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Hotel Magnate
Hotel Magnate is a Time Management, Business Simulation, Role-Playing, and Single-player video game by Bastion Interactive. Throughout the gameplay, it is your job to develop your own hotel, make its maintenance, introduce new furniture to it and experience the role of a hotel manager while playing. Meanwhile, attach a rest house to your hotel, make it a better suite and build the rooms for the couples, singular personalities, and the celebrities as well, also manage the swimming pool, provide good services, and earn a lot more dollars while simulating the hotel.
At the time of building the rest house, add some fun activities such as gaming casino, dance club, make the dine-in places, and provide the best facilities within the territory and attract dozens of customers by giving them their life security and safe environment. Arrange some exit places to run at the time of catastrophic incidents, place fire distinguishers, and create classical as well as colorful rooms for the guests.
Hotel Magnate Alternatives
#1 Grand Hotel Mania
Grand Hotel Mania is a Time-management, City building, business simulation, RPG, single-player strategy managing game developed by DeusCraft for Android that serves the idea of having a place where everything is calm. You will play the role of the hotel manager and brief the staff to build the glory of the hotel and to make it as luxurious as you want. You and your partner are going to open the resort, and you need to facilitate the customers by adding more comfort to your place. You will work hard and provide all the facilities a customer want.
Make proper luxurious suits to live. Hire a couple of famous chefs and improve your serving team. Take a tour of the world map and find places to open hotels and grow the business. Upgrade your resorts and suits to make them better for the people. Complete various levels to have fun in this graphic-rich video game. The game features high-quality graphics, stunning background music, and detailed textures along with a colorful world and civilized people.
#2 Amber's Airline – High Hopes
Amber's Airline High Hopes is an Adventure, Action, Casual, Simulation Single-player game based on the idea of being handy to a young lady who wants to fly as an air hostess. You will accompany her in passing her exams to be enrolled in the airline and to assist her in getting a debut fly for a famous and multinational airline.
Cracking the airline entry test is one of the best features of this casual version. You can customize dresses, look, hairstyles and learn about managing the passengers and be helpful to them. The simulation version also includes over fifty challenging stages while exploring the world through a flight simulation, serve the passengers with a kind and lovely heart to be beneficial for your organization. Play this love-and-loss story-driven game while enjoying high-definition graphics and overwhelming music, locations, and meeting new customers on each flight.
#3 Amber's Airline – 7 Wonders
Amber's Airline 7 Wonders is an adventurous, Story-time management, Casual single-player game developed by Gamehouse. The game has a backstory of Amber's life, who has become an air hostess, and now she is on the quest of seven wonders. You will help her to see different antique world wonders throughout the world. Exploring the world is one of the main wishes of Amber. You will play the role of a flying assistant who is responsible for all the actions inside the plane.
You will take care of passengers' luggage, their food and comfort is all your responsibility. Amber will also be using her services to keep the passengers calm at difficult times, if any. Customize the suits, and dress like a professional in this online gaming place. Get indulged with the general public and tour the world to see seven wonders. The game features a visit to the Taj Mahal, Petra, and Machu Picchu. Burj Khalifa, Wall of China, Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, Colosseum, Statue of Liberty.
#4 Welcome to Primrose Lake
Welcome to Primrose Lake is a Time-management, Adventure, Casual, single-player mystical video game plotted with the story of a view-full version of an idyllic mountain town. You will play the role of a detective after you have struck into the twin peaks. You will be going to uncover the buried secrets over here. Once you start the game, you will encounter unseen problems like no internet, no lights, no reception, and many others. You will also find out the veritas about the happening around the lakes a hundred years ago.
This time-management mystery will be testing your detective skills to reveal many puzzles and riddles over here. There are sixty stages of this game during the gameplay of this online puzzle game to discover twenty mysteries. You are going to get various characters in this video edition. Interrogate the people and other characters to conclude some results. Relaxing soundtracks and beautiful graphics are also going to be part of your gameplay in this video game.
#5 Heart's Medicine Hospital Heat
Heart's Medicine Hospital Heat is a Casual, Indie, life simulation, a single-player game developed by Gamehouse Original Stories that is a sequel version. In this game, you will play the character of Allison, the doctor. You will help patients and other members of the hospital. Saving the lives and heal the wounded will be one of the basic jobs for you.
Many mini-games are also going to test you during the playthrough of this video game. You will find out the past of Allison as the story is filled with romance, drama, thrill, and decision making. You will have to make some decisions while exploring your life. There are also special challenges built for you to play and get the points more and more. Besides being a doctor, you will also be having some affairs in your life to deal with. Explore new locations, meet new people, and find out the real purpose of your life.
#6 Cafe Panic: Cooking Restaurant
Café Panic Cooking Restaurant is a Business Simulation, single-player strategy building game developed by Boomware Technologies for Android and IOS that serves the idea of having a virtual restaurant and serve the customers. You will be finding a place to build your café and hire a couple of chefs and find out the best recipes no one has ever tasted. You will also serve your customers with your delicacies and coffee routines.
This time-management version will let you build relationships with your fellows and other persons. Meet a huge variety of buyers and experience a whole new job. Add some machines with your staff to add quality and quantity of your products. Decorate your food shop according to your venture. The edition also provides you with improving your admin skills. This field's features are included with new recipes, dishes, high definition graphics, exposure with multiple characters, and captive soundtracks and locations. Keep an eye on the people's activities and billing and facilitate them first with the internet and other stuff.
#7 Supermarket Mania Journey
Supermarket Mania Journey is a Strategy, Business Simulation, Single-player game developed by G5 Entertainment that is introduced to explore the market needs and idea of opening a marketplace. While playing the role, you will be required to help multiple persons and get the mayor to increase the city's economy. You will also be having a huge number of challenges while making a one-stop-shop.
Managing the high-quality store and provide all the stuff in one place is your job. Build a team of your choice and hire the people to work with you. Put food-ables to your store, grocery, vegetables, and fruits to your store. Manage the administration resources and satisfy both customers and staff. Sell the products and upgrade your revenue, many characters, locations, In-game purchases, and gifts are also featured in this video game. This free game is going to test your administration as well as serving skills.
#8 Doorman Story: Hotel team tycoon, time management
Doorman Story Hotel Team Tycoon, time management game is a Strategy, Business Simulation single-player version that is a plot of having interacted with the idea of managing the hotel. You will need to become a tycoon with your managing and administration skills. In this game, you will start a business in the hotel industry and flourish it within no time. You will also be getting a competition with other players and tycoons.
Build a team of chefs, waiters, and servants to acquire more capacity in customers' hearts. You will also give your best at different levels. Make relations with customers by providing them high-quality products and services. Enjoy building your hotel empire and get it through the proper channel. Give a couple of facilities extra and make the strategies to grab more people. Create an attractive look for your motel and resorts and develop a business portfolio in the hotel industry. Control this graphics-rich game and enjoy.
#9 Fabulous – New York to LA
Fabulous New York to LA is a Casual, Adventure, Strategy, single-player game from Gamehouse Original Stories in which you will be playing the role of Angella, who is about to debut in Hollywood as a fashion designer. Your job is to live the dreams of her and help her to make them true. Angella gets a chance to become the fashion freak, so get the challenge and start working at it.
You can take as many challenges as you want during the gameplay as the game provides different in-game purchases, new adventures, and mini-games within it. Make some sizzling and stunning dresses to be made famous in Hollywood. Your dream is to get fame for what you do. This game features over two hundred levels to increase your excitement. Open virtual dressmaking stores, boost fashion skills. You will also be able to convert your hobby into a profession. The game features more in-game stages and daily bonus levels to get more points. Find out themes and earn fame.
#10 Heart's Medicine – Season One
Heart's Medicine Season One is an Adventure, Indie, Casual, Single-player video game developed and published by Gamehouse Original Stories plotted with the backstory of a medical student who has started her med-career. You will help her get more skills and training. Play the role of Angella and be a fabulous medical professional. Learn to deal with different scenarios and experience other hospital conditions at the time of emergency.
You will also explore and deal with patients to cope with a couple of new challenges to act as quickly as possible. While on the journey of a medical professional, maintain your life as well. Get to know about all the experienced doctors of Creek Hospital and get some learning from them. Amazing sixty levels will be opened after the competition of one level. Enjoy more than thirty challenges during the gameplay. This game's built-in feature includes high graphics, entertaining sounds, new levels, and in-app purchases.
#11 Unsung Heroes – The Golden Mask
Unsung Heroes, The Golden Mask, is an Adventure, Strategy, Casual, Single-player video game from Gamehouse Original Series created to follow the tale of three girls. You will be adopting their roles one by one and have the missions completed for each character. You are going to play an adventurous girl and find out the secrets of her past.
You will be able to go in the past to join the pieces of her story to fight and avenge your parents' killers who were killed brutally. Make sure to unlock new stages after completing one after another while exploring the features like simple and story-driven walkthrough, stunning graphics, and perfect sounding effects. You will strive for the survival of yourself while playing the role of XI Niu. The game features the option to play in the past and future as well. Find out the way to unlock the tales of the past and manage to change the future. Play more than ten mini-games during the playthrough. Explore many locations while playing the hero.
#12 Delicious – Moms vs Dads
Delicious Moms vs. Dads is a Time-management, Indie, Casual, Adventure game developed and published by GameHouse for single-player prevailing the benefits of exploring the conditions while being mom and dad. In this game, you will play Emily and find out all the secrets about being parents. In this online adventure, you will also interact with various aspects and challenges of being a wife as well. You can take other challenges and complete them in this graphic-rich, story-driven video edition.
Check out the problems and their solutions and find about the important things in life while enjoying audible music. There are five locations to play the game to explore the difference between four different couples and watch out for the problems and solutions that vary from couple to couple. Nearly sixty stories are coming your way, and you need to sit tight. You will experience a full family package over here. Enjoy the classical soundtracks during the gameplay.
#13 Delicious – Emily's Message in a Bottle
Delicious Emily's Message in a Bottle is a Casual, Life Simulation, Adventure, Single-player Management game developed by Gamehouse Original Stories in which you are going to play the character named Emily and start a new business in Italy. Start a new life after tragic events in past. You will be helping her do her best and get famous within no time. You can add some new features to her cooking skills and make her learn more Italian recipes to earn more and more.
You will also get bonus scores and diamond gifts during the gameplay. Find out the location where you want to start the local food business. Win the competitions built-in the game. The game features over Ninty brand new levels. This 13th season of Delicious will ignite your hunger during the gameplay. Start over another new restaurant and manage the cooking, administration, and marketing department of the hotel. Enjoy the brilliance of related music in this graphic-rich video game


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Double take
Posted by andrew on 12 Mar 2012 at 12:32 pm | Tagged as: Andrew's blog
Hi guys,
Last week I think I promised a report on the back country after a father and son trip with Thomas and Bill from Australia. I have guided these two experienced fisherman over the last couple of years on their annual trip to the region and have always done very well. They always fish the Tongariro alone and get me to show them the backcountry in search for some fishing with a twist. Last year we had a great day with over twenty fish so this year was going to be hard especially after the random weather which keeps appearing this year. This time we headed out to the same river but at a different access point which usually holds less fish but much larger than what we hit last season. The plan worked out with weather, water levels and thankfully trout which were hungry and we once again had a very good day with some solid trout. Both anglers agreed that there's nothing quite like this fishing in Australia.
The beauty about fishing resident backcountry trout is that if the fly is presented at a trout which is active and you don't spook him the chances of him moving for your fly and grabbing it is high. Thus meaning you can get away with fishing lightly weighted nymphs which of course make for easy casting. It did'nt take Thomas very long to hook and land the first fish which weighed about 5lb and gave a solid fight in fast water. Bill did'nt hang about either pulling a nice maiden hen from the same run again fishing a 2 weighted nymphs under a very small strike indicator. This river does not offer alot of dry fly action so nymphing is nearly always the best option.
As the heat of the day got going and the sun broke through the clouds the fishing got better and the boys were finding fish in most pools which saw me running about netting fish and taking photo's like a mad man-the best way to be busy. The best pool was shortly after lunch where I always seem to pull a few fish from and these guys managed to fish every square inch of it hooking into 6 good fish which two escaped with my flies-must be the guides knots-wish I had a $ for every time I heard that.
Backcountry days always takes it toll on anglers and Bill was starting to feel the strain of tired legs, deep crossings and hard boulders, I'm sure a good purple bruise may have appeared on the upper thigh by now. Throughout the day they managed to get into 15 trout which were all in pretty good condition and have fattened nicely over the summer months. I was pleased to see some nice maiden fish in the river with no scars or catch marks which will be looking great for this coming spawning season. I found no foot prints this time which was a nice change and maybe why the fishing was fairly consistant.
I have also been on the Tongariro all week and had some good fishing with Cicada's but once again I think the wet weather we just had might knock them on the head for another year. I have not had any amazing fishing on here this week but we are still seeing plenty of lovely brown trout which the odd one can be caught. The rainbows have been hard to find so lets hope this latest fresh rain may have dragged some up from the lake as early spawners . The latest rain will keep the browns moving and anglers chasing them in hope of catching the fish of a lifetime.
Well the phone has just gone and we are out again in the morning for a full day on the Tongariro so stay tuned and see what we can come up with.
Thanks for reading
Andy Xmas

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are having trouble DO NOT UNINSTALL THE GAME!
🦋Purple Headed ♊+ 🥥 Chick Playing iOS & Android 🦋
I Am NOT a Glu Employee
🌟If you see a problematic post please dm the link🌟
Ahh thank you!! It's perfect for this SYS but probably not worth the spend now 😂 My doll is doing horribly though but not sure how much I want the floral dress!!clarizzo said:It's in the kloset, available for stars!Amy.metcalf33 said:I keep seeing the super sparkly rose gold outfit (1st and 4th look) but where is it from??bbyotic said:I'm seeing less and less dolls on theme 😢 i just want this sys to be over tbh
here's some looks i found so far!! 💕
@kokokokonut Hi! If you accidentally mistyped the @ and meant me haha, then thank you! I am doing alright, thank you for asking, just have been busy with exams!kokokokonut said:That is so sweet! Welcome Back @BellaKKH Hope you are doing ok, I love that we are holding up dolls whose looks we admire. I think I'll do the same. Happy Sunday Dolls.
Sorry to hear that doll, I hope better days come soon 💓 Also you 100% deserve that 1st place, your looks are amazing, I wish I could style as well as you!! 😍💞buriteri said:I've been having such a stressful and emotional past few days but I never failed to submit my looks for SYS 😂😂 And somehow, despite some of my looks tanking, I'm in 1st place 😱 hopefully this is a sign that my days are getting better 🥺🥺🥺 I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and if you're in the Top 5 or close to getting there, good luck!!! 💖
Looks 3-12 💖🌺
Thank you so so much @kokokokonut 🥰☺kokokokonut said:Happy Happy Belated Birthday @Chooky1116 I'm so sorry I am late. Hope your birthday was awesome and you had a great time
Omg I would literally LOVE to have that giant, Bubble Flip hair and the gorgeous Afro!! 😍😍kaydencekkh said:I think that we should do this theme again in the future but make it way more obvious what the theme is, and make a background just for it! Maybe even the Kendall fembot look? And Center it around the gogo girl era? Just because I thought this theme could have been so much fun but it flopped and I don't even like the earnable pants because they have nothing to go with
Hahaha omg bless you🥰! Wonder how you navigate through your wardrobe 😅😅TrashleyKKH said:@UnwinterActually I think it been 4 years? I really lost count.


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Orange Nation Peru is an innovative adventure trekking company that offers unparalleled experiences to both the best Inca archeological sites and the wildest parts of the Andes mountains. Our adventure treks are specifically and carefully designed to cater to your needs. Our passion is sharing our tours with you through the incredible landscapes the Andes has to offer! We highly recommend our alternative treks to Machu Picchu and other locations as a remarkable and insightful way to go Off the Beaten Path and experience the authenticity of Peru. We have the HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICE, an OUTSTANDING REPUTATION because we can GUARANTEE the best quality service through our Orange Nation Peru staff and guides who operate our treks. We are a locally sustainable and responsible tour operator that incorporates universal principles of tourism. With this in mind, we have trained all of our staff within these principles.
The company started in 2018, its owner, Dioselina Capatinta became passionate about providing people the best quality service possible. She opened the tour company Orange Nation and ever since then it has have been one of the top tour operators within the Cusco region!
The owner of Orange Nation Peru, Dioselina wanted to create more work opportunities for the local communities within the Andes. She employs from these communities to help grow better situations for them in areas such as self-sustainability, education and more. Porters that work with Orange Nation receive a better salary than most of tour operators. We respect the welfare of our workers' to give back and support their families, especially the children.
Orange Nation is a family owned tour operator based in Cusco whose guides and employees have personal experience over many years of trekking. Orange Nation is a 100% Cusqueñian Company without any shareholders. We provide high quality service as well as focusing on having small groups to enhance the travel experience. Our groups never go higher than 8 persons. This is what makes us stand out from other tour operators!
Our team of guides are from the Cusco region and speak Spanish and English fluently with the majority of them also speaking Quechua (the native language of Peru). They hold degrees in tourism and have a minimum of experience of 2 years under their belts. They are passionate about teaching others of the local flora and fauna as well as their roots in their Andean/Inca history and heritage.
Our guides come highly recommended as they are dedicated to continued professional development, are extremely patient and love to do their jobs with sparkling energy.
We hope to build a sustainable company that provides top-quality service to our potential clients, while at the same time, develop methods to provide children and families within the Cusco region with opportunities for education and employment.
Orange Nation is a 100% Peruvian tour operator based in Cusco – Peru. We are a a family owned company focused on quality of service and sustainability. We have a passion for social projects and have began a non-profit organization called "In the Hoes of a Porter" where we hope to help one village at a time with necessities like warm boots and proper healthcare. We are fully licensed - a copy of all relevant licenses are shown below.


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Value Meal
Crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken with Jasmine Rice and Red Bell Peppers
$5.99 per serving
Prep & Cook Time: 35-45 min.
Cook Within: 5 days
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Spice Level: Not Spicy
Contains: Wheat, Soy
In Your Box (serves 2)
- 12 oz. Diced Chicken Tenderloin
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- ¾ cup Jasmine Rice
- 2 Green Onions
- 3 Tbsp. Cornstarch
Due to our just-in-time sourcing model, we may have to send you a substitute ingredient. Not to worry! We make sure every ingredient sent to you meets our high quality standards. We'll keep you informed should a switch occur, so please check the ingredient labels in your meal bag.
Nutrition (per serving) N3D2VDqj
Recipe Steps
You Will Need
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Large Non-Stick Pan
Before You Cook
Cooking Guidelines
To ensure food safety, the FDA recommends the following as minimum internal cooking temperatures:
- Steak and Pork 145° F (rest cooked meat, 3 minutes) |
- Seafood 145° F |
- Chicken 165° F |
- Ground Beef 160° F |
- Ground Turkey 165° F |
- Ground Pork 160° F
Cook the Rice
Bring a small pot with rice, a pinch of salt, and 11/2 cups water to a boil.Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, 18-20 minutes.Remove from burner and set aside.While rice cooks, prepare ingredients.
Prepare the Ingredients
Trim and slice white portions of green onions into 1/2" pieces. Thinly slice remaining green onions on an angle. Keep white and green portions separate.Stem, seed, remove ribs, and cut red bell pepper into 1/2" dice.Pat diced chicken breasts dry, and season both sides with 1/4 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. In a mixing bowl, toss or gently combine chicken with cornstarch until evenly coated.
Cook the Vegetables
Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tsp. olive oil. Add white portions of green onions, red bell pepper, and a pinch of salt to hot pan. Stir occasionally until tender and lightly charred, 5-8 minutes.Remove vegetables to plate. Wipe pan clean and reserve.
Cook the Chicken
Line a plate with paper towel.Return pan used to cook vegetables to medium-high heat and add 3 Tbsp. olive oil. Add chicken to hot pan and stir occasionally until browned and chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 5-7 minutes.Remove chicken to towel-lined plate.Carefully discard oil. Reserve pan.
Finish the Dish
Return pan used to cook chicken to medium-high heat. Add sweet and sour sauce to hot pan. Heat, 30 seconds.Add vegetables and chicken to pan. Stir until coated and heated through, 1-2 minutes.Remove from burner.Plate dish as pictured on front of card, garnishing with green portions of green onions. Bon appétit!
Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service - order and receive home food delivery weekly. Choose from 21 fresh recipes featuring steak, chicken, pork, fish, vegetarian options, and beyond to meet your cooking needs each week.


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What exactly is a father's role in guiding his son to authentic manhood?
Sons need fathers who are involved in their lives—dads who will love them, teach them, and discipline them.
In this dynamic book for fathers with sons, Lewis provides biblical principles, and practical examples for a dad to use to equip his son for the "higher things" of manhood. Features include helpful guidelines for the use of creative manhood ceremonies to commemorate key passages in a boy's life, such as transitioning from childhood to puberty, and releasing him into marriage.
Robert Lewis is the Executive Producer of Life Ready. He is well-known as the founder and creator of Men's Fraternity. For over 20 years he served as Teaching Pastor and Directional Leader for Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Leadership Network, and is on the Board of Fellowship Associates, a church consulting and leadership training organization.


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Layout, Design and Features …
The following image shows the front of 80 x 22 mm small Crucial MX300 525 GB M.2 SSD PCB with some technical data and the firmware version on the label.
The following image shows the front of the 2.5″ Crucial MX300 525GB M.2 SSD:
Under the label are the Marvell 88SS1074-BSW2 controller IC, a Micron 512MB cache module and Micron NAND FLASH modules.
On the back of the 525 GB SSD are no more FLASH modules.
The MX300 M.2 SSD offers like the MX200 2.5″ SSD Microsoft eDrive compatible, built-in 256-bit AES encryption (TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE 1667), which allows hardware encryption with an appropriate UEFI hardware equipment and Microsoft Windows 8 or Microsoft Windows Server 2012 with BitLocker enabled.
After installing the M.2 SATA SSD in a free M.2 slot it is easily detected.
If the M.2 SSD is not recognized, you should take a look in the UEFI BIOS, whether the M.2 slot is set to auto or force M.2, since the M.2 slot is often shared with SATA ports.
This Crucial MX300 525B CT525MX300SSD4 M.2 2280 SSD operate by the way, such as the large 2.5″ Crucial MX300 SSD with the SATA 6 Gb/s standard and not like the recently tested Samsung SSD 960 Pro 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD or Samsung SSD 960 Evo with the M.2 PCIe standard. So, there's a 6 Gb/s limitation by the SATA standard.
Who like to know more about M.2 SATA, M.2 PCIe, 2280, Gen2 x2, etc., should take a look here in the Plextor M6e review, where we've explained all important formats, lanes and speeds of the M.2 standard.
SSD firmware update …
The MX300 M.2 SSD shipped with the M0C031 firmware. We have of course immediately installed the latest firmware. The M0C040 firmware was available at test time from Crucial for the MX300 SSD. With the new Crucial Storage Executive Tool, you can upgrade the firmware of the SSD relatively easy, but you should always backup important data before updating the firmware. You can install it also with the classic method: Download the Crucial M0C040 firmware, unzip the included ISO file, transfer the ISO file with unetbootin to an USB stick (can be transfered on CD or CDRW as well), boot with the USB stick and update the SSD firmware. If you get the message "no supported drives found in the system", you should check the aforementioned BIOS setting.
If everything worked properly, the MX300 firmware update from M0C031 to M0C040 is available after power on the PC.
The Crucial Storage Executive tool shows all SSDs and HDDs that are installed, values like SMART, allows the activation of momentum cache function that uses the memory as a buffer, allows the setting of Over provisioning part, and updating the firmware.
Before will come to the benchmark results, we want to show something very special on OCinside.de for now and that is the heat distribution and temperature of M.2 SSD with an infrared thermal imaging camera, which also supports image overlay and resulting in an interesting mixture of the infrared image and real image.
But this not enough, we want to show even a video in our OCinside YouTube Channel where we have filmed the M.2 SSD on an ASRock Z270 Taichi motherboard with the thermal imaging camera, while the AS SSD benchmark is completed. To prevent that you have to wait too long, the IR heat film is shown in 4x speed.
Crucial MX300 525 GB Benchmark values and test results …


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So we've been living in our fiberglass travel trailer for about 4 months now, and I've definitely been here long enough to have some "first" impressions of full-time RV living. Let's go!
Cross-Country Drive and Pickup
We picked up our Escape Trailer in Chilliwack, BC, Canada. We drove up from San Antonio to BC in about 5 days. I booked all the hotel stays on the way up with a boatload of Marriott points I accumulated for free with some manufactured spend on the Marriott Visa card.
The people at Escape were fantastic, and although we were contacted by someone before getting our trailer – stating that we might run into problems – we have yet to run into any serious problems with this fantastic fiberglass RV.
We spent the first week in our trailer at a KOA campground in Washington very near to the Escape headquarters – just in case anything went wrong with the trailer. We were starting a journey back to Texas for the most unfortunate reason of all…
Registering the Trailer
Switching to a full-time RV status requires choosing a residence state, of which you can pick South Dakota, Texas, or Florida. Florida sucks, so it's out. South Dakota… well, here's why we picked Texas.
Whatever state you pick for full-time residence, you must establish "professional communication" with some one / company/companies in the county where you'll have your driver's license, to set your domicile. Since we already lived in Texas, it was a simple as skipping all that and just changing the address on our licenses. Domicile chosen.
After going all the way to El Paso, TX to get our registration stuff done, we headed up to one of our favorite states – New Mexico. We found a great park that we figured we could stay at for a while, while cooling down from all the initial travel. We settled in, and then started to really learn more about our new fiberglass egg.
Prepping for Travel/Arrival
Packing up the trailer and getting it ready for travel has gotten easier every single time we've done it. It take about 30 minutes max – less if we're moving very quickly. It's basically:
- Empty the tanks / put away the sewer hose
- Put up the stabilizer jacks
- Stow the water hose / power cable
- Raise the gooseneck hitch
- Attach to truck
- Attach the weight distribution hitch bars and 7-pin harness
- Check the Brake lights / blinkers
- Put things in cabinets inside and prep for travel
The way we've done it so far is that I'll do the outside stuff, and Jess will do the inside stuff. We'll probably switch that up a couple times when we move the trailer to a new location.
Not Much is Different From Normal Living
After living in an apartment for about 10 months, I have to say that not much is different when living in an RV. Sure, there's less space to lounge around, but the main differences are that you have to empty the gray/black tanks, and that… no, that might be it!
Getting Outside
Getting outside is much easier now than it was when we were living in a third-floor apartment. This is mainly due to the fact that we pick places to stay with excellent hiking trails nearby, so we aim to get out at least once a day.
We Won't Make the Cover of "Hipster Monthly"
Yes, sometimes our trailer does not look perfectly immaculate on the inside.
Although we do like to keep it nice and tidy most of the time.
Costs are Relatively the Same
Our apartment was around $850/month, and that did not include water, electricity, cable internet, trash service, and how much driving we had to do to get anywhere in that shitty place we used to live.
Our current monthly rent is $650, and our trailer loan payment is $460. Our monthly rent includes water, electricity, sewer, and WiFi. Seeing it as around $1100/month can put into perspective being locked into a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in an enormous metropolis, versus being able to go wherever you want, whenever you want.
I don't know what the monthly will be in other places we stay, but at one of the amazing resorts we stayed at in Washington, the monthly rate was $430. Didn't include electricity, but with a 150-watt solar panel and a 1500 watt inverter, we could generate 80% of our electricity on our own.
On top of very affordable (for us) monthly costs, our fridge and pantry are the PERFECT size for getting 2-2.5 weeks worth of groceries in one trip.
No Tiny House Decisions
I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to step into a trailer that was built by some of the most dedicated camper manufacturers on the continent. Escape trailers are absolutely better quality than even Airstreams. These have the same, if not better, parts than an Airstream.
Atwood propane/electric water heater (faster water heating than any house/hotel I've ever been in) and Atwood water heater – better size Dometic fridge/freezer than in most Airstreams, Samlex solar controller, 1500W inverter with a transfer switch so we get AC to all outlets when running on battery power, double pane windows – the list goes on, but the MSRP of this was equal to about $25k USD, whereas a 19′ Airstream Flying Cloud STARTS at $62k. Jesus.
This fiberglass trailer is also lighter than an aluminum Airstream, and completely sealed – which means no leaking issues, like the silver trailers are prone to.
Needless to say, I am so happy to be rid of all those tiny house decisions, and onto this amazingly built trailer with thoughtful, smart, and reliable design decisions made by someone else. Not like these pieces of pure junk.
So That's Pretty Much It
Living in a fiberglass trailer is not very different from living in a very large space. Sure, we yearn for more stretching space every once in a while, but we can also get outside in about 2 foot steps of where we are – no matter how far into the trailer we are.
It's really awesome to think you can simply pack up and drive to wherever you want to stay. Don't like it? You can leave tomorrow! It's a great feeling of freedom. We're already thinking about what we'll do next, but for now, we are loving the full-time RV life.


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Eaton Vance Launches Short Duration High Income Fund and Appoints Andrew P. Szczurowski, CFA, as Co-Portfolio Manager of Eaton Vance Short Duration Strategic Income Fund
BOSTON, Nov. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance Management (EVM), a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. , today announced the launch of Eaton Vance Short Duration High Income Fund (Class A: ESHAX, Class I: ESHIX), the latest addition to the firm's line
BOSTON, Nov. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance Management (EVM), a subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp. , today announced the launch of Eaton Vance Short Duration High Income Fund (Class A: ESHAX, Class I: ESHIX), the latest addition to the firm's line-up of short duration income funds. The Fund is managed by Michael Weilheimer, CFA, Vice President and Director of High Yield Investments at EVM. Under normal conditions, the Fund invests primarily in income instruments rated below investment grade, including floating-rate loans and convertible securities. The Fund intends to maintain a dollar-weighted average duration of three years or less and is managed toward an objective of total return.
Separately, EVM announced the appointment of Andrew P. Szczurowski, CFA, Vice President of EVM, as co-portfolio manager of Eaton Vance Short Duration Strategic Income Fund, joining Eric A. Stein, CFA, Vice President and Co-Director of EVM's Global Income group.
Eaton Vance now offers a comprehensive suite of short duration income funds, which includes the following offerings:
"We are pleased to offer a range of short duration income strategies to help investors meet their income needs while managing exposure to interest rate risk," said Payson F. Swaffield, CFA, Vice President and Chief Income Investment Officer of EVM.
EVM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Corp., one of the oldest investment management firms in the United States, with a history dating back to 1924. Eaton Vance and its affiliates managed $273.1 billion in assets as of September 30, 2013, offering individuals and institutions a broad array of investment strategies and wealth management solutions. Eaton Vance's long record of providing exemplary service, timely innovation and attractive returns through a variety of market conditions has made Eaton Vance the investment manager of choice for many of today's most discerning investors. For more information about Eaton Vance, visit www.eatonvance.com.
About Risk: An imbalance of supply and demand in the income market may result in valuation uncertainties and greater volatility, less liquidity, widening credit spreads and a lack of price transparency in the market. Investments rated below investment grade (sometimes referred to as "junk" investments) are generally subject to greater price volatility and illiquidity than higher-rated investments. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income investments generally declines. No Fund is a complete investment program and you may lose money investing in a Fund. Regulatory changes may adversely affect securities markets and market participants, as well as a Fund's ability to implement its strategy. A Fund may engage in other investment practices that may involve additional risks and you should review the Fund prospectus for a complete description.
Before investing, investors should consider carefully each Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in each Fund's prospectus and summary prospectus, which can be obtained from a financial advisor. Prospective investors should read the prospectus carefully before investing.
The Funds are distributed by Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc., Two International Place, Boston, MA 02110. Member FINRA/ SIPC
Not FDIC Insured - Not Bank Guaranteed - May Lose Value


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I had a couple of comments on my earlier post about autossh which suggested that I should look at alternative mechanisms for keeping my ssh tunnel up. Rob in particular suggested that setting "ServerAliveInterval" should work. Oddly I had tried this in the past whilst trying out various configuration options and I swear it didn't work for me. But since the autossh mechanism felt inelegant I thought I'd revisit my ssh_config file as Rob suggested. And indeed setting ServerAliveInterval to 300 (i.e. 5 minutes) solved my tunnel drop problem. I'd guess that other intervals of less than 1 hour would equally work but I haven't checked.
I have no idea why my earlier experiments failed.


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Demerara-Mahaica1 - 1 of 1 listings
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Electro Keto Review Electro Keto is an enhancement, d it's anything but a medication that does some incredible ngsfor weight reduction. In the event that you need to get more fit, you have to follow different methods alongside Keto. Here is the manne...
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Both Soft T-Ball and Sr Coach Pitch:
Soft T-Ball
Soft T-Ball is for all five and six-year-old girls with no prior softball experience. In Soft T-Ball, girls use a smoosh ball and hit off of a batting tee for the first half of the season, then at mid-season, switching to coach pitch depending on the player's development. Soft T-Ball play all their games at Bustard Park. It is set up as a fun instructional division. No scores are kept, no standings, or playoff activities are held. Coaches are very involved on the field during the game. The emphasis is on skill development and teaching a basic knowledge of the game. Games and practices are kept to around 60 minutes. We also old opening day ceremonies and an All Star day skills competition. Everyone is invited to All Star day and we usually have some of the older girls mentor the younger ones during the skill competition.
Senior Coach Pitch
Coach Pitch is for seven and eight-year-old girls. The Coach Pitch Division, as aptly named, is entirely pitched by coaches. Coach Pitch games are played at Field Number Five at Bustard Park. Coach Pitch is set up as a fun instructional division with some competitive aspects to get the girls prepared for Minors. The emphasis is on building on the basic skills developed in Soft T-ball and continue teaching a basic knowledge of the game. This year scores are kept; there will be standings & playoff activities held. Coaches are involved on the field during games for these divisions. There may be a chance of 1 or 2 away games - to try out playing other local coach pitch intramural teams in the area.
The girls are additionally encouraged to attend and be active participants in the many events during TYA All Star Day. The Soft T-Ball crew typically conducts a skills challenge for the girls where they can participate in some fun skill centers and maybe even earn some prizes. The Coach Pitch crew will organize all the players who will be "graduating" to the Minors Division next season and hold a "graduation game" to give the players and opportunity to mix things up with the other teams and showcase their skills.
In both of these divisions, a strong emphasis is placed on making the game informative, fun and enjoyable for the girls. When the teams are assembled in the spring, all reasonable requests for girl pairings/groupings by the parents are honored to the best of each commissioner's ability. There is an area on the TYA Softball registration form which may be used for making special requests, for example for a particular coach, or to attempt to group some players together for carpool reasons.
A Typical Soft T-Ball or Coach Pitch Season:
Registration - January (Late registrations accepted in February)
Team creation - Late February, Early March
Roster distribution - Mid March
Preliminary Schedule - Mid to Late March
Practices - Late March, Early April
Games - Mid to Late April
Skills Day / Graduation Game - Saturday after Memorial Day
Season Ends - Mid June


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We have a huge selection of Plants, Shrubs, Herbs, Fruit Trees, Alpines and Perennials. You'll be spoiled for choice!
At Goulding's we know plants and our knowledgeable staff will ensure that you get all the help and advice you need to make the right decision for your garden.
We're so confident of the quality of our garden plants that we offer a two-year guarantee on any container-grown hardy plant.
We have a huge selection to choose from, throughout the year and also stock vegetable and fruit plants, herb plants and seed potatoes.
We offer a large range of water features and we also offer a great choice of pots and tubs for the garden with a great range of plants especially for these, as well as beautiful hanging baskets and seasonal colour displays as well as flowering bulb collections. We also offer a container plant refilling service which is a great way to reuse your existing containers year after year.
We also offer a great selection of indoor plants along with a wide choice of pots and containers.
Visit us regularly as our range changes with the seasons and we have lots of regular special offers. We have all of the specialist plant foods and composts you'll need to ensure that you get the very most from your garden or indoor plants.
Hardy Plant 2 Year Guarantee
Our Hardy Plant Guarantee ensures free replacement or credit against any container-grown hardy plant which dies, providing it has not been as a result of neglect or lack of care.
If you wish to make a claim we will need you to return the plant for examination along with proof of purchase within 2 years.


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Digests » 207
Spend Less Time Sweating Over the UI in Your React Apps
Get started with KendoReact's 55+ professionally developed UI and data visualization components and cut down on the development time of your React apps. With its wide range of customizable components, from the essential to the advanced, it can augment any existing development stack. Try now 30 days for free.
this week's favorite
Let's learn React Hooks and Context API by building a Recipe Search App
This is a beginner tutorial in understanding React Hooks and the Context API. In reality, this is more of an attempt to explain these concepts to my self and to interested readers. This will be in two parts with this first part focusing on the basics of hooks.
🌍 Creating React usePosition() hook for getting browser's geolocation
In this article we'll create a React usePosition() hook to fetch and follow browser's location. Under the hood we'll use getCurrentPosition and watchPosition functions that are provided by global object navigator.geolocation.
Why Did I Have Difficulty Learning React?
Just over six months into a job doing React development, I've been trying to figure out why it has taken me so long to feel comfortable with it. (Comfortable feels a bit too ambitious of a word. Maybe competent? Unexceptional? Whichever.)
GraphQL - The Pros and the Cons
GraphQL is a query language for APIs and a runtime for fulfilling those queries with your existing data. GraphQL provides a complete and understandable description of the data in your API as well as gives clients the power to ask for exactly what they need and nothing more.
Deploy a Create-React-App Website to DigitalOcean with HTTPS
In this article, we will create a production ready website and deploy it on a DigitalOcean server in the cloud with SSL/HTTPS encryption. We will be using Create-React-App to build the website, DigitalOcean for hosting, and Let's Encrypt for free SSL encryption.
Join over 12,600 readers for a free weekly email with fresh news, articles and tutorials.


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Ogier wins in Portugal for the fifth time
Ogier wins in Portugal for the fifth time
World champion Sebastien Ogier won the Rally of Portugal for a record-equalling fifth time on Sunday to stretch his championship lead to 22 points.
The M-Sport Ford driver sealed his second win of the season by finishing 15.6 seconds clear of Thierry Neuville with the Belgian's Hyundai team mate Dani Sordo third in the gravel event.
The victory equalled the five in Portugal chalked up by retired Finnish great Markku Alen.
M-Sport's Ott Tanak, who had led on Saturday until he damaged his car's rear suspension, won the final power stage for a five-point bonus, with Neuville collecting four after finishing second.
Four-times world champion Ogier was fifth in the stage and took only one additional point. The Frenchman now has 128 points to Neuville's 106. -Reuters


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Beauty and the Beast alum Amber Skye Noyes has boarded the cast of The Deuce, HBO's pilot about the rise of New York's sex industry.
Described as a "narrative set in the Times Square demimonde of the 1970s and 1980s," The Deuce follows the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York, exploring the rough-and-tumble world that existed in midtown Manhattan "until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and the renewed real estate market all ended the bawdy turbulence."
In the project, James Franco (127 Hours) stars as twins Frankie and Vincent. Noyes will guest-star (with the potential to recur if the pilot goes to series), as Ellen, a tough, smart and attractive employee at a Times Square bar run by Vincent (with whom she may have a little somethin'-somethin' going on the side).
The Deuce comes from Wire creator David Simon, while Breaking Bad's Michelle MacLaren will direct. The cast also included The Honourable Woman's Maggie Gyllenhaal (playing a prostitute named "Candy"), Revenge's Margarita Levieva (as a college student involved also involved with Vincent), Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (The Walking Dead), Dominique Fishback (Show Me a Hero), Daniel Sauli (Show Me A Hero) and Sepideh Moafi (Black Box).
Noyes' previous TV credits also include The Blacklist and One Life to Live.


text: Welcome to Guns.com! Since 2011 we've built a place where gun lovers and enthusiasts could come for news, product reviews, and the most up-to-date info on issues that impact them. The community we've built has attracted gun owners of all kinds. From protectors to outdoor enthusiasts, to sport and social https://isaacj925szg6.life-wiki.com/user


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A team of designers have come up with a way to make automated poetry about places in the world.
Using OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, Satellite Studio has created a haiku map that creates haikus using randomly assembled data from a specific location on the map.
"One can rather think about OSM as a gigantic database of all the things in the world," a website post from Satellite Studio says. "In OpenStreetMap Haiku, we use that crazy amount of data by matching OSM tags with random verses."
For example, when using the Black Press Media office location on Broughton Street in downtown Victoria, the map comes up with "What would the Royal Theatre Think?/ Coming hot/ The same pot of coffee."
Another option from the same location yields "The warm belly of the bus/ What would Royal Theatre think?/ Quite chilly."
The map takes into account weather, local time of day, transportation and even businesses and buildings nearby.
The original inspiration of the project comes from a different project called Every Thing Every Time by Naho Matsuda. In it, her work creates "impractical poetry" from data streams and sensors across a city with the result displayed in real-time in the city streets.
"We thought that creating a global version of the same idea would be interesting, not the least because it would allow us to get our hands dirty with OpenStreetMap data," Satellite Studio says.
To check out OpenStreetMap Haiku, head to satellitestud.io/osm-haiku/app/#14/40.7236/-73.9819.
To find your location, hit "locate me!" at the bottom left corner of the webpage.


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Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
Tips To Make Your Bonfire Night Pictures Sparkle
1. Turn Flash Off
Turning your flash off will let your phone's camera know that it only has available light to take a picture. This is important because the camera will then keep the shutter open long enough to capture the fireworks.
2. Turn Off HDR (High Dynamic Range)
Seems great for capturing all those rich colours however, the image sequence captured by your phone won't match up and will make for a blurry outcome.
3. Turn Down the ISO
High ISO will crank up the sensitivity of your phone's camera so it can see details in the dark. However, the fireworks themselves are quite bright.
So, to avoid overexposure and reduce noise, take your camera out of Auto ISO and change the setting to ISO 100 or even lower.
4. Do NOT Use Zoom
It will lessen the quality of your photo. Instead, take a regular picture and crop.
5. Slow Your Shutter Speed
...for great trail visions of your fireworks shooting into the sky. You can even get an app that does it for you!
6. Burst Mode
Hold down your finger on the shutter button to take multiple photos, then select the one you like best.
7. Clean the Lens
Think about all of the places your phone has been, and how many times you've probably touched the lens through the day. That grime is going to do weird things to the light in your photos.
8. Edit
Don't go over the top with editing, after all the fireworks are already stealing the show. Try increasing the colour saturation a bit or playing with the contrast slider.
Don't know where to watch the fireworks? Discover places to watch them here.
Accommodation Office
The Accommodation Team are here to help:


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Despite an estimated one million people still living without drinking water, 80 percent of the island wihout electricity, and fresh reports that people are "dying" on the island, President Donald Trump stirred outrage on Thursday by giving himself a perfect "ten" on his response to the crisis in Puerto Rico.
"Trump's callous, self-appointed grade reflects everything that is wrong with the alleged relief effort in Puerto Rico." —Bonnie Castillo, NNU/RNRN"The people in Puerto Rico are dying," said National Nurses United (NNU) vice president Cathy Kennedy, who returned Wednesday from a two-week relief trip with the union's Registered Nurses Response Network (RNRN). "Nurses have been going out into communities, where all they ask for is water and food. And when you have to make a decision of who's going to get the food today or the water — we shouldn't have to do that. The United States is the richest country in the world; Puerto Rico is part of the United States."
Yet Trump told a different story about the recovery in the Oval Office on Thursday, speaking to reporters as Puerto Rican governor Ricardo Rossello looked on.
"I would give myself a ten," he said. "We have provided so much, so fast."
President Trump says he'd give his hurricane response a "10," and says Hurricane Maria is "worse than Katrina" https://t.co/9G0s5jBxpN
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) October 19, 2017
"Trump's callous, self-appointed grade reflects everything that is wrong with the alleged relief effort in Puerto Rico," Bonnie Castillo, director of National Nurses United's Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN), told Common Dreams via email.
The nurses who returned from the relief trip, she continued, "are horrified by the massive damage, dislocation, and trauma they have witnessed. It includes one million people living in darkness, many of them in homes with roofs blown off, soaked furniture, dangerous black mold growing everywhere, lengthy waits for food and water from FEMA that often never comes, a decimated transportation system, and hazardous materials abundant."
About one million Puerto Ricans were still without drinking water as of Thursday. According to status.pr, a website that is maintained by Puerto Rican officials with daily updates on the recovery, 80 percent of the island was still without electricity as Trump was speaking. More than half of the island's cell phone towers are still not working and more than 4,000 people are still living in shelters.
FEMA has distributed about 23 million liters of water throughout the island—accounting for only about nine percent of Puerto Rico's drinking water needs. Forced to drink from rivers, many on the island are being exposed to harmful bacteria and toxic chemicals.
The president put Rossello on the spot after grading himself, asking, "Did we do a great job?" The governor declined to give him a rating. He carefully thanked the administration for sending relief, while emphasizing that the island needs the same efforts that were afforded to Texas after Hurricane Harvey. "We need equal treatment, we need all the resources we can get."
According to Castillo, "the lasting image of this administration may well be Puerto Ricans having to drink contaminated water from polluted streams, putting their health in serious danger, while waiting for timely, appropriate federal aid to millions of U.S. citizens."
This is a Creative Commons article. The original version of this article appeared here.


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Dangler Funeral Home of West Orange has been serving the West Orange area since 1949. Dangler Funeral Home is family owned and operated, by the Dangler family (7th generation West Orange residents). So you are always dealing with people who care, not just an employee of a big corporation. They are available 24 hours and serve all faiths. Dangler Funeral Home offers a spacious, well-lit parking lot outside the newly renovated facility. It is handicapped accessible. Also available are Pre-Paid Trust Funds revocable or irrevocable, SSI, and Medicaid. Darren or Kip Dangler will be more than happy to sit down with you and explain any questions you may have pertaining to funeral arrangements and to show you the Funeral Home as well. Dangler Funeral Home is located at 340 Main Street, West Orange ( at the corner of Main & Mc Kinley Avenue) They can be reached at (973) 325-1212.
Darren T. Dangler
NJ License Number #4004
PA Lic. #000686


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House Bill 150 Clarifies the Payment Method for Militia Members Called Up for State and Federal Active Duty
Anchorage – On May 12th, the final day of the recent legislative session, the Alaska Legislature unanimously passed a bill authorizing the same pay and benefits for members of Alaska's organized militia regardless of whether they are called to state or federal active duty. The House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee sponsored House Bill 150 to simplify and clarify the payment system for Alaska militia members.
"The brave men and women that have volunteered to protect Alaska and our nation deserve to know how much they will be paid when they are called to active duty. The current pay system used by the State of Alaska is so different from the federal system that it prompts an unacceptable level of confusion and uncertainty. This simple bill fixes that, and I appreciate the unanimous support from my colleagues in the House and Senate," said Rep. Chris Tuck, Chair of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
The current accounting system used by the State of Alaska pays active duty members of the organized militia for specifically assigned duties. However, when militia members are called up to federal service, they are paid based on grade and rank. The new system authorized by the passage of HB 150 brings the state system in line with the federal system.
House Bill 150 passed the Alaska House of Representatives last year by a vote of 38-0. The Alaska State Senate passed the bill on the final day of recent legislative session by the unanimous vote of 19-0. HB 150 has been sent to Alaska Governor Bill Walker for his signature.
For more information, please contact Kendra Kloster in Rep. Tuck's office at (907) 269-0240.
Mike Mason
Press Secretary, Alaska House Majority Coalition
Phone: (907) 444-0889


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External event|
While the European Union is engaged in a process of strategic reflection on its external relations in a rapidly changing world it finds itself in the midst of interlocking crises – multiplying wars in Africa, the Middle East, central Asia and eastern Europe; population displacement; terrorism and sectarianism; as well as broader economic, social and environmental disruption. At a global level, the War on Terror (although it is no longer formally called that) seems to have converged both with myriad conflicts in different places and with a new phase of great power rivalry involving a new wave of militarisation. These crises have to be explained in terms of a mismatch between our policies and tools for addressing and managing problems and the everyday reality of the twenty first century.


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We continue our journey into every word spoken by Jesus in the Gospels to help us all KNOW JESUS MORE NOW.
As foreshadowed here yesterday, Jesus now begins to mobilize his "harvest workers."
He called the twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits, heal every disease and to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Then he gave them these instructions for their mission:
Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
(Matthew 10:1-15; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6)
There were more instructions to come. But these initial words are packed with deeeeep significance:
- The disciples weren't on their own: they were given authority directly by Jesus.
- Their first mission was to God's own people: the "lost sheep of Israel."
- The message is clear: "The kingdom of heaven has come near."
- They would do as Jesus did: heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and drive out demons.
- They received freely: they were to give freely.
- They were to take nothing for the journey: their needs would be met.
- They were to proclaim the message to those who would listen and to move on from those who didn't.
Reflect on those instructions as you contemplate your own role and mission in God's Kingdom.
Much more to come tomorrow. Stay tuned.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Feng Yu)


text: For over a decade, 3SS has been delivering world-class software solutions to service providers and technology innovators to bring video to any screen. 3SS is an acknowledged leader in system integration, app development, UI/UX design innovation and solution architecture. 3SS designs and engineers bespoke front end and back end platforms


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Cubs rookie third baseman Kris Bryant was forced to exit Sunday's game against the Brewers after feeling dizzy on a hard slide into second base, but he's back in the starting lineup for tonight's series opener against the Pirates.
According to Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com, Bryant was cleared to play after the Cubs ruled him out for a concussion. The 23-year-old hopes to avoid a similar issue in the future, so he's planning to give up on sliding head-first. Obviously it's easy to get caught up in the moment in a competitive situation, but that's generally a good idea.
Bryant is coming off a rough July where he batted just .168 with a .638 OPS. He's batting .246/.354/.436 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI over 96 games on the year.


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Mass. State Rep. Calls on University VP to Increase Transparency for Allston Multimodal Project
Harvard President Lawrence Bacow Made $1.1 Million in 2020, Financial Disclosures Show
Harvard Executive Vice President Katie Lapp To Step Down
81 Republican Lawmakers File Amicus Brief Supporting SFFA in Harvard Affirmative Action Lawsuit
Duke Senior's Commencement Speech Appears to Plagiarize 2014 Address by Harvard Student
Harvard Kennedy School has revoked the degree it awarded Russian spy Andrey Bezrukov, who lived in Cambridge and attended school under the name of Donald H. Heathfield.
Kennedy School spokesman Doug Gavel said in an e-mail today that the man who went by Donald Heathfield no longer holds a degree from the school. Citing privacy regulations, Gavel declined to comment on who would have made that decision and when the decision was made.
Under the name of Heathfield, a deceased Canadian, Bezrukov studied at the Kennedy School and graduated from the Master's in Public Administration program in 2000.
Bezrukov revealed his real name and pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government July 8 in a federal court in New York. Bezrukov's plea was a part of a so-called "spy swap" between the United States and Russia in which 10 Russian agents were exchanged for four alleged Western spies the following day.
According to the most recent version of its student handbook, the Kennedy School usually severs its relationship with a student when it is discovered that the individual's application contains inaccuracies.
"If the discovery [of misrepresentation] occurs after a degree has been awarded, the degree will usually be rescinded," the handbook states. "The determination that an application is inaccurate or contains misrepresentations rests with the Admissions Office and the Office of the Senior Associate Dean for Degree Programs, and will be resolved outside of the student disciplinary process."
Heathfield and his wife Elena Vavilova were arrested at their Trowbridge Street home in Cambridge on June 27. The couple was charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
—Staff writer Naveen N. Srivatsa can be reached at email@example.com.
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Conversion in late antiquity: Christianity, Islam, and beyond
Papaconstantinou, A., McLynn, N. and Schwartz, D., eds. (2015) Conversion in late antiquity: Christianity, Islam, and beyond. Ashgate, Farnham, pp436. ISBN 9781409457381
Full text not archived in this repository.
It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing.
The papers in this volume were presented at a Mellon-Sawyer Seminar held at the University of Oxford in 2009-2010, which sought to investigate side by side the two important movements of conversion that frame late antiquity: to Christianity at its start, and to Islam at the other end. Challenging the opposition between the two stereotypes of Islamic conversion as an intrinsically violent process, and Christian conversion as a fundamentally spiritual one, the papers seek to isolate the behaviours and circumstances that made conversion both such a common and such a contested phenomenon. The spread of Buddhism in Asia in broadly the same period serves as an external comparator that was not caught in the net of the Abrahamic religions. The volume is organised around several themes, reflecting the concerns of the initial project with the articulation between norm and practice, the role of authorities and institutions, and the social and individual fluidity on the ground. Debates, discussions, and the expression of norms and principles about conversion conversion are not rare in societies experiencing religious change, and the first section of the book examines some of the main issues brought up by surviving sources. This is followed by three sections examining different aspects of how those principles were - or were not - put into practice: how conversion was handled by the state, how it was continuously redefined by individual ambivalence and cultural fluidity, and how it was enshrined through different forms of institutionalization. Finally, a topographical coda examines the effects of religious change on the iconic holy city of Jerusalem.
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text:
I'm fascinated by the fading vestiges of Communism. Back in high school German class when Frau Andersson taught us about die Mauer (the Wall), it seemed like it would endure for generations.
And then it was gone.
Prague's Museum of Communism is located above a McDonald's. Of course it is.
Uncle Joe (Stalin), oblivious to history's march, presides over the museum's cramped hallways.
Prague has a Stalin story to tell. In 1948, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia staged a coup and took over the country. Work commenced on a huge monument to the Soviet leader. Construction took more than five years, and with good reason: this representation of Stalin at the head of a line of patriots was huge.
For scale, look for the actual people in this photo- those little dots halfway up.
The statue was unveiled on May 1, 1955. It was over 15 meters high! It was the largest representation of Stalin in the world! You can practically hear the men's chorus warming up for a stirring rendition of a heroic anthem!
Just one problem. Joseph Stalin had died in 1953, and the process of de-Stalinization had begun. Soviet leaders were turning away from the brutal legacy of their former General Secretary/dictator/egomaniac. A giant granite likeness of him seemed a bit out of place.
What to do? Get rid of it.
But, the story goes, the Communists wanted to avoid the embarrassment of slowly dismantling the epic edifice. So one day in 1962, without warning, they blew it up.
Nowadays, a rather lame metronome sits on the statue's base, a touching symbol of, um, the passage of time or some such nonsense.
I've got no love for Stalin, but his statue was undeniably the more accomplished work of art. Let's take a moment to remember its sculptor, Otakar Švec, who committed suicide the day before it was unveiled.
The museum's exhibits, like this sterile replica of a Cold War-era shop, didn't do much for me. Feeling a bit of Commie fatigue, I wandered into a stuffy screening room, sat down on a hard bench, and watched a video that made it all worthwhile: no-frills news footage of the Czech people pouring into the streets of Prague in 1989 and demanding their country back.
When it looped, I stayed to watch it again. My heart broke as regular people in puffy coats and stone-washed jeans (it was the Eighties, after all) stood up to police in riot gear, with sometimes bloody results. This wasn't soundless black and white film of our grandparents going to war; this was VHS-quality video that reminded me of home movies shot in my backyard in Brookfield (possibly shot with the same Quasar model I used). The course of history changed one day while I was sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner, a newly-minted college freshman.
I guess that's why I'm fascinated by the remnants of the Cold War world that I came of age in just as it drew its last breath. Even with all the masterful propaganda, the towering granite, the parades in Red Square, and Frau Andersson's resigned inevitability… the people won.
Is that a tear in your eye, Vladimir?


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Made with 100lbs real pumpkin, 20# cocoa nibs, and pumpkin pie spices (ginger, allspice, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon). Nice and spicy in the nose, full bodied porter, with a smooth chocolate finish.
The Curse IPA (7.3% a.b.v.)
Matt's beloved Cubs proved their worth again this year. Let's drink to forget with a big American IPA made with Columbus, Simcoe, Cluster, and Cascade hops.
Collaborative Evil (10% a.b.v.)
Hoppy Little "O" (6.5% a.b.v.) [Almost Gone]
Just like last time, except a little easier drinking. A beautiful marriage between a hoppy American IPA and a belgian ale. And made with organic malt of course.
Guest Tap: Surly's Coffee Bender
Guest Stout:


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Home ›
Pete's Basement Season 9, Episode 33 - 9.27.16
Ghost Rider revs that monster engine and roars onto Agents of SHIELD in a big way, and the Basement Crew is loving every minute of it! Join Pete, Ramon, Trish, and Rich for an in-depth look at Robbie Reyes and his '69 Hell Charger, as well as what could be in store for the Spirit of Vengeance throughout the rest of SHIELD Season 4! DC's Trinity sees the New52's Batman and Wonder Woman trying to make nice with a pre-52 Superman. Francis Manapul's art is absolutely amazing. After months of full page ads, Seven to Eternity delivers in a big way!
- Agents of SHIELD
- Aliens: Like and Death
- Aquaman
- Archie
- Batman
- Betty and Veronica
- Blade
- Britannia
- Chloe Bennet
- cyborg
- Dark Horse Comics
- DC Rebirth
- Dire Wraith
- Duke
- Episode
- Flash
- Francis Manapul
- General Joe Colton
- Ghost Rider
- GI Joe
- Green Arrow
- Hellboy and The BPRD 1954: Black Sun
- IDW Revolution
- Jerome Opena
- Jon Bernthal
- Morbius
- New52
- Optimus Prime
- Punisher
- Raven
- Rick Remender
- Robbie Reyes
- Rom
- Scarlett
- Seven to Eternity
- Spirit of Vengeance
- Street Fighter
- Superman
- Swimsuit Issue
- Teen Titans
- The Wicked + The Divine: 1831
- Transformers
- Trinity
- Udon
- Valiant
- Vampire
- Wesley Snipes
- Wonder Woman
Submitted by Pete on Tue, 09/27/2016 - 15:21
Pete's Basement Extras - Swamp Thing Concludes With Issue 40
The Basement Boys bid a fond farewell to a series they've enjoyed since the start of DC's New52: Swamp Thing!
Concluding with issue #40, the boys talk about Alec Holland's rise to power as the supreme Avatar of The Green, just how powerful he actually got, and the series-ending arc against The Machines! Read more »


text: Some people would rather not have a wedding cake. Although its nice to capture that moment of you both cutting the cake its sometimes nice to do something a bit different. I found a great alternative…these cupcakes all wraped beautifully and customised to suit. A really great idea, and if your guests are too tipsy to remember your cake, instead they can take it home and enjoy it the following day…perfect!


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Category Archives for "Mindset"
Remember when you first made the decision to pour yourself into internet marketing? Maybe you've felt the rush of quitting your 9-to-5 in favor of starting off on a venture where success or failure rest squarely on your shoulders and yours alone, where earning potential is virtually unlimited and the possibilities seem endless. It's an exciting moment. But are you still excited?


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Innosphere plans $18M expansion in Fort Collins, Denver
The Innosphere in Fort Collins — a 19-year-old incubator for startup technology companies — is planning major expansions in Fort Collins and Denver, extending its reach from Northern Colorado.
A $3 million expansion in Fort Collins and $15 million expansion in Denver coincide with an ambitious plan to add 351 new companies in the next 10 years, fully fund a $7 million venture capital fund and grow jobs throughout the Front Range.
"Part of our deliberative expansion is having a better pipeline and funnel in Denver," said CEO Mike Freeman, who joined Innosphere in 2012 after serving as the city's chief financial officer.
Last year, Innosphere merged with Boulder-based Innovation Center of the Rockies to increase its presence in Boulder County. Now, with three major cities in the Innosphere's fold, Freeman expects 25 to 30 percent of new job creation will fall within each location.
The incubator plans to add a second building on property it owns in Fort Collins adjacent to its headquarters at 320 E. Vine Drive and erect a new $15 million office in Denver's burgeoning River North, or RiNo, district.
"We have tried a couple times to figure out what to do" with the Vine Drive site, Freeman said. "As we reflected on what's worked well from a building perspective, wet (lab) space continues to be in high demand across Northern Colorado. It makes sense to solidify our long-term position in the life sciences, largely driven by CSU ... and build that program out further."
The Fort Collins expansion includes 8,000 square feet of leasable wet lab space in a one-story building. Construction could begin by next fall, Freeman said. He hopes to have a Denver site selected in the first half of next year, get its financing solidified by the end of the year and break ground by mid-2019.
"The city of Denver prefers we look up north ... and I think a facility on the north side of Denver makes sense," Freeman said. "We want to be part of the redevelopment of RiNo and tie it into the National Western Stock Show project that CSU is working on."
Colorado's advantage
Incubation hubs such as Innosphere help foster job growth throughout Colorado, said Stephan Weiler, professor of economics and director of the Regional Economic Development Institute at Colorado State University, which has studied startups and the gig economy in depth.
Its recent study on entrepreneurship shows Colorado's sole proprietors in information/professional/technical and scientific services are growing faster and generating more sales faster than the country as a whole, Weiler said. "They are adding values, sales and revenue at a faster clip."
The longer term trend is really strong, he said. "The more folks develop neat ideas, the more places like Innosphere do well. It's a reflection of the talent, in-migration and type of people relocating here. It suggests we have some comparative advantage."
Fort Collins, with a high concentration of tech services and strong climate for entrepreneurship, is among the Milken Institute's 2016 list of Best Performing Cities. Fort Collins ranks eighth, up six positions from last year. But it ranks 123rd in growth of startups among major cities, suggesting there is ample room for improvement.
Milken is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on advancing collaborative solutions that widen access to capital, create jobs and improve health.
Milken cites CSU as a driving economic force that helps stabilize the economy, create jobs throughout the community and invest millions in its infrastructure.
"The university and the region's high qualify of life both act as magnets for high-tech companies with an interest in innovation and attracting and retaining a skilled workforce," the report states.
From startups to scale-ups
In addition to increasing the number of new businesses within its confines, Innosphere hopes to foster an environment that allows companies to grow from startups — those that generate $1 million in revenue — to scale-ups with more than $10 million in revenue.
Freeman estimated about a quarter of its previous 71 graduates have made it from startup to scale-up phase, but Innosphere has not yet collected definitive data.
To help bridge a gap in venture capital lacking in Northern Colorado, the Innosphere has set up a $7 million fund just for its clients and created the Israel-Colorado Innovation Fund aimed at transforming innovative Israeli startups into global leaders in water, energy, transportation and IoT (the Internet of things) spaces.
The Innosphere Fund has raised $5 million and should add the additional $2 million in the first quarter of 2018, Freeman said. "When we are successful with that fund, we will start a second fund."
The fund "is deliberately built to ensure high-quality companies are applying to Innosphere," he said. "Secondly, from a funds perspective, we are in a great position to watch the companies effectively for six to nine months before making a decision if we invite them to present to the fund."
Israel, known as the "startup nation," sees 1,400 new startups every year, according to Innosphere. But it been unable to tap into the lucrative U.S. market.
Freeman was in Israel last week to solidify what he hoped would be the first investment. "Our objective is to get the first investment solidified and we will be looking for a second and third," he said.
In the past, companies that have started at the Innosphere graduate after about two years. Now, startups will be allowed to remain in the facility as they work toward scale-up.
Jamie Haggard co-founded Green Sun Medical in 2015 with Matt and Paul Thompson and moved into Innosphere later that year.
"Its onboarding program is outstanding," said Haggard, whose company makes dynamic braces for adolescents with scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. Its tech-enabled brace continually applies pressure to the spine and allows physicians and parents to remotely monitor how much the child is wearing the brace.
"I've been a corporate executive for years, but just because you understand how big corporations work doesn't mean you understand how to start" a small company, Haggard said.
The Innosphere provides all the support Green Sun Medical needs, he said. "Any type of question you have, they will find someone with experience in that field to help you."
Green Sun raised $335,000 in seed funding in 2015, won $200,000 in the prestigious MedTech competition for new medical products and now has a $2 million round of funding open that will allow the company to fully produce the device in the second quarter of 2018, Haggard said. The funding stands at $1.7 million, and Haggard said they should be closing in on $2 million within a couple weeks.
It has been successful enough to allow its management team to quit their day jobs and concentrate solely on Green Sun. "We've been a lean startup and haven't spent a lot," he said.
About 165,000 adolescents each year are prescribed bracing to help correct a spinal curvature. The company is working on a brace for young children with early onset scoliosis and eventually plans to be in the adult market to help relieve some pain for those with scoliosis.
Staying home
The Innosphere started out in 1998 as Fort Collins Virtual Business Incubator and morphed into Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative, or RMI2, in 2008, then Rocky Mountain Innosphere and now simply Innosphere. It expanded into its Vine Drive headquarters in 2010 with tax increment financing from the city and $3.4 million in loans.
It will raise the money it needs for its Fort Collins expansion and will use new market tax credits for its Denver office. New market tax credits allow individual and corporate investors to receive a tax credit against their federal income tax in exchange for making equity investments in lower-income communities.
Despite Innosphere's expansion in Boulder and Denver, Freeman said the nonprofit's headquarters will always remain in Fort Collins.
"It was born in Fort Collins, and its early supporters, the city, CSU, First National Bank, are all here," Freeman said.
Innosphere continues to work closely with CSU, CSU Ventures and the city.
Pat Ferrier is a senior reporter covering business and health care.


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UGLY PHIL: The main part of your long-gevity is that you constantly re-invent yourself, tell me about this re-invention..
MADONNA: I hate that word, �re-invention�, its so boring, I�m not re-inventing, I�m on a journey, I�m having an adventure as I go I�m changing. My work is always a reflection of wherever I am. And to say I�m re-inventing myself sounds so calculating and boring.
UP: Ok, tell me about the changes then. I mean are these pre-calculated changes?
M: They�re not calculated, no. I guess the thing is, is that most people will keep making the same record over, and over again, and they don�t wanna take chances and come out with new and different sounds because people may not like it, they might not recognise it, whatever and, you know for the most part in popular culture its safer to do the same thing over and over again. Your not encouraged to change and grow and try out new things and experiment. Um its like---some weird concept people can�t really grasp.
UP: Can I explore the changes that you make then?
M: Yeah, sure.
UP: Tell me about the changes that you�ve made, for yourself personally that have influenced this album.
M: Well, um, allot has happened to me in the last couple of years, from the making of Evita, to having my daughter, to working on this record.. I�m personally going through allot of personal examination and I�m studying lots of different philosophies and I started practising yoga, and things like that. So, I mean, all these things have influenced me.
UP: I wanted to talk about your lyrics, and I was actually listening to your album before, and I had a look at the lyrics, there appears to be allot more depth, allot more happiness in your life right now do you attribute that to your spirituality?
M: I attribute it to, yeah to life to everything that�s happened to me in the last couple of years. Having a baby has had allot to do with it.
UP: There�s an element of pain some of your lyrics as well, I�ve noticed...
M: (interrupts) What else is there?? (Both laugh) there�s always an element of pain in my lyrics...welcome to my world!
UP: Are you wearing your heart on your sleeve more than usual on this album?
M: No, I think I�ve done that lots in the past, maybe I�m just more in-touch with who I really am now. Versus who I thought I was. If you get my drift....
UP: Does the semi-new Madonna look back and say, �Oh my God I can�t believe I�ve lived my life this way�?
M: Yeah I do. But I don�t do it with any kind of regret. Or bad feelings about myself. I just think, WOW! I�ve changed so much. I barley recognise that person.
UP: No regrets at all?
UP: Getting back to the album, we were talking about the Indian poem, the song that you did, Shanti/Ashtangi, is that Hindu--what?? What language is that?
M: Sundscript. Its a very old language, I think it came about in the 13th century, its one of the oldest languages in the world. I started hearing it all the time, because when I stared practising yoga, my yoga teacher, was teaching me sundscript prayers because it a yoga tradition to chant, and then I decided I wanted to know what I was saying, so she introduced me to a professor of sundscript, and I studied with him for a while. Some of the prayers that we say are really beautiful, so the one on my album is like a combination of prayers. When you say them, there�re supposed to produce a feeling a bliss and happiness inside of you.
UP: So its like a Mantra?
M: Yeah.
UP: William Orbit--the producer, has got elements of trip-hop on your new album, do you have any influences or interests in that particular area?
M: Yeah, totally. I�m really influenced by the music coming out of England right now,
UP: People like Goldie, Tricky and Massive Attack?
M: Yes, all of the above.
UP: Did you listen to all of that music while you were making the album?
M: No, no. We didn�t listen--when I�m making a record, I can�t stand listening to music. Actually there was one record I listened to, no that�s a lie---there�s two records I listened to. I kept listening to Stereo MC�s remix of a Tricky song, called She Makes Me Wanna Die. I had it in my car and I played it all day long.
UP: Do have any albums that you listen to when you need a good cry, close the doors, leave the phone of the hook, What do you sit-down to when you need those moments?
M: Umm, God, any number of things, I listen to allot of um, Portuguese music, Moroccan, Indian...Where do you live?
UP: Um, Australia.
M: Ok, they should have that there.
UP: You�re getting into allot of world music...where did this start?
M: I�ve always been interested in it, but, I�ve never thought of incorporating it into my music. Cause� I listen to allot of Indian music, allot of Moroccan, Middle-Eastern music, ummm, I listen to allot of Spanish and Portuguese and Brazilian music, and I always have. But now I�ve really absorbed it.
UP: Ok, back to the music, its been a return to the dance club roots of Lucky Star the early days...
M: really?
UP: That�s what the bio said so,
M: Those writers have to go! (Laughs)
UP: Is that a large market for you? The dance market?
M: Well, its where I started. Its definitely where my roots are and I love dance music. And the last record was the soundtrack to Evita and before that was a collection of ballads, and I felt like I really wanted to get back to the stuff I started doing in the first place.
UP: What�s this about a Wes Craven movie called Fiddle Fest that you will to be doing?
M: Oh, yeah, that�s mine! I don�t have to vie for that one! (laughs)
UP: No-one�s ass to kick for that?
M: No, no, no.
UP: When�s that coming out?
M: It hasn�t even been shot yet! I�ve just got to work that out in my very busy schedule. Cause� I�m doing a movie this Summer, then I�m gonna go on tour (Woo Hoo!!!!!!), and then I�m gonna make Chicago. So maybe after that.


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EPA approves 31 SREs, lowers 2018 RVO by 1.43 billion RINs
The U.S. EPA announced Aug. 9 it has approved 31 of the 38 small refinery exemptions (SREs) that had been pending for compliance year 2018. Eight remaining SRE petitions that were pending for compliance years 2016, 2017 and 2018 were denied, while one SRE for 2018 was withdrawn or declared ineligible. According to EPA data, no additional SRE petitions are pending at this time.
The 31 SRE petitions approved for compliance year 2018 have exempted 13.42 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel from having to meet Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations (RVOs), accounting for 1.43 billion RINs. That volume represents nearly 7.5 percent of the 2018 RFS blending requirements finalized by the agency nearly two years ago.
According to the EPA, six of the remaining SRE petitions for compliance year 2018 were denied, while one was declared ineligible or withdrawn. An SRE petition that had been pending for compliance year 2017 and another for compliance year 2016 were also denied by the agency.
For the six compliance years spanning from 2013 through 2018 the EPA has approved SRE petitions that have exempted a combined 45.66 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel from meeting RFS blending obligations, representing 4.73 billion RINs.
For 2013, eight of 16 SREs were approved, accounting for 1.98 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel, or 190 million RINs. For 2014, the EPA approved eight of 13 SRE petitions, resulting in blending obligations for 2.3 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel to be waived, accounting for 210 million RINs. The agency approved seven of 14 SRE applications for compliance year 2015, exempting 3.07 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel, or 290 million RINs. For compliance year 2016, the EPA approved 19 of 20 SREs, exempting 7.84 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel from meeting RFS blending requirements, accounting for 790 million RINs. For compliance year 2017, the number of SRE applications soared to 37, with 35 of those petitions approved. As a result, 17.05 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel were exempted, accounting for 1.82 billion RINs. According to the EPA, 40 SRE applications have been filed to date for 2018. The 31 approved SREs exempted 13.42 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel, or 1.43 billion RINs.
In a statement released Aug. 9 on the SRE announcement, the EPA announced its intention to further explore opportunities to remove regulatory burdens that prevent marketplace entrance and growth to natural gas, flexible fuel vehicles, and E85 fuels.
The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas has spoken out to criticize the EPA's approval of SREs. "The process for granting exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard obligations is broken," said David Cox, operations director for the RNG Coalition. "Retroactive small refinery exemptions (SREs) undermine America's biofuel industries by eroding demand for the fuels that Congress asked us to make for the sake of our nation's energy security and independence. The RNG Coalition calls on EPA to account for all available RNG fuel volume in setting the 2020 renewable fuel standards, including volumes stranded by these most recent SREs."
The American Biogas Council condemned EPA's continued abuse of SREs. "The EPA and Trump's Administration clearly have a flagrant disregard for the livelihood of farmers, rural America and renewable fuel producers of all kinds," said Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council. "In a year in which agricultural interests have suffered under the strain of President Trump's trade war, this action is especially callous. Due to the large volume of fuel represented by these waivers, the biogas industry will undoubtedly stop development and investment in many new projects that should be creating new jobs and infrastructure in rural, suburban and urban America. This is not how the RFS was designed to work.
"It seems that President Trump's campaign promises to support the RFS were empty at best, as his EPA is doing everything within their power to undermine markets and disregard court orders," Serfass continued. "This abuse must stop immediately. EPA must follow the letter and spirit of the law that Congress passed."
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization called the SRE's unjustifiable. "The administration is inflicting significant economic pain on American farmers and biofuel producers by granting these 31 Renewable Fuel Standard exemptions to the oil industry," said Stephanie Batchelor, vice president of BIO's industrial and environmental section.
"These exemptions stifle biofuel innovation, jeopardize energy security, and drive down the demand for sustainable solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If the administration is serious about strengthening rural economies, protecting farmers and reducing environmental impact, it will cease these unjustifiable waivers and approve pending pathways and production facilities for American-made biofuels."
Representatives of the ethanol industry have sharply criticized the EPA for the newly approved SRE exemptions.
The Renewable Fuels Association called the SREs refiner bailouts that represent a broken promise that will haunt rural America. "At a time when ethanol plants in the Heartland are being mothballed and jobs are being lost, it is unfathomable and utterly reprehensible that the Trump Administration would dole out more unwarranted waivers to prosperous petroleum refiners," said Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the RFA. "Today's announcement comes as a total shock, as just two months ago President Trump himself heard directly from Iowa farmers and ethanol plant workers about the disastrous economic impacts of these small refinery handouts. In response, he told us he would 'look into it' and we believed that would lead to the White House and EPA finally putting an end to these devastating waivers. Instead, the Trump administration chose to double down on the exemptions, greatly exacerbating the economic pain being felt in rural America and further stressing an industry already on life support.
"There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that small refineries are suffering 'disproportionate economic harm' due to the RFS, meaning the entire EPA decision-making process is a sham," Cooper continued. "Making matters worse, the process remains cloaked in secrecy and bias, and there is mounting evidence that the administration is continuing to grant full exemptions against the recommendations of the Department of Energy—and even against the advice of some EPA officials."
RFA noted that 13 ethanol plants have recently shut down—three of them permanently—due in large part to the demand loss resulting from the administration's abusive exploitation of the small refiner waivers.
"Ethanol demand has fallen and prices have plummeted to their lowest values in more than a decade," Cooper said. "When operating, the 13 plants that recently shut down bought nearly 300 million bushels of corn and supported more than 2,400 jobs in rural communities from Iowa and Minnesota to Mississippi and Virginia. Who will tell those workers and their families that the demands of Big Oil are more important to this administration than the livelihood of rural America?"
The American Coalition for Ethanol said the approved SREs are a step backward that will further damage the U.S. agricultural community. "EPA's refiner-win-at-all-costs oversight of the RFS is doing real damage to America's farmers and renewable fuel producers who are already suffering from trade wars and volatile markets," said Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE. The RFS is supposed to ensure the use of ethanol and biodiesel increases from one year to the next, but 85 Small Refinery Exemptions later and over 4 billion waived gallons represents an enormous step backwards.
"The agency's actions on the 2018 waiver requests reinforces our decision to join with others to challenge EPA's handling of certain small refinery exemptions in Court and petition for EPA to account for lost volumes of renewable fuel resulting from the unprecedented number of retroactive waivers granted by the Agency that we recently asked the court to move forward on due to no response from EPA," Jennings continued.
Growth Energy said the approved SREs are handouts that give oil refineries a free pass under the RFS. "The EPA has proven beyond any doubt that it doesn't care about following the law, American jobs, or even the president's promises," said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. "Now farmers and biofuel producers are paying the price.
"These exemptions are destroying demand for homegrown energy at a time when family farms are struggling, farm income is plummeting and many ethanol plants have been forced to close their doors or idle production," Skor continued. "The impact on rural communities cannot be overstated. President Trump must move quickly if there is any hope of repairing the damage. If he won't hold the EPA accountable, then he's failing to uphold the commitment he's made to rural America."
More data on SREs is available on the EPA's website.


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Fantasy 5 player from Cedar Grove wins top prize
Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE — Two winners of the "Fantasy 5" game will collect $111,459.88 each, the Florida Lottery said Saturday.
The winning tickets were bought in Margate and Cedar Grove, lottery officials said. The 583 tickets matching four numbers won $61.50 each. Another 14,484 tickets matching three numbers won $6.50 each, and
112,905 tickets won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
The numbers drawn Friday night were 01-06-07-09-17. The Cedar Grove winner who's name was not released by lottery officials purchased the ticket from the Ritz Food Store #21, 2708 E 15th Street.