text:
by John Scagliotti
Kopkind/CID Retreat
Invitation to filmmakers:
We are pleased to announce a call to independent documentary filmmakers who would like to participate in a weeklong seminar and retreat in southern Vermont.
Event Info
Sunday August 2nd-August 9th, 2009
Tree Frog Farm, Guilford Vermont
The Center for Independent Documentary (CID) and the Kopkind Center are sponsoring this week-long retreat limited to nine filmmakers along with special invited guests at Treefrog Farm in Guilford Vermont from August 2nd (Sunday is the travel day) to Sunday, August 9th. The theme for the morning seminars is:
Brainstorming to a new future in independent filmmaking
It's the best of times- it's the worst of times. It's certainly a time of profound change. Join us to brainstorm about new ways to think and operate in this new landscape and recharge your creative battery with some of Kopkind/CID's special brand of "radical relaxation"! It is the summer of the BIG THINK and we aim to explore together not just how to survive as an independent filmmaker, but how to thrive.
You can read more about the camp experience in a recent article that appeared in the last NAMAC newsletter ( HERE).
Kopkind/CID retreat seminars are organized by Susi Walsh, Executive Director of CID and John Scagliotti, Emmy Award-winning documentary producer and the creator of the public television series, In the Life, now about to begin its 19th season of monthly hour-long programs on news and culture about the gay community. Also joining us will be Fred Simon. As an independent producer of documentaries for PBS, Simon's films have won awards from the American Film Festival, the Athens Film Festival, and are currently in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. In addition, he is an Assistant Professor of film/video production at Clark University. Guest speakers will also join us during the week.
Closer to the end of the Seminar Week, Kopkind will present its 4thAnnual Grassroots Film Festival in the Organ Barn (Aug 6-8 open to the public); the filmmaker(s) will also lead the next morning seminar.
The costs for filmmakers participating for the week is $295 per person.
The cost includes: a single Cabin room for 7 nights (shared bathroom facilities), clean linens and towels, continental breakfasts, buffet lunches, and sit-down family style dinners, afternoon excursions to swimming holes and country outings, pick-up from Bus or Train station in Brattleboro Vermont, and programmed Morning Seminars. There is wireless internet availability. Besides personal items (cool nights in Vermont) participants are asked to bring 20-minutes of their media on DVD or VHS for evening "film slams" in the Organ Barn with late night discussions (optional hot tub discussions) afterwards on the deck. Participants will be responsible for their travel to Treefrog Farm in Guilford or to a public transportation pick up spot in Brattleboro, Vermont. (once you are registered, more information will be emailed to you including directions) Note: while afternoon excursions are planned, you can use this time if you wish as 'free time' or as Kopkind calls it – radical relaxation. All registered participants are expected to participate in the organized seminars and evening "film slams" and film festival presentations.
Applying for the retreat week is very easy. Just write a letter to Susi Walsh and John Scagliotti explaining where you are from, what media work you have done and how you could contribute to the theme of our seminars. Also describe briefly the 20-minute visual media you would be bringing to the "film slams." Send the letter to John Scagliotti (firstname.lastname@example.com) . We expect to have more applicants than spaces so please respond as soon as possible. We'll be putting the group together from your letters around May 30th, which is around the time the deposits are due. We do this so that you can make your summer plans.
Registration and Non-refundable deposits ($50) are due by June 10th and full payment is due by July 11th. Deposit and payment checks should be made out to The Center for Independent Documentary and mailed to John Scagliotti, Administrator, Kopkind, 158 Kopkind Rd, Guilford, VT. 05301. Slots are limited, so we recommend an early registration and deposit.
Kopkind and CID are able to offer this camp for filmmakers at such a reduced rate due to the generosity of their supporters. If you wdould like to help support filmmakers seminar, please contact us!
To view some photos from previous camps click HERE.
Prior participants of the seminars:
2008: Erin Sisk, Heather Kapplow, Betsy Kalin, Lynn Cadwallader, Terry Holzgreen, Daniella Broitman, Grace Shulner, Sarah Hesterman, Benedicte Naudin
2007: Nancy Kelly, Savanna Washington, Jonathan Skurnick, Karen Everett, Jim Wolpaw, Nancy Kates, Bennett Singer, Natalie Lardner, Carlyn Saltman and Tim McCarthy.
2006 : Joel Katz , Nancy Kates, Robbie Leppzer, Alexandra de Gonzalez, Emily Kunstler, Deb Ellis, Eli Moore, Jenifer Kaplan, Rebecca Snedeker and Savanna Washington.
Please feel free to ask for more information. Questions about the seminars and retreat as well as the Grassroots Film Festival can be attained by emailing John Scagliotti at stonewal — AT — sover.net Also feel free to send this information to others who might want to participate. Thank you.


text:
The Kid Gashi (White Boy Rapper "Rumored To Be In Talks With Roc Nation")(Feat. Nipsey Hussle) - Never Coming Back [In Studio Performance][Unsigned Hype]
" Rumors are flyin' that a white boy is fuckin' wit Roc Nation. The Kid Gashi an African/Albanian MC from Brooklyn who has been coming up real hard lately won several NYC showcases was recently spotted back stage at both the Kanye and J. Cole shows in NYC talking with the artists and executives. His album Last of a Rare Breed is about to drop. Check him out at www.thekidgashi.com and on youtube.com/thekidgash. Contact is firstname.lastname@example.com"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Passport" is an Isusu Rodeo. Switch is probably dirty or grimey. Spray into switch and around protruding actuating lever/button with WD40 or Brake Parts Cleaner, then manually (with your fingers or a safe tool), move the actuating lever/button in and out/up and down numerous times fast. Should take care of issue. If not, then replace switch.
Do mother birds really abandon their chicks if a human touches them?
How old is Danielle cohn?
What year would you graduate if you were born in 1974?
Mrs Smith has nine children half of them are girls . how can this be true?
What are peoples passwords on roblox?
What is half of 190?
Are Danny Devito and Joe Devito related?
What year would you graduate high school if you were born in 1967?
What's the "Bastille" in Bastille Day?
If you could make one change to the education system, what would it be?
Is it safe to take a shower during a thunderstorm?
Why is the clock tower in London called Big Ben?
Why don't satellites crash into earth?
Where is the origin of the Panama hat?
Have you ever crashed a wedding or had your wedding crashed, if so what happened?
How many times did Joe Biden run for president?
What is the summary of the poem kitchen by taufiq rafat?
Is management an instinct or a set of skills and techniques that can be taught?
When two or more objects are added as listeners for the same event which listener is invoked first to handle the event?
BA-28 which is a recommended water-skiing safety practice?
Is best defined as the total weight of persons gear equipment stores fuel and motor assembly found on a vessel?
What is the characters of The Mulberry Tree and the Children by Sim Hun?
How many carbon atoms are represented by the model below?
What are some of the contradictory forces you are aware of in your life that make sexual development difficult?
Copyright © 2020 Multiply Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply.


text:
Kelly Ripa in Self Magazine
Kelly Ripa is amazing…I have said it before and I'll say it again…damn! I can't believe she has had three children. I wanna know her secret…Kelly….call me!
1 comments:
She has the body of a 14-year-old boy. That's not amazing to me. I prefer women that are shaped liked women.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Friday, June 26
Golf Destinations: Houston's La Torretta Del Lago Resort and Spa
(Jason Pearce/Flickr)
THE NEW REDESIGN of the resort golf course at La Torretta Del Lago just outside of Houston, Texas, incorporates something for everyone. It challenges the experienced golfer while being fair and playable for the casual player.
In the spring of 2007, La Torretta Del Lago management hired local golf course architect Jeffrey D. Blume to oversee the redesign of a golf course that had fallen into some disrepair. Not only was Blume asked to bring the golf course back to life, he needed to make certain the redesigned layout fit in with the rest of the resort area and locale.
Blume lengthened the course by more than 100 yards by moving tee boxes and greens. La Torretta Del Lago now measures about 7,000 yards. Par was changed from 72 to 71.
Blume's redesign incorporated a smart combination of bunkers, water hazards, hills, natural hazards and the play of light to create an enjoyable and scenic golf experience. Each hole includes hazards that will challenge experienced golfers, yet also allow for lay-up shots. The greens are expansive and challenging, not difficult to reach in regulation and certainly a good short game test for players of all abilities.
La Torretta Del Lago fairways and greens are Tifdwarf Bermudagrass. Those who venture into the rough will find their golf ball among native Texas grasses and wildflowers.
In addition to a redesigned golf course, La Torretta Del Lago has comfortable golf cottages and a full-service spa.
To learn more about the golf course, including a hole-by-hole description, visit LaTorrettaDelLagoResortandSpa.com.
Brought to you by La Torretta Del Lago Resort and Spa and ARMCHAIR GOLF STORE.
1 comment:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
The following question feels to me like a standard sort of 'fact' in birational geometry, but I can't seem to write down a correct set of details. Hopefully someone can point me to a reference and not a counter example!
Suppose $X$ is a variety (reduced and irreducible over an algebraically closed field, perhaps of characteristic zero) and suppose that there exist a very ample line bundle $L$ and a linear system $V \subset H^0(X,L)$ such that $Y = Bs(V)$ is the singular set of $X$ scheme theoretically, that $Y$ is smooth of codimension at at least 2, and that $\tilde X$, the blow up of $X$ along $Y$ is smooth. Further assume that $\phi_{|V|} X--> S$ birationally maps $X$ onto a smooth variety $S$. Let $\tilde \phi$ be the map from $\tilde X \to S$ induced by $V$. Further assume that, denoting by $f$ the map $\tilde X \to X$, that $f^{-1}(Y) = T$ surjects onto $S$. Let $v_1, \dots v_s$ be $s = \dim(S)$ general sections of $V$ so that the intersection $Z(v_1) \cap \dots Z(v_s) \cap S$ consists of finitely many smooth points say $p_1, \dots p_m $.
Also assume the $P = f( \tilde \phi^{-1}(\cup_{i=1:m} p_i))$ is a proper subset of $Y$. Then can one say that away from $P$, the sections $ v_1 \dots v_s$ generate the ideal of $Y$ in $X$ ?
The case I have in mind is where $Y$ is a smooth curve embedded in a sufficiently ample manner so that 1) $Y$ is defined by quadrics and 2) $X = Sec(X)$ is singular only along $Y$. Then $V$ would be the quadrics through $Y$. The point would be to use this sort of an argument to establish a minimum depth of $Sec(Y)$ along $Y$.
This is my first question, so please feel free to correct etiquette with this question as well as the mathematics.


text: A hard folding truck bed cover that comes standard with new overwhelming new features and topped off with an alluring matte finish: The Ultra Flex is in a category of its own. From its irresistible outward appearance, to each component that lie underneath the cover, the Ultra Flex has been carefully crafted to be the ultimate all-purpose truck bed cover. Unprecedented features that come standard with each Ultra Flex include a Saddlebag storage box for convenient out of the way bed organization, dual rail LED bed lighting system for luminous bed lighting day & night, and an easy-close tailgate seal. Multiple riding positions allow the end user to ride with full access to their bed, as well as full weather protection for their bed if the cover is in the fully closed position. Ultra Flex is a no drill application and can be installed and removed easily with our newly designed ?C?L-Rail?COs?C?. The Ultra Flex offers multiple riding positions including offering full access to your bed. Its weather tight, and totally secure: built-in rain channel and flexible drain tubes divert water out of your bed keeping your gear safe and dry. Best yet, the Ultra Flex is backed by a 5 year warranty, making it the most desirable folding cover on the market


text:
Cheekie Monkey Baby Bib
Let your Little One dine in style with our cute handmade baby bibs. These handmade baby bibs are not only cute but functional too.
These Dribble Bibs are made with 100% cotton and minky backing material, which is perfect for catching drools and spills.
- Suitable for 2 - 12 months old babies.
- Handmade with love using 100% Cotton Fabric & Minky Fabric
- Bib is adjustable with 2 plastic snap buttons to prevent baby from removing it.
Dear Customers,
We would appreciate if you can read the following prior to buying our handmade products as there would be no exchange and refund for such conditions:
1. Actual colors of products may differ from the product images due to different environment, lighting as well as the devices used to view the images.
2. Pictures are for illustration only. The actual print placement of your individual piece may differ from the product images published on our website due the way the fabric is cut and also how the print is been lay out. There will be STRICTLY no exchange and refund for such cases.
3. As all our products are handmade, please do allow +/- 1cm for pillowcases, bolster cases etc and +/- 1 inch for minky blankets in measurements. As always, we would strive to be as accurate as possible but we do seek your understanding that there might be times whereby there'll be some slight discrepancies.
4. The ribbons color and type of the final product may vary from the product images of our drool pads, taggies and stroller/car seat cushion pads, depending on availability of the ribbons.
5. For custom minky blankets, we would use our discretion for color pairing (i.e. fabric versus minky color). Therefore, if you have a preferred color for the minky fabric, we would appreciate that this is made known to us before order confirmation.


text:
Natural History of the Kitchen: The Microwave
Welcome to a new column from EMD's Stephanie Butler: The Natural History of the Kitchen. Each week, Stephanie will explore the background of an appliance or gadget that helps make cooking what it is today. First up: The Microwave
It's the journeyman of the kitchen, the appliance loved by soccer moms and stoners alike. It warms your coffee, cooks your Spaghettio's, and explodes your Peeps. Yes, kids, it's the humble microwave, and it's the focus of this, the inaugural Natural History Of The Kitchen feature.
Microwave: The Early Years
The microwave's origins as a cooking device date back to the 1940s. Legend says that a self-taught engineer named Percy Spencer working for the technology firm Raytheon came up with the idea of using radio waves to heat food when he walked by a large radio wave machine and felt the candy bar in his pocket start to melt. It's a nice story, but only partially true. With the end of WWII in sight, Raytheon execs realized that their highly profitable radar business would have to be retooled for the private market. Spencer had long considered the heating possibilities of the radar; engineers were often seen stopping by the huge bank of waves to warm their hands. (Right: an early home microwave. Photograph via Pocket Gadget.)
Spencer took a small team of Raytheon engineers and began building prototype machines. These were jerry-rigged out of garbage bins and radar tubes, and were soon covered in exploded eggs and half popped corn. Spencer knew the device had potential, but he saw its limits as more and more foods were tested. The machine heated unevenly, and crisping and browning effects were nearly impossible to achieve. These problems are still a fact of microwave cooking today, but companies have found a way around it through the foil "crisping sleeves" packaged with some microwavable pastries like Hot Pockets. The foil reacts to the microwaves by becoming very hot very quickly, which then creates a "crispy" crust similar to what you'd get out of a regular oven.
Evolution of a Machine
The first microwave was as different from our current counter top models as UNIVAC is from the iPad. The 1947 Radarange was a whopping six feet tall, weighed nearly 750 pounds, and required its own 220 volt electrical line and a dedicated water line for the cooling tube. It sold for $2000, or nearly $22,000 today. Not yet an appliance for the home cook, Raytheon marketed the behemoth appliance to high-volume, quick service restaurants. Busy diners, ocean liners and hospitals all purchased their own Radaranges, cooking hamburgers and sheet cakes in less than 30 seconds. (Left: the first Radarange. Photograph via Ralph Grabowski.)
Radarange's price and size meant that the market for these machines was limited, and they failed to make a profit throughout the 40s and 50s. Counter top models were introduced in 1967, at a still-steep price tag of $495. To add to marketing problems, according to who you believed, the machines could cause impotency, blindness, and radiation poisoning. Once prices came down and Americans realized widespread sterility hadn't happened, the microwave oven took off. Food luminaries from Julia Child to James Beard rewrote recipes around it. Joan Collins even starred in an amazing television commercial for "the Sanyo food thing" at the height of her Dynasty days.
Joan Collins for Sanyo Microwaves
Barbara Kafka's Steamed Chocolate Pudding
Perhaps it's best to end with a recipe by one of the microwave's greatest enthusiasts. Cookbook author Barbara Kafka literally wrote the book on microwave cooking with her 1987 work Microwave Gourmet (buy it). Kafka swears by the appliance, especially for cooking vegetables and steamed puddings. Here's a modified recipe for her Steamed Chocolate Pudding, published in the New York Times in 2008. It's half cake, half mousse, but all very good reason to give the lowly microwave a second look.
- 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces, plus 2 tablespoons, softened
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs
- Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream for serving, optional.
1. Use softened butter to grease a 4-cup bowl. Grind chocolate in a food processor, then add cold butter and sugar; process until combined. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
2. Pour into bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and cook on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just set. Remove, pierce plastic with tip of a sharp knife, and cover with a heavy plate; let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Unmold onto a serving plate and serve warm or cold, with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Further reading
- Mark Bittman revisits the microwave in The New York Times.
- A tech-heavy article on the history of the microwave, written by University of Illinois professor and public radio commentator William Hammack.
- Marie T. Smith's compendium of microwave cooking for the college student, retiree, busy mom, and you.
- Barbara Kafka on the possibilities of microwave cooking in The Atlantic


text:
Is the hacktivist group called Anon good or bad in your opinion?
As a member of Anon i would like peoples input and try to understand what the misconceptions that are out there.
Also check out my video's and blog on this subject in sure you will find many things there you like.
Views: 7388
I know your causes are primarily the protection of free speech and right to privacy. I support these goals to a certain extent, though I'm not an absolutist about it, and clearly neither are you guys.
How exactly does shutting down websites of the NZ Parliament or Norwegian political parties quite help in acheiving this aim without employing brutal consequencialism?
You are like the new age Robin Hood , doing things that those in power would attempt to suppress , but the common people know you are doing what you feel is right and moral.
If 'illegal' meant 'bad' , then every revolution that citizens of a negative government acted out on would be 'bad'. I see you all as fighting for what you feel are good ideas. Hacking is just one method of accomplishing these goals. I have no problem with breaking the law if it is for the betterment of the world. (Some other people may say otherwise , but if I need to steal to save a family , I find that stealing is quite justified.)
But I am curious ... just how big are you. A thousand active members? ten thousand active members? A hundred? Do you have millions of dollars in financial backing or just a few thousand?
Much like Dave G, I think that any group without central government can't be seen as always bad or good. According to the membership criteria, if I was to identify as a member of anonymous and murder someone in the name of anonymous, because I believe that will uphold the ideals that anonymous identifies with, then that would be bad. While this is somewhat of an exaggeration, examples of ridiculous and horrible anonops have existed, like when they hacked flashing lights into epilepsy websites. That should never have happened, and no one will ever know if it was actually done by the RIAA or the church of scientology, or one of Anonymous's many enemies, attempting to attack the name of anonymous.
Having said that, I think that the loose structure of anonymous is actually a great thing, almost like an open source collective. Also, having said that, I don't believe it's very likely that Anonymous has as loose a structure as it purports to. Much like the ideal structure that "anarchists" seem to favor, I think the true government of anonymous is probably through hegemony. I use that word "hegemony", because I think it is likely that while there isn't any official legislation, there probably are people who hold much more sway than others, and act loosely as hegemons. This structure would be advantageous to founders of anonymous or hegemons of anonymous, because it absolves them of responsability of any anonops and would make it very difficult to prove that they incited those. I think that more than anything, strong indications that this is true exist in anonymous's incredibly swift and sophisticated SQL injection retaliation of HBGary. Especially because that retaliation was in response to claims that key anon members were identified(even if that was bullshit).
In short, I think anonymous is a great thing. They frequintly so consistently, time and time again fight for better goals, which happen to be my goals. I've never payed more than $300,000 dollars for a CD, so I deffinately wouldn't want a court to tell me that I stole that much by downloading a CD. More importantly, Anonymous isn't just a bunch of kids making trouble(all though some of them are, surely). The HBGary scandal, I think is a turning point for the cultural view of anonymous, showing that they're not an enemy to be taken lightly, and I'm sure now that people who are considering taking the job of bringing them down, secretly don't want to because they're afraid of them. As they should be.
I find groups like Anonymous a great foil against the secrecy. An open government is a government of the free.
When the people know what there government is up to and all the cards are on the table you can have better outcomes.


text:
Cheadle Hulme Dentist Charisma Clinic is proud to be a highly rated family dentist offering top quality private dental care at affordable prices.
If you're looking for trusted and highly experienced dentist in Cheadle Hulme, then Charisma Clinic based in Hazel Grove can help. We are approximately 15-20 minutes by car from Cheadle Hulme. The dental practice is situated on Chepstow Drive on the corner of Highfield Road in Torkington, Hazel Grove.
Hazel Grove train station is approximately one mile away on foot and just a few minutes by taxi. If you are travelling by car, there are free car parking spaces outside the dental surgery with spaces always available. Use the form on the right to get directions from your front door to the practice.
Hi, let me take this opportunity to introduce myself and provide you with some information about my professional background. My name is Talal and I graduated in General dentistry from Safarik University in Slovakia in 2002. I started my career as a dentist working at the Louis Pasteur Faculty Hospital where I gained extensive experience in restorative and aesthetic dentistry.
My interest in oral surgery and associated academic work grew whilst working with eminent dentists and oral surgeons at the faculty teaching hospital. I completed my PhD degree in Precancerous Diseases in Oral Cavity in 2010.
I continue to keep my knowledge and skills up to date by working alongside highly experienced and skilful professionals and attending courses and workshops to familiarise myself with latest procedures and techniques in dentistry and aesthetic procedures.
It is my goal and vision to provide you with a confident smile. Please feel free to discuss your concerns and we could have a discussion regarding your concerns and available treatment options in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Looking forward to see you soon.
Do you feel self conscious about your smile? At Charisma Clinic we can help straighten crooked teeth or remove small gaps in your smile with virtually invisible braces. There are now a number of teeth straightening systems available which can help you achieve that wonderful smile without having to have traditional braces fitted.
For more information on Teeth Straightening call us on 0161 483 5433 or click below.
Zoom teeth whitening is a popular cosmetic dental treatment which is highly effective and can dramatically change the appearance of your smile. Zoom whitening is safe and can brighten your teeth as much as eight shades lighter. This product and procedure is carried out in our surgery at Charisma Clinic and the results are immediate.
For more information on Teeth Whitening call us on 0161 483 5433 or click below.
Treatments for wrinkle reduction are available for both men and women and help to smooth out creases in the skin such as frown lines and crow's feet. The product used is Botulinum Toxin and it has a high safety record if administered properly. The effects last for approximately three to four months and can be visible in just a few days. At Charisma Clinic we can also provide dermal Fillers to reduce lines around the mouth and lips.
For more information on Wrinkle treatment call us on 0161 483 5433 or click below.
At Charisma Clinic, looking after our patient's dental health is paramount. Our dentistry includes a comprehensive service which involves routine check-ups right through to creating the smile of your dreams.
You can simply call us on 0161 483 5433 or request an appointment via email by clicking the button below.


text:
Walmart sued over temp workers hours
NEW YORK Walmart (WMT) is being slapped with a lawsuit that claims that the largest retailer and its staffing agencies broke federal minimum wage and overtime laws by requiring temporary workers to appear early for work, stay late to complete work and work through lunches and breaks without compensation.
According to the proposed class action suit that was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court of Illinois Eastern Division, Labor Ready and QPS, two of the staffing agencies that the discounter used in the Chicago area, failed to provide workers assigned to the Walmart stores with required employment information.
The suit also claims that Walmart itself failed to keep accurate records of workers' time. That has made it difficult for workers to make claims that they were not paid by the temporary agencies for all hours worked. The suit also claims that the discounter and its staffing agencies also failed to pay the plaintiffs and others in similar situations a minimum of four hours pay on days when they were contracted for work, but not used for a minimum of four hours as required by Illinois law. That prevented the workers from looking for other jobs.
According to the suit, the alleged violations occurred beginning in early 2009 and continue up until the present time.
The suit seeks all unpaid wages for the workers and calls for an injunction against Walmart and its temporary agencies preventing them from future violations of state labor laws.
Walmart and Labor Ready did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The suit comes just after Walmart faced a worker walk-out earlier this month ahead of its annual investor meeting that expanded to about dozen states. Still, the number of employees involved was less than 200, according to union officials. That's a tiny fraction of Walmart's U.S. workforce of 1.3 million workers at its namesake division. A group called Organization United for Respect at Walmart, or OUR Walmart, organized the walk-outs. The organization, which is made up of current and former Walmart workers, is backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Shares of Walmart ended regular trading up 3 cents at $75.65 Monday, close to the top of its 52-week range of $55.68 and $77.60. Shares have risen 26 percent since the beginning of the year amid a rebounding business in its U.S. namesake division.


text:
24 Hours in Milan, One day Itinerary
You've only got one day to visit Milan – here is a guide on how to best spend your time. You can follow this D.I.Y. tour, or book a 3 hour tour with a guide. Morning Start the day at Bar Magenta… Continue Reading


text:
Applied Pharmacology for the Veterinary Technician
Saunders, 2004 - Medical - 436 pages
Revised and updated, the third edition of this innovative reference presents the fundamental principles of pharmacology, administration of drugs, and pharmacologic calculations. It addresses all major categories of drugs in a consistent format, including pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical uses, dosage forms, and adverse side effects. Illustrated, step-by-step procedures demonstrate the administration of common drug forms.
From inside the book
66 pages matching approved in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 66
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
General Pharmacology
Federal Laws Relating to Drug Development
38 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Applied Pharmacology for the Veterinary Technician
Boyce P. Wanamaker,Christy L. Pettes
No preview available - 1996
Common terms and phrases
absorption Acetylcysteine acid activity administered Adverse Side Effects agents agonist amount Amoxicillin anesthesia anesthetic antagonists antibiotic antiemetic approved arrhythmias Atropine bacteria blockers blood body calcium cardiac catheter cattle cause cell cephalosporins Cholinergic client Clinical clotting contain controlled substance corticosteroids decrease dextrose diarrhea Diazepam disease diuretics dogs and cats Dosage Forms dose drugs ear mites electrolyte enzyme epinephrine feline fibers Figure flea fluid gastric gastrointestinal glands heart heartworm hormone horses human label immune increased inhibit inhibitors injection insulin intestinal intravenous inventory kidneys List liver medication membranes metabolism milliliters needle nerve nervous system occur opioid oral pain parasites parenteral patient penicillin pentobarbital pharmacology Philadelphia potassium potential prevent prostaglandin protein receptors reduce renal respiratory route Shampoo skin small animal sodium solution stimulation subcutaneous sulfate syringe tablets therapeutic therapy tion tissue Topical toxicity tract treat treatment urinary vaccine veterinary medicine veterinary technicians vial Vitamin vomiting WB Saunders xylazine


text:
October 12, 1997, Section 6, Page 28Buy Reprints
Controversy was bestirred by a memorandum dated Nov. 20, 1995, from high officials of the Democratic National Committee to Harold Ickes, then deputy chief of the White House staff, asking for ''18-20 calls by POTUS'' and ''10 calls by VPOTUS.''
Muckraking political pundits and righteously reformist goo-goos were incensed by this fund-raising from the Federal property that -- in less populist times -- used to be known as the Executive Mansion, but today's exercise in irenic scholarship focuses on the increasing use of an acronym: Potus, which stands for ''President of the United States.''
As a Presidential aide in 1969, I first noticed this acronym on a label of an extension of a five-line telephone along the back wall of the West Wing's Cabinet Room. When the button next to that label lighted up, the phone was answered with special alacrity. A similar button labeled POTUS was on the telephone set of H. R. Haldeman, the President's chief of staff, and was used by him for calls both from and to Mr. Nixon.
Jack Valenti, an aide to President Johnson, recalls the initials appearing on phones in that Administration, but does not recall anyone using the acronym in everyday speech, as in ''What does Potus think?'' Hamilton Jordan of the Carter Administration also says the acronym was not bruited about in their day; its White House use began, it seems, in the Nixon era and then disappeared for a while.
Potus (acronyms of five letters or more are usually lowercased, sometimes with initial caps) was popularized, to some extent, in a 1977 White House novel, ''Full Disclosure,'' as the pet name adopted by the unmarried President's inamorata-photographer. She felt awkward calling the Chief Executive by his first name, and ''Mr. President'' was not appropriate for intimate moments; Potus was her solution.
In current practice, the acronym is not used in direct discourse with the President -- nobody says, ''How are you feeling this morning, Potus?'' -- but it is a handy, sassily insidish, behind-his-back reference to the individual in that office, as in ''Is Potus in one of those moods where he wants to see teeth on the sidewalk?''
Bert Lance -- reached in Rosebud, a suburb of Calhoun, Ga. -- remembers the acronym was the Secret Service designation of President Carter on the ''locator,'' the device that tells top staff members where the President and First Family are at every moment. Secret Service agents were reported to have picked up the term in everyday use during the Reagan years, and added a dimension: ''To their Secret Service shadows they may be 'Potus' and 'Flotus,' '' wrote Donnie Radcliffe in The Washington Post in a 1983 citation, the first use in the Nexis database. Flotus (pronounced FLOW-tus, to rhyme with Potus, and not FLOT-tus) is ''First Lady of the United States,'' an informal designation first applied to Mary Todd Lincoln that has become a quasiofficial title.
In the Clinton Administration, the usage was extended to Vpotus, pronounced VEE-po-tus, to refer to the Vice President. Tipper Gore has not yet been labeled Slotus, though that acronymic designation of the ''Second Lady'' is possible because it has the advantage of brevity over Sotvpotus -- ''Spouse of the Vice President of the United States.''
This rash of acronymese ending in ''us'' may have begun in wire-service coverage of a different branch of Government. Scotus is ''wirespeak'' for ''Supreme Court of the United States.'' Old newspaper skates can remember the ''slug'' -- the quick name for an article that appeared on top of copy typed on cheap beige paper -- for all High Court articles to be Scotus.
In 1983, as the Secret Service usage about the President began to appear in print, a New York Times editorialist took umbrage at the rampant acronymization: ''Is no Washington name exempt from shorthand? The Chief Magistrate responsible for executing the laws is sometimes called the Potus (President of the United States). The nine men who interpret them are often the Scotus. The people who enact them are still, for better or worse, Congress.''
This ''nine men'' error drew an amused retort from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who noted the need for updating Times files and tongue-in-cheekily added, ''If you have any contradictory information, I would be grateful if you would forward it -- as I am sure the Potus, the Scotus and undersigned (the Fwotsc) would be most interested in seeing it.''
The first rule of acronyms, from radar to NATO, is that the initials must be easily pronounceable as a word. Fwotsc -- First Woman on the Supreme Court -- may be useful shorthand at the Scotus, but does not quite make it as an acronym.
And now to the etymologist's delight: discovery of first use, deep in American history, never before revealed to general lexicographers.
Richard M. Harnett, an old U.P.I. hand (''Downhold expenses!''), is author of ''Wirespeak: Codes and Jargon of the News Business'' (Shorebird Press, San Mateo, Calif., paperback, $17.95). Part of this inspired lexicon -- source of such vivid verbs as eyeball and upstick -- is the full text of the Phillips Code, compiled in 1879 by Walter Phillips, a telegrapher and wire-service manager who worked for both The Associated Press and United Press International.
It was in that first edition that Scotus was first recorded. (Or ''rkod,'' in the telegrapher's shorthand. A sentence meaning ''The Secretary of War was shot and instantly killed'' would be rendered in two acronyms, SOW SAIK.) Then, in the 1925 revision by E. E. Bruckner of Phillips's pioneering work, Potus found its way into print.
Some acronyms make it, some don't. In Phillips Code, WHU stood for ''the White House''; not even Potus uses that anymore. (Coming soon, to replace U.S. Government -- Gotus!)


text:
Get an email everytime this blog is updated . . . which is when the Lion Den website has new updates (or news of some sort).
Just fill out this form and you're all set!
Get your newsletter!
Posted by Kevin Patton Sunday, February 13, 2011 Labels: design, new resource, update


text:
WebRequest and WebResponse has issues
I wrote a C# program that uses WebRequest and WebResponse to perform a simple web crawler. I discovered something about web sites. Web browsers such as IE and FireFox offer the capacity to view the HTML source code. But it seems that html code that is sent to the browser is one thing and what the browser interprets and displays is something else. For example, if you run a google search in IE and run the same google search in FireFox, the content that you can see when you view the source in IE will NOT have the hyperlinks and content from the search results, but you can see the html hyperlinks and content from the search results when you view the source in FireFox. So my question is this. How do you specialise the WebRequest and WebResponse to show the content after it is processed by the browser instead of before?


text:
Mizzou DE Ealy leaving early for NFL draft
ARLINGTON, Texas — Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy is bypassing his senior season for the NFL draft.
Ealy said Friday night after the No. 9 Tigers' 41-31 win over No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl that he felt it was time "to go on to the next level."
An All-SEC pick, the 6-foot-5 Ealy had six tackles and two sacks in his final game, pushing his season total to 9 1/2 sacks.
"I love my teammates. I love my coaches," Ealy said. "I've gone from a boy to a man here."
He had 14 sacks in 38 career games for the Tigers.


text:
I always find it interesting that when we start a new month with a new 'header' and 'theme' that somehow our theme is identified in our topics. Jacquie created this months artwork and chose 'Finding Lyrical Beauty in Individuality'.
I was surfing the internet looking for interesting stuff to write about when I came across this video, it's powerful! I lost my Grandfather and Aunty Margie to cancer. It seems that everyone is connected to someone who is either going through cancer treatment, has lost someone to cancer or has it in their own family.
Here are two examples of women who not only inspire but also have their own unique individuality. I shared a website with you a while back called Crazy Sexy Life and an uplifting documentary Crazy Sexy Cancer which was created by Kris Carr an actress/photographer. It's all about Kris looking for a cure and finding life. Kris Carr was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer. Weeks later she began filming her story. Taking a seemingly tragic situation and turning it into a creative expression, Kris shared her inspirational story of survival with courage, strength, and lots of humour.
Nicole Johnson is a bestselling author, performer, and motivational speaker. Nicole's 'Fresh Brewed Life' message gives 'Hope for the Daily Grind'. She addresses issues ranging from the comedic struggle of motherhood to the tragedy of dealing with breast cancer. Nicole's sketch "Stepping Into the Ring" is for those fighting for hope over despair in the battle against cancer.
Inspiring Women Expressing Their Individuality ~
Whether it's you fighting the battle against cancer or someone you know is, the human spirit is NEVER alone. There is always support and inspiration around us. Nothing can take your spirit unless you allow it to.
Inspiring Women Rock!


text:
Munich '72 from Spike EP on Vimeo.
"According to Bonn's official documentation of the event, the Palestinian Black September terror group carried out its deadly mission with "precision." But the German authorities knew the Black September was a badly prepared group that barely managed to find hotel rooms in Munich, Der Spiegel stated.
As far back as August 14, 1972, three weeks before the massacre, the German Embassy in Beirut reported to Bonn that an informant had talked about Palestinian plans for "an incident" during the Olympics, according to the report. Four days later, the Foreign Ministry in Bonn told the secret service's Munich branch about this and advised authorities to "take all possible security measures."
Needless to say, the necessary security measures were never taken. The report revealed, for instance, that the terrorists were strolling by the apartments of the Israeli athletes without anybody stopping them from doing so.
All these facts are missing from the official documentation of the German government.
The official documentation also conceals the fact that the Munich prosecution investigated the city's police chiefs for suspected negligent homicide, the magazine reported.
"Mutual accusations should be avoided, as well as self-criticism," [Very Un-Marxist of them...] a Foreign Ministry official told a special cabinet session just two days after the deadly attack. "From that moment on, this apparently became the motto of the governments in Bonn and Munich," the magazine wrote."
"Although the Munich attack involved multiple murders, the language in the files oddly downplays what happened there. Then-Chancellor Brandt is quoted as saying that the Olympic massacre was a "crazy incident," while Paul Frank, a state secretary in the Foreign Ministry, refers to it simply as the "events in Munich." Diplomats and senior Interior Ministry officials upgraded the status of Black September by calling it a "resistance group" — as if its acts of terror had been directed against Hitler and not Israeli civilians.
At the Foreign Ministry, in particular, some officials were apparently very sympathetic to the Palestinians. Walter Nowak, the German ambassador to Lebanon, once told Abu Youssef that the Germans were a people "with a substantial number of refugees," because of the fact that ethnic Germans had been expelled from parts of Central and Eastern Europe after World War II. (Nowak himself was born in Silesia, which is now part of Poland, back when it belonged to Germany.) This, he added, made them more understanding of the Palestinian situation than other nations. . . .
. . . . It is clear that the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) cooperated with the PLO, [ WHY IS THIS RELEVANT..? ] as evidenced by a telex from the embassy in Beirut reporting on a meeting between Hindi and a BKA official on June 14, 1980. According to the message, Hindi complained that the press had gotten wind of the connections between the PLO and the BKA. He also claimed that the leak was on the German side. An indiscretion like this could jeopardize cooperation, Hindi threatened, telling the BKA official that either the two organizations "continue working together in secret, or not at all."
[ The PLO and the PFLP were enemies - deadly enemies, in fact. ]
[ THE PLO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MUNICH - IT WAS AN ACT OF THE (anti-Arafat) PLFP (not to be confused with the PFLP-GC, aka The Jabril Group, a MOSSAD Countergang ]
When the Black September terrorists left the Olympic site in helicopters in order to fly to the airport to meet their plane, there were 5 terrorists. When the stand-off and shootings happened at the airport, there were suddenly 8 terrorists. (Italics added.) The 3 extra terrorists took the Israeli Mossad Chief, who was present at the airport, by surprise. He questioned the Germans on this, and did not get a clear explanation. (Because they were the German contacts, already in the helicopters waiting at the Olympic site. It was these three that survived the shooting and were later released — the others were expendable). Despite requests for security of the Israeli team before the incident, German police laughed off the need for security for the team saying it was "not in the Olympic spirit". Despite knowing their own plan for supposedly retrieving the hostages included sniping the terrorists at the airport, the Germans did not bring any rifles. They were armed with pistols and machinenpistol [sub-machine guns–D.E.]. This meant that when they opened fire, "German bullets were spraying about", potentially including the possibility that some of the athletes were actually shot by Germans. . . . (Italics added.)
[ Anton Fleigerbaur was not Chosen. ]
[ Except as cannon-fodder. ]


text:
O&O DiskImage 5 Professional Edition
Today's Best Tech Deals
Picked by PCWorld's Editors
Top Deals On Great Products
Picked by Techconnect's Editors
Backup program O&O DiskImage 5 Professional impressed me with its no-nonsense workflow. Unfortunately, the program doesn't quite match up to the competition feature-wise. I like the way DiskImage keeps the details out of your way. While programs such as Acronis True Image use a strict step-by-step approach, presenting every option for your perusal before you can create an image, DiskImage simply allows you to select which drives or partitions you want to image, asks you where you want to store the image, then proceeds on its merry way. There's a drop-down menu at the bottom of the destination selection dialog that allows you to tweak options such as validating the image, converting it to .VHD for Windows Virtual PC use, or shutting down your PC.
Interfaces that don't render properly when the Windows XP display is set to 120DPI (large font mode), such as the first two dialogs shown by O&0's DiskImage Professional, are a red flag for me. If a programmer doesn't know how to size or situate dialog and window elements correctly, then it's hard to trust the rest of their coding. I didn't encounter any more such problems, but it did get my back up. The real sticking point with this program, though, isn't the interface glitches, but a lack of features.
Two things separate the men from the boys when it comes to imaging programs: Recovering the system partition from within Windows, and the capabilities of recovery CD. There is no facility to restore the operating system partition with DiskImage from within Windows, a task that's usually handled during a reboot before Windows is fully engaged. Also, despite being Windows Vista-based, DiskImage's recovery CD didn't recognize the network controller in my VMWare virtual machine; it's the only recovery disc that's ever given me this problem. O&O said it would find the card if I installed the VMWare tools (part of VMWare Workstation), but that fix didn't work for me. Using the recovery disc on physical PCs proved problematic as well, booting on one PC out of three.
The DiskImage recovery disc has a nice interface, and you can of course load drivers post boot as with any Windows PE 2 disc, but searching for a network driver is not my idea of a productive use of time.
O&O DiskImage Professional is a near thing. I love the approach and the interface (sans bugs), but the bread-and-butter features need upgrading.
Note: This link takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.
--Jon L. Jacobi
Coupon Codes
Doordash Promo Code
Free small plate at Cheescake Factory with DoorDash coupon
H&R Block Coupon
Refund Season: 25% off H&R Block Online Tax Prep
Dell Small Business Coupon Code
Dell coupon: 10% off laptops
Eastbay Promo Code
Eastbay coupon: 25% off $49
AT&T Wireless Promo Codes
AT&T offer - $700 off iPhone 11 Pro Max
Hp Coupon Code
Extra 20% off OMEN Gaming Apparel: HP coupon


text:
Louis Vuitton is heading to Kyoto, Japan, for its Cruise Collection which will be held on Sunday 14th May.
The spirit of travel and the discovery of extraordinary natural environments, architectural masterpieces and art are intrinsically connected to Louis Vuitton. In keeping with the House's tradition the Cruise show will be held in the outer worldly setting of the Miho Museum, designed by I.M. Pei, the architect of the Grand Louvre and its pyramids in Paris.
Inaugurated in 1997, the Miho Museum was conceived to be a terrestrial paradise, inspired by Shangri-La, the legendary heaven-on-earth . Nestled in a hidden valley, the museum is revealed through a spectacular metal tunnel and a futuristic suspension bridge. This unique home to more than a thousand works of art, blends exoticism with modernity, while steeped in the most luscious forest.
This is the first time in the museum's history that it will play host to such an event.
"The place inspired me right away," explains Nicolas Ghesquière, Artistic Director of Women's Collections at Louis Vuitton. "After the desert and Palm Springs, the ocean and Rio, I wanted to introduce people to another landscape, to immerse them in a sea of green. With the I.M. Pei's Miho Museum we are continuing an architectural voyage that suits the Maison Louis Vuitton to a tee. For our 2018 Cruise fashion show we are transported into a tangled web of nature, geographical greatness and a unique architectural vision."
Louis Vuitton's Cruise fashion show will be broadcast live on 14 May on louisvuitton.com .
Follow #LVCRUISE on the Louis Vuitton Instagram


text:
The Doctors premiered on September 8, 2008, introducing an entirely new concept to the TV landscape — real doctors discussing medicine and health in a relatable fashion five days a week.
The Doctors is hosted by ER physician Dr. Travis Stork; obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Lisa Masterson; plastic surgeon and reconstructive surgery expert Dr. Andrew Ordon; and pediatrician Dr. James Sears.
Since 2008, The Doctors has called attention to numerous world health crises through the hosts' volunteer efforts. In January 2010, the hosts of The Doctors traveled to Haiti to aid in medical relief efforts and deliver over 7,000 pounds of donated medical supplies following a devastating earthquake. Recent humanitarian trips include Dr. Travis Stork's visit to Tanzania, Africa, with BikeTown Africa to help build bikes for HIV/AIDS health care workers so they can more effectively travel to remote villages, and Dr. Andrew Ordon's trip to Varanasi, India, on behalf of SmileTrain USA to perform cleft palate surgeries on children. In June 2011, Dr. Lisa Masterson traveled to Malawi, Africa, as an ambassador for the United Nations Girl Up Campaign where she volunteered in medical clinics and helped empower and motivate young women to take better care of themselves.
Since the show's premiere, The Doctors has welcomed a wide variety of celebrities to discuss what matters most about their health. Notable guests include Harrison Ford, Sally Field, Barbra Streisand, Chevy Chase, Valerie Bertinelli, Dick Van Dyke, Fran Drescher, Melissa Etheridge, Brendan Fraser, LL Cool J, Jenny McCarthy, Eva LaRue, Shemar Moore, Ryan O'Neal, Lisa Rinna, Joan Rivers, Gene Simmons, Marissa Tomei and Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch.
The Doctors tapes in front of an audience in Hollywood and is produced by Stage 29 Productions and distributed by CBS Television Distribution. Jay McGraw, Carla Pennington, Dr. Phil McGraw, and Andrew Scher are executive producers.


text:
O! lest the world should task you to recite
What merit lived in me, that you should love
After my death,–dear love, forget me quite,
For you in me can nothing worthy prove.
Unless you would devise some virtuous lie,
To do more for me than mine own desert,
And hang more praise upon deceased I
Than niggard truth would willingly impart:
O! lest your true love may seem false in this
That you for love speak well of me untrue,
My name be buried where my body is,
And live no more to shame nor me nor you.
For I am shamed by that which I bring forth,
And so should you, to love things nothing worth.
Sonnet 72: Translation to modern English
Oh, in case the world should challenge you to say what merit there was in me that could make you love me, forget me completely once I'm dead, dear love, because you couldn't say anything convincing about me unless you could invent some generous lie which would make me sound better than I deserve and attach more praise to my deceased self than the ungenerous truth would. Oh, in case your true love should become false by doing that – as it will if you speak well of me, untruthfully, out of love for me – let my name be buried with my body and not live to bring shame to me nor you. Because I'm ashamed of the things I create, and you should be too, to love such worthless things.


text:
Rocci is the owner of WSTR-DB, www.StreamingTalkRadio.com. Public speaker, researcher and paranormal enthusiast. He is a staunch adherent to the rules of integrity in research and a no-bullshit-allowed brand of common sense.
"Our thoughts, create our reality!"
He is also the host of The Rocci Stucci Show. The program is a no nonsense, in your face style talk show covering daily events ranging from politics, news, and even tampers in the conspiracy realm.
Rocci is a promoter of patriotism, and the constitution. He strongly believes in the values in which the country was established, and speaks against all that try to take these freedoms away. It is a NECESSITY, to ensure a future for our children!
"People fear what they don't understand, and hate what they can't conquer!"
"The Rocci Stucci Show," your personal, LIVE ADHA fix on current events and governmental affairs. We are the antithesis to the malpractice of the western Media.
Rocci hits the "bada-bing" on the "bada-BOOM."


text:
Post By RelatedRelated Post
Continuing to stay in the headlines for reasons that don't lead to jail time, DMX and his wife Tashera Simmons recently announced that they will star on VH1's reality series Relationship Rehab.
Relationship Rehab is a spin-off of the popular VH1 show, Celebrity Rehab and is scheduled to begin taping next month.
Earl and Tashera have been wed for 20 years and have four children together.
The two have been separated since July of last year, according to TMZ but plan to mend their relationship on the show.
Keeping busy, the dog is already working on another reality show that centers around his TEN kids and interactions with all of their mothers.


text:
"Very smart . . . a riveting thriller." —Baltimore Sun
"What if we cannot know even those we love best? In Mapping the Edge, Sarah Dunant writes with wonderful intelligence about the dark intricacies of motherhood, friendship, love, and obsession. A brilliantly plotted, ruthlessly intelligent, and highly readable novel."
—Margot Livesey, author of Eva Moves the Furniture
"[Dunant] plots with remarkable intricacy [and] is a master at creating anxiety and mystery." —The Washington Post
"Thoroughly satisfying . . . departs from the usual thriller formula . . . but it contains its own full array of surprises. . . . Dunant's feel for the geography of bed and willing flesh is a pleasure. . . . In moments . . . that delve into the subtleties and varieties of love and desire, Dunant emerges as a shrewd observer."
—The New York Times Book Review


text:
Reel World
The GIFF That Keeps on Giving--Later this month, the city of Gallup and the newly formed Gallup Film Foundation will sponsor the Gallup Intercultural Film Festival. The theme of this debut festival is "Shining Light on the Bridges Between Cultures." According to organizers, a short-term goal of GIFF is to provide "a showcase of culturally diverse motion pictures." Longer-term goals include promoting filmmaking in the local community and establishing the festival as an annual Gallup event. Right now, the festival is looking for submissions in the following categories: narrative feature (longer than 60 minutes), narrative short (up to 60 minutes), documentary feature (longer than 50 minutes), documentary short (up to 50 minutes), experimental (any length), music video, advocacy/activism, children/family, animation, gay/lesbian, regional (Gallup area), Native American, international and the all-inclusive category of "other." Submission fee is $20 per film. Log on to www.gpac.info/giff or call (505) 879-9409 for submission information. Deadline is Sept. 15. The film festival itself will take place at Gallup's historic El Morro Theater Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
Film Review
Indie drama explores culture clash on the streets of L.A.
A quinceañera is a very special time in a girl's life. It is the day she turns 15, the day she becomes a woman. In Mexican culture, it is a time for celebration, a time to show off your daughter in all her womanly beauty. It is a time to buy huge white dresses, rent limousines and hire DJs. It is also, apparently, the age at which a girl becomes eligible for her own angst-heavy indie drama.
Film Review
Tangled Up in Bob
And you think your hometown sucks ...
Perhaps in a sly attempt to get extra attention for his newly released CD, Modern Times, Bob Dylan recently proclaimed that modern music all sounds like garbage. What a jerk, right?
Idiot Box
Steve Irwin: 1962-2006
A farewell to TV's Croc Hunter
Fame seems to bestow a kind of invulnerability on people. Celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Princess Diana and JFK are immune to the ravages of time and mortality because they have been forever enshrined on film, television and record. Their youth and vitality remains as it ever was thanks to the freeze frame of pop culture. Also, there is that segment of the population that refuses to believe in the ordinary circumstances of their deaths, concocting elaborate conspiracy theories for the simple reason that celebrities can't expire like mere mortals.
Week in Sloth
The Week in Sloth
"'Til Death" (KASA-2 7 p.m.) Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher are a cynical, long-married couple who live next door to a pair of blissful newlyweds (Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kat Foster) in FOX's newest variation on the "Married ... With Children" theme.
"Fashion Rocks" (KRQE-13 8 p.m.) Who doesn't love clothes? Who doesn't love music? Now you can have both as rock stars David Bowie, Destiny's Child, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Shakira, Gwen Stefani and The Arcade Fire play music and hang out with models.


text:
Photo Credit: David Dodd
Heriberto Rodriguez
Edcouch, Texas
In 2009, Heriberto Rodriguez was named the winner of The Big Squeeze. Rodriguez was raised Edcouch-Elsa, Texas. He competed in the The Big Squeeze 2008 finals. The next year won The Big Squeeze in 2009 at the age of 16, after much practice and cross-state speaker phone meetings with 2008 winner, Johnny Ramirez.
He draws musical inspiration from his late father, Enrique Rodriguez. Under his guidance, Rodriguez began playing the piano when he was 6. He was taught by the late master accordionist, Benny Layton. While attending Edcouch-Elsa High School he was very active in the Mariachi program, placing Region 1st chair viola. He was also involved in their athletics programs, competing in track and soccer. As a junior in high school he joined Mariachi Los Arrieros del Valle, a 13-piece group consisting of several instructors teaching at high schools across the Valley. He performed and toured with the group until he graduated in 2011 and departed for college.
He is currently attending Texas A&M University where he is seeking a degree in computer engineering. An addition to his academic pursuits, he continues to perform, both in conjunto and mariachi groups.
Most Notable Performances
June 5, 2010 Accordion Kings and Queens-Miller Outdoor Theatre
February 11, 2010 Big Squeeze-Edcouch Community Center
June 5, 2009 Accordion Kings and Queens-Miller Outdoor Theatre (Winner)
May 1, 2009 Big Squeeze Semi-finals -Bob Bullock Museum (Finalist)
October 26, 2009 The Big Squeeze Film Screening- University of Texas at Brownsville
June 7, 2008 Accordion Kings and Queens-Miller Outdoor Theatre (Finalist)
May 11, 2008 Big Squeeze Semi-Finals-Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (Finalist)


text:
Malaysia Airlines joins oneworld
31 January 2013: Malaysia Airlines becomes part of oneworld® at midnight Kuala Lumpur time tonight, adding one of Asia's leading airlines to the global airline alliance that aims to be the first choice for frequent international travellers the world over.
From its first flight tomorrow morning – MH386 which leaves Kuala Lumpur at 1.40 am for Shanghai Pudong – the national airline of Malaysia will be offering oneworld's full range of services and benefits. Another key focus flight for the airline tomorrow will be the first departure by the first of its aircraft featuring the full oneworld livery – an Airbus A330-300 operating flight MH 129 to Melbourne from Kuala Lumpur at 10.15 am.
For Malaysia Airlines, joining oneworld completes the latest phase of its repositioning plan. Becoming part of the world's premier global airline alliance will strengthen its competitiveness, enabling it to offer customers an unrivalled alliance global network served by partners including some of the best and biggest airlines in the world.
Customers benefit from expanded global network and increased competition
Malaysia Airlines, which serves more than 60 destinations in almost 30 countries, will substantially expand the alliance's network in one of the world's fastest growing economic powerhouses, South East Asia.
Its addition to oneworld makes Malaysia - which has one of the world's 30 biggest national economies and with a population of almost 30 million - a home market for the alliance. Its capital Kuala Lumpur, the world's 10th most visited city by international visitors according to the latest annual Mastercard survey, is now a oneworld hub.
Malaysia Airlines connects new 16 destinations and one country – Brunei – to the oneworld map. More significantly, it will strengthen the alliance's connectivity between many key business cities in Asia and other parts of the world.
Its addition expands oneworld's global coverage to 842 destinations in 156 countries, served by some 9,000 departures a day operated by a combined fleet of some 2,500 aircraft, carrying nearly 340 million passengers a year, with annual revenues of US$ 110 billion. Add oneworld's other members elect – Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines – and the alliance network will reach 860 destinations in 159 countries.
Currently three of oneworld's active member airlines serve three points in Malaysia, with Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Royal Jordanian flying to Kuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacific operating to Penang and its Dragonair regional affiliate to Kota Kinabalu.
New Visit Malaysia pass to encourage tourism throughout the country
Malaysia Airlines' addition to oneworld will make travel to Malaysia from all over the world much easier, by seamlessly connecting its network to those of its new oneworld partner airlines.
To encourage travellers to experience the world renowned Malaysian Hospitality throughout the country, the airline and alliance today launch their Visit Malaysia pass, offering attractive discounts on regular published fares for domestic flights bought in conjunction with a flight on a oneworld carrier to the country. For details, see separate news release.
This new fare will be available for sale from midnight tonight – when Malaysia Airlines' global network will be covered by oneworld's extensive full range of alliance fares and sales products.
'Double miles' offer to frequent flyer members to celebrate
The 2 million members of Malaysia Airlines' Enrich loyalty programme will from midnight tonight enjoy the full range of oneworld frequent flyer benefits when travelling with any oneworld member airline worldwide – airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines (see notes below), Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and around 30 affiliated airlines.
Enrich members will be able to earn and redeem miles on any oneworld flight. In celebration of the airline's addition to the alliance, they will receive double Enrich award miles when flying on Malaysia Airlines' oneworld partners between 15 February 2013 and 15 April 2013 on tickets bought from today to 15 April 2013 (see notes below).
Enrich Platinum cardholders will have Emerald status in the oneworld programme. Enrich Gold will be equivalent to oneworld Sapphire and Enrich Silver will be oneworld Ruby.
From midnight tonight, Enrich Platinum and Gold members will be able to use any of the 550 airport lounges worldwide offered by oneworld member airlines whenever they fly with any of the alliance's carriers (see notes below).
Also from midnight tonight, the 125 million members of the established oneworld airlines' frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn and redeem awards and tier status points and receive all other oneworld benefits when flying Malaysia Airlines. (See notes below)
To celebrate the addition of the new recruit to oneworld, members of established member airlines' loyalty programmes will receive double the normal mileage awards when flying on Malaysia Airlines between 15 February 2013 and 15 April 2013 on tickets bought from today to 15 April 2013`, to mark its addition to the alliance.
- For further details of the frequent flyer promotion, see separate news release.
New benefits for top tier frequent flyers
As part of its strategy of positioning itself as the first choice airline alliance for frequent international travelers, oneworld is marking the addition of Malaysia Airlines by adding tomorrow two key new benefits for top tier frequent flyer cardholders in any oneworld member airline frequent flyer programme.
From midnight tonight, frequent flyer cardholders with oneworld Emerald status will be entitled to:
- An extra checked baggage allowance, above the standard limit for the cabin class in which they are traveling – either one additional item where the piece concept applies, or an extra 20 kg (44 lbs) where the weight concept applies – when they fly on any oneworld member airline.
- Use fast track lanes through security when flying from select key airports worldwide on select oneworld member airlines.
- For further details of these new frequent flyer benefits, see separate news release.
Malaysia Airlines A330-300 in alliance livery headlines drive to highlight oneworld membership
Malaysia Airlines today unveiled the first aircraft in its fleet to be decorated in a special oneworld livery – one of its 10 latest Airbus A330-300s - spearheading a massive marketing drive to promote the airline's addition to the alliance.
The distinct design features "oneworld" in 6 ft (2 metre) high blue letters along a white fuselage and the airline's standard tailfin, serving as a huge flying billboard highlighting that Malaysia Airlines is now offering the full range of oneworld services and benefits.
Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya was joined by visiting CEOs from other oneworld member airlines to roll out the aircraft with its new look from the company's hangar at Kuala Lumpur International Airport this morning. Its first flight in its new design will be tomorrow (Friday 1 February) to Melbourne, as flight MH 129, departing from Kuala Lumpur at 10.15 am.
Before then, overnight tonight oneworld logos will be applied by the side passenger entrance doors on Malaysia Airlines' entire fleet of 88 aircraft as part of a massive rebranding programme that will also see the alliance logo added virtually wherever the Malaysia Airlines' name is displayed – at airport check-in desks and signage, on its website, tickets, boarding passes and all items of stationery.
Malaysia Airlines' addition to oneworld tomorrow will be promoted with of one of the biggest marketing campaigns in the airline's history, too, with an extensive advertising campaign to highlight the new alliance services and benefits available to its customers.
All cardholders in its Enrich frequent flyer programme have been sent new membership cards, bearing the oneworld logo and "gemstone" tier indicator, to ensure they receive their alliance benefits from tomorrow when travelling throughout the entire oneworld global network.
Malaysia Airlines' addition to oneworld completes what has been one of the biggest projects in the airline's history, with working groups covering some 20 streams of activity, bringing its various internal processes and procedures into line with the alliance's requirements, and running extensive employee training and communications programmes.
Since accepting its invitation to join the alliance in June 2011, Malaysia Airlines has expanded its code-sharing relationships to four established oneworld partners – Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan Airlines and Royal Jordanian.
Qantas has been supporting Malaysia Airlines through its alliance implementation project, as its oneworld sponsor airline, with backing from the central oneworld team.
Behind the scenes, the project has been smoothed by oneworld's new information technology (IT) hub, using latest "cloud" and web-based technology, which makes it easier, more efficient and faster to link new airlines into the alliance. Malaysia Airlines is the second alliance recruit to benefit.
CEOs and senior executives from all oneworldairlines attend joining ceremony
Chief Executives and senior executives from all oneworld member airlines gathered at Malaysia Airlines' Kuala Lumpur home base today to welcome on board the alliance's latest recruit.
After hosting a press conference, they joined some 500 other VIP guests from across Malaysia's travel and tourism sector, and the Malaysia Airlines' team that had worked on the oneworld project, at a gala dinner at which the guest of honour was Malaysia's Minister of Transport Dato' Seri Kong Cho Ha.
Among those joining Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya at today's ceremony were senior executives from all oneworld member airlines and members elect including:
- Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce.
- oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby.
- Cathay Pacific Airways Chief Executive John Slosar
- Finnair President and Chief Executive Mika Vehvilainen
- Japan Airlines Chairman Masaru Onishi.
- Member elect SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe and Chief Executive Kapila Chandrasena.
- Malaysia Airlines will be screening live coverage of its various joining ceremonies and celebrations from Kuala Lumpur throughout the day via youtube.com/malaysiaairlines
What the CEOs said
Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said: "Becoming a member of oneworld is one of the most significant landmarks in Malaysia Airlines' history. It will strengthen our competitive position considerably, enabling us to offer our customers a truly global network together with our partners who include some of the best and biggest airlines in the world. At the same time, it will enable us to benefit from all the financial benefits that come from being part of a global alliance, through additional passenger feed and the learning from best practices that it affords. As an airline that has always be proud to offer the highest quality Malaysian Hospitality, we are very pleased and honoured to be lining up as part of what is clearly the world's top quality airline grouping."
Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce added: "Qantas has been delighted to support Malaysia Airlines throughout its oneworld joining process, and we are very pleased now to be able to welcome another great airline on board the world's premier global airline alliance."
oneworld Chief Executive Bruce Ashby stated: "oneworld aims to be the first choice alliance for the world's frequent international travellers – with an unrivalled collection of quality carriers, delivering unmatched benefits to customers and to member airlines alike. That remains our focus today, as the alliance adds another great airline. Malaysia Airlines strengthens the alliance's offering in the growing economic powerhouse of South East Asia, just as we expect oneworld to strengthen Malaysia Airlines' competitive and financial positions."
Logos, photographs and video
Logos and photographs for oneworld, Malaysia and the alliance's other member airlines can be downloaded in high resolution print quality format from http://www.oneworld.com/news-information/image-galleryand from facebook.com/malaysiaairlines
Video webstreams from today's joining ceremonies can be viewed at youtube.com/malaysiaairlines with an edited highlights package from the day available at that web address soon.
About Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines serves more than 60 destinations in almost 30 countries across Asia, Australasia, Middle East, Europe, and North America, including oneworld hubs Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Sydney and Tokyo Narita.
Its present fleet of 88 aircraft – including its flagship Airbus A380s – operates more than 250 departures a day. It boarded 13 million passengers in 2011, generating revenues of MYR 13.6 billion (US$ 4.5 billion).
Malaysia Airlines describes its distinctive brand as an extension of the special culture of warmth and friendliness unique to Malaysians. This inimitable Malaysian sense of graciousness is branded as "Malaysian Hospitality" and symbolized by the acronym MH, which is also the airline's flight code.
Both Malaysia Airlines and its Kuala Lumpur hub are among the industry's most frequent winners of awards for quality service. Malaysia Airlines itself has won the World's Best Cabin Staff title from the UK based Skytrax airline quality rating agency in seven of the past 11 years.
Last year, Malaysia Airlines marked the entry of its first A380 into its fleet by having its Five-Star Airline status renewed by Skytrax – as the airline embarked on a series of improvements to reposition it as a premium carrier.
About oneworld
oneworld is an alliance of the world's leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience to frequent international travellers. oneworld airlines include airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 Airlines, and around 30 affiliates. SriLankan Airlines and Qatar Airways are on track to join soon.
Between them, these airlines:
- Serve some 860 airports in almost 160 countries, with more than 9,300 daily departures.
- Carry almost a million passengers a day on a combined fleet of more than 2,500 aircraft.
- Generate nearly US$ 120 billion annual revenues in total.
oneworld member airlines work together to deliver consistently a superior, seamless travel experience, with special privileges and rewards for frequent flyers, including earning and redeeming miles and points across the entire alliance network. Top tier cardholders (Emerald and Sapphire) enjoy access to some 550 airport lounges. The most regular travellers (Emerald) can also use fast track security lanes at select airports and extra baggage allowances.
oneworld is currently the holder of three leading international awards for airline alliances - named the Best Airline Alliance by Global Traveler in its GT Tested Reader Survey 2012 Awards for the third year running, the World's Leading Airline Alliance in the 2012 World Travel Awards for the 10th year running, and Australian Business Traveller Best Airline Alliance in 2012 for the second year running.


text:
Summary of Latin America's Innovation Gap
Looking for the report?
We have the summary! Get the key insights in just 5 minutes.
- Innovative
- Eye Opening
- Background
Most people don't view Latin America as a hub for innovation, and the region has done little to buck that reputation. With most countries' finances in a state of disrepair, spending on research and development is set to fall below already anemic levels. According to this study from the Economist Intelligence Unit, steps toward liberalizing trade and strengthening structural reforms in some countries won't be enough to lift the area's progress, compared to other emerging market zones. getAbstract recommends this illuminating article to policy makers, economists, analysts, and others interested in economic trends in Latin America.
About the Author
The Economist Intelligence Unit is an independent research and analysis organization.


text:
Market Scene: Morning Market in Luang Prabang, Laos
Each morning a market pops up in a web of alleys off Sisavangvong Road, Luang Prabang's main street. This Southeast Asia UNESCO World Heritage town, tucked in the mountains on a peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, rises early to greet the resident monks who walk through the streets at sunrise collecting alms.
By 7:00 am the monks have passed through and the market streets are filled with people buying fruits and vegetables, meats and spices, and sampling sausages, noodles, and banana leaf wrapped sweet rice parcels. Some vendors sell at tables, but most use bamboo mats and sheets on the sidewalk; business is conduced at a crouch.
Tiny Laos eggplants, purple banana flowers and curly green vegetables, grown nearby, might be the salad of the day at a local restaurant, and the fruit becomes breakfast at the many guesthouses on the peninsula. Between the fresh items are dried buffalo skin (a regional snack) and chili peppers, rice flour crisps, traditional sarongs, and local handicrafts.
A covered butcher section in the middle of the market offers everything from pig's snouts to fresh blood cakes, and just-caught river fish look like they're about to swim right off the table. Freshly plucked chickens are for sale, and for people who want to choose their own bird, there are baskets of live poultry.
By noon the market has vanished—all that's left are a handful of tomatoes and eggplants that have rolled away.
Check out the slideshow for a further look into the morning markets of Luang Prabang.
About the Author: Jennifer Kikoler is a writer and editor who spent fall 2012 volunteering at a youth outreach NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She blogs at jenniferkikoler.wordpress.com.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
For Asha and Shanti, life is exciting and new as they settle into their new digs.
These sisters have moved into an upscale enclosure at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo and are adjusting to the new neighborhood.
The bears next door seem nice, especially the rescued three-legged black bear they call Hucklebeary.
The porcupine across the way is a little prickly, though.
Asha and Shanti are rare Himalayan snow leopard sisters and they share a specially designed enclosure built specifically for them.
On Wednesday, I went to check out the spotted celebrities.
Mountain temperatures still hovered in the 80s, so the beautiful cats snoozed in their shady rock den.
Because they are not accustomed to the heat, the sisters also have misters at the back of their enclosure and an air-conditioned bamboo-covered shed.
When they've adjusted to their new surroundings, they will play and romp around the enclosure, said Christy McGiveron, lead animal keeper and 23-year Big Bear zoo veteran.
Maybe in another week or so, they'll venture out to meet their fans.
The exotic 2-year-olds made their Big Bear Lake debut on June 28, after arriving from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle on June 24.
They were born through a species survival program that works to ensure a future for the rare leopards.
These felines are gorgeous.
Zoo curator Debbie Richardson, who worked on getting the sisters to the local mountains for nine months, says she feels it's almost like giving birth.
"Now they are here, I feel like a proud mother who wants to show off her new babies," she said.
The zoo's new celebrities were born with a rare eye defect known as multiple ocular coloboma. Their right eyes were extremely small, so each leopard's right eye was removed to prevent infection and other complications.
Because the Big Bear Alpine Zoo is well-known for its rehabilitation program, the sisters' new home will give them the opportunity to receive expert medical care while they remain together.
Their brother died.
The sisters' condition keeps them from breeding in the Species Survival Program because doctors don't know if the defect is genetic.
They will live out their days at the Alpine Zoo and act as animal ambassadors for the endangered species.
But first they will need to adjust to Big Bear Lake's current summer temperatures — with highs in the 80s — and last week's ground-moving experience as a 4.6 earthquake rocked the mountain community on Saturday.
In time, the frisky felines will pounce, leap run and chase — it should be a jolly good show.
Their appetites are also lagging a bit now.
They dine on a variety of high-protein meals, including chicken, venison, lamb, beef and pork, as well as a special meat mixture they ate in Seattle.
Wednesdays at the Alpine Zoo are "fasting" days because animals in the wild don't eat every day and fasting is more natural.
Another new adventure — after leaving Seattle's mild sea-level weather, they will experience Big Bear Lake's winter storms at 6,700-foot elevation.
These snow leopards have never experienced snow.
They should love their new home. They will live inside an enclosed exhibit space that has a Plexiglass-windowed viewing deck and featuring a giant white mountain, a big tree and two rock dens.
Big Bear's Alpine Zoo also is home to three Grizzly bears and four black bears.
There are about 140 critters in all.
Residents include bobcats, mountain lions, wood bison, wolves, and dozens of smaller critters such as foxes, porcupine, raccoons, eagles and a variety of other birds.
The zoo is the only zoological facility in San Bernardino County and one of only two alpine zoos in the United States. Mostly, the local zoo is dedicated to alpine wildlife that has been impacted by humans. Situated across the street from Bear Mountain Ski Resort, the park has always been a wildlife rehabilitation center and sanctuary for injured, orphaned and endangered alpine species until they can return to their natural habitat.
Asha and Shanti will be permanent residents.
For more information about the zoo, call 909-584-1299 or visit www.bigbearalpinezoo.org.
And here's a thought for the day: Men don't care what's on TV. They only care about what else is on TV.
Michel Nolan appears in The Sun on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @MichelNolan.


text:
Soft and Comfy!
Your little one will be delighted with our Personalized Kids Microsuede Chair, with his/her very own name embroidered on it! Covered in micro suede for a soft and luxurious feel, with a strong wooden frame and high density foam padding, this chair is durable, sturdy, and ever so comfortable. Sure to add beauty and character to your little one's room, this chair will become his/her favorite place to curl up and relax!
Shipping: Standard: $12.50
This will be my 3rd chair I have ordered for my grand babies 1st birthday, they love their chairs and sit in them all the time. The quality doesn't look like it would wear very well but it does, just wipe them clean and they have held up really well. I will continue to order these chairs for all of my granbabaies 1st birthdays, great product.


text:
Now, for those of you who are new to the blog, or perhaps just want to chuckle at the memory, let me start by enumerating some of the great snapshots I've gotten at his encouragement.
There was the awesome sunset outside the plane's window.
And the lizards doing it on the side of our house.
Yeah, that's hubby. He has eclectic taste. So as you can imagine, I never know what to expect when he tells me to grab the camera. Ahh, but this one was pretty good.
I got excited. As a kid, these bugs were my favorite insect. They were just so odd. They have that weird head and huge honking eyes that look right at you and follow you as you move. And they kept their front legs together as if they were praying.
The female Praying mantas has an after-sex ritual. (And human males think that snuggling is bad, but they got off easy). You see, this female insect turns around, right after, or sometimes even during the deed, and bites the head off their mate and has him for an after-sex snack. (Hey, it does increase our appetites.) So I figured the females are praying for forgiveness, or asking for a lover good enough to keep, and the males are pleading for the willpower to avoid the hot looking female mantas.
However, as interesting as all this is, that's not what this blog is really about. You see, hubby had spotted the praying mantas on top of our car at the post office, and not having anything with which to move the creature, he left him alone. And he was somewhat shocked to discover that the little fellow had hung on all the way to our house.
And that, my friends, gets us to the real subject of this blog: Hanging on. Hanging in there. It's what I tell my friends whenever they find themselves in a tough spot. It's what I tell myself when I find myself facing a hurdle. And don't we all face hurdles? We've all been in that tough place where our patience was tried, or our spirit tested.
In my life and in my career, I've faced quite a few hurdles. I wanted to be a writer, but being dyslexic, the thought of having to get my ideas on paper, having to spell, and not leave out words, seemed too much. Also, I didn't have the educational background that so many writers have when they set out with publishing dreams.
I tried anyway.
In spite of receiving over 5000 rejections on my work, both for my freelance articles and novels (yes, I was told "no" that many times) I hung in there. In spite of reading judges' comments from writing contests like, "You should stop trying to be funny, because I think you might be able to write a good scene," I didn't let it ding my sense of humor.
In spite of being told by the professionals that what I wrote was too outside the box and my work was unmarketable, I continued to nourish that tiny seed of hope.
In spite, of it taking ten long years to publish my first book and another thirteen years before I sold book two, I didn't let go.
I hung on to the hood of my dreams. I found ways to continue to believe in myself. I found ways to continue to improve. I cherished the love ones who found the ability to believe in me. And when the ones who gave up on me said, "Maybe it's time to stop banging your head on the same damn door," well, I'm just thankful, as they are, that I'm not a praying mantas and I didn't turn around and bite off their heads for trying to "screw" with my dreams. But I'll admit that I wanted to.
In this past couple of years, I've taken some major steps up the ladder in my career, and believe me, I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I've seen my books auctioned by publishers both in the US and in other countries. I've gotten fan mail in over seven languages. Some may think I'm an overnight success, but honestly, there's been 9,855 nights, give or take a few for leap year, in the twenty-seven years that I hung on.
While I'm doing well, just in the last year, I've faced lawsuits, publishers unable to pay royalties, and health issues of loved ones, all of which can take a bite out of our optimism. But I just kept telling myself and them…"let's hang on." When our choices are to give up or just to keep going, why not just keep going? And tomorrow, if my genre falls out of favor, if my publishers close house, if life gets in the way of my well laid-out plans, I pray I'll tighten my grip on life, remember to keep my sense of humor intact, and continue to hang on.
And I'd just like to say to any other writers out there who are facing rejection or non-believers trying to screw with their dreams, take a page from my playbook, and hang in there. To non-writers I offer the same advice. It really doesn't matter what your dreams are: to run a marathon, to lose a hundred pounds (or even ten), to beat cancer, or to make enough to pay for a dream vacation. Whatever your dream is, hang on like the praying mantas clung to the roof of my husband's car. Don't give up. Ever.
The advice I offered to the praying mantas who hitched a ride home with hubby: Take the vow of celibacy, dude. Seriously, take it. Oh, and to all men, be glad snuggling is all we ask for.
Today, I'd like to offer a little Thanksgiving contest, a $25 gift certificate to Amazon to someone who is hanging on. So make sure you post a comment and you might just win. I'll post the winner on top of this blog tomorrow morning. So make sure you stop by.
Winner Alert!
The winner of Gina Robinson's hilarious and romantic book The Spy Who Left Me is Sarah. So please email your snail mail address to christie(at)christie-craig(dot)com. Congratulations!
Happy Thanksgiving, guys!!!


text:
GBrowse syn Help
From GMOD
GBrowse_syn is a GBrowse based synteny viewer. This page provides help on using GBrowse_syn. See the GBrowse_syn page for other information on GBrowse_syn.
Search Section
- The landmark input box accepts segment labels in the form:
reference sequence:start..end
- In some cases, gene names and other landmarks can also be entered. Support for searching other classes depends on the configuration for the species' data source.
- Note, make sure you have selected the correct reference species before clicking the 'Search' button.
Reference Species
- This is the species that occupies the center panel in the alignment display.
- Alignments for other species are shown with reference to this coordinate system.
- Select the species from the pull-down menu and check boxes (see below) to select which species should be aligned to the reference sequence.
Aligned Species
- Configured species (except for the reference species) for the selected data source will be listed here.
- By checking each box, you indicate that alignments for this species, if available, should be displayed relative to the reference species.
Data Source
- This pull-down menu lists all available data sets configured for the synteny browser.
- Each item in this list corresponds to a sourcename.synconf configuration file.
- If only one data source is available this menu will not appear.
Display Mode
- The default display mode shows the reference species plus two aligned species per panel and repeats the display panel as many times as required to display all aligned species relative to the reference species.
- This mode is best suited to displaying all sequences on roughly the same scale.
- The other display mode is a summary view that shows all species in a single panel.
- The display mode can be toggled between expanded and compact by clicking the link shown above or via a pull-down menu on the "Display Settings" section
Display Settings
Image Widths
- the total width of the displayed reference sequence panel.
Image Options
Chain Alignments
- GBrowse_syn uses a dynamic programming algorithm to assembled aligned regions into chains.
- If alignments are on the same strand on the same reference sequence and their coordinates increase (or decrease) monotonically, they are assembled into a meta-alignment, which is indicated by dashed connectors.
- Chained alignments may have other alignments in the intervening gaps.
- This feature is useful for displaying small rearrangements, such as translocations, nested inversions, etc.
Flip Minus Strand Panels
- Choosing the flip option makes it easier directly compare the aligned regions.
- Otherwise, in alignments is on the negative strand, relative to the reference, the grid lines and shaded polygon will cross-over to indicate inversion
- Unless the flip option is turned off, the decision to flip a panel is determined by the number of (+) vs (-) aligned base pairs.
Grid Lines
- Grid lines use insertion/deletion data from the multiple sequence alignments to provide a visual representation of sequence loss or gain
- This feature is useful because it provides fine-grained information about the underlying sequence changes within aligned regions.
- Every fifth line is thicker to provide a visual cue help trace the lines between species.
- This option is on by default, it outlines the polygons that connect aligned blocks


text:
This limited-edition photograph by American artist Tierney Gearon was featured in The New York Times Magazine Photographs (Aperture, 2011), edited by Kathy Ryan. It originally appeared in the story "Another Woman," published in The New York Times Magazine on October 23, 2005.
Here's what she remembers about the experience: "A lot of actors don't like having their photos taken. When Diane Keaton arrived at my house for this shoot she was wearing a hat. As soon as we began, she took the hat off and started hiding behind it. I think she was surprised that I said: 'Okay, then, if you want to hide your face let's just do it all the way instead of this peek-a-boo thing.' I asked her to lie on the ground in this alley and put her hat over her face."
Although the location, make-up, lights, and assistants have all been pre-arranged, there is a fleeting moment of strangeness which Gearon has managed to capture, making the figure of Keaton simply another element in an interesting picture. Like most of Gearon's other non-editorial work, there is a strong sense of narrative in this image, but the viewer is left uncertain as to what that narrative exactly is.
Tierney Gearon (born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1963) is a self-taught artist who began her career on the other side of the lens, as a model. While she still works in a commercial and editorial capacity, over the past decade Gearon has increasingly focused on personal projects, such as The Mother Project, which showed at the Yossi Milo Gallery in New York in 2006, and her lseries explosure for Phillips de Pury & Company in 2008. Her work began to gain recognition in the art world after being included in the Saatchi Gallery's I Am a Camera exhibition in 2001. She lives and works in Santa Monica, California.
You may also be interested in:
Isadora Duncan at the Portal of the Parthenon, Athens, 1920
Edward Steichen$750.00
The New York Times Magazine Photographs
Regular Price: $75.00
Special Price $60.00


text:
0 Items (Empty)
Recently Viewed Items
Your Shopping Cart
Your shopping cart is currently empty. If you would like to make a purchase today, add items to your shopping cart.
This a most-popular style with five targets per sheet. Shoot at one 6"-4"-2" centered target. Then "call your corner" as you take aim for any of the four corner 3"-1" bulls-eye targets. Targets are on 11" x 17" High-Quality Bright White Paper. They are Conveniently Packaged with 40 Paper Targets per Pad.