text:
City by city, property by property, experience by experience, we transform what it means to live, to connect, to belong. We develop own and manage a premier portfolio of assets of the highest quality valued at over $60 billion.
Hudson Yards is the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States and the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center. When complete in 2025, 125,000 people a day will work in, visit or call Hudson Yards their home.
Lovejoy Warf – Robert A.M. Stern has taken traditional, natural materials such as oak, bronze and marble to create an inspired Boston offering. Each residence focuses on drawing the outside in, emphasizing the views over the Charles River, Boston Harbor and the extensive city skyline.
The Grand is a visionary public-private partnership with the Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority to revitalize downtown LA's cultural and civic core with a mix of commercial, retail, cultural and residential units stitched together with grand public spaces and world-class architecture.
There are 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. This will be The 78th. Set along a half-mile of riverfront, The 78 is a remarkable 62-acre site that will fuse new homes, commercial enterprises, cultural events, academia and outdoor recreational space into a new neighborhood — one that will challenge how we think about ourselves, and how the world thinks about Chicago.
RFT is going against the tide of mega-meta-job boards which are more interested in selling advertisements than actually filling positions for their clientele. RFT focuses in Real Estate Development, Construction Management, Architecture, Asset Management, Real Estate Investments and their related industries . Through our deep connections in the real estate arena RFT can reach active and passive candidates in a way no other "job board" offers or is willing to do. RFT is not a "job board" it is your "RECRUITING CLOUD"
Request For talent is sponsored by Gillian Executive Search, Inc. – recruiters in real estate development, construction management, architecture, real estate finance, asset management and more.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Danica Patrick's hot start to 2013 is no fluke.
The Stewart-Haas driver showed she's more than capable of running with the rest of the pack on Sunday, notching the first Coors Light Pole by a woman in Sprint Cup Series history during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in just her 11th career start. For the 11th consecutive year, there is a different pole sitter for the Daytona 500.
Patrick's qualifying time of 45.817 seconds positioned her atop the leaderboard early in the day and her top speed of 196.434 mph is the fastest Daytona 500 qualifying speed since Ken Schrader's Chevrolet topped out at 196.515 in 1990. The driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet also becomes the first Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate to win the Daytona 500 pole since Jimmie Johnson in 2002 and the first woman to qualify for The Sprint Unlimited.
Prior to Sunday, there had been just two Coors Light Poles earned by a woman, Patrick last year at Daytona and Shawna Robinson in Atlanta in 1994, both of which came in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition. This will be the best starting position for a female in Sprint Cup history, eclipsing Janet Guthrie's starting position of ninth at Talladega and Bristol, both in 1977. In 1980, Guthrie started 18th in the Daytona 500, formerly the best start for a woman in Daytona 500 history. She finished 11th in that race.
Jeff Gordon was second on the leaderboard in the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet with a time of 45.85 and a top speed of 196.292, followed by Trevor Bayne's 45.924 (195.976).
Patrick's SHR teammates Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart rounded out the top-five, with the 2008 Daytona 500 winner Newman coming in at 45.931 (195.946) and the three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Stewart finishing in 45.936 with a top speed of 195.925.
Matt Kenseth, winner of the 2012 Daytona 500, placed 10th on Sunday with a time of 45.983 (195.725) in the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota for his new home, Joe Gibbs Racing.
"I think that says a lot about the team, a lot about Stewart-Haas Racing, a lot about how much work was done over the winter and how they've adapted to the new car," said Patrick. "This is very much a team pole."
The Generation-6 cars continue to impress, as 22 drivers topped 195 mph. Before Sunday, the last driver to hit that mark in Daytona 500 qualifying was Jeff Gordon (195.067) in 1999. Before that, you have to go back to Davey Allison (195.955) in 1991.
Written By: NASCAR


text:
Product Description
- Changes 220/240 Volt (Foreign Electricity) to 110/120 Volt (U.S. Electricity)
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text:
When Alexa Chung for Madewell launched last week, its e-commerce site fell victim to a "Missoni for Target" overload. "Congrats! You crashed the @madewell1937 website with the purchase onslaught. Glad you like it! Xxxx," Chung Tweeted.
Once fixed, a handful of pieces from the collection did sell out, even though shoppers were limited to just two of each item. When the clothes (and shoes and bags etc.) hit stores later that day, lines were out the door. By the next morning, half of it was on eBay with seriously inflated price tags. The most extravagant? A picture-less pair of calf hair, leopard print "Zowie" boots with a "buy it now" price of $649.99. (Madewell sold them for $350.)
More From ELLE
The sellers are touting Chung'sMadewell items as "rare, hot, sold out everywhere," but kind of like Missoni for Target was found in stores across the country post-SELL OUT!!, there are always scraps leftover somewhere. When it comes to Chung, however, the "scraps" are almost the entire line and "somewhere" is Soho. We swung by Madewell's Broadway and Broome location yesterday to see if we could get our hands on anything and were confronted with almost everything—including the must-have pineapple pajamas and white lace dress. So before you shell out a few extra hundred dollars on eBay, try the original source!


text:
Analyzing Zend Debugger Profiling Data
This feature is supported in the Ultimate edition only.
The following is only valid when PHP Plugin is installed and enabled!
When integration with the Zend Debugger profiler is enabled, IntelliJ IDEA provides visual representation of profiler snapshots. IntelliJ IDEA opens a separate editor tab with four views where the data are presented based on different criteria.
With Zend Debugger, profiling is supported within a zero configuration debugging session.
To have the profiling data collected and analyze it, perform these general steps:
Initiating a zero configuration Zend Debugger session
- Generate the bookmarklets to toggle the debugger through. These bookmarklets will appear on the toolbar of your browser. They provide control over the debugger cookie, through them you will activate and deactivate the debugger.
- Enable the Bookmarks toolbar in your browser by doing one of the following depending on the browser type:
- In Firefox, choose View | Toolbar | Bookmarks Toolbar.
- In Chrome, choose Bookmarks | Show bookmarks bar.
- Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by pressing Ctrl+Alt+S or by choosing for Windows and Linux or for macOS. Expand the Languages & Frameworks node, and then click Debug under PHP.
- On the Debug page, that opens, click the Use debugger bookmarklets to initiate debugger from your favorite browser link.
- On the Zend Debugger & Xdebug bookmarklets page that opens, check the debugging engine settings and click Generate. The bookmarks for listed debugging-related actions are generated.
- Drag the generated links to the bookmark toolbar in your browser.
- Enable the Bookmarks toolbar in your browser by doing one of the following depending on the browser type:
- Toggle the Start Listen PHP Debug Connections button so it changes to . After that IntelliJ IDEA starts listening to the port of the debugging engine used in the current project. Ports for debuggers are set at the IntelliJ IDEA level in the Debug dialog box (File | Settings | PHP | Debug ).
- Open the starting page of your application in the browser, choose the Start debugger bookmark to activate the debugging engine from the browser, re-load the current page (the starting page of the application), and then return to IntelliJ IDEA.
Establishing a Zero-Configuration debugging session may fail, with no breakpoints hit and therefore the script not suspended. This may happen if if the path mappings are not configured or configured erroneously, or if you have not set any breakpoints. In the latter case, enabling selecting the Break at First Line in PHP Scripts check box in the External Connections area or turning the Run | Break at First Line in PHP Scripts option on the main menu may also help.
To have IntelliJ IDEA display a notification if the script is not suspended, select the Notify if debug session was finished without being stopped check box in the Advanced Settings area on the Debug page of the Settings dialog box.
- In the dialog box, that opens, select the incoming connection to profile and click Accept. The Incoming Connection from Zend Debugger dialog box appears only once, when you accept connection from this host for the first time.
IntelliJ IDEA presents the collected profiling data in a separate editor tab with the name of the selected profiler output file.
Examining the profiling data
When you request on the accumulated profiling data, IntelliJ IDEA opens its visualized presentation in a separate editor tab. The tab is named after the file that implements the page you are currently profiling and consists of several views. Switch between the views to analyze the profiling data based on various criteria of analysis.
- In the Execution Statistics view, examine the summary information about execution metrics of every called function.
- In the Call Tree view, explore the execution paths of all called functions.
- To explore the execution paths of a specific function, select the function in question in the Call Tree view and view its callees in the Callees view.
- To explore all the paths that can result in calling a specific function, select the function in question in the Call Tree view and examine its possible callers in the Callers view.


text:
You need to install librrd first to be able to use PECL/rrd. Most common option is using of librrd-dev package from your favourite linux distro. PECL/rrd is tested with librrd 1.4.3, older or newer versions might or might not work for you. PECL/rrd installation is tested with PHP 5.3.2 or newer.
Librrd and hence extension itself aren't mostly thread safe. There are many global and shared states in librrd. It can be dangerous use this extension in multi threaded environments like Apache2 mpm worker. If there are many parallel requests, one request can change some global librrd state of other runnig requests.


text:
PETS: Happy Howl-Oween
PANAMA CITY — Linda Hipps said she likes to dress up her dogs, but she never takes them out on Halloween.
"I personally have never taken my dogs trick-or-treating," said Hipps, the Panhandle area coordinator for Pug Rescue of Florida ( PugRescueOfFlorida.org ). "It would be too stressful for them, and their eyes are very prone to injury. I confine them to a room that isn't connected to the front door with visitors knocking or ringing the bell."
But putting them in fanciful costumes is another story: "On our website, we have bios and pics for our available pugs, and it draws attention if they stand out in a cute costume. It gives them a better chance at being noticed," she said.
She got into the rescue program in December 2009, after a groomer called about a pair of pugs being taken to a shelter; she already had five dogs at the time, so she promised her husband she would find homes for the new pair, named Lou Pang and Maybell. She drove to Perry to hand them off to a PRF volunteer.
"I told her I couldn't foster, but if they ever needed help transporting to call me," Hipps said. "It was a few weeks later that I got the call that the same breeder from Vernon who had given the pair away was surrendering 10 more to us."
The pugs ranged in age from 3 to 12 years and were in horrible condition, she said. She drove them to Tallahassee, where more volunteers took them to Lake City, then to Orlando and points even farther south. She started fostering in 2010 and has helped more than 100 pugs find homes, she said.
"Foster homes are the key to us being able to save so many," Hipps said.
Pug Rescue of Florida, a non-profit organization based in Orlando, rescued nearly 300 pugs and pug mixes in 2012, and the number is running higher this year, Hipps said. Adoption fees and fundraisers barely begin to cover the nearly $100,000 in vet bills and food costs incurred annually.
One of their events, "Pugsgiving," takes place annually at the Ramada Gateway Resort in Kissimmee (on Nov. 9, this year). They also have monthly meet-and-greets for adoptable pugs at the Panama City Petsmart, 849 E. 23rd St., from noon to 3 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month, and at the Destin Petsmart, 34940 Emerald Coast Parkway, from noon to 3 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month.
Hipps said people looking for ready-made costumes could visit major chains like Petsmart and Petco for large selections for a variety of sizes and breeds, as well as online sites like Baxterboo. She has even purchased tiny crowns and hats at Party America for use on her pugs.
"For safety reasons, you should stick to costumes that the pet won't trip over or block their field of vision, just like children's (costumes)," Hipps said. "Some pets just can't tolerate wearing anything. If you simply must dress them up, I'd suggest embellishing their collar or harness instead."
By taking a few simple precautions, everyone — humans and animals alike — can have a safe and happy Halloween. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals offers these suggestions to help keep your pets safe on this haunting holiday:
l Keep cats inside, especially black cats, which have been unfairly associated with "evil forces." On the days leading up to Halloween, pranksters often prowl for roaming kitties. Many animal shelters refuse to adopt out black cats during the entire month of October. (See the sidebar for Bay County Animal Control's special on black and orange cats.)
l Dogs should be kept indoors too. Some pranksters think letting dogs out of their yards on Halloween is a great trick, but it's a terrifying experience for dogs, which often run from the noise and strangely dressed people and can become lost. Dogs also can be injured if poked at through fences or pelted with eggs.
l Put animals in a secure room during trick-or-treat time. Cats can quickly slip out the front door, and dogs sometimes try to bite unsuspecting costumed visitors, thinking that they're intruders. It's best to keep animals inside a bedroom or family room, away from all the commotion.
l Don't take dogs trick-or-treating. Children usually are more interested in collecting candy than monitoring the dog, which easily can become frightened by the laughing or screaming children and run off or even bite someone.
Keep candy out of reach of animals, and make sure kids know not to share goodies with four-legged friends. All candy (and wrappers) can cause animals to become sick, and chocolate contains an ingredient that can be poisonous to dogs. A simple cat or dog treat will make your animals' Halloween great without making them sick.
l Keep curious noses and paws away from candles and party favors. Jack-o'-lanterns lit up by candles are spooky but can burn animals (and children) or start fires if tipped over. The ink used in some brightly colored decorations, such as orange streamers and paper pumpkins, is toxic to animals, and swallowed balloons or party favors can block an animal's digestive tract.
l Remember, animals aren't party props. Fido might look cute wearing a witch's hat, but many animals become upset if they are forced into clothing. Costumes kept in place with tight rubber bands can cut off circulation. And while some party planners think that it's frightful fun to have a black cat jump out of a closet at guests, the frightened kitty (and guests) probably won't agree.
Animal Control offers Halloween treat
PANAMA CITY — The fee for adopting a pet from Bay County Animal Services has been reduced from $75 to $25 during October in an effort to increase the live release rate of animals at the facility.
"We're hoping that this will help us adopt out more animals to good homes," said Carol Treftz, Bay County Animal Services director.
A $100 spay/neuter deposit still is required, per state law, although it is returned to the pet owner once the surgery is completed. Details: BayCountyFL.gov
Also during the month of October, all cats with orange and/or black coloring are available at a reduced rate of $20.
"We want to make having an animal affordable for everyone, and a house is not a home without a pet," Treftz said.
In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, several events involving pets and costumes are scheduled in the area.
When: 5-7 p.m. Oct. 25
Where: 3 Dogs & A Chick doggy boutique and bakery, 130 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach
Activities: Pet portraits, adoptable dogs, costume contests and more; 200 dogs and their humans attended last year
Details: 3DogsAndAChick.com
12th ANNUAL HOWL-O-WEEN
When: Daily Oct. 25-27
Where: Seacrest Wolf Preserve, 3449 Bonnett Pond Road, Chipley
What: Hands-on wolf encounter tours, cake walks, jump houses, hayrides, food, raffle baskets; appearances by Mr. Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood; Dog-O-Ween costume contest; flute music by Marcia Johnston; storytelling and music at a bonfire; Wolf-Howl and Haunted Hayride.
Details: 850-773-2897
When: Oct. 26, times to be announced
Where: Seaside
What: Annual fundraising event to benefit the Kind Heart Kennel, features an all-dachshund race and a pet costume contest
Details: Halloweener.org


text:
Job Details
Senior Network Performance Analysis Engineer
When you join Verizon
Verizon is one of the world's leading providers of technology and communications services, transforming the way we connect across the globe. We're a diverse network of people driven by our shared ambition to shape a better future. Here, we have the ability to learn and grow at the speed of technology, and the space to create within every role. Together, we are moving the world forward – and you can too. Dream it. Build it. Do it here.
What you'll be doing...
Whether it's coverage, reliability, or speed - Verizon has the best network. Verizon is a leader in innovation by being the first company to launch a commercial 5G network. In addition to amazing speed, 5G will enable next-generation capabilities and innovations in the consumer and industrial spaces. You will be helping build and optimize this new network. Your work will make an impact on the lives of thousands in the future with how they live, work, and play.
Research and understand the end-to-end network design and call flows to help optimize and improve network accessibility, retainability, mobility, integrity, latency and performance.
Participate in the planning, testing, and integration phases of various projects to upgrade, redesign, and integrate new and existing services.
Perform pre/post analysis and apply critical thinking skills to provide clear conclusions, results, and recommendations to peers and leadership.
Utilize various software tools to proactively identify, investigate, and resolve anomalies with various key performance indicators (KPIs), log messages, call flows, and packet analysis.
Explore and develop new ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness through developing methods of automation or machine learning for KPI analysis.
Participate in market-wide initiatives, trials, and FOAs.
Develop and document standardized procedures, reporting, alerting, and share knowledge amongst other engineers.
*** This role can be located out of any US based Verizon Hub location.****
In this hybrid role, you'll have a defined work location that includes work from home and assigned office days set by your manager.
What we're looking for...
You're never satisfied with just good enough - curious, not afraid to ask questions, and eager to investigate. You enjoy learning new things and are always looking to improve. You pay attention to small details and are an excellent problem solver with strong critical thinking skills. You are a team player - always willing to share knowledge, communicate effectively, and maintain a positive attitude.
You'll need to have:
Bachelor's degree or four or more years of work experience.
Four or more years of relevant work experience.
Demonstrated experience in IP networking, 4G / 5G networks, and/or Data Science, or equivalent coursework in those topics.
Willingness to travel.
Even better if you have:
A degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Mathematics, or Electrical Engineering.
Demonstrated knowledge of 3GPP network interfaces, network elements, and call flows for 4G and 5G networks.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience with Data Science tools (Python / Pandas, Tableau, Qlik, etc.), statistical analysis methodologies, and demonstrated ability to interact with large data sets to deliver insightful analysis / conclusions / and recommendations with supportive evidence.
Experience with network tools such as SevOne, Irisview, nGenius, Wireshark.
Demonstrated knowledge of TCP / QUIC performance analysis and SIP/RTP performance analysis.
Familiarity with cloud-native software platforms and tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, Jaeger, Elastic.
Equal Employment Opportunity
We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer - and celebrate our employees' differences, including race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, and Veteran status. At Verizon, we know that diversity makes us stronger. We are committed to a collaborative, inclusive environment that encourages authenticity and fosters a sense of belonging. We strive for everyone to feel valued, connected, and empowered to reach their potential and contribute their best. Check out our diversity and inclusion page to learn more.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
Verizon requires new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Verizon provides reasonable accommodations consistent with legal requirements (e.g., for medical or religious reasons).


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text:
Supposedly nobody's buying collections of personal essays these days — perhaps that's why the hapless character played by Lena Dunham on "Girls" is so intent on writing one. If it's true that such works aren't in demand, it shouldn't be. Pieces that coalesce around a particular period in a writer's life can form a lovely mosaic-like memoir. Meghan Daum's "My Misspent Youth'' is one, and, at the other end of the age spectrum, Diana Athill's "Somewhere Towards the End'' is another. From the middle comes Cynthia Zarin's often elusive and always enchanting "An Enlarged Heart: A Personal History.''
This is Zarin's first book of prose for adults. She's published four volumes of poetry and several children's books. The 12 essays that comprise "An Enlarged Heart'' weave in and out of Zarin's two marriages, her own childhood and her children's, beach houses, Manhattan apartments, and European junkets. This may sound disjointed, but it isn't. Zarin knits her stories together with an appealing and deeply intimate voice. Whether she's remembering a failing relationship or a torn jacket lining, Zarin's essays read as if we've caught her in the middle of a conversation with herself — as the best personal essays do.
In the title essay, which first appeared in The New Yorker and then in "The Best American Essays, 2004,'' Zarin recounts her 3-year-old daughter's bout with a potentially lethal condition, Kawasaki disease. The malady can cause inflammation of a child's cardiac muscle but, as throughout the book, it's Zarin whose heart seems to enlarge as she relives her experience on the page. Even in a crisis, she's absorbing, noticing, finding stories within stories. In the ambulance that rushes her daughter to a hospital on Cape Cod, Zarin observes: "The technician has a last name — Silva — that's common in Provincetown. Is she a local girl? 'You bet I am,' she says. 'When I was in high school, I couldn't date — everyone was my cousin.' "
Many of Zarin's essays hinge on her poet's preoccupation with language. She often navigates her way through memory using individual words as signposts. In "Curious Yellow" Zarin sifts through moments of her life associated with various colors: women she saw on the street two weeks ago wearing yellow stockings; the marigold stockings worn by a character in a 1970s movie; the bowl Zarin misremembered as blue during a youthful reading of Doris Lessing's "The Golden Notebook.'' In "Mr. Ferri and the Furrier" Zarin recalls a tailor and a seller of pelts, whom she places in the essay, she admits, by virtue of "the association of consonants or vowels."
Zarin's narrative keeps returning to Manhattan, where she has lived her whole life and to which "An Enlarged Heart'' is a valentine of sorts. Zarin's Manhattan, like her prose, is both familiar and dreamlike, with surreal scenes often unfolding just steps from the city sidewalks. In "Restaurants" Zarin takes her kids to a swimming pool in a friend's apartment building. The friend orders lunch on "a black phone with a handle and a dial, of the kind you hardly ever see anymore" and soon a waiter in formal dress, wheeling a silver cart, appears, seeming to be "an apparition . . . like the ghost of Hamlet's father."
Suddenly her kids' play date collides with the New York of Zarin's childhood, to which she returns frequently in her imagination and in this book; the New York where phone numbers had exchanges like CHelsea-3 and ALgonquin-4, and ladies had their initials embroidered inside their fur coats.
Suzanne Koven writes the monthly "In Practice" column for the Globe. She can be reached at inpracticemd@


text:
We are moving!
CNN's National Security team in Washington is committed to breaking news, providing in-depth analysis and unique feature stories about the U.S. military, diplomatic affairs, the intelligence community and all things related to U.S. national security.
But going forward, you'll find our stories in a new place - HERE - and all across cnn.com.
We are archiving the Security Clearance blog.
Thank you for reading! We've loved hearing from you and hope to see your comments and feedback at our new home.
You can continue to follow us on Twitter @NatSecCNN.
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Homeless shelters enjoy a remarkably essential role in modern society. Unfortunately the volume of individuals living on the avenues has increased over the last few years since the worldwide downturn in the economy forced more people from their work using the producing reduction in cash flow and so problems checking up on home loan repayments or lease arrears.
You could believe that you realize every one of the details of these kinds of shelters but sadly there are several untruths bandied about which must be clarified inside the broader community. Homelessness is a problem that could have an impact on anyone people, because you suspect that your particular life is dependable and protect right now, that does not necessarily mean this will always be the situation in the future. With a little luck, the details mentioned in the following paragraphs will help to provide a better idea of homeless shelters along with the establishments now available.
Nearly all homeless shelters are located in the big towns and cities. They supply a mattress for your evening for people people who do not possess any home they may head to. Even though most supply a services only throughout the night hrs, in addition there are some shelters which can be open up 24 hours a day. A homeless protection is a secure and calming place to stay, especially if you have seen the hardship of road life. There is usually no restrictions on the kind of people that can stay at this kind of businesses, no person in actual require can be converted away unless you will discover a great basis for the process, for instance if the individual is intoxicated or brutal.
Today there are actually shelters offered solely for men or just for ladies in addition to merged services. They may be run by a variety of diverse agencies. By way of example, there are all those preserved from the express, united states government, chapels, as well as charitable groups. The maintenance of any homeless shelter is really considerably expensive, because of this you may find the establishment looking for volunteers in addition to financial assistance.
A homeless shelter will offer way over merely a your bed for that night time. Many will feature a soups cooking area which offers very hot dishes free of charge. On many occasions employees would not compensated a cent, they job in the goodness of their heart. There are particular properties that also provide a form of cure for those people with liquor or drug associated troubles. Regrettably it really is thought that as many as twenty five percent of most homeless everyone is somehow addicted to this sort of compounds. There are several shelters which can provide help to get work and get ready for career job interviews. The greatest intention is not only to provide a roof top and bed to the evening but additionally support folks amalgamate themselves back to culture in the good style.
By providing counselling, help, and education, it can be feasible for even the long term homeless to be rehabilitated to this kind of diploma they can get their feet again plus develop their feeling of self really worth and personal regard. People that are going to improve their circumstances would remain an improved chance of accomplishing so by using the establishments which can be offered. A homeless protection is not only a way to maintain displaced individuals off the streets.
Although more widespread in larger sized city spots, homelessness is a concern in each and every corner of the country. It is merely much more evident inside the larger towns as the population is larger. The people who create the services want so that you can assist as many individuals as physically probable, for this reason this is basically the greater cities have been these are more prevalent location.
It could be a large mistake to pin the blame on the homeless for your circumstance they may be in. There has been scientific studies taken on that illustrates that significantly less then 5Percent have selected to live in the roadways. There is certainly an additional myth that many homeless individuals have a emotional disease of some type. Needless to say some do, although the majority are audio of imagination and will contribute to community if because of the opportunity. One more reality that is normally overlooked is that around one out of four homeless everyone is under the age of 18, several of whom have operate out and about on account of bodily abuse.
Any homeless protection would simply be too very happy to get help and support. For these facilities to carry on to offer their important professional services they require aid from as many sources as you can. That you can do your tad in several methods. By way of example why not commit one night time weekly assisting to prepare food or cleansing recipes. Check out the Homeless Protection in your area and learn what their requirements are and strive to fill up all those needs in any respect your can.
Inspired by: ezinearticles


text:
Selenium: State of the Union
Selenium: State of the Union
Outline/Structure of the Keynote
Selenium: State of the Union
Learning Outcome
Selenium: State of the Union
Target Audience
schedule Submitted 6 years ago
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Holy Jesus! did we also test on firefox version 30.0 on Windows machine ??
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text:
Former Medicare chief Donald Berwick said Obama administration officials should abandon a rule that is leaving many older Americans without coverage for expensive rehabilitation care after they leave the hospital.
The Medicare rule requires recipients to be admitted as a hospital inpatient for at least three days before the federal health insurance program for seniors and the disabled will pay for follow-up nursing home care. The problem is that an increasing number of patients are spending days in the hospital under observation status, often without realizing they were never officially admitted.
Medicare does not cover the cost of nursing home care in these cases, and neither do most supplemental insurance policies, advocates say, leaving surprised recipients to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets for rehabilitation, the Globe reported Sunday.
"The patient ends up holding the bag, and that's not fair or appropriate,'' Berwick, a physician and a Democratic candidate for governor of Massachusetts, said in an interview this week.
Berwick said that when he ran Medicare from July 2010 to December 2011, he discussed scrapping the three-day rule. But others in the agency worried that without this requirement, people would emerge from "the woodwork'' to check into nursing homes without any review of whether they really need to be there. "There was concern in the administration that it would lead to abuse of the system,'' he said.
But he believes it is possible to establish other safeguards, such as requiring a doctor to verify a patient's condition. "Medicare should get rid of that rule,'' he said.
Medicare originally intended observation care as a way to give doctors time to evaluate whether a patient should be admitted to the hospital or is stable enough to go home, usually within 24 to 48 hours. But hospitals are increasingly keeping patients in observation status longer: 8 percent of Medicare recipients had observation stays longer than 48 hours in 2011, up from 3 percent in 2006.
US Representative Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat, has filed legislation that would make it easier for Medicare recipients to get follow-up care by eliminating the distinction between inpatient and observation status. Patients who spend at least three days in a hospital, no matter how they are classified, would qualify for coverage, as long as doctors believe rehabilitation care is needed.
When Courtney first filed the bill three years ago it had 11 sponsors. It now has 93, he said.
"We have met with [Medicare] numerous times,'' he said in an interview this week. "It seems like there is a statutory fix that is required, and this was the cleanest way. We've gotten tremendous support.''
Courtney said he was alerted to the problem several years ago when a family from Norwich called his office. A man in his 80s had spent five days in the hospital. When his daughter-in-law took him to a nursing home, a social worker told her that he was "coded as observation" and that "you are going to have to write a check for $10,000,'' Courtney said.
He said new rules issued by Medicare this month, which say observation care should be no more than "two midnights," may help, but will not solve the problem.
Based on meetings with hospital officials, he believes they are classifying more patients as observation because they are worried Medicare will penalize their institutions for inappropriate billing. Medicare contractors have demanded refunds from hospitals that admit patients the government believes should have been treated as observation patients or outpatients.
"After you have been burned once or twice, you are going to err on the side of caution,'' Courtney said.
He said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is analyzing the cost of scrapping the three-day inpatient rule. He expects his bill to get wrapped into legislation promoting broader Medicare reforms.
Another couple, Harold and Sylvia Engler of Framingham, recently had to pay the entire $7,859 cost of his rehabilitation care and the medications he needed while at the nursing facility, the Globe reported. Harold Engler spent 10 days in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center trying to snap back from complications after urgent hernia surgery, but was never actually admitted.
Because the hospital classified him as an observation patient, Medicare would not cover his follow-up nursing home care. His wife called US Senator Edward Markey's office and the couple is working with a lawyer.
"The Englers notified my office about a problem that unfortunately too many Americans, especially seniors, are faced with every day,'' Markey said in an e-mail this week. He said he plans to sign onto Courtney's legislation.
"Because of a Medicare law and the technicalities of how hospital visits are classified, the Englers were left with a sky-high bill for rehabilitation services that should have been fully covered under Medicare. Patients should not be forced to pay out of pocket for covered Medicare services due to an arbitrary federal policy,'' Markey said.
Liz Kowalczyk can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
A spate of racist comments directed at Premiership footballers and broadcast on Twitter has prompted concerns about use of the social media network.
In the past week, two cases have come to court involving students who sent out offensive messages insulting the former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore and the Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who collapsed during a recent FA Cup tie.
A variety of laws are being used by the Crown Prosecution Service to deal with offenders as police forces move swiftly to deal with high-profile cases. A number of footballers and celebrities are reported to have closed their accounts on the micro-blogging site after becoming targets of abuse.
In the two latest cases, a Newcastle University law student Joshua Cryer, 21, admitted using the social networking site to bombard Collymore with abuse in an attempt to "snare a celebrity" by provoking a reaction.
He was charged under section 127 of the Communications Act of sending grossly offensive messages, which included racist taunts, to the former England player. He was sentenced to a two-year community order with 240 hours' unpaid work and ordered to pay £150 costs to the court.
Liam Stacey, a 21-year-old biology undergraduate at Swansea University, pleaded guilty to a charge under the Crime and Disorder Act of making racially aggravated comments.
Lisa Jones, prosecuting, told the court: "Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch and was believed to have died. Shortly after, Stacey posted on Twitter: 'LOL, Fuck Muamba. He's dead'." Stacey is due to be sentenced this week and has been told he could be jailed.
The prosecutions demonstrate the determination of law enforcement agencies that what occurs online should be subject to everyday rules and regulations.
The practice of online bullying and baiting, known more generally as "trolling", has been condemned repeatedly by ministers.
Before attending a Downing Street summit last month tackling homophobia and racism in football, the culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "The behaviour of crowds has been that something that was socially acceptable 20 years ago is now socially unacceptable. Unfortunately, it seems still to be socially acceptable on Twitter." The term "Twacism" – for "twitter racism" – has gained a limited currency online.
Legal action may not involve major investigations by police or prosecutors since offenders tend to be easy to track down through their social media accounts and faced with the evidence often plead guilty.
But they do involve abuse that might otherwise not have been broadcast beyond the confines of a living room or pub. Commenting after Cryer's conviction, Wendy Williams, head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the north-east, said: "In recent months we have seen a number of similar cases in the north-east, in which people have been racially abused through social networking sites.
"Ironically, the strongest evidence in each of these cases has been directly provided by the defendants themselves. When a person makes such comments digitally, they effectively hand police and prosecutors much of the evidence needed to build a robust case against them."
Other recent examples involving racial abuse on Twitter include two 17-year-olds who were given final warnings by the police over comments directed at Newcastle United's Sammy Ameobi.
Last month, a Sunderland fan, Peter Copeland, was given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to two offences under the Malicious Communications Act. It was said he had sent out "grossly offensive" racist comments.
Collymore, an active campaigner against racism, has been raising awareness of inappropriate remarks on Twitter and played a significant role in the arrest of Stacey. He has tweeted: "If you see anyone tweeting racist tweets today, or any day, please report them to your local police. They will listen and act. Thank you."
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said there had been more than 2,000 prosecutions last year under section 127 of the Communications Act. The DCMS said: "The fundamental principle for internet-hosted material is that what is illegal offline is also illegal online."
A CPS spokesman said: "Cases are prosecuted under different laws. We review the evidence given to us and decide what is the most appropriate legislation to charge under."
Twitter says it does not moderate or filter content on its site but insists it has a set of rules intended to protect users and promote good behaviour. A spokeswoman said: "Twitter is a neutral platform, but we have rules that outline what users can and can't do. We do not pro-actively monitor content, but will review all reports of violations, and act on a case-by-case basis."


text: Thu May 08 2003 09:43: Bizarre new jellyfish discovered. I actually got a preview of this jellyfish back in 2000; the professor of my Oceans class must have known the research team, because we got to watch a spooky, gruesome video in which a ROV was approached by an enormous jellyfish and ended up slicing off one of its arms into a sample tank. ("But the biologists... have collected tissue samples of the bell and the thick arms of one specimen.")


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Words of Wonders is developed by Fugo
Test your vocabulary in this word game. Use the letters to find the hidden words and fill the grid to complete the level. This game is mostly like all the others of the genre except for the fact that it has a theme for each level. Travel the world and visit each of the seven wonders and even more.
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For more information on our recent data notice, please click here
A team of scientists, led by principal investigator David D. Schlaepfer, PhD, professor in the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that small molecule inhibitors to a protein called focal adhesion kinase (FAK) selectively prevent the growth of ovarian cancer cells as tumor spheroids.
The findings come in a pair of studies published online this week in the journals Gynecologic Oncology and Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.
An ovarian tumor spheroid.
FAK is stained red, osteopontin green and DNA blue.
Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of female cancer death in the United States. On average, more than 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and 14,270 die. Many women achieve remission, but cancer recurrence rates exceed 75 percent, prompting the need for new treatments.
"Ovarian cancer spreads within a women's peritoneal space through a unique mechanism that involves the survival of small clusters of tumor cells termed spheroids," said Schlaepfer. "Our studies show that FAK signaling functions at the center of a tumor cell survival signaling network."
In the first study, published in Gynecologic Oncology, first author Nina Shah, MD, a gynecological oncology fellow in the Department of Reproductive Medicine, found that ovarian tumor cells with low levels of a tumor suppressor protein, called merlin, displayed heightened sensitivity to FAK inhibitor growth cessation.
"With FAK inhibitor clinical trials already testing a similar linkage in mesothelioma (a rare cancer that affects the protective lining of many internal organs), our results support the hypothesis that protein biomarkers such as merlin may identify those patients who may best respond to FAK inhibitor therapy," said Schlaepfer.
In the second study in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, first author Isabelle Tancioni PhD, an assistant project scientist at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center discovered that a network of signals generated by osteopontin – a beta-5 integrin receptor used in cell-to-cell signaling – and FAK control ovarian cancer spheroid growth. High levels of beta-5 integrin and FAK expression are associated with a poor prognosis for some ovarian cancer patients. "Thus, high levels of beta-5 integrin may serve as a novel biomarker for ovarian carcinoma cells that possess active FAK signaling," said Schlaepfer.
Schlaepfer noted that tumor recurrence and metastasis are responsible for the majority of ovarian cancer-related deaths and said the new findings support ongoing clinical trials of FAK inhibitors as new agents in the fight to prevent ovarian cancer progression.
Co-authors include Sean Uryu, Florian J. Sulzmaier, Christine Lawson, Christine Jean, Xiao Lei Chen, Kristy K. Ward and Nichol L.G. Miller, UCSD Moores Cancer Center; and Denise C. Connolly, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Funding for this research came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (grant CA102310) and the non-profit Nine Girls Ask?
# # #
Media contact: Scott LaFee, 619-543-6163, firstname.lastname@example.com
Gynecologic Cancers


text:
Magic in Albi
A Young Family Travels Part 2
Our lovely holiday in the beginning of June, was not only spend in the garden and in the little French village we were staying. No, we also did some proper tourism. On one of the hottest and sunniest days of our stay, we went on a little adventure. We visited Albi.
Albi is an old town, that has its historic origines dating back to roman times. In 2010 Albi's old town was crowned a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has many tourist attractions that one might want to check out. I must confess, we didn't do much, besides go for a good walk. I have been to Albi at numerous occasions, and I still have not visited the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, but as little one has grandparent's in the area, we shall visit it one day. One thing we did though, is visit the Saint-Cécile Cathedral. The construction of this fortified cathedral started in 1282, and was meant to symbolise the strength of the catholic church. I must say that it's outside is far more impressive than it's inside. But while we were inside, taking a break from the blazing heat,something magical happened. Little one decided that she must sit on a step on the far right of the altar, she was so happy there, smiling and swaying. She was not at all interested in moving away. A few moments after we managed to make her join us on one of the benches, a small boy, not older nor younger than little one decided that the far right of the altar was a place to sit down and rest. He too was a happy baby, feeling something, some form of good vibration, that we, as adults could no longer feel. We then went on to visit a very beautiful garden, les jardins du Palais de la Berbie. As the heat of the afternoon was starting to get stronger, we decided to head home. Which was definitely a good thing, as on the way to the car, I started to feel the effects of the heat on my organism.
Text and images (hosted on flickr) by Solveig Werner
Sources: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albi#Les_origines; http://www.albi-tourisme.fr/fr/la-cathedrale-sainte-cecile-albi.html; http://www.cite-episcopale-albi.fr/decouvrir/cathedrale-sainte-cecile/
If you would like to know more about Albi, then I do invite you to visit the website of the Office de Tourisme. The first part of "a Young Family Travels" can be found here.


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Society harbors a strange obsession with seeing celebrities disheveled, out of makeup, and out of shape. The video featured here takes that fascination and turns it totally inside out, by using normal photographs of good-looking celebrities to illustrate what's known as the "Flashed Face Distortion Effect" — an optical illusion first described last year by University of Queensland researchers Jason Tangen, Sean Murphy and Matthew Thompson:
When cycling through [closely aligned] faces on a computer screen, each face seems to become a caricature of itself and some faces appear highly deformed, even grotesque. The degree of distortion is greatest for faces that deviate from the others in the set on a particular dimension (eg if a person has a large forehead, it looks particularly large).
Watching the video up top should illustrate the illusion quite nicely. It's not unlike viewing the world through a fun-house mirror that lives in your mind.
What's cool about this illusion is that it was discovered completely by accident. Murphy had been working alone in the lab, skimming through photographs of faces aligned at eye-level, when he noticed that some of the faces lurking on the fringes of his vision looked frightening and deformed. The instant he tried to get a closer look at them, however, they appeared totally normal — attractive even. Can you imagine working in the lab late one night, only to discover a novel optical illusion that tricks you into perceiving attractive faces as utterly grotesque? Don't pretend for a second that wouldn't freak you the hell out.
Read more in the journal Perception, and on the websites of Thompson and Tangen.


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A painting by Jan Vriesen, now hanging near offices at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, imagines Ziegler Reservoir of 120,000 years ago, where mastodons, giant bison and giant sloths roamed.
Next month, when "Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age" opens, the public will be able to see that painting and remains of actual ice-age megafauna unearthed two winters ago from the lake near Snowmass.
On Wednesday, curators were assembling an American mastodon, part of the Field Museum's traveling exhibit, which opens here Feb. 15.
Nineteen items collected from the massive excavation of Ziegler Reservoir will be included, the largest number of objects ever displayed from the rare high-altitude ice-age fossil site.
"Even though it's a traveling exhibition, we always add stuff," said museum educator Samantha Richards. "Because of our discovery in Snowmass, our addition is about Snowmass."
"Mammoths and Mastodons" tells the story of the ice age and mastodons and mammoths and their modern-day descendants through life-size replicas, videos, text and touchable displays.
The Denver museum had planned to host the exhibit before fossils were discovered by a heavy equipment operator enlarging the reservoir. Museum employees and volunteers did a frantic 12-day excavation that began Nov. 2, 2010, and then came back for a 17-day dig that started May 15, 2011.
"It's amazing that this thing happened while this was coming to the museum," said Ian Miller a museum curator.
Although the public won't be able to see the majority of the Snowmass findings — scientists are still handling them — they will be able to see iconic animals, including "Ziggy," a giant ground sloth, and a variety of other objects such as wood, insects and plant materials that demonstrate the biodiversity that existed in ice-age Snowmass.
"We're trying to tell the whole story about this ecosystem. That's what's surprising about Snowmass," Richards said. "It's not just that we found a lot of cool stuff, but that we have the complete story of the ice-age ecosystem at different times."
Miller said the team of 45 scientists working on the thousands of specimens collected from the dig expects to release its findings this summer. He said it may be early next year before they are published.
Although it was not collected in Colorado, an American mastodon that will be displayed in the Snowmass segment of the exhibit is a fitting piece because the dig is the largest mastodon site in the world, Richards said.
"Even though the first animal found at Snowmass was a mammoth, we have more mastodons there," Richards said. "The Hyde Park mastodon is the most complete mastodon found in the U.S."
Adrian Garcia: 303-954-1729, email@example.com


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2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection #139 Carlton Mitchell RC Autograph 4/65
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MOSCOW, June 28 (UPI) -- Russian energy company Gazprom said it was setting up a special-purpose company to oversee development of an LNG facility in the Far East.
Gazprom Chairman Alexei Miller said the company, Gazprom LNG Vladivostok, was set up to oversee operations for a liquefied natural gas facility in the eastern Russian coast.
The Vladivostok facility will have a production capacity of 15 million tons of LNG when it comes on stream in 2018.
Gazprom said Thursday plans were under way to commission a natural gas field associated with the facility. Four exploration wells were planned in the region through 2014 and plans are under way to perform a survey of the potential for more gas reserves.
"Work is in progress on the preparation of a resource base for the Vladivostok-LNG project," the company said. "Pro-active efforts are being made to market the gas of the Vladivostok-LNG project and talks are under way with potential customers in Asia-Pacific."
Gazprom considers Far East natural gas developments as a strategic link for Asian markets. Japan in particular is looking for new sources of energy following the 2011 meltdown of its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Japan relies completely on LNG for its natural gas needs. Russian natural gas makes up about 8 percent of Japan's annual needs.


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Future Combat Systems Restructuring a 'Balancing Act'
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2007 – The Army's Future Combat System program has been restructured as part of a "balancing act" between equipping the current force and modernizing the future force, a top Army acquisition official said yesterday.
Under the restructuring, four of the 18 systems in the program were deferred, and the fielding rate for the system's brigade combat teams was stretched out over five more years. The changes to the FCS program will eliminate $3.4 billion from its budget over the next five fiscal years, Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sorenson, deputy for acquisition and systems management, told Pentagon reporters.
The FCS was designed as a "family" of 18 individual systems, plus the network and the soldier -- referred to as 18+1+1. The systems are a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles, sensors, launch systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. All are connected by a common network with the soldier. With four of the systems deferred, the system is now 14+1+1.
None of the program adjustments compromise the systems' capabilities, he said.
"Clearly we've had to go through a very difficult period here in terms of making sure we can modernize as well as support the current operations and the current force," Sorenson said.
"It was a balancing act with respect to funding priorities in modernization as well as making sure the current force is taken care of," he said.
Most significantly, the changes call for stretching the fielding of the 15 FCS brigade combat teams from over a 10-year period to 15 years. The fielding for the first is slated for fiscal 2015. This will reduce costs by roughly $700 million.
Two of the four classes of unmanned aerial vehicles in the program were deferred after a study concluded that there wasn't an immediate need. But, additional funds were redirected in the program to buy more of the two remaining classes of UAVs whose prototypes have been successful in Iraq, officials said.
The heavy armed robotic vehicle system was deferred to later in the program, but the numbers of some lighter robotic versions were increased.
Also, the intelligent munitions system, an armed sensor that allows troops to control an area without a physical troop presence, was separated from the program. The Army will not buy any more than what is currently under contract to produce. But, again, the numbers of other sensors in the program were increased.
Besides reducing costs, the changes will deliver future technologies into the hands of troops in the fight quicker, Sorenson said.
In 2005, program officials developed a "spin out" strategy, which would field elements of the FCS family of systems as they were developed, instead of waiting until the complete system is fielded.
Initially, some of the unmanned systems and part of the network will be fielded, Sorenson said.
Starting in fiscal 2008, program officials hope to deliver some of the unattended ground sensors to soldiers. There are two categories of the sensors: tactical and urban. The sensors can be used to gather intelligence and conduct surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as provide troops additional security as they clear and secure buildings.
The network, which will enhance battle command capabilities, will be available as much as two years earlier under the restructuring.
Sorenson said that, despite the cuts, FCS remains the largest modernization program for the Army. The program is on time, on cost and still the No. 1 priority of Army leadership, he said.
"It is absolutely the No. 1 priority. And, though we've had to make some adjustments in the program, we have not walked away from the fact that the Army will have to have to modernize in the future," Sorenson said.
Total cost of the program is expected to be $162 billion with another $2 billion slated for additional construction required.
Sorenson said he does not anticipate problems with the program being approved as part of the newly submitted defense budget.
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Being retired now, I cook most of the meals in our home. And of late I have become a connoisseur of my wife's responses, spoken and unspoken, to what I put on our table.
Let us say that tonight's menu is Rotini with Lemon-Asparagus Sauce, a side of cooked carrots, and a Martha's Vineyard salad. After a few bites, Robin may comment on what she has just eaten, or she may not. If she is silent for very long, I begin to get curious. "How do you like it?" I venture to inquire. (more…)


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What would happen if hummus had been invented in Italy, rather than the Middle East?
I decided to answer the question for myself with this simple reimagining of the classic chickpea puree.
And it's not as discordant as you might think. Many of the same flavor profiles can be found across both Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. Which makes sense, given relative geographic proximity. Even the ingredients and technique have common ground.
Italians make generous use of chickpeas and lemons — both essential to classic hummus. Though in the case of chickpeas, Italians tend to use them more often in soups and pastas than in spreads.
And when they do make spreads, they often reach for other beans, such a favas. And while traditional hummus relies on tahini (ground sesame seeds) to add richness, Italians probably would be more inclined to reach for pine nuts. So with those substitutions in mind, I created this delicious Italian-style hummus topped with diced tomatoes spiked with balsamic vinegar.
This hummus is delicious as a spread served with crackers or baguette slices, or turned into the base of a dinner. For that, smear a hefty serving of the hummus over a lightly toasted sliced of sourdough bread, then top with either lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast or roasted vegetables.
— 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
— 6 cloves garlic, minced, divided
— 1/2 cup pine nuts
— Zest and juice of 1 lemon
— 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
— 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
— Salt and ground black pepper
— 1 large tomato, diced
— Balsamic vinegar
In a food processor, combine the beans, half of the garlic, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice, and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Process until chunky smooth.
With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus reaches a smooth, silky texture. Taste, then season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, the remaining 1 teaspoon of rosemary and the remaining garlic. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the hummus into a wide, shallow bowl, using the back of the spoon to form a cavity at the center.
Spoon the tomatoes into the cavity in the hummus. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and hummus, then sprinkle with a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 500 calories; 350 calories from fat (70 percent of total calories); 39 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 11 g protein; 250 mg sodium.


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I wrote this one year ago, I still believe every word, with every fiber of who I am.
240 years is the blink of an eye.
Regardless of the political arguments over how and why this country was founded and declared independence, it was, and remains to this day, an opportunity.
In the 39 years I have been alive, I have made more mistakes than anyone I know. There is the person I want to be, and the person I see in the mirror in the morning. It would be easy to focus only on my mistakes and shortcomings, but I do my best to judge others, and myself on the things I get right. No one, and nothing is perfect. To expect perfection from any nation is as unrealistic as expecting to navigate your entire life without making a wrong turn.
There is a reason those who die in the service of others are wrapped in our flag. Even if only for a moment, it is a reminder that they stood for the best of what this country can be. Selfless, brave, courageous, and most importantly, more than just individuals.
Honor is just a word, until it becomes a principle used to protect others.
Strength is a meaningless pursuit, until it is used to pick up others weaker than yourself.
Integrity is a concept, until it becomes the foundation of standing for what is right.
Courage is fleeting, until you find it, and turn to fight, regardless of the outcome.
Compassion is unknown, until you experience bending a knee instead of breaking a back.
If you leave our flag out in gail force winds, it will weaken, and eventually unravel. It is the sum total of its threads, and only as strong as the stitches that bind them.
Apart, the pieces of our flag, and who we are as a country have no meaning. Together, bound tightly, it represents the best of humanity, and unlimited possibility. We can be a beacon of hope.
OPPORTUNITY…. We can be who we want, as individuals and society. We CAN become the nation we want to be, it is our choice. That, is INDEPENDENCE.
Happy 4th of July….


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Most people know I think a lot – I was recently thinking about culture and mediocrity within local government and the wider public sector and have considered the following:
1. Culture
Number 1 on any list in my humble opinion – the culture of local government generally is one that often assumes that external changes and challenges will often pass by and that a slower pace of change is sometimes considered as the most appropriate way forward. But that is no longer a valid assumption
The Old Paradigm: "Head down and it will all go away."
The New Paradigm: "Embrace the new direction and provide leadership."
2. Mindset
You often get people who simply turn up and literally sit in meetings and contribute nothing…I've always been a fan of the rule of two feet, if it isn't working for you leave.
Old Paradigm: "Just put your body in the room."
New Paradigm: "Show up with a creative, open mindset."
3. Group Wisdom
Obvious perhaps, but just because someone has been promoted to the top of the organisations, it doesn't and shouldn't mean they know more than anyone else…In my personal opinion most senior people are actually more politically aware than intellectually aware.
Old Paradigm: "All wisdom exists at the top."
New Paradigm: "Listen and make space for various voices."
4. Environment
I've only really recently appreciated this one, most people are forced into cultures that require them to sit in rows, in quiet offices, without any real social interaction even when the rooms are open plan. I understand that the sector is rationalising property assets and encouraging hot-desking and the like but we really should think about what we are trying to do…
Old Paradigm: "Do what is normal."
New Paradigm: "Approach space creatively to serve the purpose."
5. Vision
For me this could have also been called purpose…why do we do the things we do…A recent session at Open Space South West creatively called "reducing isolation and helping those who give a shit"
Old Paradigm: "Work to get paid."
New Paradigm: "Make your work about something bigger."
That is enough for me for now…


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As an IT professional, you generally like to give people the benefit of the doubt and hope they have at least a marginal degree of common sense and good personal hygiene. They come through most of the time, but there are always glaring exceptions. Over the span of my IT career, I ran into three notable examples.
My eyes!
One comes from early in my career when working at the computer repair desk at a tech retailer. At this place, the repair desk was right out on the sales floor. We'd voiced concerns about this arrangement because anyone passing by could see what was on the computers, opening the door for serious privacy and security issues. But upper management had made up their mind, and that was that.
[ Also on InfoWorld: "IT's worst addictions (and how to cure them)." | Follow Off the Record on Twitter for tech's war stories, career takes, and off-the-wall news. ]
One day, a gentleman brought us a laptop that had been experiencing "weird problems." I filled out the work order and entered his information in the computer system. As the customer signed the forms and walked away, I secured the laptop with a locking arm and pressed the power button. Then I too walked away for a couple of minutes to help another customer.
It was a slow day in the summer season, and hardly a soul stirred in the store. This was fortunate -- upon returning to the repair desk, I discovered that the laptop's background picture was horribly, pornographically disgusting. It took me a moment to register in my mind what I was looking at, and in a panic I went for the power button.
The five seconds from when I pressed the button to when the machine actually powered off felt like an eternity. When it did shut down, I pulled the laptop out of the security arm, took it to the back room, and changed the desktop background to the Windows XP standard.
After some quick diagnostics, I discovered that the machine was eaten alive with so much malware that it was unfixable, so we had to ask the customer to bring in the restore disks and set it back to the factory image. When he came to pick up the laptop, staying polite with a good customer service smile was very difficult -- but I did it.
Smartphone etiquette 101
Later in my career, I was working at a relatively small company that had several dozen employees and a couple of SQL servers that lived onsite. One server had died on a Friday night. On Saturday morning, myself, the IT manager, the CEO, a couple of developers, a project manager, a SQL DBA, and Microsoft support were on a conference call trying to sort out the mess.


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We turn any event into an occasion.
Getting an ice cream is usually a treat or a celebration, however at most places it's just a transaction. At Ice Cream Ninjas we meet this expectation with an experience that blows people away. We place ice cream on a frozen slab and then use our crazy ninja skills to mix in whatever you want from brownies to cookie dough to peanut butter to fudge to popping candy. No shiitake!