text:
Murphy USA has opened the first E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) station in Arkansas, located at 2720 N. West Avenue in El Dorado. The Arkansas station is also the second Murphy USA location to offer E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline). E15 is approved for vehicles 2001 and newer, while both E15 and E85 can be used in flex fuel vehicles. Murphy USA operates 1,179 stores in 23 states throughout the country, with additional E15 and E85 locations being planned in the Midwest.
"It is very encouraging to see a major retailer like Murphy USA understand the value in offering ethanol-blended fuels like E15 and E85, and we are confident they will have a positive experience," stated Robert White, director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). "Retailers across the country are always looking for new opportunities to increase volumes and margins, while also attracting new consumers, and E15 and E85 are the perfect fit."
The very first E15 station opened over a year ago in Lawrence, Kan. With the addition of the Arkansas station, there are now more than 60 stations in 12 states registered to offer the higher level fuel blend. E15 is the most tested fuel additive in the history of the Environmental Protection Agency and has been on the market for more than 16 months and driven over 45 million miles with no known cases of engine damage. Additionally, E85 has been available since 1995. There are now approximately 3,216 stations that sell E85 and more than 15.5 million flex-fuel vehicles on the roads.
Listen to the interview with Robert White about Murphy Oil's E15 rollout strategy: Murphy USA Embraces E15


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During the 1950s and late 1960s before the advent of affordable electronic instruments, the only organisations that could afford the cost of the equipment and space for dedicated electronic music studios were generally large educational establishments such as Columbia University (USA) or as in this case, national broadcasters such as the state run Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) in Cologne – at the time the largest and wealthiest broadcaster in West Germany. The benefit for these organisations was, on one hand to have a local resource for electronic music and sound effects to use in broadcasting but also, for 'nationalistic' reasons; to be see as liberally progressive and technologically advanced. Electronic Music composers remained reliant on their patronage until modular synthesisers became available in the late 1960s.
The Electronic Music Studio at Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) in Cologne was founded by the composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert (the studios first director) and was based on Meyer-Eppler's ideas outlined in his 1949 book 'Elektronische Klangerzeugung: Elektronische Musik und Synthetische Sprache'. This thesis defined the ongoing theoretical character of the studio as being based around electronically synthesised sound – in sharp contrast to Schaeffer's musique concrète acoustic approach at GRN in Paris.
WDR is seen as the 'Mother of all Electronic Music Studios' because it quickly became a meeting place and forum for an international group of avant-garde composers including Ernst Krenek (Austria/USA), György Ligeti (Hungary), Franco Evangelisti (Italy), Cornelius Cardew (England), Mauricio Kagel (Argentina) and Nam June Paik (Korea) and Gottfried Michael Koenig who became the technical assistant at WDR and helped many composers create their pieces as well as writing many key pieces of electronic music at WDR (Klangfiguren II (1955), Essay (1957) and Terminus I (1962)). The pioneering work of previous composers has been somewhat overshadowed by the arrival of Karlheinz Stockhausen at WDR (who succeeded Eimert as director in 1962) in 1953 with pieces such as 'Gesang der Junglinge' and Kontakte (1960) and Hymnen (1967) which became landmark works within the electronic music oeuvre.
The studio was originally equipped with a modified Trautonium by Dr Friedrich Trautwein modified to Meyer-Eppler's specification called the Elektronische Monochord and with a Melochord by Harald Bode . As well as these instruments the studio consisted of:
- Signal generators: sine , rectangular, sawtooth and noise
- Filters: octave, third, radio drama (W49) filters.
- Pulse generator
- Ring Modulator
- Oscilloscope
- Rotary speaker for recording spatial sounds
- Echo and reverb chambers: the reverb chamber being a large empty room where sounds could be played through speakers and re-recorded with the room ambience added.
- Sixteen channel (2 X 8 channel) audio mixer
- Patchbay to route modules
- Tape Machines: several mono, 2-track and one 4-track (one of the earliest 4-track recorders made) tape recorders and a 'Springer' variable speed tape recorder with a rotating 6-fold playback head.
The equipment of the studio was updated to Stockhausen's specifications in early 1970s to include what by then was standard voltage controlled modular synthesisers, including a large customised EMS Synthi 100. WDR studio remained in use until 2000 when it was closed though some of the original equipment was saved from destruction and is now stored in the basement of the WDR building in Cologne, Germany.
Thom Holmes. Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture
Thomas B. Holmes. Electronic and Experimental Music: Pioneers in Technology and Composition
Der WDR als Kulturakteur. Anspruch – Erwartung – Wirklichkeit. Published by the German Cultural
Council. Authors: Gabriele Schulz, Stefanie Ernst, Olaf Zimmermann. Berlin 12/2009. 464

subset: commoncrawl


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When I started
What if she's a neat
freak? What if she doesn't like me? What if I don't like her?
best friend
preparing myself for living with a stranger for 2 semesters, a billion thoughts ran through my head: Fortunately, my roommate Kristin has turned out to be my at school! We are actually the only roommates on our floor who are really close. A lot of people think we are —which is almost true!
Having a roommate
like Kristin has made my transition into college so much easier because it crossed
"worry about psycho roommate" off my to do list immediately. Also, I know a lot
of freshmen have difficulty making friends their first year in college and to
know that I have made a best friend in such little time makes me feel extremely
lucky to have her. Since the first week of school we've told people that we
were meant to be roommates. It's like we've known each other for years,
although it's only been a few short months!
Even while we were on winter break we still talked almost every day
about our boy problems, how we were doing, or just something funny that
reminded us of each other.
The greatest piece of
news I have about living with Kristin is that the fun isn't going to end when
spring semester is over. We've decided to rent an apartment for next year! I
know it is going to be loads of fun living together for another year. I
honestly couldn't have asked for a better roommate!


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LaRussa Carved Distinct Path On The Road To Cooperstown
Monday morning, the inevitable became reality as the announcement was made that Tony LaRussa had been selected for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For the most successful manager born within the last century, the decision was honestly not a difficult one to reach. Rather, it is a due that shows that persistence truly does pay off in the end.
LaRussa was the backbone and identity shaping presence for two of the memorable runs for a pair of baseball's most distinguished franchises. And despite not ever being one to shy away from stating his mind or bulldogging his tactics through anything—or anyone, who may doubt them, the results stood for themselves: LaRussa was simply the best at what he did for over three decades.
After cutting his managerial teeth with the Chicago White Sox, it was in Oakland where first made his major bones by building the American League powerhouse of the late 80's and early 90's around the Hall of Fame (and Hall of Fame-caliber) talents of Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, Mark McGwire, Dave Stewart and Jose Canseco, among others. After taking the head job in 1986, over the next nine seasons the A's won three American League pennants, with the peak being their victory in the 1989 World Series.
However, it was his tenure in St. Louis that will stand as the definitive run of his career. When he arrived in St. Louis, the Cardinal franchise was on a downturn. After being the most successful National League franchise of the 1980's, they had not been to the playoffs in 10 seasons and had struggled to keep their head above water within their own division.
All of that changed when LaRussa took the helm.
The organization underwent sweeping changes in 1996 with the new management group headed by Bill DeWitt took over, and one of the first changes made was to acquire LaRussa to lead a revival from the bench. With new general manager Walt Jocketty, he was armed with a new look Cardinal club, and LaRussa swiftly led the group back to the top of the newly minted National League Central and within one game of the World Series. Over the following 15 years, he would reach the postseason 10 more times, including three World Series, with victories in 2006 and 2011. By the time he decided to call it quits, his mark on the franchise was indisputable. Of his 2,728 victories, 1,408 came in the Cardinal uniform, making him the most successful St. Louis manager ever by 367 wins. He won seven divisional titles and never went more than three years without reaching the postseason. All things considered, he restored the luster to the Cardinal name.
However, these means were not reached without some friction along the way. His non-compromising style was unapologetic and was not questioned without one of his signature glares, the look of which you could almost read him attempting to gather himself to not respond with too much hostility, verbally at least. This approach caused notably friction between him and even his most talented players. Ozzie Smith mostly stayed away from the team during his tenure, due to his disagreement with how his final year was handled under LaRussa. His rift with the Rasmus family is well known, as was the resistance between Scott Rolen and himself, leading to Rolen's departure. TLR's persistence on doing things his way annually ruffled even the feathers of the masses that came out to support his team.
But ultimately, his way proved more often than not to be the best way. If there is one thing he cannot be tied to, it is the textbook. His championship teams in '06 and '11 stand in as a stark reminder that he had a skill for making the unlikely seem like the best option, and ultimately triumphing. His reliance on a succeeding with an powerful American League approach in the slash-and-dash National League furthered this methodology. As a manager, he staunchly stood by his guys, and took the hits when things went wrong. Case in point remaining in the blame he takes for the improbable collapse of Rick Ankiel's career. He believed in players earning their stripes, but once they did, he would stick with them throughout the rest of their career. Much of this is shown in his career-spanning relationship with Dave Duncan, as well as the carryover of many of the standouts of his Oakland days contributing in St. Louis as well. The acquisition, and coaching return, of Mark McGwire only furthers the point: once you were in, you were in for life.
He believed in the game being played the right way, and quite often, whether it was clear in the moment or not, that was his way. Although the motive may have seemed seemed cloudy, the outcome often was not. While he never captured the people the way that Herzog did, nor was he a face of the organization in the way that Matheny is, but he would not have been who he was if he had been the congenial type. It was not in his nature to be welcoming or too often engaging, but it was his focus and demeanor which often raised his teams above both their talent and pay level. Regardless of how many MVP's, Cy Young or Rookie of the Year winners he may have had in tow, there was no doubt who ran the show. It was undoubtedly Tony's team.
In the end, success breed acceptance, and he became a part of the Cardinal family, as his permanently shelved #10 on the outfield walls proves. Only two others have outdone him in the wins category, Connie Mack and John McGraw. Of that trio, him and Mack are the only coaches in North American sports history to manage over 5,000 games.
And while he heads to Cooperstown with joined by another duo of greats in his contemporaries Bobby Cox and another former Cardinal skipper in Joe Torre, with all due respects, neither did what Tony did to reach this pinnacle. LaRussa will on in time as a complicated, but undeniably incomparable presence in both Cardinal and baseball lore.


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Rescuers struggle to locate sunken Bangladesh ferry, missing passengers
LOUHAJONG, Bangladesh – Rescuers were struggling Tuesday to locate a sunken ferry that was overloaded and carrying hundreds of passengers when it capsized in a river in central Bangladesh, leaving at least two people dead and probably many more.
After the M.V. Pinak sank late Monday morning, at least 44 passengers swam safely to shore, but it was unclear Tuesday how many were missing. The head of Bangladesh's water transport authority said about 50 people were unaccounted for, while local administrators received a list of 116 missing people from relatives and villagers.
It was not known exactly how many people were on board the boat because ferry operators in Bangladesh rarely maintain passenger lists. Local media said there were about 250 passengers, but the figure could not be immediately confirmed.
A salvage ship reached the accident site in the River Padma on Tuesday, but strong currents and high waves were preventing a rescue operation from being launched, said Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan.
On Monday, local residents and rescuers recovered two bodies from the water, but many more were believed to be trapped inside.
Many of the passengers aboard the ferry were returning from ancestral villages after celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
Azizul Haque, who was among those who survived by swimming to shore, said he jumped overboard when it became clear the ferry was going down.
"The ferry went out of control due to winds and currents, tilting from one side to the other," Haque, 30, said. "Then the captain jumped out because he probably understood it was sinking. The river was rough, and there were many passengers on board."
The ferry capsized in the Padma River in Munshiganj district, about 44 kilometers (28 miles) south of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital.
Jasim Uddin, 35, was among a crowd of people who watched the vessel go down from the shore, recording it on his cellphone as it disappeared.
When the survivors began to come to shore, he said they were exhausted and panicked.
"One woman swam nearly to shore and was picked up by a speedboat," he said. "She was crying, saying she has two daughters. It was panic. Everyone was praying to God."
As news spread of the accident on Monday, about 500 people, including relatives of the missing, gathered by the water, many of them weeping and holding photos of their loved ones.
Scores of people die in ferry accidents every year in Bangladesh, where boats are a common form of transportation. The Padma is one of the largest rivers in the delta nation, which is crisscrossed by more than 130 rivers.
Poor safety standards and overcrowding are often blamed for the accidents. In May, about 50 people died in a ferry accident in the same district.
On Monday, the Ministry of Shipping ordered an investigation into the latest tragedy, giving a 10-day deadline.


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Early this year, attacks that allegedly originated from China against Google and other major tech firms were revealed. The attacks against Google resulted in compromised email addresses and the theft of data.
The attacks led to a confrontation between Google and the Chinese government that eventually grew to involve the U.S. government and turned into a censorship battle. Ultimately, Google closed its Chinese site and redirected users to the Google Hong Kong page that was less filtered than the Chinese page.
Naturally, the Chinese government didn't like the fact that Google was redirecting users to other webpages for search. With the operating license that allows Google to run search operations in China up for renewal soon, the search giant is suddenly backing off and no longer redirecting some users from the Google.cn page to the Google Hong Kong page automatically. For searchers who land on the Google.cn page to be redirected, they have to click the anywhere on the page.
Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond wrote in a blog post, "It's clear from conversations we have had with Chinese government officials that they find the redirect unacceptable, and that if we continue redirecting users, our Internet Content Provider license will not be renewed." He also stated, "Without an ICP license, we can't operate a commercial website like Google.cn so Google would effectively go dark in China."
Google is trying to renew is the Internet Content Provider license that is required by every website that operates in China. Without the license, the website will not be available to the largest internet using market on the planet.
According to Reuters, the likelihood that Google is making this move without having talked to Chinese authorities would is remote. The action Google is taking is likely a result of negotiations between the search firm and China.
Source: DailyTech


text:
Indie adventure game The Journey Down, which has actually been available in various versions for a while now, but today sees the release of a "HD" version which turns the formerly low-fi experience into something a little shinier.
These Great Fortnite Creative Maps Show Us What's Possible
If you've never played it, but love adventure games, you should see about fixing that. Of all the games in the last twenty years to have tried, The Journey Down probably does the best job of all in capturing that special mix of humour, puzzles and quirkiness that made the 1990s the golden era for the genre.
It's playable for free, but if you like what you play I'd say pay the $14 and get the HD version (available below). It's definitely worth it.
The Journey Down [Official Site]


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Bone fracture repair
Primary tabs
Bone fracture repair is surgery to fix a broken bone using plates, nails, screws, or pins. Bone grafts may be used to allow for proper healing or to assist in the healing process.
While you are pain-free under general or local anesthesia, a surgical cut is made over the fractured bone. The bone is placed in the proper position. Screws, pins, or plates are attached to or placed in the bone temporarily or permanently. Long bones may be fixed with nails placed in the bone cavity.
Any disrupted blood vessels are tied off or burned (cauterized). If a lot of bone has been lost due to the fracture (especially if there is a gap between the broken bone ends), the surgeon may decide to do a bone graft. Bone grafting may be performed using the patient's own bone, usually taken from the hip. Or, bone taken from a donor can be used.
If bone grafting is not necessary, the fracture can be repaired by the following methods:
- One or more screws may be inserted across the break to hold it.
- A steel plate held by screws may be drilled into the bone.
- A long, thick metal pin (sometimes called a rod or nail) with holes in it may be driven down the shaft of the bone from one end. Screws are then passed through the bone and through a hole in the pin.
In some cases, blood vessels and nerves are repaired with microsurgery. The opening in the skin is then closed. If the broken bone has pierced the skin, the bone ends need to be washed with sterile fluid in the operating room to prevent infection. The washing process may need to be repeated if the wound is dirty or becomes infected.
Why the Procedure Is Performed
Surgical repair is recommended for complicated fractures that cannot be realigned (reduced) by nonsurgical methods. This is especially true of fractures that involve joints. Poorly aligned joint surfaces may contribute to the development of arthritis.
Risks for any anesthesia include the following:
- Reactions to medications
- Problems breathing
Risks for surgery include the following:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Injuries to nerves, vessels, and tendons
After the Procedure
Surgery often allows patients to regain movement and heal faster than nonsurgical treatment. Your long-term outlook depends on the severity of the fracture.
It is usually not necessary to remove an internal fixation device unless it causes problems.
Outlook (Prognosis)
The length of the hospital stay depends on the:
- Condition of the blood and nerve supply
- Condition of the bone
- Presence of an infection
- Presence of other injuries
- Severity of the fracture
Most fractures heal in 6 - 12 weeks. Children's bones heal rapidly, usually in 6 weeks.
Browner BD, DeAngelis JP. Emergency care of musculoskeletal injuries. In: Townsend CM Jr., Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 21.


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Interpol has issued an international wanted notice for conservationist and "Whale Wars" TV star Paul Watson, days after he skipped bail in Germany as Costa Rica tried to have him extradited.
Watson was arrested at Germany's Frankfurt airport on May 13 on an arrest warrant issued by Costa Rica, which accuses him of endangering a fishing vessel off the coast of Guatemala in 2002.
He posted roughly $302,000 bail and was ordered to remain in Germany as it considered Costa Rica's extradition request, but he stopped reporting to authorities on July 22, a German court said. Watson left Germany and forfeited his bail, according to his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which isn't revealing his location.
"Following confirmation from German authorities that Paul Watson had failed to satisfy the bail conditions established by the German courts and had fled the country, Costa Rican authorities renewed their request" for Interpol to issue an international wanted notice for Watson, which Interpol did Tuesday, Interpol said.
Costa Rican authorities allege that Watson - whose attempts to disrupt Japanese whalers at sea gained him fame on Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" TV show - and his crew aboard Sea Shepherd's Ocean Warrior ship endangered a Costa Rican fishing vessel during a confrontation off Guatemala's coast.
The U.S.-based Sea Shepherd denies the allegations, arguing that the charges have less to do with law than with Watson's anti-conservationist enemies.
In the 2002 incident, according to Sea Shepherd ship operations officer Peter Hammarstedt, the Ocean Warrior found a Costa Rican crew killing sharks for their fins in Guatemalan waters. The Ocean Warrior initially had permission from Guatemalan authorities to stop it and tow the vessel into port, he said.
The Ocean Warrior used water cannons on the fishing vessel, but "there were no injuries and no physical damage to any ship," Hammarstedt said in May.
The Ocean Warrior did stop the ship, but Guatemalan authorities eventually asked Watson to release it, Hammarstedt said.
The confrontation is detailed in part of a 2007 documentary, "Sharkwater," Hammarstedt said.
Shark finning is the practice of cutting the fins off sharks and throwing the sharks back into the sea, where they die. The fins are used for expensive soup, mostly in China.
The current charge, according to Interpol, is "causing a danger of drowning or of an air disaster."
Sea Shepherd says that "anyone who's viewed the documentary can clearly see the charges are bogus."
"The water cannon Captain Watson allegedly used to stop the illegal shark finners never reached the wheelhouse, thereby having no possibility of interfering with their safe navigation, nor were there any aircraft overhead at the time so as to potentially cause an 'air disaster,'" Sea Shepherd said in a statement issued Wednesday.
Interpol's wanted notices, called red notices, are sent to police agencies across the world, but they are not arrest warrants.
"Each of Interpol's 190 member countries must apply their national laws and standards in determining whether it may detain or arrest the wanted person," Interpol says.
May 2012: Bail set for 'Whale Wars' star in extradition fight
Ewww. Whats wrong with his picture?
What's wrong with his picture? Nothing, that's what he looks like.
Bout time the terrorist liberal groups face the law. ELF, PETA, I'm looking at you.
He ought to be doing time for that rug, eeesh
Paul Watson is a coward. He is quick to put crew members ' lives in danger but when he is facing charges(legit or not) he runs away. What an embarassment.
Paul "Humans are a virus" Watson says that humans are a cancer on the earth. He advocates returning humankind back into the stone age, regulating who may or may not have children. "No human community should be larger than 20,000 people and separated from other communities by wilderness areas." the nutjob says. Well I say all of you who support this maniac and his genocidal aspirations kindly end your own lives first before you come after any of ours. "People should be placed in parks within ecosystems instead of parks placed in human communities" he says. So who will be the one to decide who gets into the parks? Paul Watson? "We need to radically and intelligently reduce human populations to fewer than one billion" "Who should have children? Those who are responsible and completely dedicated to the responsibility which is actually a very small percentage of humans" - These are all things this lunatic advocates. All you who try to defend this guy need to open your eyes. Do you really think you will be one of the few who are allowed to live in the human parks this guy has in mind?
I agree with Paul Watson 100% on this. Humans have to be quarantined from harming earth's life.
its very pathetic that a person like Paul who is fighting for a better earth is facing challenges and horrible comments from people who claim themselves (in an induced manner) to be dreamers of a better world for human beings, "ONLY HUMAN BEINGS". alas! when will they ever learn that we too are a part of the world like the other creatures & world is not a part of us!!!
We support you Paul. a shame of human does not know the word enough
Whale Wars...is one of the best reality shows in today's world.....is pathetic how whalers kill such a beautiful animal...solely for the profit.....cheers for all the volunteers on the "Sea Sheperd Conservation Society"...you may disagree with their methods....we don't....but their cause is very noble.....
This coward runs when it's his turn to face a judiciary body.
Paul Watson, and this rag-tag group of volunteers that refers to themselves as "crew", can suck lemons because they're all nothing but pirates and should be charges as such.


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As expected, Facebook on Wednesday launched its new location-sharing feature called Places. Similar to other location-based services such as Gowalla and MyTown, it allows you to signal your presence at a bar, restaurant, arena, or other location via Facebook. The social network's focus appears to be on simply sharing your location with your friends as opposed to including gaming elements or promotional check-in incentives that you find with other location services such as Foursquare
Places promises to be an interesting addition to Facebook, and could increase the popularity of location sharing in general. But before you start checking in to every restaurant, movie theater, and bar you visit, here's what you need to know.
Places Basics
At launch, Places will be available to U.S. users only. You can check into a location in two ways: through the Facebook iPhone application or by pointing your mobile browser to touch.facebook.com. The browser-based version of Places will work only if your device supports HTML5 and geolocation.
Just tap the Places icon and you'll see a list of nearby Places. Tap on your location from the list, and you can check in, tag any friends who are with you, and add a status update. When you tag a friend, you will be checking them in if they allow third party check-ins. If your friend doesn't allow third party check-ins, then tagging them will be just like tagging them in a status update. No actual check-in will happen.
You can only check in people who are on your Facebook friends list and only when you first check into a location yourself. You can see who else is at your location under the "People Here Now" section for that place.
Facebook says all Places check-ins are visible only to friends by default unless your master privacy control is set to "Everyone."
For more detailed information about Places, consult PC World's report from Facebook's Places launch event. You can also find more information in this Facebook blog post and the Places information page.
Plays Nice With Others
Facebook has decided not to wipe other location-based services off the face of the Earth. Instead these services can use Places to enhance their own offerings.
It's not entirely clear how this will work, but Gowalla Chief Technical Officer Scott Raymond said in an interview with VentureBeat that Gowalla's plan was to allow users to push their check-ins from Gowalla into Facebook's Places feature. It appears you will also be able to import your check-in badges, pins, and Gowalla passport stamps into Facebook.
Bing Maps
It should come as no surprise that Facebook is using Microsoft's Bing Maps to pinpoint locations in Places.
Microsoft made a considerable investment in Facebook several years ago, and other Microsoft services such as Bing search and Microsoft Docs are already integrated with Facebook.
Not Yet Fully Functional
Some have reported seeing messages that Places is not yet available in their area, while others say they can activate Places but the check-in function is not operational.
If you're experiencing similar problems, hold tight the functionality is coming soon. Facebook is slowly rolling out the service and will make it available across the U.S. over the next few days, according to TechCrunch.
The Onslaught Begins Thursday
Facebook says it plans on turning on the Read API for third-party functionality on Thursday. What that means is that third-party services will be able to read your check-ins when you interact with those apps as well as the check-ins of people on your friends list (if their privacy settings allow it), according to programmableweb.
Any third-party application that wants to use your check-in data must specifically ask you for it when you authorize the app, according to Facebook. However, be aware of some downsides.
It appears there's no way to deny access to your Places data and still use the application. So if you want to use an application that requires your Places data, you either must deny the application completely or accept the fact that the application will be harvesting your location data. You can find out more about Facebook's privacy permissions here.
Privacy Concerns
The first criticisms over Places and privacy appear to be from the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. The civil rights group doesn't like the fact that there isn't a flat out "No" option to stop friends from checking you in.
If someone checks you in at a location, you receive a mobile notification that a friend has checked you in. Then you must decide to either permanently authorize third-party check-ins or deny them by selecting "not now," according to the ACLUNC. The concern is that by selecting "not now," the request to authorize third-party check-ins may come up again and again until you finally say yes. Also, if you use Places to check yourself in, then third-party check-ins are turned on automatically unless you adjust your privacy settings, according to the ACLUNC.
The ACLUNC also says that the "People Here Now" feature doesn't have enough granular control. The feature only has an option to be turned on (everyone can see your check-in) or turned off (no one can see your check-in). The ACLUNC would prefer to see an option that allows only your friends to see you under the " People Here Now" feature. It also appears that "People Here Now" is turned on by default "if you have previously selected that "Everyone" can see even a single piece of your information," according to the ACLUNC.
Have you tried Places yet? What do you think of the new service?
Connect with Ian on Twitter (@ianpaul).


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Be alert in the year ahead for several unusual business propositions. Even if some things seem excessively strange, you should examine each offer seriously.
Trying to patch up a broken romance? The Astro-Graph Matchmaker can help you understand what to do to make the relationship work. Send for your Matchmaker set by mailing $3 to Astro-Graph, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- As long as you stay away from speculative ventures, this should be a profitable day for you. Go out of your way to make your bundle the old-fashioned way -- earn it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don't allow a few minor setbacks to diminish your hopes and expectations. Any obstacle you encounter is likely to be merely temporary, and easily overcome.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Even if you can't totally resolve some unwanted developments, you should be able to lessen their impact. Besides, challenges only stimulate your ingenuity.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don't deny yourself or those you love an unexpected pleasurable encounter, even if it costs you a few bucks. The happiness it engenders is worth the sacrifice.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- It's imperative that you study important situations very carefully. What at first appears to be unpleasant might contain benefits that you'll discover only after a close inspection.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- If you're too materialistic, you might not be satisfied by the results of your efforts. Look out for your interests, but not by gouging another.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Funds could suddenly become available to you for obtaining something you've wanted but never thought you could afford. How this unfolds could be rather mysterious.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- There's a chance that you could be subjected to some frustrating resistance from an individual who is usually easygoing. It proves that everybody is human.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- What works for you might not work for someone else. Thus, ignore any pessimistic opinions this person might express about something or someone that you hold dear.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- It behooves you to try to do something different with a casual acquaintance. Fresh personalities and encounters will have a very favorable effect on you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- You don't need to be fearful if you find yourself in a tight spot. Adversity only strengthens your resolve, and you'll discover you're more than a match for spontaneous complications.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- It's best not to discard traditional methods in order to experiment with something new. Actually, working with known qualities enhances your chances for success.


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Does that scare you?
Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long. We may even begin to look for other tasks we've been avoiding so that we can feel that same heady mix of excitement and completion.
Whether we avoid something because it scares us or bores us, or because we think it will force a change we're not ready for, putting it off only creates obstacles for us. On the other hand, facing the task at hand, no matter how onerous, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. The relief is palpable when we stand on the other side knowing that we did something even though it was hard or we didn't want to do it. On the other hand, when we cling to our comfort zone, never addressing the things we don't want to face, we cut ourselves off from flow and growth.
We all have at least one thing in our life that never seems to get done. Bringing that task to the top of the list and promising ourselves that we will do it as soon as possible is an act that could liberate a tremendous amount of energy in our lives. Whatever it is, we can allow ourselves to be fueled by the promise of the feelings of exhilaration and confidence that will be the natural result of doing it.


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Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu Linux distribution, has announced a new tool called Metal as a Service (MAAS) that is designed to simplify the provisioning of individual server nodes in a cluster. It primarily targets computing environments that have many physical servers.
MAAS supports installing an Ubuntu Server image on computers over the network. It relies on PXE for that purpose, much like similar open source provisioning tools such as Cobbler. A simple Web-based administrative interface is provided for managing nodes. MAAS is implemented with Python and Django and is distributed as open source under the Affero General Public License (AGPL).
MAAS is intended to complement Juju, Canonical's service orchestration framework. Juju works a little bit like a package management system: administrators use Juju recipes (which are called Charms) to automatically deploy and configure various server software stacks. Juju integrates with MAAS, making it possible to centrally deploy software to the nodes in a MAAS cluster.
Using MAAS and Juju together can significantly reduce the difficulty of bringing up an Ubuntu-based private cloud. A system administrator can use MAAS to provision nodes and then use Juju to populate those nodes with complete software configurations for things like OpenStack or Hadoop.
Canonical is best known for its desktop Linux product, but the company has worked hard to convince potential adopters that Ubuntu is also a credible choice for servers. The availability of updates at no cost has helped to drive Ubuntu server growth over the past few years, but it still faces an uphill battle competing with Red Hat's highly successful Linux distribution. Canonical's strong focus on the cloud is one way that the company is working to differentiate Ubuntu as a Linux server platform.
For more details about MAAS, you can refer to Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth's blog post about the new project. The source code is available from Canonical's Launchpad project hosting service. MAAS is planned for inclusion in Ubuntu 12.04, an upcoming long-term support release that will arrive at the end of the month.


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When it comes to fall fruit, I am decidedly more of a pear girl than an apple. Crisp ripe apples are abundant and accessible for the grab-and-go; an easy yummy snack or pie ingredient that requires no special handling nor over thinking. While the shapely pear is an illustration of simple elegance and intricacy of flavor that takes a bit of slowing down to appreciate. Pears hang around for a good chunk of time. In the early days of fall we start to see the European varieties which get picked firm so as not to bruise their fragile skins and then ripen deep into the winter. Velvety textured, buttery sweet, floral and musky, pears also have a good balance of acidity. Ripe pears are delicately skinned juice bombs and therefore should be handled and bitten into carefully. There is a perfect moment to eat a pear out of hand, so storing them in a brown bag at room temperature and waiting to see when the flesh gives slightly upon gentle pressure is worth the effort. Asian varieties are crisp, juicy and sweet yet milder in flavor and more crunchy in texture than their European counterparts. They do very well in salads. Some people balk at eating the skin, which ranges from pleasantly mild to rough in texture, depending upon the variety. It can be easily peeled with a sharp paring knife. The recipes below show off the flavor, texture, and shapeliness of my favorite fall fruit. As a quick but out of the ordinary appetizer, try serving wedges of raw pears with blue cheese and arugula wrapped in proscuitto. Concords (good for just about any application) work best for this as they hold their shape well after cutting and don't brown as quickly. Egg-shaped Anjous are most versatile since they are as great raw as they are baked, poached and roasted. Last Monday night Eric Guilford, sous chef at The Med, started a farm dinner fundraiser at Lone Hawk Farms with his poached pear soup. It revealed all of the sweet buttery goodness of an Anjou and was nothing short of exquisite: the essence of autumn in a bowl. In recipes for wine poached pears I would suggest using Bosc, since they keep their elegant elongated shape when cooked and their bold musky flavor stays strong after being poached in wine. You can also use more readily found Anjou pears, whose firm flesh also stands up to poaching. For wonderful instructions on poaching pears, Google 'how to poach pears David Lebovitz.' Bartletts prefer to be canned, pureed or baked as their juicy soft flesh falls apart easily. However, smoother and sweeter Red Bartletts are great eaten out of hand as well as preserved or canned. Saveur Magazine has a beautifully photographed and succinct breakdown of pear varieties and how they are best enjoyed. From Saveur (Google: 'Saveur pear guide'): 'Lusciously textured and earthy in flavor, mellow Comice pears make exceptional desserts, and pair well with cheese. Try the sweet pear served raw, or poached in Chestnut Honey Pears.' Pears go especially well with: almonds, arugula, brandy, butter, cardamom, cinnamon, cheese (blue), chocolate, cloves, cream, duck, endive, ginger, hazelnuts, honey, lemon, mascarpone, mint, nutmeg, orange, pecans, pistachios, pork, rosemary, spinach, star anise, vanilla, walnuts, and wine. PEAR BISQUE Serves 8 4 pears peeled and diced 2 apples peeled and diced 2 fennel bulbs chopped 1 onion chopped 2 leeks chopped 2 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced 4 parsnips peeled and diced 1 celery stalk chopped 2 shallots 1/4 cup grapeseed oil 1 cup sherry wine 4 leaves of sage, 2 sprigs of thyme 8 cups mushroom (or vegetable) stock Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup of Parmesan 1/2 cup cream 2 tablespoons honey Pinch of nutmeg Handful of kale leaves, washed and dried, baked in olive oil and sea salt On a medium heat, saute fruit and vegetables in grapeseed oil until cooked through. Deglaze pan with sherry wine, add stock, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for a few minutes. Blend soup and then strain through a fine sieve. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cream. Drizzle with honey and serve garnished with baked kale chips. Source: Eric Guilford, sous chef at The Med PEARS WITH BLUE CHEESE AND PROSCIUTTO Serves 8 2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), each cut into 8 wedges 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup arugula 3 ounces blue cheese, cut into small pieces 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise In a large bowl, toss the pears and lemon juice. Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf, and a piece of cheese on a piece of prosciutto and roll up. Source: Real Simple POACHED PEARS IN PUFF PASTRY WITH MASCARPONE 12 ounces fruity red wine 8 ounces water 11/3 cup sugar 4 Bosc pears; peeled, cored, and quartered Additions: 1 cinnamon stick, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, black peppercorns or allspice berries, 1 strip lemon rind (remove the white pith), 1 split vanilla bean, 2-3 star anise, 6-8 fresh ginger slices 9 ounces ready-made puff pastry (look for pastry that uses real butter) 1/2 ounce butter, melted Granulated sugar for sprinkling Mascarpone for dollopping In a large saucepan, heat the wine, water and sugar until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Add any of the additions that you wish. Slide in the pears and cover with a round of parchment paper, with a small hole cut in the center. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the firmness of the pears. Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and set them on a plate in a single layer. Reduce the cooking liquid by boiling until slightly syrupy; let cool. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out rounds about 5 inches across). Place these on a lightly floured baking-sheet. Make cuts from the top of each pear, fan them out, separating the slices a little. Carefully place a pear half in the center of each circle of pastry. Brush the rims with melted butter and sprinkle them with granulated sugar. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Brush each pear half with the remaining red-wine syrup and serve it with a dollop of mascarpone. Source: Beth Pilar, inspired by David Lebovitz and Diana Henry
Sublime pears can go sweet or savory
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Bandelier National Monument is a 33,677-acre National Monument in New Mexico preserving remains of homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. Human presence in this area can be traced back 10,000 years but permanent settlements in Bandelier date from two time periods – 1150 to 1600 CE (common era). By 1550 the Ancestral Pueblo people had moved from their homes here to pueblos along the Rio Grande (Cochiti, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo).
Bandelier was established as a National Monument by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and now receives close to 200,000 visitors each year. The Rustic Style visitor services buildings at the monument were built during the 1920's and 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps and are the largest group of CCC-built structures in a National Park area. Los Alamos, New Mexico is the closest town and the monument was closed to the public for several years during WWII so it could serve as private housing for Manhattan Project Scientists and military personnel developing the atom bomb.
My last visit to this canyon was 8 years ago and I wish I had a few photos of the CCC buildings to share but looking through my files today reminds me I was more interested in capturing the cliff dwellings and remains of Kivas on the ground. If I have the opportunity to return I'll be sure to expand my range and explore the more recent structures too.
Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned


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The North Face Tourlight 3D
The Tourlight 3D has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best warm weather synthetic sleeping bags for 2023.
I have had two of these sleeping bags. One is a spare my brother never used that I inherited. This sleeping bag is defiantly the best sleeping bag for backpacking in my area, especially cause it rarely ever gets colder then 35 F. I have used this sleeping bag in snowy conditions in North Carolina and I wasn't that comfortable but it definitely managed to keep me somewhat warm. This thing is amazingly light and packs super small. I've had mine for about 7 or so years and I wouldn't buy another sleeping bag in this rating area cause this sleeping bag will never let me down.
Design: Mummy
Fill: Polarguard 3D
Temperature Rating: 35 F
Weight: 15 oz
I have used this bag exclusively for all my trips over a period of four years. I love this bag for its light weight and extreme compressibility. I find 45 degrees to be the bottom limit for this bag, and that is while wearing long underwear, fleece top, fleece hat and wool socks. Anything below 45 and feel chilly (although I have used it down to 35 with a liner). But for 50 degrees and up it is great, and it is so light that you don't mind bringing it on a summer trip "just in case." After 4 years of use I feel it is losing a little bit of loft, but other than that it shows no wear whatsoever.
Design: mummy
Fill: Polarguard 3D
Temperature Rating: 35 F
Weight: 1 lb 15 oz
Price Paid: about $120?
I've used this bag twice now--both times the temps went below freezing! I have to say that it was barely adequate in those conditions, but I did at least take it to its limits. It is light as a feather and packs small enough that I was able to fit it into my hip pack. I didn't bring tent, tarp, pad, or stove either and was able to run the trails! If that is what you are looking for--increased mobility that comes with light weight there aren't many lighter than this. If you can put up with cold toes in the early dawn hours you can even use this bag into three seasons. I used it in Ontario in April.
Design: mummy
Fill: Polarguard
Temperature Rating: 35 F
Weight: 1lb 11oz
Price Paid: $165
I already own TNF Superlight 0 degree down bag and I love it. However, this bag was a little overkill fo summer trips, so I decided to invest in another TNF bag for warm climates. I wanted a synthetic bag so I would not have to worry about it getting wet and not insulating (summer weather in KY is so hard to predict).
I chose the Tourlight 35 degree bag. It is flat out awesome, it packs to the size of a football and weighs about as much as wrist watch does. Backpacker magazine claimed that it was somewhat small and and too snug but I disagree, it's a mummy bag not a king size bed. I feel that it provides ample amonts of room and have no complaints. If you plan to buy a warm weather sleeping bag which is somewhat affordable (by TNF's standards) this is the bag for you!!!
Design: mummy
Fill: Polarguard 3D
Temperature Rating: 35 F
Weight: Around 1 pound!!!
Price Paid: $155
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N+1 Primality Prover
February 7, 2014
In the previous exercise we used a Lucas sequence to determine if a number is probably prime. In today's exercise we use a Lucas sequence to prove the primality of a number N, given the factors of N + 1. Today's algorithm is similar to a previous exercise in which we proved the primality of a number N using the factors of N − 1.
Choose P and Q such that D = P2 − 4 Q is not a square modulo N. Let N + 1 = F · R with F > R, where R is odd and the prime factorization of F is known. If there exists a Lucas sequence of discriminant D with U(N+1) ≡ 0 (mod N) and gcd(U((N+1)/q), N) = 1 for each prime q dividing F, then N is prime; if no such sequence exists for a given P and Q, a new P' and Q' with the same D can be computed as P' = P + 2 and Q' = P + Q + 1 (the same D must be used for all the factors q).
Your task is to write a program that proves the primality of a number. When you are finished, you are welcome to read or run a suggested solution, or to post your own solution or discuss the exercise in the comments below.


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Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge ōl´dəwā˝, –vā˝ [key], a feature of the E African Rift Valley in Tanzania. Erosional processes have exposed geological strata in the gorge dating to the lower Pleistocene epoch, about 1.8 million to 600,000 years ago. The site was made famous by the numerous hominin fossils excavated by Louis Leakey and his wife, Mary Leakey, as well as by later researchers. Examples of at least three species of hominins have been found at Olduvai, including Australopithecus boisei, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus. In addition, the two earliest stone tool traditions, Oldowan and Acheulian (see Paleolithic period), have been found along with fossil remains. Both the fossils and the tools have been important lines of evidence in understanding human evolution. Recent research in Olduvai has centered on excavated camp sites addressing problems involving the social and dietary adaptations of early hominins.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: African Physical Geography


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1 - 20 of 90 Results
This study is part of WeEmpowerAsia, a joint program of the European Union and UN Women, which aims to increase the number of women who lead and participate in private-sector businesses in seven countries across Asia, including Indonesia.
Framework: Prevention of Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Against Women Migrant Workers in South and Southeast Asia
Framework: Prevention of Gender-Based Violence and Harassment Against Women Migrant Workers in South and Southeast Asia
This Think Piece: Innovations in Childcare to Advance Women's Economic Empowerment explores the question "Can inclusive Care Entrepreneurship be a pathway to address gaps in the childcare sector in Asia and the Pacific?". It offers promising entrepreneurship models emerging in Asia and the Pacific that could be replicated and scaled to fill childcare gaps to contribute to efforts to rebuild economies and to recognize the care economy as a vehicle to create more jobs and increase women's economic participation.
Research Brief on Women's Leadership and Participation in Addressing Conflict Risks and Promoting Disaster Preparedness
The impacts of multiple, overlapping crises arising from climate change, pandemics and conflict disproportionately affect women, exacerbate existing inequalities and deepen power imbalances. In contexts where disasters and conflict risks intersect, responses need to recognize that women perform various roles in disaster and conflict prevention, have access to different information and services, and are impacted differently — yet they are overwhelmingly excluded from decision-making processes and mechanisms.
The report aims to strengthen country-driven processes by presenting more evidence of the links between gender equality and climate change in the priority sectors of crop agriculture, water resource management, forestry, and renewable energy.
This Thailand Country Policy Brief entitled "Building Pathways to Gender Equality and Sustainability through the Women's Empowerment Principles" provides guidance for governments, policymakers and regulators, as well as an analysis of current policies promoting gender equality in the business sector.
Review and Scoping Study of the Peace Villages Initiative in Preventing Violent Extremism in Indonesia
The Peace Village Initiative, implemented by the Wahid Foundation since 2017 with the support of UN Women and other donors, is an ambitious initiative that aims to address the drivers of extremism among women by mobilizing community members, especially women, to promote social cohesion across Java Island in Indonesia.
The document was produced by Humanitarian Advisory Group, in close consultation with UN Women colleagues in Regional Office for Asia and Pacific, Headquarters, as well as Bangladesh Country Office
Is 1.5°C within Reach for the Asia-Pacific Region? Ambition and Potential of NDC Commitments of the Asia-Pacific Countries
The report provides a scenario-based assessment of the collective NDC commitments of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as their individual commitments to action including net zero goals, carbon pricing commitments and removal of fossil-fuel subsidies. It also explores the steps countries in the region have been taking to build up capacity to enable more action, such as climate finance budgeting, and monitoring and reporting.
A Practical Guide: Developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for a Coordinated Response to Violence against Women, including women migrant workers
This guidance for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is an essential tool to make sure a coordinated response to VAW, including women migrant workers, is put in place. Because of the multi-faceted nature of VAW and the specific challenges and needs of women migrant workers, coordinated approaches to addressing it are considered more effective than when different actors work in isolation to address the issue.
The report aims to strengthen country-driven processes by presenting more evidence of the links between gender equality and climate change in the priority sectors of forestry, agriculture, energy, and water. It was prepared by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and UN Women to provide country-specific recommendations on enhancing gender responsive policy implementation and actions to further augment the integration of gender equality in climate relevant policy areas.
Research on barriers and opportunities to improving outcomes for Women Migrant Workers through skills development in Thailand
Skills development is key to economic empowerment of women migrant workers and improvements of their lives in Thailand and after returning to their countries of origin. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, skills development become more necessary and should be given to women migrant workers to overcome inequalities in economic and social development which are increasingly exacerbated. Skills development can improve productivity and help women migrant workers diversify their employment opportunities enhancing their possibilities to secure employment during the crisis and as part of recovery.
With this reading guide of the book series "Generation Equality - Fairy Tales on Gender Equality" we hope that every parent, teacher, and educator - through reading time at home, reading lessons at school, or reading activities in the community - will continue to inspire, as well as spread the message of humanity and progress of the book series to a wider range of children across Viet Nam.
Nepal's gender-Based violence and gender equality-related funds: The path to effective implementation
The study on the Operational Modality of Various Funds within Federal Governance assesses the status of 12 funds with mandates to respond to GBV and advance GE in Nepal. Funds related to GBV and GE are a central component of the GoN's effort to advance women's human rights and equality under law. The study reveals a serious gap between the rights and entitlements that are formally guaranteed to women under law in Nepal, and their ability to experience benefits from these funds.
Country Gender Equality Profile Viet Nam 2021 (CGEP) is a comprehensive report, in-depth analysis and focus on gender equality issues based on available evidence, data and research. The main objective of the CGEP for Viet Nam 2021 is to serve as a primary source of evidence to drive the prioritization of financing, programming and advocacy to advance gains and overcome bottlenecks to gender equality in Viet Nam.
Monitoring progress on the implementation of the 2018, Concluding Observations issued by the CEDAW Committee on the sixth periodic report of Nepal
The study report of National Women Commission, Nepal, monitors the progress on the implementation of the 2018, Concluding Observations issued by the CEDAW Committee on the sixth periodic report of Nepal. The progress was systematically monitored on the basis of a novel and practical tool.
Child marriage takes away a girl's right to safe and healthy childhood, quality and complete education that can lead to decent economic opportunities, and social and political empowerment. Pakistan has the 6th highest number of girls married before the age of 18 in the world. Child marriage is prevalent due to several reasons including deeply entrenched traditions and customs, poverty, lack of awareness and/or access to education, and lack of security.
Ecosystem Landscaping to advance the Accountability to implement the Women's Empowerment Principles in ASEAN
This report, developed by UN Women's WeEmpowerAsia programme and the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Responsible Supply Chains in Asia programme, provides policymakers, companies, civil society, employer organisations and other stakeholders in the ASEAN region with comprehensive details on reporting and implementing the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs)-related policies.
Stateless women and girls experience particular gender-related barriers, and the pandemic further exacerbated their vulnerability. Increased sexual and gender-based violence, socioeconomic impacts, school dropouts due to excess demands at home, forced marriage and early pregnancy are some of the major factors that continue to threaten to reverse hard-won gains on gender equality.
An equal and inclusive society demands inclusion of voices from all paths. The checklist, 'Diversity in Dialogue' includes detailed steps to help organizers and panelists to ensure multiple arguments, expertise and inclusion in public forums. UN Nepal's Gender Theme Group collaborated with International Development Partners – Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Group to develop the checklist. UN in Nepal and more than 17 International Development Partners have signed the pledge. Let's make a conscious choice today to promote inclusive representation.


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On Friday, February 1, I hosted a group of USAID staff aboard the USNS Comfort—one of the U.S. Navy's (USN) two hospital ships. The Comfort is a state of the art, fully equipped floating hospital, with 12 operating rooms and capacity for 900 patients. While her primary mission is to provide rapid, flexible, and mobile acute medical and surgical services to support the U.S. military, she can also be called in to support in disaster or humanitarian relief. In 2010 the Comfort supported the USAID-led disaster response mission after the Haiti earthquake; her sister ship, the USNS Mercy, provided assistance after the 2005 tsunami in South East Asia. USAID personnel, Dr. Clydette Powell and Dr. Bob Ferris traveled on the Comfort for Operation Unified Response: Haiti. This was the first time USAID had sailed with a mission. Their knowledge of Haiti and contacts with the Embassy and USAID mission were instrumental in the successful care and transfer of Comfort patients.
In addition, both ships provide humanitarian and civic assistance every two years on goodwill missions—"Continuing Promise," which travels to South and Central America, and "Pacific Partnership," which tours the South Pacific. These deployments provide training for U.S. military personnel and partner nation forces while providing valuable services to communities in need. Later this month, the Comfort will embark on Continuing Promise '13, and take part in medical, dental and civic engagements in eight countries.
In my capacity as the Navy Liaison Officer at USAID, I help facilitate coordination between USAID and the U.S. Navy in the design and implementation of field activities—such as the Continuing Promise and Pacific Partnership ship visits. I also help to keep the lines of communication open between the Navy and the agency in global health activities, disaster response and conflict prevention. As a Nurse Corps Officer, I'm focused on helping to ensure that USN international health activities are coordinated with USAID missions and align with U.S. development objectives. My home within the agency is within the Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation, but I work with many colleagues throughout the agency, including the Global Health Bureau and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, which is responsible for leading and coordinating U.S. Government's humanitarian response to disasters overseas.
Visiting the Comfort provided the opportunity for a firsthand view of the capacity and capabilities of the hospital ship, knowledge that provides USAID staff with a foundation for future decisions on crisis or disaster response. In a disaster, the Comfort can be called on to support the USAID's lead in a response. While many have read about what it can do, sometimes seeing is believing. It also marked a return for me to the ship—in 2009 I had the privilege of sailing with the Comfort for Continuing Promise 09, and less than six months later I served again on the Comfort in support of the Haiti earthquake response.
Captain Colleen Gallagher is a Nurse Corps Officer with the U.S. Navy. She is the first Navy Liaison Officer to serve at USAID, a position she has held since 2011.


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Pittsburgh 360: Cooking With Heart, Handmade Tea & A Musical Message
In this episode of Pittsburgh 360, we peek into the kitchen of one of Pittsburgh's top chefs who is cooking in a surprising place, Tonia Caruso steps into the kitchen of another man who is steaming up tea with a twist, and we're introduced to a musical duo taking a stand against bullying.
Pittsburgh 360: Cooking With Heart, Handmade Tea & A Musical Message aired on Jan 24, 2013.
View more from WQED
Series: Pittsburgh 360
Michael Bartley introduces us to a local group that is helping teen moms beat the odds, Michael also takes you behind the scenes of an exciting new talk show shot right here at WQED, and Tonia Caruso introduces us to a father and son who've opened the first local distillery since the end of Prohibition.
Original airdate: Feb 16, 2012
In this episode of Pittsburgh 360, contributor Mike Lee shows us the science behind reclaiming ground zero after the attacks on 9/11, Michael Bartley introduces us to a woman who is inspiring others by showing them "The Sunny Side of Cancer", and we get a clue about a local acting troupe serving up mystery with a meal.
Original airdate: Jan 26, 2012
Tonia Caruso introduces us to a young boy who is getting a big boost in school from a small robot, Michael Bartley shows us how some local students are overcoming obstacles and letting their talents shine through F.A.M.E, and Chris Moore takes us on a tour of some ancient artifacts from the land of the bible.
Original airdate: Jan 12, 2012
In this episode, Chris Fennimore visits a Forest Hills bakery, whose custom cakes are works of art. Michael Bartley goes behind the scenes at the Lawrenceville cookie tour, and Pittsburgh 360 takes you to an out of the way restaurant with just one chef, and a reservation list four weeks long!
Original airdate: Dec 22, 2011
We'll meet a local minister who uses the arts to keep teens away from trouble then go for a tour of a Faberge art exhibit. A local inventor shows how to easily synchronize holiday lights to music and we'll highlight an exhibit of pictures of Pittsburgh, shot by photographers who know the city best.
Original airdate: Dec 15, 2011
The legacy of a young leukemia victim is profiled then we take you on a tour of the Sarah Heinz House which has been an outlet for Pittsburgh's young people for more than a century. And we'll go behind the scenes of a local singing competition where the winner will get the chance to perform with the Pittsburgh Opera.
Original airdate: Dec 08, 2011


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art | embodiment | cognition | networks | post-humanism | crypto
June 30, 2010 to March 26, 2011 – National Museum of Dance In a Labyrinth: The Dance of Butoh a photographic book by artist Michael Phillip Manheim, with prose by Ximena Garnica, and is the subject of an exhibition at the National Museum of Dance, Saratoga S… Organized by | Type: exhibition
September 14, 2010 at 10am to July 1, 2011 at 7pm – Park Slop Brooklyn LeeSaar The Company 250 Leferts Ave Brooklyn NY 11225 www.leesaar.com LeeSaar The Company open new classes for dancers in the company studio in Park slop Brooklyn. Company rehearsal directors, Jye… Organized by Rob | Type: company, classes
October 2, 2010 to June 7, 2011 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands VOCAL DANCE & VOICE MOVEMENT INTEGRATION 18th Annual Somatic Movement Training Program November '10 - June '11 AMSTERDAM With Patricia Bardi Introductions Days 2 & 9 October '10 Location - St… Organized by Patricia Bardi | Type: interdisciplinary, training, in, voice, dance, improvisation, &, bodywork, practice
October 3, 2010 at 6pm to June 30, 2011 at 7pm – Estudio Flamenco Carmen de Torres clases de baile para todos los niveles todas las edades baile flamenco sevillanas cante flamenco guitarrra percusion Organized by carmen de torres | Type: clases
October 8, 2010 at 6pm to December 31, 2010 at 7pm – México, Chiapas, San Cristóbal de las Casas CONVOCATORIA 2010 Se convoca a artistas de la Danza, del movimiento o videastas, que tengan trabajos en soporte video donde el lenguaje corporal sea el motivo principal y estén interesad@s en partic… Organized by Verónica | Type: convocatoria, para, participar, en, muestras, de, video-danza, chiapas.
October 16, 2010 to November 30, 2010 – the Tank http://www.forwardmotiontheater.org/revision-2011-open-call/10/11/2010 ReVision is a monthly series presented by Forward Motion Theater, where live media and digital art are integral to the performi… Organized by Forward Motion Theater | Type: open call
November 1, 2010 at 6pm to December 9, 2010 at 7:30pm – ATOA @ Soho 20 Gallery "I am organizing an evening of 3-5 minute low tech performance artworks for an evening at Artists Talk On Art which presents Thursday evenings at Soho 20 Gallery in Chelsea. The event will occur on T… Organized by Vernita Nemec aka N'Cognita | Type: call, for, short, performances
November 3, 2010 at 6pm to November 30, 2010 at 7pm – www.dolphin-dance.org Dolphin Dance Project is excited to announce the release of our debut film "Together: Dancing with Spinner Dolphins" a 3+ minute short depicting the tender relationship between a human dancer and wil… Organized by Chisa Hidaka | Type: film, release
November 4, 2010 at 6pm to January 31, 2011 at 7pm – Carte Blanche CARTE BLANCHE SEEKS: Carte Blanche, the Norwegian National company of contemporary dance, seeks a Rehearsal Director from August 2011 onwards. Please apply by CV and covering letter to firstname.lastname@example.com… Organized by Carte Blanche | Type: job, opportunity
November 11, 2010 at 6pm to November 30, 2010 at 11pm – Spain The Association of Dance Professionals of Catalonia is once again hosting the DANSACAT awards. The winer will be decided through the web www.dansacat.org were everyone can vote. TRANS http://associac… Organized by Susana Amarante Duarte | Type: vote
November 19, 2010 at 4pm to May 15, 2011 at 7pm – ART New York Spaces/LIMS® Hands-on Re-patterning for CMAs This course meets part of the requirements for ISMETA registration as a Somatic Movement Therapist and/or Educator September 24-26: The Bartenieff Approach to Fascia… Organized by Ms Laban | Type: hands, on, and, clinical, training, to, register, with, ismeta
November 21, 2010 at 7pm to December 19, 2010 at 8pm – Wytwornia Theatre Even though, it seems hard to believe, at the beginning it was supposed to be a duet. Searching for its content, formula, essence, what it could and could not be on stage, we got to the fantastically… Organized by KONCENTRAT Artistic Group | Type: dance
November 22, 2010 to November 30, 2010 – Istanbul, Turkey CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS The "Dance Camera Istanbul" 3rd International Dance Film Festival will be held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2010 winter, focusing on video dance, dance on camera, dance photography an… Organized by Onur Topal -Sumer | Type: festival
November 23, 2010 at 6pm to December 24, 2010 at 2pm – Peridance Capezio Center Peridance Gift Certificates make the perfect stocking stuffer for any dancer or soon-to-be dancer in your life. They come in any amount and can be purchased by phone, in person, or online. 212.505.0… Organized by Peridance NYC | Type: gift, certificate
November 29, 2010 at 10am to December 16, 2010 at 8pm – Studio Habertu The multi-annual project BEYOND, which kicked off in February 2009, nurtures a growing educational and artistic network that is inspired by the ongoing dialogue between ICKamsterdam and several Asian… Organized by ICK | Type: workshops
November 29, 2010 at 11:30am to December 3, 2010 at 1pm – Peridance Capezio Center For the first time at Peridance Capezio Center, Attila Joey Csiki will instruct a Repertory workshop of Lar Lubovitch's diverse choreography. Lar Lubovitch has been hailed by The New York Times as "o… Organized by Peridance NYC | Type: workshop
November 30, 2010 at 6pm to December 15, 2010 at 9pm – Lotus Music and Dance Studios Intensive Study (Classes 4 days a week) Tue, Wed, Thur & Sunday, November 30 - December 15. Make this your holiday gift to yourself or a loved one. CLASS DETAILS & SCHEDULES HERE: http://fla… Organized by La Magdalena | Type: workshop
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It was only 18 months ago that Sony's PlayStation Network was hacked, forcing the company to take down its online gaming network and digital retail services for a significant chunk of the spring in 2011. 69 million PSN users' account information, including credit card numbers, was stolen in the hack. Sony first admitted to the intrusion on Apr. 20, 2011. On Apr. 27, the first federal class action lawsuit was filed against the company. While Sony has apologized repeatedly for the hack, offering users identity theft protection to affected users as well as free downloadable games as compensation, its been up in the air whether the company would have to offer monetary compensation. According to US District Judge Anthony Battaglia, Sony is in the clear.
The class action lawsuit claimed that Sony of negligence, not equipping the PlayStation network with the appropriate security to prevent the hack that brought the network down for so long. It also claimed that Sony violated a number of California consumer protections, the state where the lawsuit was filed.
Judge Battaglia dismissed the lawsuit on Friday after Sony moved to have it thrown out. Battaglia said that Sony didn't violate any consumer protections because "none of the named plaintiffs subscribed to premium PSN services, and thus received the PSN services free of cost." Had any PlayStation Plus subscribers joined the suit, maybe Battaglia wouldn't have acquiesced to Sony's demands. Than again, he also found that the Sony Privacy Policy signed by all PSN users included at the time "clear admonitory language that Sony's security was not 'perfect'" and as a result "no reasonable consumer could have been deceived."
Sony's not wholly in the clear just yet, though, since the class does have the option to amend its claims, specifically in regards to Sony violating consumer protection laws.
Back when the lawsuit was originally filed, Rothken Law Firm co-counsel J.R. Parker wrote, "Sony's breach of its customers' trust is staggering. Sony promised its customers that their information would be kept private. One would think that a large multinational corporation like Sony has strong protective measures in place to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of personal information, including credit card information. Apparently Sony doesn't."
Sony did pay in spades for the hack. Estimates at the time predicted that the hack would cost Sony $171 million in lost revenue, a significant blow following losses from the March 2011 tsunami in Japan as well as declining television sales. That figure no doubt grew as Sony began spending heavily on marketing to rehabilitate its image with consumers.
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Touch Your Spouse's Heart with the Power of a Note
- Cindi McMenamin Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 2013 17 Apr
I was feeling out of sorts on a particular Tuesday. My feelings were hurt about a comment my husband made toward me the night before. My expectations were not met in a conversation with a friend that morning. My daughter sounded ungrateful when I picked her up from school. I responded to her teenage attitude with an immature attitude of my own, which only escalated the situation. I was exasperated. Tensions were rising. And something inside of me was ready to blow.
I walked through the front door in tears, feeling lousy and unloved. Feeling unappreciated and unworthy. Feeling unqualified to do anything at all. I walked up the stairs and into my study and stopped abruptly! There it was…
On my computer keyboard was a note, in my husband's handwriting, that simply said: "Love you, Wife."
Oh, the power of a note.
I am loved.
I am not a loser. I am loved.
And in that moment, of being reminded I was loved, I was empowered. Everything that went wrong that day dissolved away as my tears of appreciation for the one who expressed love toward me welled up in my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks. I was no longer feeling desperate…only anxious to express my gratitude to the one who expressed his love toward me.
It wasn't a huge revelation. Deep down, I knew my husband loved me. But the gesture – right there in front of me – the expression, simple yet sincere, spoke volumes. I was reminded. I was brought back to reality. I am loved.
We all have days that make us want to blow (women probably more than men, I would say!). Stifled anger, stored-up insults, tensions and pressures, hormones and sugar lows. And it's natural to just blow and get it all out. But that often occurs at the expense of those whom we love the most.
What if, during those difficult days, you could remember something at the core of your being? You are loved. Not just by your spouse, but by the Author of Love, the One who gave Himself for you so that you might live eternally with Him. The God who would rather die than live without you found a way to make you His own.
What if – on those days that your wife is really having a hard time – you found a way to remind her that she is loved? What if – during those times that your man is under extreme pressure and coming up with few words for you –you found some extra meaningful words for him? What if you both realized, in the fiery pit of everyday tensions, the power of a note?
Early in our marriage, my husband, Hugh learned just how far the power of a note will go. Because my job requires me to travel quite a bit, there were, and still are, times when my suitcase is constantly in my bedroom. Unpacked one day, and lying empty to be repacked the next. Then it sits there for a few more days, nearly packed, as I prepare to leave again. Hugh learned this was the perfect opportunity to tuck a note or two into my suitcase that I would find after I arrived at my destination. During some trips, he's been rather creative and managed to slip three or four notes in various places that I continued to find throughout my two- or three-day stay. The notes represented simple words of encouragement that he was thinking of me, missing me, and looking forward to my return.
Don and Barbara have discovered the power of a note, as well. Sometimes it isn't so much what the note says, but the fact that one of them went the extra step to leave one for the other. "I leave sticky notes on the bathroom mirror when I leave town so he comes home to it," Barbara said. "Also a sticky note on his pillow so when he turns back the covers…voila…he knows I'm thinking about him. That doesn't come from a place of insecurity (I hope he'll think about me while I'm gone) but from a heart that wants to do something special for him. Being deliberate and intentional by leaving a note is a selfless thoughtful act. It is a gift."
Could you cultivate a closer connection with one another by starting to leave simple but powerful notes? Could you be the author of simple words on a sticky note that show the person you love the most how much he or she is on your mind and heart? You don't have to be a poet, and if you spell something wrong, you just might endear yourself to his or her heart even more.
Here are some ideas (and yes, some of them are song rip-offs) of simple, yet much appreciated, notes for the love of your life:
You're still the one.
I'm so lucky to have you.
You've stolen my heart with a simple glance of your eyes. (Yep, the Song of Solomon 1 in the Bible has great lines for you to plagiarize and pass off as your own!)
You still look hot! (For some reason, that one never fails.)
Can't wait to see you tonight
You're the best.
Thanks for all your hard work.
I appreciate all you do.
- Put a sticky note on your husband's or wife's dashboard or steering wheel that says "You still drive me wild."
Are you getting the idea? This is one of the simplest ways to endear your spouse's heart to yours. Experience a closer connection today through the power of a note.
Cindi McMenamin is a national speaker and author of several books including When Women Walk Alone (more than 100,000 copies sold), When A Woman Inspires Her Husband and When Couples Walk Together: 31 Days to a Closer Connection, which she co-authored with her husband, Hugh. For free articles of encouragement to strengthen your soul or your marriage, see www.StrengthForTheSoul.com.
Publication date: April 17, 2013


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These were my absolute favorite cupcakes as a kid. I remember my mom would bake them in huge muffin tins rather than cupcake pans, letting the batter spill over the tops so that each one resembled a miniature-sized cake (sometimes we would only get 8 to a batch!). Then as they cooled, she would make the cream cheese frosting, allowing me to lick the beaters of the mixer before she put them into the sink—a chore that I was more than happy to do.
Today, this dessert remains one of the select few that I will eat with the frosting. In fact, I eat it predominately because of the frosting (same reason that I eat carrot cake, same frosting!). The cream cheese cuts a lot of the sweetness and gives the icing a dreamy velvety consistency. It pairs beautifully with these delicate coconut cupcakes, but you can put it on almost anything—red velvet cake, zucchini cake, pumpkin cake, carrot cake, ect…
The only notes I have on this recipe, which comes from Ina Garten's amazing "Barefoot Contessa" cookbook, is to use unsweetened coconut when decorating the tops of the cupcakes. I think it looks prettier because it is shaved, not shredded, and it prevents the cupcake from being over-the-top sweet. Also, if you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by combining 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Just let it sit for about an hour and viola…buttermilk!
{ Ingredients }
- 3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 extra large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
- Cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)
{ Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting }
- 1 pound of cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 1/2 pounds of confectioner sugar


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Pseudo-Look: Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
Sometimes it can be fun just to experiment with your makeup, and you know when is a really good time to do it? Before you're going to go to bed! After I finished photographing Urban Decay's Naked Palette, I really wanted to do something using Gunmetal, but I wanted it to be different than just a regular ol' smoky eye… so I thought, "Let's try Half-Baked and Gunmetal!"
Then it started to give me this "night sky" feeling… and then I thought, "Maybe this would be really cool with silver eyeliner… I think I will try… just for fun!" Oh man, I was paying for that fun, though. My upper lash line was itching and watering so bad! I just wanted to get photos taken as soon as possible that I didn't even realize the damage all that watering had done (removed the inner corner!). So, I ask that you excuse the missing piece of the puzzle and the bloodshot eyes! 🙁
You will need the following…
- Eyes: NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base (neutral eyeshadow base), Urban Decay Creep Eyeshadow (deep blue-black), Urban Decay Gunmetal Eyeshadow (blue-gray), Urban Decay Half-Baked Eyeshadow (copper), Urban Decay Virgin Eyeshadow (soft beige), Urban Decay Deviant 24/7 Liner (medium blue), MAC Silverstroke Fluidline (silver), MAC Plushlash Mascara (black)
- Face: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation (140), Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder (translucent)
- Cheeks: Chanel Rose Temptation Blush (reddish plum)
- Lips: Chanel Rose Dentelle Rouge Coco Lipstick (soft pink), Chanel Rose Dilemma Glossimer (pink)
- Brushes: 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 116 (dense blush brush), 208 (thin, angled brush)
For eyes, start by applying Smudgeproof as your eyeshadow base all over the eye area with the 249. Using the 239, apply Creep eyeshadow on the lowest third of the lid and pat across in a horizontal line (almost as if you were lining the upper lash line). Lightly blend Gunmetal eyeshadow above Creep eyeshadow to the crease with the 239. Next, apply Half Baked eyeshadow into the crease with the 226, lightly blending. Blend Virgin eyeshadow with the crease shade and highlight the brow bone. Bring everything together by applying Deviant liner on the lower lash line, and then smudge Gunmetal eyeshadow on the outer third of the lower lash line with the 219. Apply Silverstroke fluidline on the upper lash line with the 208 brush. Finish by sweeping lashes with Plushlash mascara.
For cheeks, apply Rose Temptation blush on the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 116.
For lips, apply Rose Dentelle lipstick first, and then layer Rose Dilemma glossimer for a complementing lip.
Check out more photos!


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Eric Church and Other Country Acts Make 2013 ACL Festival Lineup
Austin City Limits Music Festival has been a go-to music fest for 12 years, but for the first time ever, the festival will expand to two weekends this year, with more than 120 bands performing. 2013 ACM Album of the Year winner Eric Church will step up along with several other bands to represent country music on the 2013 ACL Festival lineup.
Church has been announced as a headliner for the festival taking place in Zilker Park this fall, and his name is alongside of other world-famous entertainers, including MUSE, Kings of Leon and Lionel Richie.
Also on ACL's lineup of country acts are Court Yard Hounds -- which is the side project of Dixie Chicks' Martie Maguire and Emily Robison -- Holly Williams, the Mavericks, the Lone Bellow and Asleep at the Wheel, among others.
The festival is set for October 4-6 and 11-13, making it the perfect autumn activity. The 'Like Jesus Does' hitmaker is also representing country music at Lollapalooza this summer, and is used to being one of the sole country acts on mostly non-country bills.
With Church's amazing live performances, it's not surprising that he's so often the face of country music. After he rocks the stage at ACL in October, he'll probably make country music lovers out of many of the attendees! See the full lineup here.
Watch the 2013 ACL Festival Lineup Video


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NFL launches player program on movie industry
NEW YORK – John Singleton, Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayans are among the Hollywood veterans who will lead sessions in a new NFL program for players interested in the movie industry.
The first NFL Pro Hollywood Boot Camp will run April 2-5 at California's Universal Studios. The league said Monday that 20 current and former NFL players will take part.
The four-day event will offer an overview of creative disciplines in the film industry, including screen writing, directing, producing and film financing. The players will have the opportunity to shoot and edit a short film.
The program is being run by NFL Player Engagement, which assist players in preparing for their post-football careers, and Film Life Inc., a New York-based film production company.
More than 700 NFL players have participated in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program since 2005, and 106 players have taken part in the five NFL Broadcast Boot Camps. The Business of Music Boot Camp debuts in February 2012.


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Lilac 100% French Flax Linen Short Sleeve Shirt
- Short sleeve shirt packaged in a linen storage sack.
- Short sleeve shirt packaged in a linen storage sack.
- Short sleeve shirt packaged in a linen storage sack.
- Short sleeve shirt packaged in a linen storage sack.
- Short sleeve shirt packaged in a linen storage sack.
- Short sleeve shirt packaged in a linen storage sack.
Meet your new loungewear must-have. Our 100% French Flax Linen Short Sleeve Shirt is just about the most comfortable way to spend your nights (and days). Featuring a relaxed fit and extended length that looks stylish tucked in or out, this effortlessly chic shirt will keep you cool under the covers thanks to its moisture-wicking fabrication and wide-fitting sleeves. Pair with our Linen Shorts for the ultimate summer set, or team this versatile essential with your favourite wardrobe staples.
- Wash before first use on a cold, gentle cycle using liquid detergent only, and line-dry where possible.
- Limit tumble-drying to low settings and avoid overloading the machine.
- Do not bleach, iron or dry-clean, and if your linen happens to stain, launder immediately.
Linen is a durable, natural material and, if cared for correctly, can last years. It will soften and grow more comfortable with every wash, so follow these steps – and enjoy.
Linen Benefits
Cool in summer and cozy in winter, 100% French Flax linen keeps you comfy year-round and only gets better with age. This premium, all-natural fibre regulates your body temperature and boasts incredible tensile strength (30% stronger than cotton, in fact). Plus, it needs far less water to cultivate and is an entirely renewable, biodegradable resource. And because Bed Threads is 100% carbon neutral, you can feel good about your eco-friendly choice every time your head hits the pillow.
Bed Threads offers free shipping on orders over $100, within the U.S and Canada. Change of mind purchases can be returned within 45 days for a refund or exchange, provided the items are still in their original packaging and unused.
- Estimated transit time is 2 – 5 business days.
- Shipping is $40 USD for the rest of the world. For international orders, delivery times will vary depending on location and local customs, estimated transit time is 7 – 16 business days.
- Customers are liable for customs taxes and duties if shipping outside of the U.S and will be contacted by local customs agencies or the shipping provider directly to settle these charges.
- Visit our Shipping & Returns page for more information.
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Stock market's slow start may bode ill for 2014
NEW YORK - The stock market's sluggish start in 2014 may not be what investors expected after last year's strong finish.
As of Wednesday, the fifth trading day of the year, the Standard & Poor's 500 index was down 0.6 percent for 2014, after falling four of the five days. A year ago, the index had climbed 2.2 percent, getting a boost after lawmakers passed a bill to avoid government spending cuts and tax increases. Stocks also got a lift after the government reported that hiring held up.
The index built on that strong start and climbed almost 30 percent for the year. But after ending 2013 at a record high, it has stumbled.
Stocks that ended last year poorly are leading the decline so far. Telecoms, consumer staples and utilities all lagged the overall market in the last month of 2013.
While these stocks pay big dividends, their growth prospects are limited and investors are ditching them in favor of stocks that will should benefit as the economy improves.
"I don't think we should be too concerned," about the early slump, says David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan funds. "There's a certain amount of rebalancing going on, which is completely appropriate after the big year that we've seen."
Five days may not make a year, but by some measures, the weak start is a bad omen for the market.
The Stock Trader's Almanac says that if the S&P 500 rises during the first five days, the index has an 85 percent chance of ending the year higher, based on 40 years of data.
The last time the index fell over that stretch was in 2008 - when the S&P 500 slipped 5.3 percent - as the stock market reeled in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The index ended the year 38.5 percent lower as the Great Recession took hold.
Others prefer to give the market more time before assessing a trend. As goes January, so goes the year, is the classic Wall Street adage.
By that analysis, the stock market's performance for all of January signals how the stock market will perform for the year. The January barometer has been right for 62 or the last 85 years, or 72.9 percent of the time, according to Howard Silverblatt, a senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Phone companies have sagged the most in the S&P 500 so far in 2014, dropping 2 percent. Consumer staples, a group that includes grocers, brewers and tobacco stocks, are the second-worst performers, dropping 1.9 percent. These high-dividend paying stocks were in demand when bond yields were low.
Now that 10-year Treasury yields have surged from a 2013 low of 1.63 percent last spring to nearly 3 percent, these high-dividend stocks are less attractive in comparison. An investor looking for steady income will typically favor bonds over stocks because they are less risky.
The only two sectors that have advanced this year are health care stocks, which have risen 1.2 percent, and financial companies, which are up 0.6 percent.
Still, despite the market's slow start, many analysts say it's too early to be down on stocks, particularly since the S&P 500 index jumped 2.1 percent the last two weeks of 2013.
Instead, analysts are focusing on the improving outlook for the economy and company earnings, as well as the future of the Federal Reserve's stimulus program. And those factors, which helped drive last year's rally in stocks, appear to be in place.
"I'd be much more worried if it hadn't rallied in the last couple of weeks in December," said John Manley, chief equity strategist at Wells Fargo Fund Management. "The basic fundamentals are still OK."
Investors will get a key insight into the strength of the economy on Friday, when the government publishes its monthly jobs report for December. Another strong report, confirming that hiring is still picking up, could help stir the stock market from its malaise.
Another catalyst could be fourth-quarter earnings reports, which start Thursday. Analysts predict that S&P 500 companies will report that earnings grew 5.8 percent for the period, according to S&P Capital IQ. That would be the fastest rate of growth since the fourth quarter of 2012.
Before they rush to sell, investors should also know that the Stock Trader's Almanac study of the first five days has a caveat.
In midterm election years - like 2014 - the indicator has a "spotty record," according to the publisher. In fact, it's almost a contrary indicator, with only two of the last nine midterm years following the trend.
That means a poor start could lead to a good year.


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Aziz Ansari is one of the biggest stars in the comedy world. Rolling Stone put him on the cover of their special comedy issue labeling him "the funniest man under 30," and The Hollywood Reporter said that he "has become one of the most prolific writers and performers on the comedy scene in recent years." Ansari co-stars opposite Amy Poehler in the beloved Emmy-nominated NBC series Parks and Recreation, which recently began production on its sixth season. Ansari's portrayal of government employee 'Tom Haverford' has earned critical praise including Entertainment Weekly naming him one of their "Breakout TV Stars," TV Guide naming him a "Scene Stealer" and People Magazine naming him 2011's "Funniest Dude in Prime Time." Ansari also had the much buzzed about gig as host of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.
Ansari has also kept busy in the film world. His voice was featured in the Twentieth Century Fox animated hit film "Epic," and he appeared in "This Is The End" opposite Seth Rogen and James Franco. He was previously seen starring in the action comedy "30 Minutes or Less" opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride and Universal's Funny People. Additional film credits include "Get Him to the Greek," "I Love You, Man," "Observe and Report," and "Ice Age: Continental Drift."
Ansari's stand up work has been unparalleled over the past few years. His second hour-long standup special "Dangerously Delicious" was self-released online through AzizAnsari.com for $5. In 2010, he had an hour-long standup special on Comedy Central titled "Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening." The special and subsequent DVD/CD were both extremely successful and both albums continue to be a mainstay on iTunes' comedy best-seller list.
Ansari performs at the City Opera House in Traverse City Sept. 3 to 4. Purchase tickets for $30 each here.