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KUALA LUMPUR - The Philippine government on Saturday agreed on the final chapter of peace talks with the country's largest Muslim separatist group, clearing the last hurdle to an historic pact to end four decades of conflict that has killed tens of thousands.
Representatives from the Philippine government and the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the final and most challenging Annex on Normalization—the fourth part of a peace roadmap that was set out in October 2012.
The conclusion of the talks, held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, paves the way for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that will allow the rebel group to set up an autonomous government to run parts of the poor, but resource-rich southern island of Mindanao in exchange for decommissioning their weapons.
"It marks the end of a process, which is the formal negotiations," said Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the Philippine government's chief negotiator.
"It also marks the beginning of the bigger challenge ahead which is the challenge of implementation."
Two previous laws set up autonomous governments for Muslims in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic country, but poor implementation and a lack of legitimacy meant the separatist violence continued to fester.
Larger territory, expanded powers
The new proposed autonomous region will replace the existing five-province Muslim autonomous region, with a larger territory, expanded jurisdiction and greater powers to generate taxes.
The Annex on Normalization was seen as particularly sensitive because it dealt with the decommissioning of the MILF's huge stockpile of weapons.
"There's a lot of sacrifices on the part of MILF," said Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF's chief peace negotiator told a news conference.
"To pay for peace, real peace, in Mindanao, we have to decommission our forces and put them behind us."
Iqbal said the exact number of combatants involved in the disarmament process has not been finalized, but will be subject to verification and validation by an independent decommissioning body.
"There will be no element of surrender. There will be no destruction of firearms. It merely says the firearms will be put to un-use. How that is defined will depend on the body," Iqbal said.
Malaysia has hosted peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF since 2001 to end a rebellion that has killed 120,000 people and displaced 2 million.
Once the pact is formally signed, legislators can begin drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law to formally set up the new political entity.
"We already have a roadmap signed under the first annex. The main target for that roadmap is to be able to successfully complete everything by the end of this administration, which is 2016," said Coronel-Ferrer.
"Upon the signing, we cannot expect that we will have a complete change in the situation. Everything will have to go through a gradual and phase process."


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This is Bernie Clark's first appearance on the IA 25. Click here to view the complete list and Special Report schedule for extended profiles for each of the 2013 IA 25 honorees.
You could argue that the leader of Schwab Advisor Services is influential every year, owing to Schwab's position as the largest by far of the RIA custodians measured by number of advisors and assets under management. It's especially appropriate to single out Bernie Clark, who has led SAS since 2010, as one of the 25 most influential people in and around the industry by dint of his quiet but confident leadership in not merely growing Schwab's custody unit, but in identifying and acting upon many of the most trying issues faced by advisors. Those issues include succession planning, practice management, technology, identifying and growing the next generation of advisors, and increasing RIAs' prominence in the consumer marketplace and in the corridors of power in Washington.
Take technology, for instance. "Two years ago, our advisory board" of RIAs said "mobile is not a priority," Clark said in an April interview, before pointing out "how quickly people can transition" to the benefits of mobile technology, particularly in working with end clients. Using mobile technology will eventually allow advisors to reach the point where "two or three meetings become one meeting." Schwab has shown its commitment to mobile through apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices to its Advisor Center technology platform.
Beyond mobile, Schwab's nearly three-year-old Intelligent Integration project, part of an open-architecture "eco-system" approach that, Clark said, is a "10-year program," allows advisors to integrate their standalone applications into the Schwab platform, such as what it's already accomplished in CRM applications by working with SalesForce and Junxure. Last year, Schwab introduced MarketSquare, which allows Schwab RIAs to rate technology providers in a "Zagat-style way," and also added an e-signature option for end clients through DocuSign.
On the RIA advocacy front, Clark said Schwab would be working with the Investment Adviser Association on the SEC's announced plans to explore harmonization of RIA and broker-dealer regulations, arguing for a principles-based rather than a rules-based approach. On advocacy with an investor education twist, Clark said Schwab will continue to invest in its "RIA Stands for You" program though national advertising—"We'll spend money on this for a long time"—will work more closely with the CFP Board, and will make available to end investors a directory of Schwab RIAs that investors can search by zip code to find their own advisors.
Clark is optimistic on the future for RIAs, whom he called "the most altruistic group I've ever seen," even though the RIA industry is still in "its early days." He is particularly optimistic when it comes to the next generation of advisors. His face lit up when he talked about Schwab's efforts to support financial planning programs at places like Texas Tech University, University of California at Irvine, Virginia Tech and his hometown school of Arizona State University, where, he proudly stated, "he's taught some classes." He's excited about Schwab's Executive Education program, which provides advisors with access to online courses from schools like Harvard and Wharton to increase their business savvy, and about the new intern program that brings young people to Schwab for internships—"we're hiring 10 interns this summer"—who will eventually be available for hiring by Schwab-affiliated RIA firms. The firm continues to find success and provide much-needed help to advisory firms through its Insight to Action Program (ITAP) program, which helps firms both grow their businesses and create succession plans, along with its succession lending program.
The students he's met at those financial planning schools around the country "sound like us," Clark said referring to baby boomers, and are "purpose motivated." In their work lives, "they want to have deep relationships" with clients, he reported. "They don't care about what happened" in the past, "but about the future." They're more interested in the "alternative" business model of the RIA, he said, though he suspects that "in another decade or so," the RIA path "may not be the alternative," but the default approach, since when it comes to innovation and entrepreneurship, the RIA model is more the "Apple than the Microsoft model."

subset: commoncrawl


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What Do You Think Of Mena Suvari's Buzz Cut?
Photo: London Entertainment/Splash News
Woah! When Mena Suvari stepped out to lunch in Beverly Hills last week, we did a full double-take! The actress had buzzed her blond locks for the lead role in the film Garden of Eden, coming out in 2008. Mena certainly isn't the first to get a crew cut for a part —Demi Moore and Natalie Portman also said good-bye to their hair for their art. Like these two beautiful ladies before her, we think Mena can totally pull off the boyish 'do and still look feminine. Tell us: What do you think of her buzz cut? Do you like her with long blonde hair better?


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Computer Price Comparisons with the Mustang Index
The DataServices World conference was co-located in Silicon Valley with SOAWorld and the first Cloud Computing Expo. Because IT costs are a major factor driving the adoption of cloud computing, my welcoming address tried to present the expense of today's computers in an historical context. Rather than using the Consumer Price Index to adjust prices for inflation, the Mustang Index has been the vehicle I've used to compare computer prices across the decades. This index is based on the price of a new Ford Mustang compared to the price of a new computer, selecting hardware intended for use by small and medium businesses. If you were doing database development in the early years, your only platform choice was a mainframe. But recent comparisons can use servers that are fully capable of hosting databases.
Hardware has gone from major investment to commodity pricing.
Because that's true, the perpetual angst about IT budgeting and hardware costs is perplexing. Decades ago companies embarked on tortuous studies of the price of various computing options, how they were to be depreciated over several years, what real costs and opportunity costs would be without acquiring a new computer and so on. Today you don't engage consultants and do weeks of planning and analysis when you can cover the price of a computer with a credit card.
Over several decades, the price of computers has dropped dramatically - as the Mustang Index shows - and productivity of knowledge workers has risen. Of all of the things purchased or leased by organizations today, computers are undoubtedly the biggest bargain. That's not to say I disagree with those who want to move to the cloud to reduce capital expenditures. But let's drop the notion that Information Technology (IT) is a vast sinkhole where money goes in and nothing of value comes back.
Certainly businesses such as eBay and Amazon and government agencies such as NASA could not fulfill their mission and be successful without understanding how computing and software are integral to their success.
If you view the video excerpt from my presentation, you'll see comparisons between computer prices and Mustangs begin in 1964. That was the year Ford introduced the wildly-popular Mustang and IBM introduced the System 360, it's third-generation computer. For the most recent computations, I've used a Dell PowerEdge T110 server and a 2011 Ford Mustang V6 that's listed by a dealer for $22,785. The base server configuration includes 1 gigabyte of RAM and dual 160 gigabyte hard drives (RAID 0). The price of $398 yields a server cost of .0174 Mustangs.
Adding Windows Server R2 Foundation Edition, with Hyper-V virtualization enabled, increased the price to $657, or .028 Mustangs. Taking it up a notch by adding Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Workgroup with 5 client licenses increased the price to $1636. That's the equivalent of .071 Ford Mustangs.
Most organizations would love to have experienced a comparable drop in the amount they've spent for energy, real estate, labor, communications, legal, marketing and other expenses.Over several decades, the price of computers has dropped dramatically - as the Mustang Index shows - and productivity of knowledge workers has risen. Of all of the things purchased or leased by organizations today, computers are undoubtedly the biggest bargain.


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Atlantis' astronauts glided to a ghostly pre-dawn landing this morning at the Kennedy Space Center to wrap up a successful refurbishment and resupply mission to the International Space Station.
Commander Jim Halsell flew Atlantis to a nighttime touchdown at the Florida spaceport at 1:20 a.m. Central time to complete a 4,076,000 mile mission, the second Shuttle flight of the year. It was the 14th nighttime landing in Shuttle history and the 22nd consecutive mission to end with a landing at KSC. Halsell was joined on Atlantis' flight deck by Pilot Scott Horowitz, Flight Engineer Jeff Williams and Mission Specialist Mary Ellen Weber. Crewmates Susan Helms, Jim Voss and Yury Usachev were seated down on the orbiter's middeck for entry and landing.
Atlantis returned to Earth after Flight Director John Shannon determined that crosswinds at the Kennedy Space Center's three-mile long landing strip were gentle and steady, enabling him to give the astronauts the green light to come home on time. Halsell fired the Shuttle's braking rockets at 12:12 a.m. Central time, allowing Atlantis to drop out of orbit for its high-speed descent. Atlantis passed over southern Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico before crossing over the Sarasota / Ft. Myers area of Florida en route to the Cape. Atlantis broke the quiet of the pre-dawn hours in Central Florida with a double sonic boom just minutes before touchdown, heralding its arrival at the landing site as it went subsonic.
Left in orbit is the renovated International Space Station, equipped with an upgraded electrical system, new fans, filters, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and communications gear. ISS flight controllers report that the complex is functioning in excellent condition. The Station is orbiting at an altitude of about 238 statute miles, awaiting the arrival of its next component, the Russian Service Module "Zvezda", which is scheduled to be launched on a modified Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in July. The ISS will automatically rendezvous and dock with "Zvezda" about two weeks after the new module is placed in orbit.
Atlantis will now be processed for the next Shuttle flight in early September to return to the International Space Station with another crew for the outfitting and supply of the newly arrived Service Module. That flight, STS-106, will be led by veteran Commander Terry Wilcutt.
The STS-101 astronauts will spend Memorial Day relaxing with their families in Florida before returning to Houston Tuesday afternoon at around 1:30 p.m. Central time for a welcoming ceremony at Ellington Field near the Johnson Space Center. JSC employees and families are invited to attend the ceremony. Further information can be obtained by calling the JSC newsroom after 8 a.m. on Tuesday at 281-483-5111.
NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to email@example.com. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.


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Toymail is a cute, child-safe toy that can send and receive wireless audio messages. There is a ton of coolness about this idea. Imagine tucking the kids into bed from anywhere in the world, or enjoying an impromptu playtime while taking a break at work.
Toymail is the brainchild of Gauri Nanda, an MIT entrepreneur who designed and marketed a runaway toy clock called Clocky. She has partnered up with her best friend Audry Hill (a mom of three), to come up with a fun and safe messaging system for little ones. The Toymail toys (which come in five characters) aren't just simple sound recording boxes. There's an integrated iOS app that let's you record, send, and receive messages to and from your little ones. You can even apply funny voice filters.
But the effort needs your help to get funded on Kickstarter. Even chipping in a dollar could bring Toymail to market, so go check out how you can help here. Only six days left to meet their campaign goal, so hurry!


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take (one) aback
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take (one) aback
To startle, astonish, shock, or disconcert one. It took us all aback a bit to learn that John was moving to England next month. I'm sure the news of the merger takes everyone aback, but please believe me that this is in the best interest of the company.
take aback
Surprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829.
take someone abackshock, surprise, or disconcert someone.
The phrase is frequently used in the passive form (be taken aback ): this was adopted in the mid 19th century from earlier (mid 18th-century) nautical terminology, to describe the situation of a ship with its sails pressed back against the mast by a headwind, preventing forward movement.
1991 Kathleen Jones Learning Not To Be First They were taken aback by the shabbiness of the hotel and lack of cleanliness in the city generally.


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PO Box 31 • Vershire, Vermont 05079 • 802.685.7724 • firstname.lastname@example.com
New for 2011
Introducing Sapsucker,
our "Belgian Beer" style sparkling,
dry hard cyder
in a handsome 22 oz bottle.
Welcome to Flag Hill
And, we are proud to introduce our newest product, Sapsucker, a Belgian Beer style hard cyder in a 22 ounce bottle.
These pages tell you more about our products, where you can buy them, and restaurants and cafes around the state where you can try them. We invite you to explore and enjoy our site.
And, remember! When you're traveling or vacationing here in beautiful Vermont, why not call ahead and add Flag Hill Farm to your itinerary? We'd be glad to show you around, give you a tasting, . . . and you can even buy some Vermont Hard Cyder products to take home.
Thanks for visiting. We hope to see you soon.
|Vermont's Best! All Natural, Crisp & Dry, Artisanal, Handmade Hard Cyder. A New England Regional Specialty. No Additives or Artificial Ingredients.


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Norwegian Elkhound puppy breeders
Norwegian Elkhounds on sale!
Have you ever wondered where all these cheap puppies for sale in pet stores come from? The answer is that they are produced in factory-like environments known as "puppy mills." Puppy mills are large-scale dog breeding operations where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Puppy mills treat dogs like products, not living beings, and usually house them in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without adequate veterinary care, socialization, or even food and water.
USDA License # 42A0575
Breeds Norwegian Elkhound puppies
USDA License # 48A1849


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As of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer support and update Windows XP. Even though your computer will continue to work, it could now become more vulnerable as security patches will no longer be available. In addition, Explorer 8 is also no longer supported or being updated. If you continue to browse the Internet using IE 8, you may be exposing your computer to threats.
What does it mean if my version of Windows is no longer supported?
Your computer will continue to work, but will no longer receive security updates from Windows Update. These updates helped protect your computer from viruses, spyware, and other malware. Windows Update also installed software updates, new drivers for your hardware, and more and those will no longer be forthcoming.
How do I know which version of Windows I am running?
Click the Start button, click Run, enter winver and press Enter. Or, you can find out if you are running XP by visiting amirunningxp.com
How do I stay protected?
You have two options. If your computer is capable of running Windows 7 or 8, upgrade your OS. If it is not, you should consider buying a new computer.
How do I know if my computer can run Windows 7 or 8?
You can download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant.
What do I do if my WMU-owned computer is no longer supported and cannot be upgraded?
You should contact your departmental or college LAN manager.
What do I do if my personal computer is no longer supported and cannot be upgraded?
While your computer will continue to work, you should consider buying a new one running a supported version of Windows. If that is not a possibility, beware that accessing the Internet on a non-updated computer opens you up to malware attacks. And, beware that devices that are not up to date with security patches will not be able to register to use WMUnet, the University's network.
Contact the Help Desk at (269) 387-4357, option 1 if you have additional questions.


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I'm a good player a medium mapper but a bad modder i dont know nothing only ini Code Zeke teached me that good guy : D
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Continue browsing the member list, to find the profile you are after.


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Recently, Liam Neeson threatened you into submission so you would watch his new trailer for Taken 2. Then, the first featurette went online that showed off retired CIA operative Bryan Mills' "skills and kills." Today, we'll continue the rhyming scheme with a new behind-the-scenes stunt featurette that highlights the sequel's "thrills and spills." Imagine my surprise when I found out Neeson wasn't actually killing all the people in the movie. I still wouldn't want to piss him off though.
Taken 2, from director Olivier Megaton, also stars Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace and Rade Serbedzija. The sequel hits theaters October 5th. Hit the jump to watch the new stunts clip.
The following clip takes you behind the scenes of some of the stuntwork in Taken 2, along with commentary from cast members (via Machinima):
Here's the official synopsis for Taken 2:
Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, the retired CIA agent with a particular set of skills who stopped at nothing to save his daughter Kim from Albanian kidnappers. When the father of one of the kidnappers swears revenge, and takes Bryan and his wife hostage during their family vacation in Istanbul, Bryan enlists Kim to help them escape, and uses the same advanced level of special forces tactics to get his family to safety and systematically take out the kidnappers one by one.


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Scorpions – Sting In The Tail (2010, Universal Music)
- Raised On Rock
- Sting In The Tail
- Slave Me
- The Good Die Young
- No Limit
- Rock Zone
- Lorelei
- Turn You On
- Spirit Of Rock
- The Best Is Yet To Come
Band Lineup:
Klaus Meine – Vocals
Rudolph Schenker – Guitars & Backing Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Guitars, Background Vocals & Talk Box
Pavel Maciwoda – Bass
James Kottak – Drums & Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Tarja Turunen – guest Vocals on 'The Good Die Young'
Producers: Mikael Nord Andersson & Martin Hansen
Country: Germany
Total Time = 44:24
Scorpions MySpace page
I'm 38 years old and the Scorpions have been making Hard Rock music since the year I was born, that's a long time! The band was started in 1965 by guitarist Rudolph Schenker but the Scorpions started their professional recording career in February 1972 with the release of their debut album LONESOME CROW. The band has seen the heights of international success through four decades and now, with the release of their new album STING IN THE TAIL, the Scorpions are calling it a career. Back in November 2009, the Scorpions announced that they were recording a new album and that it would be their last. The coming world tour to support STING IN THE TAIL would also be their last even though they have planned a 2 to 3 year tour schedule to support the album. More importantly, it's a chance for the band to say thank you to all the fans worldwide who have supported them for the last 38 years and to celebrate the reason the Scorpions exist in the first place…..to celebrate the joy of Music.
It's hard to believe a world of Music without the Scorpions, I have been listening to Rock music for close to 30 years now and the Scorpions have been a HUGE part of my musical education. I discovered the band like most people my age did: through FM radio and MTV. From BLACKOUT (1982) up to 2007's HUMANITY: HOUR 1, I have been buying Scorpions albums as soon as they are released and STING IN THE TAIL was no exception. Despite the sad news that the band was ending their career, I knew that any new record would be a classic because the band has been at the top of their game for a while. The world of Music isn't always kind to it's Hard Rock & Heavy Metal veterans but the Scorpions have always maintained solid fanbases around the world, including the U.S., where I have personally seen their last four sold-out tours in major arenas. Add that HUMANITY: HOUR 1 (2007) was an unexpected masterpiece, the band expanding and exploring their sound while creating a socially conscious Hard Rock record. That album made my Top 15 Albums of 2007…..so how would the Scorpions follow it up two years later with retirement on the horizon?
What I expected from the new album was a continuation of the updated sound on HUMANITY: HOUR 1 but what the band has created is an album that reflects what they are known for…..pure Hard Rock. STING IN THE TAIL is an album that falls into place alongside the band's commercial Rock successes like SAVAGE AMUSEMENT (1988) and CRAZY WORLD (1990) and the mid-1990's underrated gems FACE THE HEAT (1993) and PURE INSTINCT (1996). The sound is the basic Hard Rock the Scorpions have had for the last four decades and the usual formula of party rock anthems alongside stirring ballads is revisited in fine form. It's a predictable sound but in a good way. HUMANITY: HOUR 1 had it's detractors for being different and UNBREAKABLE (2004) wasn't fully embraced by a lot of fans even though it was a return to the familiar formula. In a lot of ways, STING IN THE TAIL becomes the natural follow-up to PURE INSTINCT or maybe UNBREAKABLE.
The first thing I noticed about the album was the number of songs with the word "Rock" in the title. Anytime I see an album with more than two songs about "Rock", I get a little worried that the band is strip mining a concept that's been done over and over. The Scorpions have never been afraid of celebrating the ability to rock and using it for song concepts so it goes along with the proven formula. Songs like 'Raised On Rock', 'Sting In The Tail' and 'Spirit Of Rock' are all party Rock songs that follow the same direction as previous Scorpions classics like 'Rock You Like A Hurricane', 'Tease Me, Please Me' and 'Rhythm Of Love'. There is also the trademark Scorpions balladry, something the band used to be criticized for because their ballads became so popular. 'The Good Die Young' has moments that remind me of the classic 'Still Loving You' and 'Lorelei' has some similarities with 'Send Me An Angel' but the best ballad on STING IN THE TAIL is the final song 'The Best Is Yet To Come'. There are some similar sounds between this track and the Scorpions' mega-hit 'Wind Of Change', probably due to the upbeat nature of the lyrics and the mellow tempo, and it's definitely one of my favorite songs on the record. 'The Best Is Yet To Come' is also prophetic in that this is the final song on the final Scorpions album but the band is sending a message that "the best is yet to come" in the future. Does that mean the band is keeping the door open to continuing on (like KISS)? Or is it that Meine, Schenker, Jabs, Kottak and Maciwoda are letting us know that the next chapter of their lives begins after the Scorpions cease to exist?
Bottom Line:
I have been giving STING IN THE TAIL round the clock playback since I bought it. At first, I really didn't get into the album because it was your basic Scorpions record, something we've all heard before. I was looking forward to a continuation of HUMANITY: HOUR 1 and the updated sound…..maybe an HOUR 2? After repeated listens, and some comparisons to other Scorpions records, STING IN THE TAIL grew on me and I've grown to really enjoy it. If you're going to end your career on a high note then I guess you should follow the successful formula of making records that you've followed for the last 38 years. The Scorpions have created an album that can sit proudly with previous successes and put a positive Hard Rock stamp on their career. The band has done what it has always done: make a good Hard Rock record. It may not be their absolute best but it is definitely far from their worst…..if you're a true Scorpions fan, then you will definitely be happy with this album.
Favorite Songs:
'Raised On Rock', 'Sting In The Tail', 'The Good Die Young', 'Lorelei', 'Spirit Of Rock', 'The Best Is Yet To Come'


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With 20+ years of experience producing winning creative at top New York-based ad agencies, Patrick has earned a reputation for reinventing consumer brands. This, of course, fits hand in glove with Uncommon Caribbean's mission to refresh how people think about Caribbean travel. It's an ambitious task, but this born and bred Crucian has already managed similar feats for the likes of Samsung, Kraft, Six Flags, Verizon, and others; so we're feeling pretty good about having him in charge. Did we mention he's also got a passion for photography? Patrick may call Brooklyn home, but you're just as likely to find him traipsing across some distant, exotic land experiencing local cultures... Camera in hand.
Over 150,000 fans can't be wrong. Follow us.


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I know that it's no longer tomato season for some of you, but it's still happening in my neck of the woods. I just couldn't pass them up at the market this weekend. It's hard to keep walking when these heirloom varieties are so gorgeous.
So, I'm sneaking in one last tomato dish for the year. It must be done. Hopefully you can sneak one in, too. If not, there's always next year.
Since these particular tomatoes were so handsome, I wanted to make something to show off just how good looking they were. A tart seemed like the perfect solution.
Tomatoes and puff pastry, together at last. I love the simplicity of this tart, and because it is so simple, it really showcases the goods. The combination of the buttery puff pastry and the juicy, slightly acidic tomatoes is perfect – definitely more decadent than your average tomato and pizza dough pairing. It's really lovely served with a mixed green or arugula salad and a glass of white wine. Oh, tomatoes, until we meet again…
adapted from Canal House Cooking, Volume 4 by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer
serves 4-6
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
2-3 tomatoes, cored and sliced
2-3 branches fresh thyme
really good extra-virgin olive oil
flaky sea salt, preferably Maldon
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay the sheet of puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, lightly score a 1/2-inch border around the pastry. Prick the dough inside of the border all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from puffing too much during baking.
Arrange the tomato slices on the pastry in a single layer, being careful not to crowd or overlap the tomatoes, which will make the puff pastry soggy. Strip the branches of thyme, scattering the leaves over the tomatoes. Drizzle the tart with olive oil and season with pepper.
Bake the tart until the pastry is crisp and deeply browned on the bottom and around the edges, 30-40 minutes. Season with salt. Eat warm or at room temperature, preferably the day you make it.


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Virginia's congressional delegation is not of a single mind over President Barack Obama's request to authorize a military strike against Syria, and some members are still making up their minds.
An Associated Press survey Tuesday and Wednesday of the state's 11 House members and two senators finds that six either flatly oppose or are leaning against a resolution for a strike against the Syrian government for suspected use of chemical weapons in the country's civil war. Four support it or are leaning toward supporting it when a vote is likely taken next week.
Three remain undecided.
The United States is considering a punitive strike against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, blamed by the U.S. and the Syrian opposition for an alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, the Syrian capital.
The survey - part of a nationwide AP inventory of congressional sentiment on the issue - asked each member of the delegation Tuesday to select what best described his position from a list of five options: For a strike, leaning for it, undecided, leaning against a strike, or against it.
Results among Virginians mirrored results nationally showing little correlation to party affiliation.
For instance, the three Virginians who were unambiguously for authorizing a strike share little else in common on policy issues - Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of suburban Richmond on one aide, and Rep. James P. Moran of Alexandria and Sen. Tim Kaine, both Democrats, on the other.
Kaine cast a vote Wednesday on a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee to authorize the strike.
"A failure to respond to such a blatant violation of longstanding international norms not only signals an acceptance of this atrocity, it also jeopardizes the lives of our service members in combat both today and in the future,'' the state's junior senator said in a statement announcing his vote.
Sen. Mark R. Warner was described by his press secretary, Kevin Hall, only as being undecided with no further elaboration on his thinking.
The lone Virginian on record as being firmly against a U.S. attack on the Syrian government was Rep. J. Randy Forbes of Chesapeake. His press aide, Alex Gray, also did not elaborate
All five House members who described themselves as leaning against an attack were Republicans: Reps. Bob Goodlatte, Scott Rigell, Frank Wolf, H. Morgan Griffith and Rob Wittman.
Goodlatte said he reserves the right to change his mind if he hears a compelling case during classified House briefings this week or Monday.
"I have told my constituents that while I have a lot of questions about it and I am skeptical about it, I would wait until I am fully briefed and fully informed about what the president is proposing before I made any final decision,'' Goodlatte said in an interview Monday after a Labor Day parade in Buena Vista.
Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Fairfax County was the only Virginian leaning for a punitive air strike on Syria, "but no boots on the ground,'' said his spokesman, George Burke.
House members who, like Warner, were undecided were Republican Robert Hurt of Chatham and Democrat Robert C. "Bobby'' Scott of Newport News.
"I believe the precedence that will be set by engaging Syria militarily without the support of the United Nations, or at least an alternate coalition demonstrating an international consensus, would be problematic,'' Scott said in a statement.
Survey: Va. Delegation Split Over Syria Attack
Virginia's congressional delegation is not of a single mind over President Barack Obama's request to authorize a military strike against Syria, and some members are still making up their minds.


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Check out the latest RPG news | Podcasts | Twitch Streams
I feel bad because the only reason I know what this is happens to be because it was an eroge on PC...
The PC version was an eroge. They cleaned it up for the console version. That sort of thing happens a lot.
Corpse Party?
Also it is hard to find info on this game in English. Is it like Disgaea meets Katawa Shoujo?
I cannot find any release date for NA/EU it just says when it came out in Japan.


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Thanks, very much appreciated! =) Things are going OK here for the most part. Hope you have a great weekend!
Welcome aboard! =) Hope all is well with you today...
Wow, rough place to be. And being an atheist in the middle of that area doesn't help much, huh? It's not like you can step off to one side and say, "This doesn't involve me, because I don't believe in either group's religious nonsense."
Welcome, Palestine's daughter! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends.Perhaps you'll find your voice with us.
After you've searched for topics of interest in "Groups" above and in the "Forums", don't forget to look at recent activity which hides along the right margin of the page all the way at the bottom.
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NY residents' anger builds against utility
NEW YORK -- New Yorkers railed Sunday against a utility that has lagged behind others in restoring power two weeks after the superstorm that socked the region, criticizing its slow pace as well as a dearth of information.
At least 150,000 people in New York and New Jersey remained without power Sunday, including tens of thousands of homes and businesses that were too damaged to receive power at all. More than 8 million lost power during the storm, and some during a later nor'easter.
The lack of power restoration for a relative few in the densely populated region at the heart of the storm reinforced Sandy's fractured effect on the area: tragic and vicious to some, merely a nuisance to others.
Perhaps none of the utilities have drawn criticism as widespread, or as harsh, as the Long Island Power Authority.
More than 60,000 of the homes and businesses it serves were still without power Sunday, and another 55,000 couldn't safely connect even though their local grid was back online because their wiring and other equipment had been flooded. It would need to be repaired or inspected before those homes could regain power, LIPA said.
Customers told of calling LIPA multiple times a day for updates and getting no answer, or contradictory advice.
"I was so disgusted the other night," said Carrie Baram of Baldwin Harbor, who said she calls the utility three times a day. "I was up till midnight but nobody bothered to answer the telephone."
Baram, 56, said she and her husband, Bob, go to the mall to charge their cellphones and for Bob, a sales manager, to work. They trekked to her parents' house to shower. At night, they huddle under a pile of blankets and listen to the sound of fire engines, which Baram assumes are blaring because people have been accidentally setting blazes with their generators.
"It's dark," said an audibly exasperated Baram, "it's frightening, and it's freezing."
LIPA has said it knows that customers aren't getting the information they need, partly because of an outdated information technology system that it's is updating.
"'They're working on it, they're working on it' -- that would be their common response," Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said Sunday, describing LIPA's interaction with his office.
He said LIPA had failed to answer even simple questions from its customers and that Sandy's magnitude wasn't an excuse.
"How could a utility of that size, with the financial support that it receives, fail to communicate with its residents?" he said. "Its basic logistics seem to have failed."
Mangano and other lawmakers have called for the federal government to step in and assist with restoring power to Long Island, saying LIPA could not be trusted to get the job done.
On Sunday, LIPA said it had restored power to 95 percent of homes and businesses where it was safe to receive power and that that figure would be 99 percent by the end of Tuesday. It scheduled a news conference for later Sunday to update its progress.
Phillip Jones, 43, a parole officer in Uniondale, said he had called LIPA about 10 times a day before his power was turned on Saturday and usually just got a busy signal. A few times he got a recording saying the company was aware of the problems and would call if it needed to speak to him.
"Which was kind of strange," Jones said, "because most of the phones were not working that well."
Jones also criticized LIPA's failure to find a way to tell people how long to expect to be without electricity.
"If they had said the lights won't be on until two weeks from now, I could have made a two-week plan," he said. Instead, he and his wife and two children had been sleeping in one bed to try to stay warm, and he missed two weeks of work. "All you could do was hope that today would be the day."
In New York City, the mayor's office said about 6,000 residents of low-income housing were still without power in 30 buildings. Ahead of a Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city was "getting more generators in" and added, "It's a question of how quickly the electricians can set things up."
He said heating is "a more complex problem, but that's coming along as well."
Police raised the city's death toll from the storm to 43, after the death of a 77-year-old retired custodian who apparently fell down the stairs of his apartment building in the Rockaways, when it was dark and without power. Family members found him on Oct. 31; he died at a hospital Saturday.
Though New York and New Jersey bore the brunt of the destruction, at its peak, the storm reached 1,000 miles across, killed more than 100 people in 10 states, knocked out power to 8.5 million and canceled nearly 20,000 flights. More than 12 inches of rain fell in Easton, Md., and 34 inches of snow fell in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Damage has been estimated $50 billion, making Sandy the second most expensive storm in U.S. history, behind Katrina.
Associated Press writers Verena Dobnik and Deepti Hajela contributed to this report.


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Monday, June 04, 2012
FIFTY SHADES OF KELLY GREEN - by Diane Kelly
Posted by Diane Kelly at 12:00 AM
6 comments:
- Brandy said...
I think your list is pretty good. Might want to add something about, um, flatulence. Kind of kills the mood. Also, if the hubs brings you flowers and/or your absolute favorite sweet treat.... *g*
- June 4, 2012 at 12:15 AM
- Gemma Halliday said...
OMG, I spewed my morning tea reading this! I love it!
- June 4, 2012 at 10:41 AM
- Kima said...
OMG, Diane! That was hysterical and right up my alley. I will definitely be borrowing from your contract for my own. My contract w/hubby will include something about no nookie if any bodily noises eruptly at an inconvenient moment! :)
- June 4, 2012 at 11:44 AM
- Terri Osburn said...
Brilliant! I think there should be an exemption for half-time. A quickie during half-time can make the rest of the game even more enjoyable. Just sayin'...
- June 4, 2012 at 1:27 PM
- Christie Craig said...
I did some seriously laughing at this one girl!!!
- June 5, 2012 at 12:16 PM
- Christie Craig said...
I did some seriously laughing at this one girl!!!
- June 5, 2012 at 12:16 PM


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3 Piece West Elm King/California King 300 Thread Count Egyptian Cotton Duvet Cover Set
3 piece 300 thread count 100% Egyptian cotton fiber reactive print duvet cover set. Reactive print lasts longer and looks like real live pictures.
Machine wash in cold water, no bleach, tumble dry at low temperature.
King/California King 3 Piece Set:
Please allow 4-7 business days for shipping plus standard ground transit time.


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Meetings & Events
List of Meetings and Events on {{selectedDate | date:'fullDate'}}
List of meetings for {{search.year}}
List of Meetings and Events - All
Seventh meeting of the Task Force on Access to Justice
24 - 25 February 2014
Geneva, Switzerland
Seventh meeting of the Task Force on Access to Justice took place in Geneva, Palais des Nations, Salle IX from 24 to 25 February 2014. The meeting will be held back to back to the seventeenth meeting of the Working Group of the Parties to be held from 26 to 28 February 2014.
The meeting of the Task Force continued considering such substantive issues as effective standing, remedies and costs. Participants discussed the preliminary findings of the analytical studies carried out under auspices of the Task Force in 2012-2013, good practices regarding legal aid schemes for members of the public and ways to support public interest lawyers.
Furthermore, they shared their experience on multi-stakeholders dialogues on access to justice in their respective countries as supported by the Working Group of the Parties at its fifteenth meeting (Geneva, 3-5 September 2012) and exchanged information on capacity-building needs and initiatives as well as on existing tools for providing information on access to justice.
Documents, presentations and statements
|Provisional agenda (AC/TF.AJ-7/Inf.1)
|Report on the seventh meeting, ECE/MP.PP/2014/5
|Key outcomes of the meeting (AC/TF.AJ-7/Inf.2)
|List of participants
|Item 2. Substantive issues
|(a) Study on standing before courts in environmental cases in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (preliminary version)
|(b) Study on access to justice in environmental cases in South-Eastern Europe
|Item 4. The way forward
|Draft decision on promoting effective access to justice (ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2014/L.3)
Presentations and statements
|Presentations and statements
|Item 2. Substantive issues: effective standing, remedies and costs
|The Europeanization of access to justice in environmental matters - the German perspective
|Ms Sabine Schlacke, Institut für Umwelt- und Planungsrecht (IUP), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Germany
|(a) Preliminary findings of the study on standing for individuals, groups and environmental NGOs before courts in case of environmental matters in the selected countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia
|Mr Dmytro Skrylnikov, Bureau of Environmental Investigation, Ukraine
|(b) Preliminary findings of the study on access to justice in environmental cases in South-Eastern Europe
|Mr Csaba Kiss, Environmental Management and Law Association, Hungary
|(c) Exchange of information and good practices regarding legal aid schemes for members of the public and ways to support public interest lawyers
|Ms Lissie Jørgensen, Denmark
|Ms Beate Ekeberg, Norway
|Mr Brian Ruddie, the United Kingdom
|Mr Eduardo Salazar, European ECO Forum and Justice and Environment Network
|(d) Sharing information and experience concerning any new developments in legislation and practice with regard to standing, remedies and costs
|Ms Noriko Okubo, Osaka University, Japan
|Ms Carol Day, CAJE, the United Kingdom
|Ms Joanna Cornelius, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Sweden
|Mr Xavier Campos, Catalan Circle for Business
|Item 3. Sharing experiences and building capacities
|(a) A multi-stakeholder dialogue on access to justice at the national level: sharing experiences
|Mr Vladimir Borisov, Supreme Court of Kazakhstan
|(b) Strengthening capacities in the area of access to justice: identifying needs and priorities
|Mr Adam-Daniel Nagy, European Commission
|Mr Eduardo Salazar, Asociacion para la justicia ambiental, Spain
|(c) Tools for providing information on access to justice
|Mr Gustavs Gailis, Latvia
|Ms Despina Bejinaru, Romania


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He's known for his villainous role as the Green Goblin in the "Spider-Man" franchise, but Willem Dafoe told MTV News he was once up for the role of another spooky comic book character.
"Very early, they talked to me about playing Batman," the "Antichrist" and "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" star told the site of Tim Burton's 1989 film, which went on to star Michael Keaton.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Fan Candy: Superheroes, Sci-Fi & Beyond!
Willem spoke out about the former attachment after a rumor appeared on his IMDB page that he'd been linked to the part of The Joker – the role that went to Jack Nicholson.
"I hate to spread these things because unless you remember it well, you're stoking the fires of bulls***. But I remember [it]. I've had my brush with these things," he said.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Spectacular Superheroes
Though he never got to play the Caped Crusader, a decade later, Willem donned a different mask in another comic book universe as Spider-Man's arch-nemesis the Green Goblin and his secret identity, businessman Norman Osborn.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'The Dark Knight' Scenes & Stars
PLAY IT NOW: 2009 CineVegas Awards: Jon Voight On Obama, Plus Willem Dafoe & Tony Hawk
PLAY IT NOW: 'The Dark Knight' New York Premiere
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Batman - Spider-Man - Movies - Geek Chic - Celebrities


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December 23, 2010
1972: Cowboys Overcome 15-Point Deficit to Beat 49ers in Playoff Game
The two teams that met in a NFC Divisional playoff on December 23, 1972 were familiar to each other from recent postseason action. The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers had met the previous two years for the NFC Championship, with Dallas coming away the victor on both occasions.
The Cowboys, winners of the last Super Bowl and coached by Tom Landry, were not coming into the game as NFC East champions in this instance - they had placed second to the Redskins with a 10-4 record and were in the playoffs as a wild card entry. QB Roger Staubach missed most of the season due to a shoulder injury, although he was available for the playoffs – Craig Morton performed capably in his absence. RB Duane Thomas was dumped off to San Diego during the season due to behavioral issues, but RB Calvin Hill had gained 1036 yards. The offensive line was exceptional, the defensive line in transition due to age and injuries. Indeed, if the defense was a cause of concern, it was because of advancing age.
The 49ers, under Head Coach Dick Nolan, won the NFC West for the third straight year, finishing at 8-5-1. They, too, lost their starting quarterback along the way as 37-year-old John Brodie suffered an ankle injury in the fifth game and didn't return until the finale. Steve Spurrier, ex-Heisman trophy winner and first round draft pick in 1967, came off the bench and went 6-2-1 in relief (although he needed help from Brodie in the season's last game). WR Gene Washington and TE Ted Kwalick provided outstanding targets for the passing game, while the running attack was adequate (at best). The offensive line was solid. Defensively, the line, despite injuries, led the NFL with 46 sacks while LB Dave Wilcox and CB Jimmy Johnson were key performers.
It was a sunny day at San Francisco's Candlestick Park and the 59,746 fans in attendance received an immediate thrill when HB Vic Washington returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. The Cowboys responded with a 37-yard Toni Fritsch field goal, and the first quarter ended with the 49ers ahead by 7-3.
San Francisco drove from its six yard line into Dallas territory, highlighted by a long pass play from Brodie to Gene Washington, but another long pass by Brodie was intercepted by safety Charlie Waters at the Cowboys' one yard line.
Craig Morton had started the game at quarterback for Dallas, and on the possession following the interception he fumbled the ball away when hit by DE Tommy Hart and CB Windlan Hall at his own 15 yard line. RB Larry Schreiber (pictured at right) scored a one-yard touchdown shortly thereafter to put the Niners up by 14-3.
Schreiber scored another short TD, set up by LB Skip Vanderbundt's interception of a Morton pass at the Dallas 32, before the Cowboys scored again on a 45-yard field goal by Fritsch. Before the second quarter was over they also got a touchdown on a 28-yard pass from Morton to WR Lance Alworth. San Francisco led by 21-13 at the half.
Early in the third quarter, the Niners failed to extend their lead when Bruce Gossett missed a 40-yard field goal attempt. While the 49ers got the ball back on another Vanderbundt interception, they had to punt. Jim McCann managed to angle the kick out at the five yard line and it led to another big break created by the opportunistic San Francisco defense. Hill fumbled on his own one yard line after being hit by DT Charlie Krueger and the result was Schreiber's third one-yard TD of the game that put the 49ers ahead by 28-13.
Dallas wasn't moving the ball and was being done in by turnovers. Just before the end of the third quarter, Coach Landry chose to make a change at quarterback and inserted Staubach.
In a classy gesture, Morton went to Staubach as he warmed up and told him "I have confidence in you. You can win." But it didn't seem that the move would change the Cowboys' fortunes when he threw an incompletion and was sacked. Staubach fumbled when hit by DT Bob Hoskins and the 49ers recovered. It appeared once again that they would pad their lead, but Gossett missed another field goal attempt, this time from 32 yards.
The next possession went better for Dallas as Hill ran 48 yards on a draw play. After Staubach completed a pass to WR Billy Parks (pictured at left), Fritsch kicked a 27-yard field goal to narrow San Francisco's margin to 28-16 – less than two touchdowns.
With the clock down to nearly two minutes left to play, and following a bad punt by the 49ers' McCann that gave the Cowboys good field position at the San Francisco 45, Staubach began completing passes, two to FB Walt Garrison for 16 yards and two to Parks that included a 20-yard touchdown. The drive had run off just 32 seconds and Dallas was now down by only 28-23.
Fritsch came through with a well-executed onside kick that San Francisco WR Preston Riley briefly handled but was recovered by CB Mel Renfro for the Cowboys. On the first play, Staubach looked to pass, couldn't find an open receiver, and scrambled 21 yards. He then completed a pass to Parks, who ran out of bounds at the 10 with 56 seconds to go, for a gain of 19 yards.
On the next play, with the 49ers blitzing, Staubach threw to his secondary receiver, WR Ron Sellers, who was open in the middle of the field in front of the goal post. Sellers scored (pictured at top), and the Cowboys took the lead.
The 49ers had one last chance with 52 seconds to work with. It seemed as though Brodie might yet salvage the game as he completed three passes, but an apparent 23-yard toss to Riley that would have put San Francisco in field goal range was called back due to a holding penalty. Brodie was intercepted by safety Charlie Waters on the next play, thus sealing the 30-28 comeback win for Dallas.
The Cowboys rolled up 402 yards, to 255 for the Niners, and also led in first downs with 22 to San Francisco's 13. But they had turned the ball over five times, nearly burying themselves, although none came during the spectacular fourth quarter comeback. Dallas also gave up five sacks (Morton once, Staubach four times) while not getting to Brodie at all.
Roger Staubach (pictured at right) completed 12 of 20 passes for 174 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in just over a quarter of action. Previously, Craig Morton was successful on 8 of 21 throws for 96 yards with a TD and two picked off. Billy Parks led the receivers with 7 catches for 136 yards and a touchdown. Calvin Hill gained 125 yards rushing on 18 carries.
For the 49ers, John Brodie threw 22 passes and completed 12 of them for 150 yards with no TDs and two interceptions (both by Charlie Waters). Preston Riley caught 4 passes for 41 yards while Gene Washington had 76 yards on three receptions. Vic Washington, in addition to running the opening kickoff all the way for a score, also ran for 56 yards on 10 carries, although Larry Schreiber was the workhorse for the Niners with 26 attempts for 52 yards and the three short TDs.
"It's the best comeback we've had since I've been in Dallas," said Tom Landry, who showed uncharacteristic emotion afterward.
The stunning win didn't spur the Cowboys back to the Super Bowl, however. They lost the NFC Championship game to Washington. San Francisco, having fallen short in the playoffs for three consecutive years, went into decline and didn't return to the postseason until 1981.
2 comments:
- AnonymousNovember 28, 2013 at 8:11 PM
I was at this game with 2 min 32 sec remaining when Staubach replaced Morton. I was one of few Cowboys fans to refuse to give up hope. I almost had to walk home to San Jose.ReplyDeleteReplies
This play will always be celebrated and immortilized by the dallas cowboys as the greatest miricle victory in cowboys history known as (Miricle by the bay) the touchdown pass from staubach to sellers from the 10 yard line with only 32 seconds when they were down like two touchdowns or so in the final minutes of the game.to many fans this play is even more sugnificant than the hailmary because it was the birth of Americas Team and by that i mean because of the thrilling way the cowboys would win come from behind games and the excitement they bought to the NFL. So may that tochdown the"miricle by the bay"stauback to sellers be immortilized and remembered as one of the greatest games in NFL historyDelete


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How to Find Home Insurance After You've Been Dropped
Strengthen your case by showing insurers that you've fixed the problem, such as providing evidence that you've replaced old pipes.
My insurer dropped me after I filed two water-damage claims in the past year, and I'm being turned down by other companies, too. What can I do to find coverage? --Earl Shaffer, West Columbia, S.C.
Insurance companies tend to be sticklers about water damage because it can lead to more-expensive problems, such as mold. But a few steps should help improve your chances of getting a policy.
Start by contacting an independent insurance agent who works with many companies and knows from experience which ones will cover someone with your home's history (go to www.trustedchoice.com for local contacts).
"Most of the time, there's some insurance company out there willing to sell the coverage as long as it gets the price it wants for the risk," says Steven Spiro, an independent agent in Valley Stream, N.Y.
Strengthen your case by showing insurers that you've fixed the problem. "To get companies to reconsider, show that all the necessary repairs and remediation, where possible, were done," says Spiro. Providing evidence that you've replaced old pipes or installed a new roof can make your home more attractive to insurers. You can also add a note to your CLUE Personal Property report explaining that the problem has been fixed, says Jeanne Salvatore, of the Insurance Information Institute (access your report at https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/).
An insurer may offer you coverage if you raise your deductible to $1,500 or more. Insurers also look favorably on customers who have both homeowners and auto insurance with them.


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Database development and administration tools company Devart (the artist formerly known as Core Lab) has launched its dbForge Data Studio for SQL Server v.2.0 product this week.
Aligned for the needs of application developers working with SQL Server, this second version release claims to be a "worthy alternative" to SQL Management Studio for developers tasked with creating database-intensive applications who want to improve their working efficiency.
NOTE: Worthy alternative or not, is it perhaps worth noting that Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is available as a free graphical management tool for managing SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services.
Devart says that it has taken account of users' needs and integrated the functionality of SQL Complete Express Edition into dbForge Data Studio for SQL Server. New enhancements include:
- Context-sensitive code completion and object suggestions for SELECT, DML, DROP, EXEC, SET, and USE statements
- Smart filtering of the suggestion list based on user input
- Parameter information for functions
- Quick object information available from SQL editor
- SQL formatting with rich options (limited to the set of statements mentioned above)
According to Devart, developers and data pros using the Visual Query Builder can create INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements. There has been an extension of the "types" of edited queries possible and the general usability of the tool has been improved with features such as automated data report delivery to enable users to control report generation and delivery setup from the command line. This provides an opportunity to use Windows scheduler for regular reports generation.
New data export to SQL statements functions provides the ability to export data to INSERT, UPDATE, and MERGE statements. Users can export data from a table or data grid using a wizard and quick export from a data grid without opening the wizard.
Finally, the data compare function allows for extended data reports and custom query result comparison (i.e., the results of specific queries can be compared). Objects can be included into comparisons by mask, which is useful when comparing groups of tables as well as improved analysis of comparison results and data synchronization.


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MhiHayoli wrote:1. Tea of various kinds (favourite is Earl Grey and Rosehip )
Zhuanyong wrote:MhiHayoli wrote:1. Tea of various kinds (favourite is Earl Grey and Rosehip )
You are the first person I have ever read about or heard confirm that they like Earl Grey, no less it's one of your favorite teas. I tried it once and didn't like it too much. I'm more of a Chamomile, Peppermint, Zinger and Green Tea type of drinker.
Lady Wu wrote:Do you just not like black tea at all?
I occasionally enjoy a cup of Earl Grey as an afternoon tea (no milk or sugar). I don't drink it often, though, because I try not to have any caffeine after lunch time. Earl Greys also vary a lot depending on who makes it--sometimes tea companies use lower-grade teas in their flavoured teas, and you get too much of the flavouring and not enough of a robust tea flavour.
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Types of Basement Windows
Looking at the Different Types of Basement Windows
The different types of basement window styles are casement, double-hung, and sliding. Each style can be used to satisfy building codes for egress, as long as the dimensions for width and height meet the minimum requirements.
- Casement basement windows are the ideal type of basement window because they offer solid construction for energy efficiency and provide a good source of natural light and ventilation. Casement windows also crank open quickly and provide an easy escape through an unobstructed exit. Casement window prices vary by manufacturer, size, material, and the type of hardware. Prices range from $200 up to $2,000 or more.
- Double-hung basement windows aren't as energy efficient as casement windows, but they're attractive, easy to clean, and easy to open. Double-hung windows have top and bottom sliding sashes (the framed part of the window that holds the sheets of glass in place). The windows open by pulling the lower sash up or the upper sash down. Double-hung window prices vary based on factors such as manufacturer, size, material, and whether they're double or triple pane. Prices range from $150 up to $1,000 or more.
- Sliding basement windows don't have compression seals, so they are less energy efficient than casement windows and double-hung windows. Although sliding windows can be leaky and drafty if they're not properly weatherized, they're easy to open and close for quick escape, easy to clean, and widely accepted in fire and building codes.
The International Residential Code (IRC) requires two forms of escape for every living space: a window large enough for a firefighter or emergency responder to enter, and an exit door. If your basement is being used as an extra bedroom, game room, or a home office, you'll need to add an egress window with a minimum opening of 5.7 square feet, width of at least 20 inches and height of 24. The window's sill height must also be within 44 inches of the basement floor to allow for easy escape.
You can hire a contractor to install your egress window or you can do it yourself. If you decide to do the work yourself, you will need a building permit in order to dig the well, cut a new or larger window opening in the foundation, install the window, and install the well.


text: Boston's Reggie Lewis really wasn't much of a factor last season. He averaged less than 7/2/2 as a rookie. But so far this season, he's taken on a premiere spot on the bench and has been da bomb for Boston so far this season. How bomb? Pretty darn bomb. Also, am I using "bomb" correctly? […]Please, blog, may I have some more?


text: Co-Chairs Judge Kern Reese and Judge Jay Zainey met with Bench Bar Committee members Tim Daniels, Nan Alessandra, Samantha Griffin, James Brown and Chris Ralston to prepare for the April 19-21, 2013 Conference at Beau Rivage. We've got great programs in the works! Make your room reservations now by calling (888)383-7037. Only attendees may use our room block.


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I and many tipsters have encountered some issues tonight when trying to launch the game.
Here's what we know:
- The Launcher is downloading something small.
- It is taking much longer than the 2 minutes estimated.
- Sometimes the download fails.
- Once the "something" has been downloaded, some are getting "unable to validate game version".
- Constant attempts to log in appear to make the error go away.
- There is no indication of what has been downloaded.
We will update you as soon as we know anything.
Please note: There is no indication patch 3.3 is dropping. NONE.
Update 8:55pm: Blizzard says that the downloading issues are due to "prime time" and gives some advice in this link, mostly suggesting to wait.
Update 8:44pm: Blizzard is calling this a "Tools Patch" and saying that "Safe Mode with Networking" is solving some people's problems. Obviously the issues are not fixed.
Update 8:30pm: Blizzard says they have fixed the issues. Anyone still having problems should take the steps outlined in this link.


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The Griffin Travel speaker takes away the hassle of having to remember additional batteries with an iPod travel dock. That's because the speaker is powered directly from your iPod using the 30-pin connector dock.
The obvious concern with this is that it would severely drain your iPod's battery. But we didn't find this to be the case at all. We tested the speaker for around 12 hours, with a fully charged 120GB iPod classic and the iPod's battery indicator still signalled around a quarter of the battery's life was left.
Now Apple advertise the classic as having 36 hours playback on a full charge, so there is obviously some draw - but it's minimal and over a few nights away from home you're hardly going to notice it as being an issue.
It's all well and good having a good USP like the battery power but the speaker still needs to sound good. And thankfully, it does. Well, it sounds as good as you'd expect a sub £30 travel-speaker to sound at least. It's fairly tinny but that's no surprise with such a small setup, but the volume level is pretty impressive. It is much louder than we expected without getting overly distorted and the sound has a nice rich feel, which was quite surprising.
It's very plasticy, but it's also very compact. You could slip this dock into your rucksack and it would hardly take up any space. Plus, the hard-plastic its made up of makes it quite robust - so it can take a bit of a bashing on-route, which it is bound to get if you're lugging it around with you on your travels.
Let's not beat around the bush, the Griffin Travel Speaker isn't going to win any awards for sound quality, although it is no-dud either - we've come across genuine living room docks that don't sound as good as it.
But if you're looking for a cheap, reliable and loud(ish) speaker system to have with you on the fly then it's absolutely brilliant.
It's tough, it's hassle-free and for what you're expected to fork out, it's very cheap.
It's a must-have festival accessory and we're sure it will give you hours of fun (well, about 18 hours at least).


text: We at LxL are men for all seasons, and winter is no exception. As three people grown up and still suffering through the Midwestern cold, we get the meaning of winter. So we know you need a little musical help to get you through the harsh cold. Here are our top ten albums of winter. Enjoy.


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Home > Home, Garden & Office > Furniture & Decor > Floral Throw Pillow Case Cushion Cover Pillow Slip - Black and White
Product Details
Elegant throw pillow cover used to replace the old for entire new look. Features floral patterns, this cushion cover provides instant color and texture for your sofa or bed. Easy to make your home modern and special with this pillow slip.
- Satiny throw pillow cover with flocking floral patterns, solid white on back
- Hidden zipper allows easy insertion or removal of a cushion
- Perfect for expressing your simply living style
- Easy to match your sofa and bed
- Size (L x W): Approx. 17 x 17 inch
- Material: N / P taffeta and flocking
- Color: Black and white
Note: Cushion is not included.
Package Includes:
- 1 x Throw Pillow Case
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Minnesota (USA)
Minnesota, one of the Midwestern states of the United States of America, is bounded on the north by Canada, east by Lake Superior and Wisconsin, south by Iowa, and west by the Dakotas. The chief towns are Minneapolis and the adjoining capital St. Paul. The state is known as the land of 10,000 lakes. Mining and lumbering are among its industries, but the state is noted largely for its prosperous agriculture. Minnesota was the 32nd state to join the Union on 11 May 1858.
The area of the state is 87,014 square miles (225,365 km²) and the 2008 estimated population was 5,220,393. In 2006 the state's racial composition was as follows: 87.3% White (non-Hispanic); 4.4% Black (non-Hispanic); 3.8% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races; 3.4% Asian/Pacific Islander; 1% Native American/Alaskan Native; 1.6% mixed race; and 1.6% other races. In 2001 the religious affiliation of people in Minnesota was as follows: Roman Catholic - 25%; Lutheran - 24%; No Religion - 14%; Other Christian - 7%; Baptist - 5%; Methodist - 4%; Assemblies of God - 2%; Church of God - 2%; Other - 2%; Presbyterian - 2%; Other Protestant - 1%; Pentecostal - 1%; Episcopalian/Anglican - 1%; Jewish - 1%; Non-Denominational - 1%; Congregational/UCC - 1%; Jehovah's Witness - 1%; Refused to Answer - 6%.
1957 Article
The first Mennonite settlers in Minnesota came in 1873 from the Crimea, Russia, into the Village of Mountain Lake, in the southern part of the state, which was hardly more than a railway station then. Other groups, all of Dutch-Prussian-Russian background, came in succeeding years; by 1880 some 350 families had come to this Cottonwood County village, which became the center of a large Mennonite community. Some of these families made their homes in the village and set up places of business, but most took up neighboring farm lands. A few families chose more outlying districts but later came back. Leaders in the early years were the four pioneer elders, Aaron Wall, Heinrich Voth, Gerhard Neufeld, and Heinrich H. Regier. Other personalities of note were Jacob J. Balzer, I. I. Bargen, and John Rempel, who were instrumental in organizing school and church life.
A smaller contingent of Mennonites came to Butterfield, in Watonwan County, the county east of Cottonwood, in 1880-1883. This group, of Galician (Swiss) origin, came from the Lemberg area in Austria. A few families of this group located in outlying districts, but only temporarily. Most of these people lived in or near Butterfield. The Butterfield and Mountain Lake area was really one community. Through the years a number of families drifted away to western states, and some to the cities, but many came back. The majority of the Mennonites in this locality were prosperous farmers, but a goodly number set up flourishing business establishments. Some went into professions, such as medicine, nursing, teaching, and the ministry.
A small group of Mennonites lived at Warroad, a town of about 1,500, in Roseau County in northwestern Minnesota, since 1934. Most of this group came originally from the Mountain Lake and Butterfield area. They left Minnesota in 1916 and settled near Lostwood, in northwestern North Dakota, but because of continued crop failures moved to Warroad. Their number was increased by some families from Alsen and Munich, ND, and others coming direct from the Mountain Lake and Butterfield community. They were all of Dutch-Prussian-Russian background. A congregation (General Conference Mennonite) was organized in 1939 and a country church was built. Its membership in 1954 was 86.
The first Mennonite church in the Mountain Lake community, later called Gospel Mennonite Church, was organized in 1876, and was open to all who wished to affiliate with it. In 1888 a split occurred, due to the introduction of Sunday school. A small group in the congregation led by Aaron Wall severed its connection and reorganized as a separate congregation, which later was instrumental in forming the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Conference. The original church became a member of the General Conference and the Northern District Conference. A third branch of Mennonites represented in the community were the Mennonite Brethren. The first Mennonite Brethren church was organized in 1877. The following data indicate the constituency of these conferences in Minnesota in 1954; General Conference Mennonite with a membership of 1,822 in 7 churches, including the church at Warroad; Mennonite Brethren with 452 members in 2 churches; and the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren with 255 members in one congregation.
The last migration of Mennonites into Minnesota was that of the Mennonite Church (MC). One group came from Cullom, Illinois, to settle in 1894-1897 at Alpha, in Jackson County, on the Iowa border some 20 miles straight south of Mountain Lake. This congregation had 77 members in 1954. The next congregation of this branch was Lake Region at Detroit Lakes, 180 miles northwest of Minneapolis, founded in 1926, most of the members coming from Nebraska. In 1954 it had 87 members. A series of seven mission churches have been established by this branch in the 1940s-1950s in northern Minnesota (Cass Lake 26 members, Ogema 51, Queeton 15, Leader 26, Loman 20, Menahga 26, International alls 50). The total membership in these missions was 214. Thus the total membership of the Mennonite Church (MC) in Minnesota in 1954 was 378.
The total membership of all branches of Mennonites in Minnesota in 1954 was 2,907. -- J. John Friesen
1990 Update
The largest concentration of Mennonites in Minnesota was in the Mountain Lake area in the southwestern part of the state. Congregations are also found in northern Minnesota and one congregation is located in southeastern Minnesota. Mennonite groups in Minnesota included the General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM; 7 congregations), Mennonite Church (MC; (5 congregations), Mennonite Brethren (3 congregations), Conservative Mennonite Conference (3 congregations) Evangelical Mennonite Brethren (Fellowship of Evangelical Bible Churches; 2 congregations), and Mid-West Mennonite Fellowship (2 congregations). Faith Church in Minneapolis was affiliated with both the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Church (MC). Total membership in 1986 was 2,693 of which 1,610 belong to General Conference congregations.
Approximately 50 Amish families from Ohio moved to Fillmore County in southeast Minnesota in 1974. Beachy Amish Mennonites also came in the 1970s, settling in two communities in central Minnesota.
In 1954 the Mennonite Brethren began a church in Minneapolis, moving in 1964 to the suburb of New Hope. General Conference (GCM) people in Minneapolis, who had been worshiping with the Mennonite Brethren, began their own fellowship in 1960 (Faith Church). A General Conference congregation begun in Mankato in 1979 was disbanded in 1985. Another church planting effort began in Duluth in 1984 (sponsored by the Northern District of the General Conference Mennonite Church). General Conference Mennonites and the Mennonite Church (MC) have combined to plant churches in St. Paul (1984) and Moorhead (1986). The Mennonite Church (MC) began church work in International Falls in 1969.
Minneapolis has been the site of several large Mennonite gatherings including Probe '72 the General Conference special sessions on civil responsibility in 1979, and the United States Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in 1980.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s a General Conference voluntary service unit was assigned to the Minneapolis Workhouse. In 1979 the Mennonite Central Committee began a voluntary service unit in Minneapolis-St. Paul working primarily with Native American agencies. -- Myron D. Schrag
2009 Update
|Anabaptist / Mennonite Groups in Minnesota, 2000
|Beachy Amish Mennonite Churches
|Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
|Church of the Brethren
|Conservative Mennonite Conference
|Evangelical Mennonite Church
|Hutterian Brethren
|Mennonite Brethren Churches, U.S. Conference of
|Mennonite Church USA
|Mennonite; Other Groups
|Old Order Amish Church
|Old Order Mennonite
ARDA: Association of Religion Data Archives. "State Membership Report: Minnesota, Denominational Groups, 2000." http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/state/27_2000.asp (accessed 21 March 2009).
Graduate Center of the City University of New York. "American Religious Identification Survey 2001." http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris.pdf (accessed 21 March 2009).
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. III, 139.
Horsch, James E., ed. Mennonite Yearbook and Directory. Scottdale: Mennonite Publishing House(1986-87): 30, 99.
Minutes and Reports, Northern District (GCM; 1986): 45-46.
Jubiläumsfeier zum Andenken an das 50-jährige Bestehen der Mennonitenansiedlung von Mountain Lake, Minnesota 1875-1925. N.p., n.d.
Mennonite Brethren General Conference Yearbook (1984).
Rempel, G. S. A Historical Sketch of the Churches of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren. Rosthern, SK, 1939.
Schultz, F. S. A History of the Settlement of German Mennonites from Russia at Mountain Lake, Minnesota. Minneapolis, 1938.
Wikipedia. "Minnesota." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota (accessed 21 March 2009).
Wittlinger, Carlton O. Quest for Piety and Obedience: The Story of the Brethren in Christ. Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 1978: 147.
|J. John Friesen
|Myron D. Schrag
|Date Published
|March 2009
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friesen, J. John and Myron D. Schrag. "Minnesota (USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2009. Web. 8 Jul 2020. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Minnesota_(USA)&oldid=167530.
APA style
Friesen, J. John and Myron D. Schrag. (March 2009). Minnesota (USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 8 July 2020, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Minnesota_(USA)&oldid=167530.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 707-708; vol. 5, pp. 589-590. All rights reserved.
©1996-2020 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Save on the products used in this project!
Blue Flower FairyBy Amy Hurley-Purdie
Designer Tip: When applying the stickers to the colored image, hold your sticker above to line it up. Then set down one edge and slowly lay the sticker down, leaving the last corner up. If it doesn't line up you'll still have a corner to peel up and correct.


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With the power to advise, publicize and even fund, customers can develop and improve promotional events.
Promotional events can increase participation, gain publicity and improve morale for customers and employees, but the costs and labor involved can sometimes offset these benefits. However, using customers to help work on promotions—from planning and organizing, to promoting and staffing—can help ease the financial burden and result in more successful events.
"We know from experience that the best foodservice promotions and activities are student driven," comments Dave Furhman, director of dining programs at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. "It is absolutely essential that we work with our customer base. This has been proven time and time again."
Furhman's "Sterling Brunch" program is a prime example. The quarterly Sunday brunch, which Furhman compares to "an upscale brunch like you would find at a fancy hotel," was suggested by students.
"They told us that they'd like a time when they could spend more time socializing with friends and enjoying a meal," he explains, admitting that he would not have thought of the idea himself.
Furhman admits the event's success was only moderate at first.
"In the beginning, to be quite frank, students weren't involved," says Furhman. "It was just a nice event that we did—nothing spectacular. Then one of the student groups came to us and asked to get involved."
This represented a turning point for the program. The junior class president, after eating a regular meal in the hall where the Sterling Brunch is normally served, commended Furhman on the quality of the food. She also mentioned an important detail that Furhman had not considered: that facility was considered a freshman dining hall, and as a result most upperclassmen did not dine there, even during the Sterling Brunch.
Furhman allowed the junior class to take ownership of one of the brunches, and eventually each class was assigned one brunch. This opened up the event to a wider range of participants.
"Each class does outreach to their own classmates," Furhman explains. "They also subsidize the event, which is a huge help. It has allowed us to make the program bigger and better."
Now, more students from every class are eating in the "freshman dining hall" on regular days.
"We're working very hard to solicit feedback from our students and provide them with opportunities to show that we're listening," Furhman says. "When we try to do events alone, we second-guess [them], and we fall flat."
A dedicated team: Like Furhman, many operators have found that working with an existing group or organization is an excellent way to fund and promote an event. At St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed facility in Murphysboro, IL, food service manager Cyndi Lindl partners with the hospital's "mission and values team" on many promotions.
"The focus of the group is to promote the mission and values of our corporation," says Lindl of the Catholic hospital. "Each year they pick a value and plan events that focus on it."
Last year, the team picked "stewardship" and created a recipe that combined ham, beans, greens and many other ingredients in a large pot to form a "stone soup." The organization has also organized a luau, a 50s-themed dinner and a Western day. During these events, customer counts often double.
Although Lindl sometimes plans her own programs, she admits, "we get better participation on the days the mission and values team does it. It comes out of their budget, which leads to a higher participation because obviously more people participate when they don't have to pay for their meals."
The promotional benefits of a customer-planned event are perhaps most marked in colleges. Paul Warrender, operations manager at Providence College in Rhode Island, works with a student planning committee on all of his events.
Providence College's dining services are managed by Sodexho, which provides a list of monthly promotion suggestions. In upcoming months, Warrender may produce a Tex-Mex day complete with country line dancing ("Stirrup the Excitement in Texas"), a New York-themed day and a "home for the holidays" event in December, but the final say belongs to the students. The planning committee advises Warrender on how—and whether—each event should be held. "They decide how best to implement [the events]," says Warrender. "It's a much better system than me taking a stab at what an 18-, 19- or 20-year-old wants in his or her dining hall.
It's [also] easier for me to communicate through them than to try to publicize things myself."
The Providence College student planning group is responsible for promoting events, and they do so through radio ads, campus TV ads and flyers. Warrender calls them "event ambassadors."
At Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, director of dining services Dean Wright conducts focus group testing to find out how best to conduct his promotions.
"Recently, we met with students to find out how much they knew about the possibility of purchasing a meal plan while they lived off campus," he recalls. "We had tried print ads and thought we were doing well with that, but the students told us otherwise."
Student suggestions led him to create a DVD showcasing the dining facilities that was sent to all off-campus students. "That's been a real success," says Wright. "Right now we [sell] just as many off-campus as on-campus meal plans."
The focus group later suggested that dining services provide even more information, and "Dish," a student-run online magazine, was born. There, students suggest dining promotions and publicize events, like an annual silent auction that usually brings in about 700 to 800 participants.
Even elementary schools, like the 11 Fox C-6 schools in Arnold, MO, make use of their "customers" to promote events. There, assistant food services director Joan Valleroy coordinates a much-loved dining promotion called "Bear Week," which features bear-themed cupcakes, cookies, breads and other treats, as well as raffles and contests. To build excitement for the event, Valleroy has students create bear paper dolls, which are posted on bulletin boards and judged in a contest.
"That really gets the students excited for 'Bear Week,'" she notes. "The more anticipation there is, the better participation we get."
Engaging customers: At the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in Martinez and Sacramento, CA, promotional events are a powerful tool for boosting morale. Michael Beday, chief of canteen services, produces an annual "Employee Appreciation Day" for the two canteen operations and two medical facilities that he oversees. These events are sponsored by a promotional fund taken from the canteens' profits. "It allows [the employees] to see that the money they spend in the canteen actually comes back to them," he says.
Beday ensures that Employee Appreciation Day truly belongs to the employees by putting them in charge. "We recruit a team of volunteers to help us develop the agenda. They generally have input on everything from the amount of money we allot, to the menu, the music, whether or not we'll have dancing, to the prizes we'll offer at raffle."
Beday also uses employee volunteers to staff the event in every capacity. One even serves as M.C.
"Working with the volunteers gives me a clear insight on what their needs or desires are," he says. "By working together with them and giving them ownership, we also promote a positive of our services."
Using future managers: Sheryl Powell, unit director in Kramer Dining Center at Kansas State Univer-sity, found an eager group of volunteers in the food service production management class that she teaches. As part of their course work, the students put together special biannual dinners. Food and decoration costs are the only contributions from the school.
"The students generate the menu, standardize the recipes, sell tickets and produce and serve the meal," Powell explains. "It's a great way for them to learn about production management because they have an incredible amount of ownership."
The meal also benefits the school. "It's a great promotion for our dining services and our academic department," Powell says "And it also gives us great ideas that we can incorporate into what we do every day. We get to see what trends are out there and what kinds of foods our kids are being exposed to, whether they're from Denver or Kansas City. We implement ideas into our regular menus all the time."
Last year, the students put together a vegetarian entrée that proved to be the dinner's most poplar dish. The simple casserole of cheese, vegetables and marinara sauce atop polenta was a compilation of recipes that the school already used, although they never had been married in that format. Powell is eager to add the dish to her regular menu next year.
"We've struggled coming up with vegetarian entrees, and this was so simple—and so good," she says. "We get so many interesting ideas from our students, and they benefit when we offer these dishes back to them.