone, but the potential health issues with overexposure have led to their decreased usage.\nOdor will most always be a primary characteristic of solvent-based coatings. Since solvents are usually highly volatile, their unique odor will often reveal the application of a coating. The best approach to managing solvent odor starts prior to the coating installation. Schedule the coating project for a time when few building occupants are present, such as over a weekend or holiday. If this is not possible, notify the building occupants prior to starting the project, so individuals with health issues have the opportunity to relocate. During the project, shut down air intakes in the application area, but provide fresh make-up air from other locations. Depending on the coating type, the odor is typically eliminated within two to four hours of application due to the fast evaporation rate.\nThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other local air quality districts currently regulate the amount of solvent permitted in each commercial category of coating with the goal of reducing ground level ozone and smog and improving air quality. Reputable manufacturers have addressed these issues and market coatings that are compliant with the regulations that limit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These new regulations have made an impact by driving some traditional coatings from the market, but have also had the effect of spurring advancements in coating technology.\nHere a roof contractor is roller applying a water-based primer and acrylic coating as a restoration coating over an existing reinforced CSPE single-ply roof system. This coating system was specified for use over this refrigerated food storage facility due to the low odor features of the coating and excellent bond strength of this primer.\nWaterborne CoatingsWaterborne coatings have become the predominant type of roof coating specified today. Even though waterborne coatings can only be applied under warm weather conditions, they are successfully applied to roofs in all parts of North America. In spite of the limitations on application conditions, other features related to the performance, cost, and health and safety have led to the great market acceptance of waterborne roof coatings.\nIn waterborne coating formulations, the polymers and pigments are not dissolved within the system. Instead, these solids are diluted in water so the coating can flow and be easily applied. In addition to water, there may be a small amount of solvent-based material to provide additional properties to the coating, such as freeze resistance and improved film formation.\nUpon application, the water evaporates and diffuses through the coating film or absorbs into the substrate. Once the water is released from the coating film, the coating film compresses and fuses together with the surface and begins to achieve its final cure.\nOnce a roof coating has dried enough to support foot traffic, the actual time it takes to fully cure may be another two to four weeks after application. The resin or polymer needs time to create molecular cross-linkages, also described as the final cure. During the cure period, freshly applied waterborne roof coatings have a few limitations that must be understood. First, the roof coating is susceptible to reversion in areas where water collects. Even though the coating quickly develops wash-off resistance, the coating film will soften and lift when immersed in ponds or even small \"birdbath\" areas. Second, the applied coating may be susceptible to dirt pickup until the polymer is fully cured. Finally, adhesion to the substrate is increasing during this cure period.\nAfter a few weeks, the waterborne roof coating will provide excellent performance with respect to water resistance, dirt pickup, and adhesion to the substrate. However, during the cure period these performance aspects have not fully developed and will not until the coating has achieved its final cure. One way to help ensure a successful coating application is to specify a tapered roof insulation system to help remove water rather than allowing water to collect in dead level roof areas. If the coating is part of a new roof system and it is late in the year (after Oct. 1), it may be justified to wait to apply the waterborne coating the following spring when days are longer and the nights are warmer.\nWaterborne coatings have important advantages that have led to their growing usage. With water instead of solvent as the liquid carrier, the coatings have low flammability. These coatings will not ignite in the presence of a spark or flame during application. This is a great safety advantage for the contractor. Another advantage is that contractors are able to use the same equipment to apply waterborne coatings as they use with solvent-based coatings. Also, the minimal odor of the coating will pose fewer concerns for the occupants and building operations.\nThe fact that waterborne roof coatings are low in VOCs has been one reason for their growth and wide acceptance. Regulations regarding the amount of solvent contained within a coating formulation were first enacted in California, expanded to individual cities, counties, and states across the country, and are now in force across the United States either through state provisions or the the EPA's National Architectural Coatings Regulation. In these regulations, coatings are categorized by type and usage, such as \"roof coatings,\" \"metallic pigmented coatings\" and \"bituminous coatings.\" It is much easier for waterborne coatings to meet the VOC requirements in these categories.\nSome localities, such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), which is located in the four-county area surrounding Los Angeles, have written VOC regulations that are more stringent than the EPA's National Architectural Coatings Regulation. The strategy of the SCAQMD is to review existing coating technology and to initiate VOC Standards to mandate coatings that use the lowest amount of VOCs for a particular product category. The SCAQMD currently allows only roof coatings with less than 50 g/L of solvent. This is the lowest VOC level for this category of coatings in North America today. It has been a challenge to manufacturers to meet this limit. Certain properties relied on by contractors, such as freeze/thaw resistance of a coating, may be affected. The coatings that work in Southern California with its warm climate may not necessarily work in other parts of the country with cooler weather.\nIt is obvious that waterborne coatings must be applied in warm weather conditions. However, the subsequent nighttime temperatures and weather conditions on the following day are just as important for the successful cure and long-term performance of any waterborne coating. Temperatures above 50°F should be present for 24 to 48 hours after application or else the water may not sufficiently evaporate from the coating film. At temperatures below 40°F, the water release and cure rate may come to a complete standstill, leaving the freshly applied coating vulnerable to wash-off, dirt pickup, or damage from freezing temperatures.\nIn addition to warm temperatures, sunlight, wind and humidity also play an important role in drying and curing a waterborne coating film. Sunlight helps to warm the surface, while a breeze helps carry away the moisture evaporating from the coating film so that it can skin over. Sunlight is very important for warming a cold surface prior to application of the waterborne coating. However, on days with cold air temperatures, sunlight may not provide much help in the drying process since a freshly applied white coating is highly reflective. As for relative humidity, if the moisture level in the air is high (above 90 percent RH), a freshly applied waterborne coating film may not be able to effectively evaporate the water into the air since it is already highly saturated with moisture.\nWaterborne coatings have a reasonably good shelf life, typically one year. Mixing the product prior to application is always a good recommendation to ensure a uniform blend of the coating components. After application, clean up with water is recommended, even for brushes, spray equipment, tools, and on areas where coating may have been freshly splashed or spilled.\nThis solvent-based aluminum coating was applied over an asphalt emulsion surfacing over a smooth asphalt cold process BUR system. This roof manufacturer's surfacing system is UL fire rated over a variety of roof systems.\nMulti-Component/Moisture Cure Reactive CoatingsThe third category of roof coating consists of a base liquid that chemically reacts when mixed with a curative. These are called multi-component coatings. Within this category are also coatings that are delivered as a single component; they react with moisture from the air during application in order to initiate the cure. These coatings may be solvent-based, waterborne or chemical. They may also be up to 100 percent solids that are liquefied with plasticizers and may contain either some VOCs or contain no VOCs at all.\nThe multi-component or moisture cure type of roof coating is usually based on some type of high-performance reactive polymer or resin that will impart a desirable property within the finished coating, such as chemical resistance, long term color fastness (non-yellowing), abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, impact resistance, or high elongation. These types of coatings for the most part are formulated so that odor is minimal or virtually nonexistent.\nAn excellent feature of multi component coatings is their package stability. Prior to mixing, the components are typically very stable with a long shelf life. The individual components may be caustic or hazardous in some other way, such as with the components of epoxy coatings, but once they are mixed together, the coating fully reacts within a definitive time period. Depending on the type of coating, the pot life may be as little as 30 seconds or as long as eight hours. Cool ambient temperatures may extend these cure times.\nFor a multi-component coating with an extremely short pot life, such as polyure coatings, a plural component spray pump is required. Plural component spray systems consist of two separate pumps, which pressurize each component separately and then combine parts A and B of the coating within the spray gun and immediately spray the mixed components onto the roof surface. These plural component coatings spray systems may also provide heated hoses to maintain a consistent reaction temperature. Coatings with a pot life of one hour or more can be mixed in pails and applied by roller or conventional spray equipment.\nMoisture cure coatings are typically sealed within the container under a \"blanket\" of nitrogen gas, where this inert gas is blown across the top of the coating during packaging.\nThe nitrogen in the dead air space of the container displaces air that may have contained moisture, which in turn protects the coating in the container from beginning to skin and cure. Moisture cure urethanes are a common example of this type of coating. The shelf life of moisture cure coatings may be limited to as little as six months. Also, once the container is opened, it is difficult in the field to properly reseal the container to keep the remaining material from curing in the container, so it is best to use the entire contents once the package is opened.\nThis white, highly reflective acrylic roof coating is applied at a heavy coverage rate directly over a three-ply BUR system.\nEnsuring A Successful ApplicationThe specifier must understand the features along with the potential drawbacks and the local regulations in effect prior to recommending a particular type of coating. The applicator must understand the manufacturer's recommendations for the coating in order to provide a successful application of the product.\nEach different type of coating offers its own set of advantages and limitations. The project team must be familiar with all of these criteria in order to provide the best recommendations to a building owner to assure the coating will provide all of the benefits anticipated by the building owner."}

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