text:
If you're looking for a vehicle for the whole family, or you just want something that's versatile and practical, a sedan is an appealing option. Sedans combine pleasant road manners with family-oriented features, making them a well-rounded choice for a variety of drivers, and many are equipped with exciting safety and technology features.
That Car Place offers a variety of affordable sedans in London Ontario, in the brand you want. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Mazda take your pick.
About Us
At That Car Place we believe that the car shopping process should be easy and customer-focused. That's exactly what you will find at That Car Place. We are proud to be the premier destination to shop for, service and finance your dream car in the London, ON area.
Here you will find the finest selection of quality pre-owned vehicles in the region. We carry an extensive selection from a variety of manufacturers, including Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, BMW, Audi, Mazda, Volkswagen and much more. Every vehicle has been hand selected for our inventory and has passed a rigorous 150-point inspection by a licensed technician. Be sure to talk to our team about our many financing options!
In addition to our large inventory, That Car Place is home to a dedicated service department for all your automotive needs. There our award-winning team of factory trained and certified master technicians work on a wide variety of vehicle makes and models using the highest-quality OEM parts. From oil changes to major repair, there is no project too big or small for our team.
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text:
We've not yet seen the RIM's latest devices get an official announcement yet, despite that fact we're now getting a look at some of the devices internals thanks to a purported early hands-on teardown. The device being tore down, is no doubt that same as the devices we've seen in previous images and videos and to go along with it, there is some commentary from those who tore it down over at BisVN though, some of the info is a bit off from what we know already:
- Full capacitive touch-screen, we were informed that the keyboard version would most likely come out a month after.
- Dual core processor with an pristine IPS display
- Two colors: white + black. The white looks awesome, way better than the iPhone 5 which I am currently testing.
- Front camera with video chat feature like team view. Besides being able to see each other through the front camera, it can also show the screen of the person you are talking too.
- Camera with auto-focus can take pictures at the speed of 1shot/second, then you can choose the best one.
- Time view function. For 1 picture, it could save up to 10 facial expressions of any person, they you can scroll back and forth to view and choose the best one.
Overall, there isn't anything surprising in the commentary of the teardown but as noted in CrackBerry forums, they'll be updating with more information shortly. For now, you can jump below to see some more images of the device toredown.

subset: commoncrawl


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Image 1 of 1
Sensual Shadows.jpg
Young Caucasican woman posing in dim light.
- Copyright
- © 2008 Daniel Korzeniewski. All rights reserved.
- Image Size
- 2666x3887 / 6.3MB
- Keywords
20-25-years, alone, attractive, beautiful, beauty, body, caucasian, close up, elegant, erotic, fashion, fashion model, female, feminine, girl, glamorous, glamour, human, human body, human part, lady, model, naked, nude, passion, person, portrait, red hair, redhead, relax, romantic, seductive, sensual, serene, sexual, sexy, single, skinny, sleep, solo, undressed, woman, women, young
- Contained in galleries


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I haven't written a blog post in a week. I feel kind of bad about that. Not too bad, though, because we've been busy celebrating, spending time with family(ies), and eating delicious food (which I also feel kind of bad about. But not really, because I've worked out almost every day. Huzzah! [This, I'm pretty sure, is not the correct use of that expression]).
I'll stop being parenthetical and just get down to it. In list form.
Highlights of this week...
1. Singing Christmas carols downtown with Grace Community Church. After all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
2. Tea and homemade biscotti.
3. Last minute Christmas shopping with Dad - an unintentional tradition.
4. Finding two trees. Oh, excuse me...one tree. My parents went plastic this year. Blake and I have been busy developing appropriate episode titles if we ever decide to cinematize our life. So far we have "The Day the Evergreen Died", "The Christmas my parents decided to kill tradition for the sake of convention", and "What's that smell? Oh no, that's the candle behind our tree." Suggestions welcome.
5. Watching any and every Christmas movie without materialism as its message. We also eliminated a few that Blake thinks are stupid.
6. The Shoreline Christian School Christmas party that my mother hosts every year. I very much enjoy adult parties. Especially when they involve shrimp.
7. Jillian and Aaron's Christmas party. They have nice friends. They're not so bad themselves.
8. Christmas Eve brunch at my Grandparents-in-law's house. We're still having trouble naming everyone. So far I like "GrandMIL" and "GrandFIL".
9. Christmas Eve dinner at the Spadecenta's. More shrimp.
10. Christmas Eve pajamas. Blake's first year.
11. The Christmas Eve service at Trinity in New Haven. Everyone smelled like fish from dinner. Not in a good way. Can there be a good way?
12. The arrival of the Bittner grandparents from Virginia.
13. Christmas morning snuggles by the fire, followed by the opening of stockings and our "Santa gifts".
14. Christmas morning at the Walker's, where I received a Build-a-Bear, the Kardashian sisters' book and a pancake pen. Yes, you read me correctly.
15. Christmas at my parents' house and my grandparents' house. Lots of food. Some might say too much.
16. More food at the Walker's.
17. Singing the 12 Days of Christmas and making up stories using our stocking gifts.
18. The first blizzard of the season.
19. Going to see "Tangled" in the first blizzard of the season, seated in the third seat surrounded by seven other people, pestered by one 12-year-old boy and listening to the complaints of one very worried backseat driver.
20. Watching 3 hours of "Modern Family" in bed on a Sunday evening with Blake, gummy bears and a bag of popcorn.
Here's to hoping that your Christmas was blessed, family-filled and celebratory of Christ's birth!
Also, if these photos don't display that I have zero bodily-kinesthetic awareness, I'm not sure what will.


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The mother of a 1-year-old who was swept into floodwaters created by Hurricane Florence has been charged in the boy's death.
Twenty-year-old Dazia Ideah Lee of Charlotte is charged with involuntary manslaughter and driving on a closed or unopened highway, the Union County Sheriff's Office said on its Facebook page.
Lee told news outlets she wasn't from the area and was unfamiliar with the roads. Authorities said the water from a rain-swollen creek pushed her car off the road and left her stuck in a group of trees on the night of Sept. 16. Lee said she was able to get Kaiden Lee-Welch out of the car, but the water caused her to lose her grip.
Multiple law enforcement teams searched for Kaiden that night and again in the morning, when his body was found.
"The tragic death of this child and the circumstances surrounding this case are heartbreaking," Sheriff Eddie Cathey said in a statement. "We continue to pray for all those suffering as a result of this child's death. However, after a very thorough investigation and taking all facts into consideration and applying the law, we feel that these charges are appropriate."


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Archive | bangaladesh RSS feed for this section
Blindingly Beautiful :pinon khadi from bangladesh7 May
image credits. click this link for more pictures
Jamdani – Intricate weaves and skilled weavers.26 Apr
Read the story of the weavers here
It takes a decade and more to become a skilled jamdani weaver .
Hand spun khadi still provides a means of livelihood to a few.2 Oct
Khadi, was a sense of pride and a sign of protest for the freedom fighters of india. since then it has undergone a change . Read here : Has Khadi found a new spinning wheel ?
Read more here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/pj58/850590751/
muslin & a lesson in history19 Aug
Image Credits : http://www.flickr.com/photos/sytoha/3396121176/ — Read the story on this link by Syed Touhid Hassan.
"i am young and nimble. i create jamdani weaves, which you enjoy."23 Dec
image credits: Tipu Kibria
* jamdani is a traditional weave of bangladesh and bengal.
..the sindoor takes center stage. "sindoor khela" celebrated by married bengali women.10 Oct
image credits :picturemakers2006
sindoor =vermillion


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The Silver Medium Kamanja is a 26 inches tall handcrafted heavy duty steel hookah. It is also quite a handsome silver shisha smoking pipe that is sure to impress your friends. Makes a lovely addition to your décor too.
It is made by experienced Egyptian artisans with years of experience. Each hookah features a unique human touch. Your hookah will truly be your own. Sturdy enough to last a lifetime too.
Things that make the Silver Medium Kamanja must-have:
- The elegant design, beautiful silver color, and glass base make for an unbelievably eye-catching hookah that you will fall in love with.
- Lets you enjoy the true flavors of your sweetened shisha tobacco with every puff.
- This 26" hubbly bubbly is just what you need for use at home with friends, or for making your parties lit
- Hand-made in Egypt, and a true work of art.
In the box:
- Authentic with KM stamp on the tray
- KM Pro signature hose 60″
- Matching Metal Tray
- Clay Bowl
- Grommets
- 2 Cleaning brushes


text:
We'll never take the deal the teachers got.From two firemen who had meetings with the UFA reps and one cop. All 3 reports are the same in 3 different places, 2 firehouses, 1 precinct.
They got less pension then us, look we didn't take that.
We'll go to PERB before we ever sign up for shit like this.
If you have to pay for healthcare, or GHI goes shitty you can thank the UFT.
Uft and mulgrew are trying to sell us all out, he may do it your wives (reference to the fact many guys have teachers as wives) but he won't do it to us.
We told the UFT we not going to stand with them on pattern bargaining.
We have our money, they'll get it in 2020.
Our raises will be the same as transit
We want UFT off MLC (supposedly sanitation said this).
Written and edited by Norm Scott: EDUCATE! ORGANIZE!! MOBILIZE!!! Three pillars of The Resistance – providing information on current ed issues, organizing activities around fighting for public education in NYC and beyond and exposing the motives behind the education deformers. We link up with bands of resisters. Nothing will change unless WE ALL GET INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE!
Sunday, May 18, 2014
UFT Contract: Firemen/Sanitation/Cops Trash UFT - "We want UFT off MLC"
1 comment:
- TeachmyclassMrMayor(andyoutooMrMulgrew)Sunday, May 18, 2014 at 9:04:00 PM EDT
Who can blame them? WeinGrew has screwed the whole city, even after they all had UFT's back. This was inevitable.ReplyDelete
Comments are welcome. Irrelevant and abusive comments will be deleted, as will all commercial links. Comment moderation is on, so if your comment does not appear it is because I have not been at my computer (I do not do cell phone moderating). Or because your comment is irrelevant or idiotic.


text: So, I've been doing a massive rewatch of Classic Who. Started with Trougton, which I had seen very little of previously (Including the Reconstructions for the missing episodes), watched all the way through Pertwee, and just finished Key to Time last night. So, I was wondering, why exactly did they Regenerate Romana and switch over to Lalla Ward? I love both actresses in the role, and I love the explanation for the Regeneration in Gallifrey Adventures Audio Series, so I'm glad we got both of them. Just wondering, behind the scenes, why the change? Did Mary Tamm want to leave, or her contract ran out and re-upping her would've been too expensive or what exactly went on? Did they know when filming The Armageddon Factor that they were going to use the Astra Actress to continue the role of Romana, or was that a las minute afterthought when they had to replace Mary Tamm?


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(Quick note on quantities:
The amount of spice to add can be variable and depend on the individual. I initially got a sense for quantities by following amounts listed on recipes but now can gauge by feel what seems appropriate. For the recipes I have here I decided to do a sliding scale of 1-4 to determine amounts: 1 is a "pinch," 2 is "more than a pinch," 3 is a "good amount, but not too much," 4 is a "good amount, with a touch extra.")
Simple Dal:
4 cups water
Turmeric Powder (2)
1 cup red lentils (masor dal)
1 clove
Good quality salt (sea salt is recommended) (1.5 – 2)
Bring water to a boil with turmeric
Add lentils
When water re-boils add clove
Bring the water to a simmer and cook for about 20-25 mins. partially covered, until tender
Turn off heat and add salt
Simple Dal #2
Cumin Powder (1)
Coriander Powder (2)
1 cup dal (Yellow mung or red lentils or a combination; urad dal is ok, too, and good for moments when food with heating properties is beneficial)
4 cups Water
Turmeric (1)
Fresh Grated Ginger or a pinch of crushed black pepper (2)
1 Black Cardamom Pod or 2 cloves (optional but recommended)
Mango Powder (2) (optional but good for adding the element of the sour taste)
Quality Salt (1-2)
Dry Roast Cumin Powder gently, and then add Coriander Powder
Quickly add the mung beans and stir to mix with the powders
Add the water, followed by the turmeric
Once the water comes to a boil add the ginger or black pepper
Bring the water to a simmer and add the cardamom pod or clove
Cook at a simmer, partially covered, for 25-30mins. or until tender. Adding water is totally ok if it starts looking dry. The pot can be fully covered, too, to keep moisture from escaping.
Turn off heat
Add the mango powder and stir
Add the salt
Spice party for simple dals:
Spice Party #1
Simple Dal recipe as above
Cumin seeds (3)
1 Whole red chili pepper (or fresh sliced ginger)
To the finished Simple Dal add spice infused oil (Tadka):
In a small frying pan or durable measuring cup heat a big dollop of ghee over medium heat
While the ghee is heating start reheating the pot of simple dal (only let it get to a gentle simmer.)
When the ghee is hot add the cumin seeds. Let the seeds sputter a bit and turn a few shades darker.
When the seeds smoke they are releasing their aroma, but do not let them get too far past this point or else they will burn.
Add the chili pepper, let it sizzle for a second, and turn off the heat.
Add the spice infused oil to the pot of the dal, stir gently, turn off the heat on the dal, and cover.
Let it sit for a few mins and allow the flavors to settle.
Spice party #2
Simple Dal recipe
Black Mustard Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Curry Leaves
Black Cumin Seeds
1 Whole Red Chili Pepper
A little fresh diced ginger, or some fresh cilantro (optional)
As the pot of completed Simple Dal heats gently, prepare the oil:
Heat the ghee in a small frying pan or durable measuring cup over medium heat
When the ghee is hot, add the black mustard seeds. They will sputter and smoke and start turning grey.
Once and as the mustard seeds start doing this, add the cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds start turning a few shades darker.
Add the curry leaves immediately followed by the black cumin seeds. Let them mix with the oil for a sec.
Add the chili pepper.
Add the ginger or coriander (or both!)
Turn off the heat and add it to the pot of dal.
This process of spice layering happens somewhat quickly, with the most time being spent on the mustard and cumin seeds. Have the spices ready BEFORE you start cooking.
It might take some practice getting the timing just right of the mustard and cumin seeds as they go through their phases of being heated. No worry, as the practice attempts will still be delicious, even if they are a tad burnt:)


text:
The Orchard Foundation has a job opening for its Program Manager for Early Childhood.
The Math to Build On program has the goal of helping young children understand math concepts before they enter kindergarten.
Learn about the Central Louisiana Instructional Partnership Program and how it is helping increase the number of middle school math and science teachers.
The Orchard Foundation was selected as a partner in a national network to bring 100,000 new STEM teachers into schools by 2021.
The Cenla Work Ready Network links education and workforce development efforts and aligns them with regional economic needs.
Career and College Coaching provides Central Louisiana students with coaching and support to help them prepare for success after high school.
The Students Exploring Career Opportunities Expo introduces Cenla eighth graders to career possibilities through hands-on activities.
The WEE Camp is available for teachers to learn how classroom content and learning strategies are applied in the workplace.
The CART program was created to improve the quality and quantity of STEM teachers in rural schools in Central Louisiana.
Sign up to receive news and updates from The Orchard Foundation and The Rapides Foundation delivered to your inbox.
The Orchard Foundation is the education arm of The Rapides Foundation.
The Rapides Foundation is a philanthropic organization that develops Initiatives and provides grants to organizations throughout a nine-parish service area that share the Foundation's mission to improve the health status of Central Louisiana.
The Orchard Foundation
1101 4th Street, Suite 101C
Alexandria, LA 71301
Phone: (318) 767-6560
Toll Free: 800-804-8454
Fax: (318) 448-4473


text:
How to Install Vodafone 3G USB Modem on Ubuntu
Configure Vodafone 3G Modem on Linux
Vodafone offers HUWEI K3570-Z USB Stick for their 3G wireless broadband plans. If you've purchased this 3G USB Modem from vodafone then it's very easy to surf on windows. The real challenge is in connecting the modem to linux operating system and get it working. In this hub you'll learn how to connect this modem to linux distro - ubuntu. The Information presented on this hub applies to any other linux distro but you have to find respective files from repository on your own as i can't cover installation instruction for every distro out there.
As per my testing current tutorial works for :
- Ubuntu 10.04/10.10/11.04/11.10
- Kubuntu
- Fedora
- Eee PC
There are two ways to connect USB Modem to ubuntu. First method involves installing usb-modeswitch library and manually mounting the USB drive. Second method involves usage of sakis3g library that makes connecting to the internet very easy. So it's up to you to choose any one of these methods and get yourself connected to the internet.
Method 1: Installing 3G USB Modem on Linux
In case of ubuntu you need to open synaptic package manager and download these two libraries.
If you're downloading these libraries via terminal then don't forget to install them. Once you get these two packages installed, you need to set your file manager for manual mount and run for CD and USB devices. So you have to disable the automount and autorun.
You can do that by following these instructions.
Press ALT+ F2 and type ' gconf-editor' (Without the quotes)
You'll find new window with configuration settings. Click on apps folder and then navigate to nautilus, double click on preferences directory. You'll see some options of right hand side panel.
Uncheck the following options:
- media_automount
- media_automount_open
Check this option
This step will stop ubuntu to open 3G USB modem device as a folder and it just mounts the device when you connect to it. Now that you have everything setup, you can create configuration for this USB modem in network connections. You can connect to the internet by browsing this new configured profile from here. If you don't find the modem in the list of profiles, you can reboot the machine again by keeping USB stick connected. This way you'll find the profile in the list and you can connect easily.
Method 2: Sakis3g Script to Connect USB Modem
In comparison to previous method connecting your modem using sakis3g is relatively easy. It has usb-modeswitch library built-in and it also supports many vodafone and other network regions around the world. Sakis3g has many ubuntu python developers that are maintaining vodafone support on this script.
Following 3G USB Modems are tested and found working with sakis3g:
For ubuntu follow these steps to install sakis3g.
sudo apt-get install ppp
cd /usr/bin
wget 'http://www.sakis3g.org/versions/latest/sakis3g.gz'
sudo gunzip sakis3g.gz
sudo chmod +x sakis3g
Here i'm using sudo before every bash command because ubuntu requires sudo permissions to do anything on bin directory. Once you get it installed just run the following command on terminal.
sakis3g status
If it's installed successfully you can proceed to running the script with command 'sakis3g'. If not then you have to clear all the dependencies issue or any other issue.
Entering the sakis3g command in terminal will open a small window that asks you to choose options. First option is 'connect to 3g'. Select this option and click OK. Next option will ask you to choose between interface 3 or 4. Choose interface 3 and click on OK button. Next option wil ask you to choose generic driver or kernel driver. Choose generic driver and see if installation proceeds. Don't worry if it throws errors. Just keep on changing the options until it works. Then finally when you get option for APN_username and APN_Password. You have to consult with your vodafone operator for help. Or just ask in regional forums for help. In my case vodafone india has www as username and blank password. It worked for me but it may not work for you.
Sakis3g quits while entering the pin in some cases but I simply restarted the script every time and randomly it worked. Once it works, Just create an desktop shortcut to save your future hassles of entering the details. At the end, you have to keep testing.
Once you get the sakis3g running, it'll tell you that it's connected. Don't forget to have desktop shortcut for sakis settings as it makes it easy for you to run the connection script every time you boot or whenever you want.
Hope this helps to those who are searching for a way to connect their vodafone usb modem to the internet.
prathap on September 19, 2012:
SAKIS3G, It works like a breeze!
N3ptun3 on June 03, 2012:
Thank you for this!
govind on April 15, 2012:
hi i having 3.75G HSUPA USB ADAPTOR HOW CAN CONNECT PC AND ADAPTOR AND ABOT SETTING OF PC
Vilma on February 12, 2012:
Thank you very very much :)
khmohsin on November 14, 2011:
Great hub on configuring and the Installing Vodafone 3G Modem on Linux with step by step.Easy to understand and helps to those who are searching for a way to connect their vodafone usb modem to the internet.Voted up


text:
Human-Bot Collaboration Version 184.108.40.206 Release Notes
Review the installation update, fixed features, and known limitations in the Human-Bot Collaboration Version 220.127.116.11 release.
Installation update
Fixed features
|You can now use custom configurations for HTTPS, SSL, and TLS in the Human-Bot Collaboration Server interface.
|The Administration pages of the Human-Bot Collaboration Designer now displays all the available rows without any preset restrictions.
|The Set Status MetaBot command is now supported.
|The Human-Bot Collaboration clients- Assistant, Designer, and Launcher now connects to the Human-Bot Collaboration Server even if TLS is enabled without any certificate validation issues.
Known limitations
|Uninstalling the Human-Bot Collaboration Server does not remove
the related folders
If you update the Human-Bot Collaboration Server Version 11.3.4 to Version 126.96.36.199 and then uninstall the update, the related files and folders are not removed.
Workaround: Ensure that you uninstall the Human-Bot Collaboration Server completely (including Version 11.3.4). If the issue still persists, remove only the kapi, khub, kid4, and koda files from the following directory: %programdata%/AutomationAnywhere/Human-Bot Collaboration/Server


text:
|Jason Schimmel RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
Bracelet of Smoke and Mirrors
Aura Moderate Illusion; CL 9th
Slot wrists; Price 7000 gp; Weight –
This bracelet made of polished silver and smoky quartz allows the wearer to appear a size category larger then they really are. The wearer may activate it as a free action. It creates an illusion of this larger self that mimics their movements, while at the same time making the real wearer invisible as per greater invisibility. This illusion has several effects. First it gives a 20% miss chance to any attack made against the wearer since the attacker does not know for certain which square the actual user occupies. Second it treats the wearer as if they were actually a larger size when making intimidation checks. The wearer is affected by intimidation checks based on his true size. Finally, if an enemy enters or takes action in the area threatened by the illusion in a way that would provoke an attack of opportunity, the wearer can use his illusion to perform an aid another action to aid his own next attack. This illusion can be maintained for 10 minutes per day. Being "hit" by the illusion gives the creature hit a chance to see through the illusion as does seeing the illusion enter a space incongruous with its size.
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, veil, greater invisibility; Cost 3500 gp
|Clark Peterson Legendary Games, Necromancer Games
I thought I was going to hate this, but I think this is pretty creative and cool.
I'm sure you two will find all the problems that I missed.
But here's why I like it--its limited. It doesnt try to do everything. Its a neat idea to have a bigger illusion of you superimposed over the normal sized but invisible you. I think he came up with the right restrictions. It is fun and it allows for creative use. I like the intimidate bonus. Not sure I would use it, but a barbarian might. But including that shows thinking like a designer. I also like the aid another rahter than flank or some other silly way to handle that.
Veil is also a good requirement choice I think. Its more than just some projected or programmed image. It maintains and changes the image for the duration. Good choice with veil.
I will admit some of my enjoyment of this item is just that I wound up liking something I presumed would be lame. I guess that highlights the fact that the name, while I now understand it, doesnt really describe the item properly. Yes, its a smoke and mirrors style trick, but when I read smoke and mirrors I am expecting somethign else.
|Sean K Reynolds Contributor
This is pretty smart, but has a few bugs.
One, it's an Intimidate check, not an "intimidation" check.
Two, the aid another bit is a little weird.
Three, I'm not sure if the item runs for 10 minutes and then expires, or if I can break it up into several uses.
Four, I frown on items that you activate as a free action; the game assumes that a standard action is the norm for activating an item, and making it free is just a way to let a character do all his cool fun stuff at once rather than "wasting" an action that he could be using on attacking or casting a spell.
|F. Wesley Schneider Contributor
|Neil Spicer Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
First, I'm not crazy about the name, but that's more my problem than yours. I created an item for the first RPG Superstar competition called the bracers of life and death and it obviously didn't make the cut. And I realized then that phrases like "it's a matter of life and death" or "it's all just smoke and mirrors" really isn't displaying a lot of creativity from a naming perspective. I get why you called your item that. It totally fits what it's doing. I just think there's probably a better, more evocative, and cool-sounding name out there somewhere for it. I just can't think of one at the moment. ;-)
Meanwhile, I'm going to totally disagree with Clark about the use of veil in the construction requirements. The item should use mislead instead. Why? Because veil changes the appearance of one or more creatures (including making them larger, if desired), but it doesn't turn them invisible. But, mislead does turn the original subject invisible while super-imposing an exact copy of himself that mimics his movements. To get the increased size of the double-image, I would suggest you then layer on enlarge person and, because mislead already incorporates the effects of greater invisibility, you can drop greater invisibility from the construction requirements altogether. The overall pricing of the item can then be adjusted downward...because enlarge person as a secondary effect is a lot cheaper than greater invisibility. Of course, your pricing on this item is pretty low already. A total fakeout like this item provides (both on 20% miss chances on attacks against the user, the aid another bonus against opponents who don't recognize the illusion, and the bonus to Intimidate checks), probably ought to cost more than 7,000 gp. But that's just a gut reaction right now. I haven't gone back and compared it to any pre-existing items or crunched the numbers on the construction requirements.
Next, I know some of the judges questioned the aid another bonus granted by the illusion, but I kind of like it. Assuming the larger super-imposed image can somehow get an opponent looking up when he should be looking forward (after all, both the illusion and the invisible user are attacking from the same direction, so it's not necessarily a flanking situation) I think the bonus is probably warranted. The description doesn't say, but I'm wondering how the Aid Another action works mechanically in this situation. Is it automatic as a result of provoking the attack of opportunity? Or does it require the user of the item to make an Aid Another check to aid himself? That would be kind of unique. But you still need to tighten down the mechanical in-game play of these effects so it's clear to the reader. Same goes for the 10 minutes per day duration of the ability. Do you only get to use it once per day, and forfeit any extra minutes you don't use? Does it last for 10 minutes and you can't turn it off once you activate it? Can you chop up the minutes of use and spread them throughout the day? These kinds of questions will be asked and they'll need answering.
Other small nitpicks: You should lower-case "Moderate Illusion" in the Aura line. And veil should come after greater invisibility in the construction requirements, because you always alphabetize spell listings. Other than that, it looks like you tallied everything up well and used the template to present your item as professionally as possible. Kudos on that. You did have a few words left over. And given the questions you're receiving about the mechanics of the item, it would have been nice to see you spend some of them on an extra sentence or two of explanation.
Regardless, this is a pretty cool item. I like the purpose it would serve in the game. It's got a spark of creativity and imagination to it that leaves me wondering what more you'll craft in the rounds to come. So, welcome to the ranks of RPG Superstar! Prepare yourself for a really fun ride. But make sure you bring your A-game. The competition from here on out requires a steady hand both with flavor and imagination, as well as rules-fu and presentation. Sharpen yourself on all those things. And best of luck!
|Eric Bailey RPG Superstar 2009 Top 4 , Star Voter Season 6 aka raidou
First, I want to say that I think Neil's assessment of the mislead spell as the primary spell effect for this item is spot-on. I was trying to remember what spell did this exact sort of thing while mulling several entries in my head last night.
However, this is a really entertaining item that utilizes an uncommon spell effect and is written up quite well. You've got a great core idea and I suspect you've got more in store for us.
I share the issues with the Aid Another action. Once he activates the item, the bracelet's wearer turns invisible. Thus he's already getting a +2 to his attacks and probably denying his opponent's Dexterity bonus to AC. The Aid Another action sort of feels like overkill on top of that.
If you're going to set up a situation where an illusion acts like an actual combatant, you need to provide us with the numbers, or means to derive those numbers. Can an opponent tumble through the illusion's threat range? what attack modifier does the illusion get? If the illusion is mimicking the user's exact movements, does the user actually need to pretend to aid another to get the bonus?
Mechanically, it's a bit off, but underneath you've still got a great concept and a flavorful item. I'm interested in what else you've got. Congratulations on making it this far, and good luck in the upcoming rounds!
|Neil Spicer Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
I share the issues with the Aid Another action. Once he activates the item, the bracelet's wearer turns invisible. Thus he's already getting a +2 to his attacks and probably denying his opponent's Dexterity bonus to AC. The Aid Another action sort of feels like overkill on top of that.
You know, that's a great point. I think I'm going to have to revise my earlier comments. The Aid Another action sounds conceptually cool, but because of the lack of interplay between an oversized illusion and the real invisible opponent, it's probably out of place. And, as Eric has pointed out, given that the user of the item already gains bonuses for being invisible, the potential Aid Another bonus isn't really warranted anymore.
|Kevin Carter RPG Superstar 2009 Top 4 aka K. B. Carter
Congrats on making it to RPG Superstar 2010! I asked myself the same three questions for each of the top 32 items. Here are my responses to your item:
Would this wondrous item unbalance or over-complicate my game if my PCs were to find it and use it?
Seems solid on this front. If I had to nitpick, I'm would say that using the "assist other" rule to assist yourself is a little weird. If I were to introduce this as a mechanic, my PCs would probably start looking for other opportunities in which they could "assist other" themselves, and that's a can of rules-lawyering worms that I would rather just leave closed. I think it would be easier to just say "+2 circumstance bonus on your next attack".
Would my PCs be happy with this item if they were to find it during an adventure?
I'm sure my PCs could find a use for this. I also think they would eventually ask why they couldn't produce this same effect with other illusion spells. All in all, I think this is a good set of rules for describing what happens when you use illusion magic to make yourself look bigger than you really are, which is something most PCs will try eventually. I think the rules for illusion magic are riddled with ambiguity and I always appreciate attempts by designers to plug these holes.
Do I like the mojo? Does the item spark other ideas for my campaign?
Sure. I actually think this mechanic is pretty adaptable for a distant surface cousin of the displacer beast, a lynx-like creature that lives in a fey forest and appears to double in size when it is hunting or threatened. Veteran rangers know this to be a magical illusion. Anyway, I digress. Your item rocks!
|Matthew Stinson RPG Superstar 2009 Top 4
An enlarge person illusion item huh? I'm really not digging the activating as a free action. I see the character growing larger in front of their enemies over the course of a round like the enlarge person spell, not with an instantaneous pop. An instantaneous pop in not very "smoke and mirrors". How does this item work with larger creatures that have reach, like a cloud giant or red great wyrm? Do they still get to use aid other to help their illusionary self when the enemy is out of reach of their normal, invisible self?
I like how you swung for the fences but I would have liked to have seen you use your 65+ words you had left over to flesh it out just a little more. I hope you keep coming with the big ideas in the later rounds, welcome to RPG Superstar 2010. Good luck as you move forward.
|Nicholas Herold RPG Superstar 2013 Top 8 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7 aka Demiurge 1138
|Neil Spicer Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
|Charles Evans 25
Poorly worded, I'm still trying to work out why on earth there's an aid another effect (surely this could have been just passed off as a Circumstance bonus if the intention is that you can confuse an opponent as to precisely where an attack is coming from?) or why if an attacker does not know which square a user is in the miss chance is only 20%?
The effect can be maintained for 10 minutes a day. Does this mean, like boots of speed, that you can turn it on and off?
I would recommend that the OP seriously up their game if they intend to stay in this contest. Based on this entry, I would not be surprised if they do not advance any further.
|James Martin RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8
|Celeador Marathon Voter Season 6
|Jason Nelson Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
I like the idea (it reminds me of the "Mirror of the Mists" that Moiraine uses in the first Wheel of Time novel to scare the pants off of a bunch of Whitecloaks), but I'm kinda iffy on the execution.
Using aid another & AoO as a combination does make a certain amount of logical sense, but the game mechanics of it feel a little clunky.
Also, adding in greater invisibility opens up a whole raft of complications:
- can someone see you with see invisibility?
- does invisibility purge/faerie fire/glitterdust make you visible standing between the illusionary-big-you's legs?
- do you get the normal bonuses for attacking invisibly (+2 to hit, denying DEX bonus)?
- do opponents have to choose a square when attacking to see if they hit the real you, or does the uniform 20% miss chance apply to attacking any square, and you are considered to occupy every square for being attacked (like you do when you're mounted on a Large creature)? For that matter, why 20% when being invis gives you 50%?
- If people disbelieve the illusion, how does that impact your invisible status?
I would probably have simplified it: Go ahead and use veil as your prereq, since that can make you look bigger, and dump the inviso idea entirely. Just state that the item arbitrarily gives you:
1. Size bonus to Intimidate checks
2. Allow you to aid another with 10' reach (since your allies and your enemies THINK you are threatening them, so they respond and are impeded just as they would if you could actually interpose yourself)
3. You *appear* to threaten AoOs with your bigger reach. I don't think I'd go with an actual AoO attack, but perhaps I'd say you when you threaten someone with your illusionary reach, you could spend an AoO to impose a -2 penalty on any attack roll, skill check, ability check, or concentration check they make associated with the action.
(Basically, it's creating a circumstance penalty because they think you're trying to whack them, and they may make bad tactical decisions on the basis of what they think you're capable of doing.)
4. Flat 20% miss chance on attacks, but all squares of the bigger illusionary you can be targeted as if they were you (again, using the mounted combat principle wherein you occupy all of your mount's squares for the purpose of being attacked)
I think a setup more like this accomplishes all the things you want the item to do but avoids some of the rules strangeness that might otherwise crop up. Just my two bits, though, and two thumbs up for a fun and useful item concept.
EDIT: Ninja'd on the WoT reference! :)
P.S. Part of my reservation about invoking greater invisibility is that it is a 1 ROUND per level spell, and this item gives this spell for 10 MINUTES, which is a rather enormous increase in duration, even if it is tied to an embiggened illusionary you.
|Dennis Baker Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
The good: I really like the concept of the illusory giant you, it's a cool concept.
The bad: The name... just a bit clichéd in my opinion
The ugly: The mechanics make this a rogue's dream toy. Improved Invis for 10 minutes/ day? Sweet sneak attacking madness!
Ok... not really that ugly and entirely fixable. Good job nabbing a top 32. Good luck in the coming rounds, I look forward to seeing your stuff.
|Neil Spicer Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
P.S. Part of my reservation about invoking greater invisibility is that it is a 1 ROUND per level spell, and this item gives this spell for 10 MINUTES, which is a rather enormous increase in duration, even if it is tied to an embiggened illusionary you.
I think a fair amount of that is offset, though, Jason...by the fact that the illusionary 'you' still marks where the invisible 'you' is located within a few squares. It doesn't work entirely like the mislead spell where you can send your duplicate one way while you hightail it in the other direction.
So, even if the greater invisibility effect lasts 10 minutes, it's somewhat nerfed by the fact that it narrows down the number of squares where the real 'you' is hiding. That makes it much easier to nail you with area effect spells, splash weapons, and so on. As long as they can hit the bigger 'you' with something, they can hit the real 'you' as well.
|Jason Nelson Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
Jason Nelson wrote:P.S. Part of my reservation about invoking greater invisibility is that it is a 1 ROUND per level spell, and this item gives this spell for 10 MINUTES, which is a rather enormous increase in duration, even if it is tied to an embiggened illusionary you.I think a fair amount of that is offset, though, Jason...by the fact that the illusionary 'you' still marks where the invisible 'you' is located within a few squares. It doesn't work entirely like the mislead spell where you can send your duplicate one way while you hightail it in the other direction.
See, that's the thing about both mislead and this item: Getting the greater invisibility effect isn't about hightailing it, it's about becoming a stealth-killer combat machine. If you just wanted to flee (a la the 1st Ed shadow door spell), regular invis would be fine. You disappear, there's the illusionary you as a decoy, and you run away.
Because it's GI, though, you create the illusory distraction, things react to it, and then you zip around killing the heck out of everything while you're G-invis'ed. Even if they know the EXACT square you're in, having GI going provides you with a host of game-mechanical benefits.
Like Dennis said, it's a rogue's dream. Sure, everyone can mark your general location, but you still get to sneak attack with every attack, ignore DEX bonus to AC (which is nice for anybody but pure gold for ray-sorcerers and others using ranged touch attacks), and apply that miss chance on every attack against you. You are also immune to AoOs and sneak attacks because you can't take AoOs against creatures with concealment and sneak attacks don't work against creatures with concealment.
That's pretty serious cheese.
You also have to resolve whether you can be targeted by effects that require line of sight. Those attacks can hit the illusion, sure, but technically the real you is invisible, so you can be affected by AoE and physical attacks can target a square, but a spell requiring targeting of a creature (e.g., magic missile) could only attack the illusory you, not the real you, since there's no LOS to you.
This is the place where the rules wonkiness comes in. You can have:
1. An illusion that covers you and essentially IS you for targeting purposes (disguise self, displacement, blur, veil, or the PF version of mirror image).
2. An illusion that looks like you but is separate from you (any kind of silent/minor/major image, etc., including the kind created by mislead as your decoy).
3. An illusion that looks like you and moves with you but is not actually you (the old-school version of mirror image).
Why is this important? I think this item hasn't quite specified whether it wants to be an illusion like #1, #2, or #3, and the three types of "looks like you illusions" have very different effects when we are talking about getting targeted by attacks (excluding AoEs, which of course work fine):
Things targeting #1 affect you normally, because it's just you with an illusory skin on.
Things targeting #2 don't affect you, because it's not really you at all. You could in theory hide "inside" of an illusion like #2 if it's big enough or if you're invisible (though if visible synchronizing your movements with it is iffy at best); an attack against the illusion wouldn't affect you directly, though if you're in the square attacked you'd have a 50% chance to get hit.
Things targeting #3 don't affect you, because they are attacking a decoy you that is right next to you.
For me, I think it should probably work like #1, though if you wanted to add in a blur-level concealment effect (20% miss chance) I think that would be a reasonable compromise to trying to work out the round-by-round details of which square you're in inside of the illusory big you.
So, even if the greater invisibility effect lasts 10 minutes, it's somewhat nerfed by the fact that it narrows down the number of squares where the real 'you' is hiding. That makes it much easier to nail you with area effect spells, splash weapons, and so on. As long as they can hit the bigger 'you' with something, they can hit the real 'you' as well.
Sure - miss chance isn't attack immunity, but the real benefit is more offensive than defensive. You get the generalized handiness of the illusionary embiggenation (which would be extra nice for rogues with the Dazzling Display/Shatter Defenses feat tree) but you ALSO get all the free goodies that attacking while you're invisible gets you.
|Benjamin Bruck Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8 aka Benchak the Nightstalker
|Mike Welham Contributor , Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9
I also like the intimidation effect of this item. The other effects seem a little clunky to me, but, overall this is a very imaginative item.
One question, can the 10 minutes be broken up, and, if so, how? One minute increments?
Congratulations on making the top 32 and good luck with the next round.
|Joel Flank RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka JoelF847
Great job making the top 32! This is an interesting item - put me down for getting the aid another mechanic in this situation. I'd simply drop the invisibility portion and just say that the illusion covers you and gives the effects that it gives. Then the aid another bonus isn't on top of invisibility, but instead of the normal invisibility benefits. As for the name, I think smoke and mirrors not only fits thematically, but as an illusion based item, having a misleading name fits. To enhance this effect, I'd like to have seen the illusion of an enlarged version of you be accompianied by a brief cloud of smoke, similar to the cloak of the mountbank.
My one criticism is that for the spells used in creation, it seems like a pretty inexpensive item. I think a simple major image requirement would be about right for the effect and cost of the item.
|Jason Schimmel RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. I guess you can never have too many sets of eyes look something over. I can really see things that I could have handled differently, or that I needed to clarify. I'd love to put forth a little bit of what was in my head while I was designing it, but I'm not sure if that's out of bounds for the contest at this point in the round. I'm totally psyched to be in the top 32. Now off to reread my monster proposal.
|Jason Nelson Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone. I guess you can never have too many sets of eyes look something over. I can really see things that I could have handled differently, or that I needed to clarify. I'd love to put forth a little bit of what was in my head while I was designing it, but I'm not sure if that's out of bounds for the contest at this point in the round. I'm totally psyched to be in the top 32. Now off to reread my monster proposal.
Get your monster done first!
Then come back and spout off to your heart's content. The rule of no-commenting applies during the voting period. Once the voting period is over (or, in the case of the initial round, when there IS no voting), it's all good.
|Jason Schimmel RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16 , Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7
I got the idea for this simply because my Character in Rise of the Rune Lords has been using dazzling display to great effect and based on cover art, I knew there would be Large+ sized things in future installments. The other two features came out as consequences of how the illusion works in my mine. The toughest things for me were pricing (as note by many perceptive commentators) and CL. I should have worded the miss chance differently I know a 1 in 4 chance to hit would be 75% miss chance, but that seemed two powerful, and a weird number based on other things which confer miss chance. The aid another was based on trying to add verisimilitude to the illusion. A large create threatens a different area then a medium. So actions that incur attacks of opportunity would warrant some response. The problem is you aren't large and you don't threaten that area. The idea was the wearer uses the illusion to put the enemy off guard for the next real attack. Perhaps it should have been a free Faint. That is more fitting with the deceptive concept of the item. Anyway since some people clearly wonder "what were you thinking?", there it is. Thanks again for all the great feedback. Now its time to resume looking over the rest of the top 32.
|Tom Phillips Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32, 2012 Top 4
|Eric Hindley Contributor , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Boxhead
I really like the idea behind this one, but like many others it seems, just don't love the mechanics (or the name, really, but that's just taste). I feel like the miss chance is fine in my book, and the intimidate bonus is great, but the aid another check is certainly wonky. Maybe the user should simply actually threaten a larger area, invisibly lunging out to attack? Maybe just a circumstance bonus? I don't know, but it seems like making an aid another check for yourself is weird...
That said, the illusion of being larger is a very cool idea.
|Sean McGowan RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32, 2011 Top 4 , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Marathon Voter Season 8, Marathon Voter Season 9 aka DankeSean
In spite of some of the mechanical problems others have mentioned, this is possibly one of my favorite items this round. It's partly the fun visual for me that does it- I just keep seeing Shade, the Changing Man in my head. I think a lot of the problems with this one would vanish if you dropped the specific invisibility effect, since that implies this item has more effects on the user than i get the impression you wanted it to have. And personally, I like the self aid another bonus; it's unusual, but not soemthing you get to see or achieve by any other means, which of course is what a wondrous item SHOULD do.


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Hi Everybody!
Hope you all had a good weekend. Here it actually warmed up on Sunday, hard to believe. It was warmer outside than inside. Wonders never cease!
Elizabeth's T Stands for Tuesday link party will begin this evening, so here a warm welcome to all of the nice ladies of the T Gang who visit here.
Today I have a vintage coca cola screen to share:


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Hi there, how are you doing? I just got home soaking wet from the rain and made myself some fika. According to different websites, you can't have fika on your own since it's a social thing, so let's say I'm having my fika together with you blogreaders then.
Across the street from where I live, there is this great supermarket with ecological foods and I went there to get some nice bread, cheese & chocolate.
So here I am, having fika with you. Did you know about Swedish fika already? I guess if you've followed this blog for quite some time, you do.
It's been winter jacket cold in Berlin today, I must admit it makes me very happy and energetic. Went out to do the laundry and have coffee with Johan after we woke up pretty late, made tagliatelle with lots of garclic, zucchini & feta cheese for lunch, wrote some invoices, instagrammed & took a walk to a print shop. So far it's been a pretty productive day compared to when it's hot outside.
Hope you're all well. I wonder when I'll go visit my family (and Johan's), you are now allowed to travel to Germany from Sweden without 14 days quarantine, but I'm not sure how I feel about going to another country already. Elvis texted me that he misses me and I worry pretty much about his health, he's 12+ now.


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SANDWICH, England – It wasn't that long ago that George Coetzee was apologizing to his famous playing partners for struggling to break 90 in their presence at their national open. Now he's in contention at THE Open.
This Open Championship leaderboard has its major champions, young stars in the making and heart-tugging storylines. Then there's Coetzee. Who is this man who sits in seventh place with one round remaining at Royal St. George's?
Coetzee, a 24-year-old South African, is five off Darren Clarke's lead after rounds of 69-69-72. Coetzee, at No. 126 in the world, is the lowest-ranked player among those at even par or better. He'll tee off Sunday with Anders Hansen, 40 minutes before the final pairing.
"I'm just here to compare my game to the rest of the world," Coetzee said. So far, it's holding up very well, validating his decision to switch to golf.
Coetzee's father wanted his son to become a professional tennis player; George Coetzee played until he was 10 years old, quitting when his family moved to a house with a tennis court.
Coetzee won the 2005 South African Amateur. He came to the United States to play for the University of San Diego after an impressive showing at the Junior Worlds at nearby Torrey Pines, but stayed in the States for just one semester.
Tim Mickelson, who coached Coetzee at USD, said he was the most talented freshman he ever had. Coetzee didn't have a car in the States, though, so he relied on teammates for rides to nearby courses. He spent a lot of time partying instead of practicing or going to class.
His game was a mess. By the end of the semester, he struggled to break 80. One problem. As South Africa's amateur champion, he had a tee time with Tim Clark and Retief Goosen at the South African Open.
"I putted like a champion," he said. All for rounds of 84-88. "I was playing the worst golf of my life."
Coetzee decided to return home to focus on his game, another wise decision. This Open Championship is his first major. He holed a 20-foot birdie putt in the pitch black to advance out of a 5-for-1 playoff at International Final Qualifying at Sunningdale Golf Club.
Coetzee's play this week culminates a recent good stretch. He's finished in the top 12 in four of his past five European Tour starts, including two third-place showings.
He had to earn this year's card at Q-School after finishing 126th in the Race to Dubai. He began this year ranked 412th in the world, though he's jumped nearly 300 spots this year.
Stocky and baby-faced, he'll never be confused with countryman Charl Schwartzel, but his play this week allowed him to do something Schwartzel never did. Schwartzel also played his first major at Royal St. George's. He shot 78-77 to miss the cut.
"I knew Charl Schwartzel missed the cut at his first major, so I said that's my goal," Coetzee said.
He's done even better than that.


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The First Wave of Comic-Con Trailers Are Here!
The best, easiest way for me to share the geeky joy coming out of Comic-Con is with movie trailers. They're easy to post on this blog and require little work on my part. So how about we check out a bunch of them?
First up is the trailer for the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which looks insane and potentially awesome! I was a big Kevin Smith fan back in the day, during his good movie years. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was the first movie I went to see when I moved away to college. So I'm excited for this new film.
It's probably not going to be very good. But it looks like Kevin Smith is just gonna go nuts, reflecting on his entire life and career. That should be more than enough to be weirdly awesome!
How about the new trailer for It 2!
Looks confidently scary and spooky. The first one was really good. Did I ever tell you henchies that I saw It twice in theaters? I saw it at the same theater a week apart with two different dates. It was weird, but funny in hindsight.
Next up is Top Gun: Maverick, a super weird return.
I was never super into the original Top Gun. It's a fine film, and I saw it as a kid, but it wasn't life changing. So to bring Tom Cruise back for a sequel some 30 years later? Yeah, sure, I suppose that's what people are doing these days. The trailer looks alright. Here's hoping it's worth watching.
Stay tuned to my blog over the next couple of days for even more trailers and any other news I can squeeze out of Comic-Con!
Posted on July 18, 2019, in Movies and tagged Comic-Con, It, It 2, Jay and Silent Bob, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Kevin Smith, San Diego Comic-Con, Tom Cruise, Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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Luxury tax déjà vu at the state level
Industry fights N.Y. proposal; Illinois quickly shoots down similar measure
As states look for creative ways to fill billion-dollar holes in their budgets, one big one - New York - is considering raising the sales tax on "luxury" purchases, including boats.
A luxury tax proposal also surfaced in Illinois, but was quickly pushed aside by a legislative committee.
In 1991, a federal 10 percent luxury tax on that portion of the price of a new boat above $100,000 severely cut into boat sales nationwide. Congress ultimately repealed that measure after it was blamed for the loss of thousands of boatbuilding jobs.
Now, New York Gov. David A. Patterson wants to raise sales taxes on boats and other luxury items to help fill a budget deficit of $15 billion. His plan would tack an additional 5 percent tax onto that portion of a new boat sale exceeding $200,000.
Marine industry lobbyists in the state are launching a grassroots effort to fight the proposal.
"We have to educate the governor's office on what this will do to business in New York," says Chris Squeri, executive director of the New York Marine Trades Association.
As of early March, no action had been taken on the proposal. Meanwhile, Squeri says, members of his association continue to lobby their state legislators on the devastating effect such a tax would have on their businesses.
Squeri says the tax would do nothing to increase state revenues, because consumers would simply buy fewer boats or purchase them out of state. That would hurt everyone - from dealers to marinas and other waterfront businesses, he says.
"It's a domino [effect] that's just going to be horrible," Squeri says.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association also has weighed in against the governor's plan, saying it would fail to provide New York with much-needed revenue.
"The impact of the proposed tax would hit New York marine dealers most immediately," the NMMA wrote in a letter. "About 38 percent of their sales are of boats 30-39 feet long, most of which retail for more than $200,000.
"Loss of even 20 percent of these sales to neighboring states, or to decisions to not purchase a vessel rather than pay the tax, would lead to even greater layoffs than already experienced in the New York market," the letter states.
The NMMA also pointed out that dealers have experienced significant sales declines since the state-operated Jacob Javits Center moved the dates of the New York National Boat Show to December. In 2001, attendance was 95,000; at the most recent show, it had dropped to less than 50,000.
A luxury tax also was proposed in Illinois, though it was quickly shelved by state lawmakers.
Mark Adams, vice president of sport shows for the NMMA, along with opponents from six different marine-related organizations and businesses, attended a hearing of the legislature's Revenue and Finance Committee to oppose the tax.
But before testimony could be heard, the committee echoed industry concerns and withheld a motion to take up the proposal.
"While we understand Illinois must address its looming budget deficit, we are pleased the committee realizes a counterproductive tax like this one is not the answer," said David Dickerson, NMMA director of state government relations, in a statement.
"Despite assurances from the bill's sponsor that similar measures will not be pursued, we will continue to monitor any new legislation moving forward," Dickerson says.
This article originally appeared in the April 2009 issue.


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Our Bella / Canvas t-shirts are made from a 50% cotton / 50% polyester blend and are available in five different sizes. They're stylish, soft, and incredibly comfortable. Machine wash with cold water, and tumble dry on low heat.
Design Details
An action shot of a BMX biker in the skateboard park. It looked like a fun ride. An ICB image, where I lowered the ISO to reduce the shutter speed... more
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Alex Lapidus
Congratulations, your image has been featured in the Experimental Photography group -- thanks for sharing it with us! Please feel free to add it to the 2021 Feature Archive in the Discussion section (using the "embed" link on your image page).
Thank you, Alex!
Don Columbus
Congratulations Kae, your work is Featured in "Photographic Camera Art" I invite you to place it in the group's "2020 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!! L/Tweet!
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Flying Z Photography By Zayne Diamond
Kae, congratulations on being selected one of the "Photos of the Week" in the Old Masters-Photographers and Digital Arts! group. Love the creativeness in this image! L/F
Thanks for the comment, Zayne. Much appreciated.
Donna Kennedy
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Lenore Senior
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Thank you Nikki. I like shooting at the skate park.
Donald Spencer
Congratulations on being chosen the Featured Artist of the Week in the group, Old MASTERS--Photographers and Digital Arts!
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Donna Kennedy
Kae, Congratulations on being chosen as the Featured Artist of the Week in the group, Old Masters-Photographers and Digital Arts!...L
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Lenore Senior
CONGRATULATIONS, Kae!!~~You are the Featured Artist of the Week in the group, Old MASTERS--Photographers and Digital Arts! Your galleries are eclectic and beautiful! v/f/feature!
Thank you!!!
Lois Bryan
Oh I love this ... beautiful capture of the biker streaking past!!! Lovely composition!! l/f
Thanks, Lois for your comment and promo. Much appreciated.
Fei A
Awesome work Kae ! v.f
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Jeff Mize
Nice processing Kae! FL
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Marcia Lee Jones
Nice action image!
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Hanny Heim
Nice capture !
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Doug Matthews
A fascinating image, Kae, almost semi-abstract.
Thanks for the comment, Doug.
Fran Riley
Great capture Kae! I love it!
Thank you, Fran.
Lingfai Leung
Great capture
Thanks, Lingfai.
Debra Martz
Great action shot with movement!
Thanks, Debra. I appreciate your comment.
Gary Richards
Nice juxtaposition of the bike vs the steps! A cool photo!
Thanks so much, Gary.
Beverly Guilliams
Wonderful image, Kae........love the action we the bike........v.
Thank you, Beverly!
Joan Carroll
fun capture!
Thank you, Joan.
An action shot of a BMX biker in the skateboard park. It looked like a fun ride. An ICB image, where I lowered the ISO to reduce the shutter speed and get the biker blurred, while keeping the steps and bar in focus. More motion blur images are in my "Movement and Action" gallery. =================== Chosen and "Photo of the Week" (April 22, 2018) by the administrator of Old Masters Photographers and Artists ++++++++++++ This image is copyrighted to Kae C's Images (Kae Cheatham). Not in public domain. =============== Featured in FAA groups: Out of the Ordinary, Social Arts, Arts Fantastic World, Art Its Good for You, Figurative Abstraction, Just Perfect, Photographic Camera Art, Experimental Photography
I am a visual artist at work a few miles east of the Continental Divide in Montana. As a former photo journalist, the bulk of my PHOTOGRAPHY deals with rural enterprise and activities. If you are interested in those subjects (with a western flair) please visit my Adobe portfolio at https://adobe.ly/3qqT8fc. A few of these subjects can be found in this Fine Art America gallery, although my focus here is more on digital painting, where I work in various styles, as well as experimental and augmented photography. The COLLECTIONS show the various themes. Pick your interests and enjoy! ====> Be sure to visit my other sites: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kaecsimages ------------- twitter https://twitter.com/KaeCimages -------------...


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Tuesday, April 28, the Syracuse International Film Festival presented a special event called "Russian Heroes of Disability" that featured a panel discussion sandwiched between two Russian feature films, both dealing with disability -- the first with a physical disability, and the second with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Before the panel discussion began, Ramil Khayrulin and Tatiana Bogaeva, both Russian, and their translator Gregg Opelka, came down to sit at the table in the front of the auditorium in Weiskotten Hall on Irving Ave.
"I want to thank Topol (the director of the first film, "Standing on the Edge") for creating such a film about this problem that people with disabilities face, which touches all of us, no matter our country or nationality," Khayrulin said.
Khayrulin and Bogaeva founded the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Independent Project in Social Sciences" in Moscow to rehabilitate the disabled in Russia and help them enter the workforce. They came to the US at the invitation of Owen Shapiro, creative director of the Syracuse International Film Festival, in the hopes of making connections and possibly beginning collaborations with similar organizations here.
"In America, you have a lot of experience in working with people with disabilities," he said, "In Russia, we've only begun this kind of work since 1993. And prior to that there was really no understanding about people with limited capacities or disabilities."
Khayrulin first came to the US in 1998 to undergo spinal surgery at Shriners Hospital in Chicago, he said in an interview at the filmmaker's party Wednesday night at Dinosaur Bar-b-que. That's where he first met Opelka, who served as his translator at the time.
"I'm very grateful to America for the fact that I'm so healthy now and that I've been cured," Khayrulin said. "And it would be great to share this experience, so that other children in Russia could have the same sort of treatment in America."
The financing that brought Khayrulin to the US for treatment was cut off shortly after his return to Russia, and re-opening that source of funding is one of Khayrulin's goals. But the main thrust of his organization is to prepare young disabled Russians to enter the workforce.
The first step of that is mental rehabilitation -- overcoming the "disability complex," and feeling empowered to move forward, Khayrulin said. Then, the foundation uses a sports-centered program to physically prepare the disabled for the workforce.
Khayrulin, as well as the directors of the films screened that night, admitted that the dialogue about disability rights in Russia is playing catch-up. Until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1993, the issue was simply ignored.
"The amazing thing about the first film, the Topol film, is that it's the first film to really depict the life of an invalid in Russia," Khayrulin said. "They never discussed that or never showed that in film."
Now, Khayrulin, and others in places like Moscow and St. Petersberg, are trying to advance that dialogue. This trip to Syracuse is part of his effort to form international bonds that will be beneficial to both sides.
"This film festival is a part of that," he said. "Through film and music and the arts, it's often easier to make people aware of a problem."
At 24, Khayrulin -- who holds a doctorate of biophysics with a secondary specialization in psychology, both of which he put aside to run the foundation -- was one of the younger guests at the filmmaker's party, but he moved about with an easy confidence, smiling and shaking hands with just about everyone he saw.
As he and Opelka left, a car full of VIP's stopped in the middle of the street to chat with Khayrulin and make plans for the next day.
Opelka watched with a smile. "If he stays in the US much longer," he said. "He'll be a mayor somewhere."
Anyone interested in contacting Khayrulin about his work or possible collaboration is encouraged to e-mail Opelka at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Favorite Easter Decorations
When it comes to Easter decorations, it's not surprising my favorite ideas are kid-friendly. Decorating is an ongoing process at my house as my two-year old will transport bunnies and eggs to new locations throughout the season. He's one step ahead when it's time for the egg hunt!
Our breakable and edible Easter decorations debut on Easter morning. For the rest of the Easter season, we stick with kid-friendly Easter decorations. Take a peek at some of my favorites-
[imagebrowser id="32"]
What's your strategy for Easter decorations?
Miniature Glass Bell Jars from Weddingstar.com
Folkmanis Finger Puppet Bunnies
Recommended for You
Easter Printable Pocket Place Cards
Plush Mini Baskets from Build-A-Bear
Natural Fiber Mama and Baby Bunny from World Market
More Easter Ideas
ZenDoodle Easter Eggs Coloring Pages
Easter Dress-Inspired Vanilla Petal Cake
Note: Product mentions and opinions expressed here are my own. Review sample provided by WeddingStar.com.


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10 Reasons Why Lil' Kim's 'Hard Core' Is Good for Hip-Hop
November 12 marks 15 years since Lil' Kim dropped her solo debut. 'Hard Core' took a burgeoning femme fatale and placed her in the heart of the neo-gangster movement hip-hop was embracing at the time thanks to the Notorious B.I.G. Oozing slick sexuality and punchy, reckless man-eating musings, 'Hard Core' was an X-rated experience. Kim's contribution to rap with her first LP left a lasting impression on rap music as a whole -- one that still echoes today. In honor of the Queen Bee's decade-and-a-half old womanifesto, The BoomBox has compiled 10 reasons why Lil' Kim and 'Hard Core' both deserve a seat at the hip-hop table.
10. Bad Boy Found Its Bad Girl
While it's true that Lil' Kim was never formally signed to Bad Boy Records -- she was under Biggie and Lance "Un" Rivera's Undeas Recordings before getting an imprint of her own -- she was the female balance Puff needed in his posse. That "only female in my crew" line she declared a year later in 'All About The Benjamins' was birthed because of 'Hard Core.' Kim strutted her stuff with Junior M.A.F.I.A. earlier on, but her solo album really drove the point home that "beside every man is a bad girl."
9. Queen Bee Takes Hip-Hop to Hollywood
The title "Queen Bee" wasn't invented by Lil' Kim, but she surely perfected it. The top of hip-hop's hive was a position Kim demanded and achieved with 'Hard Core.' Her boldness vibrated into Hollywood, as years later the film 'Mean Girls' showed the leader of the pack being called the Queen Bee. In 'Sex & the City,' when Kim Cattrall's character Samantha Jones -- a Queen Bee of sorts -- is undergoing chemotherapy, she dons a proud pink wig at a Hollywood premiere, earning her the nickname "Lil' Kim."
8. The Return of the Word "Lil'"
Some may see this as a glaring disadvantage in the rap name pool, but Lil' Kim was the first "Lil'" in a lil' while to do it big in hip-hop. Once Lil' Kim got started, Lil' Cease got some appreciation and from there the Lil' names have flooded. A year later, Lil Wayne would enter the scene with the Hot Boys, and the rest is history. See what Lil' Kim did for the culture? Once again, huge fail to some hip-hop fans, but a gigantic win to others.
7. Hip-Hop Had Its Sexy Back
There's a scene in the film 'Notorious' where Naturi Naughton portrays Lil' Kim and raps to Biggie -- played by MC Gravy. She's rhyming ruggedly and Big stops her and advises she has to make it sexy for men to listen to her. If that conversation actually happened prior to 'Hard Core,' then Biggie was correct. The opening on 'Big Momma Thang' made it clear what Kim came to do. The imagery on the album inserts only furthered the notion that this was true pitbull-in-a-skirt rap, where lyrical fornication was in order. Praises to Foxy Brown too, who under Jay-Z's watchful eye achieved the same with 'Ill Na Na.'
6. 'Hard Core' Struck a Balance
It's no surprise that not everyone was a huge fan of 'Hard Core' or the movement that Lil' Kim was starting. Many women felt that Kim's brazenness and unrelenting sexuality placed women right back to where they started as mere accessories in a male-driven industry. As a result, opposing female rappers like Lauryn Hill, Rah Digga and Da Brat pushed forward in addition to their predecessors like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte. For the first time, women in hip-hop had options. You could be sexy or not be sexy. The choice was yours.
5. Biggie's Presence Was Felt
A lover and protégé of the late Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim was under his careful tutelage during the creation of 'Hard Core.' B.I.G. stepped out of his comfort zone to craft female-driven lyrics on tracks like 'Queen B----,' where he chimes in with, "You n----s got some audacity/ Ya sold a million, now you're half of me. Get off my d---." When Biggie passed less than a year later in 1997, hip-hop was feenin' for the projects he had near completion just to get another dose of his brand of crack rap. Considering his huge influence on 'Hard Core,' this is another B.I.G. contribution to his legacy.
4. Kim Showed Us Her Hits
No doubt about it, 'Hard Core' produced a large number of hits off the 15-track offering. Even those that didn't chart evolved into hip-hop classics eventually. There was the intro track 'Big Momma Thang' that featured Jay-Z -- don't forget Lil' Cease -- and followed with the Puff-assisted 'No Time.' Then there was 'Crush On You,' which, oddly, only featured Cease on the album version, but the single had Kim and Biggie on it -- plus Aaliyah in the video. Finally, 'Not Tonight,' which morphed into the 'Ladies Night (Remix)' and saw Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez lend rhyming assists.
3. Hip-Hop Received a Gender Reassignment
Lil' Kim could have easily called herself King Bee with the way she was stepping into the role of a man on 'Hard Core.' Topics included men on their knees committing sex acts while she's watching cartoons, plus a response to Biggie's song 'Dreams' with her own track 'Dreams,' which spoke of being with male R&B singers. She even adopted a motherly Mafia role in 'M.A.F.I.A. Land,' where she says, "Right hands wash the left hands. Loyalty's priority in this fam." Women had a voice as deep as a man's on 'Hard Core.'
2. Kim Practiced What She Preached
Hip-hop is flooded with champagne wishes and caviar dreams that in reality are just beer and potato chips. Beyond that, declaring loyalty to the streets is a highly debatable argument. On 'Hard Core,' Kim rhymed about designer threads. Years later, she became Marc Jacobs' poster child for Louis Vuitton. She also pledged allegiance to la familia -- years later she'd go to jail for all of them for committing perjury. Like Jay-Z said in 'Roc Boys,' "To Lil' Kim and them, you know the women friend who carry work cross state for a gentleman." Hip-hop had some realness, and she's under five feet tall.
1. Nicki Minaj Can Thank Her Later
Say what you will about the present situation between Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj, but Kim's 'Hard Core' mothered an entire generation of the female rappers that followed. By discussing sexuality in an unabashed style, upping tax brackets with lavish lifestyles and sitting in the same thrones men dominated in hip-hop for years, 'Hard Core' opened up doors. Those doors are still wide open, and many have walked through them -- Trina, Shawnna, Eve, the list goes on. While Nicki Minaj is currently leading the charge for females in rap, it's still important to note where that style originated -- 15 years ago.
Watch Lil' Kim's 'Crush on You'
Watch 'Lil Kim Fashions'


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Press Release
Media Inquiries
For all media inquiries, including requests for interviews, submissions of editorial calendars, advertising packets, etc. please contact:
Michelle Saab
Global Marketing Communications Leader
Dresser Wayne Unveils Ovation LX, a New Addition to Award-Winning Ovation Fuel Dispenser Line
New Industry Benchmark Set with Enhanced User Interface, Precision Metering and Security Features.
AUSTIN, Texas (October 19, 2009) – Dresser Wayne (www.DresserWayne.com), a global innovator of fuel dispensers and technologies, today unveiled a new addition to the award-winning Ovation® dispenser line, the Ovation LX. A new look and more intuitive user interface are complemented by clutter-free side drape hoses and fast fueling rates. The Ovation dispensers deliver an exceptional customer experience that can enhance customer loyalty and increase retail site throughput.
"The Ovation LX combines the best features of the Ovation dispenser line with the latest advances in secure payment and precision metering technologies, all in a package that is more attractive to customers," said Tony Schmelzer, product manager for the Ovation Product Line at Dresser Wayne.
A curved hydraulic door and bezel dome-accents enhance retail site curb appeal, drawing in customers. The lighted transaction indicators guide customers through the purchase experience, indicating when to swipe a payment card and when to pick up a receipt. Patent-pending lighted premium-grade select buttons allow retailers to promote fuel grades, helping to drive higher margin fuel products.
Ovation LX is available with two special-value option packages. The Technology Package includes a 10.4" VGA media screen and Xflo Advanced Metering. The Security Package includes Dispenser Secure Access and bezel locks that offer protection against unauthorized access to the fuel dispenser's internal components. The Ovation LX leverages Dresser Wayne's long standing reputation for reliability and award winning design, and is supported by the standard two-year warranty.
About Wayne Fueling Systems
Wayne Fueling Systems is one of the world's largest suppliers of fuel dispensers, payment terminals, forecourt control devices, point-of-sale and other measurement and control solutions to the retail and commercial fueling industry. Wayne has been at the forefront of innovation since it was founded in 1891 and is responsible for many of the breakthrough technologies that have transformed fuel retailing. Through a global network of distributors and service partners, Wayne products are sold and supported in over 140 countries around the world. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Wayne also has major design and assembly operations in Sweden, Brazil and China. www.wayne.com


text: Hi girls, My DH takes Wellman vitamins (formula provides the nutrients a man may need to help maintain energy release, make the critical difference in reactions, speed and mental alertness, or to help maintain reproductive health) which contain zinc. A few of you have suggested taking zinc supplements, but not sure what dose he should be taking and if the Wellman contains enough @ 15mg. What is recommended for men? Any advice on this? Thanks in advance, x.


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[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=""Pardon my Past…"" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff" google_fonts="font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal"][vc_column_text css_animation="fadeInDown" css=".vc_custom_1501107787233{border-radius: 15px !important;}"]
Born in the Tuscan Region of Northern Italy…..
It was the summer of 1962 in Lucca, a small village town in the Tuscan Region of Northern Italy where Giovanni and Graziella lived for all of their lives. As newlyweds, they decided to leave Lucca and make a new life for themselves in America and upon arrival, settled in Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
It was on December 28th, 1962 that their son, Maurizio, was born. Raised in a traditional Italian household, Maurizio learned both English and Italian simultaneously. As a youth, Maurizio joined a touring youth choir and traveled to Italy where he sang before the Pope in Rome. At age 15 he got his first paying job singing in a bar in Stone Park, Illinois.
In 1984 at age 22 he started a rock band called Broken Heart and was the lead singer for the group. While changing their names several times, "1313?, "The Dream Police" a tribute band to Cheap Trick and "The Big Band Rodeo", they toured the Country working the college circuit.
In 1992 Maurizio was discovered when he won the runner up prize on the popular TV show Star Search and began his professional career. It was then that he decided to change his singing style from Rock to Pop and his name to TONY OCEAN (from Frank Sinatra's portrayal of Danny Ocean in the movie Ocean's 11).
His career took a change when he did a Dean Martin impersonation at one of his shows. The owner was so impressed that he paired him with two other artists who impersonated Frank and Sammy Davis, Jr. and a show called "The Pack Is Back" was born. They appeared to sellout crowds for eight months and earned the respect of critics and music lovers while performing at Piper's Alley, a well known Chicago nightclub.
Tony Ocean's upbeat style embodies a time from the past that will be popular as long as we still enjoy the music of Sinatra, Martin, Davis, Darin, Tony Bennett, Tom Jones and others whose romantic songs and lyrics have affected so many of our lives through the years.
In December 2007 Tony released his first nationally distributed Cd titled "Pardon my Past" featuring a collection of new songs written by Bonnie Koloc and Jim Tullio. The CD has a selection of old standards with a preview of the new format Ocean has developed.
In Summer 2009, Tony Ocean returned to the studio to record his project "Me and Mrs Jones". The Cd's main release was in March 2010 which followed the release of the music video which was filmed in Rosemont, Illinois.
Since then, Tony has made numerous appearances on television and radio in the Chicago markets, and has been performing through-out the U.S. at hundreds of venues annually. He sings almost every weekend in addition to fronting his other music project, a highly sought out and acclaimed Cheap Trick tribute cover band, known as The Dream Police. The band puts Tony on the stage alongside life long friends Tommy (Bam Bam) Burke playing Drums, Bill Hall on Lead & Rhythm Guitar & Vocals and Mark Schiele on Bass Guitar & Vocals.
Book The Tony Ocean Show for your party or venue
Contact booking at: (630)965-7625
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3″][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1501108389153{background-color: #ffffff !important;border-radius: 4px !important;}"][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image="4″ img_size="medium" alignment="center" style="vc_box_rounded"][vc_column_text]In 1998 Tony was selected for the David Award for Top Performing Artist in entertainment by the Italo American National Union Foundation. The award is bestowed upon youthful people who exhibit the will to succeed, the vision to endure and the beauty within.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_separator][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_single_image image="19″ img_size="medium" alignment="center" style="vc_box_rounded"][vc_column_text]As one of the hardest working performers in the industry with 297 performances in 1999, Tony is expanding his career into national exposure and is presently under consideration by several producers and directors for parts in television and films.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]


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When God tells you to relay a message to someone or to give them specific instructions, you do it, then they reject it...at least you've been obedient.
Naaman almost missed his blessing, his miracle, his healing because he got all in his feelings and it didn't come from or in the way he thought it should.
Please get out of your own way and out of God's way and simply be obedient. You're gonna fool around and miss the manifestation of His glory. Your breakthrough doesn't depend on the messenger or even your convenience; it depends on your ability to trust God and your obedience to His instructions.
2 Kings 5 New International Version (NIV)
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a]
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.


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What is the Current Status of OSHA's Injury and Illness Reporting Rule?
February 20, 2017
As we previously reported on this blog, OSHA recently made sweeping changes to its injury and illness reporting rule. The agency delayed enforcement of the rule until December 1, 2016. Many industry advocates were hoping for a reprieve, and several industry groups, including the Associated Builders and Contractors and the National Association of Manufacturers, had filed suit, seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the rule from going into effect. Unfortunately, the injunction was denied and the rule did go into effect on December 1. However, the rule is still being challenged. Interestingly, the incoming administration recently jointly filed a letter with the court along with the plaintiffs, stating that each side planned to move for summary judgment, strongly suggesting that the incoming administration has no plans to revise or revoke the rule. One of the more troubling aspects of the rule was not in the rule itself, but in the preamble to the rule -- OSHA's stated position that it would consider blanket rules that require drug testing of employees after any accident to be unreasonable, i.e., to discourage the reporting of injuries and illnesses. Without announcement, OSHA issued guidance on its position late last year that should ameliorate employers' concerns. Simply put, employers do not have to have reasonable suspicion of drug use, but reasonable suspicion that drug use could have led to the accident causing illness or injury. OSHA provides the following examples: "Consider the example of a crane accident that injures several employees working nearby but not the operator. The employer does not know the causes of the accident, but there is a reasonable possibility that it could have been caused by operator error or by mistakes made by other employees responsible for ensuring that the crane was in safe working condition. In this scenario, it would be reasonable to require all employees whose conduct could have contributed to the accident to take a drug test, whether or not they reported an injury or illness. Testing would be appropriate in these circumstances because there is a reasonable possibility that the results of drug testing could provide the employer insight on the root causes of the incident. However, if the employer only tested the injured employees but did not test the operator and other employees whose conduct could have contributed to the incident, such disproportionate testing of reporting employees would likely violate section 1904.35(b)(1)(iv). Furthermore, drug testing an employee whose injury could not possibly have been caused by drug use would likely violate section 1904.35(b)(1)(iv). For example, drug testing an employee for reporting a repetitive strain injury would likely not be objectively reasonable because drug use could not have contributed to the injury. And, section 1904.35(b)(1)(iv) prohibits employers from administering a drug test in an unnecessarily punitive manner regardless of whether the employer had a reasonable basis for requiring the test." So, if an employee on a scaffold dropped a piece of lumber, striking an employee below in an area the employee was allowed to walk, it would not be proper to test the employee below, but it would be proper to test the employee on the scaffold, because operator error -- and possible drug impairment -- could have contributed to the accident. It still remains to be seen whether this rule will be rescinded through the Congressional Review Act or vacated through the lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Texas, but in the meantime, employers should make sure their policies regarding injury and illness reporting comport with the new requirements.


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Filmmaker Andrew Wonder (Undercity) has had some interesting modifications done to his Iscorama. Not a cheap modification but re-housed as a cinema lens by Van Diemen and optimised for closer focus.
The test above is shot on the 5D Mark III and there's more from Andrew below, on his 'Wonderscope' anamorphic.
Read moreFilmmaker Andrew Wonder on anamorphic and modding his Iscorama 36


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The KoblenzCard
Discover more, pay less
Take advantage of the benefits of the KoblenzCard - discover Koblenz the most cost-effective and convenient way!
- 24-hours of free travel via public transport – throughout the Koblenz urban area
- 50% discount on regular admission prices to several museums and on special exhibitions (not given on combined tickets)
- Free guide tour through Koblenz´s historic town
- 20% discount on tickets for the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein and Stolzenfels Castle
- 20% discount on cable car return rides (adult ticket)
- 20% discount on combined ticket entrance (adult ticket) Fortress Ehrenbreitstein & cable car return rides
- Discounts on boat trips
- 20% discount on tickets for Koblenz Theatre
Be sure to get the KoblenzCard with attractive benefits!
You will receive the card in the Tourist Information at the price of €9.80.


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SELLERS GIVE AWAY, COASTAL APPROVAL 32 Acres 3 LotsSeller's misfortune forces a sale at 25% of the owners true costs. This is an amazing value. 32 Acres in 3 parcels. Wide open ocean views, contiguous to Park land. Property has to be moved now. Parcel #6 has Coastal Approval for a 6,864 sq ft home with 1,049 sq ft garage and swimming pool. Bring an offer now !!! This is a unique opportunity to build a beautiful home from scratch. You could not replicate this at anywhere near the price being offered. The additional 2 parcels could possibly provide for additional structures or casitas creating a compound. Huge time and money has been spent to gain these approvals. All reports are current and available to serious buyers only. 4461-039-004 8.88 Acres, 4461-039-005 11.48 Acres, 4461-039-006 12.66 Acres with Coastal Approval
- Price: $635,000
- Listing Status: Active
- Parcel Size: 32 Acres
- Assessors Parcel #: 4461-039-006
- Neighborhood: Upper Latigo Cyn/Borna Dr
- Address: Upper Latigo Cyn
- City: Malibu
- Zip: 90265
- State: CA


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Need a gift for your bestie for the restie? This mugs for you (and her)! This 11 oz white porcelain mug features an illustration of a two besties wearing jackets that say "best" & "friends." You can customize the hair color so it looks just like you two! I stock the most frequently ordered colors but if you don't see what you're liking for please send me a message. The mug is Dishwasher and microwave-safe.
These mugs are the perfect gift for a recent graduate or a friend that needs a pick me up!
Custom personalized watercolors and illustrations are available upon request. Please convo me or email me at LadieKatieArt [!at] gmail.com and I am happy to work with you to make your vision come to fruition!
To check out more of my art please visit my online portfolio at LadieKatie.com
Want to stay posted about my newest pieces and get a behind the scene look at my process and inspiration? Follow me on Instagram @ladiekatieart
Sign up for my blog newsletter at ArtLikeALadie.com and get 2 FREE printables! And a DISCOUNT CODE to my etsy shop!
Thanks for visiting!
- Katie
If you love this mug it's also available as a print! The perfect addition to your office!


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longislandexchange.com: Long Island Exchange
Online guide providing visitors with local entertainment venues, popular visiting locations, lodging, local news and travel information for those interested in living on or visiting Long Island and the surrounding New York Metropolitan area.
Site Listings
lacalifornia.org: Los Angeles | The City Of Angels
Travel Guide to Los Angeles California. Visit LA California for Los Angeles best Attractions.
Keywords: la california , la california , los angeles , los angeles attractions
urbdocs.com: Current Urban Documents
Regularly published guide to the reports and research that are generated by local government agencies, civic organizations, academic and research organizations,
Add Site or Add URL to Submit Site to the Guides and Directories Directory