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One of my favorite people of all time is Cornel West. Two of his most well known books are Race Matters and Democracy Matters where his views on society are for the most part, incredibly on the mark. I've heard him live a couple of times and he is wonderful to listen to. He is also a frequent quest on Real Time with Bill Maher where he rails against the right yet at the same time has been known to call out Obama. Anyway as I was listening to him the other day, I started to think, how could a man of such intelligence, hold onto something as unintelligent as religion? He is a man of deep faith. Expanding on this idea, why is it that many people of incredible intelligence are people of religion? What is it about what they get from religion that allows them all to suspend reason on one day a week and give themselves to the land of the make-believe? One of the main doctors who is treating Hitchens is a man of faith. This is a guy who has studied science in depth and has seen cells divide. He knows there is no scientific basis for his beliefs. Yet he believes. Is it because all these people need to religion to deal with death? Is because it is what is expected in our society and to be otherwise is too difficult? I just don't understand.
What are your thoughts with this? Why does intelligence, reason, intelligent thoughts more often than not, lost out to religion? I would love to hear from of our friends of faith on here as well.
Views: 794
@Heather Spoonheim and William Walker.
Watching RussiaToday's documentary "Standing Army" now. It will also air later today. You may watch it for free now or wait ~24 hours before it's added to their YouTube channel.
Hopefully you will enjoy the realization that you are politically aligned with Vladimir Putin. ;)
"Over the course of the last century, the US has silently encircled the world with a web of military bases unlike any other in history. No continent is spared. They have shaped the lives of millions, yet remain a mystery to most.
Today there are more than 766 US bases scattered around the globe, spanning across more than 100 countries and hosting more than 250.000 soldiers, in addition to the one million-plus soldiers stationed in the US. Almost every single war waged by the US in the course of the 20th century has left behind a trail of new military bases, not only within the borders of the defeated countries. This ever-evolving history is the starting point for this documentary, which will attempt to reveal the mechanisms, purposes and hidden strategies of the bases, as well as the risks they pose for the countries that host them. A journey across six countries and three continents: Asia, America and Europe."
Because we let them?
Because we do nothing to prevent the spread of this disease?
I vote we bring back lobotomy and electroshock as a treatment for this particular form of mental illness.
Kinda hard to spread the infection of faith without the ability to speak let alone move or write.
"Oh? You wanna believe in imaginary creatures? You want to talk to things that are not here? You wanna be like Pastor Bob over there?"
*points over to the fool in the corner drooling on himself with only a third of his brain left*
"Yeah.. I didn't think so.."
Could launch a series of afterschool infomercials..
Some eggs.. a blender...
"This is your brain.. This is your brain after we treat you for a religious infection.. Any questions?"
I dont see how it's irrelevant...I answered the question, faith trumps intelligence because people are tought that it's more righteous to have faith then not.
You know, if you abstract 'faith' by removing the specification of religion, it actually plays a huge role in our scientific accomplishments. For the longest time, science had 'faith' that there was a luminescent aether and that we could detect it by measuring the speed of light in different directions. As no evidence was found, efforts were doubled rather than discarded, only to fail perpetually. Finally Einstein looked at the problem and said, "What if the speed of light was constant?" The only possible way of explaining this was to imagine that time wasn't constant - another strongly held faith at the time. Any notion that time wasn't constant seemed unfalsifiable - until it was falsified, and it took faith in luminescent aether to accomplish this: conflicting dogma.
This is why epistemology is so important - we all need to realize that all of our beliefs are based on some underlying assumptions. If I woke up tomorrow and found that the world did not acknowledge 2+2=4, I would go to no end to prove that the world was wrong. I would be driven to do this because such a huge amount of my 'knowledge' is based on this seemingly self-evident assumption - but is anything truly self-evident?
For the theistically faithful, dropping the assumption of god means re-evaluating their entire knowledge base and no one wants to go back to square one. For most, it is simply easier to keep the assumption and apply rationalizations, sort of like Windows and security patches. The more of your life you have based on that faith, the more costly it can be to let it go - and swallowing loss is one of the most difficult things anyone can do. I wonder if the scientists who had spent so much of their lives searching for the luminescent aether actually accepted relativity, or if they just died off and new scientists grew up without that old idea.
As a 64 year old Anti-war atheist, former owner/president of my own title company (i.e. had to meet many, many payrolls) with no military experience (proudly, I might add), I think you'd be a fun character to meet...and, I'd 'spot' you 10 points at VolleyBall as well.
I'm not sure if "no military experience" is necessarily something to be proud of. Maybe some accomplishments? I am currently in the US Navy on a humanitarian mission to multiple third world countries. We are providing medical and dental assistance (including immunizations), construction, maintenance/repair, painting schools, providing supplies and playing soccer with the kids. So I can tell you first hand that the new Navy commercials calling it "A Global Force For Good" are not propaganda. We are actually making a difference.
Here is a link if you want to check it out:
We've got veterinarians from WorldVets as well checking up on treatment of livestock.
It's more about projecting a positive image of America and helping people. We mostly have volunteers who had to pay to come and a lot (if not all) of the supplies we brought were paid for by the Mormons and other charities. It's better than what we usually do, which is do circles in the Persian Gulf, wasting a lot more fuel while trying to train countries to patrol their own waters.
Hearts and minds win more wars (or prevent them) than blood and carnage.
I'd be more worried about the billions of tax dollars that go to foreign aid for countries like Pakistan each year.


text: The infamous and scheming poisoner, the sulfurous Lucrezia, inspires both rejection and fascination among the men drawn to her. Only a son, abandoned at birth, seems to have escaped her criminal excesses unscathed, but she mistakenly ends his life while trying to save him. The secret of her identity is not revealed to him until the moment of his death. Romantics were captivated by the scandalous and evil aura of Lucrezia Borgia. The young Victor Hugo made of her a beguiling heroine. Donizetti was taken by her and, despite 'corrections' dictated by censorship, conferred a dazzling force on this sinister melodrama. Considerable success ensued thanks primarily to the virtuosity called for in the title role with one of the repertoire's most demanding scores. Following on from Lucia di Lammermoor, Elektra and Salome, Guy Joosten adds a new chapter to his exploration of violent and passionate female characters.

subset: commoncrawl


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Vegetarian bento
Today was one of these days that my coffee needed a coffee... And I really couldn't make myself cook in the morning. So, the vegetarian bento was made! It's fast, it's simple, and it tasted great. Consider that a fancy salad for lazy days.
Sweet Mustard Eggs Bento
I got tired of sausages after yesterday's deluxe bento, so today I decided to have some eggs with lunch. I put some sweet mustard over the cooked yolk to have them pack some punch and they were really interesting!
I prepared also hand-made furikake (rice sprinkles) with ingredients I like, which made my rice extra tasty today!
Sausage salad bento idea
Bento is not only rice, and you can eat a delicious meal with other ingredients like potatoes, green beans and... cornichons! This is my bento idea for days when I literally cannot look at rice, e.g. the day after sushi day. And, because most of the ingredients are pre-made in jars, you can quickly assemble this set when you're short on time. What's not to love about this bento idea?!


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please disregard shipping charges shown during checkout. we will email you with exact shipping charges. Or call us to place an order
Cabinet Hatcher Incubator
The 1550 HATCHER incubator is designed to allow for the best hatching conditions. Unlike setting incubators, hatchers usually operate at slightly different temperature and humidity settings to obtain optimum hatch. With five hatching drawers the 1550 Hatcher will hold the complete setting of the 1502 incubator. For expanding operations the 1550 can be matched with up to three 1502 incubators. The 1550 can be used to set eggs, but each egg will have to be turned by hand. For small chicks such as quail, each hatching tray comes with a tray cover. Total capacity ap-proximately 1250 Quail eggs or 360 Chicken Eggs. Hatcher includes: - 1 #3256 Pre-Set Electronic thermostat, and 1 #3122 wafer thermostat - 5 hatching trays with cover - 1 #3018 dial thermometer/hygrometer - 1 moisture pan with 2 wick pads - 1 Aluminum clean out pan - Instruction booklet DIMENSIONS: 30.25" Front to Back, 15.75" Wide, 31.75" High NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED.


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With a vast experience in the wire harness industry, Cheers Electronic Technical Co.,LTD manufactures and supplies cables and wire harness equipments for different industries, such as home appliances, medical equipment, automotive instruments and others. The company has a wide array of fully automatic equipments in their portfolio that can be used to meet the latest requirements of the industries.
According to the spokesperson of the company, the terminal crimping machine is one of their main products that are fully automatic and have been designed with complete safety features. The company has the R&D department that focuses on innovation and the machine has the latest features and capabilities to meet the industrial demand. The spokesperson maintains that the machine is stable and efficient to serve industries with reliability and safety.
The company also supplies the wire strip crimp machine that features a precise and compact mechanical structure. The machine uses SCA special made applicator and ensures stability and accuracy. The spokesperson reveals that it can easily process wire of AWG 36 size or even bigger wires. The machine weighs 85kg and features a significant crimping force to be used suitably in different industries.
The spokesperson further maintains that they are one of the reputed suppliers of the pneumatic crimping tool to the US and European countries. The tool meets international quality and safety standards and ensures a high efficiency and a quality crimping force. Driven by dual-action normal cylinder, the machine features a significant force and speed for effecting a high quality crimping. The machine can crimp different kinds of terminals and is available with different types of crimping die sets. The spokesperson reveals that these die sets can be interchanged with the manual crimping tools and hence increases efficiency and flexibility.
To know more about different wire harness equipments that the company manufactures, one can visit the website http://www.terminal-crimping.com
About Cheers Electronic Technical Co. LTD
Cheers Electronic Technical Co.,LTD has specialized in cable and wire harness industry for many years. The main products include fully automatic terminal crimping machine, wire stripping machine, applicator, wire crimper, and tube cutting machine. The company mainly supplies the M/C to US, AU and EU, and other countries and is familiar with the quality and certification issue of these markets. As an OEM manufacturer, they also work with many well-known groups and companies, such as Bosch, Honeywell, Delphi, Lear Corporation etc.
Media Contact
Company Name: Cheers Electronic Technical Co.,Ltd
Contact Person: Betty Rao
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 86-15960260425
State: Shanghai
Country: China
Website: http://www.terminal-crimping.com


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- German auto supplier Continental AG is close to agreeing alliances with Google and IBM to develop autonomous driving systems for cars, a German newspaper reported today.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung cited unspecified sources as saying Continental aims to unveil the two pacts at the Frankfurt Car Show in September.
Continental is already in an alliance with U.S. network equipment maker Cisco Systems to work on systems for automated and driverless automobiles and on data transfer between cars.
A Continental spokesman declined to comment. Spokespeople for Google and IBM in Germany were not immediately available for comment.
Google has been working on self-driving technology since 2010, including testing a fleet of self-driving cars along California roadways.
A raft of automakers including GM, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen are developing computer-controlled features that help drivers avoid accidents.


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Davidlye necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 30 diseños de 11 diseñadores freelance.
http://www.Photographers.com.au is an Australian online photographers directory featuring profiles, contact details & portfolios of many different types of professional photographers around the country.
The website ranks very well for people searching for photographers and the system is designed to match these prospects up with an appropriate photographer. So for a fixed yearly fee, a listed photographer can get dozens of qualified leads every month.
The site is number 1 in Google.com.au for 'photographers', 'wedding photographers' and many other high-volume search terms so it gets more traffic than any other site in its category
Listing cost for a photographer is just A$240/year which compares very favourably with Yellow Pages, industry associations etc.
Visitors on http://www.photographers.com.au will either fill out our online enquiry form to contact a specific photographer or use their contact details (phone, email etc) to contact them directly. It will also drive traffic to photographers' own websites.
Any professional consumer-based photographer in Australia.
We need a printed DL flyer that encourages photographers to at least visit the website and consider joining.
It needs to appeal to photographers who would like more paying business for a fraction of the cost of other forms of advertising.
Open to all ideas - understand that I am not a designer so happy to be guided by the experts. Have always like the Q & A approach (eg 'Want more business? etc etc) but open to interesting ideas.
As the target market is prof photographers, parhaps some high-end photography equipment could work as an image? Part of a lens or something?


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The founding board of our new school, Academy of the City Charter School, met with Dr. Noguera back in the summer of 2010 for an interview as part of our chartering process—and we were all quite impressed by him.
Pedro (folks at CSI seemed to be on a first-name basis with him) brought a sensitivity of issues of race, poverty and alienation to a process that often seems driven only by test score numbers and the constant repetition of words like "accountability," dashboard," "unrelenting," "no-excuses," etc. His dedication to improving educational opportunities for poor kids was and is unquestionable.
So, when he says that "charter school advocates and opponents have been locked in a bitter and ugly conflict over the expansion of charters that has little to do with the educational needs of the children who have been least well served" we should all pay attention.
Many of us got involved in this movement because, for the first time, the doors were opened on a way to make immediate impact on public education. But as time wore on and the conversation became increasingly focused on academic achievement (as measured by standardized tests), the idea that charter schools should be laboratories for new ideas has gradually been displaced by the idea that those models that we now deem successful should be scaled up.
There is obvious merit in replicating success, but the notion that all we have to do is scale up our best models does disservice to the intent of the original charter school law. Schools are not Starbucks franchises—certainly not if we really believe they should be innovative.
There is nothing innovative about a franchise. Innovation happens when teachers are encouraged to innovate, and that can only happen in a school culture that is supportive of experimentation.
If the charter school movement wants to become the barking dog of bottom line data/test-driven accountability, it may have some success in furthering those models that, at the moment, seem to excel in turning out that handsome bottom line.
But it will do so at the expense of driving away educators like Dr. Noguera, and in doing so it will widen the rift between charters and district public schools. And it will have the further effect of making our charter schools more segregated economically and racially than district schools, because middle-class families will not send their kids to charter schools like the models we're presently pushing.
There has been a lot of heat and very little light in the charter/public school discussion. And if the heat generated was sufficient to make Dr. Noguera call it a day, then those of us who are laboring in the charter school world really have to consider the means our movement is taking as well as its ends.
It's time to turn down the heat and it's time for us all to talk openly and clearly about what we're trying to accomplish.
Steve Zimmerman is executive director of The OWN Foundation.


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NEW YORK — The Santa hats, beach background or dressed-up dog in the holiday card photo might be saying more than "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year."
The image can be a snapshot of the past 12 months: where you've been, what you're thinking, your outlook, your outfits.
Yes, it's a big message to come in a 5-by-7 envelope, but you already knew a picture could be worth a thousand words. Now consider that this card might be the only piece of snail mail you send to your loved ones all year. While email and social media makes it easy to stay in frequent communication with far-flung friends and relatives, those tweets, texts and updates can be deleted or forgotten as quickly as they arrive.
A holiday card, in contrast, "is really a chance to make a statement," says Kemper Johnson, visual director of MyPublisher.com, an online custom publishing site.
"You're creating your own greeting card. It has meaning, and most people you're sending it to will know that it's your home in the background or the vacation you were on, or it's an introduction to you and your family to a new friend," he says. So are you the traditionalist who lines the family up in front of the fireplace? The goofball who each year dresses up her Chihuahua in a new sequined frock? The proud parent who wants to show off the family's football star and best ballerina on the same card?
The right photo will look different for each family, and likely will be a different type each year, says Meg Bohnert, card stylist for Shutterfly, the online photo site. You'll know it when you see it, she says.
Her advice: "You want a photo that is 'in a moment."'
That doesn't mean perfect, though. Sometimes it's the frame shot just before or after the posed photo that better captures the real family dynamic.
Next, think about color. That means not only the background and text but also the hues of your clothes or the setting, says TV style adviser Jeannie Mai. "Color is what will jump out of the envelope first."
White, for example, is a way to "hit the reset button" and convey a change, either in look or lifestyle, she says, while peach or blush tones say "romance — that you're feeling lovey dovey."
If you like a strong, polished look, consider browns and grays mixed with black, suggests Mai, who hosts Style Network's How Do I Look?
She envisions her own card this year to feature a natural, woodsy setting with fresh greenery. "I want my card to say to my recipient that there's a new year ahead and a lot to look forward to."
Other tips:
* Black and white: This is either nostalgic or modern, says Johnson. With the traditional trappings — those Fair Isle sweaters, plaids or snowy landscapes — your message is one of a classic, timeless holiday greeting, he says, while something sleek without clutter is more sophisticated and subtle.
There also are practical reasons to use a black-and-white image. If there's too much clutter in the background, it'll be tempered, and will neutralize clashing colors.
* Coordinated clothes: "Matching outfits can do a couple of different things," San Francisco-based photographer Jennifer Chaney observes. "It can say, 'We're very traditional,' it can say, 'We have a sense of humor', but it also can convey that you don't have a lot of creativity."
She suggests everyone wear something in the same color family or have one matching accent piece. "You'll look like you belong to the same family but that you have your own style."
* Gallery: Using multiple photos can bring a family together, even if it's hard to get them together in one room. "It's the quick fix if someone is away at college or for grandparents who want to show all their grandkids," Bohnert says. "You can tell a lot of stories this way."
* Antler ears, Santa hats and fake moustaches: "The joke has to be an obvious joke," Chaney says. Clever wording will help here. Think "Awkward Family Photos."
* Pets: As much as he'd like photo cards to show every member of the family right down to the goldfish, Johnson warns that pets can steal the thunder, so mind the pecking order and how that comes out in the picture.
* Outdoor setting: It's often the easiest shot, has the best light and it'll probably have the most easy-going feel, Bohnert says. The family will probably come off as less stuffy and more playful.
Don't feel limited to a pine-tree background. If your best photo was from your summer vacation, share that with your friends. They want to see you when you feel happy and at your best, Bohnert says.
If you want to make it feel a little bit more "holiday," trim it red and green or add candy-cane stripes.
* No people: You don't need people to make a personal photo card. An artistic landscape from that blockbuster trip, a sunrise picture from your deck or the wreath that hangs on your door can say just as much.
* New Year's: Want to stand out from the crowd? Send a New Year's card. "That says, 'I'm always late' or 'I'm really optimistic,"' according to Bohnert, "but you'll remember getting that card."


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I was going to set up a group for Deaf Atheists, but figured I'd probably be alone in here if I did that so I figured I'd open it to anyone who knows sign language or even interested in learning it.
Members: 33
Latest Activity: Sep 2, 2019
Started by DeafAtheist. Last reply by Stuart T Feb 24, 2015. 37 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Eric. Last reply by Loren Miller May 22, 2013. 1 Reply 0 Likes
added a video what sign for atheist
Greets, peeps. I'm not formally trained in ASL, though I know a few signs. Once at a customer's site, I saw a deaf programmer struggling with a problem with the VMS operating system. I remembered the sign for HELP, courtesy of Matthew Broderick and the film Project X, and I managed to sign "I help you?" to him. Further conversation was achieved by typing at his terminal!
Hey, find a way or make one, right?
@DeafAtheist Thank you for the useful info. I was actually looking at courses to take at my college and they have one class available. Something I plan on doing. :)
Sign language interpreters are professionals trained in their profession. Becoming one requires college courses in ASL, deaf culture, and interpreting as well as an internship. No, it's not rude to talk to an interpreter while they are on the job as long as the deaf person they are interpreting for does not need them at the moment. That is if the interpreter is currently interpreting something wait until they are done before approaching them.
Knowing sign language could help on the job in some areas. I remember one of my 1st jobs bagging groceries at a local grocery store and my boss was glad to have a deaf employee that knew sign language because they had regular customers that were deaf. Being able to communicate with them made thing smoother for them and it gave them a reason to come back to the store. So any time you work for a place where deaf people are either customers or clients knowing sign language is a definitely a plus and could definitely improve your employment chances I would say.
I was always interested in learning sign language. I work for a advocacy group for the disabled and I occasionally run into deaf people. I even wanted to ask a sign language translator how they know sign language and if it helps obtain employment. I am just afraid that it will offend a deaf person if I talk directly to the translator. Is it ok that I can talk to a translator about his job while he is on the job? I know it is a silly question. lol
Hello everyone, I'm glad I found this group. I am not hearing-impaired, but have been very interested in learning ASL - I even did a course on it several years ago, but couldn't pursue it further at the time due to major health issues. I would like to take it up again, because that would help me learn more about people who may not experience the world the way I do, and thus expand my own world-view.
I actually sent an email to everyone before introducing myself, and for that I'm asking your pardon in advance. We badly need ASL interpreters at the NFA 2012 conference in Renton, WA, and are looking for volunteers. I hope to see some of you there!
A doctoral student in public policy and administration, Paotie hopes to one day be a political consultant and/or published author. Many of Paotie's works have been featured in some prominent web publications, ranging from MySpace to IMPNOW.com (for artists).
Long an advocate for civil rights for minorities and deaf/HOH (hard of hearing) people, Paotie ultimately strives to educate the public about some of the issues that effect these groups.
I enjoyed reading the article " Jesus hates deaf people" and I agree pretty much with a lot of his observations about Gallaudet. The writer's use of " one eyed people " is a way of using the word 'myopic" as in being narrow minded and seeing only one way ( THEIR way ).
Just thought I d give my input.
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den Dekker arrives, will play left field against righties
Collins plans to pencil him in No. 6 spot, says he could eventually lead off
PHILADELPHIA -- A .343 batting average with Triple-A Las Vegas allowed Matt den Dekker to punch a 6:30 a.m. ET plane ticket to Philadelphia, where the Mets outfielder was available off the bench Saturday night.
"I wasn't really too sure anything would happen," den Dekker said. "Just try to keep playing well. Ready for whenever [Triple-A manager Wally Backman] told me that they were making the call to bring me up."
den Dekker, who will start in left field when the Mets face right-handed starters, was recalled to give the offense a shot in the arm, but is also a dynamic outfielder who should complement Juan Lagares in center.
"He's a great player; he's having a great year," den Dekker said of Lagares. "Came up playing with him, comfortable playing around each other in the outfield. It's going to be a lot of fun."
Curtis Granderson is no slouch in right field, either. And with the three natural center fielders patrolling the outfield grass, manager Terry Collins believes this trio can be as successful as last year's.
"The same thing that outfield did last year," Collins said. "When we had Marlon [Byrd] in right and [Eric Young Jr.] in left and Juan in center, we caught baseballs. And we got outs. We stayed away from big innings because we ran down balls. It makes a big difference. Huge difference. They're certainly three very, very good defenders.
"Our pitching staff, probably Zack [Wheeler] might be the only real strikeout guy amongst them. They know they should have confidence that if they keep it in the park, it's going to get caught."
As for how the batting order will unfold with den Dekker's arrival, Collins said that it is contingent upon his performance.
"It will be be dictated by how he does," Collins said. "But right now, he'll probably hit in the sixth spot. Especially when you face [the Phillies]. They have four left-handed relievers. I don't want to bunch all of those lefties up when Matt's in there to make it a lot easier for them. But he'll hit in the sixth spot and hopefully he just relaxes and shows us what he can do."
den Dekker is a possible leadoff option, but for now, Granderson will continue to serve as the table-setter. The Mets inked Granderson to a four-year, $60 million deal with the intention of him becoming their cleanup hitter, but on Saturday night, Granderson made his 38th start batting leadoff.
"I talked to him the other day about leading off and he's very comfortable doing it.," Collins said. "And I think what we've seen out of Curtis is some times when he's gone up and given us a pretty good at-bat where he sees six, seven pitches in the leadoff spot. I said before, this guy is third or fourth in the league in base on balls.
"Again, I like to get these young guys in the lineup. I think it's great for us to start to take a look at the future. But I want to make sure we do it at the right time. Same thing could be said with what we did with Lucas Duda. Instead of just slamming him in the four hole, we just let him work his way into the four hole. And if Matt den Dekker is a possible leadoff option in the past, let's just let him work his way into leading off."


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PVC compound has been in high demand for various industrial requirements. They are available in different varieties and colors. The application of PVC continues to rise as there has been an increased demand for various additives. Only a professional manufacturer can provide a well finished granule and it is important to make a research before finalizing a deal. One of the companies that have been providing different kinds of PVC compounds is Tongxiang Longcheng Plastic Co.,Ltd.
People in search of good additives and PVC stabilizer need to get in touch with experienced professionals in order to come up with a high-end product. These products have the capacity to meet most of the manufacturing processes and provide improved flexibility. In order to finalize a deal with a manufacturer it is important to make a proper research and have a clear understanding of the requirements. PVC granule is mostly used in door frames, fittings, fixtures and different varieties of pipes. These products are mainly used as raw materials in commercial industries.
Tongxiang Longcheng Plastic Co.,Ltd focuses on long term stability and improved physical properties of the granules being sold online. In the medical industry these products help in manufacturing glucose bags, oxygen mask, blood bags and much more. The soft pvc compounds are made with efficient fluidity and standard processes. A certified company helps in manufacturing quality products and follows modernized processes. One can also get in touch with the professionals in order to discuss their requirements. The experts at Tongxiang Longcheng Plastic Co.,Ltd are available for discussions and they make sure that the products are customized as per the client requirements.
In order to get a standard window or door frame made one would need quality upvc compounds. These compounds are durable and they are highly rigid. When it comes to real estate sector and finishing up a building the upvc compound can be really effective. It helps in well finished pipes, fixtures, door frames and much more. Though these products are available at cost effective prices but the company does not compromise on the quality of the product. Buyers can check out the descriptions mentioned on the website and go through the project once they are satisfied. The chemicals used in these products ensure quality finishing without any compromise on durability. Even injection parts require quality chemicals and it is important to make sure that the products meet their standard requirements. The flexible PVC compound is not limited to a single industry and they can also be used for making footwear, garden hose and sealing strip.
About Tongxiang Longcheng Plastic Co.,Ltd
Tongxiang Longcheng Plastic Co.,Ltd is a Chinese company that has been making various PVC compounds and pellets for a long time now. They supply their raw materials to different countries around the world. In order to make an inquiry and know more about their products the buyers can check out the above mentioned website.
Media Contact
Company Name: Tongxiang Longcheng Plastic Co., LTD.
Contact Person: Jane Tang
Email: email@example.com
Phone: +86-573-8861 8523
State: Zhejiang
Country: China
Website: http://www.lcpvc.com


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On 1 of our main servers running Windows Server 2003 some bright spark decided to only partition c:\ with 20GB on a 250GB Harddrive. Problem I have is c:\windows\installer folers id taking up 13GB. Can I relocate this folder to another drive and set up windows to write to this folder from now on?
Any other suggestions welcom.


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An online McDonald's budgeting tool set up to help its employees actually highlights the difficulty of living on McJob wages.
The McDonald's sample monthly budget plan for its lowest-paid workers looks like this: $1,105 in income from a first job and $955 in income from a second job. On the expenses side, the first item listed is savings, at $100, followed by $600 for mortgage or rent, $150 for a car payment, $100 for car and home insurance, $20 for health insurance and $50 for heating.
McDonald's "Practical Money Skills for Life" site also offers employees a pay card and calculators along with a 27-page budget journal PDF that includes the sample monthly budget (see chart below).
On the face of it, McDonald's appears to be offering its employees a thoughtfully prepared package of financial planning tools. But according to Anthony Ogorek, a Buffalo, N.Y.-based certified financial planner and fee-only advisor, the McDonald's monthly budget is completely unrealistic for American life in the 21st century.
"It's actually sort of a silly exercise," said Ogorek, who serves as director of the national board of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). "When you look at monthly expenses in the real world, one of the greatest expenses is food. There's no food line item here, just monthly spending money. It's silly that the No. 1 item is savings. A car payment of $150 is minuscule. We would all love to pay health insurance for $20, but I don't know where that happens. In Buffalo, we would love to pay $50 a month for heat."
McDonald's Offers a Monthly Budget Plan for Workers
The McDonald's monthly budget plan (left), which includes income from a second job, reflects a serious problem in the U.S.: many American workers aren't earning enough to be the sort of consumers who can drive the economy forward. Indeed, Friday's employment report shows that U.S. job growth may be on the upswing, but it also underlines a disturbing trend: most of the new jobs created these days are McJobs.
Friday's good news was that the U.S. added 162,000 jobs in July and brought the unemployment rate down to 7.4% from 7.6% in June, according to the Department of Labor. The bad news was that 85,000 of those new jobs came from retail trade, food services and drinking places, which usually pay by the hour.
Glassdoor.com, which offers an inside look at McDonald's wages posted anonymously by employees, reports average hourly salaries as low as $7.68 per hour for crew members and as high as $10.44 per hour for assistant managers as of July 30. In comparison, Friday's Department of Labor report shows that average earnings for hourly workers currently total $23.98. (The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since July 24, 2009, according to the DOL.)
That means that a McDonald's crew member who works 40 hours a week for 50 weeks would earn an annual salary of $15,360, or $1,280 per month. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines set the poverty level for 2012 at $23,050 in total yearly income for a family of four. With those kinds of wages on offer, it's perhaps no surprise that thousands of fast-food workers in seven cities including New York and Chicago last week went on strike to demand a pay raise to $15 an hour.
To be sure, low-paying service jobs make planning a monthly budget look like a near impossibility, and never mind planning for big purchases or retirement investments.
NAPFA's Ogorek (left) didn't see how a family of four could live on McDonald's wages, and he added that even the many teenagers and college students the company employs would be hard pressed to make the numbers work. Rather, Ogorek said that the company's motivation for offering the "Practical Money Skills for Life" site had more to do with marketing than with true financial planning.
"There are a raft of web sites out there about financial planning that can help you do a better job than this, so my sense is that this is just a throwaway to fill out their website," Ogorek said. "I think this is a co-branding strategy between two mega-corporations rather than an attempt to provide financial education to young people. Visa is pitching their paycheck payroll card. If you look at the photos on the McDonald's web page, everyone is very young, so what I believe they're trying to do is establish brand recognition and establish a relationship with young people who will be consumers for a half century or more. People don't know what Comerica is, but they sure do know what Visa and McDonald's are."
McDonald's officials didn't return a request for comment on the sample monthly budget by publication time. But a McDonald's spokesperson provided a statement to ThinkProgress.org, a progressive website that criticized the company for underscoring "exactly how hard it is for a low-paid fast food worker to get by."
"In an effort to provide free, comprehensive money management tools, McDonald's first used the Wealth Watchers International budgeting journal when this financial literacy program launched in 2008," the statement said. "The samples that are on this site are generic examples and are intended to help provide a general outline of what an individual budget may look like."
Company Costs for Raised Wages
Conservative news outlet FoxBusiness also took McDonald's to task for its financial advice website and planning tool.
"In an attempt to help its workers, McDonald's may have just hurt its own brand…[and] it may have inadvertently hinted its employee pay isn't adequate," Kate Rogers reported for FoxBusiness, pointing to the sample monthly budget's wages from two jobs. "Some say the tool may have implied McDonald's workers need a second job in order to make ends meet."
If McDonald's does indeed raise worker pay to $15 an hour, the higher wages would cost the McDonald's corporation and franchises $8 billion in added payroll costs, according to 24/7 Wall Street. And as for the price of a Big Mac, ABC News published an estimate predicting it would rise 68 cents to $4.67 to $3.99.
At year-end 2012, McDonald's (MCD) reported a 2% rise in earnings, at $5.36 per share versus $5.27 in 2011, on a 2% rise in revenues totaling $27.6 billion. The company returned $5.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.
Read Tepid Job Growth Spreading to Developing Economies at ThinkAdvisor.


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For today's Tombstone Tuesday I am showing the tombstone of Sarah Read who is the wife of Joseph Read whose tombstone was in last week's Tombstone Tuesday.
Sarah was Sarah Smith from Ashendon, Buckinghamshire when she married Joseph Read (the grandson of my 6 x great grandfather Cozens Read), on 22nd October 1835 at Ashendon.
They had five children and Joseph died in 1844 after only nine years of marriage to Sarah.
Sarah's husband was a farmer and she took over the running of it after he died. She kept the farm going right up until she died aged 76 years.
The transcript of this inscription is as follows:
Memory of
Sarah widow of
Joseph Read
Who died Feb. 10th 1884
Aged 76 Years
"For so He giveth His beloved sleep"
Ps. 1. ..(?) 2
Also of
Ann Read
daughter of the above
Who died May 15th 1871
Aged (the rest here covered by long grass and another tombstone)
Sarah and Joseph's daughter Ann was 31 years old when she died and never married.
As Sarah's maiden name is Smith and she was from Ashendon, Bucks it makes me wonder whether she was related to Martha Smith of Ashendon who married Sarah's husband Joseph's uncle Michael Read? I've not done much delving into the Smiths of Ashendon, so this will be another search to add to my "To Do" list!!
I think Sarah did wonderfully well to keep the farm going as a young widow and then as she became older. One of her sons lived with her and only married after she died, when he was in his forties.
As mentioned last week, the farm is now a successful stud farm owned by the famous jockey Pat Eddery. I have sent an enquiry to the farm to see if it is possible to obtain photos of it, especially if some of the original building still stands.
(Edit: My cousin Marion has kindly given me the information that I could not see on this tombstone and it is as follows:- The line of verse is actually from Ps. 127. 2. and the age for Sarah and Joseph's daughter Anne is given as 31 years. I already had Anne's age from other sources but could not compare it with her age given on the inscription. Thanks to cousin Marion for her help).


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Justin Halpern might be living the great American Twitter dream -- wildly successful Twitter page leads to television show starring William Shatner and major book deal.
Now if he could only come up with a name for the television show.
Justin Halpern confirmed to PopcornBiz last night that they still don't have a TV-friendly name for the television show based around his wildly successful Twitter page, "S---, my Dad says." This even as CBS announced yesterday that it has added the unnamed program to its comedy lineup.
"We have no idea what the show is called," Halpern tells us. "We have been workshopping a bunch of names. But we know we cannot use (expletive) in the title."
It was widely reported that CBS executives were using the television friendlier "Stuff My Dad Says" variation of the title to refer to the show. But Halpern says this would NOT be the final name for the show. "That's almost like saying, here is this watered-down version of something you used to like," says Halpern.
Regardless of the title, the show has all the making of a hit with the bonus the wildly improbable, fantastic origin. After moving back in with his 74-year-old father last year, Halpern began taking note of the hilarious comments from the modern-day philosopher and posting them out-of-context on the site -- it quickly caught the attention of the Twitter-sphere.
"The page blew up," says Halpern.
"My background was screenwriting. I was thinking someday I will use this stuff," he says. "But mostly I put it up there to show my friends who didn't live near me anymore."
Halpern was soon working out on a television pilot based on the Twitter premise and penning a book around the concept. He was able to use a simple asterisk to get around an expletive for the book title published by Harper Collins.
The book provides greater context and more stories about the relationship with his father, along with the hilarity of the site which has made it a success. "I tried to write a book that had substance to it," says Halpern. "But more than anything I wanted to be funny."
"I was thinking, I hope it doesn't suck."
It certainly does not. The book will debut on the New York Times best-seller list and has caught the attention of all the right people, including director Kevin Smith, who called it "genius."
U.S. & World
Now if they could come up with that television show title!


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Kim Kardashian & Khloe on Howard Stern
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Pac-12 Basketball Fantasy League Voting: Semifinal #1Posted by Connor Pelton on July 22nd, 2012
Our first semifinal pits top seeded David Piper (Addicted to Quack) up against the fifth seeded, two-headed monster in Mark Sandritter and Jeff Nusser (CougCenter). Below are the rosters, followed by commentary from the respective owner:
David Piper
Head Coach – Pete Newell, California
Guard – Terrell Brandon, Oregon
Guard – Harold Miner, USC
Guard – Andre Miller, Utah
Guard – Aaron Brooks, Oregon
Forward – Luke Jackson, Oregon
Forward – Greg Ballard, Oregon
Forward – Keith Van Horn, Utah
Forward – Adam Keefe, Stanford
Center – Sidney Wicks, UCLA
Center – Brook Lopez, Stanford
David's Take:
Obviously, all of these teams are filled with great players, but none are as versatile as mine. At the guard spots, I have two of the best all-time scorers at guard in Terrell Brandon and Harold Miner, who both averaged over 27 PPG a game, but Brandon and Andre Miller are also two of the better distributors in league history, while Aaron Brooks is lightning quick and has an unlimited range. Miller and Brandon, two of the better all-around guards not only in college, but in the NBA over the last two decades, are both fantastic defenders as well. In the frontcourt, three of the forwards are 20/10 guys while the fourth is one of the best all-around forwards in league history. Keith Van Horn nearly won a national title at Utah, and has the ability to go inside out, while Adam Keefe was a physical banger at Stanford who went for 26-12 his senior year. Greg Ballard's was the equal of Marques Johnson, drafted two rounds earlier, he just didn't have the name "UCLA" on his jersey, and Luke Jackson was a triple-double waiting to happen who could score from anywhere on the floor and once had 39 straight in a game. At center, Sidney Wicks was a national player of the year who won a national title at UCLA while, Brook Lopez is a 20/10 seven footer. My team has four first-team All-Americans (Miller, Van Horn, Jackson, and Wicks) and two national players of the year (Wicks and Van Horn).
But, most importantly, there isn't a thing this team cannot do. I can put out guard combinations that score at the rim, from three, or distribute. I can put in posts who will score back to the basket, or hit jump shots. Only Brooks isn't a great rebounder or defender; everyone else is plus in both areas. Oh, and they are coached by national champion Pete Newell, who, if not for health reasons, would be the greatest coach ever (and is the only coach in conference history to have a winning record over John Wooden).


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Operations & Launch
at Uber
We work where Uber's digital technology meets the real world.
Why Operations & Launch at Uber?
Make a Big Impact
Operations initiatives have a direct impact on millions of rides happening on the platform every single week.
Learn by Doing
From Day 1, Operations team members are hands-on, collaborating with teams across the company to drive success.
Shape the Future
In an Operations role, you will put into practice the work we do to move the world a few steps forward.
Meet the team
Koosie Boggs
Sr. Manager, Ridesharing Operations
"For me, Uber has been the total package of a work environment. It's fast-paced and consistently evolving so I'm kept on my toes, I'm learning on the fly, and I'm totally immersed in the outcomes of our day-to-day business. Uber also encourages creativity, pushing us to innovate and experiment. It feels like the first place I've worked where it's okay to experiment and make mistakes, so long as we're always learning from them and moving forward."
Emma Vaz
Chief Business Officer, EMEA
"As a woman in the tech industry who has been part of multiple organisations and teams, I have benefited from companies and teams that have valued diversity and inclusion, and seen the difference within companies and teams that don't.
I have grown in my roles by focusing on the impact we are trying to create in the world and my role within that, even when I had doubts; feeling the fear and overcoming it."
Nick Valentino
Operations, JUMP Bikes
"Being on the JUMP team reminds me of being on the Uber team four years ago. Micromobility is an exciting and new industry, but with the accelerated growth comes changing priorities, evolving regulations, and new problems every day. This has helped me learn to be comfortable in uncertainty, as truly no two days at JUMP are the same."
Jack Dwyer
Manager, Head of Regulatory Strategy & Operations
"I'm proud that our team's work directly affects the day-to-day experiences of customers in our cities. I'm inspired when I hear the stories of drivers who have started new lives in America and are using Uber to make extra money; riders who say that they can't imagine how they'd get around their city affordably without us; and cities that are partnering with us to help drive ridership of the First Mile / Last Mile public transit program."
Tala Akhavan
Central Operations Manager, Rider
"As the business owners for our UberX and Shared Rides products in North America, our team is responsible for managing and growing these businesses for Uber. This means we're able to work creatively with different teams across Uber, from Product to Marketing to Finance, to define how we can best serve our customers and identify areas where we need to refine our product offerings. It's a highly dynamic and cross-functional role that's always evolving based on customer and company priorities."
Rachael Jaye
General Manager, Uber Eats
"Uber has found a great product-market fit again and again with each new business line we build out --- we just need smart, driven problem-solvers to build out the business to meet that demand. We started with Rides but now have expanded to Eats, JUMP, Freight, and more. It's incredible to look back just six months or a year and see how much you and your team have accomplished."
Uber Freight and Land O'Lakes
Read more about how Uber Freight is transforming the enterprise transportation and logistics space in our partnership spotlight with Land O'Lakes, Inc.
Uber Eats + Subway®
Now delivering sandwiches, salads and more to your door.
Explore our Operations & Launch teams
City Operations
We are the local eyes on Uber's operations team, and own city-specific business outcomes and bridge our overall business strategy with local needs. We ensure complex, business-critical compliance work is done in a high-quality way and champion the core Uber experience in our cities.
Central Operations
In Central Operations, we develop and operationalize strategies that help us achieve our business goals. We work at scale across regions on key challenges and initiatives to deliver value and great experiences to our riders and driver-partners.
Strategy & Planning
Around the world, Strategy and Planning teams serve their mega-region through strategic guidance, thought leadership, and analytical excellence. We consistently evaluate Uber's business strategy and work to drive governance and accountability in concert with our cross-functional partners.


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came dragonflies from pen...
18th day
Today also,
in the spring haze,
today also.
18th day & dragonfly drawings from TC: Cold Spring: A Diary, 2000
Thanks for these dragonflies ("from pen") and poem, today also in a kind of "spring haze" (11 years later) --
light coming into sky above black plane
of ridge, planet disappearing by branch
in foreground, sound of wave in channel
immediate past, ahead of it
is then in retrospect
any object, sometimes there,
that "always the same"
cloudless blue sky reflected in channel,
sunlit green of pine of tip of sandspit
This makes for a splendid end to a confusing day.
What lovely drawings.
The poem reminds me immediately why I love poetry.
Thank you, Steve and Curtis.
The poem may express the view of someone to/for whom every day is a confusing day, in the hazy course of which
any object, sometimes there,
seems as though it may equally, at any moment, suddenly NOT be there... with
that "always the same"
feeling continually giving way to that "no, it's not the same, it will never be the same" feeling...
Today also,
in the spring haze,
today also.
Absolutely -- sometimes there and suddenly NOT. . . .
and, though the line says it is, it's never the same. . . .
And I thought yesterday was confusing -- between the legal gibberish, the see-sawing weather, and everything else that's can be said to be troubling at the moment, etc., it's hard to get any kind of fix on things. I am very surprised to have heard from a fair number of people whom I hadn't contacted who wanted to tell me how they had been sadly affected by the recent events in Pakistan (the "main" events and the emerging details) and what followed in the US. Since most of my friends have much more traditionally liberal political views than I do (as that term is usually defined in the press and on tv), I found this encouraging and a little surprising. It's nice to hear from your friends always, but I tend to lie low at times like this. I mean, I know what I think and I'm not that anxoius to pick fights. Interestingly (no - shockingly), Jane said that there has been absolutely no discussion of this at her school. That's something I would never have imagined. I'm quite sure that would not have been the case when I was her age. Curtis
Curtis, know what you mean about lying low. As in, belly flat to the ground.
But I must say I do find this astonishing: "Jane said that there has been absolutely no discussion of this at her school".
Do you suppose that is due to some sort of school policy (no discussion of history, controversy, current events & c.), or could it simply be that no one cares or finds it of any interest or importance?
Interesting, this particular phenomenon of no discussion in school.
Every day this week, for hours, as a librarian, I oversaw a room full of two dozen computers, people permanently connected (only their faces, perhaps, changing), and all I seemed to see wherever I turned, was people trolling information about the murder of Bin Laden.
This, Tom, ironically, is the feeling I get when I read "Today also ..." - it is a deep sigh, an exhalation that doesn't anticipate the next inhalation.
In the true spirit of haiku, I'd like to think in different times, amongst different events, the poem's meaning (for the reader, not the poet) might be different.
It is very beautiful, Tom, and devastating, with a concision that is razor sharp.
Don: Bingo.
And thanks.


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Cambridge University researchers published a study that says Facebook likes can predict personal attributes such as sexual orientation, personality traits, intelligence and drug use.
The 58,000 Facebook user study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said that people liking certain things correlate to these attributes, according to NPR. The study was conducted through an app called myPersonality, which is owned by one of the researchers.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
From the report:
The study found that the best predictors of high intelligence include "Thunderstorms," The Colbert Report, "Science," and, yes, "Curly Fries." Low intelligence, it said, was indicated by "Sephora," "I Love Being A Mom," "Harley Davidson," and "Lady Antebellum."
Predicting a gay man is as easy as liking "Wicked: The Musical" and "Mac Cosmetics," while straight men tended to like Shaq, WWE and "Being Confused After Waking Up From Naps."
The architects of the study also stated that although some of the Facebook likes related to attributes, they could not explain why highly intelligent people seemed to really like Curly Fries. However, the scientists did say that the information could be used to spot trends and cater to advertisers.
While some of us may already suspect that smart people like Science and dumb people like WWE, those of us who love curly fries already knew about that high intelligence thing.


text:
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text:
About UsSince 1985, Zorin has been providing technology to organizations in the United States. The company has provided a wide range of services from custom programming to electronics design and systems administration.
Zorin is now established in the West African country of Ghana, bringing these years of service and innovation to the business community of Ghana.
Zorin brings together cost efficient ideas, local talent, and many years of technology experience to provide a unique organization which can provide benefits no competitor can match. With resources on both coasts of the US and in Ghana we are able to provide the best service at reasonable cost.


text:
Lovely Day
I can't do it justice tonight. But please know that I am so happy that I did not bleach and subsequently ruin my hair for nothing. And I cried when we won. And I cried about 10 other times.
Max Tardy, I am sorry I doubted you. I am so, so, so excited that you scored your first career goal in the biggest game in program history.
This is unbelievable. And it's TRUE. It's REAL. And IT FINALLY HAPPENED.


text:
Donald R. Baker, 83, Marion, died at 3:05 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 31, at Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne. He was born March 4, 1930 in Wabash, to Glen and Sarah (Clark) Baker.
Donald first married Anna Knott. He then married Donna Oatman. She preceded him in death. Donald worked as a butcher. He enjoyed flying as a hobby. He also enjoyed music, especially playing the guitar and piano.
Donald is survived by his two sons, Donald E. (Elizabeth) Baker, Roann, and Steven L. (Linda) Baker, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his stepdaughter, Nita Williams.
There will be no services.
Arrangements by Grandstaff-Hentgen, Bender Chapel, North Manchester.
The memorial guestbook for Donald may be signed on-line at grandstaff-hentgen.com.


text:
Trucks, trailers and buses
Do you want to increase your reliability, sustainability and profitability?
With rising costs for fuel, road fees, drivers and skilled technicians, fleet owners know that to remain profitable they need to look for efficiencies in every area of their operation. The need for fleet operators to increase fleet uptime and reduce total cost of operation (TCO) presents both challenges and opportunities for manufacturers of trucks, trailers and buses. By helping owners and operators address the critical issues - reliability, efficiency and safety - manufacturers can establish market leadership and earn customer loyalty that pays off down the road.
Understandably, fleets will favor manufacturers who help them meet tight delivery timetables, reduce maintenance costs, and avoid unplanned breakdowns that result in lost profits and, sometimes, lost customers. The ability to draw on the resources of trusted technical partners will be increasingly critical as manufacturers and tier one suppliers address the pressing challenges of the competitive industry.


text:
A day after Eagle quarterback Mike Vick refused to answer questions about his personal life when asked if he owns a dog, Vick has issued a statement regarding that specific aspect of his personal life.
"I understand the strong emotions by some people about our family's decision to care for a pet," Vick said in a statement released to PhillyMag.com. "As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals. I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God's creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family. This is an opportunity to break the cycle. To that end, I will continue to honor my commitment to animal welfare and be an instrument of positive change."
The Eagles confirmed to NBC10 the legitimacy of the statement.
Vick never specifically uses the word "dog," but it's clear when using the word "pet" that he's not talking about a hermit crab named Spurgeon.
It's unknown whether the dog's name is Spurgeon.


text:
The quantity of data available to United States Department of Defense (DoD) commanders and analysts from new sensor platforms with improved resolution and range poses tremendous challenges. This data must be quickly and correctly analyzed, currently by highly trained human operators. As sensor capabilities expand, sophisticated, powerful machines with the ability to replicate, and even surpass, human perceptual capabilities will be required. The is exploring recent breakthroughs in the field of machine learning to meet this requirement as part of its Deep Learning program.
Through the Deep Learning program, DARPA is conducting basic research into hierarchical machine perception and analysis, and applications in visual, acoustic and somatic sensor processing for detection and classification of objects and activities. "The human visual system uses six layers of cortical processing, in addition to all of the preprocessing done by the retina and the lateral geniculate nucleus," said Deep Learning program manager Tony Falcone. "The neural net-based machines we use today generally have two or three layers. Deep Learning isn't a biomimetic program, but if we believe that biological systems exhibit an economy of complexity, this suggests that we need to go deeper and have more layers; we are just beginning to understand how to do that."
Recent Deep Learning results show progress on computer vision tasks such as identifying human activities in full motion video. These results hold promise for achieving human-level-or-better analysis of video and other sensor modalities via automated processing.
According to Falcone, "The products of Deep Learning should enable commanders to make more informed decisions faster by ensuring that subtle yet critical correlations that may exist in very large collections of data are uncovered, explored, and analyzed. The result is that data sources are being used more effectively, yielding greater confidence in the reliability of the information on which subsequent command decisions are made."
DARPA has contracted with researchers at Stanford University, New York University, the University of Montreal, and NEC Labs of America for a multi-phase research effort in multi-layered machine learning algorithms, software, and supporting technologies.


text:
The Overland Park, KS, Jazzercise center raised $3,000 in its Triple Challenge Fundraiser for the Rett's Syndrome Foundation, Autism Society of Johnson County and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
After receiving requests from certifying agencies to host the National Board of Fitness Examiner (NBFE) exams at their functions, NBFE is finalizing a process that allows these organizations to do so using a pencil and paper version of the exam. Previously, the written exam was only offered as a computer-based exam at Thompson Prometric testing sites around the country.
Power Systems, Inc. created a new fitness program for its employees, FITRU2, an acronym for "A fitter you equals a fitter us." Employees will receive reimbursement for health club membership fees as well as free physical assessments and workout programs from certified trainers.
Gold's Gym International promoted Joel Tallman to vice president of franchising and global operations. In the newly created position, Tallman will oversee the day-to-day growth and management of Gold's Gym's domestic and international franchise operations.
The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports named the National Swimming Pool Foundation as a 50th Anniversary Partner to Get America Moving! The organization will promote physical activity, fitness and sports in 2006.
The National Association for Health and Fitness sponsored its 23rd annual National Employee Health and Fitness Day on May 17.
The Oregon Athletic Clubs opened its newest facility, The Bethany Athletic Club, on May 31. The new facility has more than 60,000 square feet of space and houses a restaurant and day spa.
YogaFit selected the American Council on Exercise as its sole provider of fitness certification to its more than 50,000 instructors worldwide.


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U.S. Beach Volleyball Update: Collegiate Challenge
B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Communications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
USAV Facebook - @USA_Volleyball - @USAV Beach
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 1, 2013) – USA Volleyball has announced that it will host two Collegiate Challenge events for NCAA sand volleyball teams in March and April.
|Players from Pepperdine and Long Beach State compete at the
2012 USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge.
The first event will be held March 14-17 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. Teams from Pepperdine, Florida State, Nebraska, CSU Bakersfield and Grand Canyon University are expected to compete.
The second event will be held April 20-21 in Hermosa Beach, Calif. Teams from Pepperdine, Southern California (USC), Long Beach State, Hawaii, Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Santa Clara and CSU Bakersfield are expected to compete.
"USA Volleyball wants to see collegiate sand volleyball continue to expand across the country," said Ali Wood Lamberson, USA Volleyball director of beach programs. "We want to make sure sand volleyball programs have every opportunity to compete and that the public has every opportunity to watch them in action."
The tournaments will be free and open to the public.
The sport of sand volleyball was approved by the NCAA as an Emerging Sport for women in 2009. Fifteen schools sponsored varsity teams in the spring of 2012, the first season of competition for Division I schools. That number has doubled in 2013 and is expected to surpass 40, the threshold for championship status, by the spring of 2014. Should funds be approved for a championship in the next budget cycle, the NCAA would host its first national championship in the spring of 2016.
USAV Collegiate Challenge – Chula Vista, Calif.
When: March 14-17, 2013
Where: Olympic Training Center - Chula Vista, Calif.
Teams: Pepperdine, Florida State, Nebraska, CSU Bakersfield and Grand Canyon University
Link to register as a volunteer: https://usavbeach.webconnex.com/ccvol
USAV Collegiate Challenge – Hermosa Beach, Calif.
When: April 20-21, 2013
Where: North Side of the Pier in Hermosa Beach in front of the Beach House Hotel
1300 The Strand, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Teams: Pepperdine, Southern California (USC), CSU Long Beach, Hawaii, Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Santa Clara, CSU Bakersfield
Link to register as a volunteer: https://usavbeach.webconnex.com/cchb
The University of San Francisco (USF) has announced that it will compete in sand volleyball starting this spring, while the University of South Carolina has announced it will have a program in 2013-14.
"We are excited to add sand volleyball as our 15th sport," said USF Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell in a press release. "The growing popularity of sand volleyball and the strength of WCC indoor volleyball made our strategic decision to add opportunities for our women's programs a natural fit. We believe that we can be competitive from the onset of regional competition."
The Dons will be co-coached by USF indoor head coach Gilad Doron and Eyal Zimet. An accomplished former professional sand volleyball player, Zimet came to USF as an assistant indoor volleyball coach in 2012 and will use his extensive experience on the court and in the sand to help guide the new program.
At South Carolina, the Board of Trustees has approved the construction of a playing facility that would be located in the Athletic Village near the new Carolina Tennis Facility, Carolina Softball Stadium at Beckham Field and the soccer practice fields.
Moritz Moritz will serve as the first head coach of the Gamecocks' sand volleyball program, after spending the past two years as an assistant coach on the Gamecocks' indoor volleyball team. Moritz will leave the indoor team to concentrate solely on starting this new program.
Two-time U.S. Olympians Jake Gibb (Bountiful, Utah) and Sean Rosenthal (Redondo Beach, Calif.) are scheduled to compete on March 2 in the 2013 Huntington Beach Pro-Am benefiting Athletes' Promise.
Teams will consist of one professional and one amateur player. A professional player is defined as one who is in the top 80 of the 2012 USA Volleyball Beach National Rankings.
Gibb will compete with Chan Gibb while Rosenthal will play with Jeff Alzina.
The tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. south of the Huntington Beach Pier. For more information, click here.


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This originally appeared on The Frisky. Republished here with permission.
Last week was a heavy one for the people of India. One Wednesday, a 17-year-old girl who had been gang raped committed suicide because police were dragging their feet in bringing her justice. Then, on Friday, a 23-year-old woman who had been gang raped and brutally beaten died from her injuries, which included head trauma and having her intestines removed.
So today, I am not entirely surprised to read a piece about Indian women applying for gun licenses.
Nearly 300 women have applied for gun licenses in Delhi in the past month, while over a thousand calls have been made inquiring how to obtain a gun license, according to the Russian news site RT.com. By way of comparison, only 800 women have applied for gun licenses in the past two years. Police only granted licenses to a few dozen of those 800 applicants, prioritizing those with "a clear danger to one's life."
Does simply being a woman in a rape culture constitute a threat to one's life? Honestly, the case could be made either way.
I can't speak to the culture of India, so I won't even attempt to do so. But what I do find interesting is that in both America and India, there is a push to acquire guns or put guns in more hands for "protection" instead of directly addressing the root causes of the tragedies that made us want these guns in the first place.
In America, gun talk has reached a fever pitch following mass shootings in Newtown, Aurora, and elsewhere, which underscored a crisis in our mental health care system. Meanwhile in India, the rape culture that blames women for tempting men into sexual assault and shames victims is what needs dismantling. Guns might kill a would-be mass killer or would-be rapist (and I say "might" on purpose, because there is always the chance your own gun can be used against you). But changing the cultures that allow these cretinous individuals to blossom is the only thing that will make a lasting impact.
American gun lobbyists, shooting range owners, and self-defense experts don't much care for changing the culture, though. They're content to sell you on the idea—which may or may not be true—that owning a gun is a grand way for a woman to protect herself. In fact, according to a 2011 Gallup poll, women's self-reported gun ownership is at an all-time high. Women's involvement in target shooting classes is also on the rise and some ranges even host "ladies' nights."
I do believe (some) people have a right to own (some types of) guns. In fact, I've long thought if I lived in a woodsy suburban or rural area, I might actually want to arm myself for protection. The reality is that I would probably shoot some poor raccoon in the trash can, thinking he's an axe murderer. Nevertheless, that part of me that wants to feel safe and secure understands why these Indian women want to be armed.
But there's the other part of me that knows owning a gun doesn't eradicate rape culture. A gun might make a woman feel more empowered, and it might actually be used to shoot a potential rapist or burglar some day. That's not nothing. But still, a gun doesn't change victim blaming. It doesn't change victim shaming. It doesn't change a culture that says "boys will be boys." It doesn't change a culture that says "only sluts get raped."
A gun is a Band-Aid, it's not a solution. It might be a good Band-Aid. But it's still just a Band-Aid.
Contact the author of this post at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter.
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THURSDAY, May 28, 2009 (HealthDay News) -- Just one in five teens is getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. The rest may be texting the night away with the help of highly-caffeinated energy drinks, according to new research.
And, it's not that teens don't need the sleep. One-third of teens polled reported falling asleep in school at least twice each day. Several students even confessed to falling asleep at the wheel while driving.
"We found that as these adolescents multitask into the night, they also caffeinate, and it affects their sleep dramatically," said the study's lead author, Christina Calamaro, an assistant professor of nursing at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
The U.S. population as a whole has lost about one to two hours of nightly sleep during the past four decades, according to background information in the study. At the same time, there's been a twofold increase in the number of teens getting less than seven hours of sleep per night. But, teens may need even more sleep than adults. Some experts suggest that eight to nine hours a night is inadequate for most teens.
While sleep duration decreased, the amount of technology in adolescents' bedrooms increased. Almost all teens have at least one electronic device in their room -- TV, cell phone, computer, telephone or music device. The average sixth-grader has two of these devices in the bedroom, according to the study. By 12th grade, there are often four electronic devices in the bedroom.
"These technological devices activate the mind. It's like having a stressful work conversation just before getting into bed," explained Dr. Jonathan Pletcher, an adolescent medicine specialist at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
"I think teens definitely underestimate the effect on sleep these devices have. I think most adults underestimate it, too," he said.
The current study, published in the June issue of Pediatrics, recruited 100 teens from the Philadelphia area to assess their technology and caffeine use, as well as their sleeping habits.
The teens were between 12 and 18, with an average age of 15. Fifty-eight percent were female. Sixty-two percent were white, and 27 percent were black. The average household income was $51,800.
Two-thirds of the teens had a television in their bedroom, and nearly one-third had a computer. Ninety percent of the teens had their own cell phone, and 79 percent had a personal music device.
On average, teens said they used four devices after 9 p.m. More than 80 percent of the teens reported watching TV after 9 p.m., and one-third said they sent text messages after 9 p.m. Fifty-five percent were online after 9 p.m.
Fifteen percent of the youngsters said they only slept three to five hours per night, while 62 percent reported getting six to eight hours nightly. Just 20 percent slept 8 or more hours each night.
As sleep-deprived adults so often do, tired teens reached for caffeine to keep them awake. Only 27.5 percent of the teens drank less than 100 milligrams of caffeine daily, or about the equivalent of one espresso. Eleven percent drank the equivalent of more than four espressos daily. And, because many schools limit the sale of energy drinks, teens often got the bulk of their caffeine dose after 3 p.m., which Calamaro said could definitely disrupt sleep.
"Parents and teens need to recognize that energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster are not without side effects," said Calamaro.
Both Calamaro and Pletcher recommended that parents limit technological devices in the bedroom. Don't, for example, allow your child to sleep with his or her cell phone next to the bed. Get it out of the bedroom instead.
Pletcher said that teens need to practice good sleep hygiene, just like adults, and be encouraged to have a regular routine around bedtime. "Shut down the computer and cell phone well before bedtime and do activities that are calming before bed," he recommended.
More information
For more on teens and sleep, visit the National Sleep Foundation.


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Car Valeting Ireland is based in two locations in Dublin and provides high-quality valeting services for clients. The company has earned their reputation as the best car valeting firm in Dublin through their focus on excellent customer service and meticulously giving their clients' cars a thorough deep clean. Other services include odour removal and car detailing.
What sets Car Valeting apart from the competition is their attention to detail, expert staff, affordability, and emphasis on customer service. As part of their full valeting service, the company thoroughly inspects the interior of clients' cars for spots, stains, warped or torn parts. Car Valeting then cleans the interior with a powerful machine, which includes a thorough clean of small crevices, hidden compartments, and hard to reach places.
The full valet also includes cloth cleaning of doors, ceilings, floors, and the trunk. Car Valeting also washes floor mats and use the appropriate methods and equipment to avoid damaging the seats. The company steam cleans cloth-upholstered seats and uses a microfiber cloth soaked with a suitable cleaning solution for leather interiors. In addition, after completing the valet, they thoroughly inspect their work so that not a speck of dirt is overlooked and the client is fully satisfied with their service.
For their bad odour removal services, Car Valeting uses the latest technology, Autosmart's Aromatek, a machine that gives out dry vapour, which fills the car with an invisible fog containing 32 natural oils. Unlike other odour removal solutions such as fogging machines and 'magic trees', the Aromatek permanently and safely removes all unwanted odours of the car's whole interior including any hidden hard to reach areas. Moreover, the company has a fully insured and secure studio in South Dublin where they offer clients a full range of detailing and paint correction packages to suit their needs.
Based in Dublin, Car Valeting is family owned and operated with many years of experience in the industry. The company provides specialist washing and valeting services for all types of vehicles including prestige cars, high-performance cars and vans, commercial vehicles, light aircraft, and helicopters.
Prospective customers can find more information at www.car-valeting.ie
Media Contact
Company Name: Car Valeting
Contact Person: Suba Vitalie
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 0871618579
Address:Taylors Lane, Ballyboden, Rathfarnham Co
City: Dublin
State: D16 VN88
Country: Ireland
Website: http://car-valeting.ie/


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General Information: 503-823-4000
E-mail: email@example.com
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 110, Portland, OR 97204
General Information: 503-823-4000
E-mail: email@example.com
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 110, Portland, OR 97204
In 2005 Metro adopted Urban Growth Management Functional Plan Title 13, Nature in Neighborhoods, which requires that Metro-area cities and counties demonstrate their programs adequately protect designated rivers, streams and drainage ways, wetlands, floodplains, riparian areas, and wildlife habitat. Cities and counties may achieve Title 13 compliance through regulatory and/or non-regulatory programs.
The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, working with bureaus of Environmental Services, Parks and Recreation, and Development services, prepared a request for Metro to determine that Portland complies with Title 13. On November 28, 2012 the Portland City Council approved the Planning and Sustainability Commission recommendations that the request be forwarded to Metro and that the City and Metro enter into a voluntary intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to continue watershed health-related efforts. The City submitted the request to Metro in December 2012. In March 2013 Metro Council accepted and Metro staff's January 2013 determination that the City was in substantial compliance with Title 13. The decision became final in April 2013.
This voluntary 10-year Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) is a statement of intent to continue watershed health-related projects, programs, and interagency collaboration after Metro finds the City in compliance with Title 13
January 16, 2013
December 21, 2012
Program package forming the basis of Portland's compliance with Title 13
Appendix to the City's Title 13 compliance request, details the approach and methodology the City used to develop the updated citywide inventory of riparian corridors and wildlife habitat, adopted as part of the Comp Plan Update "Factual Basis"
Appendix to the City's Title 13 compliance request (Ordinance Exhibit A), and provides a detailed comparison of Portland's natual resource overlay zone provisions and the provisions of Title 13, Nature in Neighborhoods


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I love Ebay! There is no better place to find obscure albums while sitting in front of your stereo spinning discs. Unfortunately, the current economy has stopped my rare CD buying but it hasn't stopped everybody! There are still fans and collectors willing to pay a premium price for a CD that may or may not be rare, is a promo, or an international edition. I have to admit, I'm one of those people but I have limits……it's good to see that there are still people out there with more money than sense!
Vulture – Fatal Games (1990) = $321
Seller – vilainshadows
Staring Price = $9.99
Bids = 5
Vulture is a Thrash Metal band from Holland and FATAL GAMES is their debut full-length album. I've seen this Vulture album on Ebay before but not at this high a price. Personally, I would have been wary of this auction because of the CD's location…..Greece. A lot of bootlegs of "rare" discs have come from Greece over the last few years and I usually avoid these sellers but this particular seller describes the CD as an original pressing on Overdrive Records, not a reissue, and from his own collection. I've checked the current auctions and there is another original pressing located in Houston, TX but it is a BUY IT NOW for $350. Looks like the market price has been set!
Roxxi – Drive It To Ya Hard! (1990) = $209.50
Seller – hinomoto1
Staring Price = 99 cents
Bids = 7
Roxxi is one of those U.S. Hard Rock bands that tried to make a dent in the Metal scene just as the decline started in the early '90s. The only reason I know this album is because the video for the title track actually got some airplay on MTV in 1990. I saw the video again when VH-1 Classic came to our digital cable provider a couple of years ago but never again. This Japanese pressing has different cover art than the U.S. release and I can vouch for the seller because I have bought a number of Japanese pressings from him in the past. When I was searching Ebay what I found interesting is that the same exact CD was up for auction 10 hours earlier from a seller in the U.K. That CD ended at $69 and then a bidding war started for this CD later in the day! Also, you can get a cassette copy anytime on Ebay for about $15-$20. Here's the video for the title cut…..
Roxxi – 'Drive It To Ya Hard!'
Dirty Looks – Live In San Diego (2005) = $202.50
Seller – opd1991
Starting Price = $19.99
Bids = 8
LIVE IN SAN DIEGO was released in 2005 by Dirty Looks vocalist Henrik Ostergaard through the Dirty Looks website. Turns out that this is a CDR of a live recording from the band's tour in 1994 and is now out of print. There is another auction out there with a higher starting price of $99.99 (BUY IT NOW for $150). I'm not sure if a CDR is worth a couple hundred dollars but there are passionate Dirty Looks fans out there! My question is if it is a CDR then why doesn't the band print up more?
Guns N' Roses – 'Better' (2008, CD single) = $200
Seller – musick2004
Starting Price = $200 (Buy It Now)
Bids = 1
The hype machine is in full effect for the new GNR album CHINESE DEMOCRACY and these promo CD single for 'Better' have been fetching anywhere from $50-$175 at auction. This is the highest price I've seen paid so far for this single. Remember, it's $200 for one song! There are plenty up for grabs right now but you could also wait and drop $15 at Best Buy this coming Sunday.
Metallica – Death Magnetic (2008) promo disc from Uruguay = $153.50
Seller – u2only
Starting Price = $50
Bids = 14
Collecting can be a niche thing for many people. I know some collectors that will only buy Japanese pressings and some that will only buy original pressings. Other people I know will only collect a certain band or genre. Who really needs a promo disc from Uruguay of the new Metallica disc? Probably only the most diehard of Metallica collectors. It's the same album, same songs, just with different promo artwork in Spanish. I think the music might be the same no matter if the pressing is from North America, Europe, Japan and Uruguay.
Saxon – Innocence Is No Excuse (1985) = $151.12
Seller – kingdom_of_rock
Starting Price = $6.50
Bids = 10
I have this CD! About 10 years ago, I picked up a bunch of Saxon CDs in this little record store I found 20 minutes from my house. All the Saxon CDs were part of the BURRN! Magazine reissue series and they are long out of print. I think I paid about $18 for this import and I haven't come across another one in my travels. I've bought from this seller before so I know that he gets really good out of print Japanese pressings. Remember the Roxxi auction above? This is the seller that sold his copy of the Roxxi album for $69 10 hours before it spiked to $200+.


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AG intentionally snubs Agongs RCIs, says former senior cop
By Shannon Teoh
April 06, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim added today the purported snubbing of the Agong to the list of accusations he has levelled against Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail after the Attorney-General (AG) refused to say if his office would prosecute three anti-graft officers who allegedly drove Teoh Beng Hock to suicide.
The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the DAP aides 2009 death had recommended that action be taken against then-Selangor MACC deputy director Hishammuddin Hashim, assistant enforcement office Arman Alies and assistant superintendent Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus.
Mat Zain, former city criminal investigations chief, today said Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has damaged the polices image and credibility. file pic
But the countrys top lawyer instead told reporters yesterday the case has been referred back to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after emerging from a meeting with de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and MACC investigation chief Datuk Mustafar Ali.Mat Zain, former city criminal investigations chief, pointed out in a letter sent to The Malaysian Insider that this was the second time Gani has failed to act on recommendations by an RCI.
The retired senior cop, who was the lead investigator in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahims 1998 black eye case, said Gani, who has been AG since 2002, also failed to act on a previous RCI in 2007 probing allegations that appointments of judges were fixed.
The panel had recommended action against senior lawyer Datuk VK Lingam, tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Umno secretary general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, former Chief Justices Tun Eusoff Chin and Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim as well as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
What happened to the recommendations? Gani Patail doesnt even care a damn about the RCI Commissioners nor has he any respect for them in spite of him knowing they were appointed by the Agong, he wrote.
Mat Zain also said this was further cause for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to form a tribunal to investigate the various allegations of misconduct against the AG.
In spite of the damage Gani Patail had done to the polices image and credibility, I just cannot fathom how some of them are still willing to beg and kiss his feet, especially when knowing the sufferings he has caused, not just to the force but to the criminal justice system as a whole.
The prime minister has no valid reasons to say no to a Tribunal. That is the only competent authority provided in the Constitution to adjudicate the conduct of the Attorney-General, he said.
Najib said last month another former top policemans claim that he was stitched up with corruption charges by Gani and then police chief Tan Sri Musa Hassan after stumbling upon Musas alleged involvement with organised crime did not merit a tribunal as they were mere allegations.Gani Patail doesnt even care a damn about the RCI Commissioners nor has he any respect for them. Mat ZainThis comes after Mat Zains repeated accusations in the past three years that Gani and the former Inspector General of Police fabricated evidence in Opposition Leader Anwars 1998 black eye case which he investigated.
He also said Najib admitted he knew of Ganis alleged wrongdoings when they met in private in 2008. He had then challenged Najib to axe the AG over his failure to act in high-profile cases such as Teohs death that occurred at MACC premises.
Putrajaya has repeatedly said, most recently in November, it will not reopen investigations into the case as an independent panel set up in 2009 had cleared Gani of any wrongdoing.
But Mat Zain said the panel was unconstitutional as only a tribunal, formed by the Agong on the advice of the PM, can investigate the conduct of the AG.
The PM has no powers to clear the AG on his own nor form some panel under whatever name called for that purpose as and when he likes, he added today.
Teoh, political aide to Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor corridor of Selangor MACCs office in Shah Alam after overnight questioning.
A coroners inquest returned an open verdict ruling out both suicide and homicide, leading Datuk Seri Najib Razak to order a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) after the ensuing public uproar.
The royal panel found that the three MACC investigating officers involved in the case used continuous, aggressive and improper questioning tactics on Teoh which had breached its existing standard operating procedures and recommended that action be taken against them.


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If you recognize which meeting I'm talking about, let's find another way to connect this year, because I think I've found a good alternative. At first, I thought this tweet was just a nice reminder that women should compete as speakers at professional conferences, but there was more:
Heads up, women in tech: @secondconf is doing a call for speakers. YOU should send one in. (Note their code of conduct) secondconf.com
— Colin Barrett (@cbarrett) March 22, 2012
Code of conduct? Yes, indeed. Here are some excerpts and the full one is here:
SecondConf is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks. Attendees violating these rules may be asked to leave the conference without a refund at the sole discretion of the conference organizers. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately....If a participant engages in behavior that violates this code of conduct, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff. Conference staff will be identified at the start of each conference day.I've seen plenty of harrassment at conferences, as a speaker, an organizer and even as a staffer. Married men prowl for liaisons while away from their wives--even if that just means their wives are down the hall at the same conference. Hands on your ass, back (and other) rubs, groping and overly cozy hugs from men are commonplace enough that women who know each other well compare notes on which men do what. And in some cases, a mix of power play with sexual overtones, goes on. "Let's go upstairs and have a threesome!" one prominent member bellowed at me while I was speaking to one of his male friends in a roomful of colleagues. When I complain to men of my acquaintance, many say reflexively, "Oh, you're not going to go and spoil things! This is how we enjoy ourselves" or "You're not talking about me, are you?" or "Well, I expect you know how to take care of yourself," or the one I hate the most, "Well, really, can you blame them?" Thanks for the help, gents, in establishing these meetings as a hostile work environment.
All of this has happened in the last 20 years, the last 10, the last 5, the last one. And so every year, I debate whether to attend conferences where this happens, and when I do attend, I spend way too much time fending off, guarding against and being watchful...instead of doing what I should be doing. The requirement to check a no-lawsuit box may have been the last straw. Why would I attend a conference that wanted to bail out of its responsibility before we even set foot in the meeting? Why is my only protective option to stay home and withhold my funds and presence?
None of the conferences I attend have such a code. Would it stop harrassment? Likely not, and in this particular group, boy, would there be grumbling and outright objection. Such a code might stop situations like a male speaker with the faceless bitch slide, or male audience members wondering in the projected Twitter feed whether they wanted to "do" the female speaker. It makes failure to support a harrassed person of any kind an offense that could be publicly questioned or addressed, and specific individuals on staff are named with phone numbers to enable easy reporting of issues.. I can imagine that women who are attendees as well as women speakers would feel more comfortable--and likely to participate--if such a code were more commonplace.
Why isn't this the standard and not the exception? Why aren't the meetings I attend doing this, and enforcing such a code? Those are my questions. What do you think about the code, and what you experience at conferences? If you organize meetings and conferences, would you consider such a code? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
My post on "How Rush Limbaugh is helping me celebrate Women's History Month" is nominated as one of BlogHer's "Voices of the Year 2012." Follow this link to vote--and thanks for supporting this post.


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Raiden III
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One of the most beloved shooter franchises makes it way back to the PlayStation 2 with Raiden 3! All of the features that fans have grown to love are back, with even better graphics, sounds and gameplay that made this series legendary!
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