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For businesses who want to streamline their operations, deciding to include a specialized API integration software will make things relatively easy and simple. Among the many things that this type of software is capable of, the application also has a vital influence in empowering programming projects to communicate with one another in an efficient and effective manner. Simply put, it is a concrete and specialized arrangement of guidelines, codes, schedules, as well as detailed programming among others, to be used in correspondence with other platforms and software that the whole organization is using. In effect, it is able to offer concrete access, efficient utilization, and thorough implementation of the various administrations and operations existing in the business. It is basically a type of interface for various programming which aids with their correspondence with one another, much the same as how computers basically work as a whole. From libraries down to the working frameworks of an organization, different applications utilized daily, programs and platform integral for the business, and numerous others – all these can be put into good use with the help of this type of programming
Organizations nowadays – and society too – are entering the age of computerized change, fast-paced innovation, technological developments, and other digital trends. Thus, it would be well appreciated by the business and customers in general, if the company is able to adapt these advanced ranges happening today. Watching these range of changes intently, it is therefore imperative for any business hoping to scale towards the future to make sense of all that is going on and be able to connect it over to their operations. An efficient type of communication between various aspects of the organization is vital to empowering the company's overall operations, as well as providing computerized advantages that can be consumed and utilized by medium or channels within the industry. This is definitely the best way for them to advance their business and put their brand in a worldwide setting.
Thus, the need for integrating this kind of platform into your business is of great importance. Especially if your company is dealing with sensitive information, data transmissions, security, and refinement – you can definitely put into good use this platform at best. Hence, to give you a concrete idea on how to best put this type of programming into good use for your business, visit this website and get to read more.
Check out also this related article –


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A MISSING person flyer could prove to be the key clue to identifying the fourth victim of the so-called "Shopping Cart Killer," es wird behauptet.
Alleged serial killer Anthony Robinson, 35, ist accused of murdering four women in Virginia and moving their remains in a Target shopping cart.
He was already charged with the homicides of Allene Elizabeth "Beth" Redmon, 54, of Harrisonburg, and Tonita Lorice Smith, 39, of Charlottesville.
Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, said this weekend that believe they found the remains of another one of his victims – missing DC woman Cheyenne Brown, 29 – and are working to match a fourth woman's unidentified remains to Robinson.
Anthony Guglielmi, lead spokesman for the Fairfax County Police Department, erzählte WTOP that they believe the fourth victim could be missing Stephanie Harrison, a 48-year-old Redding, Kalifornien, Frau.
Harrison was last heard from on August 19, 2021 after visiting the Capitol building in Washington DC.
Her sister checked her bank account which showed she checked into an Alexandria, Virginia, hotel just out DC, laut ihr missing person poster.
That poster has been plastered on telephone poles and lamp posts throughout the Fairfax County area and triggered detectives, according to the WTOP report.
Am meisten gelesen in The Sun
Pläne für "2-wöchigen Lockdown" werden geschmiedet' aber PM schwört, das Land nicht zu schließen
"When we found the body, we also found these random flyers on Route 1," Guglielmi told WTOP.
There were no missing persons case for Harrison in Virginia, but Redding has the case on file.
"We believe based on the flyer and check-in records that she stayed at the same hotel as our killer," he told the local news outlet.
"We're going to fly out there to get a DNA sample, just to be sure. If it matches the DNA of the body recovered, we'll have to work backward to figure out how they intersected."
Harrison was described as "very vulnerable and gullible" and is said to have suffered from schizophrenia.
The case captured national headlines after Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced they've connected four murders to Robinson, who was already in jail and charged with two homicides.
"We're here today to talk about a serial killer – and that is a phrase that I've used sparingly in my three decades in this profession," Davis said during Friday's press conference.
"He's a predator as all serial killers are and it's our collective effort in law enforcement to do everything we can with each other and with the community to identify other places where he has been so we can bring closure and ultimately justice
"Our shopping cart killer does unspeakable things with his victims," Davis added.
The shocking announcement comes after two badly decomposed bodies were found in a white container in a wooded area in the Alexandria section of the county on Wednesday.
Detectives believe Robinson met victims on dating websites, met them at local motels, then inflicts trauma on his victims before killing them.
"He transports their bodies to their final resting place literally in a shopping cart."
Früher in diesem Monat, Robinson was charged with two homicides in the Harrisonburg district.
Harrisonburg Police reported Redmon and Smith were found dead on November 23 in an undeveloped lot near Linda Lane in Annandale, Virginia.
The women's bodies were found near each other but their deaths occurred at different times.
Harrisonburg Police Chief Kelley Warner said cell phone records and video surveillance linked Robinson to the women's murders.
Robinson was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two felony counts of concealing, transporting or altering a dead body in those two homicides.
He is currently in jail on those charges.
Robinson is known to have lived in DC, Prince George's County, Maryland, und New York, Davis said.
The chief said the suspect has a "remarkable absence of a criminal history," compared with the horror of the crimes of which he's accused.
Police believe there may be additional victims, as they're not sure how far Robinson's acts date back.
"He's killed four already & we suspect that he has more victims."
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If you can get 8 people, including 3 teenagers, to all wear the same personalized pajamas for a party, you must be amazing! That is how I am feeling about Personal Creations after this past Monday. It was a first of a new tradition in our family.
Holiday Pajama Party
My family is used to me coming at them with new and different ideas. Late last week I was excited about a big box that arrived and couldn't wait to show the kids. Their joy was not quite matching mine that day… but things changed on Monday evening. With our teens work and school schedule, Monday night was one of the few available opportunities for our pajama party. I passed out pajamas and every one changed into them and the fun was spontaneous after that.
How did we do it? Well, it began with picking out the pajamas. I did this all one my own to surprise everyone. I ordered the Warm and Cozy Pajamas for all 8 of us complete with our names on each one. We get the kids pajamas every year for Christmas, this year they all just happened to match and they got them early. Next, it was a myriad of family fun and traditions to round out the night.
- Tree Trimming: Last year we put our first personalized ornaments on the tree thanks to Personal Creations. This year, in our matching pajamas, we each hung our own ornament on the tree to finish the tree trimming tradition.
- Movie Watching: There are a few movies we watch every holiday season. We went back and forth on the one we wanted to watch in particular for our pajama party and voted on Elf. The Family Movie Night Popcorn Bowl was perfect for holding all of the popcorn. Plus, the kids could not get enough of the "sour kiddos" that came inside.
- Hot Chocolate Tray: We love our hot drinks during the cold months. We set up a tray filled with hot chocolate, peppermint pieces, marshmallows, and even white chocolate covered spoons to enjoy through the evening.
Oh, and I can't forget the delicious Movie Popcorn Cupcakes! I had them a few years ago and fell in love with the mixture of cupcake, frosting and marshmallows. The marshmallows are amazing. So, our movie watching pajama party was a great
excuse reason to make them!
These are obviously not from scratch but super easy:
- White cake mix (make per instructions on box)
- Fluffy white frosting
- Mini marshmallows
- Yellow powder food color
- Make cake mix per box instructions for cupcakes. Bake and let cool.
- Frost with fluffy white frosting, or any flavor of your choice really.
- Top cupcake with marshmallows to create "popcorn" look.
- Brush yellow powder food color on top of marshmallows for buttery effect (completely optional, of course).
- Wrap with movie-themed cupcake wrappers (again, optional) and serve!
They are so good! I may have eaten more than my fair share of "popcorn" this way. But, hey, it was worth it for the fun and laughs we had that evening. A few games of Charades, Gossip, and Name that Tune finished off our time together.
Amazing how a few pairs of personalized pajamas could spark such an incredible night of family traditions.
What holiday traditions does your family partake in each year?
Learn more about the many wonderful personalized ornaments, apparel and household items listed above by liking Personal Creations on Facebook and following @PCGifts on Twitter.


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Remember Me
The Center of Medical Practices Introduction called FEDERAL" promotes medical equipment manufactured by the leading domestic and foreign manufacturers.
The work in the given direction is based on valid, detailed, and timely informing the leading medical specialists, head doctors of medical and preventive treatment institutions, heads of health authorities on the federal, regional and municipal levels as well as heads of private clinics and private consulting rooms about medical-technical opportunities, novices, upgrading perspectives, advantages of the introduced medical equipment on the quality-price ratio in comparison with the analogues, obtained saving rate in case of application, personnel training and equipment maintenance.
One of the means of popularization of new medical equipment is their testing in medical and preventive treatment institutions, collecting specialists' reports by the results of testing and providing feed back to the manufacturers aimed at improving the equipment functions and their servicing characteristics.
All equipment implemented by CMPI "FEDERAL" is registered in compliance with the current legislation, it is certified in the certification system of State Standard R and has sanitary and epidemiologic official written sanction from Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Consumer Rights Protection and Human Health Control Service).
Obsolete and phasing out medical equipment and equipment maintenance of which cannot be performed on the territory of the Russian Federation on the high level is out of CMPI "FEDERAL" interests.


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Top Document: JPEG image compression FAQ, part 1/2
Previous Document: [11] What is progressive JPEG?
Next Document: [13] Isn't there a lossless JPEG?
See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
No. JPEG does not support transparency and is not likely to do so any time soon. It turns out that adding transparency to JPEG would not be a simple task; read on if you want the gory details. The traditional approach to transparency, as found in GIF and some other file formats, is to choose one otherwise-unused color value to denote a transparent pixel. That can't work in JPEG because JPEG is lossy: a pixel won't necessarily come out *exactly* the same color that it started as. Normally, a small error in a pixel value is OK because it affects the image only slightly. But if it changes the pixel from transparent to normal or vice versa, the error would be highly visible and annoying, especially if the actual background were quite different from the transparent color. A more reasonable approach is to store an alpha channel (transparency percentage) as a separate color component in a JPEG image. That could work since a small error in alpha makes only a small difference in the result. The problem is that a typical alpha channel is exactly the sort of image that JPEG does very badly on: lots of large flat areas and sudden jumps. You'd have to use a very high quality setting for the alpha channel. It could be done, but the penalty in file size is large. A transparent JPEG done this way could easily be double the size of a non-transparent JPEG. That's too high a price to pay for most uses of transparency. The only real solution is to combine lossy JPEG storage of the image with lossless storage of a transparency mask using some other algorithm. Developing, standardizing, and popularizing a file format capable of doing that is not a small task. As far as I know, no serious work is being done on it; transparency doesn't seem worth that much effort.
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DRAPER, Utah — Dec. 14, 2017 —
Luxul, the leading innovator of IP networking solutions for CEDIA professionals, today announced an extended product line with a new series of intelligent network power distribution units (PDU). With features such as self-healing and seamless integration with remote management platforms, the PDU series makes it simple for integrators to monitor and manage connected devices, increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction while lowering costs.
"Including an intelligent PDU is a must for any installation for integrators to more effectively monitor and manage their clients' networks and create a better customer experience," said Mike Grubb, vice president of marketing at Luxul. "That's what makes our new PDU series such an important and exciting addition to our platform of networking solutions. Now integrators have a solution backed by the Luxul name and another piece toward a complete Luxul installation."
Fast and easy to set up, the PDUs allow for the local monitoring and rebooting of unresponsive devices, while their self-healing function performs reboots automatically to avoid costly truck rolls and service calls. When used with third-party remote management platforms, like Domotz and Ihiji, the units' capabilities expand to include remote access and control. This allows integrators to receive port status notifications, power-cycle unresponsive devices from anywhere, and deliver a better overall customer experience.
Power management features for the PDU series include MOV surge and spike protection for connected equipment in addition to remote sequencing for controlled startup and shutdown. Luxul offers a lifetime limited warranty for connected equipment, while the PDUs are backed by a three-year limited warranty and lifetime remote support.
Luxul's PDU series consists of the PDU 2, with two individual IP-controllable outlets; the rack-mountable PDU 8, with eight controllable outlets and one additional convenience outlet; and the PDU 16, with eight controllable outlets and eight additional convenience outlets. The units will be available at the end of December 2017. More information and pricing is available from Luxul distributors.
# # #
About Luxul
Luxul is the leading innovator of simple-to-deploy professional grade IP networking solutions for use by custom installation professionals. Designed for use in both residential and commercial environments, the Luxul family offers a complete line of solutions that simplify network design and deployment—resulting in a scalable network that is both powerful and easy to install. With Luxul, installers can deliver the ultimate IP network without the complexity associated with traditional networking gear. More at
All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
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Sakae handcrafts Floral Hair Ornaments from Resin
Japanese artists are known for their ability to produce most unique art forms and they have been doing this for ages. The delicacy of work and amazing aesthetics make them unique.
Making the most of wire and synthetic resin, Sakae a Japanese artist uses a bouquet of stunning, translucent flowers to make hair ornaments. These hair ornaments are called Kanzashi. Taking days to month to create a piece, her ornaments are extremely popular in all of Japan and are sold through auction on her website and Facebook page. You can also check her Pinterest.


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Get Fit | Eat Well | Have Fun
Inspired by the conversation regarding calcium sources, I thought I'd take a moment to point out that in addition to nutritional measures, resistance training is an essential element of maintaining and improving the strength of bones.
The remodeling process of osteoblasts responds to the stresses placed on bones by physical activity. In the words of the NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: "Bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Individuals who exercise regularly generally achieve greater peak bone mass (maximal bone density and strength) than those who do not…this is especially important for older adults and people who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis." (4th Edition, p. 38)
Exercises that include weight bearing and moderate levels of impact (running, squats, push-ups, etc.) are great for improving bone strength, so make sure to integrate them into your workouts! No excuses now, you can do all of those without so much as a gym membership.
Here's what The Onion has to say on the matter:


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Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read List
14 comments:
Looks like a good line up. I'm really curious about that Asian Phantom story. I can't wait for the review!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks! I'm really looking forward to reading it. I was obsessed with the Phantom musical from about age 8-14, so this book has some nostalgic appeal to me as well. Can't wait to read it!Delete
I have to be honest here, celebrities writing books is not exactly Gods gift to humanity, but if Amy Poehler has a book, then we've been gifted, and I'm gonna need it. I'd also like to read the Goldfinch but it's 800 pages are scaring me.ReplyDeleteReplies
Totally agree with you on celebrity authors - I'm not interested unless it's Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, or Mindy Kaling. Since this is Amy Poehler, though, I MUST HAVE IT.Delete
The Goldfinch is totally intimidating, but that's precisely why I want to read it, because it scares me. :)
Of Metal and Wishes!!! Heir of FEEELS----I mean, FIRE!! So much awesome!ReplyDeleteReplies
Haha! So true! I seriously CANNOT WAIT to read Heir of Fire. And Of Metal and Wishes looks AMAZING.Delete
oh yes, I have Of Metals and Wishes on my shelf waiting to be read! I'm excited to read it!ReplyDeleteReplies
Me too! Looking forward to reading your review! :)Delete
Oh, man! I need to pick up the Red Rising series at some point in my life! I've heard nothing but excellent things! Since I know you're a woman of great taste, I think I should also get on that Throne of Glass bandwagon -- and soon! Of Metal and Wishes is one I've been SO eager to get to, so if I cough up the dough to buy it, then I'll definitely be reading it. :)ReplyDelete
Great list, Melissa! I hope you find all of these reads to your liking!
Also, I've missed you! I have to come around more often. <3
Marlene @ The Flyleaf ReviewReplies
I've missed you too! Hope all is well on your end. I definitely recommend Red Rising and Throne of Glass: they're both seriously epic. :)Delete
Haha, I love that you put Golden Son on your list! Red Rising was awesome and IS IT JANUARY YET???ReplyDelete
Queen of the Tearling is great! Liked it a lot! AND HEIR OF FIRE!
Kiss of Deception is high up on my wishlist. I'm pretty sure I'm buying it sometime this fall and read it too!Replies
RE Golden Son: I KNOW, RIGHT?!?!?!Delete
I'm excited for everything else, too, but I NEED Golden Son. Bad.
HEIR OF FIRE: All the feelings <3ReplyDelete
I absolutely loved The queen of the Tearling. It has some flaws, but it was very good. Stray was okay. Happy reading :DReplies
Looking forward to all those! Glad to hear positive things about them. :)Delete
Hi! Thanks for your comment! I am currently being hit by a large amount of spam, so I've upped my comment moderating settings for the time being. I will revert back to more comment friendly settings once the spammers go back to the gutters from whence they came.


text: Congrats to Debi N. of Indiana, winner of the IT'S JUST A LITTLE CRUSH QUIZ. There were several perfect scores, so we put the names in a hat and my husband drew out Debi's name. Thanks to everyone for playing, and Debi, you will receive your $10 Amazon Gift Card this week!


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We've heard about foods that damage our heart, liver, and digestive system, but what about those that damage the most important organ in our body – the brain? It's more than likely that you've felt tired or groggy after eating lunch – most likely because you ate something that affected your brain in some manner. In that case, which foods should you be avoiding in order to keep your mind sharp, and which can you have in moderation?
#1. Sugar
Some of these will surprise you.
Source: These 8 Foods are Bad for Our Brain | Health – BabaMail


text: We are proud to announce that Enza Biotech is now part of Croda International Plc., a perfect partnership for bringing our sustainable and innovative surfactant platform to market. Croda's technical and formulation expertise, global operational footprint and sales force paired with their track record of bringing new technologies to market make them a perfect home for Enza's OLMAG® technology. We are looking forward to working with the Croda team to create new opportunities together.


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The ability to sign documents electronically, securely and legally is a service enhancement that benefits everyone.
Vancouver, B.C. (Aug. 12, 2015) – SNAP Premium Finance, a division of SNAP Financial Group, Inc. is the first premium financing company in Canada to provide Electronic Signature (E-Signature) services to Insurance Brokers as part of the premium financing application process.
"The ability for a Broker and their Client to sign financing documents electronically is immensely efficient," said Kumar Bhaskar, Senior Vice President, SNAP Premium Finance. "It means that the last stage of the Premium Finance Agreement, getting it signed, can be completed within seconds. To be able to sign documents from anywhere, on any device, is very helpful for clients who are away from computers. And paperless transactions eliminate the hassle of printing, scanning and faxing or sending documents by courier."
"SNAP's E-Signature is going to make life much easier for our clients and brokers," said Tony Carlton, CEO, Carlton Insurance Brokers. " We no longer have to print or scan the premium finance agreement for signatures, making the whole process completely paperless. The result will be a great experience for both our clients and our team."
"We are very excited to start using E-Signature with our clients," said Mike Ferguson, Account Manager, Commercial Insurance Division, Ogilvy Insurance. "Especially for those who are mobile, such as in transportation; it'll be great to have the documents signed right away. We appreciate that SNAP delivers innovative technology that makes our job easier."
SNAP's E-Signature service is securely encrypted and managed in compliance with electronic signature legislation in Canada and the United States.
About SNAP Premium Finance
SNAP Premium Finance is a division of SNAP Financial Group, Inc. Established in 2006, SNAP has been helping businesses across Canada and the United States grow their businesses by providing turnkey and custom financing programs.
The company works with home improvement service providers, commercial equipment dealers and insurance brokers.
SNAP helps businesses successfully integrate financing into their sales and marketing efforts by providing them with seamless loan origination systems, a simple user-friendly, application process, responsive reviews and approvals (typically under 1 minute), and industry-leading training and support.
SNAP has facilitated over 200,000 loans and $1B in financial transactions.
Source: SNAP Premium FinanceTags: e-signatures, SNAP Premium Finance


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Middleton Place || Charleston, SC Well, we decided to suck it up and pay a lot of money to go see another plantation and big tourist attraction here in the Charleston area. There are several on our bucket list, but we're no longer really trying to hit every one of them – that's just more of a list of ideas… Read More
Archives for June 2016
Weekend in San Diego
Weekend in San Diego, California || Jess' 21st Birthday Weekend || October 25-27, 2013 Another "throwback" post with fun memories from our first year of marriage. 🙂 Only 2 weeks after our trip to Albuquerque, NM, we took off on yet another vacation for October of 2013. It was my 21st birthday weekend, and since I had never been to… Read More
Dog Days of Summer
If you're one of those people that misses the days when I would post a bunch of silly phone pictures of Charlotte while giving random life updates, you're in luck because that's what I've got for you today! So, we've gotten a good taste of what a Southern Summer is like, and it's not exactly one that will have us going… Read More
Historic Camden // Topiary Gardens
Weekend in Columbia, Part 3 || Saturday, June 18, 2016 || Visiting Clemson Sandhill Research area, Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, and the Pearl Fryar Topiary Gardens [This post brought to you by Curtis!] After our brief morning downtown, I was pretty disappointed. Yeah, the state house was cool and those sculptures were pretty sweet, but that was it. It… Read More
Downtown Columbia
Weekend in Columbia, Part 2 || Saturday, June 18, 2016 || Exploring the Downtown Area Today started off with us waking up earlier than planned, but that's never a bad thing when you want to have as much time as possible to explore a new-to-you area. Like I said before, we didn't really have a plan for the day, just… Read More
Peachtree Rock // Saluda Shoals
Weekend in Columbia, Part 1 || Friday, June 17, 2016 || Hiking & Letterboxing in Lexington County Last week was a challenging one for us. Curtis came down with a bad cold, the days of school seem long and never ending, and the heat and humidity are taking a toll on us. (I even turned on the AC twice. That's how… Read More


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When I first made the decision to cut my natural hair really short, I initially found myself feeling a tad too masculine for my comfort many days. Aside from regular trips to the barbershop, I love the ease, neatness & simple routine of maintaining short hair.
The few things that keep me feeling girlie & cute:
- Makeup. Just the right amount though. Too much will make me look old, too little like a man.
- Oil sheen. Yep just like the Afro sheen days 70's baby! Shine her up!
- Lipstick. I never leave home without.
- Nothing fancy but always a necklace on my neck.
- Confidence & kindness! They go together like peanut butter and jelly!


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The Tunisians created the better chances early on, while Pirates enjoyed much time on the ball.
As early as the ninth minute, Esperance striker Joseph N'djeng-N'djeng was allowed time and space on the ball, with his left-footed strike hitting the roof of the net.
Despite the early warning, the home side was again on the backfoot as Oupa Manyisa lost possession just a minute later. The North Africans launched an attack and when Manyisa tried to recover the ball, Ace hit it forward and N'djeng was put through one-on-one with Senzo Meyiwa.
Fortunately for Bucs, Meyiwa was at his best to make a save from N'djeng's attempt.
After that, no real chances were created until the 36th minute when Pirates finally managed to get the better of the Esperance defence.
Manyisa and Daine Klate combined down the left wing, with the latter whipping in a cross for Sifiso Myeni but Ntsunda's header was well wide.
The score was 0-0 at the break.
Bucs started the second half the better side, but at this point Esperance had decided to park a bus making it difficult for the Soweto side to create clear cut chances.
In fact, it took all of 20 minutes in the second stanza for Pirates to come close to scoring. Manyisa tried his luck from distance, but his shot was wide in the 65th minute.
Moments later, Tlou Segolela, who had replaced Myeni, had a penalty appeal turned down after crossing the ball and the Esperance defender appeared to handle the ball as he went down.
Chances were far and few between, but Pirates continued to dominate possession.
With four minutes to go of regulation time, Segolela's unexpected cross from the right was missed by Bacela, who was just behind as the ball went past in front of goal.
Thabo Matlaba almost stole it for Bucs at the death, but his thunderous strike was well saved by Moez Ben Cherifia.
That was it as it ended goalless.
Pirates: Senzo Meyiwa, Happy Jele, Thabo Matlaba, Rooi Mahamutsa, Siyabonga Sangweni, Thandani Ntshumayelo (Makola 78th), Oupa Manyisa, Andile Jali, Sifiso Myeni (Segolela 63rd), Daine Klate, Lennox Bacela
Esperance: Moez Ben Cherifia, Mohamed Ali Ben Mansour, Sameh Derbali, Khalil Chemmam, Chamseddine Dhaouadi, Khaled Mouelhi, Houcine Ragued, Harrison Afful, Ossama Darragi (Msakni 66th), Joseph N'djeng (Akaichi 79th), Youssef Blaili (Akremi 90th)


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By Raysown
Devon, United Kingdom
what planting medium and feeding regime do you need to use to grow pot based olive tree.
- 27 Apr, 2010
John Innes No. 2 compost, feed once in spring with general purpose liquid fertiliser, and again in midsummer, keep watered.
27 Apr, 2010
Lean the natural growing conditions are poor rocky soil. Bamboo do you really need to feed?
27 Apr, 2010
In a pot, yes, but only twice a year - I only ever do it in the spring myself.
27 Apr, 2010
I have a little olive tree that is in a 12 inch chinese pot with whicker ouside it. It has just started flowering again,a few tiny olives last season. In a grove it would drop some leaves and olives too and recycle nutrients that way. I would say that, as Bamboo says , we have to do this for the tree. The soil in the pot is like concrete and I don't want to disturb it as ,so far, the tree is Ok. I do not want it to get too large either, so will be sparing with the feed.
28 Apr, 2010
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It is the end of the second day at Brickworld, and here are the pictures I took during the day. Activities that took place today included presentations, finishing setup, the opening ceremony, and a trip to insanity- I mean the LEGO store.
Noteworthy observations include:
1. 10188 Death Star revealed at opening ceremony.
2. Brickarms arrived with new items, including the Needler gun from Halo, baseball bats, combat knives, and more (review to come next week).
3. The Indiana Jones line will continue next year.
4. LEGO reveals the LEGO Universe logo and character (photos to come)
5. You may get trampled during the special night sale at the LEGO store.
I've just read the comments left from the Thursday blog post, and I'll try to get those requested pictures tomorrow. It's 2:00am, goodnight everyone.


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Icicles Ornaments, short
Regular price $60.00
These are production ornaments. The image is therefore representative of the ornaments available. They are around three inches tall, but the width and length will vary depending on the width of the wood I have available to use. They are sanded to 600 grit, buffed and waxed. (Pictured in the first image, from left to right: walnut, cherry and elm.
The design idea is that the length is "phi" (1.618) times the diameter. Of course, this is the goal, but "things do happen". (The image with the four ornaments contain, from left to right: cherry, walnut, cherry and elm.)


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Low Life Marijuana Seedbank
This bank is no longer stocked by Midweek Song. Last Few Seeds Remaining
Lowlife are a group of breeders developing new strains with auto-flowering characteristics. For the last 4-5 years since Lowryder was introduced they have been working on strains that would complement Lowryder, making its yield and potency increase. Their success came upon selecting the auto-flowering trait in Lowryder and passing this on to subsequent generations. Once mastering the technique they were able to start crossing specially picked strains with Lowryder to alter certain other characteristics. They are known all around the world for their ability to create stable and fantastic Lowryder hybrids. They try to beat the niche market and sell cannabis seeds that have been crossed on special attributes being fast flowering, big yielding or potent.


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Fiat Ulysse 1994-2008 Workshop Repair & Service Manual (COMPLETE & INFORMATIVE for DIY REPAIR) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
* COMPLETE, Absolutely No Missing Pages!
* Official Service INFORMATION You Can Count On!
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MAKE: Fiat
MODEL: Ulysse (Eurovans) (2.0 16V-16V JTD, 2.2 16V JTD, 3.0 24V V6)
INSTANT DELIVERY: A download link will be sent to you instantly after payment. Simply click on the link and save it to your computer. You can use this Manual as long as you wish with no restrictions.
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This highly detailed workshop service repair manual for download contains virtually everything you will ever need to repair, maintain, rebuild, refurbish or restore Your Fiat Ulysse 1994-2008 (ALL MODELS ARE COVERED). All diagnostic and repair procedures and gives you access to the same information that professional technicians and mechanics have. You can view and print out the complete repair procedures with this workshop service repair manual Download – you do not need to be skilled with a computer.
In addition to supplying the circuit, the coolant reservoir absorbs the variations in the volume of the coolant as the temperature of the engine varies.
A special calibrated valve in the pressurised cap assures the following:
– emergence of air from the circuit collected by the pipe leading from thermostat.
– air intake when the circuit contains a vacuum (due to engine cooling).
It consists of a radiant mass and two side tanks for the intake and outlet of coolant.
The radiator pipes and fins are aluminium, the tanks are plastic.
It is the centrifugal type with vanes secured to the crankcase and operated directly through the timing belt.
Fitted to the rear of the cylinder head and performs the function of maintaining the engine at optimum temperature:
· with temperature < 89 ± 2°C the thermostat valve (closed) directs coolant directly toward the water pump. · with the temperature > 89 ± 2°C the thermostatic valve starts to open until it is completely open at 101°C, directing the flow of coolant toward the radiator.
The engine coolant temperature sensor connected to the Engine Management Node is fitted on the thermostat casing.
ULYSSE 2.0 16v INTRODUCTION
The cooling circuit is forced circulation type via a centrifugal pump.
The circuit is sealed and consists of the following parts:
– radiant mass (engine cooling).
– supply reservoir.
– recirculation pump.
– thermostat.
– passenger compartment heating radiator.
– connecting pipes and hoses.
Engine coolant temperature control
There are three-speed cooling fans to increase the heat dissipation capacity of the radiator.
The cooling fans are controlled directly by the engine management node which, depending on the temperature of the engine coolant:
– controls the cooling fans via the fan control interface;
– with the engine coolant temperature above the recommended level, lights up the warning light in the instrument panel;
The maximum pressure for the engine cooling circuit is 1.4 bar at 118°C.
– Versions with automatic transmission
The engine cooling system comprises the elements illustrated in the diagram below.
1. Radiator.
2. Supply reservoir/expansion tank.
3. Pressurized cap.
4. Engine oil/water heat exchanger.
5. Water pump.
6. Thermostat unit.
7. Automatic heating radiator.
8. Radiator bleed screw.
– Versions with automatic transmission
On versions with AL4 automatic transmission, the engine cooling system differs compared with versions with manual transmission through the presence of the elements illustrated below.
1. Water/oil heat exchanger (fitted on the automatic transmission).
2. Heat exchanger water inlet pipe.
3. Heat exchanger water outlet pipe.


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"To touch and improve lives" is the stated purpose of Procter & Gamble. One has to ask: Doesn't every company want to improve the lives of its customers, employees, and other stakeholders? Would a company deliberately not want to improve lives? Would they be satisfied if one of their brands' positioning statements was simply to improve lives? Was "improving lives" chosen by committee since it's so general that it could mean anything to anyone? And why "touch"? It seems so gentle a word, like the words "tiptoeing" or "tapping," almost apologetic in its essence.
In an October interview with Fortune, P&G CEO and Chairman Bob McDonald discussed the financial pressures facing the company and outlined some of his initiatives to address these.
However, this interview raised more issues for me than it did answer or address them. There's the problem of the multiple messages that employees hear each day. There's the 40-20-10 plan asking employees to focus on 40 biggest categories/countries, 20 biggest innovations, and 10 emerging markets. Then there's a message to focus on "discontinuous innovation," in other words, radical or revolutionary innovation. So does that mean only discontinuous innovations will be accepted and funded in the next few years? What about other less radical innovations? Where do they fit? Should employees bother recommending anything less than discontinuous innovation?
Then there's also the message of the desire to create a "culture of productivity." There's a productivity plan to save $2 billion a year. Employees are told to focus on innovations and to focus on productivity, which typically translates to asking them to focus on expansion and contraction at the same time, or to focus on both abundance and scarcity. Some employees may think that message of innovation is inspiring, while the message of productivity is constraining (and so 1980s!).
Then there's the message that the company has to "deliver the plan," which means delivering the financial goals outlined in a plan developed by the executive team and supported by country and brand plans at a lower level. This means working toward the financial goals which will deliver the operating margins and bottom line results that will, in turn, encourage a stronger performance in the stock market. However, our research has shown us that less than 30% of employees are motivated by numbers and specifically the company's stock price, while 70% need something more, something deeper to inspire them. Day after day, hour after hour, these employees want to know that their efforts are worth more than just "delivering the plan."
And then there's the message of "reduced enrollment," which means fewer employees in the company. Employees probably work in fear that they may be the next on the list whose goal is to reduce enrollment by 5,700 people. But, of course, stay motivated!
Finally, there's the problem of "sku explosion." One only needs to visit the Olay beauty section of a neighborhood store to see the lack of focus on this brand. How many products can come under one brand name before the consumer becomes confused, overwhelmed, and stressed by all the choices? Not to overlook the lack of efficiencies in production and distribution.
These issues: a vague purpose statement; multiple messaging; a misplaced dual focus on discontinuous innovation and productivity; a request for a laser focus on delivering the (financial) plan; fear of reduced enrollment; a lack of focus on several brands; and overall financial pressures, all stem from the lack of understanding of what the true meaning of P&G is.
It's time for P&G to rethink what its one message should be. For an organization known for its superior marketing and business discipline, it's time for it to focus on one unique and meaningful message. We call this the "meaning message," a concise, commonly understood statement that highlights the true meaning of the organization and which serves to inspire and provide direction. It's a message that also captures the spirit of the organization.
It's time to address the dual focus on productivity and innovation. The dual focus on productivity and innovation can be solved by delivering one message: asking employees to focus on a range of innovation or a continuum of innovation–from efficiency innovation (improving what is, including productivity ideas), to evolutionary innovation (ideas that are distinctly new and better) to revolutionary innovation (radically new ideas that dismantle or "disrupt" the structure of the company, category, or marketplace). Each project can be placed where it belongs along the continuum to determine whether the organization is well represented in each category of innovations. One concept, one message.
It's clear to me that P&G needs meaning, as well as meaningful innovation, and they need it now.
–Elaine Dundon is CEO of the OPA! Center for Meaning and author of The Seeds of Innovation.
[Image: Flickr user Campbell Orme]


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I was surprised to see his float bed image in my mail for one good reason. I first saw it last friday at a conference about the 2007 Fashion and Home Trends. One of the issues covered there was about today's traditional designs vs. contemporary designs, and they displayed his float bed on the screen along with other samples. I didn't even get the designer's name at that time, so it was a nice surprise, indeed. Thanks, Max.
Max Longin, born 1964, is the Mannheim/Germany-based mathematician behind these two innovative designs, Float Bed (2004) and Stream Chair (Sept. 2006).
Stream Chair is a sculptural series of chairs, with each individual asymmetry creates energy, and in a row, it leads to a whole new dimension. If you're curious about this mathematician cum designer, check out Sensory Impact's past interview with Max Longin.


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Nailing down complicated international trade agreements, with a zillion different interests and moving parts, is no easy feat. The Obama administration is trying to do two at once, one with the European Union and another with nine countries in Asia, both of which will be monumental feats when they're finally signed.
But that's not the half of it: Obama's emissaries also have to wrangle with Congress.
In order for the agreements to be signed, the administration says it needs the power to put them to a vote without legislators being able to make amendments as they would with normal legislation--a "fast track" to approval. And guess who has to grant the president that power? That's right--Congress itself. This year, it's shaping up to be just as big a fight over checks and balances as the filibuster brinksmanship, only with different battle lines, and the rest of the world watching closely.
Trade policy's expanding scope
The Constitution gives Congress the authority to approve treaties with other countries. For much of the century, this wasn't a problem: Trade policy was just about tariffs, and Congress simply set them.
In the 1970s, however, President Richard Nixon wanted to negotiate around more complex issues, like government procurement and intellectual property laws. It was hard to do that when America's trading partners knew the whole agreement could unravel in Congress, so Nixon asked for--and got--a law that allowed him to put the signed treaty to a vote without amendments. It was a strange historical moment: One branch of government voluntarily relinquishing some of its power to make sure America could negotiate effectively overseas.
"It's hard to see if Congress could ever pass a deal if any kind if it amended every line of every proposed trade agreement," says James Bacchus, a former member of Congress who served as a judge at the World Trade Organization and now chairs Greenberg Traurig's global trade practice. "This is not just a negotiation among ourselves. This is a negotiation of other countries, and we need to understand what were trying to accomplish."
A periodic fight
But Trade Promotion Authority, as it's now called, doesn't last forever--it has to be re-gifted every five years. And not every president has been as successful as Nixon. It's usually a fight, requiring the president to cut deals with congressional gatekeepers in advance of the deal taking shape.
"Back in 1991, right after I was elected to Congress, I called [U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills] as a congressional Democrat to assist in getting President Bush trade negotiating authority," Bacchus remembers. "Carla almost fell out of her chair."
Having fast track authority makes big, controversial deals much more feasible: With it, President Bill Clinton was able to finish the North American Free Trade Agreement that Bush had started. But it's not essential for passing more pedestrian trade agreements. Though Clinton failed to get fast track reauthorized after it expired again in 1994, he was still able to get trade deals done, though Congress sometimes took its time in signing them.
And granting a president fast track authority also doesn't mean Congress relinquishes all power: President George W. Bush's version of fast track--authorized in 2002, by a 215-212 House vote--built in a whole bunch of "objectives" that the negotiations were supposed to abide by.
The last iteration of fast track expired in 2007. And yet, two of the biggest trade deals ever are well underway. Isn't that supposed to be influencing the negotiations?
"I suspect it is not," says Thomas Bollyky, a former negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative who's now at the Council on Foreign Relations. "And it is not because both sides have assumed it will be there. Everybody is pretending it still exists."
The Baptist-Bootlegger Coalition
That's a lot of faith. Congress is already expressing reservations: A collection of Democratic House freshmen sent a letter opposing fast track authority on the grounds that today's trade agreements involve changing vast swaths of domestic policy, and they'd like to maintain a hold on the process, especially since the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations have been kept so secret. Sen. Sherrod Brown wants to see all sorts of requirements built in, like language around Chinese currency manipulation.
Then there are the tea party Republicans and isolationists who worry about the political consequences of yielding so much power to a president they don't trust--especially when fast track would allow him to slip unrelated provisions into enabling legislation that would have to be voted up or down.
"There are a lot of members who're saying, 'you've treated me abysmally, why would I give myself handcuffs involuntarily?'" says Lori Wallach of Public Citizen, which opposes fast track. "It means the president can dictate domestic policy on a whole range of issues. And they can implement all sorts of unpopular provisions, and superglue them into a trade agreement."
Stanford professor Judith Goldstein calls this emerging dynamic a "Baptist-bootlegger coalition," referring to the Prohibition-era partnership of temperance crusaders and the moonshine makers who wanted to keep prices high. It's a loose analogy, but in this case, historically labor-aligned groups are the bootlegger, and the Ron Paul-style conservatives are the Baptists.
"If consumer groups think that they have a better deal picking up individual congressmen, they're not going to want any deal that makes it harder for them to get access," she says. "My guess is it's just another way of saying they don't want a trade deal."
And Goldstein doesn't give fast track good odds of passing this year. "I would be pleased, but shocked."
Business, Obama, and…GOP Leadership?
On the other side, however, lies all the force of American industry: An array of business lobby groups, from the Farm Bureau to the National Association of Manufacturers, have been pushing for trade promotion authority all year. The Chamber of Commerce says it's the organization's top legislative priority; its officials have even started running ads on the issue, have already met with all the House freshmen, and are planning meetings with the sophomores.
"It's really urgent to get this done, because the U.S. is engaged in a lot of negotiations right now," says Chris Wenk, the Chamber's point person on trade issues. "I think it's safe to say that if there's not some clarity about trade promotion authority, some of our trade partners might not put their best feet forward."
Unlike the filibuster fight, this is a rare instance where top Republicans are actually willing to grant the Obama administration more authority, because modern trade deals typically involve less regulation, rather than more. And granting fast track authority is usually understood as a signal to trade partners that the U.S. is serious.
But if it doesn't get done, and Congress finds that it really objects to the final agreement, it could always change the rules again.
"if you talk to legislators, they talk about it like it's a rule, like it's something that actually constrains them," says Goldstein. "It serves as a credible commitment, but one that can be broken…so much of politics is symbolic."


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The New Rules of Lifting for Abs by Alwyn Cosgrove and Lou Schuler is one of the newer releases in the popular New Rules of Lifting series.
In this one, they're targeting a very wide range of people – men and women who want a strong core and pain-free back.
Every athlete wants a strong core (whether they know it or not), and I can't imagine anyone (athlete or coach potato) who isn't looking for a pain-free back.
So, there's a very good chance this book would interest you. The question is, is it the right book for your specific needs?
I'll cover that and more in the following paragraphs…
Table of Contents
The Authors – Two of The Finest Gentlemen in Fitness
Both of these guys are well-respected in the health and fitness industry. Alwyn Cosgrove is the owner of Results Fitness in California, which is easily one of the best gyms in the country; plus, he has personally coached many athletes of all levels. Lou Schuler has authored no fewer than five popular diet and strength training books, contributed countless magazine articles, and has been known to do the occasional TV appearance.
The Goal – Something That Truly Matters
As I mentioned previously, the goal of a strong core and a pain-free back is an important one. These things matter, not just for improved athletic performance, but for everyday life.
Sure, six pack abs are great, but they're unnecessary. Achieving them can even be detrimental to your athletic performance (not to mention your general health). In this book, there is no mention of getting a six pack to look like a cover model (although, coincidentally, the cover model has a nice one).
The Book – Fun and Organized
While this book didn't suck me in quite like The 4-Hour Body did, it was still fun to read. I loved the no-hype, no-nonsense style. These guys aren't selling you some fad diet – they're presenting proven, worthwhile information in an entertaining manner.
Considering that the book is also full of exercise descriptions and photos (more than 150 black-and-white photographs,) it makes for a quick and easy read.
The exercise progressions are neatly organized from easy to very hard. For each movement, go through the list until you find one that is doable yet challenging, and start there.
It's only lacking in video, a problem shared by… every book I've ever read.
The Workouts – Effective and Home Gym Friendly
The workouts are full-body workouts, generally 30-45 minutes long. (When you read the book, you'll realize that properly working your core is a full-body endeavor.)
The book includes sample workout plans to get you started. Each contains details on the daily workout, then presents phases you can progress through (which obviously get more difficult.) There are different stages of the program, which is a neat progression.
This blank training log gives you an idea of how the workout is partitioned.
And it's true, no crunches! The book does talk about crunches, but only to warn you of their dangers. (See the quotes on page 5 from Dr. Stuart McGill for more on this.)
You're probably wondering, do you need any equipment?
Not really, at least at the start. It's nice to have some basics like light dumbbells, of course, and a TRX suspension trainer would come in very handy for the advanced exercises, but you don't need one yet (and you could make one yourself.)
What I would get are some Valslides or (the cheaper yet just as effective) furniture sliders.
The Ideal Reader – Not a Bodybuilder or Powerlifter
Let's get this straight – this book is not for bodybuilders nor powerlifters. It's not really about building muscle mass or strength gain. And it's not a full-featured training plan for a competitive athlete.
On the flip side, it is great for off-season training for endurance athletes. Even better, are you an endurance athlete who has been plagued with overuse injuries and other problems? These workouts are GREAT for you!
The ideal reader here is someone looking for a killer introduction that actually makes sense of "core" training.
My final verdict is…
This is a good book for $12.24. The authors are smart, well-spoken, and entertaining, and the workout design is very similar to how I set up off-bike workouts for clients. It's likely too simplistic for advanced athletes, but if you're looking to expand your core training beyond the basics, get this book!
Official website: www.TheNewRulesOfLifting.com
Buy online: www.Amazon.com
Company: The New Rules of Lifting
Product: The New Rules of Lifting for Abs
Reviewed by: Coach Levi
My Rating: out of 5
Date last updated: 2013-03-09
Obtained Product: Purchased at retailer.
CoachLevi.com Advertiser: No.
Click here if you would like to get your product reviewed on CoachLevi.com.
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).


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I did it. I cracked.
I bought a Palm Pilot.
I'm a film major! I'm not supposed to be enough of a geek to buy one. Only engineering nerds and Kellogg students buy them, right? I even overheard 2 Kellogg students discussing their pros and cons when I was in line at Norris buying my books for Italian 101 (yay senior quarter!).
However, I was beginning to realize that I would forget my own goddamn name if I didn't write it down, and I can't carry eight thousand post-it notes with me anymore, so I bought one.
I feel a bit less like a cog in the capitalist machine since I bought the shittiest current model off of EBay from what turned out to be a pawn shop in Orlando, Florida for 3/4 of the retail price (including shipping) and didn't pay taxes on it.
Take that, Uncle Sam!
The sad thing is that it actually helps. I'm much better about actually getting around to doing things when they're computer-based than when they're not.
I was so lost on the financial front until I figured out Quicken, and then I turned into the Mistress Of Finance. Or at least the Mistress Of Actually Paying Off All My Credit Cards Every Month. So far.
It's also kind of nice not having to try and decipher my own handwriting on my planner. It's really gotten bad lately. Everything is just a little scribble, so I can't tell if I've written "Buy Apple Juice" or "Go to Vegas."
I am still keeping The Evil Homework Book, as I named my paper planner when I first got it during my junior year of high school. For one thing, it has most of the songs that I've been working on for my new album (which I swear will come out eventually!).
However, I also feel the need to make sure to write everything down so that in case I break and/or lose this stupid thing, which I am almost guaranteed to do given how hard I am on electronic equipment, I won't be completely fucked.
So I've really just added another layer of redundancy to my life, but in a way, the redundancy makes life easier, in that I know I'm not forgetting anything. And until now, that had been a major problem for me.
Now, I can embrace my geekdom/toolness (depending on how you feel about palm pilots), take out my little mini-computer, and say, "Now what am I forgetting?"
And I shall be told that I forgot to call my aunt Louise.


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224 pages
Published February 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers
Source: the publisher and TLC Book Tours
The loss of a young boy's vision at birth, the loss of a woman's limb in a car accident, the loss of a father. In this collection of short stories, Valerie Laken explores loss on many levels, both physical and emotional, short-term and permanent. The stories are set in both the United States and Russia, populated with characters who are emotionally scarred but ultimately hopeful.
As with any collection of short stories, there were some stories here that I enjoyed more than others. There were even a couple where I was not sure what, exactly, Laken was trying to say. But I enjoyed her writing in all of the stories; they are unique, emotionally touching and thought provoking. Laken also does not sacrifice on description to fit the story into short form, as in this passage from "Spectators:"
"...he had always appreciated the tidy green isolation of golf courses, the way people's voices dropped naturally to church tones, as if there were something in their midst to worship. He liked the cocktails and groundskeepers and the old-fashioned shoes, and the way serious adults could abandon the jagged concerns of their lives to focus for a few quiet hours on the flight of a small dimpled ball."My favorite story was "Family Planning," the story of a gay couple who has traveled to Russia to adopt a child. But when they arrive and are given their choice of two children, instead of only the little boy they were expecting to met, the women realize that their hopes for the future are very different.
When I was approached about reviewing this book, I read only as far as the description of the title story. In fact, I didn't even read far enough to realize that this was a collection of short stories. I'm not sure that would have made a difference in whether or not I read this; I generally prefer to be able to read collections of short stores over a long periods. Fortunately, I didn't pass on this one.
Thanks to TLC for including me on this tour!


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TULSA, Okla. -- Dozens of Tulsans met in front of the courthouse Monday afternoon, protesting Betty Shelby, the former Tulsa Police officer acquitted of manslaughter after shooting Terence Crutcher almost two years ago.
"A diverse group of individuals who feel the same way. The moisaic of diversity will show that this is not a black and white issue. This is a human issue. And it's just sad for them to use a person as polarizing as Betty Shelby to in fact teach a critical incident class," Morning Star pastor Rodney Goss said.
Shelby is currently a patrol officer for the Rogers County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff said she's a survivor and others can benefit from her training.
"It's not about tactics. It's not about when to shoot, when not to shoot. It's about what she endured, what her family went through for the next eight months after her critical incident," Sheriff Scott Walton said.
Shelby's class focuses on surviving the aftermath of officer involved shootings. She's taken the training to multiple counties, and this week will speak with Tulsa County deputies. Walton said these incidents are becoming more common.
"I think they're more frequent now, with a lot of the issues that we face. A lot more mental health issues, a lot more substance abuse issues, put all these things together and a police officer's job gets a lot tougher," he said.
But those at the protest said her class is insensitive, ripping the scab off a wound that's still healing.
"There's been a lot of meetings with law enforcement, leaders in law enforcement, discussions. We leave those meetings supposedly feeling good. But then you turn right around and a decision like this is made," Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper said.
Staff with TCSO said they still plan to host the class, which will take place on Tuesday.
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The Edit: Gorgeous Home Decor that Supports Women's History Month
Furnish your home with these feminist finds.
In honor of Women's History Month, we are highlighting the powerhouse brands that are stepping up and supporting women around the globe. From funding university educations to promoting fair trade products and safe work conditions, these companies are trailblazers for gender equality in the home sphere.
Scroll below for 10 brands that are revolutionizing the industry, while supporting the women within it.
In honor of Women's History Month, Pottery Barn partnered with four female artists—through the female professional artist directory, Women Who Draw—to design limited-edition prints for Pottery Barn. As part of the campaign, 20% of proceeds will directly benefit HERproject, a nonprofit that empowers low-income women working in global supply chains by providing them with training programs on health, financial inclusion, and gender equality.
The Shapes We Make by Alex Labriola, Starting at $59
vitruvi is an essential oil and diffuser brand with a variety of sophisticated and natural products designed to promote wellness at home. The company has worked with many charitable initiatives, and recently launched a partnership with One Girl Can. For every female employee at vitruvi, the brand will fund a young woman's university education in Kenya, covering a four-year tuition and additional school expenses.
Essential Oil Diffuser, $119
The Little Market, "a nonprofit founded by women to empower women," features a collection of fair trade products made by artisans in need from around the world. This includes refugees, people with disabilities, women transitioning out of homelessness, and survivors of trafficking and domestic violence. By shopping at The Little Market, you are supporting these artisans' professional endeavors.
Striped Sisal Basket, Starting at $8
In honor of Women's History Month, Saatchi Art launched a special campaign, titled Refuse to be the Muse—promoting and highlighting female artists from around the world. By placing the spotlight on female artists, Saatchi Art works to decrease the disparities between male and female artists and their presence in the industry.
Portrait Study by Lisa Krannichfeld, $430
Lifestyle company ban.dō offers a wide variety of products—from clothing to home + living—but that's just the beginning. In addition to selling a gorgeous array of products, Founder Jen Gotch created "Feel Better," a place for women battling mental health conditions to ask questions and open up a greater discussion around mental health, while also providing external resources for those who are seeking professional help.
Lake Blue Eclipse Throw, $114
Sunday/Monday is a contemporary handwoven textiles company that sells ethical products made through traditional Indian artisan craftsmanship. Founder Nisha Mirani is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and through visiting family in Gujarat, India, learned about the vibrant textile craft that informs many of Sunday/Monday's designs. Mirani is working to bring to light age-old crafts by partnering with local artisans—many of whom are women—to create their ethically-made textiles.
Heron Pillow, $80
KAYU is a luxurious line of sustainably-made bags, accessories, and home items. The company's founder, Jamie Lim, works in partnership with artisans in Southeast Asia to preserve the craft of her culture, while primarily using locally-sourced and eco-friendly materials including straw, shell and recycled wood in all products. The company also works with local immigrant women in San Francisco to teach embroidery, which is featured on many of the brand's designs.
Signature Candle, $69
Founded in 2008 by Kirsten Dickerson and Sophia Lin, Raven + Lily employs women from around the world while providing them with fair wages, healthcare, and other tools to break the cycles of poverty. The company employs more than 1,500 women artisans, and each purchase through the site helps fund microloans to the female entrepreneurs in each community.
Pom Blanket, $172
Founded by Rachel Bently and Carly Nance, The Citizenry is a lifestyle brand that empowers artisans around the world, celebrating the individuals behind each of their products. Bently and Nance have traveled around the globe creating strong relationships with each artisan—many of whom are women—conducting business without a middle man. The Citizenry provides fair wages and working conditions all while creating an incredible assortment of home decor.
Palermo Tripolina Chair, $675
Armadillo & Co. is a luxury rug company founded in 2009 with a mission to improve the lives of underprivileged communities through education, health, and community structures. Founders Jodie Fried and Sally Pottharst have a history of giving back to women's organizations, having previously worked in India where they employed women to create textiles. Their rugs are handmade from sustainable fiber, each with a one-of-a-kind character. Through Armadillo & Co, Fried and Pottharst also created The Armadillo & Co Foundation, which donates proceeds from each product to the charity.
Fold Flat Woven Rug, Price Upon Request


text: Dace Dislere has over 15 years experience running residential property management businesses. Prior to founding PPG in 2004, she was the General Manager for San Francisco-based Citywide Property Management. Dace is a licensed real estate broker and formerly served on the board of directors of the Professional Property Management Association of San Francisco. She is also a member of the San Francisco Association of Realtors, the California Association of Realtors, the San Francisco Apartment Association, the National Association of Residential Property Management and the California Apartment Association. Dace began her career at Arthur Andersen in the Business Process Risk Consulting group. She graduated Cum Laude with a BS in Business Administration and Finance from the University of San Francisco.


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by Andrew Kroybko
Southeast Asia is one of the economic powerhouses of the world, and its prized position in the global economy is only expected to grow in the coming future. This is why all the Great Powers are racing to (re)develop and reinforce their ties with the region, Russia being foremost among them. Ever since the onset of the New Cold War, Russia has been compelled to rapidly reorient its strategic focus eastward after witnessing firsthand how flimsy its friendship with the West really was. While most commentators rightfully draw attention to Russia's growing full-spectrum relations with China , many of them neglect the fact that the country isn't its sole partner or interest in the Asia-Pacific. Vietnam also forms a key lynchpin of Russia's strategy there, and it's through adroitly managing its social assets in the country that Russia can make its presence felt in the heartland of mainland ASEAN, Laos.
Land-Linking Laos
The author wrote an in-depth expose back in April about the strategic importance of Laos in forming the principal conduit of China's ASEAN Silk Road , and the analysis holds just as firm today as it did then. The centrally positioned country connects to all the other mainland members of ASEAN and accordingly provides Beijing with an opening to extend its influence throughout the rest of the region. Not only is the country becoming land-linked through its pivotal transit relationship with China, however, but it's also capitalizing on its historical ties with Vietnam to draw in trade and investment from the east. In fact, Vientiane and Hanoi just signed a border trade agreement at the end of last month stipulating that "import tax rates for goods made in Vietnam and Laos, as well as various products made by Vietnamese investors in Laos, will be reduced to zero." What this basically means is that tariffs will be eliminated between both countries and a de-facto free trade zone will take its place. This is extremely beneficial for both parties, but interestingly also opens up some exciting opportunities that Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union could utilize in the coming future.
Russia's ASEAN Pivot
In order to fully understand how Vietnam and Laos' de-facto forthcoming free trade agreement can directly benefit Russia and appreciate the way in which this serendipitously came to be, a concise review of the country's ASEAN pivot needs to be commenced first:
Moscow has had privileged ties with Hanoi ever since the US War on Vietnam, and despite undergoing a rough patch of relative neglect during the 1990s, they still remained among Russia's strongest post-Cold War relationships (alongside the one with Syria ). The reason that bilateral ties managed to survive that troubling decade is because of the tourism and arms trade sectors that continued to thrive during the period, and correspondingly formed the basis for exploring the expansion of trade links even further in the past years. The result of this has been the signing of the Vietnam-Eurasian Union free trade agreement that symbolically (and substantially) shows that Russia's Asian Pivot is about more than just China, and that Moscow has intentions to establish a more robust presence in ASEAN.
After Vietnam, ties with Thailand have also been on the upswing, especially since the change of government last year that swept Yingluck Shinawatra out of power. Prayut Chan-o-cha, the new leader of Thailand, has been much more pragmatic than his predecessor and exceptionally more eager to diversify his country's partnerships. During Prime Minister Medvedev's visit to the country in April, the two spoke about the possibility of a free trade agreement between the Southeast Asian state and the Eurasian Union, which set the stage for Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov's recent announcement that Thailand's formal application for such is expected to be submitted by year's end. Taken together with the agreement already concluded with Vietnam, Russia would then be in a free trade area with the two largest mainland ASEAN economies and become anchored to Indochina's most economically productive coastland areas.
Somewhat unexpectedly to some, Russia signaled at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in June that it plans to become a major actor in Myanmar, signing a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with the country and even giving its Vice President the honor of presenting a keynote plenary speech alongside President Putin. More than likely, the country's role has been elevated in the view of Russian diplomacy due to its enormous economic potential (despite the astounding political risks ), and it's probable that Moscow envisions adding Naypyidaw to its list of free trade partners sometime in the future. If this comes to pass, alongside the clinching of a free trade agreement with Thailand, then it's very probable that Russia could attempt to seal a free trade deal with all of ASEAN, or at the very least, the last two remaining mainland states, Cambodia and Laos.
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Doing so with Cambodia wouldn't be that difficult, since China's entrenched interests in the new SCO dialogue partner and its implicit global cooperation with Moscow via the Russian-Chinese Strategic Partnership would see to it that Phnom Penh takes the natural and swift decision in this direction when the appropriate time arrives. As regards Laos, it will be described in the next section how the country is about to be in a quasi-free trade zone with Russia, whether or not this is even recognized at the moment by either side. To sum it all up beforehand, though, the reader should understand that Russia's ultimate goal in ASEAN is to enter into a bloc-to-bloc free trade area between it and the Eurasian Union, which would then see the employment of China's land and maritime Silk Road networks to facilitate the transit of goods between both sides. Under this vision, all sides stand to achieve major benefits, and as for Russia, one of the principal ones would be the extension of its Eurasian reach to the furthest extremity points of the supercontinent.
Getting Lucky In Laos
Having acquired a brief understanding of Russia's grand strategy towards ASEAN, it's now possible for the reader to adequately follow how Russia's forthcoming quasi-free trade zone with Laos came to be. Vietnam, as it was initially mentioned, signed a border trade agreement with its neighbor that will essentially create a free trade zone between the two, and specifically give certain privileges to Vietnamese investors in Laos. At the same time, however, it was also noted how Vietnam just recently entered into a formal free trade agreement with the Eurasian Union. Connecting the threads, and considering the presence of certain strategic Russian business interests in Vietnam (most notably in this case, the tourism sector, which will be expanded upon soon), it's conceivable to suggest that Vietnamese-based Russian businesses will be granted the same privileges in Laos as their ethnic Vietnamese counterparts in the country, the effect of which would be to open up a semi-official (albeit limited) free trade zone between Laos and Russia (or theoretically any of the other Eurasian Union member states) that transits through Vietnam.
The implications pertaining to this realization are huge, since it means that Russia can gain a strategic foothold in Laos via the overlapping free trade agreements. On the surface, mainland Southeast Asia's least populous and most undeveloped country doesn't seem like much of an economic opportunity for anyone, but upon closer examination (as was discussed in an earlier-cited piece ), there's a wealth of untapped mineral and other natural resources there, to say nothing of the logistics edge that the country will have in being the pivotal connector between the Chinese and Thai components of the ASEAN Silk Road. The country also plans to amend its Constitution shortly in order to make it more business-friendly, meaning that if Vietnamese-based Russian companies can be 'grandfathered' into the legislation, then they'd be in a prime advantage vis-à-vis their competitors. The thing, is however, that Russia's lost a lot of its soft power and overall influence in the country since the heyday of the Soviet era , meaning that it's currently not in the best position to flex its economic muscle there, no matter the legal loopholes that presently work to its advantage or the constitutional urgency in doing so as soon as possible.
An innovative solution does present itself, however, and that's the utilization of Russia's established tourism industry network in Vietnam to serve as the vanguard for penetrating the Laotian market. Individuals employed in this field obviously have some degree of knowledge of the Vietnamese language (which is a given if they're locals), and therein lies the first step in facilitating the return of Russian influence into Laos. According to official statistics released from February of this year, around 25% of the more than 4 million tourists that visited Laos last year were from Vietnam, and seeing as how the two languages are dissimilar, it's reasonable to conclude that a sizeable segment of the Laotian population speaks Vietnamese to a working capacity. This means that the Vietnamese-speaking employees of Vietnam-based Russian companies can engage in market assessment operations to ascertain the social, material, and investment needs of the country, which would give their bosses valuable economic knowledge that they could either profit from themselves in diversifying their business portfolios or sell to other Russian companies interested in making inroads there. Even if Russian companies aren't aware of or totally interested in Laos just yet, the discussion to start direct or charter flights between the two countries could make this investment (and tourist) destination much more attractive and convenient in the near future, so it's therefore in the best interest of any Russian-owned entrepreneurial company in Vietnam to take the lead in this before others catch on.
Concluding Thoughts
All in all, Russia needs to be aware of the manner in which it can apply its already existing Vietnamese-based tourist industry in advancing strategic objectives in Laos. The promotion of robust business interests in the land-linked country (be they tourist, mineral, or other) via the exploitation of the overlapping free trade legislations centered on Vietnam can further Moscow's ultimate goal of formalizing a free trade agreement with Laos and using such a development as a launching pad for promoting a pan-regional free trade area sometime in the future. As a result of such a lucky legal arrangement, Russia has a sizeable opportunity to deepen, as well as accelerate, its Pivot to ASEAN, but it must use its presently available human capital in Vietnam to bring this about. Russian-owned tourist companies in the country have the valuable language skills needed to communicate with Laotians (a significant portion of whom speak Vietnamese for historical and practical reasons), so they can form the vanguard in spearheading renewed Russian investment in the country, either through their own market discoveries or by selling such information to interested compatriots. Looked at from this perspective, Russia does in fact have a realistic possibility of expanding its economic interests into Laos, provided of course that it can harness the motivational will to take the initiative in the first place.


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Jerry Jones believes Dallas Cowboys' defense had a tell vs. Los Angeles Rams
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't doubt the Rams offensive linemen who said they picked up on tells from Dallas' defensive linemento anticipate what they would do in Saturday night's divisional-round playoff game.
"You want to be better than that," Jones told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning. "You'd like to have the edge of surprise. But it's pretty easy to say we look at tendencies, we look at things they do.
"That's not uncommon."
In their 30-22 victory, the Rams gashed a Cowboys run defense allowing 93.3 yards per game for 273 yards on Saturday night.
Los Angeles' offensive linemen, clearing the way for Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson to each post 100-yard days and three combined scores, said they knew what to expect.
"Scheme-wise,"Rams center John Sullivan told The Ringer, "we were able to – we had a lot of tips and tells what they were going to do in front of us."
Sullivan and right guard Austin Blythe told The Ringer they noticed a patternwhen studying film of Dallas' defensive linestunts. The Rams said they read Cowboys defenders' pre-snap alignments – including whetherdefensive tackle Maliek Collins closer to Los Angeles' tackle or guard? – to anticipate such maneuvers. If they noticed Collins lining up wider, they'd check whether another Cowboys defender had his right or left hand in the ground, and which way each tilted.
They predicted accurately "plus 90 percent" of the time, Blythe said.
"They're a defensive line that really likes to move a lot," Blythe said. "We had a pretty good tell when they were going to do that."
Therun game allowed the Rams to hold the ball more than 12-and-a-half minutes longer than the Cowboys in the game.
And one week after the Cowboys heldSeattle's league-best rushing game (160 yards per game in the regular season) to 73 yards, Dallas was eliminated.
More: Opinion: Dallas Cowboys dealt another reality check in playoff exit
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett downplayed anything unusual about the Rams' comments and game plan.
"We work very hard at that, understanding our self-scout and understanding what we're doing," Garrett said Monday in his season-ending news conference. "Typicallyteams have tendenciesand typically the best teams have tendencies, and you play to those tendencies and you also take advantage of those tendencies to do other things off of them.
"The Rams did a very good job in that ballgame. They deserved to win the game. You know, that's really all I have on that."
Jones added that teams scouted the Cowboys' 1992 Super Bowl team's tendencies, too. Members of the NFL competition committee, which Jones served on, would tell him as much.
"I had Don Shula, Marty Schottenheimer, Tom Flores, those are names from so far in the past," Jones said. "And they said, 'You know, everybody read your signals. They knew when you were going to run or pass and they knew almost which way you were going to go. We still couldn't stop you.'
"So much for tipping things."
Jones did highlight one other challenge for the Cowboys defensive line.
"Frankly, we never got traction, and I mean that literally," he said. "That was a slippery field. If I had to do it over again, we would be really scrutinizing our footwear, our cleats. We had trouble digging in.
"We picked a bad day to have a bad day."
Follow Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jerry Jones believes Dallas Cowboys' defense had a tell vs. Los Angeles Rams


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The account size is pegged at Rs 12-15 crore.
Sleepwell, a brand owned by Sheela Foam Industries, has chosen the Korean agency network Innocean Worldwide to look after its creative duties. The multi-agency pitch, which took place in November, involved agencies such as Mudra, Crayons, Triton, Vermillion, Apple, Everest, Infinity and Indus.
Sleepwell is one of the leading brands of mattresses and comfort accessories, with a strong market presence in India. The company is aiming to take its communication strategy to the next level. Retail presence is being ramped up nationwide. Retail branding is being standardised, along with a new look and feel to the product packaging.
Confirming the news, Manoj Sharma, marketing head, Sleepwell says, "Our brand has built tremendous traction and we are looking at consolidating our leadership position in the future. We evaluated agencies from the point of view of strategic clarity and creative capability, along with an intent for long-term partnership. We chose Innocean since their ideas and approach suited our overall vision."
Vivek Srivastava, joint managing director, Innocean, says, "It is a good way to begin the year. The brief from Sleepwell was a challenging one. It aimed at arousing consumer interest in a low involvement, yet high-utility product. The IWI team, in consultation with the marketing team at Sleepwell, has been able to tap consumer signals that will surely yield medium to long-term dividends for the brand". The brand has been quite visible across the print and television media and is one of the leaders in terms of media spends.


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Stacia Briggs thought the hardest part of her job as a Mental Health Technician would be working with youth with aggressive behaviors. As it turns out, she says, that's the easy part.
"The most challenging part of this job is knowing the youth have so much potential to do so much better, but they don't recognize it."
Fortunately, she's also seen many youth who not only successfully complete treatment, but also go on to lead better lives at home or in the community.
"At the medallion (a closing ceremony), they go around and tell staff how they impacted their lives," she said. "Hearing them tell me, 'Thank you, Miss Stacia, for helping me do this,' or getting a call from a youth who's been discharged and hearing them tell me how good they're doing makes me feel like my job is not in vain."
Briggs has always loved working with youth, and didn't know that residential treatment facilities like Oaklawn even existed until she applied. Briggs started at Oaklawn almost three years ago as a Mental Health Technician, providing direct care to youth. Since then, she's been promoted to Program Coordinator, overseeing and supporting other MHTs as they learn healthy and therapeutic ways to interact youth. She enjoys that every day is different.
"Some people can have office jobs and you know exactly what you're going to walk into every day," she said. "My day is not the same. Every day is something different. I like the people I work for, the people I work with. I like that it's diverse here. You get to meet a lot of people."
She does have a word of caution for would-be employees: If you're just looking paycheck, this isn't the job for you. "But if you want to feel like you're impacting somebody's life, if you like a job where you want to feel good about doing something, then you should apply."


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If you're anything like us, we love chocolate, milk chocolate is our favorite, but we can also appreciate dark chocolate for it's health benefits. It has so many health benefits because it has high levels of flavonoids, which provide a boost in antioxidants for you. Joy DuBost, an American Dietetic Association spokesman recommends the darker the chocolate the better, eat less-processed chocolate that contains at least 65% cacao. While dark chocolate has its health benefits, you should only eat 1 – 2 ounces max, a day, it still has fat and calories you don't want to load up on. We're going to list below some reasons why you should indulge in those 1 – 2 ounces a day to keep your health in good standing.
Heart Disease Prevention –Studies concluded that individuals who ate more chocolate had a 37% lower risk of any heart disease than those who ate less amounts of chocolate.
Decreased Stroke Risk – In a study done by Swedish researchers, women who ate high amounts of chocolate (two candy bars per week) lowered their stroke risk by 20%. While more research is needed to confirm the exact amount and types of flavonoid-rich chocolates needed to lessen stroke risk, a British study found that individuals who ate more chocolate were 30% less likely to have a stroke.
Increased Good Cholesterol – Dark chocolate is a cholesterol superfood. The cocoa butter in the dark chocolate is what increases the good cholesterol. Researchers won't go as far as to say chocolate is the cholesterol cure-all, but it has qualities that are a step in the right direction.
Improved Vision – The flavonoid in dark chocolate improve blood flow to the brain, which improve blood flow to the retina and helps to maintain and increase eyesight.
Enhanced Mood – The fatty acids in the chocolate stimulate the neural activity in the areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward. Eating chocolate triggers the brain to feel delighted.
All these benefits to chocolate make us want to go have chocolate right now. Chocolate contains many ingredients that are good for your health, but just like anything else, it should be done in moderation. If you follow the suggested max of 1-2 ounces a day, not only will you have the opportunity to improve you health, but feel good while you do it and get your chocolate fix in for the day. We hope that these tips have been informative to you and have given you a reason to have chocolate every day and feel guilt free for it.