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What does the RIBA test for HCV do?
The hepatitis C (HCV) RIBA blood test is used to check whether you have traces of antibodies for the virus that causes hepatitis C infections in your body. This test may show up on a laboratory blood test report as:
- HCV RIBA test
- Chiron RIBA HCV test
- Recombinant ImmunoBlot Assay (its full name)
Hepatitis C can get into your body when you come into contact with blood that's infected with the virus. An infection can cause major damage to your liver if it's left untreated.
The HCV RIBA test was once used as one of a few tests to confirm that your body is making antibodies to target the virus. (Antibodies are proteins produced by white cells to fight off foreign substances like bacteria and viruses.) If this and other tests find that you have these antibodies above a certain level, you may need treatment to prevent any complications involving your liver.
Read on to learn more about what this test was used for, how its results were interpreted, and how else this test may be used.
Levels of HCV antibodies in your blood rise to fight off HCV viruses if you have a hepatitis C infection.
The HCV RIBA test was meant primarily to detect the level of specific hepatitis C antibodies present in your blood in the form of a simple positive or negative result. Positive means that your antibody levels are high. Negative means that they're normal or low.
The test can be done by testing a small sample of blood, usually drawn from a vein in your arm during a check-up or a routine laboratory blood test.
The test can also detect antibody levels that may still be high even if you've had an HCV infection at some point in your life. Even if the virus isn't active, your immune system may still maintain high levels of these antibodies so that they can fight off the infection again if necessary. This is known as immunological memory.
The HCV RIBA test was a confirmation test. This means that it wasn't used alone to detect HCV antibodies. Even if it showed that your HCV antibodies were elevated, the HCV RIBA test couldn't tell you whether you had an active infection or whether it was a short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) infection.
The test was often a part of a full blood test panel along with:
- HCV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test. This is a test for HCV antibodies, with possible results being either positive (antibodies to HCV are present) or negative (antibodies to HCV are not present).
- HCV RNA test. This is a follow-up test to a positive antibody test to check for an HCV infection or for viremia, which happens when viruses get into your bloodstream.
Here are the possible results of an HCV RIBA test alone based on how antibodies respond to HCV. (Virus components are called antigens in the terminology of blood testing.)
- Positive. This indicates the presence of antibodies to two or more antigens, meaning that you either have an active infection or have come into contact with HCV at some point. You'll need a follow-up test to confirm an infection.
- Indeterminate. This indicates antibodies to one antigen, meaning that you may have come into contact with HCV in the past. You'll still need a follow-up test to see if there are any signs of infection at all.
- Negative. This indicates no antibodies specific for antigens, so no follow-up test is needed. Your doctor may still want to check for other signs of the virus if you have symptoms of an infection or if they suspect that you have come into contact with HCV.
The HCV RIBA test was eventually phased out. This is because it's been replaced by more sensitive tests that can give your doctor more details about your body's response to the presence of HCV. Many tests can also detect HCV viremia, which is a much more accurate tool for confirming an infection than a simple positive/negative antibody result.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discontinued the HCV RIBA test in 2013. As a result, companies that once made the test, such as the pharmaceutical company Novartis AG, largely don't sell the test to laboratories anymore.
This test isn't completely obsolete.
Some laboratory testing facilities still use the test as part of HCV screening procedures.
And some blood banks use the HCV RIBA test to confirm the presence of HCV antibodies before a donated blood sample can be used. If the blood gets a positive HCV RIBA test result, it may need further HCV testing before it's considered safe to use.
Whether or not you get this test for HCV screening, a positive result means that you likely have high levels of HCV antibodies in your body. You should be further tested to confirm the presence of the virus as soon as possible.
HCV isn't always dangerous or deadly, but you should take some steps to reduce or prevent it from spreading. Here's what you can do:
- Request a follow-up test, such as the EIA or HCV RNA test. You may also want to get tested for liver function.
- See your doctor if you notice any symptoms of an HCV infection, such as fatigue, confusion, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), or bleeding and bruising easily.
- Reduce or avoid alcohol and illegal drugs to minimize any possible liver damage that HCV can cause.
- Take any antiviral medications your doctor prescribes if you do have an active infection.
- Get the vaccine for hepatitis A and B. There's no HCV vaccine, but preventing other forms of hepatitis can help reduce complications from HCV.
- Practice safe sex using condoms or other protection to avoid spreading HCV.
- Prevent your blood from coming into contact with anyone else to stop HCV from spreading.


text: dottie evans Archive 06 Mar 2017 Album Review: Tom Glazer & Dottie Evans — Space Songs By Bill Kopp childhood development, pop, reissue, review, vinyl This curio from 1961 was originally created to serve as an instructional record for children. The word that immediately comes to mind when hearing the vocals and instrumentation is "ginchy." And while I'll readily concede that "ginchy" is not a real word, it somehow seems to encapsulate the vibe of Space Songs. It's easy enough Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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I like blogging on WordPress. They have a useful stats page that not only tells me who is looking at my blog but how they found it.
Last Monday I happened to glance at the list of search terms used to find me and the one that stood out was "what's the point of being a kendo referee?" Fresh back from two days on a busy shiai-jo in Paris, this struck me as being a very good question. It is not always advisable to read search strings literally, but I perhaps uncharitably took the meaning to be "refereeing, what's in it for me?" which is indeed worth exploring.
I have been a referee for quite a few years now, originally at domestic level then subsequently at European and World Championship level. My original motivation was simply that "if I don't do it and everyone else feels the same, we can't have a taikai." As time has gone on however, I see it as very much an integral part of my kendo training and try as hard to improve my refereeing skills as I do my ability in keiko.
Looking at the question from another angle, we know that the requirement for a kendo referee is that he or she needs to regularly practice kendo and be at a technical level at least equivalent to the players. If you can't do a technique yourself, then how can you judge it when it is done by others? Given that a referee meets these criteria, refereeing can teach you a lot.
- It teaches you to anticipate movement, as you need to think ahead of the players and be able to position yourself in the right part of the court before they move there.
- It teaches you about enzan no metsuke, as you need to be aware of the players, your fellow referees and the court boundaries at all times.
- It teaches you about distance, timing and opportunity as these are the key elements of successful yuko-datotsu.
- It teaches you about ki-haku, kiai and zanshin – without which a point is not valid.
- Finally it teaches you to keep a still mind. You need to be able to react instantly to a strike, foul or signal from another referee or the timekeeper, but only after you have evaluated all the information. To do this without premeditation or bias, your mind has to be clear, like the proverbial kendo mirror.
I find that after refereeing at a tournament I try techniques that impressed me at the time and try to correct faults I saw that prevented the competitors from making successful attacks.
My advice to anyone above third dan is to attend your next local referee seminar. If nothing else you should have a good laugh at some of your mistakes and those of your colleagues. Who knows? you may decide that you get as much as you give by becoming a referee.


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Delgado drops his brand new Tech House imprint on Traxsource.
Originally from London, UK. Delgado got the House Music bug in the 1980's. He quickly became one the scenes more respected producers with successful releases on respected labels like Stealth, Magnetic, King Street, Nite Grooves, Great Stuff which have also been championed worldwide by the likes of Roger Sanchez & DJ Sneak.
As a DJ, Delgado is firmly seated and in demand via the London and Spanish club scene, with residencies reaching out far and wide across the globe for over 18 years gracing the decks of some of the biggest clubs in the world like MOS, Pacha, Egg, Cross, Canvas, Fabric, Space Ibiza, DC10 & Amnesia.
To showcase his new label 'Hotfrog' & the first release which is out now on Traxsource, Delgado chats to us about the imprint, music & more in this Interview.
The Interview
1) Hey Delgado, let's jump right in and talk about your brand new label: 'HOTFROG' – What makes this label different from your Jackin House imprints?
Hotfrog is solely my label exclusive to Traxsource for my tech productions, and any other hot artist tracks that suit my sound impression. Whilst Im well known for my jackin productions, my other passion is tech and has been for many years, so it means that Hotfrog will supply this but with my trademark drums, neck snapping snares and big bumpy bass.
2) You have a lot of experience in the house music game, how does one garnish support when starting out a new label?
I've been around a long time and have made many hits under various monica's from the early vinyl releases right up to the digital times we are in now. In doing this, my work has gathered momentum and respect from the industries big wigs, clubbers and promoters.
3) Tell us about your other record labels, and what do you want to accomplish with this new imprint?
I currently own 4 labels, Hotfrog, Monkey Junk, Cinetique and 75 Digital and have been running labels for years so I guess being an old hand the experience makes life easy. You can over complicate the whole process and these days my simple no messing approach really works for me and shows in what I'm achieving, I don't buy into the "I wanna be famous & how much do I get" diva artists. I just look for straight up talent. With Hotfrog I want to achieve a bumping tech style but with DJ friendly and crowd friendly elements of the jackin work I do. Hotfrog is going to be a 100% tech label but it will cross over taking the best bits!!!
4) What advice would you give to the aspiring producers out there?
I get asked this a lot and to be fair the answer is always the same, work hard, take your time & don't rush. Really get to know your DAW and try to be original, actually make your own beats instead of this bolting sample loops together syndrome we have! The true music makers always stand out in the end.
5) Where can your fans catch you in playing over the next few summer months?
The next few months is looking pretty crazy with gigs at Ministry Of Sound, London, Egg, Pacha, Across Southern Spain, Mexico and Shanghai so after that a long rest…not! For me its all about production so that's always gonna be no1!!
6) What is your DAW of preference? Any analog gear?
For me its only Logic, always has been since the start of the accessible period of music making. Before that was all about the Akai Samplers! in conjunction with Logic. I'm never far from my MPC so I can hand program the big kicks, snares and bass lines that shapes and dominates my sound.
7) What keeps Delgado motivated?
Motivation is real easy and very basic for me as it always has been and always will be all about the music. I'm not looking for fame or any other trappings just straight up love for what I do. Having a head full of beats bass and riffs from the minute I wake up also helps!!


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|"Once our landing is detected, the Vogans will attack in force."
|"Silence. We have not failed. Our computers are assessing an alternative plan."
|Dracula's America WIPs - A Wendigo, and two Crusaders of the Order
|"Once our landing is detected, the Vogans will attack in force."
|"Silence. We have not failed. Our computers are assessing an alternative plan."
|Dracula's America WIPs - A Wendigo, and two Crusaders of the Order
Another great Cyberman Simon, and the new models look very interestingReplyDelete
Thanks Dave. "Dracula's America" has some very interesting minis in its range, and hopefully I'll be able to showcase the better ones over time.Delete
What a very generous offer from Warlord Games. I was wondering how come you managed to get three figures of the same Cyberman as I couldn't imagine you buying three boxed sets.
You painting figures for "Shadows of Brimstone"? Well, I never! I agree that the plastic heroes in the starter boxes are not the best of sculpts but they are passable. Using metal or resin proxies is a good idea and "Dracula's America" is a good source for alternative figures. By the way, the official alternative sex figures of the heroes of "Shadows of Brimstone" are made of resin and are vastly superior to the plastic versions. I have them all on my painting table right now.
"Warlord Games" have been extremely generous to me, Bryan, and I'm really pleased with these two additions to my Cyber-force. I was actually tempted to buy 5-6 boxes of "Nightmares In Silver" at one stage, but the price was totally prohibitive to such a plan (so I could field groups of 5-6 of each incarnation), plus some of the poses don't lend themselves to such an idea either.
"Dracula's America" and "Wargames Foundry" accompanying range look absolutely spot on for "Shadows Of Brimstone", and having finally played my first game, I'm eager to play more - but with better looking minis than the plastic versions. I look forward to seeing the resin versions you're painting :-)
Well done you and Warlord Games, nice touch.ReplyDelete
Thanks Michael. "Warlord Games" are my number one manufacturer tbh, and their support for "Into The Time Vortex" is first class, imho.Delete
Super job on the Cyberman and what a great gesture from the Warlord Games HQ. When you say "scrape away" the paint, did you mean literally? I only ask because I always use 'Dettol' as a safe paint stripper on plastic minis.
Those North Star weird west minis look very tempting - I'm toying with the idea of something along those lines for this years "Halloween game" (an annual rules-lite bit of fun with some 'non-gamers')
Cheers Wargame Addict. I'm full of grateful enthusiasm for "Warlord Games" as you'd probably expect. As to your question, I did indeed literally scrape the paint off of the metal miniature and gouge it out of the eye and mouth slits.
I'd certainly recommend having a look at the "Dracula's America" miniatures range. Tbh though, some of the minis I've bought are a little underwhelming in the flesh when compared to how they look in the rule-book. But hopefully I can paint them into shape :-)
Oh great, you've done a cross-over and have the Cybermen doing the Three Amigos routine!
For those wondering what I'm on about.
Nice one Warlord Games!
I really does annoy me when you find Cybermen urinating in the graveyard on the on the way home from the pub!! Seriously nice gesture on Warlords part, you must have sold a few sets for them now, with all your excellent posts.
Not sure about the whole Dracula as president thing though, seems a bit silly to me (but then you look at who's there at the moment, and I'm not so sure....), nice figures all round though.
Cheers Roger.
Cheers Roger. "Warlord Games" have certainly been very kind with their support for my paint-jobs etc, and I consider myself very lucky to have an additional two "Revenge" Cybermen; my fave Cyberman story :-)Delete
Sorry. But I shall look forward to seeing you paint them up! Matt's got a couple more lots of gangsters to do for me before he gets to my Dracula's America figs so I it'll probably be late Autumn before I have mine ready to do battle. And by then I will be in the new house and hopefully able to start playing again!ReplyDelete
In that case I'll expect your ever-awesome comic-based BatReps to keep me warm in the winter, Gordon. Good luck with the house move :-)Delete
Look at you getting some recognition and lovely freebies from Warlord. One day some beneficient miniatures producer will notice my hobby. Or more likely not. Haha! ^_^
Despite wrestling with him, the Cyberman commander looks spot on.
Gordon always seems to be picking up "something" new. No idea how he does it, I can barely find time to play the few rules systems I own! Dracula's America does look interesting and makes me think of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer, which would make for some good inspiration I think.
"which has proved simply too disturbing a model not to want to paint..." - this is the best reason I've seen to date for a reason to slap paint on a mini!
Thanks ever so much Dai. I have done a couple of painting guides for "Warlord Games" and their "Into the Time Vortex". Only tabletop quality obviously, so am really pleased with their response :-)
The Wendigo is an incredibly odd miniature and very typical of the utter weirdness which is "Dracula's America". He's been pushed right up to the top of my painting queue, so expect a finished mini soon; or as soon as my posting schedule allows as I've got a couple of weeks worth of minis ready to post beforehand :-)
Excellent work the latest Cybermen, Simon, and the leader stands out nicely. :)ReplyDelete
Cheers Leon. "Revenge Of The Cybermen" is my fave Cyberman story, I must listen to the audio of the TV show at least once a day, so it was great to get the Cyber-Leader done, and then be sent two reinforcements :-)Delete
The Cybermen look great even if a little disturbing se tin the graveyard.
As for the "dracula's America", the whole idea leaves me cold though the figures are excellent sculpts and I love the Wendigo.
Thanks Joe. I'm not sure about about getting into the rule-set for "Dracula's America" myself, but as replacement minis for "Shadows Over Brimstone" then I think they'll be a vast improvement.Delete
Another fine addition to your Doctor Who collection dude and I must admit do like some of the Dracula's America weird characters. Look forward to seeing your finished Crusaders.ReplyDelete
Cheers Simon. I think the Crusaders look awesome, and hopefully they'll be finished soon(ish).Delete
Nice work. But I can't look at these Cybermen without thinking of Princess Leia :). 'Dracula's America' does not interest me but some of the figures may be good for regular Wild West games.ReplyDelete
Thanks Mark. I've certainly seen some 'mock-ups' similar to your Leia thinking :-) I too don;t think I want to get into yet another game but the minis for "Dracula's America" look good to me for "Shadows Over Brimstone".Delete


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The general rule of thumb should always be to avoid re-issues when the word "Seminal" is dropped in to the accompanying PR blurb. Nine times out of the word is being misused, applied to an inferior piece of work which is either A) Just old or B) A facsimile of something far more diverting which does deserve the handle.
This re-issue of Paradise Lost's fifth album arrives complete with the s-word being bandied about, the justification being that it was something of marker for the gothic metal scene of the early nineties. Formed in Halifax at the end of the decade before, prior to the original release of Draconian Times the band's earlier work had been characterised by a far more deliberate and misery laden outlook, stretching the extreme metal format across numbers at an endless, dirge like tempo. As fun as all this sounds, releases like Lost Paradise and Gothic resulted in them being talked about in the same bracket as the likes of Celtic Frost, and despite the complete lack of mainstream interest, the fanaticism of metal fans kept hoodie sales in the black. (Sorry).
Now augmented with a Dolby Surround 5.1 makeover, a clutch of extra live tracks and a DVD, Draconian Times is ready to face the world again. The first impression is that despite some of the pretensions to the underground, this is by and large a straight rock record, opener Enchantment beginning on a delicate piano line and with singer Nick Holmes vocals far less guttural than at times previously. It's a big, grandiose song with a sense of majesty and pomp that fuelled mid-period Metallica, and illustrates the band's then newly expanded horizons. Following it, Hallowed Land straddles both grunge and goth in expert terms, whilst Forever Failure grinds attritonally accompanied by the kind of samples of which industrial shock troops Ministry were so fond of at the time.
For a band that formed at the peak of the thrash era, Draconian Times saw Paradise Lost continuing in mostly second gear, but those who like their mosh pits with a bit more spice will relish getting the chance to slug it out again to The Last Time and Once Solemn. Occasionally, as the pace slows and things get really gloomy - as on the creeping Shades of God, or the suitably titled closer Jaded - the appeal narrows however back down to one for the converted few.
So, as with all "Re-imagined" material, be it truly seminal or not, the first question to answer is what the extra stuff is like. Disappointingly, it feels under cooked, with a couple of perfunctory demos and a clutch of live tracks which will probably hold little attraction for most. This underwhelming attempt at repackaging only underlines the truth, which is that Draconian Times is already a worthy tablet from the era, and the whole
exercise seems at best like a misdirected attempt to connect with a different generation. Add to this the absence of the band's version of The Smiths Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now and the lack of a copy of the accompanying DVD, and then you really get something to get depressed about.
Andy Peterson
Site - http://www.paradiselost.co.uk


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Top Hits
Vice (Dick Cheney bio-pic, Christian Bale. Rotten Tomatoes: 66%. Metacritic: 61. From A.O. Scott's New York Times review: "It will break no news and spoil nobody's fun to note that [director Adam] McKay is not a fan of his protagonist. His argument is essentially that much of what critics of the current president fear most — the erosion of democratic norms; the manufacture of 'alternative facts'; the rise of an authoritarian executive branch — already came to pass when George W. Bush was in office. But 'Vice"'offers more than Yuletide rage-bait for liberal moviegoers, who already have plenty to be mad about. Revulsion and admiration lie as close together as the red and white stripes on the American flag, and if this is in some respects a real-life monster movie, it's one that takes a lively and at times surprisingly sympathetic interest in its chosen demon." Read more…)
The Mule (drama, Clint Eastwood. Rotten Tomatoes: 70%. Metacritic: 58. From Manohla Dargis' New York Times review: "'The Mule' was inspired by a startling 2014 article in The New York Times Magazine by Sam Dolnick, 'There's a True Story Behind "The Mule": The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule.' The mule was Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran and great-grandfather who came across in news accounts as an unsolved puzzle. Working from Nick Schenk's script, [director/star Clint] Eastwood fills in the portrait of his mule with creative license, characteristic dry humor and a looseness that seems almost completely untethered from the world of murderous cartels. There's also some political editorializing and a flirtation with Eastwoodian autocritique." Read more…)
BumbleBee (family action/adventure, Hailee Steinfeld. Rotten Tomatoes: 93%. Metacritic: 66. A New York Times Critic's Pick. From Glenn Kenny's Times review: "Can a 'Transformers' movie be good? It turns out the answer is yes — if the right talent is given enough leeway. The latest, 'Bumblebee,' is the sixth in the franchise. As directed by Travis Knight, an animator who made his directorial debut with the striking 2016 animated film 'Kubo and the Two Strings,' 'Bumblebee' is cleverly plotted, neatly allusive and has dialogue you can envision real people and, um, real Transformers speaking." Read more…)
Mortal Engines (adventure, Hera Hilmar. Rotten Tomatoes: 27%. Metacritic: 44. From Ben Kenigsberg's New York Times review: "But the guiding model for the plot — rebel alliances, secret family histories, London as a terrestrial Death Star — is almost certainly 'Star Wars,' whose knockoffs are so numerous that it seems useless to dock points for effort. As these things go, 'Mortal Engines' offers a fair amount of fun." Read more…)
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (action/absurdity, Sam Elliott. Rotten Tomatoes: 75%. Metacritic: 50. From Ben Kenigsberg's New York Times review: "'The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot' revives an exploitation film tradition, in which a sensational title hooks viewers for a movie that's all windup and no pitch. The writer and director, Robert D. Krzykowski, even appears to have leaned into the concept, turning false advertising into a motif. The man [Sam Elliott], hunting for the Bigfoot, drawls that his average-footed prey is 'not really living up to its name.'" Read more…)
New Blu-Ray
The Mule
Mortal Engines
New Foreign DVDs
Capernaum (Lebanon, Oscar-nominated drama, Zain al Raffea. Rotten Tomatoes: 89%. Metacritic: 75. A New York Times Critic's Pick. From A.O. Scott's Times review: "'Capernaum,' Nadine Labaki's hectic and heartbreaking new film, borrows its name from an ancient city condemned to hell, according to the Book of Matthew, by Jesus himself. The word has since become a synonym for chaos, and modern Beirut as captured by Ms. Labaki's camera is a teeming vision of the inferno, a place without peace, mercy or order." Read more…)
The Mafia Kills Only in Summer (Italy, dark comedy/drama, Pierfrancesco Diliberto. Rotten Tomatoes: 63%. Metacritic: 62. From Jeannette Catsoulis' New York Times review: "The best that can be said for the Italian television host Pierfrancesco Diliberto — as far as his comic, feature-film debut is concerned — is that he's not nearly as annoying as Roberto Benigni. Granted, that's a very low bar to clear. But as the director, star, narrator and one writer of 'The Mafia Kills Only in Summer,' Mr. Diliberto (known as Pif) must bear most of the responsibility for the movie's clashing tones and penciled-in characters." Read more…)
Antonio Gaudí (Japan, 1984, documentary/architecture/visual poem. Rotten Tomatoes: 100%. From Stephen Holden's 1998 New York Times review [requires log-in]: "If any film could be described as an architectural symphony, it is Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1984 movie, 'Antonio Gaudi.' The film, which begins a one-week engagement today at the Walter Reade Theater, takes a sweeping look at the revolutionary Spanish Art Nouveau architect's work, which is centered in Barcelona. Using few spoken words and relying mostly on sketchy biographical subtitles to tell Gaudi's story, the film is a visual rhapsody enhanced with music and sound effects created by the renowned Japanese film composer Toru Takemitsu and two collaborators." Read more…)
New American Back Catalog DVDs (post-1960)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978, comedy, Criterion Collection, Nancy Allen. Rotten Tomatoes: 86%. From Janet Maslin's 1978 New York Times review [requires log-in]: "The gimmick behind 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' is the fact that you never actually see the Beatles; the genius of the film is the fact that you never miss them. Their likenesses turn up everywhere, plastered on record jackets and tacked on doors and walls, and their music is continually in the air. At the end of the movie, which revolves around the group's first appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' the sneakiness with which the neophyte director Robert Zemeckis skirts the issue is positively dazzling. The Beatles are both there and not there, and the paradox hardly even matters." Read more…)
Flirt (1995, Hal Hartley romance, Martin Donovan. Rotten Tomatoes: 80%. From Stephen Holden's 1995 New York Times review [requires log-in]: "You might describe 'Flirt,' Hal Hartley's smart, sexy, wafer-light new movie, as a jauntily romantic theme and variations on young love, international style. Hopscotching from New York to Berlin to Tokyo, the film flaunts the perilously cute concept of telling the same story in three different places with three sets of characters speaking three different languages. Watching the movie is like eating ice cream — or is it ice milk? — in three different flavors: vanilla, chocolate and green tea. They go together nicely." Read more…)
New British DVDs
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco (BBC mystery series transplanted to San Francisco. Rotten Tomatoes: 25%.)
New Documentaries
Jane Fonda In Five Acts (bio, history, Jane Fonda. Rotten Tomatoes: 96%. Metacritic: 87.)
New Music DVDs
Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration (concert, tribute to Joni Mitchell with multiple artists)
New Children's DVDs
A Silent Voice: The Movie (Japanese animated feature. Rotten Tomatoes: 94%. Metacritic: 78. From Peter Bradshaw's The Guardian review: "Naoko Yamada's animation A Silent Voice is a lovely coming-of-age story, a tale of redemption and romance, based on a manga series by 27-year-old Yoshitoki Ōima. It's enriched by a plangent musical score and moody ambient sound design. The original title is Koe No Katachi, translated in the opening and closing credits as "The Shape of Voice", which comes mysteriously closer to the film's meaning." Read more…)
Tom & Jerry Triple Feature


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Teaching About Events in the Middle East: Lesson Plan
We may be looking at a major seismic shift in global politics because of recent events in North Africa and Southwest Asia (the Middle East). I look at current events in Tunisia, Yemen, Lebanon, and Egypt in the light of Iran in 1979. The revolutionary movement there was strongly antagonistic to the U.S. because of U.S. support for the old regime. People on the left thought the changes in Iran would provide an open secular society, but religious groups dominated and created a repressive regime of a different sort. I am concerned that movements in the Middle East without leaders, an organizational structure, and a clear ideology are likely to burn out after spasmodic uprisings or else succumb to more ideologically directed conservative religious forces. As events in the Middle East rapidly unfold, teachers have asked me for ideas to help them teach about what is taking place in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen. This is a suggested lesson plan. Please cut, paste, and edit to suit your classes and time constraints.
AIM QUESTION: What is happening in the Middle East?
DO NOW: Locate Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen on a map of North Africa and Southwest Asia. Based on the map, why are these countries in a geographically important region of the world? (You might refer to the change in name for the region. Middle East was the term used by European colonizing powers.)
Motivation: View and discuss a recent CNN news clip on events in Egypt.
Egypt protests spread nationwide (2:21), On the frontlines of Egypt protest (3:35)
Questions: According to this film clip, what is happening in Egypt?
Based on this video, why are people protesting?
In your opinion, are people justified in engaging in violent protests such as these? Explain.
Activity 1. Revolutionary situations such as the ones developing in Tunisia where the government resigned and the president went into exile, the one we witnessed taking place in Egypt, and the one currently going on in Yemen can happen very suddenly and bring major social change to a society. Make a list of some of the major revolutions and the dates in which they occurred of the 18th, 19th 20th, and 21st centuries. Possibilities include American (1775-1783), French (1789-1799), Haitian (1791-1804), Latin American (1810-1821), Russian (1917), Chinese (1927-1949), Cuban (1956-1959), Iranian (1979), and the Solidarity Revolution in Poland (1980-1981), but they are not limited to these. What makes these events revolutions? What do revolutions have in common? How would you define revolution? Possible definitions include:
Wikipedia: A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turn around") is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.
Dictionary.com: An overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.
Activity 2. You can't have a revolution without good poetry. Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi, who died in 1934, is being called the poet of today's Tunisian Revolution. Below are English translations of two of his poems. Read the poems and answer the questions following each poem.
A. The Will of Life
If the people will to live
Providence is destined to favorably respond
And night is destined to fold
And the chains are certain to be broken
And he who has not embraced the love of life
Will evaporate in its atmosphere and disappear.
1. According to the poet, what is necessary for change to take place?
2. What will happen to the enemies of the people and of the revolution?
3. In your opinion, why did Shadi title this poem "The Will of Life"?
B. To the Tyrants of the World
Hey you, the unfair tyrants...
You the lovers of the darkness...
You the enemies of life...
You've made fun of innocent people's wounds; and your palm covered with their blood
You kept walking while you were deforming the charm of existence and growing seeds of sadness in their land
Wait, don't let the spring, the clearness of the sky and the shine of the morning light fool you...
Because the darkness, the thunder rumble and the blowing of the wind are coming toward you from the horizon
Beware because there is a fire underneath the ash
Who grows thorns will reap wounds
You've taken off heads of people and the flowers of hope; and watered the cure of the sand with blood and tears until it was drunk
The blood's river will sweep you away and you will be burned by the fiery storm.
1. Why are "thunder" and the "fire underneath the ash" important symbols in this poem?
2. What will happen to the enemies of the people and of the revolution?
3. In your opinion, why did Shadi address his poem to the tyrants of the world?
Activity 3. Read the excerpts from the New York Times article and answer questions 1-4.
New York Times News Analysis (January 30, 2011, p. A10)
Yearning for Respect, Arabs Find a Voice by Anthony Shadid
1. In Yemen, the chants invoked Tunisia, a continent away. A Lebanese newspaper declared that all of the Middle East was watching Egypt. A long-dead North African poet's most famous poem has become the anthem of a moment the most enthusiastic call revolutionary. Since Sept. 11, 2001, conflict has pitted the West against the Arab world, as war in Iraq and Lebanon, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Bush administration's policies forged grander narratives of "them against us." Last week, as more protests erupted in Yemen, Jordan and Egypt and as the United States remained largely on the sidelines, the struggle in the Middle East became firmly about "us."
2. Unlike Eastern Europe, whose old order dissolved with breathtaking speed in 1989, Arab countries are distinct in their ideologies and governments, though they often share the same complaints of their citizens and some degree of support by the United States. But rarely has there been a moment when the Middle East felt so interconnected, governments so unpopular and Arabs so overwhelmingly agreed on the demand for change, even as some worry about the aftermath in a place where alternatives to dictatorship have been relentlessly crushed. The Middle East is being drawn together by economic woes and a shared resentment that people have been denied dignity and respect. From Saudi Arabia to Egypt and beyond, many say, there is a broad sense of failure and frustration.
3. The changes may have deep repercussions for the United States. Mouin Rabbani, an analyst in Jordan, said economic frustrations mirrored resentment at governments perceived as agents of the United States and its allies. In fact, a more democratic Arab world, given recent polling, is likely to be much more hostile to American policy.
1. What is the underlying cause of popular protest in the Middle East today?
2. Why does the author believe anger with the United States plays a key role in current Middle Eastern protests?
3. According to the author, how is the Middle East different from Eastern Europe where similar movements led to the overthrow of communist governments in the 1980s and 1990s?
4. Why does the author believe a more democratic Arab world will be more hostile to U.S. foreign policy?
Activity 4. Working in teams, student will discuss and be prepared to explain which revolutions in the past events in Egypt most resemble? [Egypt could well end up like Iran where a well-organized religious fundamentalist movement came to dominate the revolution. However, I think Egypt will be more like 18th century revolutionary France were successive groups seized power, sought to root out and execute opponents, and the country plunged into a prolonged period marked by chaotic violence until a new quasi-monarchical government emerged under Napoleon.
Summary: In your opinion, can a revolutionary movement such as the one in Egypt bring positive change to the people of the country? Explain.
Application: What do you think will be the impact of events in North Africa and Southwest Asia on the United States? Why?


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PetExec Documentation
With PetExec 3.6 you have more control of daycare packages and daycare services with these enhanced smart daycare/daycare package features:
Prior to PetExec 3.6, any daycare package can be used with any daycare product/service, and 1 use is always deducted. If you have existing products/services in PetExec prior to 3.6, they will continue to work the same way. You only need to modify your daycare and daycare package services if you want to implement the features listed above.
Click for an overview of the smart daycare features.


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Return of the CardsLeave a comment
August 11, 2015 by Jake
Hail Fellowship! My blog post is going to be pretty straightforward today as I haven't gotten a lot of gaming done in lieu of deck building. I have taken a long and unexpected sabbatical from the Lord of the Rings card game that is about to end abruptly. Last weekend I tried playing the two-handed variant of the game after making a pair of Rohan themed decks. Playing the game "two-handed" refers to building two game decks and acting as your own second player. Like a fool of the Took I assumed this method would be too cumbersome and somewhat lonely, but to the contrary it provided a wealth of depth to an already voluminous strategy game. Having a lineup of six heroes to begin the game with was inspiring, not daunting, but would the additional tactical avenues prove insurmountable? All I can say is it went catastrophically and I still had a wicked time. The encounter deck for Journey Down the Anduin can turn from bad to worse at the drop of the hat, and if the wrong enemies appear at any point the deck exponentially begins to stack against the players. I had the ill luck of having to fight two Hill Trolls (only two in the entire deck and one starts in play) almost back to back. Every time I formulated a heavy swing forward the Encounter Deck deftly hamstrung my questing potential. The game lasted for hours, but I never lost heart. I think Ruby sensed the tension and came to lend her support, along with a strong reminder of why I don't play on the living room floor anymore.
I eventually lost, but the constant barrage of challenge the adventure offered was enough to get me back in the saddle — thanks Eorlingas! I was so hyped up about the game that I later asked Megan if she would like to learn the game and play the introductory scenario together. Her initial impression was about what I expected it to be. I slowly went through the game's many phases and as always tried to keep the victory condition of the game as the focus. I let Megan try her hand at the combat deck, which is a vital responsibility, but also a graspable concept to new players. While there is a fair amount of math in the game Megan took to it rather swimmingly. After a few rounds went by she was identifying the merits of different cards in her hand and measuring their values. She was able to account for and take full advantage of her heroes unique abilities, such as Eomer getting stronger after watching allies fall in battle (tactfully sacrificing her soldiers when needed) or eagerly utilizing Legolas' ability to progress the quest forward as he slays foes. She did make a point to express her irritation that the artwork on Legolas' card looked nothing like Orlando Bloom. Sorry Magali, I still prefer that card version!
We completed the scenario in victory, but Megan decided the game wasn't for her. I can appreciate that, it is a lot of statistics and complexity for a non-gamer, especially without strong roots in role playing or strategy games. I was happy to get to share it with her and with the experience she made the crowning achievement of trying every single game on my Challenge List! She has been so encouraging and I have loved being able to teach her so many of my favorites this year and create these memories. I will be making new decks to try playing the game solo with in the near future, and now every game on my list has been played at least three times! The month of September is going to be very full for us, so this month I will have to balance the desire to enjoy the extra daylight outdoors with the objective of squeezing a few extra games in to lighten the September milestones.
What about you readers? Are there games that you have completely sold to your friends and family that you didn't think would go make it past the first session? Remain confidant and diligent when teaching more intricate board games, if you love something there is a good chance people you love will too.
Until next weekend brave Rohirrim! Don't forget to hew the stone and break the door, and may your resource tokens always be plucky!
Category: 10 Games 10 Plays Challenge, First Impressions, LOTR LCG, Ways to Play | Tags: 10 Games 10 Plays, gaming, LOTR LCG, playing two-handed


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Don Butterfield, owner of Butterfield Jewelers, is a man who knows quite a lot about how things used to run when Oakdale was a 'two-horse town' but he knows even more about repairing clocks, which is his specialty.
Butterfield learned his particular skill set from his father in a round-about way but something about repairing clocks and watches appealed to him as a young lad and he stuck with it.
And "sticking with it, no matter what" seems to be Butterfield's recipe for success as his business had managed to remain on the scene in spite of rocky economic times and a changing landscape for many of his suppliers.
Gone are the days where nearly everyone wore a watch or even had a clock on the walls at home. Today, it's an electronic age and digital technology is king.
However, you'd never know it by walking into Butterfield's store. There, amid his tools and the tick-tock of 100-year-old clocks, the past is sitting right beside the present and doing all right.
Butterfield has been in his present location, downtown on F Street, since 1985 and he seems quite comfortable.
Aside from the nostalgia clocks represent, there's something useful about having an old clock around — they'll run forever with proper maintenance.
According to Butterfield, the mechanisms were fairly simple and that simplicity works in its favor in terms of longevity.
"Older clocks will run for years without needing service," he said.
And when they do need service, Butterfield has the tools and parts to make the repair because he's been in the business for so long.
When asked what he enjoys most about his business, he said, "Working on watches and clocks, also dealing with customers."
But it's not all fun and games. Technology has taken its toll on the parts houses. With fewer people needing clocks or watches, the parts houses are going out of business.
Butterfield enjoys working on all kinds of clocks, particularly antiques. Some of the most interesting clocks he's repaired were made completely of wood, including wood plates, wheels and even wooden teeth. It takes a certain level of skill and craftsmanship, as well as experience, to complete these types of repairs. Luckily Butterfield has all three.
Typically, a clock repair will take a day or two, unless it's a big clock, those take longer, he said.
Big or small, Butterfield said he enjoys all kinds, but he has a soft spot for the older clocks.
He's worked on everything from family heirlooms to antique store finds, to simply replacing a watch battery.
There's no need to wonder if that old clock you inherited will ever work again. Take it to Don Butterfield and let him have a look.
Chances are, he knows what to do to get it tick-tocking again.
Butterfield Jewelers is located at 300 E. F St.
For more information on clock or watch repair, call (209) 847-7689.
Editor's Note: This concludes our three-part series on longtime local specialty shops. Look for future features and multi-part series in upcoming issues of The Leader.


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About Me
Once upon a time, there was a girl who was obsessed with shoes. Like, really…obsessed. As time went on, this obsession grew to include all things fashion: jewelry, scarves, dresses, tops, pants, skirts…all the things. Fashion became her art and every day was an opportunity to showcase a new masterpiece (if only in her own mind).
One day, that girl woke up and found that she was 30 years old (gasp!), single, and living an either entirely relatable or entirely laughable life. Either way, her friends always love her crazy stories (once called a combination of Lifetime and Comedy Central), and she thought you might, too.
By now, you've probably guessed that girl is me! I'm Sarah Beth, and it's so nice to meet you! In addition to being a now 30-something (who will tell people I'm 25 as long as it's remotely believable), I love football (go Colts!), American history, and burgers. They're the main reason I will never have Carrie Underwood's legs.
Fashion is fun for me, and I think it should be fun for everyone, regardless of shape, size, or budget. (Spoiler alert: I'm a bargain hunter. If you're looking for designers…sorry. But stick around a few years; maybe one day I'll be rich.)
I just love creating outfits – for myself or anyone else who will let me. And, I love getting inspiration from my friends! So, thank you for browsing around, be sure to visit my consulting page, and send me pictures of all your own fabulous outfits. (There are buttons above, or you can reach me at tastefullytrendy AT gmail DOT com.) Or send me your crazy single-life stories, so that I will know I'm not alone! I can't wait to connect!
P.S. If you're curious as to why I named my blog "Tastefully Trendy", you can read about it here.


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The Bossier City Police Department is asking the public for help with identifying two suspects who robbed a local hotel overnight.
The robbery happened just after 2 a.m. Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn in the 2000 block of Old Minden Road. The two suspects entered the lobby, approached an employee at the check in desk and then one of the suspects produced a handgun. Both suspects robbed the hotel of an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing on foot. The employee was not injured.
Both suspects are described as black males and were caught on security cameras. One of the suspects was wearing navy jacket, blue jeans and a red bandana around his neck while the other was dressed in what appeared to be work coveralls.
Anyone who can help police identify these suspects is asked to contact Bossier City Stoppers at (318) 424-4100. They can also submit a web tip via the Bossier Crime Stoppers website – bossiercrimestoppers.org. Persons who contact Crime Stoppers are reminded they may remain totally anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.


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Recent articles that have appeared in these pages in support of reforming our bail system fail to understand that the controversial choice by the California Judicial Council to recommend California eliminate it and replace it with some algorithm-based computer pretrial system ignores inconvenient facts and heightens the risk to public safety.
Letting a computer make a formulaic decision removes a judge's authority to obtain in court the facts, determine the risk inherent in letting an accused defendant walk our streets, set bail and apply superior human understanding to evaluate the facts.
As former legislators and retired Superior Court judges, we have worked throughout our careers to ensure protection of the public and victims comes first, by conducting studied and comprehensive reviews and evaluations of all facts known at time bail is set. This judicial weighing includes factors such as past criminal history, flight risk, the potential danger posed to victims, a victim's family and witnesses, and the seriousness of the charge or charges against a defendant.
Now, an ill-considered recommendation proposed in haste by California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, would replace our judicial system with "risk-based assessment" computer programs. Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye cited as justification examples New Jersey and New Mexico, two states that, "instituted sweeping reforms to limit or end money bail."
What Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye and the Judicial Council omit is that, in both New Jersey and New Mexico, these "risk-based assessment" programs have caused such havoc in the criminal justice system that members of both political parties now seek to repeal the damage their poor choices are causing.
This past month, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez asked lawmakers to repeal and replace a constitutional amendment approved last year to adopt a "risk-based assessment" program similar to the one recommended by Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye on behalf of the Judicial Council.
Besides real-life criminal justice problems facing in New Jersey and New Mexico, transferring a judge's evaluation process to some computer algorithm would be a catastrophic mistake. Computers are only as logical as their programs' authors, and ironclad algorithmic rules are unable to determine defendants' character, weigh the tone and demeanor of their statements or infer from the statements provided by the alleged victim or witnesses the harm and damages sustained.
While modern artificial-intelligence and expert-system technologies are advanced beyond their reliability decades or even years ago, all still have significant error and uncertainty rates which, when applied to the real world, mean mistakes and errors will be made. There remains significant uncertainty about what a machine-language program has learned and how it will act when dealing with actual defendants in real judicial cases based on simple or complex crimes.
While such programs might be useful in advising a human judge, they ignore that each individual and case is unique. These decisions require human experience. A vital element all artificial intelligence fails miserably to demonstrate is the very-human emotion of empathy — including empathy for the defendant.
In deciding whether the opinion of the Judicial Council or a far larger group of experienced prosecutors, bail agents and Superior Court judges matters most, we must ask ourselves a simple question: "Would I, facing a court that can hold me or release me for an accused crime, prefer to plead my case to a human being or to the blinking cursor of a computer screen?"
We should remember and consider carefully the devastating experience in New Jersey, New Mexico and other locales where "risk-based assessment" programs are being used. We should especially listen to reports of experts in those jurisdictions familiar with the problems their no-bail systems are creating.
Lawrence W. Stirling is a former San Diego City Council member, served four terms as assemblyman for the 77th District. He was elected to the state Senate followed by an appointment by Gov. Deukmejian to the bench as a judge. Quentin L. Kopp is a former 15-year member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, served 12 years as state Senator for San Mateo County and San Francisco. He was appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson as a San Mateo County Superior Court judge in 1999.
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Occasion dress made of soft taffeta, with embroidered white organza collar. It has 3/4 sleeves, seam pockets and closes with buttons on the front.
The length of the skirt is 68 cm from the waist.
The model in the image has a height of 172 cm and wears the size 36FR
We are pleased to inform you that our sizes are displayed in the French system (see size chart), which means that size 38 FR corresponds to European size 36.
Material composition:
Organza dress: 100% polyester
Fabrics: made in Italy


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Cutting Edge on a Budget: Reviewing the best gaming laptops under 600 Dollars.
Too often does one buy a band-new laptop only to have it become obsolete in a matter of months, where simple tasks or newer software lag to the point of pure frustration.We understand this feeling of buyers regret all too well – any prolific laptop buyer has surly felt the same, and we are here to avoid this completely.
Since there are several different brands and configurations to select from. When you try to purchase a budget notebook, you frequently have to choose certain attributes over another- for instance, you cannot have performance, a fantastic battery life and top-notch sound at the same time.
Thus we focus our interest toward the fundamentals on what makes a laptop great. See below, our table of the top products in this category followed by our reviews to shed a better light on the laptops.
1. Acer Aspire E5
2. HP ProBook 455
3. The ASUS X555
5. Samsung 15.6-Inch
Review Content (show)
What to Expect from a Laptop Under $600?
When it comes to affordable laptops, it's all about compromises. Budget laptops often use cheaper, lower-end Core i3 chips or AMD A10 APUs. Mobile chips are designed to operate on extremely low levels of electricity and thus at the price of performance.
We do not imply these laptops for serious gaming, although it's possible to play some old AAA titles from 2010-2014 once you turn down the graphics to moderate.
You will find notebooks on our list which include dedicated graphics processors, these offer lower battery life compared to those that use Intel HD series on-board graphics, and they also generate more heat.
You might need to travel a lot with your laptop and thus game or work on the go, especially when working in a video production company. Therefor the laptops with lighter builds might be better suited to your needs due to being suited to portable use.
Adversely if you're a college student and want to find a notebook for research and casual gaming, then we recommend that you take a close look at our list and focus in on our top selections, with a higher gaming focus, these laptops are higher spec'd with dedicated GPU's giving an all-round performance.
1. The Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG
- arrow-rightCPU 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
- arrow-rightGraphics Nvidia GeForce 940MX
- arrow-rightDisplay 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080
- arrow-rightMemory 8 GB DDR SDRAM
- arrow-rightStorage 256 GB SATA
Acer is a computer manufacturer that makes laptops for all users. Known for fantastic customer support, Acer prides itself in its aggressive pricing policy.
That being the case, there are a lot of Acer priced at less than $ 600 whose specs and features rival those of high-end laptops.
Thus it should come as no surprise that the manufacturer is behind one of the best mid-range laptops on the market. The Aspire E5-575G-53VG lacks the sleek design and aesthetic beauty of its competitors.
In fact, at first glance, you might be forgiven for dismissing this laptop as just another cheap low-quality knock-off. However, what it lacks in looks it more than makes up for in its performance.
Our Rating
Who is it for?
As stated before, the Aspire E5-575G-53VG does not score high regarding construction and design. Thus, if you are not big on design and aesthetic appeal but are big on performance, this is the laptop for you. In particular, if you are gamer looking for a pocket-friendly notebook then look no further.
This notebook will appeal mostly to gamers. And while it lacks the portability of some of its rivals, it performs better than most of its competitors. Therefore, it is the ideal laptop for anyone looking for a laptop that performs great irrespective of its design.
The first thing you notice when you flip this laptop open is the 15.6-inch screen. The latter is a 1080p HD screen. The screen is a standard 15.6-inch screen and lags behind those of the laptop's rivals in regards to brightness. The screen is paired with a 4.1 by 3.0-inch touchpad and backlit keyboard. This backlit keyboard is spacious and offers a great typing experience. At the heart of the laptop's performance is a 6th generation core-i5 6200 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz. This processor can be turbocharged up to 2.8 GHz. The processor is then paired with 8 GB of RAM. With this laptop, you can multitask all you want and can stream from different channels all at the same time.
Gamers will be more than pleased with Acers's decision to install the NVidia GeForce 940MX graphics card with 2GB memory. This kind of graphics card is rare to find in laptops within the Aspire's price range. Additionally, with this graphics card, you will be able to enjoy modern games such as Overwatch. The card combined with the powerful processor and the RAM makes this a great gaming laptop.Unlike some of its competitors, this Acer Aspire offers 256 GB of Hard Drive capacity. Nevertheless, this is still sufficient storage for all your needs. There is no denying that Acer compromised on design to offer the best performance. In this regard, this laptop is powered by a 2500 Mah battery.
While it does not sound like much, this battery can last you up to five hours. This is quite impressive considering most Notebooks at this price point can only last for four hours. With regards to connectivity, this laptop has three standard USB ports, a USB type C port, and a HDMI port. An Ethernet port is also available for wired internet connectivity. This is in addition to the SD card slot.
- The RAM can be upgraded up to 32 GB
- The Nvidia graphics card in this laptop is a great bonus
- Can go for up to 5 hours or more without requiring re-charging
- The inclusion of a USB c port is a great bonus
- It is offered at a very pocket-friendly price considering its features
- The design and build of this laptop is rather boring and unappealing
- The screen is dull and lacks impressive color accuracy
Summary: The Top Choice
Granted the Acer Aspire E5-575G-53VG is not the best-looking laptop out there and neither is it the most portable. However, the inclusion of a Nvidia Geforce graphics card gives it an edge over other similarly priced notebooks.
It is great for gaming and can handle all the other basic computing tasks that you will be engaged in. So is it worth to purchase? Well, it all depends. For gamers looking for a laptop on a strict budget, purchasing this laptop makes a lot of sense. Furthermore, it offers the right balance between performance and price. Therefore, in conclusion, the Aspire model has all the right features and is our best laptop under 600 dollars.
2. HP ProBook 455 G3
- arrow-rightCPU AMD A10-8700 APU 1.8-3.2 GHz
- arrow-rightGraphics AMD Radeon™ R6
- arrow-rightDisplay 15.6 inch, 1366 x 768 (HD)
- arrow-rightMemory 16 GB DDR3L-1600 SDRAM
- arrow-rightStorage 1TB 7200 rpm SATA
This is among the few laptops available on the marketplace which may be used for enjoying contemporary games, despite having a dedicated graphics processing card.
The AMD A10-8700 APU is not as effective as Intel's 7th production Core I series chips, but its high core count and strong built-in R6 images system ensures you could play games like Prey, Battlefield 1, COD WW2, etc – with decent fps.
Settings in the laptops native resolution of 1366 x 768 p. This is a good notebook for budget players.
Our Rating
As stated above the ProBook 455 is an awesome notebook for budget gamers, in addition its suited to casual content creators that are learning picture/ video editing. The AMD A10 8700 APU is a mix of an extremely powerful notebook processor and a portable graphics chip in a single package. This results in decreased overall energy consumption in addition to lower heating output.
The AMD A10 8700 APU can boost up to 3.2 GHz, also because it's a quad-core (non-hyperthreaded), you'll have the ability to run several programs concurrently without lagging. This APU can be aided by 16 GB of DDR3 RAM- the maximum RAM you may see on any notebook on this listing.
Four threads and 16 GB of RAM are lots for casual gambling- you can conduct any indie match or last-generation AA name easily in the notebooks native resolution, that can be only 1366 x 768 p. The reduced resolution does not suit film viewing or picture editing, but also, it usually means that the load onto your notebooks APU is reduced because the game is operating at a lower resolution.
We favor high framerates over fair graphics, and if you play online competitive multiplayer games, you also will love the greater fps.
With regards to connectivity, this laptop has three standard USB ports, a USB type C port, and a HDMI port. An Ethernet port is also available for wired internet connectivity. This is in addition to the SD card slot.
- AMD A10 8700 APU with Radeon R6 graphics
- 16 GB of DDR3 RAM
- 1TB 7200 rpm SATA HD
- Windows 10 preinstalled
- Plenty of I/O
- 1366 x 768 p display
- Second-rate webcam
Summary: A Pocket Power-House
Ideal for Gamers on the move, the HP ProBook is a hard hitter in the 'Under $600' range. It might have a rather small screen but with a solid performance build with its great CPU/GPU combo it more than covers its weaknesses.
Dont buy it for luxury accessories mind you, as its webcam is a little under-par and the keyboard is somewhat flimsy, but in the long run it will serve wonderfully as a pocket gaming system for either a student or a designer on a budget. A highly recommended Laptop.
3. The ASUS X555DA-WS11 15.6-inch Laptop
- arrow-rightCPU AMD 1.8 GHz A10-8700P
- arrow-rightGraphics AMD Radeon R6
- arrow-rightDisplay 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080
- arrow-rightMemory 8 GB DDR 3 RAM
- arrow-rightStorage 1 TB
Asus is a company that is synonymous with the manufacture of high quality and affordable laptops. The manufacturer has been in the forefront of producing cutting-edge laptops at competitive prices.
This is a strategy that the company has taken to make high-performance laptops available to consumers.
One of Asus' recent releases is a testament to the firm's tradition of producing high-quality machines at competitive prices. Dubbed the Asus ASUS X555DA-WS11 15.6-inch Laptop, it is comes at a friendly price tag.
Do not let its price tag fool you, as the X555DA-WS11 boasts of high-end features.
Our Rating
Who is it for?
Apart from being affordable, this Asus model is also lightweight weighing only 6.9 pounds. Additionally, it has a generous 15.6-inch screen. That being the case, this laptop is ideal for students looking for a highly portable yet functional laptop.
Apart from students, thanks to the laptop's powerful processor it is also perfect for gamers. This laptop will, in particular, please gamers looking for a high-quality laptop at an affordable price. In this regard, this laptop is an affordable gaming laptop that can also be used to meet every day basic computing needs.
As stated above, the Asus X555DA-WS11 boast of high-end specs and features. However, at first glance, it is easy to dismiss the X555DA as just another cheap laptop. It has a standard 15.6-inch screen with HD resolution and a chic-let style keyboard. The gray chassis is also bland looking. But underneath, the laptop is powered by a powerful AMD A10-8700 processor. The CPU is the equivalent of the Intel i5 6200 processor.
Backing this processor is 8GB of RAM and a hard drive with a 1TB capacity. While the AMD processor has a base speed of 1.8 GHz, it goes up to 3.2 GHz when doing demanding tasks.
The 8GB of RAM is more than enough to handle multitasking. Also, the RAM is sufficient to handle complex operations. In regards to gaming, this Asus is not the best gaming laptop out there; however, it can handle most games of current standard at medium to low settings.
The laptop comes with an AMD Radeon R6 GPU graphics card. Therefore, it might struggle to handle some of the more graphics intensive AAA gaming titles of recent release. Fitted with a solid 2 cell battery will provide you with up to 3 hours of battery life. In regards to connectivity, the X555DA comes with one 2.0 USB port and two 3.0USB ports.
There is also a HDMI port and a VGA port, in addition to the Kensington port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Also included is an optical drive, a 3.5 mm audio jack port and an SD card reader. For internet connectivity, the laptop supports the 802.11 ac networks and Bluetooth 4.0.
What makes this budget laptop stand out are its powerful processor, storage capacity, and RAM. It is hard to find another laptop with these features in this Asus' price range.
- The laptop is offered at a great price tag
- Has a powerful processor capable of handling complex tasks
- Offers a huge storage capacity
- It is lightweight making it very portable
- Has a Large Display
- The 2 cell battery does not offer much regarding battery life
- The SD card reader on this laptop is relatively slow
Summary: More Than Meets the Eye
The Asus X555DA might not have some of the high-end specs of other pricier laptops, but it offers a lot considering its price tag. In all honesty, the 8 GB of RAM is more than most manufacturers are willing to provide for a laptop under $600.
Additionally, most laptops in the under 600 price segment features a core i3 or lower processor. Thus, the fact that this laptop comes with a processor that is the equivalent of the core i5 is phenomenal. And while this laptop is not without its fair share of drawbacks, it is a great purchase. It is important to note that this might not be the best laptop for intensive and extended hours of unplugged use. The 2 cell battery will require plugging into a power outlet more often. In conclusion, this laptop offers more than most in its price segment.
4. The NOTEBOOK 15-AY011NR
- arrow-rightCPU 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5
- arrow-rightGraphics Intel HD 520 graphics card
- arrow-rightDisplay 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080
- arrow-rightMemory 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
- arrow-rightStorage 1 TB SATA
Hewlett-Packard is a company with a wide array of high-performance laptops under its HP brand-name.
Known for producing notebooks with cutting-edge design, the company makes laptops for many price markets, and is no surprise that HP does have some high-performance laptops in the mid-range of under $600.
One of the company's best sellers in this budget is the NOTEBOOK 15-AY011NR. This laptop is priced at just under $600; however, its performance matches that of other pricier HP models.
With a sleek and lightweight design, this is ideal for portable use. Thanks to its awesome features it can also be used for gaming.
Our Rating
Who is it for?
The one question that comes up whenever you go laptop shopping is who a specific laptop is designed for. The Notebook 15-AY011NR is best suited for users looking for a portable alternative or replacement to a desktop computer.
Weighing 4.7 pounds means that it is built for portability. Thus, this is the kind of laptop that you want to get if you do a lot of traveling. This laptop will also appeal to gamers interested in a portable laptop that does not compromise on screen size and Hard Drive capacity.
The 15-AY011NR main selling point is the 6th generation core-i5 processor. This processor has a processing speed of 2.3 GHz and can be turbocharged up to 2.8 GHz. The processor can handle most basic computing tasks. Additionally, paired with the laptop's Intel HD 520 graphics card, the processor can run most games at decent settings.
However, it will begin to struggle when playing, modern and graphic intensive games. For multitasking, the laptop features 8 GB of RAM, which is more than enough to handle complex multitasking. This is coupled by 1 TB Hard Drive.When it comes to design, the 15-AY011NR does not disappoint. While it is not the slimiest laptop, it has a sleek design. The reason why this laptop loses marks in regards to slimness is HP's decision to install an optical drive, and most of the slightest laptops on offer today, lack an optical drive.
The 15.6 inch HD display is large enough for comfortable movie watching. It is worth noting that not many laptops in the AY011NR's price segment feature a full HD screen capable of displaying 1080p HD videos.With the exception of a VGA port, this laptop offers all the connectivity options you would expect from an HP Notebook. This means you get an Ethernet port, a HDMI port, a headset jack, an SD card reader, a 3.0 USB port and two 2.0 USB ports. In addition to this, you also get integrated 4.0 Bluetooth and 802.11 wireless connection.
There is also a DVD burner included. The laptop's lack of a VGA port might disappoint some; however, it is not a deal breaker. Especially when you consider not many modern monitors use VGA ports. The battery on this laptop can last you up to 4 hours, which is pretty decent considering its price.
- Comes with a full HD screen
- It is lightweight, hence very portable
- Comes with more than enough storage space
- The 8GB of RAM can be expanded to 16 GB
- It offers all the features of a full-sized laptop without compromising on portability
- The 1TB Hard Drive is relatively slow
- AAA gaming titles will suffer FPS issues
Summary: A Solid Performer
Sure the Intel HD 520 Graphics card that HP opted for is not the best; however, it can still accommodate some decent games, such as GTA V. Therefore, for gaming this laptop has a lot to offer. And the fact that you can upgrade the RAM to 16GB is a bonus.
With regards to the Hard Drive, if you find it too slow for your comfort there is always the option of changing the SSD. All in all, the NOTEBOOK 15-AY011NR has a lot to offer thanks to its high-end specs and features. And when you consider its price it is more of a bargain. Overall, this laptop is a great alternative to some of the pricey Notebooks in the market.
5. Samsung 15.6-Inch HD Touchscreen Laptop
- arrow-rightCPU 2.5 GHz Intel® Core™ i5-7200U
- arrow-rightGraphics NVIDIA Geforce 920MX
- arrow-rightDisplay 15.6 inch, 1366 x 768 (HD)
- arrow-rightMemory 8 GB RAM
- arrow-rightStorage 1 TB SATA
Samsung is a company that has acquired a reputation for producing high-quality electronics from smartphones, tablets to laptops.
Speaking of laptops, Samsung laptops are known for their design aesthetics and high performance. An in the under $ 600 price segment, the South Korea based manufacturer has some very decent laptops.
One of which is the Samsung 15.6-Inch Premium HD Touchscreen Laptop. As its name suggests, this is a touch-screen laptop with specs and features to satisfy most modern gamers.
Offered with the Windows 10 Home Operating System pre-installed, this laptop has very few cons to speak of. Also, it offers the right balance between price, performance, and design.
Our Rating
Who is it for?
Many laptops are marketed as budget gaming laptops. However, not all are as good as they are marketed to be. Fortunately, this Samsung laptop does not fall under this category.
The features and specs on this laptop point to it being a budget gaming laptop. As such, it is ideal for gamers looking for an affordable notebook with a sophisticated design. The inclusion of a touchscreen adds to the appeal of this notebook. And apart from gamers, this laptop will appeal to basic computer users.
The backbone of any laptop is its features. And Samsung went all out in ensuring that this notebook has what it takes to compete with other notebooks in its category. To start with, this laptop features a 7th generation core i5-7200U processor. Clocked at 2.5 GHz this processor can be turbocharged up to 3.1 GHz. This processor is backed by 8GB of RAM. With this kind of RAM, you can handle different tasks at once. One of the laptop's main selling features is its screen. Unlike other budget notebooks, this laptop sports a 15-inch touchscreen. This LED-backlit widescreen has an HD resolution of 1366 x 768. The natural finger touch feature of the screen makes navigation easy.
The audio quality of the laptop is fantastic thanks to the built-in speakers and the SoundAlive auto adjustment. To ensure that its screen size does not interfere with its portability, this notebook weighs 4.37 pounds. And it is 1 inch thin, which is pretty impressive.
For connectivity, you get Bluetooth 4.1 and one 3.0USB port. To expand your viewing options this notebook also has a HDMI port and two 2.0 USB ports.
The built-in media reader supports SD, SDHC, and SDXH memory card formats. To achieve its 1-inch thinness, this laptop lacks a DVD/CD drive. However, it makes up for this with its next-generation wireless connection and Headphone/microphone combo jack. There is also an Ethernet port and an integrated Web camera and supports both 802.11 bgn and 802.11 wireless connectivity.What will appeal to gamers is the integrated Nvidia Geforce 920 MX graphics card with 2 GB of memory. This graphics card is found in very few mid-range laptops. Apart from the graphics card, gamers will be pleased with the large 1 TB Hard Drive storage capacity available. When it comes to battery life, this Samsung model is ahead of the competition with an impressive battery life of 8 hours.
- Offers a long battery life
- Has a large hard Drive storage capacity
- Lightweight Design
- Offered at a Great Price
- Has a great graphics card integrated
- Does not have an optical drive
Summary: An Excellent Option
The lack of an optical drive in this Samsung Notebook is not a deal breaker. The reason being that it is not that much of a necessity today. Thus, when you consider the specs and features that the Samsung 15.6-Inch Premium HD Touchscreen Laptop has to offer, purchasing it makes a lot of sense.
The integrated Nvidia Geforce graphics card with 2 GB of memory sets it apart from the competition. Also, the 15-inch touch screen is unlike any other that can be found in most 15 inches.
Additionally, the core i5 processor on this laptop is a 7th generation processor, meaning it performs better than most found in other similarly priced laptops. In conclusion, the Samsung 15.6-Inch Premium HD Touchscreen Laptop is one of the best gaming laptops in its price point.
This brings us to the end of our list, hopefully you have a better insight into to the rocky world of finding a well priced, properly tailored machine that does what you need!
Should you need laptops in other budget ranges we offer more articles which will cover other niche equipment or budget needs. Check out our under 200 dollar review if funds are really tight!
~ Gary Botha – Domaine-Nowara Head Editor


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From left to right: Lois Sockol, Sally Powers, Greg Shesko, Gail Hedges, Margaret Pantridge, Lois Bacon, Emily Salaun, Ann MacFate, George Kent, Jerry Wasserman, Tom Harkins.
A crowd of about 150 library fans gathered at the Highland Avenue library site on a cool and breezy Sunday, October 17, 2004, afternoon to witness a ceremonial groundbreaking for the reconstruction of the Needham Public Library.
Lois Sockol, Chair of the Board of Library Trustees, introduced several speakers: Greg Casey, chief of staff for Sen. Scott Brown; Gerald Wasserman, Board of Selectmen; George Kent, Permanent Public Building Committee; Margaret Pantridge, Friends of the Needham Public Library; Lois Bacon, Library Foundation of Needham; and Ann MacFate, Director of the Needham Public Library.
The Library Trustees and the other speakers then gathered for a traditional symbolic groundbreaking to kick off the construction phase of the Library's reconstruction project.
A highlight of the afternoon was the Children's Groundbreaking, in which dozens of children, wearing yellow construction hats supplied as souvenirs of the day, prepared the ground for the adult groundbreakers. Each participating child will receive a certificate noting the event.
The Groundbreaking Ceremony was supported by the Barbara and Arthur Hatch Fund.


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Tories 'to fund apprenticeships with bank fines'
A Conservative government would use fines imposed on Deutsche Bank for its involvement in rigging interest rates to fund 50,000 apprenticeships, David Cameron has announced.
The Conservative leader said the scheme would "train young people and get them off the dole and in to work".
It comes on top of three million apprenticeships the party has pledged over the next Parliament if re-elected.
Labour said the number of young people starting apprenticeships had fallen.
The Conservatives' latest apprenticeship pledge will target people aged between 22 and 24 who have been unemployed for more than six months.
The £200m cost of the scheme will be paid for out of the £227m fine that Deutsche Bank received earlier this week for trying to manipulate Libor and Euribor inter-bank lending rates.
Mr Cameron said: "We're going to take the fines from the banks who tried to rig markets – and we're going to use it to train young people and get them off the dole and into work."
During a campaign visit in north London, the prime minister again promised to give everything to get his party re-elected, urging people to "let rip" with any concerns they had between now and polling day to ensure a "lively and vigorous" debate on the future of the country.


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Free standard local delivery on appliance orders over $399. Applies to items Sold by Kmart. In store offer may vary. Discount shown at checkout. Standard delivery includes delivery within the local delivery area and delivery not requiring additional services or time. Retail value of standard local delivery is $69.99. Customer pays a charge for non-standard delivery. Local areas and non-standard delivery charges vary. Excludes accessories, built-in refrigeration, compact refrigerators, water filtration, floor care, sewing machines, heaters, humidifiers, fans and air cleaners. Offer not valid on orders placed from Sears Hometown, Outlet, Hardware or Appliance Showroom store kiosks
Whether preparing a holiday feast or reheating a plate of leftovers, the right cooking appliances can help ensure that every meal turns out wonderfully. Kmart has kitchen equipment in sizes and styles that suit a variety of decorating patterns. Explore your culinary skills with new ranges, wall ovens, cooktops and microwaves.
When the kitchen is equipped with a range and a microwave, you can cook just about anything. Save time during meal preparations with the lightning-fast heating power of a microwave. Countertop models fit into any home design, while over-the-range and built-in microwaves offer a custom look for the kitchen. When baked dishes are on the menu, a range can produce delicious meals for a hungry family. Add a beautiful, stainless steel oven next to a matching refrigerator for a more streamlined look. Gas ranges are ideal for complicated recipes that require quick heat adjustments on the fly, while electric models are easy to use and easy to clean.
If you prefer a more modern look, consider wall ovens that sit flush with the kitchen walls. Ambitious home chefs can also try double wall ovens and combination models for extra versatility. Downdraft cooktops use innovative ventilation systems, which eliminate the need for a range hood, while high-tech induction models offer incredible precision when preparing meals. Create the kitchen of your dreams with new cooking appliances from Kmart.


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Well…it's almost been 2 weeks since Jim got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of our lives together (it makes me tear up to write this…tears of joy of course!).
If you would have asked me one year ago if I thought I would be engaged today, I would've laughed in your face. It's not that I didn't believe in marriage or engagements, I just didn't think I would meet my person, REALIZE I met my person, and commit the rest of my life to him in less than 12 months. BUT I did…and I am so grateful I did. I am the happiest I have ever been.
I have always said I would be lucky if I married a man like my father, and sure enough Jim has so many of the qualities that I admire in my dad. He is loyal, honest, stable (and we all know my crazy ass needs that), and he loves me (the way my dad loves my mom).
With all of the mushy stuff out of the way (don't worry there will be more because I posted our Disney engagement photos below) THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST OVERWHELMING 12 DAYS OF MY LIFE! Definitely something I was not prepared for.
Let me start by saying, I am so grateful and so thankful to all of the people that have taken the time to send their love and support. When something big like this happens, it's incredible to see how many others want to share in on the love and happiness. From my family and friends to the security guard at work and even the grocery store clerk that rang up my bridal magazines…everyone has sent congratulations and love…but with the congrats and the "I'm so happy for you†came the questions…
"Do you have a date set?â€
"Where are you doing it?â€
"What are your Colors?â€
"Oh you know what that means…babies are nextâ€
Being a girl that has NEVER even thought about planning a wedding or what type of seating chart I will have…I was freaking out. Breathe Brooke Breathe I had to remind myself daily. I called my Maid of Honor and one of my Bridesmaids once in tears, once with frustration. I'm the worst bride ever! Not having answers to all of the questions, never even entertaining the questions until the last 10 days, made me feel like I wasn't worthy of a wedding (ok that's a little dramatic…but kind of true). After I took a minute and took a breath I had to realize that everyone else is just as excited as I am, and while the "wedding†isn't necessarily the biggest deal to me, being MARRIED to Jim is. I love him. When I was all wound up after a day of questions, I would see him and instantly feel a sense of calm come over me.
Once I grasped that concept…wedding planning started moving along! We're thinking my hometown, Bakersfield, Ca, A September wedding (YES. this September…NO. I'm not pregnant and YES. I still don't want babies….look at me. I've gotten good at answering questions before they have even been asked), and a very unconventional backyard BBQ themed reception.
There are a lot of things I don't know about this whole process and BIG step in my life, but here's what I do know-
- He's "THE ONEâ€
- My mom is THRILLED and has been a huge help coming up with ideas and concepts.
- My Aunt Mary Rita is handling my dress so it will be the most amazing dress of all times. If you need to fix up your wedding dress or add/subtract things from it, you need to check her out. www.bakersfieldalterations.com
- If all else fails and it doesn't come together as perfectly as we planned, at least there will be booze!
- It's going to be a day I will never…WE will never forget.
Here are some of the pictures from Walt Disney World when Jim got down on one knee in front of Cinderella's Castle…and I said, "ABSOLUTELY BABE!â€
Click Here to Hear Our Engagement Story
If you have any Wedding Planning Advice PLEASE comment below!
OH And We are Looking for a Good Hashtag For Our Wedding…Open to all suggestions so please feel free to add your #


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Fighting Today's Cyber Security Threats
As modern cyber security threats continue to advance, keeping your data safe becomes more and more difficult. Especially for PC users who choose to keep their data secure by using an outdated anti-virus (AV). The term outdated means two things. The software may not be updated in regards to patch management. Or, the AV could be functioning with outdated detection methods.
AV solutions functioning primarily from a blacklist are outdated. A blacklist is a list of all the known malware. If a user attempts to execute a file that is known to be malicious, the blacklist will block it. However, if the file is unknown, meaning it could be bad or it could be good, the blacklist lets it through. This method is no longer effective. Malware changes every day, even every minute. It is impossible for anyone to keep up with all of the known bad files. Often times, security providers do not know if something is bad until it has already infected someone. Therefore, there is always a victim.
The Whitelist – Changing PC Protection Options
By using a security solution that functions from a whitelist, the risk of malware infections dramatically decreases. The whitelist is a list of all known good files. Therefore, if the user attempts to execute a known bad file it will be blocked because it is not on the whitelist. More importantly, if they attempt to run an unknown file, it will not execute until it can be tested and deemed safe. However, this may lead to concerns for some users. Such as how long do they have to wait for the program or file to be tested. That depends on their security solution. PC Matic offers two options:
- The user has the ability to locally whitelist the program/file. If they have used the program and know it is safe, they can bypass the waiting period and add it to their local whitelist. This will allow for the program/file to be accessible immediately to that specific user.
- Unknown files automatically get sent to the PC Matic malware research team — even if the user adds it to their local whitelist. Within 24 hours, the unknown program/file is tested and deemed either safe or malicious. If safe, it will be added to PC Matic's global whitelist. This means, any PC Matic user who attempts to open that same program/file will be allowed to do so, as it has been deemed safe.
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For three days at the beginning of November, the three-Michelin-starred Cerea brothers came to the UK to cook for the British public at L'anima, an Italian restaurant in the heart of London. It was the first time brothers Enrico and Roberto had cooked for the British public, and I wanted to get to know how they and Antonio Favuzzi, the head chef at L'anima, source ingredients when they're cooking Italian food abroad.
The Cerea brothers are culinary legends in Italy. They're two of five siblings who run Da Vittorio in Bergamo, a haven for seafood lovers with three Michelin stars. 'We like to touch on traditional food using new and modern techniques,' explains Roberto. 'The very best fresh produce is the foundation for every one of our dishes. We're based in northern Italy, but use products which come from all over the country. For example, in this menu we're using Fregula (a pasta similar to couscous) which comes from Sardinia and red prawns from the south.
'My father opened Da Vittorio in 1966 in Bergamo – 300km from the coast in every direction, right in the centre of Italy,' he continues. 'Everyone there would cook meat or local vegetables, but he brought the seaside and seafood to the area, which no one else dared to do. Northern Italy is quite cold, so pork, veal, beef and game-based stews were the norm. Every single restaurant in Bergamo used to serve bollito misto, a selection of meats served with mustard and salsa verde. At the same time my father opened Da Vittorio, a fishmonger from Sicily opened a shop in the city. They both started at the same time, and now they are seen as the best fish restaurant and fishmongers in the region.'


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See how HR Service Delivery completes your tech stackGet the Fosway Group Report
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Hear from Kent Riddell at CSL Behring, below.
HR data security is top of mind for Kent Riddell, Senior Manager of Business Solutions HRIS at CSL Behring. So when the HR team needed a system for managing employee files globally, he was happy to see that PeopleDoc met their security requirements and integrated with their HRIS, Workday.
With the two systems integrated, HR now has a one-stop-shop for employee files. Any HR member (with the appropriate permissions) can access any employee file, regardless of their geographic location. In this video, hear from Kent on how PeopleDoc meets CSL Behring's standards for data security and privacy.
Global HR teams need a single source of truth when it comes to employee files. Productivity suffers when only certain team members can access data for certain regions, or when they have to navigate multiple systems to find the information they need. Enter PeopleDoc Employee File Management. It makes it simple for HR to efficiently manage employee files from anywhere, on any device, while controlling access to data based on document type and user role.
See how PeopleDoc's Employee Case Management solution empowers employees to find their own relevant HR information, and also enables HR to route and rapidly respond to more complex, non-routine requests.
This checklist gives your organization an 8-step framework for tackling global compliance.
Discover why the HR Operations team at GoDaddy turned to PeopleDoc to help them consolidate, store and easily manage employee files.


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Park smoking ban shows how tragically anti-smoking movement lost its way
The latest proposals for tackling smoking are out and, as always, they mimic the authoritarian response in the US.
The London Health Commission, set up by Boris Johnson last year under ex-Labour health minister Lord Darzi, has called on the mayor to make bylaws banning smoking in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square and exert influence over the royal parks, where he appoints the board, to also ban smoking in their spaces. The clear hope is that London's 32 local councils would then follow his lead and ban smoking in their parks.
Will the mayor play ball? Johnson always prides himself on his instinctive libertarianism, but it's skin deep. His first act as mayor was to ban drinking on public transport. Only weeks ago he was calling for the presumption of innocence to be overturned in certain criminal trials. This week he U-turned on years of pro-immigration rhetoric to call for restrictions of European freedom of movement. He jumps whichever way the wind is already blowing. He said of the plans: "It is time for London to have that debate."
New York, from which the commission clearly based its proposals, has already banned smoking in parks and beaches. Former mayor Michael Bloomberg said this had helped increase life expectancy by three years, but this is as inane a calculation as can be imagined. It is a nonsense, based on so many presumptions about human behaviour as to be meaningless.
Dame Sally Davies, the government's chief medical officer for England, said the ban would deter young people from smoking. "We all know smoking is bad for health so I welcome any measures to reduce both active smoking and its role-modelling in front of children," she said.
It makes zero sense. If "role-modelling" is harmful in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square, why isn't it harmful on Whitehall, which links the two? Does some miraculous psychological phenomenon take place for the duration of the street in which children are suddenly unimpressionable?
Lord Darzai appeared on the Today programme to call for London's parks to be turned into theatres of health, where children would only see physically beneficial activities taking place. But his reasoning entails that we ban unhealthy activity, including junk food and alcohol, in all public spaces. It is a vision which has no conception of the limit of state power or the personal freedom of the individual.
In his world, the only legitimate activities are those which leave a good impression on children. He is advocating the purposeful infantilisation of the British public.
Parks are the safest places to smoke in the city. In an otherwise crowded metropolis, they are one of the few areas where you are able to get some personal space. Nowhere could be less likely to contribute to passive smoking.
But anti-smoking campaigners long ago gave up on direct causation in their assessment of smoking harms or their proposals for reducing it. They are engaged in a public relations exercise whereby smoking is made to seem socially intolerable. It is a process of stigmatisation. They choose to single-out and shame, rather than contribute to an evidence-based discussion about physical harm.
They have had limited success in this endeavour. And yet, for reasons which have nothing to do with them, we are entering a golden age of anti-smoking.
E-cigarette technology has revolutionised consumer habits. About 2.1 million adults in Britain currently use them, almost none of whom are non-smokers. A third are ex-smokers and two-thirds current smokers. In 2010, just 8.2% of smokers had tried them. By 2014, it had risen to 50.6%. Walk around a city in the UK and you see vaping shops popping up everywhere, like frozen yoghurt cafes.
They are arguably the single most important development in the history of smoking and they did not come from authoritarian policy, or finger wagging, or sanction, or the prevention of 'role-modelling'. They came from product innovation and the market.
The response of the anti-smoking lobby has been revealing. It has split between the harm minimisation lobby, which has welcomed them, and the puritanical wing, whose assessment of smoking and anti-smoking policy is based on symbolism and imagery, like a Catholicism mass of public health.
The World Health Organisation, which really should know better, called on them to be banned indoors. They could provide no evidence of its harmful effect on others, or indeed on the user herself. They admitted as much when they issued the statement before having reached conclusions from their own research.
This is what UCL researchers had to say:
"For every million smokers who switched to an e-cigarette we could expect a reduction of more than 6,000 premature deaths in the UK each year, even in the event that e-cigarette use carries a significant risk of fatal diseases, and users were to continue to use them indefinitely."
E-cigarettes are extremely effective. The fact elements of the anti-smoking movement are opposing them while lobbying for evidence-free bans on smoking in public shows how tragically they have lost their way. They are willing to put people's lives at risk in order to further the anti-smoking agenda.
Those who wish to reduce smoking should worry about what works, rather than the aesthetics of victory.


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Dormitory-Theodor-Heuss-Straße 13
The barrier-free dormitory in the Theodor-Heuss-Straße 13, newly acquired on 16 September 2015, has 96 rooms in unfurnished shared flats for 2 and 3 people. In the object created according to the latest energy standards, 33 bright, friendly two-person group flats have been created, for which also 2 people have to apply. Furthermore, there are single rooms in ten 3 people group flats, for which one can apply as an individual. All flats are equipped with underfloor heating, a loggia, a spacious shower room and a kitchen with a kitchenette, which also has a table and chairs. The dorm is centrally located between the city centre and the North University, near the University Hospital.
These community facilities are available in Theodor-Heuss-Straße 13:
- Laundry room,
- Dryer
The following parking facilities are available:
- Parking spaces,
- Bicycle parking
Forms of housing
- SR in SF for 3
- SF for 2
|Form of housing
|Single room in shared flat for 3 people (SR in SF for 3)
|Number of rooms
|Room size
|12 - 15 m²
|Inclusive rent per room
|323 - 353 Euro
|Waiting period
|12 - 18 Months
|Domestic facilities/equipment
|Balcony, shower, internet access, parking space for cars, SAT-cable-TV, telephone connection
|Room in existing shared flat for 3 people.
|Notes for application
Single application; Please select "single room" in the online application form.
|Form of housing
|Shared flat for 2 people (SF for 2)
|Number of flats
|Room size
|11- 17 m²
|Inclusive rent per room
|295 - 353 Euro
|Waiting period
|12 - 18 Months
|Domestic facilities/equipment
|Balcony, shower, internet access, parking space for cars, SAT-cable-TV, telephone connection
|Notes for application
|Joint application of 2 persons required.