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Claudia Bravo Silverman
Law firm founded in 1993
In 1993, attorneys Claudia Bravo Silverman and Alan R. Silverman founded Silverman & Silverman, Attorneys at Law, and began working together to provide exceptional Family Court-law services to clients throughout California.
Mediation skills
In 1991, Ms. Silverman participated in rigorous coursework in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and cross-cultural dispute resolution, at the prestigious Pepperdine University School of Law, Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution in Malibu, CA. Ms. Silverman participated in advanced collaborative law training in Marin County in May 2007, and engaged in coursework offered by Bill Eddy of the High Conflict Institute in 2008.
Background in software development and nonprofits
Before studying law, Ms. Silverman worked in software support and at various nonprofit agencies. During law school, Ms. Silverman externed with the Board of Immigration Appeals in Los Angeles and conducted research and discovery for Public Interest, Inc., in Whittier and served as an intern mediator with the County of Los Angeles Small Claims Court.
Consult with us for more information about California dissolution laws
To get the results you want in your divorce, call Silverman & Silverman, Attorneys at Law, at or 760-512-3251 or contact us online to schedule your free, initial phone consultation. Sunday appointments are available.
Silverman & Silverman, Attorneys at Law, located in Carlsbad, California, serves clients in and around Carlsbad, San Diego, Oceanside, Vista, Escondido, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos and all North County San Diego.


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Dallas PD investigating shooting; juvenile killed
Yesterday evening, December 15th, Dallas PD responded to reports of a shooting in the 7500 block of Amber Drive. The residence is located in south Dallas near the I35E and I20 interchange.
DPD officers arrived on scene to find a 15-year-old male had been shot. He was transported from the scene to the hospital, but died of his injuries.
Dallas PD requests anyone with information to contact Detective Parker, #7566 at 214-671-3630 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Please refer to case #268304-2018.
*Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information called into Crime Stoppers that leads to the arrest and indictment for this felony offense and other felony offenses. Call Crime Stoppers at: (214) 373-TIPS, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.*

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey All,Just uploaded a new song "The Road".I was feeling a bit down and needed to write something to remind myself there are brighter days.I think it worked.I hope it'll remind you too!Thanks for listening.Jo
Hello All,It's a bright, sunny and beautiful day here in the northeast with a hint of spring in the air!. I hope everyone can find a reason to smile today.I've just uploaded 2 more songs. Hope you like them.Thanks for listening.jo
*.•**•.•* •• *••* •* •* •*••*• *• *• *• *•.||Happy Christmas everyone. I hope all your holiday wishes come true.Jo
Thank you all so much. The comments I've been getting in response to my music is incredibly heartwarming.I've just uploaded a few more tunes. I hope you like them.Thanks again,jo


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Witchery hosted its first exclusive showing of their Autumn/Winter 19 collection at their Chapel street store last Thursday evening. The runway was hosted by Melbourne renowned celebrity stylist Lana Wilkinson.
Witchery is synonymous with superior luxury tailored elegance and remains as one of our favourite shopping destinations. Season AW/19 consists of sophisticated wearable pieces that are both fashionable as well as functional, designed to take you from the working week and incorporated into weekend looks.
AW19 sees the return of the trench coat, a classic piece worth investing in. The most alluring thing about a trench coat is that you can adapt it into any style that is work to weekend, from a classic tailored pant/skirt to weekend looks with your favourite denim jeans. I guarantee this will become one of the most wearable items in your wardrobe.
Witchery's timeless style this season includes animal prints, cool tones and hero colours that include vibrant pinks, deep burgundy and of course Pantone's colour of the season being Living Coral.
Witchery also offers the ultimate additions to any outfit with their chic accessory collection including shoes, bags, belts, jewellery and eyewear.
Guests enjoyed drinks and canapes on arrival, followed by a sit-down runway. Celebrities and Influencers included Laura Henshaw, Jasmin Howell, Vydia Rishie, Rebecca Harding and Laura Dundovic.
Witchery https://www.witchery.com.au/
Photography Sam Tabone https://www.instagram.com/thealistphotographers/
PR Daniella Kate & Co https://www.kateco.com.au/


text: Scratched out a hard limit Friday, went to another spot Saturday and got a goose egg, then another limit Sunday in another spot. Had the birds weekend before, but warm front moving in got them goofy I suppose. Sunday was the best day of the 3. When the sun broke from the clouds it was on, but birds still a little hard to work. Had better, had worse; all in all a good opening weekend.


text:
Quote of the week
"If only we had more exposure leading to more users that eventually paid for the premium version."
Editor's Corner
A study done by the Social Science Research Network looked at the success of cities promoting the citizen use of open data by way of apps.
The summary is that while the promise was strong, the implementation met with limited success.
Overall, the challenge was that many of the city apps created had no guarantee of value-capture either for the city or the citizen. Also, most were not available from the Apple Store or from other services.
Of particular interest to public servants are the internal challenges faced by civic organizations trying to move forward on practical applications of open data.
One reason the initiatives fail is that they are often driven not by the involved department within the city but by IT or some kind of innovation branch. This means that the key department has little stake in – and sometimes little understanding of – the desired outcome and supposed benefits of the open data approach and the app creation.
The report adds that many of the apps created in so-called hack-a-thons actually used very little of the available data. Sometimes this was because developers didn't really understand the full civic context and the opportunities it presented.
The authors note, though, that a key issue was getting the data in the first place: it can be a challenge for overworked, understaffed departments to seek out and provide the data needed by developers.
One solution? Organizations promoting the development of open data products like apps need to manage the process better, rather than just handing it off to hack-a-thons.


text:
Two weeks back I posted my submission to the 10.000 viewer challenge: a simple clip of dogs playing in the park. My goal was to reach 1000 viewers in a month, 10.000 in six months.
Today I'm halfway the month and I can proudly say that the current viewer number between YouTube (353) and Vimeo (139) : 492
That means I'm perfectly on track for reaching 1000 viewers in a month- if this trend continues. The problem is, I don't expect the numbers to grow at the same rate if I don't actively promote the video. Which, by the way, is an important lesson I learned from this enterprise: don't count on the video doing its own marketing. You have to work at getting your video seen in the right market. You may have made something brilliant but if you don't tell people it's out there, the chances of it being discovered are small. Now I'm not saying my video is brilliant, far from it. It's just a nice, 'feel-good' clip with a popular subject (dogs) and a catchy song.
The response has been nice, especially from dog-owners. I signed up with a dog-forum in Holland and within one day I had almost 30 written responses to the video, all of them enthousiastic.
But to be honest, I counted on a 'snowball-effect': dog-people ending it to other dog-people. But to accomplish that, the clip was simply not special enough. I may get my 1000 viewers in a month, but I will not reach 10.000 viewers in 6 months, that I know now. It needed something extra, something that would lift it out of the crowd. It needed a very rare moment, like a blooper, a freak accident, something nasty or way out of the ordinary. THEN it would have been forwarded and created a snowball effect.
While writing this, I read about the YouTube Creator Playbook, a new tool that will help you create an audience. Should be interesting and I will defintely delve in.
I also have another idea for a clip that will definitely create a stirr. You will hear about that when I'm back in Amsterdam.
But first let's see if I can get my 1000 viewers by the end of this month. Help me out and send this clip to all the doglovers and/or doghaters you know.
The 10.000 viewer challenge! from Filmersblog on Vimeo.


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Deanne Kearney – Mooney on Theatre
ProArteDanza beautifully re-imagines 'The Marriage of Figaro' (Le Nozze Di Figaro) in Figaro 2.0 at the Fleck Dance Theatre. Taking on the large task of a three-hour opera, award-winning co-choreographers, Roberto Campanella and Robert Glumbek create a gorgeous and witty ninety-minute contemporary dance work.
A Toronto dance company re-imagines Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
ProArteDanza is one of Canada's most highly regarded contemporary ballet companies. Their works are incredibly technical and fiercely physical. This work is no exception; however, with the added narrative, the company is brought to new heights.
Read Deanne Kearney's full review
Subversive Figaro 2.0 is relevant and user-friendly
ProArteDanza's full-length dance take on Mozart's The Marriage Of Figaro bravely deploys this glorious period piece to obliquely comment on inter-gender social tensions in the #MeToo era.
Read Kathleen Smith's full review
The Ensemble:
Tori Mehaffey, Benjamin Landsberg, Ryan Lee, Daniel McArthur, Kelly Shaw, Robert Glumbek, Taylor Bojanowski, Heidi Lorenz, Jake Poloz.
Creative and Production Teams:
Dramaturge: John Ottman
Scenographer and Costume Designer: Yannik Larivee
Music Director: Norman Babin
Costume Assistants: Susan Rome and Heather Rautiainen
Sound Designer: Greg Harrison
Lighting Designer: Arun Srinivasan
Projections Designer: William J. Mackwood
Production Manager: Sam Shaw
Stage Manager: Jennifer Lee
Prosthetics: Jason Detheridge


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Hot Meri Gulin pictures. Photography by Zenith Richards. Finally, we're seeing someone who's slim and sexy. Jeez. Meri shows off her rockin' body along with her average-sized breasts. Hot stuff here.
Category: Meri Gulin
Sexy photos of Meri Gulin by Lina Tesch (2017). Meri Gulin is a Croatian/Swedish model. Age: 26.
Meri Gulin Bikini
Croatian/Swedish model Meri Gulin (25) shows off her perfect body in a white bikini at the beach in Miami Beach, 12/17/2017.


text:
Alpine Meadow Induction Fondue Pot
Item # KHN 32158
This fondue pot, which can be used on an induction stovetops, wins you over with its special design and high quality. The silhouette decoration "Alpine meadow" was exclusively designed by the Kuhn Rikon design team in Switzerland. The decoration invites you to a cozy fondue get-together.
Warning: Discoloring may occur from direct contact with the flame when using a gel burner. This discoloration does not affect performance in any way.
Dishwasher safe. Hand wash and air dry recommended.
Diameter: 9"
Capacity: 2.5 quarts


text:
Not quite so urgent.
Hey Chris,
Listened to a guided muscle relaxation audio last night and tonight. There is so much available for free its overwhelming particularly if you are all ready overwhelmed. Hopeful that we have used one and are quite excited about trying more. Its the only start. Finding new ways to make our muscles somewhere we can be again. Again..
Being in a place where we are eventually following doctors orders with the Gabapentin has been difficult to get to. Theres been so much shame and and anger over not being able to function, we read some tweets that were talking about that same stigma. We are moving away from that place where its impossible to emotionally identify with other peoples horrors. It's a survival thing of course like so much else we rationalise on our horrors being particularly mental.
Cultural history is the way we challenge that alienation. Its easier to start with by emphasising with people who have been dead for centuries if we feel its to dangerous to be building emotional attachments to humans now. We wrote this last night
What are we interested in?
Women's history. Taking apart the heavy but unquantifiable knowledge that its always like this or that. Knowing that the misogyny we have experienced universally forever.
To wonder about the role of PTSD and DID in history without getting too into the RA.
More not Western European history
How much it's all been about peoples leaving, moving, mixing not always just taking. We know the slave trade as always been huge we don't want that fact to keep us from all others.
To revise and add to our understanding of the history of history and empiricism.
We've also been playing a lot of Windwaker HD..
Love you of course.
(What if I'm wrong!!!!)


text:
Start or expand India note collection with this valuable note. Here, we present 1 Rupee note of 1989 bearing the signature of Gopi K. Arora with inset letter B. Serial number and prefix letter (A, B, C) may vary from image. This note is in 100% UNC (uncirculated) condition.
Denomination: 1 Rupee


text:
Local interest
Other sites
Ludwig von Mises Institute
Israel at the UN
Cascade Policy Institute
Voluntary Trade Council
Dr. George Reisman
Mises Economics Blog
Healing Iraq
Asymmetrical Information
The Angry Economist
Civilian Gun Self-Defense
In The Pipeline
Belmont Club
Coyote Blog
Fall of the State
Captain Capitalism
Fight Aging!
Voluntary Trade Blog
Savvy Saver
Mover Mike
Free Money Finance
Marginal Revolution
Miserly Bastard
Left Hand, Right Hand
One of the ways you can tell something is wrong in government is when … well, when it does stuff like promote alternative fuels on one hand while with the other hand it clearly has no processes to deal with people who heed its advice:
The agents were "interested" in the car. That's a scary word when it comes from the government. They weren't "interested" in order to praise the Wetzels for being good citizens and taking initiative in energy independence. No, they had other motives. And I'll bet you can guess what they were.
Mr. Wetzel didn't have a license to make biodiesel. He's a retired chemist; he knows what he's doing. But it's not even a safety issue, it's a revenue issue. The government wants its gas tax, and he hasn't been paying … because he hasn't been using gasoline.
I don't want to be misunderstood here — I'm no biodiesel booster. I think it's great for the few people who can take advantage of it, but from an engineering point of view it simply does not scale up to the volumes needed to make it a viable alternative to gasoline for the broad public.
Indeed they do.
Read the story; it gets pretty outrageous. The government told him to apply for licenses as a special fuel supplier and receiver, but then Wetzel discovered that he doesn't meet the definitions of either, so he's not licensable anyway!
Broken. Broken. Broken.
The government just wants its money. As with the IRS having to lose a dozen court cases over the long distance telephone excise tax before finally giving up last year, this is another case of government going to absurd lengths pretending to be in the right in order to get every penny it can.
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-28 06:26:07 UTC — permalink
Museum Heist
Think museum heists are good fodder for good movies but outdated and unrealistic in the modern world?
Tell that to the Ohashi Collection Kan museum, where a 100kg gold bar was stolen in broad daylight. It was worth over $2 million.
Um, yes, they could have been a little more careful. <boggle>
The problem for the robbers is now how to spend it without getting caught. Eveyone involved with precious metals knows it's been stolen and will be on the lookout for it. Realistically, what can they do? Even selling it gradually as scrap metal would raise suspicions. If they had refining and minting equipment perhaps they could try to make copies of common 1oz gold bars. But that's a lot of equipment and a lot harder to keep secret.
Still, I'm amused.
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-25 05:12:06 UTC — permalink
The Phantom Refund
Storytime, crew! Gather 'round.
In tax year 2005 I had to file an amended return for various reasons (an HSA mixup that resulted in a corrected W-2, and several corrected 1099s) and on both the original and amended returns I owed money to the state of Oregon. My second payment was $90, consisting of $88 owed because of the changes in the amendment and $2 interest. That payment was made at the end of last May — approximately 10 months ago.
Imagine my surprise when today I receive in the mail a "Notice of Deficiency" from the Oregon Department of Revenue stating that I owe the state $94.06 for my 2005 taxes — $90 plus interest. No, hang on, that doesn't seem right…
I checked my records; I mailed the check. I have my checkbook carbon copy and the record of it posting in my bank statement. I've ordered a copy of the cleared check from the bank so I can mail it along with a dispute letter to the Department of Revenue.
And then I looked a little more.
The Notice of Deficiency contains a list of figures from my tax return in two columns, original and adjusted. The first line that's different is labeled "Income Tax Refunds Received" — they show $0 under Original and $90 under Adjusted. There's no record of the $90 I sent to them.
Aha! I see what happened. When I sent them $90, they recorded it as them sending me $90! They got it backwards. (But not completely backwards, because they're only asking for ~$90, not ~$180…)
Naturally, this has some cascading effects. Oregon sent me a 1099G for the 2006 tax year that showed a $90 tax refund. I didn't think anything of it at the time, of course, because I didn't check it against my previous year's tax returns. But this creates a problem for filing my 2006 taxes — my 1099G is wrong, showing $90 of phantom tax refund. I don't want to get taxed for money I never received!
Why do they wait until the following year's tax season to mail stuff like this? They should've done it, oh, let's be generous and suggest six months ago. I've been hoping for a long time that I would have an uneventful tax season this year, because both 2004 and 2005 were complicated and involved amended returns. I didn't want to go through that again. Sigh.
… but wait, there's more!
The Oregon Department of Revenue's error isn't quite as straightforward as it sounds. They said I owe $90 plus interest, but they curiously gave me a $2 credit in the mix. Somehow they managed to turn my $90 payment into a $90 refund while also crediting me for the $2 of interest owed on my original $88 due!
It would appear that they got my money, and even applied a portion of it correctly, but then they blew it and got everything else wrong.
Obviously no human being has reviewed this situation; I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of circumstances under which that $2 credit would make sense to any person. This was the result of some software doing the best it could with bad data.
I went to see my tax preparer about the matter and we ended up laughing and telling each other it shouldn't be funny.
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-21 05:10:10 UTC — permalink
The "Tar Baby" Tar Baby
John McCain has become the latest politician to be criticized for using the phrase "tar baby":
If you're unfamiliar with the term, here's a short explanation. I was familiar with its literary origins but was surprised to learn that some people consider it racist.
No, make that outranged. (Shocking! Outrageous!) When people think a phrase is totally innocent, and have to be told that some consider it racist, they obviously couldn't have meant to offend people by using it.
Amusingly, the Wikipedia entry for "tar baby" says "Specific reasons why the term developed negative racial aspects are difficult to identify." I have an idea. It isn't a racist term. I'd wager that the alleged racist connection was kicked up by people with a vested interest in racial tension.
More amusingly, since "tar baby" originates in African folklore, I humbly suggest that those who criticize people who use the term should instead praise them for their cultural awareness. After all, wouldn't that be the multicultural thing to do?
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-19 01:46:59 UTC — permalink
Mugabe Destroying Zimbabwe
The latest outrage from Zimbabwe is the beating of an opposition leader:
Mugabe has been gradually destroying the county ever since the country gained independence from the British. His government is authoritarian, violent, and routinely violates the rights of its citizens. Mugabe has overseen genocide operations ("ethnic cleansing"), wholesale robbery ("land reform"), election tampering, hyperinflation, and forceful suppression of dissent. At least.
Under his guidance the country has gone from a major food exporter to one dependent on international aid and where chronic shortages are the norm.
That's an interesting suggestion.
Oooo... we've threatened to tighten sanctions! No, I think I prefer Mugabe's idea. I think it's long past time for an assassination. I don't even care who does it! Even if the country gets another strong-man dictator afterward, I doubt he could be worse than Mugabe.
I'm increasingly a skeptic of sanctions. Does anyone have some historical examples of when sanctions have worked well? What factors are predictive of the efficacy of sanctions?
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-18 01:33:54 UTC — permalink
Review of Zelda: Twilight Princess
As you've noticed by now, I haven't been blogging much recently. I got a Nintendo Wii and have been spending most of my spare time playing Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
I finally finished it. And since I've got nothing else to blog about at the moment, I'll talk about the game. I'll give my general comments first and leave potential spoilers for the end.
Let me set a little context. I played a lot of video games in middle and high school but didn't bring a console with me to college, nor did I have one after college until I bought a Nintendo DS last year. I've only played the first three Zelda games, missing everything else before Twilight Princess, so I can't make comparisons to the games I skipped.
The first thing to say about the game is its length. It took me over 60 hours to complete it, although I'm a very thorough player and completed almost all of the side quests. I'm sure the game could be finished significantly faster — perhaps just half that time — by ignoring side quests.
The overall pacing of the game is good. I was overwhelmed in the very beginning by the number of things I'd have to do (and characters to remember) but those early threads all wrap up fairly quickly. I was relieved when I got to the first dungeon; then I knew I was in the game proper. But at the time I didn't know that there would be nine dungeons. In retrospect this makes perfect sense, because there were 9 dungeons in the original Legend of Zelda — and many were similarly themed! Despite being surprised by the length of the game, I never felt either rushed or bored.
My biggest complaint about the game is that the dungeons are too linear. Not only are you forced to complete them in order, but there is a definite path through each one. It's never possible to get too far off track because a locked door will block the later sections of the dungeon. There's too little opportunity for free-roaming exploration of the dungeon. Your freedom to go the wrong way is limited to just a handful of rooms.
Linearity aside, the puzzles in the dungeons are excellent — inventive and often difficult. They made very good use of elevation; in many dungeons the rooms are actually giant caverns with multiple levels where you can fall from a higher to lower level. That said, there's entirely too much plummeting-to-your-doom in this game. I want more challenges where failure means I'm set back a litle bit, not all the way.
As I progressed through the game I often felt like there was too much money in the world (my wallet was always full) and combat was too easy. I never used a healing potion of any kind before reaching Snowpeak. The prominent exception to easy combat was in the Cave of Ordeals, which I was not able to complete on my first attempt (although I did reach the last room of combat).
The funnest regular combat was on the approach to the Arbiter's Grounds (the sand dungeon) where a seemingly endless stream of enemies come at you and often surround you. They're easy to defeat, but the sheer number of them was very amusing.
Boss combat is often too easy. Observe for a little while, determine how to attack — usually by using some item just gathered in the same dungeon, which is too obvious for my taste — and then fight until you win. You often have to be patient to wait for your opportunity, but if you defend well you won't be in serious danger of losing.
The most audacious boss fight is at the end of City in the Sky where you fight an actual fire-breathing dragon. The sheer scale of it is impressive; the camera zooms way out and you're a little speck traveling from one floating creature to another, hundreds of feet in the sky, while a giant dragon is flaming at you. That's the kind of thing that makes you step back for a moment and think, "Awesome."
I haven't said anything about the wolf transformations yet. It's certainly an interesting game dynamic, and I enjoyed the idea of following scents in the various places where it was used. However, I was a bit put off by having Midna lead me through a series of jumps. Zelda's roots are in being the anti-platforming game; Link can't jump. (Ignore Zelda II, which doesn't count anyway…) Jumping as a wolf didn't seem right. And having Midna supply the path felt too guided.
Speaking of animals, I was impressed by how well combat on horseback worked. That was fun, and sometimes I rode around Hyrule Field west of the castle engaging enemies just for fun. On the flipside, calling hawks for assistance was only used a few times early in the game. This idea didn't seem well-integrated.
I wish the game music had been orchestrated. It sounds all MIDI — albeit good MIDI.
Possible spoilers below.
The generally low amount of backtracking necessary in the dungeons mislead me a few times by making me believe I could reach something that actually wasn't reachable yet. For example, in the Lakebed temple there's a chest on the highest level near the origin of a waterfall that I couldn't figure out how to reach, and I worried after I turned the waterfall on the chest would become totally unreachable. It can be reached easily once you have the clawshot. You're supposed to give up on that chest. I would have saved a lot of frustration if temporarily unreachable items were a recurring theme, so I would've expected it.
My favorite dungeons were Snowpeak and the City in the Sky. Both were long and thought-provoking. I screwed up in the City in the Sky by missing the control to turn off the floor fan in the room where you pick up the boss key, and spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I was supposed to reach the control to turn on the horizontal fan to reach the boss. I eventually realized that the solution must have been in that room, and had to make the difficult trek through most of the dungeon again, where I suddenly noticed the "obvious" control. Then everything fell into place.
The Palace of Twilight was a disappointment. Being chased by the giant floating hands was fun, but otherwise the dungeon was entirely too small and it made the twilight realm feel like a tiny suburb of Hyrule rather than, you know, an entire realm.
The most frustrating puzzle in the game for me was — and this is dumb — how to move the span of the Bridge of Eldin back to its proper location. I didn't know it was so straightforward as to simply tell Midna to warp when she flies up to it. When you talk to her she wonders what it is, so I thought I had to find someone at some point who would reveal what it was (even though just by staring at it it's obviously the bridge; it's recognizable from the pre-game cinema sequence.) I didn't try the straightforward route until after I had completed everything except Hyrule Castle itself and knew there wasn't going to be any in-game revelation about it. That made the piece of heart at the south end of the Bridge of Eldin the last one I collected.
Incidentally, if you're looking for pieces of heart, the fortune teller in Castle City will tell you where to find them. Unfortunately I didn't realize this until I had found all but a handful. She helped me realize I had missed three early in the game (one in Faron woods and both in the Lakebed dungeon).
I found all the pieces of heart, bottles, bomb bags, and quiver upgrades. I found all the golden bugs (although this took a while) but I only found about three-quarters of the Poes. It would be very difficult to find them all without a game guide. The only other side quests I know I didn't complete were getting extra lures at the fishing hole and playing all the rollgoal levels.
I enjoyed the many throwbacks to the early games in the series, which are probably a staple even in the games I haven't played. Familiar locations like Death Mountain, revealing secrets by lighting torches, Triforce symbols in many places (but oddly no explicit mentions of the Triforce), etc. The final battle with Ganon features special arrows ("light" arrows, alas, not silver…) and even the original Zelda overworld theme music makes an appearance, albeit only briefly and in the end-game sequence.
Overall? Yeah, I liked the game.
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-13 05:30:27 UTC — permalink
That Explains the Ribbiting
It was finally both warm and not raining at the same time this weekend, so I went out back to do my first lawn mowing of the year.
I found a frog. I named her* Hoppy.
I almost killed her. I mowed right over her and the blessed creature had the presence of mind not to hop as gruesome rotating death roared overhead. I saw her when she hopped immediately after emerging from underneath the mower.
I've had frogs for years — I've heard ribbiting at night, at least. But this is only the second time I've seen one. The first time was last fall when I saw one hop underneath my air conditioner.
I don't know much about frogs, but this one seems pretty small, leading me to wonder how old it is and if perhaps I have a whole family of 'em somewhere. If I find more, I'll let you know. :)
*I speculate the frog is female because after hopping out of my hands the first few times I tried to take a picture, she soon realized that my hands are warm and soft and very pleasing, and then enjoyed the situation. I have observed this response to be typical of females.
© Kyle Markley — Posted 2007-03-05 08:43:28 UTC — permalink
Net Worth Report (and market commentary) - End of 02/07
This has been a fun week. I regret I don't have a good link to share with you about Wednesday's huge stock market decline, but business news services seem to be entirely focused on up-to-the-minute reporting and don't make it easy to browse yesterday's news.
But you all know the story anyway — a 9% decline in China (undoing only the previous several days' gains, it turns out) spread to other markets and caused worldwide losses. U.S. markets were down some 3% and change on the day. There were no safe havens; precious metals saw declines similar to equities (although gold ended the month up 2.9% while the DJIA was down 2.7%.)
Despite having a lot of money in the market, I enjoy declines like this. My
immediate reaction upon turning on the news was " I don't have any particular analysis to proffer about what caused the decline
or what you should do about it. I'm taking no action at all; I'm a fairly
passive investor. Perhaps lazy is a better word — I have some
ESPP shares I've been meaning to sell
for a month (because they've passed the holding period for maximum tax
advantage) and haven't even gotten around to selling them yet. Oops.
My personal results for the month are skewed by three significant events; the
first is a new batch of ESPP shares being purchased and showing up in my
account. (I don't accrue for these so they show up all at once.) The
second is that my employer pays its annual bonuses in February; the third
is its contribution to employees' profit-sharing retirement accounts this
These three items account for all of this month's gains. I was otherwise
flat on the month. There's a lot of "noise" in these figures due to large
changes in home and auto valuations.
You can keep track of other personal finance bloggers at NetWorthIQ. I've
updated my entry there.
I don't have any particular analysis to proffer about what caused the decline or what you should do about it. I'm taking no action at all; I'm a fairly passive investor. Perhaps lazy is a better word — I have some ESPP shares I've been meaning to sell for a month (because they've passed the holding period for maximum tax advantage) and haven't even gotten around to selling them yet. Oops.
My personal results for the month are skewed by three significant events; the first is a new batch of ESPP shares being purchased and showing up in my account. (I don't accrue for these so they show up all at once.) The second is that my employer pays its annual bonuses in February; the third is its contribution to employees' profit-sharing retirement accounts this month.
These three items account for all of this month's gains. I was otherwise flat on the month. There's a lot of "noise" in these figures due to large changes in home and auto valuations.
You can keep track of other personal finance bloggers at NetWorthIQ. I've updated my entry there.


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Is ten years too little or enough to look back and enjoy the first feeling of satisfaction? There is mostly positive energy and a determination to keep on supporting new drama, to bring up new themes, to monitor European trends and to raise awareness about Slovak theatre and drama.
"This year we could find and follow an interesting dramaturgical trail that could have a following motto: ´message about the state of the world´ or ´controversy with the world´(viewing problems of present and/or past that always interferes). "
"New Slovak and foreign plays viewing actual social or personal events or looking at white spots in our history. This all together brings an interesting picture about the world. Two main themes stood out in this year´s New Drama – refreshing memories about the past and escaping the future. Strange combination, isn´t it?"


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I've been watching the sun whenever the weather would clear enough for me to get my little solar scope out for a quick peek... and all I see is yellow!
Very few sunspots seen these last few weeks and the ones that I saw were relatively small and unimpressive.
But I couldn't take it anymore so I got the camera out anyway to take a few sets. Each set was over 5000 images, while only 500 were usable... another unsettled daytime sky! But I wasn't happy with the effort made ~ I got as good an image using my Galaxy S5 over the eyepiece!
Pssst ~ past it on: "Go outside and take pictures of something in the sky"


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Monday, July 27, 2009
The commercial festival boom
25 years ago the British state mounted a huge and brutal police operation to clamp down on the Stonehenge Free Festival. 15 years ago it passed legislation designed to outlaw autonomous dance music festivals in the aftermath of Castlemorton.
The point was never to crush festivals entirely, but rather to make sure that they could only take place when approved, regulated and controlled by the state. Nevertheless it did feel as if the fact of thousands of people gathering together for days on end for music and dancing was something that was fundamentally alien to the ruling culture, at least to the cultural life of the ruling Conservative government.
Even officially sanctioned festivals retained some kind of oppositional edge under the Tories. Glastonbury in the 1980s mainly raised funds for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Lesbian and Gay Pride, which attracted huge numbers to free festivals in London parks, was already being criticised by some queer activists for apolitical hedonism, but this was an era when there was still an unequal age of consent and the government was passing its absurd anti-gay Clause 28. You certainly couldn't imagine government ministers approving, let alone attending either of them.
In the past few years, summer music festivals have become a huge phenomenon in the UK with seemingly countless weekend gatherings for all kinds of music taste. Hundreds of thousands of people must spend at least a couple of nights camping out at a festival. If you add in people who attend non camping festivals such as Notting Hill Carnival you are talking about millions of people every year.
So in a cultural sense the 80s/90s festival crowd has conquered. And indeed its the post-punk/raving generations who are now taking their kids to the more family friendly festivals like Latitude.
Equally of course, the festival scene has been conquered by commerce and administration. Many of the festivals are big business concerns with corporate sponsorship. The biggest player is Festival Republic Ltd which now runs Latitude, Reading and Leeds festivals, as well as being contracted to manage Glastonbury. This started out as Vince Power's Mean Fiddler Group, which grew from running London's The Mean Fiddler music venue in the early 1980s to putting on the Irish-themed Fleadh festivals in London before expanding ceaselessly to run 27 venues and many festivals. Vince Power sold up to in 2005, with Live Nation - a California-based multinational music events company - now the major sharefolder in the renamed Festival Republic.
Festivals have inevitably become more middle class as high entrance fees at most festivals prohibit the attendance of the kind of people who were the backbone of the earlier festival scene. In the 1980s at Glastonbury for instance there was a tacit understanding that thousands of people who couldn't afford tickets would be able to sneak into the site for free, now most festivals are surrounded by high fences and heavy security.
If Thatcher's government denounced festival goers as Medieval Brigands and passed homophobic laws, today's politicians feel festivals are safe enough territory. At Latitude there was several Labour politicians present (notably Ed Miliband, Minister for Climate Change) while the Prime Minister's wife was at LGBT Pride this year.
Despite all the commercialization and regulation of state approved festivals there are obviously worse ways of spending a summer weekend than staying out surrounded by music. But whether the desire for some kind of carnivalesque-lite collective experience has any kind of wider political significance at all I'm not so sure. Does the road to realizing human species being pass through a marquee in a field in Suffolk? Maybe not, but I am sure that in some policy think tank even now, somebody is sweating over how to assemble some kind of Gramscian popular historic bloc that can appeal to the festival public alongside more familiar political demographics like White Van Man and Ford Mondeo Man.
See also: If it's called a festival, is it one?
4 comments:
- undeleted said...
I find that going to your average festival is a bit like going to your average cinema blockbuster ie it's very hard not to feel like you're being ripped off.
I don't really mind the commercialism, it's the treating punters like shit that gets on my nerves. There are pleasant 'boutique' festivals about that aren't too big and still have decent facilities and good music, but you really have to look for them.
I'd never dream of going to Glastonbury or Reading now, maybe not even on a freebie. Too many twats, too many people full stop.
Having said all that, I'm definitely thinking of taking the missus to the Big Chill again this year. It has a certain reputation for middle class smugness but I like it anyway.
- 4:15 pm
- Transpontine said...
One thing that really winds me up is not being able to leave festivals, or at least being refused exit as gate X and told you've got to walk half a mile to the approved gate Y. Then it all suddenly begins to feel more like a prison camp.
- 7:11 pm
- Alex said...
Interestingly, the chief economist of the MCRS PRS (now that's the intro designed to make friends round here!) just published a study which demonstrates that live performance is worth more money to the industry than recording, that it's growing, and this growth more than compensates for the shrinking profits from recording.
Or to put it another way: Dirty Internet mob "entirely right", says Copyright Führer's Economic Advisor.
- 6:48 pm
- Transpontine said...
Interesting to think about the shift to live performance from the musician's view - the bottom line is that many may have to work harder (in terms of endlessly touring) to maintain a level of income they would previously have got from royalties. Admittedly some don't deserve much sympathy, but there might be an analysis of this looking at an intensification of labour in order to pay back debt (to record companies for use of studio time).
- 8:01 am


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0121 557 2551
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Tipton & Coseley Building Society, are based in the UK, with their head office located in the Midlands. They are a member of the BSA - Building Societies Association. They were first founded in 1901, in the humble offices of a local law firm. They focus their attention on core business activities, and have chosen not to diversify into areas extending out of their realm of expertise.
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Customer-service.center phone directory is updated and expanded on a daily basis. We specialize in providing phone numbers that are difficult to obtain, allowing you a quick and easy way to acquire non-premium numbers, thus saving you money and time on your call to Tipton & Coseley Building Society.
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The new Toyota Etios Liva limited editionvariant has been launched by the Toyota Kirloskar Motor. This dual tone limited edition variant of the Toyota Etios Liva hatchback will be available in selected auto markets of India. The Toyota Etios Liva limited edition is available in both petrol and diesel engine variants. The ex showroom [Delhi] price of the petrol engine variant is Rs 6.5 lakh where as the diesel engine powered model is priced at Rs 7.65 lakhs [ex showroom Delhi]. The automaker has designed the new Toyota Etios Liva limited edition with a refreshed and sportier look in order to keep pace with the changing demand of the youths.
The Toyota Etios Liva limited edition is based on the top of line VX variant. The Toyota Etios Liva limited edition is available in one colour scheme super white. The standard safety features of the limited edition dual tone Liva includes anti braking system [ABS], EBD and ISOFIX child seat mounts. Besides that the Toyota Etios Liva limited edition comes equipped with dual front airbags, pre tensioner and force limiter.
The Toyota Etios Liva limited edition features new red accents around the black grille and fog lamps. The AC vents and gear knobs also get red insert around them in the cabin. The car gets a black roof, red boot garnish, red door handles and decals on both the sides. This new limited edition four wheeler comes with a 6.8 inch infotainment system and the reverse camera. The Toyota Etios Liva limited edition withdraws power from a four cylinder 1.2 litre engine, which develops 80 PS power and 104 Nm torgue. On the other hand the 1.4 litre diesel engine develops power of 68 PS and 170 Nm torque. Both the engine come matted with five speed manual gearbox.
Speaking on the launch, Mr. N. Raja, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, "We have been continuously striving to upgrade our products as per the evolving needs in the market and offer the best features to our valued customers. Etios Liva Dual Tone Limited Edition radiates modern style with substance keeping in mind the modern taste of car lovers. We believe the young customers will appreciate the added sportiness to the looks of the car packaged with unbeaten safety features, performance, comfort, high fuel economy and unmatched quality with low cost of ownership. With this smart limited edition, we are confident we will win many more happy customers and continue to sustain our positive growth for Liva."
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Accounts of Ukraine's Energoatom unlocked — Energy Minister
14:52, 29 June 2016Economy
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The accounts of National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom, blocked due to unlawful attempts of Ukrelektrovat to recover doubtful debt, have been unlocked again, Ukrainian Energy Minister Ihor Nasalyk wrote on Facebook.
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The journey upriver is soon to be completed. In September this year, soon after celebrating the Autumnal Equinox, doors of entry were opened for students wishing to become members of Egbe Onisin Eledumare. Classes were conducted and would be initiates evaluated for promotion at the three-mile posts designated for evaluation along the route. Some of our students have been approved by both human and spirit agents/representatives. They are now ready for entry into Igbodu where further evaluation and rigorous examination of both their theoretical and practical skills and knowledge will be evaluated before they can be pronounced as initiates of Egbe Onisin Eledumare, the number one pioneer Orisa/ sacred science organization in Republic Trinidad & Tobago, that have blazed a trail of transformation of African and Yoruba sacred science practice and entry protocols here in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean.
The initiation exercises will be conducted during what is considered Winter Solstice by the Administrators of the organization.
We pray for the safe passage of all participating in the rebirth process.We pray for administrators, neophytes, family members and friends of those undergoing the transformative process. We pray that all will enter safe and return safe. We pray that all will be protected during the several rituals that will be conducted during the process. We pray for open communication channels between ourselves and the Oba Isese Agbaye of the Worldwide Isese Agbaye Community headquartered in Legunse Land.
The Administrators of this site and of Egbe Onisin Eledumare, thank in advance Kabiyesi Oba Erisinba I – Oba Olusino Adekoya for his guidance and collaboration in this exercise.


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"yet even now, return to me with your whole heart" Job 2:12 Jesus, in His Divine Mercy is inviting us…
Lent provides us with a time to return to the Lord with our whole heart. I think the interesting word in this scripture is the word "whole." Jesus desires all of us, not just part of us. He desires to heal those places in our hearts that we have hidden away, maybe through shame and hurt.
Several years ago, I was blessed to join Mona Rahael in recording the CD, "Fix Your Gaze Upon the Face of Mercy." This CD can be found by clicking on the link with title, above.
Mona is the founder and director of the Sanctuary of The Holy Family in Trinidad. This amazing ministry established over 20 years ago, has conducted many retreats, conferences and outreach programs. The common theme for Sanctuary of the Holy Family is to bring God's Mercy to anyone who is hurting and in need of His Mercy.
My own life was changed dramatically by an encounter with God's Mercy, in which the song, "Divine Mercy Flood My Soul" was inspired. This song is also included on the CD.
Mona's voice is filled with the Holy Spirit as she guides us through prayers of gazing at the Merciful Heart and Face of Jesus. I thank God for this holy compilation CD, for the gift of our friendship and for this time of Lent, where we can all count on the Merciful Father to welcome us back no matter how far we have strayed. Don't wait! The Father of tender mercies is waiting for you.


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Eighty-two Chibok schoolgirls seized three years ago by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria have been released into military custody, authorities said late Saturday, a dramatic development in the mass abduction that brought the extremist group's rampage to world attention.
Family members said they were eagerly awaiting a list of names and "our hopes and expectations are high."
It was the second group release of Chibok schoolgirls. Nigeria's government in October announced that 21 girls had been freed after negotiations with Boko Haram, saying another group of 83 would be released "very soon." Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had remained captive.
"Huge numbers," the personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted late Saturday.
A Nigerian military official with direct knowledge of the rescue operation said the 83 freed girls were found near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon.
"The location of the girls kept changing since yesterday when the operation to rescue them commenced," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make the announcement.
The number released could not be independently confirmed by The Associated Press, and there was no official government announcement late Saturday.
On Friday, the United States and Britain issued warnings that Boko Haram was actively planning to kidnap foreigners in an area of Borno state "along the Kumshe-Banki axis." That's close to where the Chibok girls were reported to be found.
The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in April 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.
The mass abduction shocked the world, sparking a global #Bringbackourgirls campaign supported by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and other celebrities. It has put tremendous pressure on Nigeria's government to counter the extremist group, which has roamed large parts of the north and into neighboring countries.
Many of the kidnapped girls, most of whom were Christians, were forced to marry the Islamic extremists and became pregnant. Human rights advocates believe others could be among the young girls who have been used to carry out suicide bombing attacks.
The group representing the families of the girls said they were awaiting direct confirmation from the government.
"This is a very, very exciting news for us that we have over 80 of our girls coming back again," said Bukky Shonibare with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. "Their life in captivity has been one that depicts suffering, it depicts the fact that they have been starved, abused, and as we have seen before some of those girls have come back with children, and some of them have also come back with news of how they have been sexually abused."
The Nigerian government has denied that a ransom was paid in the October release and that it freed some detained Boko Haram fighters in exchange for the girls. The negotiations were mediated by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
At the three-year anniversary of the kidnapping in April, the government said the latest negotiations had "gone quite far" but faced challenges.
Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been "crushed," but the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and neighboring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing starvation.
Story by The Associated Press


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Marin Cilic gets Europe off to flying start
The sets were tough though, as the 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) scoreline at the end of the one hour 47 minutes match suggests.
Prague: Croatian Marin Cilic got Team Europe off to a great start in the Laver Cup when he got past Team World's Frances Taifoe in straight games on Friday. The sets were tough though, as the 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) scoreline at the end of the one hour 47 minutes match suggests.
Cilic got his big forehand firing as he drilled timely winners past his American opponent. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have set aside their long-time rivalry as they turned up for Europe against the rest of the world in the inaugural edition of the Cup.
Team Europe, featuring the world's top two players, are overwhelming favourites to win the three-day tournament, which is named after Australian great Rod Laver, with a squad boasting a combined 36 Grand Slam titles against none for Team World.
The teams are captained by Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, whose own rivalry starting in the 1970s featured a contrast in temperament and style that made their matches the kind of must-watch events that Laver Cup organisers hope to showcase.
"I've been watching these guys play for so many years, it's going to be a fun weekend. But make no mistake, we are here to win," Borg, now 61, said.
Conceived by Federer and his sports management company Team8, the tournament is the latest to join a crowded calendar and comes on the heels of the Davis Cup semi-finals last week.
World number two Federer played down the impact of another event, saying matches over a short period were manageable and gave players on the two teams the chance to build camaraderie.
"I don't think it's too much otherwise all the players wouldn't be here," the Swiss great told a news conference. "The best (players) in the world are very picky in what (tournaments) they play, which (is why it) is great they made this a priority. (We're) looking forward to making friendships because we play together and not against each other for a change," he said. With five players inside the world's top 10, the European squad is heavily favoured.


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"It's not 'I get a turn and then you get a turn'… it's all my space and it's always my turn" – Greg Hamilton
I bailed on Saturday's ceremony.
I feel terrible about it. It is not in my nature to flake out on commitments. In fact I reserve some of my most venomous contempt for people who do that. If I tell you that I am going to do X, then you can rest assured that by God I am going to do X, even if I have to move Heaven and Earth to get it done. I have gone to ridiculous lengths to fulfill minor obligations. It is a pillar of my personal identity- my moral integrity. And this is Jen's biggest event of the year. Only three days away. And I'm well aware that she was already electrified with stress even BEFORE I bailed.
I assured Jen yesterday (for about the fourth time) that I would indeed be there and that I would be ready to do my part. This was not good enough for her. Over the course of the day she sent me four more messages bugging me for further intercourse. She wanted assurance that there is not friction between us, and she still wanted me to explain exactly what I planned to do (right down to what I was fucking THINKING) so that (presumably) she could inform me that I was "doing it wrong". When I saw all those missives piled in my box, I was like, that's it- Fuck This Shit. Aside from my own discomfort- which is a negligible consideration weighed against the integrity of my commitment- it is plain at this point that she is stressing over this to a level that I truly think that dealing with me was causing her more angst than having to replace me will.
I hate drama. I have a traumatic past in drama. I do not appreciate people trying to drag me into their drama when I have made it clear that I do not wish to go there. The last thing I wanted was a BEDS (Big Emotional Drama Scene) three days before the event. Unfortunately, there was *NO* way to get around it. I'm sure I'm going to get some guilt-inducing and stressful nastygrams. But seriously, I think any reasonable person would have said FTS a long time ago. I'm done.
I blocked Jen for the time being; I will probably have to read her mail at some point, and it's going to upset me, but I didn't want to even be tempted to engage in any further drama before the rit- nor do I want to get talked into changing my mind about quitting.
Another community member messaged me when he saw that I was leaving. He's watched Jen do this same thing to a number of people, so we indulged in a little pop-psychology analysis. It's an interesting study in self-sabotage. It's always easier to dissect these things when it's not you. I don't think I was self-sabotaging, in this case, although certain other of my problem issues definitely played a role. Yet since self sabotage is a persistant crime of mine, particularly visible in my MA training, it warrents pondering as pertains to my own situation.
Lamont messaged me to mention the Proving Grounds Championship. I figured I wouldn't qualify anyway, but apparently I do. I had skipped the Revolution this past weekend, and had not planned to do the PGC or anything else. I still haven't come up with any new insights or ideas on the defeatism barrier.
Thursday evening BJJ in Bellevue.
Glenn! He's been out for about a year. So delightful to see him back. I got to drill with him, too.
Drills- from standup, pulling spider guard. Then same, with partner proceeding to pass. Then some positional sparring, starting from establishment of the spider guard. Then postional training starting from sitting on the floor in what Carlos called "double guard pull". After a while, Carlos switched out partners and gave me a young, long-legged blue belt who huffed and puffed like an overweight basset hound. Since it was also hotter than hell in there tonight, this was not helping him. We talked a lot about breathing. I also gave him several other suggestions as we went. I know that it was because he was breathing wrong, but I still found it rather gratifying- given our respective ages- that I had to repeatedly chivvy him along when he was literally on the brink of collapsing.
A few rolls with Allison. I haven't seen him in a while either. He's always great to roll with. He handled me, of course, but I think I made him work a little harder than he has had to work to handle me in the past. I finally had to cry his mercy, though, because I just became too exhausted to continue. He complimented my on my back mount escape. I had escaped his back mount four or five times, usually by grabbing his gi top and squirming around till we were chest to chest (him usually on the bottom at that point). I said, "I thought you were being nice and giving me room to get out," and he said, "No, I was trying." Which, given his skill level, I'm going to take as a compliment even if he's fudging a bit.
At that point I was way too tired to jump on Glenn, so I promised to get him next time.


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Hand Made in Braunschweig, Germany
The Concert Royal has all the richness and brilliance of a complete orchestra. It is rightly considered to be one of the best grand pianos in the world. Its tone, playing mechanism and construction meet the very highest standards in terms of quality, refinement and perfection.
The most delicate pianissimo and the most powerful fortissimo. Every facet of the dynamic spectrum can be perfectly expressed on the Concert. Its sound fills medium-sized halls and conservatories, opera houses and large salons. The Concert results from centuries of experience, intense research and close consultation with music teachers, pianists and acoustic experts.
Sound with such an impressive dynamic spectrum and such well-balanced transparency that it becomes a source of inspiration for the pianist. The quality of this grand piano is the result of the latest insights that have come to light at our manufacturing plant in Brunswick, based on more than 170 years of experience and craftsmanship in building pianos and grand pianos.
Sound with such an impressive dynamic spectrum and such well-balanced transparency that it becomes a source of inspiration for the pianist. We developed a scratch-proof and easy-care surface of lacquer for these models. The studio line is offered in sizes 192 and 208 cm
No expense was spared on the Cabinet. And you can tell – both in its appearance and its sound. Measuring 192 cm in length, the Cabinet is a genuine chamber concert instrument with finely nuanced tonal qualities. Perfect for teaching in the academy or the discerning musician at home.
Sit down at the Chambre and your living room is transformed into a concert hall from the very first note. The strings hold around 18 tons of tension. And thanks to the perfectly engineered mechanics, even the most delicate touch will articulate a clear tone with astonishing volume.
Pianos in music schools, conservatories, studios and on rehearsal stages are often subjected to excessively robust treatment. But nothing can upset the College. It was especially developed to cope with highly demanding environments. So despite heavy usage, its response speed is preserved and the outstanding tonal properties remain brilliant.
The use of modern technology makes it possible to build a piano which does have a very nice sound but still a reasonable price. The friedrich GROTRIAN is fitted with a rectangular back construction instead of the familiar star shaped design. This is possible thanks to an extremely solid cast iron plate.
Clara Schumann lived in Frankfurt and visited the shop of our seller in Frankfurt one day. He asked her to sit at the newly arrived Grotrian grand piano. She rejected first with a comment that she played only Erard-grand-piano. The seller nodded politely, but dragged a piano stool towards her and quietly opened the cover. The pianist took a glove off and moved one hand laxly through the clavier. Then she sat down, took the other glove off and began to play passionately. Afterwards she stood up and declared shortly and briefly: "From now on I play only on Grotrian grand piano."


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IAEE Members and subscribers to The Energy Journal: Please log in to access the full text article or receive discounted pricing for this article.
Energy in a Finite World-Expansio ad Absurdum? A Rebuttal
Wolf Hafele
Abstract: In commenting on the IIASA global energy study, Amory Lovins (1981) implicitly maintains that only those who hold his extreme views are objective. If not, the analyst is dismissed as being subjective, of low technical ability, and mindless. A scrutiny of Lovins's highly repetitive statements reveals that he is essentially saying two things.
Purchase ( $25 )
Energy Specializations: Energy Access – Sustainable Development and Distributed EnergyJEL Codes: Q41: Energy: Demand and Supply; Prices, Q42: Alternative Energy Sources
Keywords: Energy conservation, Energy policy
DOI: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol2-No4-3
Published in Volume 2, Number 4 of the bi-monthly journal of the IAEE's Energy Economics Education Foundation.


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Since its establishment in 1976, the World Wildlife Fund, and World Conservation Union, among other international organizations, have kept up the efforts to maintain Sapo National Park, Liberia's prominent national park. Sapo National Park plays an important part in Liberia's survivability, along with its people; making it vital that we prepare future generations to lead Liberia with eco-conscious capabilities. One way of getting people familiar with the importance of Sapo National Park in Sinoe County, Liberia, might be through the eyes of children. Village Tales Publishing will begin publishing the series, Adventures at Camp Pootie-Cho, using native animals living in the park as characters. The series begins July 2018. Stay tuned.
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Abbott slams Davis, says she should run as a Democrat
Texas governor says Houston Republican has been 'absolutely hostile' to conservative agenda
AUSTIN -- Gov. Greg Abbott gave state Rep. Sarah Davis a political lashing Tuesday, saying his fellow Republican from the Houston area was "absolutely hostile" to his conservative agenda and is no different than a Democrat.
"By all metrics and studies that I have seen, she is clearly the farthest to the left state representative in the state of Texas," Abbott told reporters after casting his ballot at a Randalls grocery store in Austin on the first day of early voting.
He said the West University Place Republican running for her fifth term has worked "antagonistically" against his agenda and has separated herself from Republican ideology, such as by opposing anti-abortion measures and sponsoring a bill that would have meddled with emergency disaster funding and killed ethics legislation out of spite.
Abbott has made Davis a prime target in the March 6 primary, having spent at least $160,000 in TV ads casting her as a liberal who needs to be ousted from the Texas House and endorsing her opponent.
MONEY RACE: Outside money continues to stream into Houston state House race
Davis, who has said Abbott's attacks lack context, refused to sign on to nearly every issue Abbott wanted lawmakers to pass during a 2017 special session. Those ideas included regulating which bathrooms transgender students can use, increasing reporting for abortion providers and instituting local government spending limits, along with nearly 20 others.
The governor is urging voters to elect Susanna Dokupil instead. The CEO of Paladin Strategies communications company worked for him while he was attorney general. Her platform is narrow and focuses on backing the governor's agenda.
Whoever wins the election will have to fend off the winner of the Democratic primary race between Allison Lami Sawyer and Lloyd Wayne Oliver. Given a rash of special elections across the country showing Democratic voters are coming out en force, that could mean Dokupil, a staunch conservative, could have a hard time keeping the district as a Republican House seat.
"Listen, the district is blue already," Abbott said when asked if his attacks are worth it if Republicans ultimately lose that district. "Sarah Davis really has been acting like a Democrat. What she really should do is come out and admit she is a Democrat and run as a Democrat."
Davis shot back, Tuesday, saying Republicans should be dismayed to learn Abbott admitted he knows his attacks on her could cost Republicans the House seat.
"What a sad and pathetic failure of leadership," said Davis. "Gov. Abbott may be willing to abandon the Republican Party but I never will, and I will always be guided by the wisdom of President Ronald Reagan who taught us that a Republican who agrees with me 80 percent of the time is not my enemy."
SPECIAL SESSION: Houston legislator pushing ethics bills acknowledges bottling up a revolving door measure
Davis released her own negative campaign ad Tuesday, called "Dangerous Allies," linking Dokupil to the anti-vaccine movement, a state lawmaker who once joked about martial rape, a judge accused of sexual assault, and indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton.
"She's on the board of a fringe group that wants to build floating cities at sea, avoiding our tax laws," the ad continues, referencing Dokupil's role with the Seasteading Institute which researches and advocates for creating communities on water.
Dokupil responded to the ad late Tuesday night, saying, "I see that my opponent has stopped defending her record. Maybe that's because she can't."
Davis is a member of the House leadership, a team made up of moderate Republicans who run the chamber. House leadership clashed with the governor during the special session, often times bottling up or rewriting bills the governor wanted passed.
Davis represents a wealthy swath of southwest Houston that includes Bellaire, Southside Place, West University Place, the Texas Medical Center and stretches north through Memorial Park.
MAP: See the slideshow above to check if you live in this district.
Voters there chose Democrat Hillary Clinton over Republican Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election by 15 points. Voters in the district, many of whom are doctors, historically back a mix of Republicans and Democrats in downballot races.
The governor, who spoke to reporters after he had just voted, declined to reveal whether he had voted for fellow Republican incumbents Attorney General Ken Paxton, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
"I will reveal one thing for ya, I voted for myself," he said.
MAP: See the slideshow above to see if you live in this district.
Andrea Zelinski covers politics for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at email@example.com.


text: Taking advantage of the peace and quiet at home today (kids at granny's house) I decided to make a yoga mat bag. After going on a yoga retreat earlier in the summer and struggling on the train with my mat tied up with a scarf, I decided one of these was essential. I'd seen a few tutorials and the one I went for was excellent, really clear and simple. It was finished in under two hours. I used some home decor fabric I picked up locally in a sale. I love it!


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The Mekong river created on their way to the Sea of China on the Mekong Delta, a region that encompasses not only Vietnam but also Cambodia. Can Tho, Ben Tre, Chau Doc, Ha Tien, Long Xuyen, My Tho and Rach Gia
Cai Rang floating market is the most active market in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. Excursions, map, plan and schedule the Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho in the Mekong Delta.
Can Tho Bridge in Vietnam, the most important bridge in the Mekong Delta and the most expensive bridge in the history of Vietnam. Length of Can Tho bridge is over 15 kilometers and 171 meters high.


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The Worship Ministry Team plans and coordinates the Liturgical celebrations of our parish. Bringing together our Liturgical ministries, pastoral musicians and members of the Art & Environment team, they work to plan and coordinate prayerful celebrations of the Liturgy. They also strive to enrich our people's understanding of the Mass. Volunteers are asked to make a one-year commitment.
In a sense, this ministry team might be called the ministry of fun and frolic! This team is committed to enhancing the social and communal life of the parish through an assortment of gatherings throughout the year, including the September Picnic, as well as fun events for families and adults. Those who join this ministry are asked to make a one-year commitment.
The Spiritual Development Team is committed to the spiritual development and growth of our parishioners; to awaken and enhance a desire for a deeper relationship with God. Members plan and coordinate opportunities through a variety of prayer forms, studies, encounters and experiences in response to the needs of parishioners
. This ministry team meets approximately 5-6 times over the year.
The Formation Ministry Team looks for ways to develop communication between the parish, youth and our families. We are committed to embracing our children as our younger brothers and sisters in Christ. Our mission is to support a strong Religious Education program and our Youth Groups that will excite our youth into learning and sharing our faith fully. This ministry team meets once a month, usually on the third Monday, 9 times a year.Those who join this ministry are asked to make a one-year commitment.
This is a ministry team of health care professionals and other caring, service oriented people whose concern is the care and well being of our parishioners. They coordinate services to those in need (food, transportation, light housework, etc.). They also share their knowledge with the community through a variety of informational and service programs geared to our better health. This ministry team meets once a month, usually on the third Monday, 6 times a year. Those who join this ministry make a one -year commitment to this ministry.
The Charity & Justice Ministry Team plans and coordinates our parishs effort to reach those in immediate need by providing assistance and works toward building a more just society. Major social teachings of our Catholic faith are promoted through parish education, prayer, and by joining our greater community in events that promote and provide justice. This Ministry Team has about 10 meetings a year (on the second Tuesday of the month). Members who volunteer for this ministry make a commitment for one year.
The Marriage Ministry is composed of parishioners who are dedicated to supporting strong, loving marriages and families. The team plans and coordinates programs, prepares informational materials, and sponsors and promotes events that relate to marriage. They also support programs and outreach to those who are divorced or separated.
The Marriage Ministry meets on Thursday evenings throughout the year.
Adult men or women are welcome to be a part of this exciting ministry. Our Youth Group meetings are Sunday evenings, September to mid-June. The adult team is made up of people who want to stay involved with what their teenagers are doing and a few kid-free adults who just have a love for sharing their faith. We look to these adults for input, advice, and help with behind the scene things that need to be done. You will have a positive impact on their journey through these important years of a teens life and formation. Our adult team meets with our high school youth leadership team about twice a month Sunday mornings between Liturgies in the youth room and are a part of the 33 weekly Youth Group meetings, plus optional participation in retreats, diocesan wide events, overnight planned meetings, Cedar Point trip in the summer, work service trips and community service. (Virtus training and a back ground check are necessary for this ministry.)
This team is committed to creating a spiritual and accepting home for middle school students in grades 6, 7 and 8. EDGE provides a safe place for middle schoolers to learn who they are and to be community to one another. We provide a place of refuge away from the stress of school and family and share our Catholic faith to aid in the middle school student realizing that our faith can be fun! This team meets 8 times a year to plan for 14 meetings. (Virtus training and a back ground check are necessary for this ministry.)


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Recent Posts
- A Whole Year has Passed
- Dear Friends
- A Happy Christmas!
- The Wilds of Tribal Scotland
- Exquisite Sounds
- "Diverse" Settings For Two Reasons
- New Book Release – Jane Bwye – "Going It Alone: A Beginner's Guide To Starting Your Own Business" (Non-Fiction)
- Slow Burners and Book Reviews
- A Spirit of Place!
- The view from a country churchyard
Tag Archives: Kakamega Forest
How Charity Does – or Doesn't – Work in Africa
I feel shattered after a 5am start and seven hours' travel. A smooth flight from Nairobi to Entebbe, then a slooow drive through crawling traffic for about one and a half hours through the sprawling outskirts of Kampala, much greener … Continue reading


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News & Updates
EHTTOA was invited by the Parliamentary Commitee to participate in the development of the state Tourism at R J Resort, Darjeeling along with other stake holders of the entire North East India.
Tourism is an important economic lifeline of Darjeeling but there should first be proper flow of infrastructure for transport and culture that would eventually lead to the development of tourism.
A range of issues in connection with the development of the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling i.e. Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik was discussed with concrete recommendations and suggestions.
He spoke in his capacity as the chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture along with other ministers.
There was a meetings with senior district and state officials and tourism stakeholders also before and after the meeting with EHTTOA.
The area can develop as you have various (tourism) hubs in the region or develop new ones.He said that the possibilities and potentials are tremendous.
The point is to translate dreams into reality. Recommendations that the 13-member parliamentary team might make in its report public soon ......... lot of issues were discussed today …
National Highway number 55 and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway remaining closed for long time
The need to improve railway link (Shatabdi Express to be introduced)
- Air connectivity by various aviation companies instead of two
- Beautifying the Mirik lake
- Ropeway were to be introduced at various places
- Beautification of the region as a whole
- Development of Road
- Development of other projects
- Development of overall Infrastructure
- Issues related to Vehicle permit was discussed


text: Back to all posts "We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are." Day out at the Tate, London. Photos by Mike Nisbet. Leave a comment Add comment Please log in or register to include your contact info. Edit profile Log out * Name * Location * Comment Add comment


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|# Guy Standing
|## "Tertiary Time"
|Standing, Guy. "[Tertiary Time: A Precariat's Dilemma](http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/15658/1/Tertiary%20time,%20preprint%20for%20repository.pdf)." _Public Culture_ 25, no.1 (2013): 5-23.
|* toward a progressive politics of time in the midst of "tertiary" society, where most work is service-based
|* a "prelude" on the preciousness of time. "yet we have no politics of time. We have little appreciation of the inequality or inequities of time." "We need to appreciate that time is a basic asset. ... Like any other asset, time is distributed unequally and inequitably."
|* Greek distinction between labor (non-citizen economy) and work (reproductive activity of citizens), between play and leisure. Adam Smith and Kant's condescension toward service work. Questions the current valuation of labor (in "jobs") but not other forms of work.
|* "the way time is treated depends on the nature of society and the economic system. In agrarian society, it makes no sense to think of standardized working weeks." Standardized time, of course, came only with industrialized work." — "The clock did not just discipline, as E.P. Thompson so elegantly showed in an essay in 1967; it represented denial of agency. Human agency is the core of decommodification."
|* "In tertiary society, time is invaded. We are unable to maintain boundaries of activities." — thus multitasking.
|* "The strongest trend is a growth of 'work-for-labor,' done to enhance 'employability' and to function as a flexible worker. Time in labor may be declining, modestly, but time in work-for-labor is mounting." Now not just working hours are exploited, but non-working hours. Includes training, doing taxes, ethical reflection about work, waiting for work.
|* "The rich and salariat have relatively strong control over their time, the precariat very little." The affluent can hire others' time to do certain tasks for them, prioritizing other things.
|* "Those in and out of short-term jobs and unemployment are under direction to perform tasks in seeking jobs and satisfying bureaucrats, and to wait around at beck and call. They are subject to surveillance and must be instantly available, or risk losing benefits" — esp. through means-tested welfare programs.
|* Alongside the "poverty trap," a "precarity trap," where "the precariat can easily lose more from taking low-wage jobs than not doing so."
|* The result is less time for recuperation or political activity or other forms of constructive leisure. "A result is the thinning of democracy, alongside the commodification of politics and politicians." — "We are under pressure to labor and do more work-for-labor, squeezing out leisure that befits a true citizen."
|* "we must foster a Slow Time Movement, analogous to the Slow Food Movement."
|* Also calls for elevating work, not just labor, and not allowing politicians to get away with calls for more jobs. Against the push for work-for-labor, "There is a need to revive agency and construct forms of 'associational freedom' to check the market freedom tyrannizing the precariat."
|* Argues for a reversal of the industrial labor strategy, which attached benefits of citizenship to labor. Now, labor should be paid only with money, and other kinds of benefits of citizens should be independent of that. Calls for universal basic income.
|* "Today, we need mechanisms to 'thicken' democracy. That is a vital task for progressives. What has this to do with time or economic security? Well, if we stopped making a fetish of labor and jobs, and understood that other forms of work and leisure are just as important and 'productive', then we might turn to efforts to promote them."
|* Following Pericles, suggests attaching basic income to participation in political activity, such as voting.


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NEW YORK, April 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed near record highs on Friday after the largest U.S. bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, soothed worries that the first-quarter earnings season would curb Wall Street's big rally back from last year's slump.
An 11.5% jump in Walt Disney Co shares also gave big boosts to the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 269.22 points, or 1.03%, to 26,412.27, the S&P 500 gained 19.12 points, or 0.66%, to 2,907.44 and the Nasdaq Composite added 36.81 points, or 0.46%, to 7,984.16. (Reporting by Stephen Culp)


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Chris Coleman, manager of Sunderland football club, has backed the decision to limit ticket availability to home matches as rival fans make plans to goad home supporters about their team's imminent relegation.
The move comes as an effort to guard against the possibility of Newcastle United fans attending the Stadium of Light to revel in their Championship rivals' likely relegation to League One. There was talk on social media and fan websites about Newcastle supporters' plans.
After talks with local police, Sunderland officials opted to remove all cash turnstiles for Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Norwich and will not be allowing supporters to pay on the gate for the remaining home games.
The club has also introduced strict eligibility criteria for anyone wanting to purchase a ticket from the box office, requiring anyone attempting to gain access to a home game to have a previous history of purchasing tickets from the club.
"I totally see the security side of it. I get why. Liaising with the police, you have to listen to them, I understand why because safety has to come first," Coleman said, according to the Northern Echo newspaper.
"I want to see the stadium with as many Sunderland people as we can fit, but I can understand why the club and the police have come to that decision.
"Football is football, and you're always going to get one team laughing at another. Especially if it's two derby teams. But all the Newcastle fans I bump in to have been fabulous with me. The proper Newcastle fans have been proper people.
"They want the derby games back. In any walk of life, any industry, there's a small percentage of people that are unsavoury, but the Newcastle fans I speak to want us back up there because they want the derby games."
There was reportedly trouble at a recent under-23 game between the two sides, with Newcastle fans ripping out seats in the away section at the Stadium of Light.
He said: "Football being football, surprises happen all the time. We've been there a while, but it doesn't mean we can't pull something out and take it to the wire.
"Our job is to make sure that at 5pm on Saturday we're still in the fight, and the other teams are looking at it and saying we haven't given it up."
Image: vagueonthehow


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ACC grad Zajac standing tall at St. Ambrose
For Aurora Central Catholic graduate Griffin Zajac, height and weight are just numbers on a piece of paper.
Zajac, a junior defensive back on the Davenport, Iowa-based St. Ambrose University football team, checks in at 5-8 and weighs 165 pounds.
"Physically I probably don't match up well with receivers," he said. "If it's a 6-3 receiver vs. a 5-8 defensive back, teams are going to take that shot. My job is to stay on them, knock that ball down or get the pick."
This season, Zajac has done quite the job in that regard. Through the Fighting Bees' first 7 games, he has four of the team's 11 interceptions and has returned those picks for a total of 103 yards. Zajac also is tops on the team in passes broken up with nine and has 29 total tackles, including 23 solos (a total that ranks fourth on the team).
"It's probably having more experience," he said. "Last year was the first time I had played college football. Now I have some experience. I know what receivers are running. I'm getting more in-depth into scouting reports. It's the mental aspect of the game, and knowing what receivers' strengths are and what their favorite routes are -- those types of concepts. If I know what they are throwing, I'm going to take my shot. The mental game is a big part of my game."
Zajac, a second-team all-conference pick last year and a 2019 College Football America Yearbook NAIA preseason All-American selection, feels his production on the field has resonated with the opposing sideline.
"I think I've done a pretty good job when I'm targeted," he said. "It feels like the targets are less than last year, but because of my height and weight, I'm a target of all teams. Again, it's that mental part where I succeed at the most."
Zajac said interceptions and pass breakups don't happen without additional help.
"I have a job to do and other 10 guys do their job as well," he said. "They are the ones that put pressure on the quarterback so he has no time to make another decision."
Zajac provided a window into his potential last year when he returned an interception a school-record 95 yards for a touchdown against Trinity. He finished last year tied for second in the country in passes defended (interceptions and breakups) per game (2.0) and had 4 interceptions.
"There were two or three minutes left in the half, it was third down and they needed to get to the goal line," he said of the interception. "I jumped an out route and took it from there."
A strategic communications major at the NAIA school, Zajac is appreciative of the opportunity he's receiving both on the field and in the classroom at St. Ambrose.
"I love it here," he said. "I came from ACC, which is small. This is a smaller private school. I didn't want to go to a big college. I think there are 2,700 or 3,000 undergrads here. Class sizes are 20 so the teacher knows your name and they care. Plus, it's two hours away from home. I'm a big family guy, so if I want to go home, it's real close. It's the little things about the school that make me love it here."
Now fully entrenched in a college football career, Zajac said it's fulfilling to be playing the way he is playing.
"I have been overlooked since high school," he said. "During the recruiting process senior year I didn't get a lot of looks because of my height. I know it's a risk and I understand that, but I am a good football player. I'm better than what I look like. I don't ever expect to get awards, and to be honest that came as a surprise. I don't care about awards and stats. I just play football. I play the game I love."
But he also knows there still is room to grow.
"There is a bunch of room for improvement," he said. "I have made mistakes this year and I made some last year. Nobody is ever perfect. I'm pretty positive no defensive back has had a zero-percent completion rate against them. I can get stronger and I can get faster, and still improve myself mentally. I'll never be perfect as a defensive back, but that's another motivation for me. If I want to strive to be the best, I have to prepare to be the best during the season and in the off-season."
Off at College wants your help: Send information and/or statistics on Fox Valley-area athletes playing collegiately to Mike Miazga at email@example.com. Fall sports submissions are encouraged.


text: I dreamt of Mack last night, my brother's bull mastiff. He is just a puppy yet and is sick. He has a sore shoulder and finding it difficult to walk on three legs since he is already a 150 lb dog. In our family we might not agree on a lot of things but we do all agree on how much we love the kids and the dogs. We are hoping his problem isn't going to be serious because Mack is a gentle giant who is loving to all--especially children and other dogs.


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David Cozart is a husband and father of three who is known for being a pillar in his Lexington, Kentucky community. His wife describes him as a father-figure to kids in their neighborhood and men in his community call him a mentor. Cozart is the founder of the Lexington Fatherhood Initiative which helps men become responsible dads through classes, counseling and mentorship.
In his unique field of work and ministry, Cozart says that he does not believe there is such a thing as deadbeat dads. "I don't like that term. I think there are a lot of dead-broke dads. They're dead-broke at times physically. They're dead-broke at times financially. They're dead-broke spiritually but they're not deadbeat. I believe that fathers want to be the best daddy they can be to their children."
Watch how Cozart's initiative is shaping fatherhood in his community as a part of TODAY's phenomenal father's series. Keep up the great work, David!


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I saw this article saying that State Representative Bill Mitchell of Decatur wants to separate Cook County (the county that Chicago is in, my former county) from the rest of Illinois. Frankly, I don't know what to say. It won't happen, of course, but I'm just slightly dumbfounded. I don't think I've heard anyone argue that a city should become its own state (excluding, perhaps, D.C., which is its own special case), let alone someone actually filing a bill to do so.
I've heard of people arguing that states should be their own country (California, for example, or Texas). I've seen the "Dear Red States" mock-secession letter, which, despite being politically incorrect, is humorous. But someone seriously trying to make Chicago the newest state (especially since there hasn't been a new state in over half a century)? I just can't wrap my mind around it.


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Knight Notes
November 27, 2017
Good morning--
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and had an opportunity to enjoy some time with family and friends. This is truly a great time to reflect on all for which we are thankful.
I am truly thankful for the great amount of time and energy that you put into helping our students to be successful. As you look below at he celebrations below and think about the countless accomplishements that our kids make throughout the year, it is truly amazing. They are doing great things! Thanks for helping to make that happen!
Have an awesome week!
New Staff Member
- Wonderful Jazz Concert. Congrats to the band program!
- Congrats to the students who performed with the Metro District 8 Honor Band.
- Congrats to Rob Stegeman for receiving the Tools for Teachers award of $500 from Weber Chevrolet. He was honored on channel 11KLPR.
- Congrats to the @FHNtoday staff for taking 4th Place in Best of Show for Large School Websites at NHJSC.
- Congrats to the North Star for winning a 2017 Pacemaker award.
- Congratulations to Sarah Zimmerman for earning a 3rd Place finish in the Diversity category of the NSPA Story of the Year category.
- Congratulations to Carolynn Gonzalez for earning an Honorable Mention award in the NSPA Newsmagazine Page/Spread of the Year.
- Congratulations to FHN's Grant Argent for being the FHSD BOE Student Representative.
- Congrats to Becky Just and her Iron Chef Team for winning the 10th annual Iron Chef Culinary Throw Down!
All compatible Windows computers will be upgraded to Windows 10 and Office 2016 during the 2017-18 school year. The upgrade allows us to take advantage of performance and security enhancements.
All teachers can now sign up for their laptops to be updated by clicking on the link below. You will be asked to select a week to choose from (including the option of leaving it over winter break). Will Dillingham will follow up with each teacher during their chosen week to inform them of the specific date that week when their laptop will be updated. This takes about 3 hours per computer and we will provide you with a spare laptop while this occurs.
Please remember to back up ALL of your files on your computer to a flash drive or to a digital server. The files will not be recoverable after the upgrade. Once your computer goes in for upgrade, it should be returned to you by the next day.
Please contact Dr. Birch if you have any questions.
For more information about Windows 10 and Office 2016, the Technology and Communications departments created a useful video of some of the new features and changes to expect following the upgrade. Click this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqBbl1SthMw&feature=youtu.beto view the training video.
2016-2017 Staff Commitments to the Learning Environment
In order to improve the climate/environment at FHN, the staff commits to:
1. building positive relationships with students and staff members.
2. helping students to see the relationship between effort and success.
3. addressing any inappropriate behavior immediately to help set an expectation of appropriate hallway and classroom behavior.
4. giving clear and consistent expectations for device use and by enforcing them.
5. counting tardies consistently.


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A Devotion Based on Acts 20:13-21:36
When reading this passage of the Scripture, I can sense that Paul had become emotionally and spiritually involved with the Ephesians. Because he was with these people for several years, he was able pour out himself to them before his arrest. He was open with them about his past sins and the way he felt unworthy to receive God's grace. They were able to see his heart that surpassed his own humility. He did not hide anything from them, even his tears and hardships.
The Ephesians was able to see Paul as a genuine person. Paul was able to preach anything to them even if they would not like it. He was willing to hurt their feelings temporarily if it would heal their hearts for eternity. He did not just teach them about many wondrous things God wanted to do for them. Instead, he made sure that taught them the bitter truth about hardships, about bearing the cross.
There are times when I worry too much about people's feelings when I'm preaching God's truth. Because I don't want people to hate me! But then I realized that my responsibility is with God and the Holy Spirit that guides me, not to other people.
The main question is: "Will I try so hard to impress others with my skills and credentials that I would alter the message or will I emphasize on teaching and obeying God's Word?"


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Go for female excellence
The Milano 72 takes us back to the hard-fought victory by Eddy Merckx in the 1972 Giro d'Italia. After winning four stages he finished first in Milan to reinforce his supremacy as the top tour rider.
For female racers who want to give their utmost, this high-performance Milano 72 is the right answer. This ladies' racing bike was designed specifically to complement female geometry.


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*as Indomie, DSTV join Nickelodeon as associate sponsors
Top Nigerian singers including Mayorkun, Falz, Simi and Adekunle Gold are among the music artists expected to perform at the second edition of NickFest billed for September 29 – 30 in Lagos.
The event, which is scheduled to hold at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, is being hosted by Nickelodeon in partnership with Maltina.
According to a statement from the organisers, parents can treat their families to a two-day extravaganza at the orange entertainment filled wonderland.
"In addition to Maltina's Happyland, this year, the entertainment packed event welcomes associate sponsors Indomie and DStv Nigeria who will be joining in on the fun by creating additional experience zones.
"TV personality, Ikponmwosa "IK" Osakioduwa returns as a host, joined by Nigeria's Got Talent maiden edition winner, Amarachi as a co-host.
"Tickets are available at Afritickets for N5,000 each day for adults and children three-years and above, while kids under the age of two have free access to the Federal Palace on Saturday, 29 September and Sunday, 30 September.
"Families can anticipate performances by Nickelodeon's superstar characters: SpongeBob Square Pants; Adventure Bay's intrepid pups, Skye, Rubble Marshall and Chase from Paw Patrol; the energetic Dora the Explorer with her animal rescuer cousin, Diego and her best pal, Boots.
"The genies who can solve any problem, Shimmer and Shine, are also part of the amazing character lineup and there will be surprise performances by some of Africa's adored entertainers.
"Kids and parents can look forward to lots of singing, dancing and pure laugh-out-loud wholesome fun as they are whisked away to their favourite Nickelodeon characters' worlds," the statement reads.
It added that the Celebrity Slime Challenge will be the highlight of NickFest as popular personalities are slimed green in an effort to raise both awareness and funds for children support through NGO projects in Nigeria.
It will be recalled that some of Nigeria's top entertainers such as Mr. P (Paul of P-Square), Chioma Akpotha, Ill Bliss, Mr. Eazi, Samantha Walsh and Ehiz were featured in last year's festival. They also got slimed several times in order to raise awareness and funds for the indigent Children's Trust project.
"Apart from creating an opportunity for attendees to give to a good cause, NickFest serves as an avenue for children to have fun with their favourite Nickelodeon characters and for adults to let loose and relive their childhood," it noted.