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The stock market loves President Barack Obama. With all its cheating heart, and all its mercenary soul.
More than that, actually — it adores him. The love story of Wall Street and Obama is a bromance like no other, a man-crush for the ages.
Despite his threats to soak the wealthy for more taxes, despite Fed Chairman's attack on savers, despite even his threat to kill special treatment for dividends, institutional investors have thrown themselves at Obama's feet as they have not done in the first term of any president in the past century.
You could look it up. The S&P 500 has gained 76% since his inauguration in January 2009, while the Nasdaq 100 is up 128%.
Compare that to the S&P 500's 13% decline and the Nasdaq 100's 45% wipeout in the first term of his predecessor, George W. Bush; or the mere 25% gain in the first term of conservative icon Ronald Reagan; or even the 60% gain in the halcyon early 1990s in the first term of Bill Clinton.
The staggering advance of the market is probably one of Obama's greatest accomplishments, and yet, in a rich irony, political sensitivities prevent him from bragging about it.
The beauty part is that this was not a coincidence, beginner's luck or a historical fluke.
The administration and the Federal Reserve run by his appointed chairman, Ben Bernanke, have systematically stuffed big banks' pockets with cash in an unending rescue effort, slashed interest rates to the lowest levels of the past 300 years, diverted senior citizens' savings to revive the moribund residential construction industry and showered drug makers and insurers with fresh sources of revenue from his health care overhaul.
Little wonder then that Wall Street cannot bear the idea of parting ways with the Obama administration, and thus in the past two months has thrown a tantrum to protest the surprising advancement of challenger Mitt Romney in the polls.
Now that the president has won a second term, you can expect most of the sectors that have benefited from the present administration to keep on rolling. Here are some top prospects.
Health care
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the President's health care initiative, set out new mandates, subsidies and credits to employers and individuals to increase Americans' access to health care. Upon its passage in March 2010, investors began boosting the shares of drug makers, insurance providers and hospitals because they all suddenly had a lot more paying customers, courtesy of the government and taxpayers.
Shares of Pfizer PFE, +0.61% for example, had fallen 50% during the eight years of the Bush Administration, January 2001 to January 2009. In contrast, its shares are up 70% during the Obama Administration, almost in a straight line. Sixty-four percent of the gains in the maker of Viagra, Zoloft and Lipitor have come since ACA passed.
Insurance provider Unitedhealth Group UNH, +0.61% is up 73% since Obamacare passed. Smaller biotechs have gained a lot more, led by Alexion Pharmaceuticals ALXN, +0.59% up 252%.
Overall, SPDR Health Care XLV, -0.23% which includes all the health care stocks in the S&P 500, is up 31% since the President's health-care law passed, vs. 27% for the broad market. It's still a good bet going forward, as most of the benefits still lie ahead.
Home construction and real estate
The Obama Administration and Federal Reserve targeted the home-building industry for special attention since it is among the few industries that cannot outsource jobs overseas. The industry also provides the best income to workers without college educations. It also has a ripple effect on the economy, as new homes require paint, lumber, furniture, lawn care and the like.
iShares U.S. Home Construction ITB, +0.77% offers the purest exposure to the industry. It's up 133% during the Obama term so far, vs. 69% for the S&P 500, and is still very strong. The best individual stocks include Lennar LEN, +0.89% PulteGroup PHM, +1.08% Louisiana Pacific LPX, +3.26% , Eagle Materials EXP, -0.53% and M/I Homes MHO, +1.09% among the larger companies as well as peripheral players like lawn-care machinery maker Toro TTC, -0.41% swimming pool supplier SCP Pool POOL, -0.72% and carpet maker Mohawk MHK, +1.12%
Likewise the real estate industry has benefited enormously from policy over the past four years, as quantitative easing has involved directly buying securities that support residential and commercial construction. iShares Real Estate IYR, +0.17% includes all the major players, including regional shopping malls specialist Simon Properties SPG, -0.55% which is up a cool 315% since Obama entered the Oval Office and still looks fine. Two new stocks with promise in the red hot mortgage servicing business are Nationstar Financial US:NSM and Home Loan Services US:HLSS
Mobile communications
The Obama Administration has not promoted a coherent technology policy. But outside of a couple of attempts to rein in Google, it has not willfully attacked the tech industry either. The group has risen 114% during the four years, led by the 675% blitzkrieg of Apple AAPL, -0.73% and 390% advance of Amazon.com AMZN, -0.03%
One subgroup in the industry that appears set for further improvement are the cellular tower owners. There are relatively few of them, and they get paid in part on a metered basis, so they are neutral parties that are prime beneficiaries of the explosion in mobile communications. Top names are SBA Communications SBAC, +0.89% American Tower AMT, +1.06% and Crown Castle International CCI, +0.57%
For a contrarian pick over the next four years, consider a bet on a surprise resurgence at Dell DELL, -4.66% or Hewlett-Packard HPQ, -0.40% which are clumsily trying to shed their personal computer legacies in favor of services, and may well find opportunities ahead.
And for the small-caps, two companies with a shot at finding success in the patchwork new world that employers and hospitals will face in health care and the digitization of medical records, consider WageWorks WAGE, +0.32% and Greenway Medical Technologies US:GWAY
Financial services
Over the past four years, consumers have largely reined in their spending and streamlined their use of plastic, and that has actually benefited some of the more spry companies in the credit and transaction businesses. Delinquencies have fallen dramatically, and the use of credit cards is actually up.
We can expect a second Obama administration would attempt to reinforce these trends, and that would improve the opportunities for the industry's leaders.
Three companies to watch on this score are Capital One Financial COF, -0.22% Discover Financial Services DFS, +0.00% and Mastercard MA, -0.42% The latter is the easiest call as it will grow at a multiple of the growth of credit and debit transactions, and has largely escaped all attempts to rein in its profitability or ubiquity.
Energy producers have fared surprisingly well in the Obama years, led in part by the companies in the complex that were the most capable of staying one step ahead of the regulators and in part by the ones paying the largest dividends to yield-starved pensioners. Also companies that sell chemicals into the energy market have also fared well, as margins have improved and EPA rules have proven surprisingly restrained.
Some of the best in the energy patch are Cabot Oil & Gas COG, -0.54% and high-yielding master-limited-partnerships Plains All-American PAA, +0.88% Enterprise Products Partners EPD, -0.51% Kinder Morgan Energy US:KMP Linn Energy US:LINE and refiner Calumet Specialty Products CLMT, +1.21%
• Barack Obama wins another four years
• Obama victory sets up the next battle
• Five things the Republicans must do now
• Time for Obama to show leadership on taxes
• Three global tasks for the second term
• Democratic wins may thwart grand bargain
• Three post-election concerns for investors
• Obama: The best is yet to come for America
• Romney urges an end to political bickering
On the chemicals side of refining, look for continued success from NewMarket NEU, +0.05% WR Grace GRA, -0.55% and LyondellBasell Industries LYB, +0.13% The high-yield stocks issue new shares in secondaries fairly frequently, so wait until one of those 3% to 5% short-term setbacks to buy.
Overall, economic and political cycles suggest the first year of a second Obama Administration could be rough as investors adjust further to slowing global growth and peak earnings.
While the full second term is likely to turn out well for stocks, if you are nimble, you may wish to wait for at least one 15%-plus correction in mid-2013 to take on a full plate of risk.
A good analogy might be the second term for President Clinton. The entire four-year period yielded a very respectable 77% return for the S&P 500 and whopping 252% return for the tech-bubble Nasdaq 100. But the first two years were both marred by separate 10%-plus slides in the spring and winter.
Bottom line: Expect the market to continue its bromance with Obama in a second term, but buy into it opportunistically when panic is in the air.
Jon D. Markman is an investment adviser, money-management consultant and best-selling author of several books, as well as the Strategic Advantage and Gemini 252 newsletters. Follow him on Twitter: @jdmarkman.


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IBM has announced new and/or updated versions of tools aimed at helping organizations more effectively align their business strategies with their investments in software. Collectively, the tools are designed to help organizations lower costs and reduce risks by providing increased visibility into the status of software projects and the ability to monitor and improve the performance of these investments.
IBM Rational Insight is a new project management solution designed to help business stakeholders measure and manage team performance and project results across an entire organization. Built using IBM Cognos software, Rational Insight provides metrics and dashboards that help businesses quickly find and focus on cross-organizational issues that delay or derail software and systems projects, ensure the right people are collaborating, and then take real-time action to continuously improve results.
IBM also announced a beta release of Focal Point for Project Management, an updated version of an existing tool from Telelogic, a company IBM recently acquired. Focal Point for Project Management is intended to manage changing priorities by enabling communications, workflow, and collaboration across geographical and organizational boundaries.
Other upgraded products include IBM Rational Focal Point for Product and Portfolio Management, Requirements Composer, and System Architect. Upgrades to Team Concert are geared to help organizations execute on their plans, regardless of the organizational and geographical boundaries of its team.

subset: commoncrawl


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Post by Stefan Van Eycken, Tokyo
Those who have been following the developments on the Japanese whisky scene – especially among the major players – over the past year will not be surprised that the new permanent addition to the 'Taketsuru' range is a no-age statement one. It'll be available in various sizes (700, 500, 180 and 50ml, all bottled at 43% abv) and – although there's no word on pricing yet – this will obviously become the new entry-level 'Taketsuru'. It'll be interesting to see what new role (if any) the top dogs at Nikka have in mind for the 'Taketsuru 12'. The new 'NAS Taketsuru' will go on sale nationwide on 25 September, and to add luster to the proceedings, Nikka is also putting out a sherry-wood finished version of the new 'NAS Taketsuru' (43% abv, 700ml only), limited to 2,900 bottles.
We'll check out these new releases as soon as they're available. Here's hoping the new releases will add something genuinely new to the 'Taketsuru' range. Watch this space, as always.


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To welcome in 2011, the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) has chosen to give its Muslim Heritage Newsletter a new look. With the name FSTC NEWS, this newsletter encompasses all our projects and subsidiaries. The newsletter is split into three main sections based on our core bodies: 1001 Inventions, CE4CE and FSTC. By including the work of the entire group, we hope to keep our supporters informed of our successes and developments on a bi-monthly basis.
In this issue you will learn about the successful launch of the 1001 Inventions exhibition in New York after a great run in Turkey during which new Muslim Heritage Awareness Network Turkey (MHANT) was formed; awards received by the Library of Secrets film, the 1001 Inventions initiative and Professor Salim T S Al-Hassani himself; Curriculum Enrichment for the Common Era?s new website, recent talks and film competition project; and the recent articles published on Muslimheritage.com.


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Shepard Fairey and his Obey Giant need no introduction from us. This icon of artistic freedom and Fair Use looms large as an inspiration to many and we are delighted to unveil our contribution to the Obey empire. Artsy's Shepard Fairey Page
about lazerwood phone cases
- Hard shell construction for superior protection
- High quality, super-slim design adds minimal bulks
- Premium 100% real wood for an amazing look and feel
- Easy snap-on attachment
- Precision engraved, with lasers
- Designed, engraved and assembled in the USA
Because each Lazerwood phone case is made from real wood, the grain patterns will vary, making each case unique.
100% Responsibly Sourced Wood
Every Lazerwood phone case is manufactured from responsibly sourced natural wood. We hand-sand and hand-finish all materials, giving the final product a smooth and spectacular feel.
Every Case is Unique
Each case design is precision-cut (with lasers, of course) from real wood, which means each case has unique variations in texture. You're guaranteed to get a product that will be uniquely yours.
Will my product look like the photo?
The product images presented on our catalog are our best effort to represent the visual character of each design. Wood responds to lighting in different ways, so the color tone may vary depending on your environment.
Lazerwood offers lots of unique designs, on many different devices. (Seriously, the combinatorial math is pretty big.) In some cases, we may use photorealistic computer renderings of a design on a specific device and specific type of wood simply because we haven't been asked to make that particular combination yet. Photos may not be published for a specific design on a specific device in a specific wood type, but rest assured that we will manufacture and deliver the exact combination you choose.
No-Questions-Asked Money Back Guarantee
If you're not satisfied with your phone case for any reason, return it to us within 30 days for a full refund (less shipping). No questions asked!
Please note that Lazerwood phone cases do not provide any additional warranty on your device. If you drop your phone in the toilet, we can't help you with that.


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ECE 695A Lecture 29R: Review Questions
Additional materials available (3)
Licensed according to this deed.
Published on
Review Questions:
- Mention a few differences between thick and thin oxide breakdown.
- Is breakdown in thick oxides contact dominated? Can I use AHI theory here?
- How does the Paschen's cascade initiate?
- What does it mean to have a fractal dimension of 1.7 for 2D breakdown? Why does the number suggest spatial correlation ?
- What is a color center? How does color center help us visualize breakdown in polymers?
- Explain physically the origin of the minimum breakdown voltage for gas dielectric?
- Is gas dielectric breakdown reversible? What about solid dielectric BD?
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
EE 226, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN


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hotstreak precisava de um novo design de logo e criou um concurso na 99designs.
Um vencedor foi selecionado entre 54 designs enviados por 14 designers freelancers.
We are creating an online community of heart surgery teams.
It takes an entire team of healthcare specialists to operate on someone's heart.
The goal of our website:
Heart surgery specialist (surgeons, nurses, anesthetists, etc) will join our site then create teams with their colleagues. Each team will then share medical insights with the other teams.
Our site will give our members the ability to write their own blog, conduct surveys and polls, video chat, share articles.
Also, they will gain points for their activity on the site and be able to trade the points in for monthly prizes.
Healthcare professionals who specialize in heart surgery.
Details of what want:
1.) colors: red, blue, white, grey (doesn't have to have the grey and white, but it could)
2.) We like the 3d of this logo http://www.carplanet.com.au/
3.) We like message bubbles and broadcast waves(like in an rss feed icon)
4.) Get ideas from http://www.webmedspace.com/ because we will be using this theme.
5.) tagline "an online community of heart specialists"
Saiba como um concurso de design funciona ou leia mais sobre nossos serviços de design de logo.


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D'Avella is a clean, minimalistic design kit with an editorial vibe. Tell a story through your work, by crafting an elegant, clean and beautiful new site!
D'Avella showcases your portfolio in a simple, and yet appealing way. It engages with your visitors, enabling them to explore your portfolio further.
** Squarespace Account is required. Squaremuse is not affiliated with Squarespace.
What's Included?
visual files, Video Tutorials, implementation how tos and freebies
All Squaremuse design kits come with editable photoshop files and graphic elements, as well as easy step-by-step video tutorials. Inside documentation you will receive a free pack of illustrations and icons, as well free launch banners to tell the world about your new site.
What To Expect After Purchase ?
After your purchase is completed, you will receive a confirmation email and a separate email with your download link. In your downloadable files you will find a Read Me document with further instructions to follow.
Reviewswhat users say
Squaremuse has done a great job at creating something that is affordable, easy to use, and beautiful. As I was installing my new site, I had a couple questions come up and they were so helpful and responsive to help me fix the issues I couldn't figure out on my own.
My work has changed, so my website really needed a new, beautiful layout. With the help of the people from Squaremuse, I did it. I made a website that totally fits my work in the best way possible.
Wonderful tutorials that made it simple and easy to set up my website just how I wanted it. Quickly responded to me with assistance when I was confused about a tweak I wanted to make to my website, great customer service. I highly recommend Squaremuse.
Full Setup
NOT ENOUGH TIME? HIRE OUR TEAM TO SET UP THE DESIGN FOR YOU. Package includes:
1 on 1 Communication
Collecting all necessary information to implement the Design with your personalized details
Design implementation with your images, copy and graphics
Content Migration (in case you are coming from WordPress platform to Squarespace) and Site Launch
Requires to add firstname.lastname@example.com as contributor to Squarespace account (admin role). Recommended Squarespace plan: Business
What is Squaremuse?
Do I need to know coding?
What do I need to implement your designs?
How can I edit the files I've downloaded with my design kit?
What do I receive when I buy your design kit?
My site is on Squarespace, will I lose my content when implementing a Squaremuse design kit?
Is Squaremuse a one-time or monthly payment?
I receive a 502/503 error in my browser when I try to download the design kit files. What should I do?
Squaremuse provides Premium Design Kits for creatives who use Squarespace as their website platform. To implement Squaremuse Design kits you need to have a Squarespace account. Squaremuse is not affiliated with Squarespace.
No coding knowledge is required to setup your Squaremuse design kit on your Squarespace, but we do encourage you to follow our tutorials which will assist you with the process.
You need to have a Squarespace account, Adobe Photoshop (for some design kits), good internet and free time to implement the design. No technical skills are required.
All files are provided in latest version of Adobe Photoshop, while some design kits might include elements in latest version of Adobe Illustrator. Video tutorials cover how to work with editable files.
Each Squaremuse design kit comes with editable files and access to articles and video documentation. Editable files allow to customize banners, graphics with your own wording and images. This, as well as the Additionally each design kit is accompanied with tutorials to help you setup your site and customize the design files.
If your site is on Squarespace, whenever you start implementing the new design all your content and pages will remain intact. You will implement the new design in Preview Mode, so your visitors will see your old site while you work on your new site. When you are ready, the switch to the new site is just a click away.
Squaremuse design kits are a one-time payment digital product.
It is a common issue with Squarespace file storage. You can refresh the page and the download should start automatically. If you fail to download your files, please contact us at email@example.com for alternative file delivery.


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MALI: Frustration over government inaction
SEVARE, 3 January 2013 (IRIN) - Malians forced to live under strict religious rules since Islamist groups captured the country's northern region nine months ago, and those who fled south, are frustrated by perceived central government inaction.
Some who fled have expressed their despair.
"I don't understand the government's inaction and the response by the international community. Everybody is speaking, every day there are nice speeches, but no action on the ground," said 38-year-old Amidou Maïga, who fled from Timbuktu, a UNESCO-listed site now in the hands of the Islamists who have destroyed ancient tombs and mosques there.
"The occupiers are violating people's basic rights. They rape, steal, amputate and destroy property. In the meantime the politicians are fighting over positions in Bamako. It's very unfortunate. We in the north have been totally forgotten."
The Islamists have banned secular music, football and alcohol and reportedly meted out harsh punishments, including amputations, to those accused of flouting the prohibition.
Moumouni Damango, head of a crisis committee in the central town of Mopti, said the army should be given time to prepare for an offensive against the Islamist groups in the north. "I perfectly understand the anger and the need to go to war, but they [people in the north] should know that an intervention is under way."
Meanwhile, some civilians are considering joining a group offering combat training in the central town of Sévaré in the hope that it might push the government to act.
"As our army doesn't want to fight, if I get the chance I wouldn't hesitate to join a self-defence group doing training. At least they know what they want -and they want to fight," said Oumar Maïga, a resident of Gao, one of the key northern towns under Islamist control.
"I believe that if the government was doing more to help the displaced that would calm down the anger. But the NGOs are helping the displaced more than the authorities in Bamako," said Moussa Cissé, of the aid group Fondation Orange.
The UN Security Council on 20 December 2012 authorized a military intervention in Mali, but troops are not expected on the ground until later this year. Mali's interim government established after the 22 March coup is grappling with internal wrangles, not least of which was the forced resignation of the prime minister in December.
Former coup leader Amadou Haya Sanogo who forced Cheick Modibo Diarra from the premiership for allegedly blocking "political transition", said preparations were under way to recapture the north. Sanogo retains political influence despite handing over to a civilian authority after ousting former President Amadou Toumani Touré.
"Rest assured we are working on retaking the occupied regions. I cannot reveal the military strategy we are working on now. I understand that people are impatient and they are right. The army is preparing and we are working to boost the morale of the troops. Going ahead and later making tactical retreats is out of the question. If we go to war, there's no turning back," Sanogo told reporters on 25 December.
Host families struggle
Families in southern Mali towns hosting northern relatives who fled insecurity and a severe drought that ravaged the Sahel region in 2012 are struggling to cope.
At Mohamed Touré's home in the central town of Mopti, 21 people, including 14 members of his brother's family, now live together. "I swear to you, I go to bed but I can't get to sleep anymore," Touré told IRIN.
"How do you feed 21 people, take care of their health and house them on a salary of 100,000 [CFA] francs (US$200)?" said the government worker. "As a host family, I've receive only two sacks of millet and 5kg of sugar since I took charge of these people.
"I never thought that liberating the north would take such a long time. The authorities and the army are giving too much time to the armed bandits. In reality, it has never been a priority. It's nothing but talks without concrete actions."
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is trying to resolve Mali's months-long crisis which allowed Islamist groups to hold sway in the north. The regional body, which has been pressing for the deployment of an intervention force, has also opened talks with the Islamist group Ansar Dine and the separatist Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad.
"Our army should be the first on the ground. It should not be waiting for ECOWAS troops or the UN's green light. If we wait for the UN, the north will never be liberated because some countries are only looking after their own interests," said Timbuktu resident Al Hamdoum.
For imam El Hadj Oumar Bocoum in Sévaré a peace agreement with the Islamists would spare civilians the dangers of war.
"Our wish is that blood is not spilled again in this country. It would be ideal if the occupiers of the north and the authorities in Bamako can come to an agreement without firing a single bullet."
Theme(s): Governance, Conflict, Sahel Crisis, Security,
Copyright © IRIN 2013
This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
|Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list


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I have Samsung Galaxy S2 as my cell phone and Debian Squeeze as my desktop. When I connect them using USB, Debian recognize it and allows to open it with file manager. Problem: it displays only directories, all files are like somehow, magically, hidden. I know that they exists, because I can easily see them on Windows 7. I tried to disable file-hiding and related stuff in Nautilus options, but nothing.
Why is that so and how can I see those files?
P.S. I wasn't sure where to post it - in here or in https://android.stackexchange.com/.


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Church Strengthening Team
"[Paul] traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the church" - Acts 15:41 (HCSB)
The Church Strengthening Team's purpose is rooted in the missionary journey examples of Paul and Barnabas who planted and established churches first, then went back to these churches to strengthen them.
" . . . strengthening the hearts of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith, and by telling them, 'It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God'" - Acts 14:22 (HCSB)
Great Commission Living encompasses the spiritually healthy church that is growing stronger and the struggling church that desires to see God's plan lived out through its congregation. The primary focus of the Church Strengthening Team is to assist churches in growing stronger by growing healthier through every season of church health and to equip church leaders as they serve.
Team members can assist churches in pursuit of Great Commission Living through:
- Supporting traditional church ministries - Sunday School, discipleship
- Leadership coaching and congregational evaluations - Strength Development Index, interim pastoral help
- Spiritual Development Process - moving to the next level of ministry
- Intentional Church Multiplication Process (ICMP)
"[Paul] set out, traveling through one place after another in the Galatian territory and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples" - Acts 18:23 (HCSB)
The Church Strengthening Team is led by Associate Executive Director David Parks who may be reached by phone at 803.227.6010 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sensory garden takes part in Fernhill Heath Open Gardens event
The sensory garden at Fernhill House was opened to the public at the weekend – as part of the wider Fernhill Heath Open Gardens event.
Visitors were offered tea and cakes made by award winning chef Chris Williams – and offered local ice creams from the home's own vintage bicycle stall.
Hospitality manager Chris, who has worked with Marco Pierre White and Heston Blumenthal has appeared on MasterChef and has won AA rosettes and culinary accolades aplenty over the course of his 25-year career.
Chris, whose is a huge fan of organic, home grown and locally sourced food, grows his own veg from seed at Fernhill House which he uses where possible in the meals he cooks for residents.
The sensory garden, part of the wider two-acre grounds at Fernhill House, is one of many stimulating and unusual features at the home which, when at full capacity, will accommodate 36 people living with dementia and 30 frail elderly people.
The dementia community also has a pub, shop and indoor potting shed and staff dress informally in 1950s and 60s clothing.
An unusual all inclusive price package means residents can invite friends and family to dine with them as often as they like at no extra cost. The same goes for drinks in the bar, and tea and cakes in the bistro. The beauty therapists, chiropodist and hairdresser all have experience of working with people with dementia.
Fernhill House manager Peta Mandleberg, a registered nurse who has worked in the care sector for many years, said: "It was a wonderful afternoon. Our different approach to helping people enjoy their later years includes ensuring that the home is part of the wider community.
"As well as encouraging friends and family to join their loved ones for dinner, we hold regular free evening talks often by well-known celebrities, which are open to anyone who'd like to come along. The open gardens event gave us a chance to share our beautiful grounds with a wider audience and also to ensure they felt welcome within the Fernhill House community."


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Loch Lomond part 02
Composer: Dupret, Henri
Medium: Lithograph
Date: 1899
Music sheets from the Victorian period contain references to virtually every aspect of Victorian life including, fashion, royalty, politics, the military, leisure and emotions such as love. Artists did their best to reflect the themes of the music they were depicting. Romantic and gentle music needed romantic and soft images like this one of the Loch and fishing boats. Loch Lomond has been much written about, both in song and poetry and must be the world's most famous Loch. The area is well-known for its beauty and has been a source of inspiration for many artists.


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thanks for supporting the MOMeskine :D
a little "one year moleskine" tip1) I decided to update the "one year Moleskine" quite more often. For a matter of archiving I decided to update always the same post.
2) if you can't read the text (or well look at the drawings) just click on the immage to see it bigger.
i'm sorry oh so sorryfor all the english
horrorserrors i'll do for sure. and bein' an italian girl who had been living in france for almost ten years it doesn't help. now i wish that i would had been more attentive during my english lessons at the high school!
i'm here and there


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SCHLESWIG should be one of the region's premier tourist destinations. That it is not is one more reason to make the journey. One of the most distinctive small towns in North Germany, it dozes peacefully on the banks of the broad Schlei fjord as a provincial backwater of around 25,000 people. Yet until the tenth century, Haithabu on the south bank of the Schlei was a hub of the Viking world. Founded in 800 AD, the "colony of the west" flourished at the crossroads of trade routes to North Atlantic and Baltic settlements, populated by a cosmopolitan cross-section of Europe and serving as a base for Christian missionaries to Scandinavia. Indeed, it is only due to its destruction in 1066 that Schleswig emerged opposite, roots that the town celebrates with rollicking Wikingertage (Viking Days; wikingertage.de) at the end of July/early August on odd-numbered years. With a bit of poetic licence there remains something of the Scandinavian about the manicured Altstadt where red-brick fishermen's houses exude village charm. That its holy trinity of must-see sights – cathedral, palace and the Viking past – is spread over a wide area only serves to underline that Schleswig is a town best savoured at leisure. Take your time and make a day of it – ideally two.
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Two Hope College athletes have received weekly recognition from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association — football's Evan Finch and men's soccer Jason Muller.
Finch is the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week for games played on November 2.
The senior from Ann Arbor (Pioneer HS) converted all five of his extra-point attempts in Hope's 35-7 victory over Trine.
Finch has 25 PATs and nine field goals this season. He is one field goal away from matching the school record for field goals in a single season.
Finch is being honored as MIAA Player of the Week for the second week in a row, the third time this season and the third time in his career.
Muller is the MIAA Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for games played through November 2.
The senior from Petoskey (Petoskey HS) scored four goals for the week as the Flying Dutchmen stayed alive in their bid for a share of the MIAA championship with two victories.
Muller scored two goals in a 3-0 shutout of Olivet, then scored just before halftime and again three minutes into the second half in a 4-1 win over Kalamazoo. He is second in the MIAA in goals (12) and points (28) in league play.
Muller is being honored as Player of the Week for the third time this season and fourth time in his career.


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Japan says it may fire warning shots and take other measures to keep foreign aircraft from violating its airspace in the latest verbal blast between Tokyo and Beijing that raises concerns that a dispute over hotly contested islands could spin out of control.
Japanese officials made the comments after Chinese fighters tailed its warplanes near the islands recently. The incident is believed to be the first scrambling of Chinese fighters since the tensions began to rise last spring.
According to Chinese media, a pair of J-10 fighters was scrambled after Japanese F-15s began tailing a Chinese surveillance plane near the disputed islands in the East China Sea. China has complained the surveillance flight did not violate Japanese airspace and the F-15s were harassing it.
Read the rest of the story: Japan Talk of Warning Shots Heats up China Dispute.


text:
Calibrate your HDTV for free
Question: The image quality on my new HDTV doesn't look quite right. Did I get a defective model? Should I call a professional to take care of it?
Answer: It's more likely you just need to calibrate the TV. You can get close to a professional picture for free. Start with the site TweakTV. It has ideal settings for your specific TV model that you can plug in for a much better picture. If you want an even more advanced calibration, some movies come with a calibration disc built in. Search your collection for one of these titles or request one from Netflix. Those walk you through a THX-approved calibration process fairly easily. THX — a standard setter for audio and video quality in the film industry — even has a free app that can remarkably improve your TV's picture and sound. If all that fails, or you're setting up a high-end home theater room, consult a professional.
Kindle vs. Kindle Fire
Question: I want to buy a Kindle but I don't really know the difference. What can a Kindle Fire do that a regular Kindle can't?
Answer: Confusingly, the Kindle and Kindle Fire are actually two different gadgets. The Kindle is an e-reader. If you just need a gadget to read things on the go, then the Kindle Paperwhite e-reader is your best bet. The Fire, on the other hand, is a full tablet. Even though the Fire has a Kindle app built in, e-readers are almost always better for your eyes. The battery life is much better, too. However, if you want to surf or play games, than grab the Kindle Fire or Kindle Fire HD. Even though some Kindle e-readers have a browser, it's nowhere near as good as browsing on a tablet.
Free up hard-drive space
Question: I'm nearing my computer's space limit. How can I free up some space on my hard drive?
Answer: The easiest way is with Window's built-in Disk Utility. You can find this in Windows XP, Vista and 7 by going to Start>>Computer, right-clicking "Local Disk (C:)" and selecting properties. In Windows 8, click or tap Search and type in Disk Cleanup. Then, tap or click "Settings" and then "Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files." After the scan runs, you can click safely click the check boxes for "Recycle Bin," "Debug Dump Files," and "System error memory dump files." You can delete previous versions of Windows if they pop-up, too. If that doesn't clear up enough space, use TreeSize or WizTree to find large files you no longer need.
Perform background checks on people you know
Question: I need to do a background check on someone I know. Are there any ways to do this for free?
Answer: You'd be surprised what a simple Google search can turn up about someone. Once you've done that, search for them on other sites like PeekYou, too. That rounds up their social media profiles to find out things about them. If that's not enough information about them, you can use BeenVerified's free app to do one background search about a person per month. It searches court records and other public information for questionable activities. You can look through those records yourself on your state court's site, too.
Protect yourself from a Facebook virus
Question: My friend recently said that Facebook gave her a virus. Is this possible? How can I stop it from infecting me?
Answer: It's absolutely possible. Scam posts and malicious Facebook apps make it easy for scammers to slip a virus onto your computer. The most popular way they do this is through scam posts. These are usually videos or an app that ask you to update a "driver" before they let you access the content. When you click OK, you're actually downloading a virus and spamming your friends. To sniff out any scams you've posted, use the Social Media Scanner by ESET. You should also double check sites like Snopes or Facecrooks to see if something is a scam before you post it.
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. To get the podcast, watch the show or find the station nearest you, visit www.komando.com. Email her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Learn how to fix image quality on HDTV
Calibrate your HDTV for free


text: Chocoholics, you're in for an awakening. Chuao Chocolatier's decadent chocolates are made from cacao sourced from Venezuelas most famous chocolate region. The artisanal bars come in a range of unexpected flavors: There's Spicy Maya dark chocolate infused with pasilla chile, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon; Firecracker, dark chocolate filled with popping candy and a touch of chipotle; and Salted Chocolate Crunch, which has sea salt and toasted breadcrumbs. Adventurous foodies can try Maple Bacon Bar, a mouthwatering mix of milk chocolate and bacon drizzled in maple; Pop Corn Pop, popping candy, puffed whole grains, and toasted corn chips with a hint of sea salt; and Honeycomb, a decadent dark bar with crunchy, caramelized honey. For nut lovers, there's the Ravishing Rocky Road Bar, which features salted caramelized almonds and fluffy marshmallows in a bed of milk. And the decadent Orange A Go Go mixes a rich dark chocolate with candied orange and bergamot for a zesty kick.


text: Figure 12 shows the results of a thermal balance calculation of an optically thin photoionized gas as a function of density and ionization parameter. The curves correspond to ionization parameters log()=4,3,2,1 for the same power law ionizing spectrum used previously. This demonstrates that the net effect of higher densities is an increase in temperature at the highest densitied and lowest temperatures, and a decrease in temperature at lower density and higher temperature, for the reasons listed in the previous section. We emphasize that the quantitative value of the temperature, particularly for high ionization parameters and/or temperatures greater than 10 K or so, depends on the detailed shape of the ionizing spectrum over all energies, owing to the possible importance of Compton heating and cooling (the spectral dependence of the effects of stimulated recombination, again, have been excluded from these results).


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A scaled-back gun-control bill has a chance of passing Congress, but lawmakers can't forget about the economy.
Immigration and gun control have dominated the issue agenda for the past few weeks, pushing away, for a time, the previously dominant worries about fiscal issues and their impact on the overall health of the U.S. economy. But last week's news that the economy, as measured by real gross domestic product, had declined in the fourth quarter of 2012 by one-tenth of a percentage point -- surprising economists who had expected the economy to grow by 1 percent -- brings these issues back to the forefront. In the third quarter of 2012, real GDP grew by 3.1 percent.
The release of numbers showing the economy contracting slightly in the last quarter hardly constitutes a hair-on-fire event, and they could be revised upward next month when the second estimate is released. But last week's report follows two surveys indicating that consumers have unexpectedly turned pessimistic. Also last week, the Conference Board released its preliminary consumer-confidence numbers for January. It pegged confidence at 58.6, far below the consensus estimate by Briefing.com of 65.1. The confidence level in December was 66.7; the recovery's peak level of 73.1 came in October.
The Conference Board numbers follow on the heels of preliminary January numbers by the Reuters/University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment showing a decline in consumer optimism to far below what economists had forecast. The Reuters/Michigan number for the first half of January was 71.3, down from 72.9 in December and well off the consensus of 75 reported by Briefing.com. The Conference Board and the Reuters/University of Michigan numbers are the most closely watched indicators of consumer sentiment, with the latter considered the less volatile of the two. When both head in the same direction, it's worth noting.
The lower consumer-confidence numbers for January suggest that the outcome of the year-end fiscal-cliff fight did not leave Americans particularly hopeful and, more important, that they did not appreciate opening their first paycheck of 2013 to find lower take-home pay because of the end of the payroll-tax holiday. Like the GDP figure, these new consumer-confidence numbers don't significantly change things. They should, however, act as a reminder of just how anemic this economic recovery is and how vulnerable American consumers feel in this new economic world order.
Things look brighter on one of the other major-issue fronts. The chances that Congress will pass comprehensive immigration reform seem to be climbing at a rate backers could have only dreamed of six months ago. More-enlightened Republicans now see this as an issue that needs to be taken off the table if their party is going to climb back to national electoral relevance, and Democrats appear to be sincere in wanting to deal with the problem rather than keep the issue alive as a club to beat the GOP over the head with to win minority voters. Both parties have had to deal with some of their more cynical politicians who would rather keep an issue on the table than solve a problem.
On gun control, it is becoming increasingly clear that an ambitious broad-based measure like the one introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., cannot pass either the House or the Senate. If anything passes at all, it is more likely to be a strengthening of background checks and a closing of the gun-show loophole. A limit on the size of gun magazines is possible, and the most plausible of any major reform, but it falls in between in terms of likelihood. A joint op-ed in The New York Times by James Baker III, a former Republican secretary of State and the Treasury, and Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat -- both lifelong hunters and the latter a former National Rifle Association board member -- embraced the concept of a broad-based bill and specified consideration of bans on magazines holding 30 or more rounds and armor-piercing bullets, although they didn't come out for banning either. But such a measure would be a very heavy lift for red-state Democratic senators as well as for GOP House and Senate members who fear primary challenges.
One interesting question is whether the passage of an immigration bill and a modest gun measure using the "regular order" -- committee consideration, floor votes with amendments, and a conference to work out differences between the House and Senate -- will revive the legislative "animal spirits" (as they say on Wall Street). Such a revival would remind members that they really are legislators, not just debaters and political combatants. And actually accomplishing a couple of things using the time-honored but forgotten legislative process would also serve as a reminder that the old ways did work well for a very long time. When lobbyists have to explain to committee staff members how House-Senate conference committees work, you know the situation has gotten bad. Maybe things will change.
NEXT STORY: Democrat offers sequestration alternative


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Each child was fitted with a magician's cape when they came in the door and were encouraged to make some magic!
The activities included, Mix Your Magic- guests could mix primary colors in water to magically make secondary colors. Next, they could choose an animal to put in the small container to take home and watch magic happen (it would grow in water and shrink when out of water). My son wanted everyone to have a coin trick and so we set up a station with mini magician hats and a quarter. They had to try to guess where the coin was as the hats were switched around by my husband. We had a Magic Hat Parade- similar to a cake walk but the prize was a black top hat. I do this game a lot at birthday parties because the children love it and it keeps them moving- but in a circle!!
Everyone had a snack and then watched the Magic Show. Each child choose his or her own "Magic Carpet" to sit on during the show. Mark the Magic Man was great at including parents and children- he kept them mesmerized for 45 minutes! Graham especially loved it when his daddy was turned into a " monster"! After the show, we sang and had cake and then the magician tied animal balloons for everyone. The tied balloons were a BIG hit!
The colors were blue, red, yellow, and black. My son's favorites are blue and red and so I incorporated them as much as possible. I asked my son to choose the cape colors and design- I thought he would choose red and blue but he wanted red and black with a yellow G and a star. The excellent capes were made by First Crush Designs. Graham's cape was reversible with a G on one side and a star on the other. All other capes were red with a black shiny star and reversed to black. Graham chose to wear his cape with the G showing. I loved it that First Crush Designs made his cape extra-special!
The party signs, banners, favor tags, straw flags. rosettes, etc. were by Loralee Lewis. Loralee designed these especially for this party, and I was thrilled when the package arrived. I loved what she created! She made us feel so special!! We used Abracadabra! Graham is 6! for the banners and the straw flags, rosettes, and food flags.
Large, modular origami stars in red, blue, and yellow were used for the centerpieces at the tables. I put them in white pots and filled the pots with magic crystals (rock candy crystals) Small, customized origami stars were sprinkled around the pots. The small stars read, "Happy Birthday" and "Graham is 6". I also had 3 of the large, modular stars hanging together over the "Magic Potion" table, just above the silver bowl that billowed with steam from dry ice. Placed on a mirrored cube out of reach of the children, the smoking bowl had a magical effect. The stars hanging above it was a fun and perfect touch. We all loved these stars made by Origami Delights! They were sprinkled on each table at the party. I loved seeing how the children played with them and rearranged them all around the tables. I think there was some color sorting going on! I saved them to use over and over.
The Magic Potion Table had cream soda as the potion. The customized labels were by Loralee Lewis. I loved these labels and the little rabbit for the top of the bottle! Striped straws with flags made the potion more fun! I used a red tablecloth and placed 20 orbs around the bottles to light up the table. The bottles glowed against the orbs for another magical effect.
The food table had the beautiful birthday cake as the focal point. The topper was a rabbit coming out of a black hat made by Brittany of Edible Details. The cake was baked by Chef Patrick Dezii and he added fondant circles cascading down the 3 tiers and flowing to the word "Abracadabra". I loved how the word Abracadabra was off center- it added to the mystique! He also added cards scattered about the circles. The cake was really adorable. The table sign read... "Vanishing Birthday Cake...watch it disappear!" It disappeared fast!
Chef Patrick also made Full Moon Magic (moon pies/whoopie pies), Magic Wands (fruit kabobs topped with star fruit slice), Alakazam Cookies, Lucky Star sandwiches. All of those were plated on a bed on magic crystals in red, blue, and yellow. We also served popcorn, pretzels, and bugles in "Floating Wizard Hats" which were hung on a metal stand using fishing wire to seem invisible. The cones were kindly sent to me by Deanna of Mirabelle Creations. Stickers by Loralee Lewis.
When the cake was served, the children could also "pull a rabbit from the hat" which was a push pop with vanilla ice cream with a cardstock bunny on the front. They were served from a black top hat and the rabbits peeked over the top of the hat.
For favors, the children could take home their capes, hats, and magic carpets- we also gave each child a magic wand and cookies that were decorated to look like a card with the number 6 on it. Chef Patrick also made one with a joker on it. They were bagged, tied with ribbon and raffia, and topped with a favor tag from Loralee Lewis.
It was a magically fun time! The best part was the conversations my children had for at least a week after the party about "what if I were magic and..."
I also love it that my son wants to wear his cape and hat for Halloween! Maybe he will turn all the goblins into candy!"
Party Styling- Lydia at The Party Wagon www.party-wagon.com
Party Signs, banners, flags, stickers, tags- Loralee Lewis http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoraleeLewis
Magic Capes- First Crush Designs http://www.etsy.com/listing/65050831/reversible-magicians-cape-customized
Cake Topper- Edible Details http://edibledetails.com/
Origami Stars- big and small- Origami Delights http://www.etsy.com/shop/Deliverance05
Wizard Hat Cones- Mirabelle Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/dtalwalkar
Cake and all baked goods- Patrick Dezii at Athens Country Club
Magician- Mark the Magic Man www.markthemagicman.com
Photography- Deanna at Zoomworks Photography http://zoom-works.com/html_home.cfm?menu_itemID=605705&load=html
Orbs- Save on Crafts http://www.save-on-crafts.com/
Hats, Wands, Coin Tricks- Oriental Trading www.orientaltrading.com
Balloons- Balloons Fast http://balloonsfast.com/
Invitations (discontinued)- by Meri Meri http://www.merimeri.com/


text:
Migrating from your current forum software (for example, Jive, VBulletin, Invision Board, etc.) to Vanilla is an exciting and wonderful thing. It's important to realize how your community may react during this transition, because keeping your existing community active and happy is of the utmost importance.
Most users will be wary of change regardless of the obvious improvements. Change is scary and most users love to react, especially in a negative way. If you take the examples of Twitter or Facebook updates: nearly everyone instantly complains. But fast forward to 2 weeks later and it is water under the bridge. Here are a 6 ways to mitigate this temporary, yet often inevitable, user resistance:
1. Embrace the change.
If you want your users to accept change, you have to accept it first. When our clients choose to migrate to Vanilla, they feel excited, hopeful, even relieved. However, sometimes even the most enthusiastic client can have a difficult time letting go. They've grown accustomed to their previous platform's design and work-flow and can be hesitant to embrace a more modern design or new features. Does this sound like you?
We understand. Change can be intimidating, even when you're the one choosing to make the change! But remember: Vanilla looks and functions the way it does because we have spent years researching, brainstorming, designing and building in order to provide you and your users with the very best and most forward-thinking forum solution in existence. Trust our extensive knowledge and experience, and let us guide you through the set-up and design of your newly migrated community. Embrace the change! Your users and your community will only benefit as a result.
2. Keep your community in the loop.
Change is difficult for users, but a surprise change is even worse. Prepare your community well in advance of your plan to move to Vanilla and keep them in the loop as the launch date approaches. Open a thread on your current platform for any questions your community may have about the move. Share screenshots of particularly exciting, new Vanilla features with your moderators and community leaders, and let them be your voice for the other users. This will cut back on questions asked post launch, and it will generate excitement and make users feel involved, appreciated, and less likely to lash out.
3. Have a soft launch.
To ease the stress and scariness of a full-blown, instant launch, schedule a beta or soft launch. You don't need to publicize this launch, or even have every feature or piece of artwork in place. But invite your moderators and administrators to test out the beta and get a feel for it well in advance of your launch. Have them submit any questions or concerns during the beta, when you (and Vanilla!) are better equipped to respond and make any changes, if necessary.
4. Confirm user info and settings.
This seems like a small detail that can be put aside until the last minute, but it often becomes a major hiccup when not dealt with proactively. Were you experiencing spam or trolls on your previous forum platform? Are there any users you would like to eliminate or re-set login info for? Are there new users you'd like to add or revisions you'd like to make for any Administrators? How are your users accustomed to logging in: via your own portal or via a social network? Send a list of any user preferences to Vanilla as soon as you can, as well as a list of any specific settings preferences you'd like us to configure.
5. Organize the feedback.
Amidst all the varying degrees of reactions you'll witness during a migration, there will be some very useful user feedback. Assign a Moderator to handle all migration/new forum feedback and set up a special discussion thread where users can post their questions and concerns. Your users will appreciate this opportunity for being heard, and as a result, they'll be less likely to react negatively or unproductively. In order to keep this thread from continuing indefinitely, do give it a deadline (for example, keep it open for the first two weeks after launch).
6. Educate your community.
You chose to migrate to Vanilla for many reasons, so share those reasons with your community! Educate them on all the new features you've just exposed them to. Highlight what's new and improved on the Vanilla platform, and what plans you may have for the future. Yes, listen to their feedback, but respond to any user reactions by educating them on all the positive changes and new features now available.


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Lane Closure on Minnesota Ave. at 10th Street
Beginning Tuesday, November 20, 2012, at 9 a.m., the outside southbound lane on Minnesota Avenue will be closed between 10th Street and 11th Street to allow crews to perform some storm sewer repairs in the Sioux Falls area.
Traffic will be maintained in both directions at all times. Traffic delays are to be expected. Motorists are urged to use caution in the construction areas and may wish to consider alternate routes.
Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed by 5 p.m., Tuesday, November 20, 2012.
The City of Sioux Falls Public Works Street Division will be doing storm sewer repairs in this area.


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Hi! I've only been given one free lesson from my sister's friend who's a tennis instructor, so I'm a beginner to say the least. I've since played about 4 times with my sister, but that's it.
I'm looking for someone who would like to play tennis in Newbury Park if you don't mind a total newbie. I'm available early afternoons preferably, but I could do some mornings and also evenings after about 6:30pm. I don't care what skill level you are (or even have a clue how you figure that one out). Just wanting to have fun, get some exercise, and try out my new badass Prince rackets that I just got for my birthday. :)
Let me know if you're interested.
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Hey, I'm pretty new too. If your interested we should practice together. I got 2 friends that I play with but its on and off so I'm always looking for new people to play with. Text me, 805-248-3657
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text:
If you're an iPhone owner who opted to go the way of Amazon's storage locker as a means of streaming music, then you know listening to music on the go hasn't exactly been convenient (unless you actually like navigating Amazon's site in Safari). But Amazon finally got their act together and released a proper music app for the iPhone.
Amazon Cloud Player gives you a touch friendly interface, allowing you a much easier path to your music. You can switch between playlist, album, artist, song and genre views, as well as toggling between music that's stored in the cloud and locally on your phone. Granted, you still have to buy all the music that you listen to, but it's generally cheaper than iTunes and doesn't require a monthly fee. [iTunes]


text:
The Africans
Freddy and I are out on the Paseo when he dares me to haggle with the Africans. The other boys on our block make a game out of it; they rustle up the shoreline, follow the trail of towels where the men lay out stacks of DVDs and CDs, sunglasses and jewelry. The deal is to see if you can stay there long enough for the Policía Local to show up—when the cops come, the men rush through the sale, and you can usually count on an extra CD thrown in for good measure.
It is always easier to remember the things the men sell than to remember the men themselves. I don't think I'd ever looked one in the face until that day. Mum says it is best to walk past them quickly, eyes twenty yards ahead, like you're looking for a coin you've dropped. She says the men, they hiss at first, but if you don't respond they'll go away. Like bullies. The trick is to appear disinterested, to keep walking, to act like there's nothing you want less than a pirated video game or Xeroxed porn.
"You've got to remind them of their place," Freddy says. "Don't listen when they tell you how long their poor mothers spent weaving baskets. It's all bunk. You've got to show them that you know their con, that you can throw it right back at them."
It is a Saturday morning—market day. We arrange it all in advance. Mum always sleeps in after her Friday shifts and the promenade is crowded with vendors selling candied nuts and popsicles in the shape of strawberries. I wouldn't dream of buying ice cream from a man with a cart. Maisie says that only perverts peddle things a child might buy, and worse, that most of these men have no place of their own, so they peddle well into the night, the jingle of those bells echoing across the bricks long past the time you'd want an ice cream. But on this Saturday they are a blessing in disguise, crowding the pavement with children and their runny treats.
We pick our men the way Mum picks out fruit at the market. I want to find the ripest one of all.
"What about that one?" I point to one of the shorter men, who leans against the sand wall like he has all the time in the world.
"No; that guy's been here awhile," Freddy says. "He'll sniff us out."
I nod. Freddy is smart, tough; he's lived in three countries already, and he's only 13. I am lucky to find him—he's the only other kid my age still stuck in elementary school. They keep flunking him because he refuses to learn Spanish. He says it isn't worth it; after all, he spent three years learning French, just to move to Spain.
"That one," he says, pointing to a man opposite the Pig n' Whistle. "He'll do." One of the smaller men lights a cigarette for him. He's wearing a red plaid jacket which looks too hot, and still he shivers. Does he miss the desert? I wonder. Is he even from the desert? His skin is pockmarked and so black it shines. I look him right in the eye. He looks right back, as if remembering me from somewhere.
"Are you sure?" I ask. "I mean, he's right in front of the pub."
"So?" Freddy hasn't taken his eye off the man.
"So, my uncle owns that place. He might see us."
"And?" He turns his gaze to me.
I look away, the sting of the sun against my cheeks. "Yeah, that guy looks right."
Freddy smiles, though he may have just been squinting into the sun. "Now we wait."
We wander in and out of the beachfront shops; run our hands through the scarves that ripple from the open stalls. I watch Freddy chat up the merchants in a bloody mixture of French, English and Spanish, making the old women smile as he palms tubes of chapstick, plastic figurines and glittery key chains. He wears cargo pants for a reason. Sometimes I wonder if he's ever stolen from the pub. Freddy does everything on principle; his own principle, true, but principle nonetheless. He probably wouldn't steal from one of his own.
The sun is high in the sky by the time we're ready. We scrounge up €2 and split a liter of Coke. He points down the beach, beyond the cabanas selling lawn chairs and the open-air cafes barbequing tuna, and says, "They're on their way. It's time."
A band of men in green vests saunter down the pavement on horseback. The Policía Local are a volunteer force who patrol the beach on the lookout for illegals. That's what Freddy says, at least. I sometimes hear reports of shiploads of Moroccans and Senegalese sneaking in along the shoreline in the middle of the night and unloading their wares by daybreak. They say it is only 14 kilometers to the tip of Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar. I suspect that some of these men could run further than that.
Freddy approaches our man, who has spread his goods across a tarp on the pavement. I can see now why Freddy picked him: unlike the others, who peddle mostly pirated items, this one has a spread of Sony digital cameras and tripods, all packaged neatly in transparent plastic. They are bundled with such care, and I know without asking that cameras do not come this way; that this man has, at some point, cradled each one in his hands. He kneels on the ground and still is nearly our height; his arms hang loosely at his sides. Freddy inspects the cameras, though he keeps an eye out for the incoming green vests.
"Twenty euro," the man says, picking up one of the cameras and passing it to me. "Good condition."
I kneel on the tarp, turning the camera over in my hands. It is light, lighter than I'd expected. The only pictures we have at home were some Dad's old Polaroids, back when he took pictures. Back in Bristol, back when he would stop by, unannounced, and pull all the canned tomato sauce off the tallest shelf and stack them in pyramids in the center of the tile floor—just to take a picture. Or he'd pick up Geoffrey, back when Geoffrey was still in his diapers, and plop him into Mum's big cooking pots and leave him on the kitchen floor, waiting for the moment when Geoffrey peered over the side of the pot, the lid balancing on his head. Geoffrey was never scared, except when Dad would leave the room for stretches at a time and come back when only Geoffrey knocked the lid against the floor, the tinny reverberation of metal against metal echoing throughout the entire flat until Maisie or Mum ran in the room to fetch the baby. It was all in the service of some great photo—supposedly the longer we waited, the more dramatic the image would be.
Over time, the Polaroids had all faded, their white edges flecked in yellow, their filmy black squares stained with light and fingerprints. Would things have been different if we'd had a proper camera? If we could have really documented it all? I know now, turning the camera over in my hands, its silver body sleek and perfect underneath the plastic, that it is already mine.
"You want?" The man asks. He notices the green vests, the clop of horses' hooves resounding off the buildings. He keeps one hand on the edge of the tarp, ready to roll it up if necessary.
"I've only got ten," I say, sticking one hand in my pocket, as Freddy taught me. You should never show them the money itself, he said, not until the deal is done. Freddy winks.
"Eighteen," the man says, curling his wares into the tarp with both hands.
I can smell the sweet stench of horse droppings as the policemen stop at a nearby stall. A fine line of sweat trickles down the man's forehead. I wonder if he can taste it.
"Ten," Freddy says. "Or we don't want it." He kneels so his face is up close against the African's, nose to nose.
"Fifteen," the African says, sweeping the tarp into a compact tube, cameras intact. He hunches on all fours, preparing to flee. Around us the other men gather their things and hustle down the block, whooping, dropping trinkets as they turn corners in their bare feet.
Freddy nods as I slip the camera in my pocket. We back away.
"Hey!" The man shouts. "You don't pay!" He shakes his fist as we flee, weaving through the Saturday morning foot traffic—women with their market carts and baby strollers, couples walking hand-in-hand, street dogs and kids with their ice cream, their chins dripping pink and wet and their laughter somehow familiar – as if they don't remember they're from somewhere else. I keep one hand on my pocket; listen for the crinkle of the packaging as the camera slides around. I've never been chased before, though I'm not clear who is chasing who. I look back only once, as we reach the end of the Paseo and turn toward the central plaza, and see men dismounting from their horses, circling the African, who, in his anger, has forgotten to run away.
"Don't look," Freddy says, grabbing me by the arm as we duck under an awning and out of sight.
The very day we landed in this hot, green place, Uncle Pete took us straight to the pub, pushed us through its smoky guts, the smell of cigarettes hitting me full in the face. And then someone, one of the regulars, got Pete talking, got him pouring, and I had to piss, so I grabbed some nearby knee and asked, "Toilet?" And the knee, it shook me off, but pointed toward the dank room in the back. I stood there in the toilet, the porcelain thing cracked around the edges, lacking a proper lid, and pissed away everything I knew—I pissed away the old shipyards, my old room in our old flat, Dad and his Polaroids. I admired that yellow, because here was a thing I could make all my own, and I could make it anywhere: Bristol, Málaga, the middle of the bloody ocean. And the moment was gone too fast, because after I flushed I saw that the door, it had no inside handle. It wouldn't budge. And I'd banged and banged against it, the heavy weight of the thing probably more than me and Maisie and Geoffrey combined, and it was useless, really, because by then my lousy uncle had put on that lousy music, the thump thump thump of reggaetón.
It was Maisie who wove her way through the pub and wrest the door open. I don't know if she was looking for me, or if she had to piss herself. Either way, she was the one who let the air in, who found me, crumpled and waiting, my back up against the bathroom wall.
I didn't say anything, just got to my feet and brushed past her into the dark underbelly of the pub. Little did I know that a pattern was developing, that from now on, whenever the five of us went anywhere together, I could slip into the crowd and she'd be the only one to notice.
That night, leaving the pub with Mum, Maisie and Pete, I saw the Africans for the first time. They lurked in the shadows. They knew when to move, when to stay still. I asked Pete where they went at night, and he scanned the beach, asking, "Who?" I thought he was lying, that he wasn't ready to introduce me to that side of the city yet, or worse, that in my jetlag I'd made the men up. But neither was right; Pete saw the men as extensions of the beach itself, ebbing in and out of the city with the tide.
I keep the camera in its plastic for a few days, hoping, as I do with new toys, that the longer I keep it packaged, the newer it will feel. But no matter how long I wait, it still feels wrong. I hide it in deep in my desk, away from Geoffrey's wandering hands and Maisie's prying eyes. Every day I dig through old worksheets and notebooks to make sure it's still there. One day, as we walk home from the bus stop after school, Freddy asks if he can borrow it.
"I dunno," I say. "I feel like I should return it."
"To who?"
"To the African."
"Why do you care about that guy? He doesn't have papers."
"Do we?"
"Kenny." Freddy shakes his head in his hands. "Don't compare us to him. We're different."
"How so?"
Freddy stops. He glances to our right, where, a mere two blocks away, we can hear the melodic crush of waves upon sand. "I can't believe we're having this conversation, when really we could be taking pictures of girls on the beach."
I get the camera from my room. Once I take the plastic off, something changes. Somehow it feels heavier, charged with power. Freddy waits for me on the street corner.
"Let's have a look," he says. As we walk he takes pictures of the winter trees, their branches barren, of the newspaper stands selling porn, complete with 40-ounce cans of beer. We pass the polideportivo where Maisie met Mario, the boy who calls her his niña and rides a moto. I went there once, at Mum's request, to check out this place that Maisie had begged to join. Thirty Euro a month gained admission to this bat cave of a gymnasium, its walls covered in framed portraits of Arnold Schwarzenegger. All the men there wear those tight wrestling boxers with the skinny straps—onesies, are they called? I knew the minute I walked in that Maisie did not intend to lift weights. She wanted to swim—around the back they had a pool the size of a billiards table. Maisie, I'd said, we live by the sea. But I can't swim in the sea! she said. No one swims in the sea. She was right. As Freddy and I walk the boardwalk, the sand is covered in people, but no one is in the water. A long string of clouds keeps the sun under wraps.
I am on alert for our African. There are fewer vendors out on the boardwalk, though a few abandoned towels billow along the pavement, rolling cell phone covers and plastic jewelry down the sticky asphalt. I follow the camera's beeps as Freddy zigzags from stall to stall, walking camera-first like a tourist.
"This thing is great," Freddy says, stopping once, as if for air. We sit on the steps leading down to the sand. "It's got an amazing zoom. Here, look." The image he shows me is all pink, a slight dusting of orange freckles spotting the surface. "It's your face." He snorts.
It is then that I spot them – there are three of them, the slaps of their feet against the ground echoing along the Paseo as they move in. I can't see their faces but something about their gait is familiar. I grab Freddy by the arm. "We should go."
We are barely to our feet when they close in. Their faces are sweating and their shirts are damp; otherwise they bear no evidence of exertion. They are tall. One has a crooked nose; another has an arm in a makeshift sling. All three carry rolled-up tarps, bulky with the weight of their goods.
"You!" The sling says, pointing his index finger in my face. "You're a thief."
Before I can respond, Freddy slips in front of me, the camera at his eye. He snaps a picture of the man's face and shows it to me. This close up, I can see the deep grooves of acne scars on his cheeks, digging even lines along his jaw, making him look even tougher, leaner. The man with the crooked nose snatches the camera away.
"You stole from our friend," he says.
"Technically," Freddy interjects, "we didn't steal, because, technically, he isn't supposed to sell, is he?"
The tall one, who has until now stayed silent, pushes the other men aside and leans in close enough to kiss Freddy. His arms are sinewy and strong, his fingernails clean half-moons against his dark skin. His eyes have an implacable shine, almost as if they aren't real, as if he's never cried, as if there is nothing he could see that would surprise him. I wonder how old he is.
"Who are you?" the man asks.
I wait for Freddy to say something. I expect him to laugh, to break the tension. Instead his shoulders slump, his neck falls to his chest.
"Nobody," he mumbles.
"What was that?" the man asks.
"I'm no one," Freddy says again, louder.
"Ah, yes," the man says. He stands up and puts one hand on his hip. He exchanges a few words in French with the other two men. They click through Freddy's photos. While they stand above us, the rest of the world shrinks. I lose track of the sounds of the ocean. The sun emerges from behind the clouds and flattens us with its force.
"It's okay," Freddy whispers to me. "We can get another one."
I'm nodding no when Freddy jumps up and down and waves his hands. "Officer!" There, again, are the men in green vests, this time without their horses. The Africans exchange nervous looks and back away.
The man with the sling freezes, stares me in the eye, and hands the camera back. "You are nobody," he whispers. As the officers approach, the men hop down the steps, where they disperse like grains of sand in the wind.
"¿Todo bien?" The officer asks, withdrawing a notebook from his back pocket.
We nod, and to my surprise, Freddy wipes away a tear. I've never seen such a performance, his brow crinkling just so, the peach fuzz on his upper lip quivering. As his eyes well, he turns to me and winks.
"Cálmate," the officer says, patting Freddy awkwardly on the back. "Espera." He pulls a Euro from his pocket and extends it to us. "Para helado," he says, pointing across the way to the ice cream cart. He nudges us forward, until we stand before the cart with its array of fruit-shaped treats. I'm not hungry, but Freddy insists, saying, just try it, you stupid fool, and so I do. And it's better than any strawberry I've ever had. It's that special holiday kind of sweet, the kind of sweet that says, this has never been, and never will be, a fruit, and when it drips in pink lines down my chin I am almost happy, though I remain on the lookout for that red plaid jacket.
That night, something dislodges inside me. Maisie and I are eating pizza on the patio and I feel it deep in my stomach, a knot the size of my fist, and I wander around the flat, waiting for something to happen. I'm sweating and cursing and punching little holes in the dry wall above the toilet, and still nothing changes.
"Kenny? You all right?" she asks, following me into my room, where I wriggle and shake. I want to break it down. I imagine all the organs gathering below my belly button, making some executive decision without my approval. I can't keep still.
"What's all this about?" she asks. Her eyes fall to my desk. "Is that a camera?"
"No," I say.
"That's not a camera?"
"It's none of your business."
Maisie is quiet for a moment. I want to leave the room but she's standing in the doorway. Since we moved here, she started dressing differently: taller shoes, shorter skirts. Sometimes I catch her tucking one of Uncle Pete's flasks into her jacket pocket, line her eyes with thick black mascara, its blackness more bleak than her pupils themselves, which no matter how long you look at them, always seem to shrink.
"Do you miss him?" she asks. She doesn't look at me; her eyes are on the back wall, where I've taped the Polaroid Dad took that last day at the airport. Nobody wanted a picture but he'd insisted. He got us all to line up against the drab white wall of the departures gate and convinced Uncle Pete to take our family portrait. It's the only picture I have of the five of us. Dad's the only one who's smiling; the rest of us are staring off in opposite directions, as if we're all expecting separate guides to take us away to some better place.
"I need to go outside," I say, and before she can stop me, I grab the camera, heave open our front door, fly down five flights of stairs, buzz through the front gate and am out on the street, where the night covers me in a cloak. I feel invisible and it is the only thing that helps. I pick a direction and start to run.
The knot begins to disperse and I can sense it, fingers of feeling starting in my belly and working their way outward, until my hands are shaking, until my legs are pumping fast, faster than ever before. I never ran like this back home. Back home the streets were shorter and wider, and there were no such things as motos. Back home people never drove with their windows rolled down, never blasted music so loud you could hear the bass thumping a block away. Back home Mum never had to work double shifts.
I am at the beach. The night is full and black. People melt into the shadows. I size up the length of the Paseo and imagine it is a bridge to somewhere new. I close my eyes and run blindly, listening hard. Maybe if I listen hard enough I'll hear Dad bringing the ships into dock. Maybe if I run far enough I'll reach Africa. It isn't so far. I open my eyes and welcome in the darkness.
The last time I spent time with Dad, he took me and Geoffrey and Maisie to this great big museum in London and made us stand before paintings for hours, until our feet hurt from standing, until we begged for lunch. But Dad wouldn't let us go, not until we inched up real close to the paint, nose just centimeters from those thick green and blue and purple splotches, mighty little globules like grains of sugar. And then he'd made us take steps backward until at some magical moment the grains fused together, and the green and blue and purple were people rowing boats. Kenny, he'd said, that's an impression. And then he'd scrunched his face right up to mine, as if to kiss me, and whispered, this is my impression. And then he walked away.
There's a stitch in my side like my body has been broken and is now being sewn back together. I've reached the end of the boardwalk but the sea, it keeps going. It looks endless but I know that somewhere, fifteen, twenty kilometers out, the green ends and the brown begins again. Freddy says that on good days, if you climb up the hills above Mijas Coast, you can see all the way to Africa. But down here, where the pavement ends and the sea cliff begins, angry crags almost as ferocious as those back home, I'm too low to see beyond the biggest breakers.
I unearth the camera from my pocket and use it to survey the beach. The full moon leaves a long trail of light across the water. The bonfires are out already, though in the distance I can see the burning remains of a solitary fire. I zoom in, and when I see them, I nearly drop the camera. The Africans huddle around the dying flame, their faces so close together that their bodies form one continuous shadow. All the blood rises to my head. Can they see me? I realize I am under the yellow glow of a single lamppost and dodge into the darkness, holding my breath. One of the Africans stands up. I zoom in again and see his hand held to his forehead, his high cheekbones stern and taut in the evening wind. I snap a picture, but the image is all black, save for the flare of the lamppost. The men are invisible in the frame.
He spots me as I am trying to edge quietly along the beachfront, slipping behind umbrellas and under awnings. I know he can see me; his spine is rigid and his silhouette flawless, as if he isn't so much a person as a lighthouse, his eyes a beacon surveying the boardwalk. Maybe I should leave him the camera, an offering. I could set it right there on the edge of the sea wall, or better yet, in the circle of light still left under the lamppost, a prize left unclaimed. He talks to the other men. And then: a series of small flares, lighters igniting in the sea breeze. They rise as a group and their shadow transforms; they are a thundercloud gathering strength on the sand. I don't wait; I run.
I am still running, the camera in my hands, when I hear the soft roar of Mario's moto. Maisie calls my name, her voice hoarse and hollow, like she has been trying for some time. When she spots me, I think she'll yell, clap me across the cheek, grab me by the scruff of my shirt, which is damp with night. But instead she jumps off the moto and sweeps me up into her perfumed arms, her voice lost in my shirt. Mario doesn't say anything; just keeps the engine idling and looks away while Maisie hugs me, and for the first time I realize how skinny she's gotten, the hard bones of her hips digging into me. She is quiet. They sandwich me on the moto, and as the cold draws in, Maisie's heart thumps against my back.
Julia Halprin Jackson's work has appeared in California Northern, Fourteen Hills, Flatmancrooked, Sacramento News & Review, Fictionade, Catalyst and Spectrum, as well as selected anthologies. She has been awarded scholarships from the Tomales Bay Writer's Workshops and the Bread Loaf Writing Conference and is a graduate of UC Davis' M.A. in Creative Writing program. She is at work on a collection of 100 one-hundred-word stories, which she is illustrating as postcards, and a novel set in southern Spain. Read more at juliahalprinjackson.com.


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7 December 2012 at 5.33pm | 2 Comments
Tenor Bryan Hymel - and his role in Robert le diable - was the focus of a recent event for The Connoisseurs' Series, one of the Royal Opera House's circles of support.
Bryan sang the role of Enée in Les Troyens last June and returns to The Royal Opera in Laurent Pelly's new production of a work that hasn't been performed at Covent Garden since 1890. The New Orleans-born tenor spoke to Neil Fisher, Deputy Arts Editor at The Times and shed some light on rehearsals for a hotly-anticipated new work:
'It's great to be in this production with such a great cast. There are also some challenging arias which will really impress the audiences.
'My score includes some very difficult sections with lots of C#s and Ds. It's a tenor part but it's over two octaves, which isn't that common; the soprano parts are the same.
'It was a proud moment when I first came in to sing through the music with Tony Pappano and afterwards he said to me: "If you can't do this, nobody can." The reality is that it's been three years since I was first approached to sing the role of Robert, so I've had some time to prepare.
"As we carry on with rehearsals before the opening night next week, I'm just really enjoying being involved with the production and working with the cast and director. Laurent Pelly is really very good and personally, I think audiences will struggle not to enjoy this production."
Find out more about Connoisseurs' Series events, including those with Written on Skin composer George Benjamin and author Martin Crimp and Raven Girl collaborators Wayne McGregor and author Audrey Niffenegger.
Robert le diable runs from 6 - 21 December. Tickets are still available.


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The REAL Reason We Wear Our Engagement Ring On Our Left Hand
Oooh, there's something about weddings that just makes us all giddy.
From the sweet, romantic, most-Pinned wedding dress of all time to the touching tributes to missing loved ones, we can't help getting a little misty-eyed.
But the meaning behind the tradition of wearing your engagement ring on your left hand - and in particular the fourth finger on your left hand - has been revealed, and it may be our favourite wedding-related "thing" ever!
Back in the day, ancient Greek and Roman lovers believed that our "ring fingers" on our left hands were the only one of our phalanges to have a direct connection to the heart, via a vein called the "vena amoris".
Fair enough, they were a little mistaken, but the belief soon turned to tradition, and the thought is definitely a sweet one: that the main symbol of your loved one will be forever connected to your heart.
Naw. Too cute, guys.