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1:43 p.m.: Khloe Kardashian was among the last to leave Staples Center — engaged in conversation with diehard Lakers lover/radio personality Vic the Brick with his purple-and-gold poncho and hat, believe it or not — and is expected to join hubby Lamar Odom for a Mexican vacation soon.
— Kevin Ding
1:40 p.m.: Pau Gasol said when he has his season-ending exit meeting with Phil Jackson (who missed the parade to get his health checked out) and Mitch Kupchak soon he won't be able to resist asking Jackson if he's coming back as coach next season, even though Gasol knows everyone has been asking him recently.
— Kevin Ding
1:36 p.m.: Kobe Bryant came to talk to reporters (while a security guard asked his daughters if they had to go to the bathroom after the parade ride) and said he noticed a lot of thank-yous from fans who grew up watching the Celtics "pummel the Lakers."
— Kevin Ding
1:31 p.m.: Lakers took the bus back to Staples Center and chatted with some reporters. Shocking, I know, but Ron Artest was the entertainer among them. He said he had some drinks before the parade — including Hennessy! — to make sure he enjoyed it to the fullest.
— Kevin Ding
12:16 p.m.: Having covered the Lakers pretty much daily for the past two months, I have to say, I've come to hate that freaking Black Eyed Peas' song "I Gotta Feeling." I gotta feeling I'm about to vomit.
— Jeff Miller
12:11 p.m.: There are two girls holding a sign that reads "Sasha, marry us." Shouldn't they be Utah Jazz fans?
— Jeff Miller
12:05 p.m.: Ron Artest with a live microphone on live TV is a very dangerous thing. Fox Sports West cut him off shortly after he implored the crowd to join him in a "Boston S***S!" chant. Calls have been placed for reaction from Paul Pierce.
— Jeff Miller
11:46 a.m.: Lamar Odom to Lakers play-by-play man Spero Dedes on how special it was to defeat the Celtics in the Finals: "It wasn't about beating Boston. It was about beating the team that beat you." (Meaning in 2008.)
— Jeff Miller
11:24 a.m.: A couple guys on Fox Sports West are debating whether DJ Mbenga and/or Josh Powell will be back next season. In other words, the parade coverage now officially has been going on too long.
Best line so far, as the caravan begins to creep forward, Matt "Money" Smith on Fox says, "I heard they're going to go 45 mph."
— Jeff Miller
11:17 a.m.: Jeanie Buss was one of the first to board the bus. She wore a yellow hat with the roman numeral X (for Phil Jackson's 10 NBA titles).
But she attached a post-it note that read: +1. Phil has won 11 titles now.
"I didn't my Minnie Pearl thing," Jeanie said.
— Janis Carr
11:16 a.m.: In the most predictable development of the day, Kobe Bryant ditched the official adidas championship T-shirt being worn by his teammates for a Nike version celebrating himself as the "Black Mamba."
Apparently, this idea of being together as one only goes so far. Honoring team is one thing, but that endorsement money trumps all.
— Jeff Miller
10:57 a.m.: It's time. Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and friends are headed toward the buses.
The Laker girls are already about, and so are members of the Lakers front office.
Ron Artest is wearing a black top hat with a pink feather on top.
— Janis Carr
10:43 a.m.: Even if you aren't a fan of the Lakers or of parades, you have to be a fan of this: Because of its coverage today, Channel 7 (KABC) is postponing "The View," which now will air at — 1:06 a.m.!
— Jeff Miller
10:41 a.m.: Channel 7 reporter Leo Stallworth just interviewed a man who has painted himself completely purple. Stallworth concluded his segment by announcing, "Now we're going for the three-peat. We already have the two-peat."
Leo, there's an actual English word for the Lakers just did. It's "repeat," not "two-peat."
— Jeff Miller
10:37 a.m.: People seem to be in good moods — even the police officers — as the parade nears its official start.
After standing for hours, some fans began batting around a beach ball. When it flew over the police barracade, a police officer threw it back into the crowd. When was the last time you saw that?
Players are expected to board buses within 10 minutes.
— Janis Carr
10:08 a.m.: Moments ago, a Metro train let off thousands more fans adding to the throng around Staples Center.
One LAPD officer agreed with huge crowd estimates (TV has reported more than 500,000 fans are expected). "Don't these people have jobs?" he said.
One woman in a coffee shop wasn't worried about her job. She said she called in sick. She didn't give her name.
— Janis Carr
10:05 a.m.: Sasha Vujacic on his two free throws late in Game 7 to KTLA: "Everybody should try it." Then he laughs and adds, "That's what the game of basketball is all about. That's what sports are all about. Dreams do come true."
Vujacic also just said Kobe Bryant is "like a little brother to me." Ah, Sasha, in that relationship, we're thinking you're the "little" one.
— Jeff Miller
9:53: Ron Artest says his new single "Champs" will be available on iTunes this week. "Every word of that song has something to do with Game 7," he tells KTLA. "And I wrote it last June. It's unbelievable."
— Jeff Miller
9:46 a.m.: Many people don't want to stand on a curb and watch the parade.
They have decided to grab a seat at local bar/restaurant to watch the festivities on a big screen television. Apparently, it's never too early for a beer or maragarita when the Lakers are involved.
— Janis Carr
9:38 a.m.: This is parade TV coverage at its richest: A KTLA reporter is talking about how "nice" and "behaved" the Lakers fans surrounding him are. As he continues to praise their humaneness, his words are drowned out by the chant of "BOSTON S***S!!!"
— Jeff Miller
9:24 a.m.: KTLA is reporting that 500,000 to 2 million people are expected to attend the parade. Two million? It takes the Angels like 50 games to attract 2 million. Of course, they don't have Kobe or the Laker Girls or even Adam Morrison's mustache.
— Jeff Miller
9:20 a.m.: Amid the flags, banners and blankets are homemade signs:
Back to Back without Shaq
This is Kobe's Town
Say Queensbridge
I Love Gasol
I Beat Cancer. The Lakers Beat the Celtics
We Are Champions.
— Janis Carr
8:58 a.m.: Ron Artest, whose inspired play in the finals helped get the Lakers their 16th championship, got some love on the parade route.
One fan held up a sign saying "Thanks for carrying us, Ron."
A woman was selling purple boas out of an ice chest … and making a profit.
Fans were doing the wave.
A pickup truck held a 10-foot tall inflatable NBA Championship trophy with Kobe Bryant's picture on it. Also in the truck: an over-sized Mexican flag.
Viva Los Lakers.
— Janis Carr
8:56 a.m.: My guesses for notable Lakers comings and goings this summer: Phil Jackson will return, as will Derek Fisher. Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown will not. Adam Morrison will remain a bad mustache-wearing guy who fits in nowhere, particularly in the NBA.
— Jeff Miller
8:40 a.m.: Further down Figueroa Street the sidewalk is packed and getting around is a bit tricky. But that didn't stop one Laker fan, sporting a purple mohawk.
He used a bullhorn to shout: "Boston s–ks" to the parade watchers.
They seemed to already know that.
— Janis Carr
8:31 a.m.: A young entrepreneurial Lakers fan was hawking his "2010 Champions" (How to Get Rich in 4 Basic Steps) all set to rap music for the bargain price of $5.
So far, there were no takers for his genius ideas.
— Janis Carr
8:28 a.m.: "Good Day L.A." reporter Rick Lozano just interviewed a life-sized cutout of Kobe Bryant. He also talked to a female fan who simply screamed "Lakers!!!" and then confirmed that they are "the best team in the NBA league."
— Jeff Miller
8:14 a.m.: "Good Day L.A." reports that officials are encouraging parade-goers to use mass transportation. This being Southern California there surprisingly were no reports describing what "mass transportation" is.
By the way, Tony McEwing, filling in on "GDLA" for Steve Edwards, apparently isn't a follower of sports. While just now stumbling through a report on Dodgers-Red Sox, he called Kevin Youkilis "Kevin ukulele." That's totally serious.
— Jeff Miller
8:09 a.m.: The best seats to watch the parade are straight across from Staples Center on Chick Hearn Court.
The truck that will carry the players is parked in front of hundreds of people lined up and camping out. But these people aren't basketball fans. They are in line to get wristbands for Thursday's premiere of "Twilight: Eclipse," the moody vampire saga.
The Twilight fans apparently are more hearty than Lakers fans because they will be living in tents for the next four days.
— Janis Carr
7:58 a.m.: Interviews on TV indicate people camped overnight for the best seats. Why? "To see the Lakers!" everyone agrees.
Ah, folks, haven't the Lakers been on TV basically every day for the past two months? At this point, we'd think the bigger goal would be a Laker-free day.
–Jeff Miller
7:55 a.m.: If you're looking to cause trouble at the Lakers parade forget it.
Fifteen orange metro buses filled with police officers, a squadron of motorcycle cops, nine unmarked police vehicles and a bomb squad truck just rolled down Chick Hearn Court.
— Janis Carr
7:47 a.m.: Bathrooms are scarce, and so is peace and quiet. There are helicopters overhead, people on cell phones and those insipid vuvuzelas (horns made unpopular by the World Cup).
Is this soccer, or basketball?
— Janis Carr
7:30 a.m.: The Lakers parade, officially, is 3 1/2 hours away. Traffic heading into downtown off the 10 freeway wasn't bad, and parking remains plentiful.
For a price.
I got here just after 7 a.m. and paid $30 to park.
Near Staples Center, thousands of fans dressed in Lakers' jerseys, hats and T-shirts are lined up along the parade route. It's a sea of purple and gold.
Mariela Munoz, 23, arrived at Figueroa Street at midnight with two friends. Why?
"To get a good seat. To see the Lakers," she said.
If you forget your T-shirt, or a bottle of water, there are plenty of vendors hawking merchandise.
— Janis Carr/The Orange County Register
A parade celebrating the Lakers' 16th NBA championship will be held Monday, starting at 11 a.m. at Staples Center.
The players will ride aboard flat-bed floats down Figueroa Street, toward past the USC campus, then turn left onto Jefferson Boulevard before concluding the 2-mile route at the Galen Center. Coaches, family members, the Buss family and the Laker Girls will follow in double-decker, open-air buses and other vehicles.
Unlike last year, there will not be a rally at the Coliseum.
City officials recommend fans take the Metro Rail system to the Pico/Chick Hearn station adjacent to the parade route rather than attempt to drive into the Staples Center and Figueroa area. Parking will be available in the downtown lots surrounding Staples Center, although many streets will be closed.
The city anticipated closing Figueroa Street between Olympic Boulevard to the north and Jefferson Boulevard on the south beginning at midnight Sunday.
Other road closures include Chick Hearn Court between Figueroa Street and Cherry Street; Cherry Street between Olympic and Pico Boulevards; Flower Street between Washington and Jefferson Boulevards; Jefferson Boulevard between Figueroa and Hoover Streets; and all intersections along the two-mile route as designated by the Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation.
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Florham Park, N.J.– The Jets may be 9-2, but many of their fans are nervous that the team has been unable to put together a complete game. Each week it's a different unit of this team that has to make up for the poor play of another part of the team. If this keeps up the question will be, when will the wheels fall off?
The way these Jets games have been playing out is reminiscent of a scene from the television show, "The Wire."
"The Wire," was an HBO series that never garnered the same commercial success as a show like, "The Soprano's," but it was an absolute hit among critics and had one of the most loyal and dedicated fan bases of any television series, a feeling Jets fans should have little trouble relating to.
The scene has the character of a drug dealer named Stringer Bell addressing his loyal subjects and lecturing them about not doing a good enough job.
Obviously the context of the scene has absolutely nothing to do with football, but one would imagine if Stringer Bell was the one giving the Jets a pep talk he would recite the exact speech he gave in this scene.
In said scene, after Bell's crew got caught slipping, he unleashed an angry tirade on them for being complacent and for thinking what they were doing, just coasting by on name and reputation, would be enough.
"That's good. That's like a 40-degree day. Ain't nobody got nothing to say about a 40-degree day. 50. Bring a smile to your face. 60, (Heck, everyone) is (darn) near barbecuing on that, (lovely weather). Go down to 20, (people start to get their whine) on. Get their blood complaining." Bell says calmly before raising his voice to an eardrum-splitting level, "But forty? Nobody give a (Darn) about 40. Nobody remember 40, and y'all (guys) is giving me way too many 40-degree days! What the (Heck)?"
Okay so maybe that's not the exact words that were used in Bell's angry rant, but the show was on HBO for a reason and let's just say HBO writers get to play with a different set of language rules than sportswriters.
Despite the drastic difference in context (the vulgarity, however actually sounds on par with what we would expect Rex Ryan to unleash), that speech could be used perfectly to sum up the feeling about the way the Jets have been winning these close games, albeit a bit less dramatic.
Obviously all that matters is getting the win in any one specific game, but when looking at the big picture it's got to be a little worrisome to many that this team is still struggling to put together a complete game and give their fans more than just a 40-degree day to talk about.
These wins are like the 40-degree days Bell speaks of, because as great as it is at the time to get the win, no one is in a rush to celebrate and talk about how great those victories were weeks later, in fact it's just the opposite.
Instead of focusing on the fact that the Jets are 9-2, many people are fixated on the sloppy nature that the Jets are winning with and talking about the losing records of the teams they have beaten recently (the Jets only have two wins against teams with a winning record, the Patriots and Dolphins).
The players and coaches don't care, they will be more than happy to keep turning out these 40-degree wins, but the relentless media will not stop running the same stories unless the Jets can crank the temperature up a bit and have their fans practically out barbecuing to celebrate the victories.
Between the penalties, the stalled drives and missed field-goals Jets fans are feeling like Stringer Bell. They are happy to get the wins, but sick of all these darn 40-degree games. But with the actual weather literally dropping below 40-degrees the Jets will need to lean on the experience they have gained over these last bunch of brisk-weather games, if they expect to turn the heat up on the field and have it blasting in their locker room after the games are over.
It's the self-inflicted wounds that have kept the Jets from breaking out and kept the temperature of the games around 40-degrees, but if they can figure out a way to stop beating themselves the Jets should be able to ride their own heat wave all the way to Dallas this February and give these fans something to talk about and celebrate years later.
If not, well it's going to be a cold winter.
Running A Hot Trend In The Nfl,At Least Theres A Few Bright Spots For The Future,Back In The Hunt,Official Jetsinsider Com Morning After Report,Intensity Increases As Jets Kickoff Camp,Passing On Cutler The Right Move,So You Say You Want Braylon Back,Harmless Comments From Rex,Jets End With A Nightmare,Tomorrows Green And White Practice A Welcomed Event For Coaches And Players

subset: commoncrawl


text: On Tue, 11 Mar 2003, bert hubert wrote:> On Mon, Mar 10, 2003 at 12:15:25PM -0800, Davide Libenzi wrote:>> > 2) Existing apps using poll/select can easily be ported usinf LT epoll>> This is a big thing. I created a webserver based on MTasker> (ds9a.nl/mtasker) that used select, poll or epoll and it was very hard to> abstract this properly as level and edge semantics differ so wildly.>> Most programs will not abandon 'legacy' interfaces like poll and select and> will only want to offer epoll in addition. Right now that is hard to do.I agree here. It took 15 minutes to port thttpd to LT epoll.> > 1) We leave epoll as is ( ET )> > 2) We apply the patch that will make epoll LT> > 3) We add a parameter to epoll_create() to fix the interface behaviour at> > creation time ( small change on the current patch )> >> > With 2) and 3) there are also man pages to be reviewed to be posted to> > Andries. Comments ?>> I'd vote for 2.I received a bunch of private emails ( ppl that are using ET epoll )asking me to have both behaviours. The code require no more than 10 linesof code to give both possibilities. We have two options in doing that :1)We add a parameter to epoll_create() that will set the interface behaviourat creation time : #define EPOLL_ET (1 << 0) int epoll_create(int size, int flags);2)We can go at fd granularity by leaving the API the same, and we define : #define EPOLLET (1 << 31) ... events = EPOLLIN | EPOLLET;What do you think ?- Davide-To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" inthe body of a message to email@example.com majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.htmlPlease read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/


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Family, Friends, Pumpkin Patch, Halloween, Candy...FUN!
Ali has started to show interest in playing with her dolls and stuffed animals. She loves her shopping cart. Loves her "BLING", and by the way...SHE DOES NOT GET THAT FROM ME! lol and loves to laugh and play!
Getting ready to go to Church.
Going to have lunch with Daddy.
She loves to play with pom poms! Could I have a future cheerleader on my hands!?
In honor of our sweet black lab, Hunter, that past away the day we left for China on Aug 15, 2010. We named this stuffed lab Hunter. Ali loves to play with him. She would have loved to play with the real Hunter if he was still with us.
Liz Hurley Run. We only walked the Survior walk with My Sweet and Dear Friend Elizabeth (#2845) She has so far beat Brest Cancer! We hope and pray that it will NEVER show it's ugly face again!! I Love you Elizabeth!!
There is NOTHING like the LOVE of a cousin! These two are so funny when they get together. Well, that are funny apart from each other, but it is double the fun when they are together. Getting ready to go to Tate Farms and pick out pumpkins and play play play!!!
At Tate Farms, yes Ali has on different clothes. She had an acident because Mommy didn't change her when she had a chance to before lunch! Here we are in the cotton patch. Amryn and Ali had so much fun at Tate Farms.
I couldn't get Ali to sit down so I could get a pic like I have from the yea before. lol Silly girl!
Ali's FIRST Trick or Treat! Our FCC had Trunk or Treat for the kiddo's at Jimmy Gill park in Athens. Here are just A FEW of the loves we have in our group. We will have 4 or 5 more sweet loves come home in 2012!
Getting ready to go to Church. She loves to pick the flowers!
Daddy and Ali getting ready to carv the pumkin Ali go at Tate Farms. She loved it. I think Daddy had more fun though! lol
Ali's First Trick or Treating on Halloween night! Oh My Word! she was a pro! lol We tried to teach her to say Trick or Treat before we started. So when we got to a house, we would ask..." What do yu say, ALi?" She would saw "Pweeze" and hold her pumkin up! lol Then we would tell her to say "Thank You" she would tell them "Welcome". lol What a fun night! lol


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This 4-inch-by-4-inch medium embroidery hoop for the Brother SE400 is the standard hoop that comes with the machine. This embroidery hoop is the ideal size for stitching 4-inch designs, and it's often convenient to have another one.
If you're as into efficiency and multi-tasking as I am, you'll appreciate having an extra hoop. You can prepare your next project while waiting for the current stitching to finish. As soon as the machine finishes, just attach this hoop and press go. No longer will you have to wait to hoop the next project.
You can adjust the fit of the outer hoop with the screw which makes it easy to secure different weight fabrics in the hoop.
The hoop includes a clear, plastic grid. The notches and marks on the grid help you line up and accurately place the designs.
There are only two reviews at Amazon, both 5-star. Here's what one reviewer said about how she uses this hoop:
This is a perfect match to original product and helps my embroidery projects preparation go faster. I can prepare one while the other is stitching with this additional hoop.
The Brother SA432 Medium Hoop Works with these Machines
The Brother SA432 Medium Hoop is for use with these Brother embroidery machines: Brother SE-400, SE-350, SE270D, HE-240, HE-120, LB-6800, LB6770, Innov-ís 500D, Innov-ís 900D, Innov-ís 950D, PE-270D, PE-300S, and PE-400D.
Where To Buy The Medium Brother Hoop
The best place I've found to buy Brother embroidery hoops is at Amazon.com. For current pricing information, availability, and to get free shipping, click here:


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SeneGence Distributor Benefits
Have you been thinking of signing up as a SeneGence distributor? Maybe you've been seeing this LipSense stuff all over social media and wondered what the buzz was all about? Read on to hear about SeneGence distributor benefits and perks available to the reps of this wonderful company!
SeneGence Distributor Benefits
Only $55 to join
That's right! For that tiny investment, you could change your life. It sure changed mine! $55 entitles you to all the benefits of a SeneGence distributor, even if you decide to be a wholesale customer.
Purchase products up to 50% off
As SeneGence distributors, we can purchase our inventory (or products for personal use) at up to 50% off. While they're optional, SeneGence also has new distributor kits with steeply discounted products (up to 65% off!).
Earn up to $1200 free product in your first 90 days
This program is called Fast Start. Work with your sponsor (me!) to hit this goal and you'll get $1200 in product free to help you build your inventory, for personal use or to use for demonstration purposes.
Ability to earn income on your schedule
SeneGence gives you the ability to earn income from the sale of our products, on your own schedule. We do this by purchasing product at 50% off and re-selling them for full price. If you choose to build a team to earn commissions, you can make money with retail sales.
(Click here to view the SeneGence distributor compensation plan)
Your business, your way
As a SeneGence distributor, you're an independent representative. You can build your business in the way that works for you and your family. Work your business a little or a lot. Online or offline. Up to you!
No autoship or monthly sales quota, no party requirement
There is no monthly sales quota or autoship with SeneGence. To remain an active distributor, there is a small 6-month sales requirement that is easily met through your own personal product use. If you love doing home parties, great! If not, you don't have to do them.
No inventory requirement
That's right! While I personally have inventory and see the benefits of having it, it's not required. Through our CDO program (customer direct ordering), your customers can order directly from SeneGence. You'll get paid commissions weekly on those orders!
Products that WORK
No business can last without high-quality products. SeneGence products have stood the test of time (20 years in business) because they flat WORK. They do what they say they will! Women are tired of cheap, crappy drugstore brands that slide or melt off their faces and are filled with questionable ingredients.
Products that most women already use
Nearly every woman you know already uses cosmetics or skin care. With SeneGence, there's no convincing someone to use a new technology or change their existing behavior. This is huge! Nearly every women already uses and knows how to use makeup and skin care products. This simplifies your business.
Wonderful team support from the "SeneSisterhood"
Probably my favorite of the SeneGence distributor benefits! The culture of SeneGence is very different. People who work with our company as an outsider have commented on how remarkable our culture is. The SeneSisterhood is a real thing!
Earn trips
SeneGence offers their distributor force two annual trips. Imagine earning an all expenses paid trip to a luxury destination! Recent destinations have included: Disneyland, Cabo San Lucas, Costa Rica, and Sydney, Australia.
International opportunity
Speaking of travel, SeneGence is open in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the UK. This means you can build an international business and be earning money round the clock. We have plans to expand into Asia and Latin America soon as well!
Car lease reimbursement
Pictured below is my brand new SeneCar! This was my first goal with my SeneGence business. That's right, when you meet this goal SeneGence rewards you by paying your car note – up to $500 a month.
Earn jewelry
Are you all about that bling? With each Royal rank, SeneGence rewards you with a beautiful ring. As you meet quarterly sponsoring or sales goals, you can also choose from a gift catalog (on top of your commissions) with beautiful gifts! And when you rank to Crown Princess, the company honors you onstage with a crown!
Gain recognition for your work
Are you motivated by recognition? SeneGence honors you for that hard work! At corporate events you're recognized from stage and in their monthly publication. You also get recognition from your upline team on Facebook as you meet goals.
World-class business and mindset training
Another of my personal favorite SeneGence distributor benefits! I love learning, and SeneGence gives you as much education as you want. From bi-weekly webinars you can watch at your leisure to quarterly corporate events, you'll never be alone as you build your business!
A FUN business!
That's right! This is a fun, not serious business. We don't have to talk about people's health problems or worry about the FDA. We simply help women feel more beautiful and confident and make money doing it. Doesn't every girl love to play with makeup?
What are you waiting for? There are probably more SeneGence distributor benefits I forgot to mention! Let me personally mentor you in your business.
Fill out this application and we'll take the next step together. Or watch this brief video our team created first! In it you'll hear from distributors on our team from a variety of backgrounds, and some of our happy customers.


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Mystery of Krakatoa's death solved
Komodo dragon had viral infection
Krakatoa, the 9-year-old Komodo dragon who died in August, had a viral infection, veterinarians at the University of Florida have concluded.
Dr. Darryl Heard said Krakatoa was a young lizard when he died, which could have put him at risk for viral infections, as young animals have yet to develop immunity against the diseases. Heard is the primary veterinarian for the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and the zoological medicine service chief at the Department of Small Animal Clinical Science at the University of Florida.
Krakatoa had minor changes in his spinal cord, which could have been on-going damage from a viral disease, Heard said.
Other signs of neurological damage included some spinal cord lesions and also a weakness in the lizard's legs, leading Krakatoa to position his legs awkwardly, Heard said.
Reptiles often live as long as 80 years -- maybe longer -- so the death of Krakatoa was certainly not natural, Heard said. Still, he said, scientists don't know for sure how long Komodo dragons live because they have not been studied extensively.
"It's only been in the past 20 years or so that people have been keeping them in captivity," he said. "They may live 60 to 80 years. That's what I would think. Big reptiles often live for long periods of time. Alligators and crocodiles can live 80 to 90 years plus."
Krakatoa was one of the Alligator Farms more popular exhibits, regularly drawing large crowds. A picture of him with a party hat as he ate a birthday treat of white rats traveled around the world and appeared in thousands of newspapers, websites and television show. Record Photographer Daron Dean took the photo.
Krakatoa, named after a volcano in Indonesia, was born in a Hawaiian zoo and came to the Alligator Farm in 2008. The 7-foot-long dragon was used to people and was very docile. His trainer took him for walks around the park and the offices in the morning before the park opened to the public.
For now, the Alligator Farm has one Komodo dragon, Tambora, the nearly 3-year-old female who was supposed to breed with Krakatoa.
John Brueggen, general manager of the Alligator Farm, said the zoo is now on a waiting list for a new match for Tambora, though it may take years to find her a new boyfriend.
"It's not that simple," he said.
Brueggen said pairing the lizards is "delicate business," as finding mates for endangered species in captivity is done through a computerized system.
He said the zoo may get another Komodo dragon, but it might not be one aimed to breed with Tambora.
Brueggen said the results from Krakatoa's necropsy is frustrating, mostly because it doesn't allow the doctors or specialist to focus on how to prevent a certain disease or virus from affecting Tambora.
Heard and Brueggen both said Tambora will be vaccinated for equine encephalitis and West Nile virus to prevent either disease from causing the lizard harm.
Krakatoa tested negative for both viruses, but both the doctor and Brueggen said it was a preventative measure.
"The doctors did everything they could do to understand (the cause of death,)" Brueggen said. "There are a lot of things in our environment that we aren't aware of that kill people everyday. If it can happen to a human, why not a lizard?"
* Heaviest known lizard species
* Can eat almost its entire body weight in one meal
* Closest Komodo dragons beyond St. Augustine are at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando and Metro Zoo in Miami.
* Can reach 10 feet in length and about 150 pounds.
* Endangered, with 3,000 to 5,000 left in the wild on a few Indonesian islands
Source: St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park


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Three years ago, Procter & Gamble (P&G), a Fortune 50 company with over 70 brands and $67 billion in revenue, began looking for tools that could assist its service representatives in resolving customer queries faster but with an enhanced focus on quality. After evaluating a number of tech platforms that might suit the company's particular needs, P&G chose Agara Labs, a New York-based, AI-driven autonomous voice agent startup specializing in enterprise applications.
Algorithm-driven call center platforms promise unprecedented insight into the performance of customer support agents. That's particularly valuable in the midst of the pandemic, when historic call volume and physical distancing precautions make the need for triaging more acute. In March, as call center workers in the Philippines began to social distance, hold times for U.S.-based companies like TD Bank, Delta, and American Express increased dramatically.
According to CEO Abhimanyu, who cofounded Agara with CTO Arjun Maheswaran in 2017, P&G needed a product that could answer questions like "What should be the best-suited response for this query?" and "Should I be offering a financial reward to this customer?" Decision makers at the company also wanted to be able to identify the information most relevant to a query and determine whether it required an agent's attention, so as to quickly ascertain the urgency of the query.
Agara says its technology is designed to handle entire customer support workflows, from registering queries and troubleshooting to carrying out fulfilment tasks like processing refunds, thanks to a conversational IVR system that redirects customers and a virtual voice agent that handles basic calls. Unlike some generic AI solutions, the company's models are purpose-built for industries and trained with over 10 million data points, according to an Agara spokesperson.
Above: Agara Labs' conversational dashboard.Image Credit: Agara Labs
Agara claims its speech recognition models were trained on mobile phone mics capable of canceling channel noise like background conversations. A natural language processing engine identifies intent — i.e., what the user wants — as well as the tone and sentiment and "entities" such as the names of the products and dates. Agara carries context throughout the call and supplies contextually relevant responses to customer support agents. And on the text-to-speech side, the platform leverages a model that adapts its prosody based on sentiment and the nature of the query, so that the tone in which it speaks to an irate customer is different from how it speaks to a customer calling to thank someone.
After P&G deployed Agara's platform, case handling time decreased by a minute, leading to a 25% overall cost reduction. Moreover, the platform automated over 80% of tasks agents previously performed manually, like writing call summaries and switching between systems to get particular answers. Agara says that over the course of two and a half years post-deployment with P&G, it shaved off the equivalent of 833 days from the waiting time between raising a query and getting it resolved.
Today, P&G's partnership with Agara spans 3 continents, 4 languages, and 10 countries including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Germany, and Austria. "Agara's partnership has been strategic, where AI gifts our advisors with superpowers, allowing them to built trusted customer relationships at scale," P&G associated director of global business services Rosa Maria Cruz said.
In perhaps another sign of investor confidence, Agara today announced a $4.3 million pre-series A extension round led by UTEC, which included participation from existing investors Blume Ventures and RTP Global. It brings the company's total raised to date to over $7 million.VentureBeat
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I've had these beautiful blue and white dishes for 2 years and I've never once used them! I've been saving them for a "special occasion" and I finally asked myself "Why the heck am I waiting to use these?!" I realized there's no time like the present, and they're just too pretty to be sitting unused in the cabinet! So I pulled them out and styled them on our dining table and had a lovely lunch. If this time at home teaches us anything, I hope that it encourages us to make everyday moments special (instead of waiting for the perfect time that may never come) and really savor the time we get together.
A Blue and White Spring Tablescape
I'm obsessed with a blue and white color scheme for a spring tablescape. It's so classic and fresh. I paired these dishes with white hydrangeas, but I've seen them paired with pink peonies before and I absolutely love the contrast of the blue and pink. The blue plates are from Tory Burch (they're still in stock!) and the rattan cups are from Jenni Kayne (currently 20% off.) The rattan napkin rings and white linen napkins pull everything together making it feel like a bright spring table.
Casual Spring Lunch Setting
I opted to go without a tablecloth or placemat for a more casual spring lunch vibe, but you could easily add a crisp white linen tablecloth or runner underneath this set up. If I were to do a placemat, I'd opt for a natural rattan or woven material.
Glasses + Silverware
This white silverware is our everyday silverware and has held up beautifully. It's currently 25% off with code FRIENDS! I always get a ton of questions about the coupe glasses I use for martinis – and you can get them here. I recommend hand washing them versus putting them in the dishwasher!


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A romantic story with a prickly end
Our long-eared hedgehogs, a male and a female, are housed in separate cages due to their solitary nature. About three or four months ago, the keepers noticed that the male was sneaking out during the night and getting into the female's cage. The naughty hedgehog was returned to its own cage each time, but the morning after was again discovered in the female's cage!
This behavior continued for a short while, and then suddenly stopped. A few weeks later, at the end of November, four hedgehog pups, about six weeks old, were discovered…
In mid-December the family was separated and the growing pups were moved into spacious cage in the reptile yard: the westernmost cage in the northern row of cages. According to Barak, their keeper's, suggestion, they will be fed with insects – a delicacy for them – in the morning hours, so that they will be active during the tour hours.
Long-eared hedgehog, Photo: Ilil Pratt


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Every one of our team members are commited to your goals & success. We will be by your side through the process from vision to reality.
Loan Officers
Shawn Lyden
Chief Operating Officer & Commercial Loan Officer
Shawn's Biography
Offering over two decades of experience in private residential lending, Shawn is a mastermind when it comes to solving even the most complex lending challenges. Shawn has garnered much of his experience as a loan officer, but is also a passionate entrepreneur.
After earning his bachelor's degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Maine, Shawn flourished in the residential loan business. He is a major investor, loan committee member, and partner in Pioneer Capital, which invested $45 million of private capital in 2003. In addition to originating loans, Shawn set up procedures that were both sales and underwriting friendly. Having worked in underwriting his entire career, Shawn brings an understanding of commercial guidelines used to analyze exit strategies proposed in loan submissions.
When it comes to financing, Shawn actively thinks outside the box to provide his clients with the best possible loan solutions. His "never-give-up" mentality ensures that his work is finished quickly and effectively.
Russell Oakes
Commercial Loan Officer
Russell's Biography
Russ has recently joined Maine Capital Group in 2018 as Senior Commercial Lending Officer. Mr. Oakes graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelors degree concentration in Accounting. After graduation, he went directly to work for a small accounting firm specializing in Real Estate Syndication's. Russ then transfer into the private sector working first as a Controller then promoted to Vice President of The Dartmouth Company, a real estate development and management company wholly owned subsidiary of Consumers Water Co.
Boulos Property Management hired Russ as Vice President in the nineties to manage a large portfolio of bank owned and distressed Commercial Real Estate often working directly with Courts as a Court Appointed Receiver. He continued to work with challenging real estate assignments moving into Commercial Lending with Pioneer Capital. As Vice President and Investor, Russ focused on finding solutions for challenging Real Estate projects through the use of short term bridge and non conventional lending sources. Later as President and founder of Advantage Commercial Funding LLC,, Russ assisted many individuals in finding creative solutions to complicated commercial real estate transactions.
Over the last 3 decades, Mr Oakes has also developed extensive experience in the Approval, Development and Construction of Real Estate Subdivisions and commercial projects through his consulting firm, Abnaki LLC. We are very excited to have him join our team and strongly believe he will bring a creative approach to solving many of our client's commercial real estate needs
Mike Lyden
Commercial Loan Officer
Loan Servicing
Scott Charette
Chief Financial Officer
Scott's Biography
Scott joined Maine Capital Group in November 2016 and assumed the role of Account Controller. He has been recently promoted to Chief Financial Officer. He has over 12 years' experience in the field of Accounting & Finance working in multiple industries such as transportation and lending. His career has lead him into managing multiple responsibilities such as Daily Cash Flow Monitoring and Reporting, Month End Closing & Financial Reporting, State and Federal Audits, AR Collections, Accounts Payable and Human Resources. Scott has earned a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting & Finance with a minor in Audit at the University of Southern Maine in 2008. Additionally has earned an Associate's of Science Degree in Business Administration at Southern Maine Community College in 2004. Scott is also a veteran of the United States Army serving overseas during the Kosovo operation in 1999 as a diesel & turbine mechanic.
Wendy Saben
Staff Accountant
Wendy's Biography
Wendy joined us in July 2019, and brings 20 years of Accounting & HR experience. She is a Cape Cod native, and loves spending time by the ocean. Having moved to Maine 4 years ago, she is becoming accustomed to road trips to the lakes region, and enjoys all that Portland offers including live music and the abundance of craft beer. Wendy lives in Scarborough with her partner, Aaron, his two boys and their cat, Sid!
Loan Processing
Christina Santiago
Commercial Loan Processor & Administrative Assistant
Christina's Biography
Christina started at MCG in late 2018. She came on as an Administrative Assistant for both MCG and AHM and took on Marketing. Due to her background in various industries including construction, she quickly moved into the role of Commercial Loan Processor and Construction Draw Servicing while maintaining her role as Administrative Assistant/Marketing.
Her role as Commercial Loan Processor starts once a borrower signs a Term Sheet with their Loan Officer. Assisting the Loan Officer through the underwriting process, once a loan is approved, she works with the borrower, Loan Officer, Counsel and Servicing to make sure all required documents and funding are secured to bring the loan to closing. She follows through the loan by making sure all documentation is properly recorded and disbursed. If the loan requires construction draws, she works with the borrower, loan officer and the servicing team to get all required documentation and produces the draw checks.
Christina was born and raised in Maine. She has an Associate of Business Science degree from Hesser College in New Hampshire. She has 30+ years working in various administrative/sales positions in the aviation, printing, construction and insurance industries.
Christina is an animal lover and enthusiast. She owns 6 birds including two umbrella cockatoos, 3 conures and a mini macaw. She also has a large dog and fish. All of her animals are rehomed, mostly from shelters. When she is not at work, she is home tending to her flock.
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placenta spuria
Words nearby placenta spuria
How to use placenta spuria in a sentence
Nothing much to use in cleaning up the baby and his mother after the birth, no place to dispose of the placenta.Jesus Wasn't Born Rich. Think About It.|Gene Robinson|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Usually, the disease resolves with the birth of the baby and placenta.Beyond 'Downton Abbey': Preeclampsia Maternal Deaths Continue Today|Eleni Tsigas, Christine Morton|January 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It normally occurs during weeks six and eight of pregnancy, when the placenta takes over production of hormones from the ovaries.What Exactly Is Wrong With Kate (And Is She Vomiting Blood?) Experts Rush To Explain...|Tom Sykes|December 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
You get the biting of the placenta and you get Renesmee biting her without necessarily seeing it.Bill Condon and Melissa Rosenberg on 'Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn'|Marlow Stern|November 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I had to tell her she had a condition with her placenta that made abortion risky.The Abortion Ban Is Bad Medicine|Willie J. Parker|November 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Dugung nagpúgul sa inunlan, Placenta filled with a big clot of blood.A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff
Finally, some persons make use of the method of corrosion to prepare and preserve the placenta.History of Embalming|J. N. Gannal
They pass up the sides of the bladder towards the navel, enter the sheath of the cord, and so reach the placenta.
The diameter of the placenta is about six inches, and its thickness about one inch and a half.
Some have even averred that the Placenta is not required at all, to supply nourishment, but is merely a purifying organ.


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God can use any of us to deliver His message.
A case in point is the charming story of how John Paul II first received his call to the priesthood from a co-worker. This story of how God uses each of us to His purpose is a good one for us to ponder in this Year of Faith. How does God use you in your daily life to bring His light into the world?
The CNA/EWTN News story describing what happened reads in part:
Rome, Italy, Jan 11, 2013 / 03:02 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- One of the closest collaborators of Blessed John Paul II, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, recounted in Rome a little-known story about the late pontiff's vocation to the priesthood.
Cardinal Re served at the Vatican Secretary of State and later prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
On Jan. 9 at the Conciliaziones Auditorium – during the presentation of the recital "The Pope and the Poet," inspired by the life of Karol Wojtyla – he recalled an unpublished episode from the life of the late pontiff.
The cardinal told reporters that in 1939, young Karol Wojtyla had to quit college and work at a quarry to support himself and keep from being deported to Germany.
"There he worked with a miner who set explosives in the mines, and one day the miner told him, 'I think you would make a great priest.'"
"John Paul II told us that until that moment he had never thought of being a priest. He said, that man who I worked with already saw me as a priest," Cardinal Re said. (Read more here.)
Join the Discussions of the Year of Faith
Click here throughout the Year of Faith, as the Catholic Channel at Patheos.com invites Catholics of every age and stripe to share what they are gleaning and carrying away from this gift of timely focus.


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Rutgers University researchers just busted a long-standing myth: It's not necessarily safe to eat food off the floor if you pick it up right away.
The theory behind the five-second rule is that it takes time for bacteria to transfer from surface to surface, so if you grab your french fry as soon as it hits the ground, it's fair game.
The scientists put that theory to the test. They dropped various foods onto germ-covered surfaces and determined how much bacteria the foods picked up after less than a second, five seconds, 30 seconds, and five minutes.
More From Men's Health
The result: Some bacteria transferred instantly. That means it's never 100 percent safe to eat food off the ground, says study coauthor Donald Schaffner, Ph.D.
Related: The Men's Health Big Book Of Uncommon Knowledge—thousands of DIY tips, how-to articles, and awesome skills every modern man must master
Some foods are riskier than others, though.
For example, when a piece of watermelon hit the floor, it instantly picked up 97 percent of the bacteria that had been on the ground. In that case, you'd be no better off eating the fruit after a split second on the floor than you would be after letting it fester for 5 minutes.
Bread, however, did accumulate more bacteria over time. In a fraction of a second, .1 percent of the germs had transferred, but after 5 seconds, 10 percent of the bacteria had made its way to the bread.
That's probably because of the differing moisture levels, Schaffner says. Moisture helps bacteria transfer, so the wetter the food, the faster it picks up germs.
Still, even the bread snatched some germs in a split second. And if those bacteria were salmonella, you could get sick from eating the bread.
Related: 4 Totally Useless Things You Do to Try to Protect Yourself From Germs
So if you want to play it safe, leave your french fry on the floor, Schaffner says.
But if you're the type of guy who likes to take his chances, now you can be better informed. Think about all the factors at play, says Schaffner, who admits to sometimes eating food off the floor himself.
"It depends on the nature of the food, the nature of the surface, the cleanliness of the surface, and the health of the immune system of the person doing the eating," he says.


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Product details
- Dimension:
- Ø 25.50 mm Ø 29.00 mm Ø 37.00 mm Ø 39.00 mm
- Movement Type:
- Automatic
- Thickness:
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- Dial colour:
- Sunray grey
Available in
- Shape
- Round
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Glass
- Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal
- Case Back
- Transparent case back with sapphire crystal
- Dimension
- Ø 25.50 mm
- Lug distance
- 13 mm
- Thickness
- 8.30 mm
- Water Resistance
- Water-resistant to 3 bar
- Weight
- 59.2 g
A definition of elegance
Since its earliest days, Longines has always focused on elegance. This quality can be found not only in its products but also in its communication, with the now famous slogan "Elegance is an attitude". So it comes as no surprise that the brand is now launching the Longines Elegant Collection, which comprises models that are the perfect embodiment of the classical design and sleek lines typical of Longines timepieces. Available in three sizes and fitted with self-winding, mechanical movements, these watches offer a broad choice of dials, each presenting its own definition of elegance.
Manual Video
Ambassador of Elegance
The beautiful actress and model Chi Ling Lin has lent her charm and freshness to Longines for several years.See more about Chi Ling Lin


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First published in The Herald on 18 January, 2017
Composer Martin Suckling and flutist Katherine Bryan are old friends. They have known each other since National Children's Orchestra of Great Britain days, aged 11 or 12, though "you never spoke to boys then," he teases her now, over coffee in Glasgow where he grew up and she is now principal flute with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It was when they graduated to National Youth Orchestra aged 14 that they started spending all of their time together. Between courses they would write letters and Bryan would send mix tapes. Both of them remember the Joni Mitchell tracks, but can't or won't recall anything more embarrassing.
Suckling was in NYO as a violinist but had already started composing, and one of his first 'official' pieces was an ensemble work for all of his friends. After some cajoling he admits it was was called Delirium. "It had a double bass doing a heart beat kind of thing and a big flute solo for Katherine at the end that went up to a top C-sharp. I thought that was very daring." Does he still have a copy of the score? "No. Yes. No!" He studies his sandwich.
Bryan rescues him. "Basically, I've been bugging Martin to write me a concerto ever since then. 'When you grow up and become a composer, will you write me a piece?' Literally those words came out of my mouth!" Well, now he has. At the beginning of February, Bryan premieres Suckling's new flute concerto, The White Road, with the RSNO and conductor Peter Oundjian. Will we hear reminiscences of their adolescent selves? "We both liked the same parts in Bruckner's Eighth Symphony," Bryan says, "so when we spoke about what the piece should involve I suggested a quote from Bruckner 8 might be fitting…" In the end that idea didn't make it in, though Bryan jokes she'll be playing Bruckner 8 as an encore, transcribed for solo flute.
Actually, if any flute player would contemplate such a feat it would be Bryan. Her last album, Silver Bow, was a collection of violin showpieces transcribed for flute. Massenet's Meditation from Thais, the Romance from Shostakovich's Gadfly Suite, Fritz Kreisler's Liebsleid, even the ultimate violin circus act that is Paganini's Caprice No. 24. And in concert next month Suckling's concerto will come after The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams — another violin favourite that Bryan transcribed and which opens her album. "No matter how many times I hear it I can't shake off the beauty of it," she says. "It was my father's favourite piece. And the Englishness of it. I'm very English. I looked at my family tree once — there was nobody who was not English!"
If you associate The Lark with lush, hazy strings and a genteel bygone Englishness, think again. Bryan is a formidably robust and forthright player, a player who articulates her expressive intent in absolutely decisive terms. And those are the characteristics for which Suckling has crafted his concerto. "When Katherine plays there's a real storytelling aspect," he describes. "It's incredibly vocal, so in the piece she sings these phrases and the orchestra responds. There's very little that is saying: 'here, listen to this sound because it is gorgeous.' I love that type of music and I've explored writing like that — in the Piano Concerto, for example [premiered last year by Tom Poster and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra]."
"But for Katherine, I wanted something different. I wanted something that said: 'here, let me tell you a story.' I could write for anybody and do plenty of virtuosic stuff. There's very little virtuosity in this piece. It is about normal notes and melodies that allow Katherine to be an expressive musician. It's not, 'look at how fast I can go'; it is, 'look at the range and depth of expression I can get out of quite simple music.'"
Suckling stresses that there is no narrative to the piece, or at least no overt narrative. Instead, as so often, he was influenced by visual imagery — the simple, elegant ceramics of Edmund de Waal. "I love his restrained and minimal installations where he arranges sequences of very similar white vessels. There's a certain rhythm, delicacy, obsession. Repeated gestures happen on different scales and spacings. He builds an accumulation of intensity through quiet things. It's contemplative and slightly disturbing, and usually accompanied by a title that opens up a whole world."
De Waal is preoccupied with the colour white, and in 2015 published a book called The White Road in which he describes "a pilgrimage of sorts — to beginnings, a chance to walk up the mountain where the white earth comes from…". The same year Suckling wrote a piece called Psalm for the Aurora Orchestra to perform alongside an exhibition in the Fine Rooms at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. De Waal asked Suckling to investigate what the colour white might sound like, and Suckling responded with questions of his own. "If we could hear the colour of milk and snow and clouds and sunlight, what music would it make? I decided on an oblique connection: white light refracted, scattered in a prism, echoed in a thousand different colours."
Now his flute concerto, called The White Road after De Waal's book, explores similar questions but from a melodic perspective. "I'm not a player who goes in for specific colours," says Bryan. "But at the beginning of the piece, I'm playing a white, open, non-intense sound that builds to create an intense atmosphere." "Exactly that," Suckling agrees. They've been friends long enough to finish each other's sentences. "It's a strange place. Expansive. Hazy. It's almost as though the piece starts after something significant has happened but we don't know what it is. If you were watching the movie version, you would pan through the landscape and then there would be Katherine."
The description brings to mind Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel The Road, I suggest, and Suckling and Bryan both nod. "I was trying to avoid that word, post-apocalyptic, but yes. A lot of unpleasant things have happened recently and many of us are concerned for the future. I wouldn't want to declare that the piece is about those things specifically, but they do feed into the music. I supposed that's what composers do. We produce something fuzzy out of the experience of reality."
What makes the piece powerful, he hopes, is that "all that post-apocalyptic terror and sadness is balanced with experiences that are extraordinarily beautiful." Suckling became a father for the second time a day after he sent Bryan the first pages of the concerto. "So there is a tension between those elements," he says. "Music is pretty good at being able to capture feelings that are too complex and conflicting to make sense of in any other way."
Katherine Bryan plays Martin Suckling's The White Road with the RSNO on at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh, on February 3, and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on February 4


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Silent Hill chap to speak at Nordic Game
Siren and Silent Hill developer Keiichiro Toyama is to speak at Nordic Game 2008, the conference confirmed this morning, as will Tameem Antoniades, co-founder of Ninja Theory.
The programme's starting to look pretty good, in truth. Jet Set Radio Future guy Ryuuta Ueda, EVE Online boss Hilmar Pétursson and Age of Conan's Jørgen Tharaldsen will also be making an appearance.
Nordic Game runs from May 14-15 this year, again at the Malmö Convention Center in Malmö, Sweden.
Press release after the link.
Nordic Game 2008: Top names gather for multidisciplinary Game Creation sessions
An international list of influential speakers contribute their expertise to this year's Game Creation program, with the makers of Silent Hill and Heavenly Sword joining a host of other prominent game creators from the Nordic region and around the world
Intended for professional game creators and academics, this new, multidisciplinary program will examine the latest trends and techniques in game development and spotlight the region's most innovative and respected talents.
Keiichiro Toyama, creator of Siren and Silent Hill, will join Rock Band's Rob Kay, Tameem Antoniades, co-founder of Ninja Theory and moderator Tony Manninen in discussing creative innovation and new game niches in the session Disruptive Design.
Sega's Ryuuta Ueda, known for his inventive work on Jet Set Radio Future, and celebrated character designer Ryosuke Tei from Furi Furi will join their peers in an international master panel called East-West All-Stars. Moderated by Dr. Katherine Isbister from Copenhagen's IT University, these experts will compare and discuss their cultural influences and creative approaches to character design. Also featured among the panellists is Alex Taini from Ninja Theory, the man behind the vibrant personas in Heavenly Sword.
A roster of the Nordic region's most influential developers also headline the program; celebrating the launch of one of the most anticipated MMO's of recent times, Funcom's Jørgen Tharaldsen will take us to the Age of Conan, Hilmar Pétursson and his creative team from CCP will talk on democracy, economics and politics in a virtual world in the session The Birth of a Society, and Jens Andersson from Starbreeze will be Dissecting a screenshot from The Darkness.
These highlights are just the tip of the Nordic Game iceberg. Read more about the Game Creation and Technology program, and all the other Nordic Game conference sessions and events at www.nordicgame.com - and register online today!
Nordic Game conference and Career Expo, 14-15 May 2008 at the Malmö Convention Center in Malmö, Sweden (25 minutes by commuter train from Copenhagen airport).


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It has been almost exactly a year since VW teased us with a sportier, 5 seater version of the Atlas SUV with the "Atlas Cross Sport" Concept.
Now we finally have pictures of the real thing.
I thought I would compare both. Since the concept got a lot of attention last year.
And everyone was hoping for something close for the production model.
So I am happy to see the real thing. And looking really close to the concept.
Sure, they have changed a few things. But this is mostly the same design.
Which is actually surprising for VW.
No pictures of the interior yet (that is coming soon). But I am hoping the 5 seater versions will come out at the same time as a mid-cycle refresh for the "regular" Atlas. And really hoping it includes an updated interior. Which in the US will go against the Ford Edge, new Chevrolet Blazer, and Honda Passport.
Otherwise, this is quite a good looking SUV/Crossover.
And I see a V6 logo on there too. (So it will be at least an option) While the concept was a plug-in hybrid, VW had mentioned a few years ago that none of their plug-in models will ever make it to the US (idiots)
So I guess that's out...


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A Welcome From David
Welcome to Knock. Thank you for visiting our web site and we hope that you will also have the opportunity to visit us in person. We want to be a community that is welcoming to all who come to share with us as we worship God every Sunday, so we hope the first thing you will experience is a warm welcome! We are a group of people who are all seeking to know God better in Christ, growing closer to Him and to one another, desiring to lead lives that are transformed by His good news to his glory.
If you are seeking the same things, or are simply curious to know more, then we invite you to explore God's good news in Christ along with us. The website will give you lots of information about Knock, but the community of God's people is all about relationships, so I encourage you to come along and see for yourself.
Yours in Christ's service,
David Moore (Minister)
'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' (Matthew 6:21)