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Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel prize winner in economics. Sorry if I take his opinion over yours, Mr. Sellallmystocksandbuygold.How about the same number as what is paid on REGULAR EARNINGS? Why does investment earnings deserve special treatment?
Not that I agree with John's opinion, he has most likely made out as a bandit by selling all his stocks and buying gold.Also, it is mostly long term capital gains that receive special treatment, not short term capital gains. They receive special treatment because of the time value of money and inflation.
LGW:My name is mentioned in your post, but the point I'm making is absent. If we don't do something about our debt and deficit, the economy, jobs and a scary monetary policy we're toast. All this other stuff is a sideshow.
The Buffett Rule ExplainedWhat's the deal with our current tax system?Under the current U.S. tax system, a number of millionaires pay a smaller percentage of their income in taxes than a significant proportion of middle class families. Warren Buffett, for example, pays a lower effective tax rate than his secretary, and that's not fair.A full 22,000 households that made more than $1 million in 2009 paid less than 15 percent of their income in income taxes — and 1,470 managed to pay no federal income taxes on their million-plus-dollar incomes, according to the IRS.And, the very wealthiest American households are paying nearly the lowest tax rate in 50 years— some are paying just half of the federal income tax that top income earners paid in 1960. But the average tax rate for middle class families has barely budged. The middle 20 percent of households paid 14 percent of their incomes in 1960, and 16 percent in 2010.What is the Buffett Rule?The Buffett Rule is a simple principle that everyone should pay their fair share in taxes. No household making more than a $1 million should pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than middle-class families pay. For the 98 percent of American families who make less than $250,000, taxes should not go up.How would it make sure everyone pays their fair share?The Buffett Rule would limit the degree to which the best-off can take advantage of loopholes and tax rates that allow them to pay less of their income in taxes than middle-class families.Anyone who does well for themselves should do their fair share in return, so that more people have the opportunity to get ahead—not just a few. And at time when we need to pay down our deficit and invest in the things that help our economy grow and keep our country safe—education, research and technology, a strong military, Medicare and Social Security—giving tax breaks to millionaires simply doesn't make sense.http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/buffett-rule
What exactly is the solution?Personally, I would like to see a phase out on all deductions included the itemized, A three tier long term capital gain structure, something along the lines of 0,15,25 brackets, lower the tax rates on intellectual property to 15%, and a few other things.
Lowering taxes? Great, more right-wing trickle-down nonsense.
I just wonder what the big deal is about the Buffet Rule. I've read where it will generate anywhere from $ 3.5 to $ 5 billion extra a year. Will this extra revenue make any real difference in lowering the deficit? Would it be enough to finance some ginormous jobs program that somehow provides jobs to thousands? Will the Federal Government "invest" this money more wisely than would a Warren Buffett? Will it mean that Mr. Buffet and President Obama will pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than their secretaries currently pay? Do you really care? Times are really tough for a whole lot of people. Government spending spiraling out of control. No jobs. People are really scared. The economy sputtering at best. And front and center is a discussion of the Buffet Rule. Appears to me we might want to re-think our priorities.
And just what is wrong with letting the people that work and make money keep it? Why is that bad a thing? And why is it necessary for the government to feed and house millions of people? Why should the people that work have to fund this group of society? Taxes should go toward maintaining the infrastructure not providing a living for those that are to lazy to work.

subset: commoncrawl


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In my last post, I described how and why I was in Borneo. Time now to feature some of the moths I collected...
First, let me illuminate you on light trapping as this is one of the most favoured ways of collecting moths, and indeed the method we have used to collect the majority of the ca. 2700 specimens of Lepidoptera we brought back from this trip.
Moths seem to be more attracted by UV light than by normal tungsten bulbs and there are different devices used to lure them. A functional and unsophisticated device is a white sheet hanging on a vertical support with a UV light bulb suspended in front of it. One just stands next to it and enjoys the flying critters attracted by the light from the dark surroundings.
One of the 4 moth traps at the camp. We would spend hours every night, checking each of them in turn
A popular (and more expensive) method is to use designed light traps, such as the Robinson, Skinner and Heath traps. They still have UV bulbs but they are contained traps. There is a box under the light bulb where the moths fall after being attracted and confused by the light, egg cartons are placed inside the trap to create hiding places for the moths.
The advantage of using these types of light traps is that there is no need to stand around them because the moths that have fallen inside often remain in the trap, and are found the morning after, resting under the egg cartons.
The Robinson Moth Trap in the Wildlife Garden of the Museum. My colleague, curator Martin Honey, has been monitoring moths in the Garden since 1995 and so far 600 species have been recorded in this modest but vital green space in Central London
Designed light traps are generally used in temperate areas. On the other hand, in the tropics the white sheet is the favoured method because, in these regions, there are many more species of moths that are often more numerous and larger than the ones found in temperate localities. Therefore, it is much better to use a larger surface to collect them.
Collecting moths at one of our light traps in Borneo
It is still uncertain why many species of moths - and indeed the majority of species of insects - are attracted to artificial light sources, but I won't delve in conjecturing here as a simple search in the web will give you plenty of hypotheses, none of which has been so far validated. However, below is a series of photos of some of the moths that were visiting our moth traps… absolutely gorgeous stuff (for me at least!)
Marapana flavicosta a moth of the Erebidae family with very long labial palps. This moth has been recorded only in Borneo in montane forests between 1200 and 1900 m. We have the type* of this species here in our Museum!
* When a new organism is described and named, the specimen (or specimens) on which the author based the description becomes the 'type' (or types) for the species. Our beetler Beulah has a fun post about this here
This pretty little moth that reminds me of a clown is very likely Cyana costifimbria, or a species very close to it. It also belongs to the Erebidae.
Acherontia lachesis, the oriental death's-head hawkmoth. An awe-inspiring moth and a skilled honey stealer! The adults (and even the pupae!) of the three known species of hawkmoths squeak when disturbed. Hear one here.
Barsine roseororatus - another erebid moth - frequently found in the forested and disturbed habitat of Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia. The type of this species is also here in the Museum!
Callidrepana argenteola, a moth in the Family Drepanidae (the hook-tip moths). The caterpillar of this species resembles a bird dropping but unfortunately I could not find one to photograph. Again, we have the type specimen of this species in our collections.
Kunugia basinigra belongs to the family Lasiocampidae, commonly known as eggars, snout or lappet moths and this little fellow has certainly a snout to be proud of.
The Tropica Swallow Tail moth (Lyssa zampa), an uraniid moth distributed from North East Himalaya to South China and Thailand, also Philippine, Sulawesi, Borneo and the Malayan Peninsula. This species is relatively common particularly in montane forest, where it's been recorded as high as 2600m on Mount Kinabalu. The caterpillar of this species feeds on plants of the Genus Endospermum in the family Euphorbiaceae. The type specimen of this species was also deposited in our Museum.
Tarsolepis sommeri, a moth in the family Notodontidae (the prominents and kittens), is relatively well distributed in various lowland forest areas of the Oriental region. The moth looks rather prickly with those amazing tufts of reddish scales and spiky hairs at the base of the abdomen… I feel itchy just looking at them! In some species of the Notodontidae family the females are known to cover their batch of eggs with scales and hairs from the abdominal tuft, to give them protection. This moth has been observed feeding from mammalian lachrymal secretion in Peninsular Malaysia.
I'm going to leave you with a collage I created with some drawings (not mine) of moths and an outstanding palindrome (a phrase that reads the same way in both directions) I found on the web. The palindrome is in Latin and translates: "We wander in the night, and are consumed by fire", which I thought fitted particularly well with the subject of this post.
"We wander in the night, and are consumed by fire"
I hope you have enjoyed reading, and marvelled (as we did!) at the various amazing moths we encountered in Borneo.
I shall feature some more photos of nice invertebrates in my next post.
Thanks for reading and see you then.


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The Pump Dump - Original Vintage Gas Pump Parts
Browse Photos of
Restored Gas Pumps
Click on Gas Pumps & Parts Album or search for parts
Just a small part of our gas pump inventory.
Click on Gas Pump Parts Album
or use the search form on the left.
Or contact us about what you need.
We have many old gas pump parts on hand, but if we don't have what you need, chances are we can find it. We also offer sandblasting and priming of parts and complete gas pump restoration services.
Pumps we have parts for include, American, Bennett, Bowser, Butler, Clear
Vision, Correct Measure, Dayton, Doty, Erie, Fleckenstein visible,
Gilbert and Barker or G&B, Guaranteed, Hayes, Keesee, Martin and Schwartz
or M&S, Milwaukee, National, Neptune meter, Ottawa, Rheem, Rush, St.
Louis, Sharmeter, Shotwell, A.O. Smith, Southwest, Tokheim, and Wayne.
Parts include, bases, frame rails, Veeder-Root computers, door hinges,
access doors, porcelain faces, ad glass panels, ad glass trim, emblems,
reset cranks, side sheetmetal, doors, tops, globe holders, electrical
manifolds, sight glasses, sight glass manifolds, face bezels, nozzle
hangers, nozzle forks, brackets, hardware, and some nozzles.
Ryan Underthun
Here is my shop office with a Standard torch pole sign and Wayne 60 gas pumps. We own and operate an auto body shop and have
restored many pumps.
We have been collecting pumps for many years, and have met many new
friends along the way. We also enjoy drag racing our race car and road trips
hauling pumps around the country.


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The bride in Mary Katrantzou escorted by her father down the aisle
A belated postcard from Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic is in order, though it's impossible to sum my amazing trip down to 9 photos. Four days of celebrating a friend's dream wedding with a wonderful group of people seemed to be just what the doctor ordered.
The beautiful bride, Carolina Gonzalez-Bunster (founder of the Walkabout Foundation), was absolutely radiant in a fantastic creation by Mary Katrantzou, which was in fact Katrantzou's first bridal creation ever.
As for myself I mostly sticked to the british designers this time around, and wore shorts by Charlie May and a top by Balenciaga, green dress by Amanda Wakeley, and a blue dress by Victoria Beckham.


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The national debate over health-care reform aside, one thing remains the same this season. It�s open enrollment for employees who depend on their workplace-sponsored health plans.
The national debate over health-care reform aside, one thing remains the same this season. It�s open enrollment for employees who depend on their workplace-sponsored health plans.
Between now and December, offices full of American workers will be making the elections that determine how much they�ll cough up for insurance every month for the next year. Today�s decisions also determine the amount of cash they�ll lay out for doctor and hospital visits, prescription drugs and other medical services.
Among the factors upping your monthly premium is the growth in U.S. health-care spending.
While not growing as fast as in recent years, that number is expected to jump more than 7 percent in 2013, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report this year.
As a result the average worker is likely to pay an extra $181 in premiums, reports Aon Hewitt, an employee benefits consultant. That doesn�t include the extra $229 they�re expected to pay for copayments, coinsurance, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.
The upside? Experts say you can minimize the toll health insurance will take on your wallet by paying attention this open enrollment season.
6 things to keep in mind:
Read the description
The Affordable Care Act now requires insurance companies to provide an �easy to understand� summary of each insurance plan available to you.
So it makes sense this year to pay attention and not simply elect the same benefits as you�ve had in the past.
The summaries are also supposed to be similar for each insurance carrier. That should make it easier for you and a spouse to compare offerings.
Same old, same old?
Don�t count on it. You can�t assume that choosing the same level or electing to simply continue benefits will mean nothing changes. Check to see whether premiums, copayments or prescription prices will increase. You�ll want to make sure your doctor is still in the network, as well.
Consider time � and money � spent.
More than half of the country�s workers estimate they waste as much as $750 a year because of mistakes they made when signing up for insurance, according to Aflac�s 1012 Open Enrollment Study.
Think about what you paid for insurance last year and figure out whether a less expensive plan would have offered the same benefit.
Think outside the premium
It�s tempting to opt for lower up-front cost, but the lowest premiums are the ones that require larger payments when you actually need to see a doctor or go to a hospital. Typically, those are best for the young and fit.
People with a health condition or those who are aging or have a family history of medical problems might think twice, advises the N.C. Department of Insurance.
Be flexible, maybe
Fewer than half of the workers surveyed this year by Aflac took advantage of a flexible spending account.
Those accounts allow workers to put aside money � up to $2,500 starting next year � without paying taxes on the income. The dollars can then go toward out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The drawback, of course, is that you lose the cash if you don�t use it, so this works best for people with a concrete idea of what they�ll need to spend on health care in the next year.
Plan for the worst
Does the low premium and high deductible sound great?
Ask yourself whether you would ever be able to come up with that much.
Also look closely at the out-of-pocket maximum and question whether it�s do-able.
On the other hand, some benefits counselors suggest mulling over your chances of being laid off in this still-slow economy.
If you lose your job, a low premium will make it easier to keep medical benefits under COBRA, the federal law that requires laid-off workers to temporarily maintain coverage, so long as they pay the whole amount themselves.


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Awesome Ideas For Getting Creative With Your Roller Skates
Think outside the skates! This post is written for the roller skate enthusiasts who can't get enough of the fantastic sport of roller skating. We put our thinking caps on to provide you with some fresh inspiration to use your skates differently. You didn't know this yet, but your life has been pretty mundane without these roller skating craft ideas!
Please be so kind and use your imagination with us as we don't have photography to showcase our ideas but believe us when we say they are all pretty awesome.
1. Turn Your Roller Skates into flower vases
Follow these steps to simply turn your stinky old roller skates into fresh, blooming flower vases.
- Choose a boot, or two and loosen up the laces.
- Fill the entire boot up with rich soil and flower fertilizer.
- Plant your seed and watch it grow.
- Skip steps 2 & 3 and use your skate boots as a flower vase without doing the dirty work.
These make for great decorations for roller skating parties and it's an activity for the whole family!
2. Use roller skate wheels as paper weights
We don't know what your day job is but if you're ever frustrated when a nice cool breeze sweeps through your office window and blows your papers off the desk, this ones for you. Take a couple of unused roller skate wheels and wash them thoroughly. Viola, you know have a one of a kind pair of paper weights!
Quick Tip: Keep the bearings in the wheels for a heavier paper weight.
3. Use your roller skate boots as a cup/bottle holder
It's ironic how most skate boots are the perfect size for holding cans and bottles. Instead of using coasters, you can use skate boots to hold your drinks. Just follow these steps.
- Remove the trucks and plates from the bottom of your skates.
- Super glue the skate to the surface where you'd like to keep your cup holder. First, just try setting it on the table but for more support you should bust out the glue!
- If you don't have glue you can always drill a few holes through the soles of the skates and bolt them to a surface.
4. Office supplies storage for pencils, pens and stapler
Roller skates make perfect storage containers for all the stuff laying around your desk. Take an entire skate – wheels, bearings, laces and all and prop it up on your desk. Loosen up the tongue of the skate so you can fit more gadgets inside. To prevent the skate from rolling off your desk, place paper clips under the front and back of each wheel.
Quick Tip: To help organize your supplies you can place a couple toilet paper rolls inside and secure them with the laces.
5. Use your skate laces as a belt
This truly pushes fashion to the max! Skate laces are long enough to fit around most waists and they look great with blue jeans. Look no further if you're aiming for the new hipster look, roller skate lace belts are the style!
6. Create your own roller skates
Save the best for last! We've recently posted a great tutorial on the science behind this roller skate craft and you can check it out here.
We hope we've inspired you to use your roller skates for things other than roller. Help us grow our list and chime in with your ideas by dropping a comment below.


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I am looking for someone to hit with tomorrow afternoon. I think I am about a 4 and I am near the grosvenor metro station. There are two courts in my apartment complex.
Views: 412
Replies to This Discussion
absolutely. I'll see you at the courts at 9:30
Hey, I live right by the Grosvenor metro station as well and would be up for playing anytime - if you are interested let me know! I can usually do weekday evenings and weekend mornings.
Hey Roger, I can't play this week, but next week my schedule should be much more free. I will let you know then, probably a weekday evening will work best.
Anyone want to play in the Grosvenor/North Bethesda area this Saturday morning?
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


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Submission To A Couple Of Goddesses
by MrDeviant
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be with a celebrity? Did you fantasize about it in your dreams at night? Well I have those types of dreams all the time and they are mostly fueled by my job as a stuntman and stunt coordinator. I've worked with numerous beautiful and, well, just plain drop dead gorgeous women. So you can imagine the dreams I have.
Like when I finished working on the stunts for the first "X-Men" movie. I can't tell you how many fantasies of mine Halle Berry's character of Storm fueled. I had dreams of Halle, in her Storm role, visiting my room and giving me the time of my life by using her powers to create her own type of tens units radiating from her hands. I could picture her in my mind, but I have to tell you that her movements, her attitude, her raw blatant sexual playfulness came from a mistress friend of my acquaintance.
It seems that the idea of mutants, and their intriguing powers, invaded my dreams at night. I almost began to wonder if Jean Grey was manipulating my mind for pleasure as well as pain. Strong women, as you've probably guessed by now, turn me on something fierce. Also, being out of control, having no control at all, is a rush to me.
I guess I should start by telling you a little bit about me. I am 6' tall, my weight varies depending upon the movie I am working on and whether or not I need to bulk up or tone down for it; my eyes are hazel green and hair light brown. Now, as you can imagine, I am well trained. Being versed in numerous martial arts and extremely flexible are assets in my line of work. Plus, in my line of work you need to be in total control of your body and surroundings. I suppose it is that always being in total control that wears on me. I am an adrenaline junkie--who in my line of work isn't after all?
The rush of adrenaline I get from a really dangerous stunt, I've found, is a major league turn on. Throw yourself backwards off of a 30 story plus building, like I did for "Die Hard", and when you hit the ground you have the hard-on from Hell trying to blast a hole through your pants. It is the danger, the seeming lack of control at the time that turns me on. So what better way to be out of control then to release that control to someone else. As you've probably figured out, bondage and the stricter the better, is a thrill for me. Not knowing whether the person I am with will use me, fuck me, kill me or torture me endlessly gets my blood pumping full tilt boogie.
Well, these dreams of mine always involved bondage. In this one particular recurring dream I have with Halle Berry's Storm character she has me bound facing a wooden horse, leaning over it with my ass fully exposed, my cock hanging down in front of me available to anyone and my mouth held open somewhat by some unusual device I have never seen before. She then runs her hands, the ones like living tens units, over my body slowly. She varies the intensity of her electrical charge intermittently and uses them to excite every part of my body starting at my feet and working her way up. She moves up one side of my body and down the other deliberately missing my privates.
As Storm runs her hands over me every part of me tingles. If you've ever felt that numbing yet tingling electrical shock you get from accidentally touching a live electric wire you know what I mean. Now picture that feeling all over your body, and then imagine that feeling changing its location and intensity at will. She was stimulating me in ways I doubt any human ever has been.
When she reaches my cock her hand, charged as it is, began stroking my cock both physically and electrically simultaneously. My cock swells with pride to exceed its normal 9.5" length. It is as if what she does to me is physiologically changing me. I watch as my rampant member grows and grows to nearly freakish proportions in her control.
"What other mutant powers does this woman possess?" I wonder.
It is then that Jean Grey drops in to see Storm. "Storm," she says, "I know you have a visitor. May I play with him too?"
"Of course," Ororo says, "You may help me keep him stimulated."
With both of the women working on me--1 stimulating me physically and the other psychically--I am completely stimulated and moaning in reaction to the pain/pleasure I am getting right now. My mind is failing to comprehend all of this it is so overstimulated it is bordering on shutting down. When Jean Grey makes something materialize out of thin air I nearly pass out as it is the weirdest and strangest contraption I've ever seen, when it enters my ass and starts doing things I am so completely lost in subspace all I can do is cum and cum and cum.
Both of them are working me inside and out and I would willingly do anything to satisfy them.
It is then that Jean Grey moves in front of me and makes me tongue her pussy while Storm stimulates my puckered star with the electric charge emanating from her fingertips. I jump as she does this and when I do I, momentarily, stop tonguing Jean and cum hard all over the floor.
The eroticism of the scene is incredible and Storm and Jean Grey both have their way with me but what they do is well beyond mortal abilities. It is as if Jean has decided to move our sex play into some weird alternate reality, but, however she does it, it seems as if we have been moved to some deep, dark, damp chamber used to torture people. I can feel my cock, even though it has cum almost non-stop previously for about 10 minutes, still getting hard and feeling the need to release again. Like I said previously I love to be dominated and the stricter the bondage the better.
Well now I am in bondage, but floating in mid-air simultaneously. Jean and Ororo float to my bound body, a body bound spread-eagle in mid-air with no wires to connect to anything. Jean must be holding my body in this position by mere thought, but it matters not as each of the women float to me, one over me with her pussy set down on my tongue and lips, the other behind me with a strap-on dildo that she inserts up my ass and keeps there.
I can't believe that I am a total victim, or maybe willingly submissive slut is a better term, to these women. When we are lowered to the floor again I can feel the cock in my ass go even deeper as my own weight forces it all the deeper into me. The pussy on my face is my favorite kind: wet, willing, shaved and very easily manipulated. I each the pussy riding my life as if my own life depended on it and, though I had a dildo in my ass, I did not stop. As a matter of fact what was happening to my ass only seemed to force me to eat the pussy above me all the more for certainly my loins were most definitely aroused.
I couldn't believe that this was happening to me and it became more unreal as the position of me changed suddenly and I was now bound naked on a St. Andrew's cross and was receiving the most incredible double blowjob from these ladies. When it came time to release I tried to let them know but they just ordered me to shut up and cum all over their faces and in their mouths.
What man would disobey and order like that? Most certainly not me. So, sure enough, I released and when I came I came buckets all over both of their faces and then each tried to get even more from me by deep-throating me in the hopes that I had more to give them. Of course I did. Jean could easily change me into whatever she wanted and right now she craved cum and lots of it. I released like a firehose and just seemed to cover every inch of their luscious naked bodies.
As I wondered what had just happened to me I began to be concerned. Was this actually real? What is all some delusional dream? Was I going through some weird near death experience brought on from doing one of the stunts I do?
I wasn't sure, but I can tell you this, considering what my cock feels like now and how it is digging a hole through my clothing, I don't think I give a shit!!!


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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Karolina Kurkova wants to be the mentor on TV's "The Face" that she didn't have 13 years ago when she started modeling.
She will be the third coach on the new reality competition for up-and-coming models, working alongside Naomi Campbell and Coco Rocha, Oxygen Media announced Wednesday. Photographer Nigel Barker, a former judge on "America's Next Top Model," will serve as host.
Filming on "The Face" starts in September. The show will air early next year.
The trio of supermodels will scout their own teams and lead them through the sometimes glamorous — sometimes not — world of castings, runway shows, editorial and commercial photo shoots. The last model standing, in high heels, no doubt, will become the spokesmodel for a national brand.
Kurkova will be "a shoulder to cry on," she says, but she can also dole out tough love when needed. She's gotten even better at that since her son, Tobin, was born almost three years ago.
"I am someone who is nice but I know to achieve something you have to be tough and honest, but you don't have to be mean," the Czech-born Kurkova says.
Kurkova, 28, says she went into modeling after training to be a professional gymnast, so she had a strong work ethic and knew nothing is as easy as it looks.
There certainly are designers, stylists and photographers in the industry whom she now calls friends, Kurkova says. It's still a relatively small circle, though, because top models are always on the go, moving from job to job, often shuttling between time zones and never staying in one place for more than a few days.
As she climbed the ladder, people would be supportive and answer her questions, but she was without that one person to show her the ropes, including how to weave her personal life into a busy schedule. That's easier now that she has Tobin, she adds.
Kurkova says it will be nice to be based in New York for several months during filming of "The Face." But she doesn't see her days in front of the camera or on the catwalk slowing down.
"I never take it for granted. I'm always asking, 'What can I do better?' I haven't had the moment where I say, 'This is it! I've made it.'... I'm always thinking what about tomorrow?" she says.
Kurkova has shared the runway with Campbell and Rocha and admires them, although she doesn't know either one well.
"I'm speaking for all three of us: We've had great careers and we want to share what we've learned."
Samantha Critchell tweets fashion at (at)AP_Fashion and can be reached at (at)Sam_Critchell.


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Greg, thanks for keeping score. I will come away from the loss with a newfound knowledge of obscure 80s music, and proudly so. And I'll feel a little more interesting and cool as a result.
Ah the 80's. A great time to grow up. Knuckleheads has a knack for bringing in bands that were quite popular in the '80's. The lead singer from The Stranglers was there awhile back. The Stranglers are a little more obscure than The Romantics or The English Beat but very influential to that period of of New Wave/punk.But then again, I'm just trying to sound "cool".
12 - throw a straight drive and skip off the road at the basket.16 - As a lefty, I think this is the worst hole ever. I could write an essay over how miserable this hole is.
It's interesting that a 920 rated intermediate player claims to be able to shoot 3 or 4 down on the back like it's child's play (show me), but whines about one of the best designed holes on the course just because it doesn't fit his eye.
Now we're getting serious. Let's get our serious faces on.
hole 16 is a total lefty roller, just for positioning...


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Marie Herrera
Below is a list of online inventory by Marie Herrera. More pieces may be available in our Santa Fe gallery. If you are interested in a piece or wish to learn more about other pieces in our gallery please E-mail us or call us at 505-986-1234.
For information about the process of making pottery.


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Fox Twists Scientific Research To Announce A "Mini Ice Age" -- Again
Blog ››› ››› JOCELYN FONG
Scientists at the National Solar Observatory and the Air Force Research Laboratory say three lines of evidence suggest that the sun may soon enter an extended calm period instead of following its normal 11-year cycle of high and low sunspot activity.
The authors of the studies reportedly "said there was not yet enough data to firm up a climate connection to solar activity" and that they don't know how long the calm period would last. Nevertheless, Fox used the research to proclaim that "We Might Be Headed for a Mini Ice Age":
Other media outlets jumped on the research as well. In a post at at the Telegraph, James Delingpole wrote: "It's official: a new Ice Age is on its way," claiming that the recent findings "make global cooling a much more plausible prospect in the next few decades than global warming."
And under the headline "Earth May Be Headed for Big Chill From Little Ice Age," Newsmax declared: "The Earth could be heading straight for a little ice age -- and not a global warming phase as dictated by Al Gore and others -- posits the U.S. National Solar Observatory (NSO) and the U.S. Air force Research Laboratory."
In fact, solar physicist Frank Hill, who was involved in the research, explained via email that those warning of a mini ice age are making a "huge leap" from current scientific understanding of the variables involved:
We are NOT predicting a mini-ice age. We are predicting the behavior of the solar cycle. In my opinion, it is a huge leap from that to an abrupt global cooling, since the connections between solar activity and climate are still very poorly understood. My understanding is that current calculations suggest only a 0.3 degree C decrease from a Maunder-like minimum, too small for an ice age.
Bill Livingston, an astronomist who also contributed to the research said in an email that while the solar conditions "could counter 'global warming' somewhat," he "would not say we are predicting a mini-ice age."
The Maunder Minimum to which Hill referred is a previous 70-year period of solar inactivity, which coincided with the "Little Ice Age." During that time, "Europe and North America experienced bitterly cold winters," as explained by The Economist, which also cautioned that "correlation is not causation."
Oddly enough, this is not the first time that conservative media outlets, including Fox News, have put the words "mini ice age" into the mouth of a scientist to downplay the long-term warming influence of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
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- Environment & Science, Climate Change
- Network/Outlet
- Fox Nation
- Person
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The Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance is planning to celebrate its first birthday on April 5.
Held at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center from 3-6 p.m., the birthday bash features a lecture on the life of a Dominguez-Escalante expedition cartographer along with a silent auction of items highlighting life in Southwest Colorado.
At the event, retired University of New Mexico professor John Kessell will explore the life of cartographer Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco (1713-1785). Miera y Pacheco's maps and religious art have long been considered essential to the cultural history of colonial New Mexico.
"Anyone with an interest in southwestern history, colonial New Mexico or New Spain will welcome this study of Miera y Pacheco's eventful life and times," said organizer Diane McBride.
Copies of Kessell's book, Miera Y Pacheco: A Renaissance Spaniard in Eighteenth-Century New Mexico will be available for sale and signing by the author at the celebration.
Founded in 2013, the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance is made up of local citizens concerned about the future of public lands. Due to limited federal funding and resources, the group advocates for alternative financial aid and volunteer support to care for the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument and its headquarters at the Anasazi Heritage Center in Dolores.
To help support the cause, a silent auction is also planned at the birthday bash. Up for grabs are guided archaeological hikes, a hand-carved and painted hiking stick, replica ancestral pueblo pottery, landscape photographs, jewelry, baskets and packs from Osprey. Only cash or checks will be accepted.
Tax-deductible donations to the Southwest-themed silent auction are also welcome by calling Diane McBride at (970) 560-1643.
Organizers ask guests to RSVP by Tuesday, April 1, by calling (970) 882-5628.


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People often give up their weight loss project due to the constant sense of starvation they struggle with. However, pro nutritionists came up with a complete list of snacks and treats that can be consumed if you feel extremely hungry. Check out this repertoire of healthy foods to prevent overeating. After embedding these ingredients into your diet plan, you'll notice that it's not necessary to stuff yourself with calories to feel a sense of satiety. Instead, rely on the vitamin content of fruits and veggies that allow you to embrace a well-d... Read More


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Statement of John Dyer,
Acting Principal Deputy Commissioner, Social Security Administration
before the House Committee Banking and Financial Services
September 25, 1997
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
I am pleased to be here today 10 discuss the Social Security Administration's (SSA's) experience with electronic funds transfer (EFT), and our efforts to implement the EFT provisions of Public Law 104-134, the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996 which was passed by the Congress and signed by the President last year.
SSA has offered the safety, convenience and reliability of EFT through direct deposit, to those receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 20 years. Today, more than 31 million of the 50 million payments generated by SSA each month are delivered electronically. Beneficiaries who use direct deposit have an overwhelmingly positive view of this service.
All Social Security and SSI benefits are issued by the Department of the Treasury. From the inception of the Social Security program through the mid-1970s, all benefits were issued by check. By the early 1970s, the volume of paper checks, coupled with related nonreceipt complaints and forgery workloads, threatened Treasury's ability to adequately provide check disbursement services to program agencies like SSA and, more important, to the public. To meet this challenge, Treasury developed an electronic payment alternative which it called the direct deposit program. Because Social Security payments are Treasury's largest workload, Social Security and SSI beneficiaries were among the first to be offered direct deposit in 1976.
In the late 1980s, SSA began to focus on the distinct service delivery advantages of direct deposit and looked for ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this program. Our Agency took a more proactive position in encouraging beneficiaries to use EFT. Steps were taken to better inform the public about the distinct advantages associated with direct deposit and to simplify the sign up process for those who wanted to begin using this service. As a result, more than 62 percent of all payments generated by SSA today are delivered by means of direct deposit.
Advantages of EFT
Direct deposit significantly improves payment delivery services. It is a safer, more reliable method of payment. This is particularly important since the incidence of checks lost or stolen has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. In contrast, not one direct deposit payment has ever been lost in the 21 years it has been available to Social Security beneficiaries. With direct deposit, there is an electronic audit trail to ensure that the payment can always be located. Payments can be traced through the banking system and beneficiaries have a permanent record of their payment through their bank records.
There arc economic advantages of EFT for beneficiaries. Benefits are credited to accounts at the opening of business on the scheduled payment date. Beneficiaries can write checks to pay bills or use automated teller machi ne cards to obtain money immediately without the inconvenience of first having to cash a check. Direct deposit to interest bearing accounts earns the most interest on beneficiaries' money because their payments will be in the accounts at the earliest possible moment. Direct deposit avoids check cashing fees. If direct deposit to a checking account is used, fees for money orders and similar charges are avoided. Many financial institutions offer free services for customers who use direct deposit.
Direct deposit is also more convenient. With direct deposit, beneficiaries are not required to be home to receive their payment. They do not have to arrange vacation schedules around their check delivery dates, nor do they have to be concerned about their check being delivered during an unexpected absence from home, such as a medical emergency. Beneficiaries can write checks payable to themselves (or use an ATM) to obtain cash immediately and thus are in no different a position than if they are paid by check.
Of equal importance is the fact that direct deposit saves a substantial amount of money. According to Treasury, it costs approximately $0.43 per item to issue Federal payments by check versus only $0.02 per item when the payment is directly deposited into a beneficiary's account. If all remaining check receivers would convert to direct deposit immediately, the savings in operational costs would be substantial. SSA is already saving $156 million per year because many beneficiaries currently use direct depos it.
FET Legislation
P.L. 104-134 was enacted on April 26, 1996. It included a provision that expanded the use of direct deposit for those receiving Federal payments. SSA implemented the initial phase of the new requirement effective August 1, 1996. Anyone applying for benefits as of this date is required to receive them by direct deposit if they indicate at the time of application that they have an account with a financial institution. This requirement is waived if the individual certifies that he or she does not have an account with a financial institution.
SSA's experience with the initial phase requirements has been very encouraging. Virtually no problems have been encountered. As of August 1997, 85 percent of all new Social Security applicants were enrolled in direct deposit automatically from the outset of their entitlement, while 34 percent of SSI beneficiaries were enrolled.
Anyone who had established entitlement to Social Security or SSI benefits prior to August 1, 1996 is not required to use direct deposit at this time. The law does specify, however, that the Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for developing regulations outlining how the final requirements will be implemented, including any waiver conditions and the development of electronic payment services for individuals who do not have a relationship with a financial institution. There are two significant issues to be addressed regulations on the EFT mandate. The first is to identify all of the exception conditions under which current and future beneficiaries with special circumstances will be exempt from having to be paid electronically. The proposed regulations for implementing the second phase of mandatory EFT, recently printed by the Department of the Treasury in the Federal Register, provide for a number of circumstances under which agencies can waive the EFT requirements that meet the needs of beneficiaries who cannot use EFT.
The second issue is to develop a program to meet the electronic payment needs of individuals without bank accounts and to develop this service at a reasonable cost. The latter has been an area that both our agencies have been studying for a number of years. Unbanked individuals often have limited resources. They also may be unfamiliar with how to go about maintaining an account at a financial institution.
SSA and Treasury have undertaken several pilots designed to test the feasibility of establishing special types of electronic payment accounts for unbanked beneficiaries. Programs have operated in the States of Maryland, Texas and in 23 other States that deposit benefits in special Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) accounts established for the participants. Funds are made available to these individuals by means of automated teller machines or point of service terminals. Beneficiaries participating in these special programs seem to like them. They enjoy the convenience and safety of having their monthly benefits delivered to them electronically. The monthly account fees charged by the Federal Government associated with the program have not been an issue because they appear to be comparable to or less than similar private sector fees encountered by the participants previously when cashing their benefit checks. We understand that most States are working to establish similar accounts for Federally administered benefits.
SSA endorses the Department of the Treasury's efforts to develop electronic payment alternatives at a reasonable cost for the unbanked, including Treasury's work with the States on EST. We will work closely with Treasury to ensure this alternative is made available nationally as quickly as possible. Based on our experience with these programs to date, we do not anticipate our unbanked population will have any significant problems with the proposed Federal program. SSA will do all it can, working with Treasury, to monitor this area to ensure the program operates as intended.
Implementing the EFT Mandate
SSA supports the Department of the Treasury's proposed regulation because it provides a well-constructed framework for the balanced implementation of the expanded use of electronic funds transfer to receive Federal payments. It articulates a sound new public policy to encourage Federal benefit recipients to use electronic funds transfer technology, while recognizing that many current check receivers may have valid concerns or issues which require the Govenunent to continue their payments by check.
SSA is working closely with the Department of the Treasury to develop a feasible implementation strategy. Our preliminary plans include:
- Continuing to require new applicants with bank accounts to use EFT, which has
proven quite successful to date.
- Working with Treasury to undertake a very robust public education campaign designed to convince current check receivers of the distinct advantages of EFT.
- Monitoring the effectiveness of the public education efforts to convert current check receivers to EFT until mid-1998.
- Undertaking a study in mid-1998 to determine the degree to which the residual check receiver s are either unbanked or otherwise likely to request a hardship waiver under Treasury's regulations.
- Based on the results of the special study, developing a suitable process for applying waivers to the remaining check receivers. With the Depamnent of the Treasury's approval. this may include consideration of either a simple written certification process or some other administrative process to certify that using direct deposit constitutes a hardship.
- Working closely with Treasury to develop its electronic transfer account program for "unbanked" recipi ents as quickly as possib le and working with SSA's unbanked beneficiaries to convert to ETA.
We estimate that by January 1999 SSA will still be sending out 12.8 to 15.1 million checks. Those numbers include approximately 7 million checks being sent to unbanked recipients who would automatically receive a waiver until the Government's electronic transfer account program becomes available. SSA's mid 1998 review of the remaining banked check receivers will provide the agency with the characteristics of those remaining check recipients and the extent to which they would seek or otherwise qualify for waivers.
SSA believes electronic payments are distinctly superior because they provide Social Security recipients who use them with a service that is safer, more reliable and more convenient than any other payment method, including check deliveries. We pledge to work closely with the Secretary of the Treasury as he develops regulations outlining how the remaining provisions of P.L. 104-134 will be implemented.


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215 Carling Terrace, Box 300
Wingham ON,
Studio/Prize Line: 1-800-668-CKNX (2569)
Main Office: 519-357-1310
Advertising: Jeff Irwin – 519 357-1310 x3296
Newsroom: 519 357-1310 x3226
How Do I Claim A Prize
To claim your prize, simply stop by our offices Monday – Friday between 8:30 am and 5pm. Be sure to bring photo I.D.
How do I join The Listeners Club
Canadian Broadcasting Standards
The CRTC is not a board of censors, and can't tell broadcasters what they can air. However, certain standards apply to the content of programs and Blackburn Radio Inc. works diligently to comply with these standards.
If you have heard something that you object to, or have another issue about our broadcast you can make a complaint as follows.
- Contact us directly either by phone or email at the appropriate number/email listed here. Most complaints can be resolved at this stage.
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Stop Diabetes @ Work
Stop Diabetes @ Work is a research-based initiative that can be customized to fit within your existing wellness efforts or used as a stand-alone healthy worksite program.
Benefits Include
- Employer Portal - Download turnkey materials that can be co-branded and shared with employees all year long.
- Employee Resources - Provide your employees access to tools with healthy lifestyle advice, recipes, diabetes management information, and electronic trackers.
- Local American Diabetes Association Resources - Work with your local Association experts to develop a program that will meet the needs of your employees.
Learn More
To become involved with Stop Diabetes @ Work, answer a few quick questions. An Association representative will contact you soon.
Facts About Diabetes
Diabetes is a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation. It also leads to more sick days and less productivity on the job.
According to Kaiser Family Foundation data, the American Diabetes Association's workplace cost calculator estimates that for a company with 1,000 employees:
- 120 employees have diabetes
- 34 of them are undiagnosed
- 370 have prediabetes
- $4 million is the average annual insurance cost for employees with diabetes and prediabetes
- $751,682 is the annual increased cost if 25 percent of employees with prediabetes develop diabetes
The good news is, type 2 diabetes can be prevented, and it isn't as hard as you might think. Losing just 7% of your body weight (which translates to 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds) and exercising moderately (like brisk walking) 5 days a week can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58%. Lifestyle changes also can prevent or delay diabetes complications.


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SNLN 30 plummer block housings
SNLN 30 plummer block housings are split housings designed for spherical roller bearings in the 230 series. They are intended for grease lubrication. They consist of a cap and base, with a eye-bolt in the cap and two cast holes for attachment bolts. They follow ISO 113. SNLN plummer block housings are dimensionally interchangeable with earlier SN 30 housings.
Features and benefits
SNLN 30 plummer block housings have the following features and benefits:
Stiff housing
The housing base is reinforced with ribs and has extra material surrounding the holes for attachment bolts (fig 1). The attachment bolts can be preloaded to locate the housing without deforming the housing base or bore.
Good heat dissipation
The centre cross reinforcement in the housing base (fig. 2) increase the contact area between the housing base and support surface, to improve the heat flow from the bearing outer ring to the support surface.
Grease guiding system
For more efficient relubrication from the side, SNLN 30 housings have an integrated flange that guides the grease from the grease fitting directly into the bearing (fig 3). This feature is available for housings up to and including size 3038.
Caps and bases individually marked
The housing cap and base are matched during manufacturing and are not interchangeable with caps and bases of the housings. To prevent mismatches, a unique serial number is marked on both the housing cap and base (fig. 4).
Dimples to locate accessories
Dimples cast into the housing cap indicate where grease fittings and condition monitoring sensors can be mounted for maximum effectiveness (fig. 5).
Simple mounting
To simplify mounting and make alignment more accurate, lines indicating the centre of the bearing seat and the housing bore axis are cast into the housing base. Dimples indicate the position for dowel pins (fig. 6). Mounting instructions are supplied with each seal pack, except for housings from size 3024 to 3032, with seals in the 200 series, which has to be ordered separately. Housings from size 3028 are supplied with an eye-bolt on top for safe and easy handling.
Many sealing solutions
SNLN 30 plummer block housings are available with different standard sealing solutions
- four-lip seals (TSN .. L)
- V-ring seals (TSN .. A)
- felt seals (tsn .. C)
- labyrinth seals (TSN .. S)
- taconite heavy-duty seals (TSN .. ND) (TNF ..)
Four-lip seals
Four-lip seals (fig 7) replace the former double-lip seals (TSN .. G). The seals provide a better sealing effect and reduce friction torque, while enabling increased circumferential speeds up to 13 m/s. Four-lip seals are horizontally split and simple to mount.
V-ring seals
V-ring seals (fig. 8) consist of a V-ring and a sheet steel sealing washer with a vulcanized rubber lip. V-ring seals can accommodate circumferential speeds up to 7 m/s. For higher speeds between 7-12 m/s the seals needs to be axially located on the shaft and for speeds above 12 m/s a support ring must be used to prevent the seal from lifting.
Felt seals
Felt seals (fig. 9) are simple and effective. At circumferential speeds above 4 m/s, a small gap forms between the felt and shaft, transforming the contact seal into a non-contact, gap-type seal.
Labyrinth seals
For applications where there are high speeds or extreme temperatures, SKF recommends using labyrinth seals (fig. 10). The labyrinth rings form a multi-stage labyrinth seal with the seal grooves in the housing. A hollow, silicone rubber cord holes the labyrinth ring in place on the shaft.
Taconite heavy-duty seals
For bearing arrangements that must operate under highly contaminated conditions, such as those encountered in mining, taconite heavy-duty seals, which can be filled with grease, are recommended. Grease enhances the sealing effect and extends the service life of the seals. Taconite heavy-duty seals are labyrinth seals combined with a V-ring seal.
SNLN 30 housings from size 3023 to 3032 accommodate taconite seals with a radial labyrinth (TSN .. ND) (fig. 11). SNLN 30 housings from size 3034 to 3056 accommodate taconite seals with an axial labyrinth (TNF ..) (fig. 12). Both can be relubricated via a grease fitting in the main body of the seal.
SNLN 30 housings from size 3023 to 3032 accommodate taconite seals with a radial labyrinth (TSN .. ND) (fig. 11). SNLN 30 housings from size 3034 to 3056 accommodate taconite seals with an axial labyrinth (TNF ..) (fig. 12). Both can be relubricated via a grease fitting in the main body of the seal.
Prepared for relubrication
SNLN 30 housings enable relubrication of the incorporated bearings and seals and have two drilled and tapped holes (fig 13 and 14) in the centre of the cap for relubrication via the outer ring (in W33 groove) and for relubricating from side (for CARB toroidal roller bearings).
For more information about SNLN 30 plummer block housings contact SKF application engineering service.


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The TAST stitch of this week is the arrowhead stitch. Perfect for grasses.
I started with the ear: arrowhead stitches changing direction. The thread is Kreinik #8.
The leaves are also arrowhead stitches. The stem is in stem stitch.
Completed bunch of grass. A little row of french knots represent an ear bud.


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NS2684 : Rhu Parish Church
taken 7 years ago, near to Rhu, Argyll And Bute, Great Britain
This is 1 of 3 images, with title Rhu Parish Church in this square
Rhu Parish Church
The present-day church (1851), the third to stand on this site, is by William Spence, with later additions (c.1891) by Honeyman and Keppie; see its listed building report Link (at Historic Environment Scotland) for further details. A portion of the wall of the second church (1763) survives in the kirkyard, where it forms part of a memorial to James Buchanan of Craigend Castle.
TIP: Click the map for Large scale mapping
Change to interactive Map >
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- Grid Square
- NS2684, 28 images (more nearby )
- Photographer
- Lairich Rig (find more nearby)
- Date Taken
- Wednesday, 12 September, 2012 (more nearby)
- Submitted
- Thursday, 20 September, 2012
- Geographical Context
- Subject Location
OSGB36: NS 2672 8400 [10m precision]
- Camera Location
- View Direction
- Northwest (about 315 degrees)
Looking for a postcode? Try this page
Image classification(about): Geograph
This page has been viewed about 91 times.
View this location: KML (Google Earth) · Google Maps · Bing Maps · Geograph Coverage Map · More Links for this image


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ATLANTA (AP) Justin Thomas knows his chances are slim to play quarterback in the NFL, so the former Georgia Tech standout hopes to impress pro scouts with his versatility.
He got his first big chance Friday at Georgia Tech's pro day, running drills for NFL teams at receiver, cornerback, punt returners and kick returner. Thomas also wanted to show off his skills at quarterback, so several scouts got a close-up look at his release point, arm strength and accuracy.
''I'm competing for anything,'' he said. ''I know the game. Being a quarterback you have to know every position on the field anyway, offense and defense. Just having that experience will help out a lot.''
At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Thomas is likely too small to get a chance at QB. Another strike against him is spending his college career in a spread option offense that rarely throws the ball.
Thomas is a good athlete, though. He averaged 4.8 yards on 504 career rushing attempts and became the first Yellow Jacket to pass for 4,000 yards and run for 2,000.
Scouts clocked his 40-yard dash at 4.3 seconds Friday.
''It helps,'' he said. ''But I still have to go out and compete.''
The biggest adjustment has been learning how to field kickoffs and punts. Dropping into coverage at cornerback hasn't been too tough because of his speed and quickness, but Thomas might have too much to learn at the position with the NFL draft next month.
His best bet is likely to get signed as an undrafted free agent and hope for a chance at slot receiver. He closed his receiving drills with an impressive catch on a deep ball with his left hand.
''I didn't think I was going to catch up to it,'' he said. ''I just put my head down and ended up finding the ball. It was a great way to end'' the receiving drills.
Harrison Butker, one of four kickers and the only Yellow Jacket invited to the combine earlier this month, is Georgia Tech's highest draft hope. Butker was good at the combine on 14 of 15 field-goal attempts between 30 and 50 yards out.
Other former Jackets who worked out or interviewed Friday were center Freddie Burden, linebacker P.J. Davis, defensive linemen Emmanuel Dieke, Patrick Gamble and Francis Kallon, linebacker Tyler Marcordes and punter Ryan Rodwell.
Thomas, though, was the most intriguing. He's a fan favorite after leading the Jackets to a pair of wins at Georgia as a sophomore and a senior. He also was instrumental in Georgia Tech's Orange Bowl title three years ago.
Thomas said the Atlanta Falcons plan to return for a private workout soon. Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff were on hand Friday. Thomas added that other teams expressed interest and told him they'll be in touch.
''If I can get the ball in my hands as much as possible, that's what I do,'' he said. ''That's how I got to this point. It's a fun process. Not many people get an opportunity to do it. I'm just going to enjoy it as much as possible.''
More college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org


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August 4, 2018
Haining Duletai New Material Co.,Ltd brings a four-ply fiberglass roller shade fabric that can prove to be a long-lasting solution to protect both residential as well as commercial buildings from excessive sunlight. An excess amount of direct sunlight throughout the day can warm up the inside atmosphere of a building, making people uncomfortable. To offset this rise in temperature may require running air conditioning systems for longer hours, and thus increasing the energy consumption. In order to address such issues, Haining Duletai New Material Co.,Ltd has introduced quality blackout fabrics and materials that can protect buildings from the direct exposure to sunlight. These solar protection fabrics and materials are introduced as a long lasting solution for homes, offices, and other types of buildings.


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Sometimes to the irritation of her teammates and classmates, she is not shy about telling them when an ensemble isn't working.
So it isn't surprising that the junior from Berryton, Kan., is majoring in fashion merchandising as well as quarterbacking the Lady Bisons volleyball team. She has been Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year, a member of the A-Sun All-Freshman Team, an A-Sun All-Conference First Team performer and the A-Sun Tournament Most Valuable Player.
"My grandmother and I are the fashion people in our family," said Pease. "We always have to match. We always want cute clothes.
"I guess that is how I got into it. I want to be organized all the time. Everybody makes fun of me because I always match. If I didn't it would drive me crazy."
Pease originally planned to major in Communications, but as a sophomore she accompanied a recruit to one of her sessions to discuss majors and decided to make the move to fashion merchandising.
She has already had an effect on the look of the Lady Bisons volleyball team. She and teammate Erin Pierce, a senior opposite, worked with coach Brandon Rosenthal on the new gray jersey for the team.
"We went to the Nike website and looked at what was available," said Pease. "Brandon told us what he thought he would like to have.
"We designed a couple of jerseys. One had more purple. One had more black. We decided on gray and black, though it does have a little purple in it. I think the gray and black looks classy."
Rosenthal recalls the look on Pease's face when she told him about her plans to change her major.
"Jake is one of those special student athlete that goes 100 percent at everything she does," said Rosenthal. "I remember the day when she took the recruit over to hear about the fashion merchandising major. She came back with his smile on her face and it was a great moment because she realized what she wanted to do with her life. "
This summer she was part of a group from Lipscomb that spent seven days in New York City studying the various aspects of the fashion industry from baby clothes to bridal gowns.
It was Pease's first trip to the Big Apple, and she found it quite a contrast to life in both Berryton, located near Topeka; and Nashville. The students were given class credit for the visit.
"I don't think there is any place that you can compare New York to in terms of the lifestyle and the pace," said Pease. "Everyone is always on the go. There is always traffic. Until you spend time there, there is now way to really understand what it is like."
Pease has decided that she will first pursue a career as a buyer, but she also wants to study design. She prefers to go back to Kansas after her college career is over. Even though she liked visiting New York City and was fascinated with the way the fashion industry works she has no desire to continue her career there.
"Everything is acceptable," said Pease. "It is a whole different world. That is the coolest thing.
"But I love where I am from. I could go to New York to market once a month, but I don't think I could live there."
Rosenthal believes in Pease on the court and he also believes her future is going to be bright one, no matter where she lives or what she chooses to do with her life after college.
"I truly feel blessed that I can be a part of her life," said Rosenthal. "The same passion that she plays the game with every day is the way she approaches her future profession."


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No one could have predicted that the Pentagon would undercut their own Commander in Chief. No, wait – that's exactly what we've been saying from the beginning of this absurd process.
The Pentagon task force charged with examining the issue [this is in reference to the survey about how to lift DADT] is "well along" in formulating recommendations, and the [new DADT injunction] ruling is not expected to affect its work, [said] another senior military officer. The task force found deep resistance to the idea of repealing the law in some elements of the armed services, especially within the combat units, an officer familiar with the findings said. [emphasis mine]
What else do you expect the Pentagon to do? Their commander in chief is a pushover. They can do whatever they want, and they know he won't touch them. He never goes after anyone who undercuts him. Gates rolled Obama on this issue early on, and kept rolling him. And nothing happened. So is it any wonder that DOD has decided – as predicted – to start leaking negative survey results in order to kill the repeal of DADT, and undercut the President of the United States?
Americans don't vote for weak leaders. This is an incredibly dangerous message that this President continues to send about his own character. On issue after issue, he caves, or does nothing in response to a direct challenge. And regardless of his motivation, he's coming off as a bit of a coward. At some point, the negatives are going to stick and there's going to be nothing he can do to turn things around.
Not that anyone thinks he'd ever try.


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As a utility engineer responsible for power quality investigations related to customer complaints, you need easy access to information on different types of PQ problems. You can draw from a wide variety of sources, including books, magazines, the Internet, and case studies performed by yourself or others. However, it's often difficult to keep this much information current and readily available. Since it's never feasible to search for particular examples every time a new investigation arises, your best bet is to organize the information and supplement it with more general power quality information. When you do, you'll reap the benefits of a valuable resource.
The Concept
Microsoft's Bill Gates and former Apple CEO John Scully have described this basic concept as "information at your fingertips" and a "knowledge navigator." While deceptively easy to imagine, such ideas are often difficult to achieve in practice.
Despite the difficulty and investment required, power quality is one area where implementing an easy reference strategy pays off. Why?
PQ encompasses many specialties (e.g., harmonics, voltage-sag analysis, switching transients, grounding, and ferroresonance). This makes it difficult for one person to have a high level of expertise in all areas.
Customers reporting PQ problems have high expectations and generally need problems fixed immediately for economic or safety reasons.
The spectrum of different solution technologies is continually changing in both function effectiveness and economical attractiveness.
Many of the lessons learned from previous PQ investigations will be applicable to future investigations.
So let's take a look at some of the things to consider when setting up your own information library.
The Standard Tools
Putting PQ-related content on the Internet or company Intranet is critical to having it readily available to the end-user. Several different file types will probably contain the content, depending on the standard software products you use. The best Internet-based PQ library allows the user to browse and search easily and find the content of interest quickly. A relational database is typically the best means to achieve this characteristic. An advantage of using an "Office Suite" of applications is that the associated database usually will integrate well with the other products—allowing the user to create and update databases easily.
Using Templates
The advantage of basing content on a common set of templates is that all documents of a certain type will have the same look and feel. This naturally facilitates the ability to find any subset of information contained within the document. Different templates can be created for different document types (e.g., generic case studies, equipment test-data reports, field-measurement reports, etc.). You can develop other templates for generic power quality information, test reports, presentations, site monitoring results, and benchmarking reports.
In addition to defining the basic format, standard templates also can contain "macros" that help facilitate library maintenance. After entering the appropriate data, the user selects a menu item that adds the document to the designated Web library and updates the associated database with all of the data field entries.
A Good Web Interface
The Web interface should allow users to search and browse the power quality library content easily and effectively. It also should display enough summary information on a document so users can determine if they want to download the complete document.
It's preferable to provide two versions of a document for a download: a "read-only" and "native-format" version. The read-only version does not require any software (other than the browser or a standard reader) to view or print the complete document, while the native-format version allows an authorized user to modify or create a new document based on the file contents. Finally, good Web interfaces allow authorized users to easily add content to the library.
Despite the advantages, easy access to information is often a double-edged sword because the issue of security demands equal and proper attention. It really boils down to making the right information readily available to the right people.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to have multiple PQ library Web sites with their own entrance security gates. For example, to facilitate customer relations, set up a PQ library Web site with selected content and read-only privileges that is open only to specific customers or the public at large. Then, set up another PQ library with complete content and full privileges that is only available to the PQ group of engineers.
Sample Library
Last year, members of the "PQ Group" started a power quality library. This group is a membership-based power quality information and solutions organization formed as an alliance between E Source Inc. and Electrotek Concepts Inc. Members can access the generic version of the library at www.pqgroup.com, although they have their own versions of the library running on their company Intranets.
The example search is for documents where any of the fields (keywords, titles, abstracts, etc.) contain the content "cvt" (constant voltage transformer). Once users find these documents, they can view or download specific ones with useful information in either read-only or native-format versions. The arrow navigation buttons allow users to advance or return to individual records, viewing each one's summary details.
Like any library, the available content determines the usefulness of the PQ library. Creating a readily available system that personnel can update easily is critical to its ultimate success. The basic nature of this resource is to grow in usefulness over time. Leveraging and incorporating experiences from in-house resources as well as those outside your company will accelerate this process.
Organizing your resource information is critical for developing an efficient, power quality service business. The system you implement should provide a library of resource information and help organize your own case studies. After all, your customers' experiences provide some of the most valuable resources available—ones you'll refer to as you continually tackle new problems.
A Web-based system is essential because you make the information available in the most convenient format and avoid the requirements of software support and training for all the system's users.


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Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD Trailer: Freedom Comes in 2014
Aveline and her adventures will be available in stunning HD when Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD heads to the PlayStation 3 next year.
A post on the PlayStation Blog from Momchil Valentinov Gindyanov, producer at Ubisoft Sofia, announces that Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD will be coming to the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Store on Jan. 14, 2014.
The console version of the Vita game will boast new HD visuals, letting you see Aveline and her fight against the Templars in New Orleans in a whole new way. Liberation HD will also come packed with new missions for each of Aveline's different personas, which are comprised of the Assassin, the Lady and the Servant. There will be 15 new missions altogether for Aveline to tackle.
Check out the trailer above and look for Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD when it lands on PlayStation 3 this coming January for $19.99.


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For the third year in a row, the Walker's Family Programs has commissioned a local artist to create an illustrated activity sheet for families. Traditionally unveiled at December's Free First Saturday, these creations have taken the shape of a whimsical diagram of a playground-like museum (Andy Ducett, 2011); and a cleverly blended comic strip/map (Todd Balthazor, 2012). We're delighted to continue this project and introduce the artist for this year's activity sheet.
Alyssa Baguss put her own twist (and turns) on the idea of an interactive map to Walker galleries. To appreciate all that goes into her work, we asked the artist to share a bit about herself, her practice, and what she's created.
Where did you grow up?
Maquoketa, Iowa—you know where that is, right? I was always playing outside. If I wasn't swimming I was up in a tree all day.
What does your family do for fun?
When we are together (which isn't as often as it used to be) we spend a lot of time outdoors. I'm really lucky to live with really easy-going funny people.
What was your first job?
I bused tables at a pancake house…..sticky maple syrupy tables.
When did you decide to commit to a career as an artist?
…..since I was 5? I didn't pursue it as an actual career until I was in my early twenties when I realized that I would be living a horribly boring life if I couldn't do my favorite thing every day. I hate being bored.
What do you absolutely love to draw?
I love to draw technology and think about how it influences how we experience the world. I use drawing as a tool to problem solve and answer questions that I am thinking about.
When you aren't drawing you are…
Exploring nature, researching ideas, growing things, watching hot air balloons, playing an instrument or thinking about what I am going to draw next.
Who or what inspires you and your work?
For inspiration I visit galleries and museums, spend time in nature and do a lot of reading and research into things I'm curious about. I live by a pretty simple philosophy: be yourself, do what makes you happy and surround yourself with people who do the same. My family is exceptionally understanding of my…….intensity……and without that type of unconditional love the world wouldn't be as shiny.
Tell us a little bit about your creative process for this gallery activity?
I spent a few years as an info guide at the Walker Art Center. As an info guide, I was always giving directions to guests who were lost and complaining about the WAC being too much like a maze. A maze seemed like the perfect gallery activity where you may get confused, lost or take a wrong turn, and still see some incredible things along the way.
I researched the artwork and architecture at the Walker and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and found pieces that interested me for the maze. I literally cut and pasted the composition together into a maze design with paper images, then drew the images with graphite. I tried not to make the maze too difficult but there are a few challenging areas. Just like the Walker, I want you to occasionally exclaim, "What? How did we end up here?" Besides, I tend to find the best things when I get lost. Just embrace it.
Come to Free First Saturday on December 7 from 10 am–3 pm to pick up the final version of Alyssa's interactive gallery activity.