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You've all heard the claim that we aren't really atheists, we are just mad at god. (Or you will see such things as "so and so claims to be an atheist.")
Today, though I saw an argument in chat with a theist, and someone else's account of an argument they had out in public, and I stopped to wonder if maybe we aren't sometimes encouraging this line of bullshit, albeit unwittingly.
What happened in both cases was the atheist began recounting all the sorts of horrible things Yahweh is portrayed as doing or believing or commanding. In one case, I saw the atheist say "why should I love god when he won't love me back?"
The problem with this sort of thing is we usually don't take care to phrase our remarks to make it clear that god is a character of fiction. When discussing the misdeeds of Yahweh we tend to fall back on a convention we use when we talk about a fictional character in a book. We refer to him by name and talk as if the guy was real and the book was not fiction, for example, "In George Orwell's 1984, Winston Smith was arrested for thoughtcrime," not, "In George Orwell's 1984, the character Winston Smith..."
We know what we mean, because we both know Winston Smith (or god) is fictitious. But they don't know god is fictitious.
Talking this way with someone who believes the fictional character is real might cause him not to understand you are just following the convention. Your phrasing sounds to him like you accept god as real, he "knows" god is real, so he assumes at some level you think god is real.
What I am suggesting here is that you ever want to bring up how nasty this being is, you make it clear that you don't think he exists, make sure you put "fictitious" (or equivalent) in every other sentence at least, and not let them think for a minute that you assume the existence of god.
Yes I know that when you just said you were an atheist this shouldn't be necessary, but obviously many of these people don't understand atheism in their guts, so don't let their paradigm default you into a "believer but mad at god" box.
Views: 6340
Honestly, the ones that are too stupid to get it aren't the ones we are talking to. They are lost. So don't lose any sleep over it
I feel that rather than unwittingly promoting their, "don't you just hate God," it's actually just pointing out they aren't even capable of assuming disbelief. In general I assume that this person isn't worth talking to any longer.
"Joshua Weinberg" - that's a fine old Irish name! (Just kidding, Josh --)
Oddly enough, I have a friend named Kevin Kennedy to which a co-worker in all seriousness said, "That's a good Jewish name."
Shakespeare nailed it - "What's in a name?"
I live in the Bible Belt, so I don't usually discuss my lack of religious beliefs. My children were teenagers before I admitted to them that I am an atheist. (They are both atheists as well, and are dating atheists.) When someone asks, I simply tell them that I am an atheist. Usually, the stunned silence is enough to let me escape unscathed, but sometimes when the reaction is "Why", I simply state that I don't believe that magic is real, and that God is an culturally accepted superstition, much like Voodoo in the Caribbean or Chinese Feng Shui. I refuse to debate religion with anyone because a: I don't feel qualified to debate intelligently and b: I am not going to waste my time. Besides, how could I be angry at God when he doesn't exist.
On second thought, maybe sometimes those who deconvert start out with anger toward God. I just remember one day thinking, well that just seems silly, when I sat down and considered religious beliefs.
I, too, live in the so-called bible belt and if there is one its buckle in north central Texas in "Wise County". After spending the first 45 or so years of my life as an agnostic I had finally heard all the religious BS I could bear and declared my atheism and that was 25-yeas ago. After moving to Texas and discovering the incredible depth of religion that permeates literally everything here I'm wishing I never moved, except for the great non-religious and atheist new friends I've made here. They increase in number all the time and I know that for a fact as I am the co-organizer of the Denton Atheist MeetUp group and organizer of the Wise Free Thinkers & Skeptics MeetUp group in Decatur, Wise County, Texas; I had to use the "Wise" bit as an oxymoron in this case. Bibke-pounders are everywhere here. I tell anyone interested that I'm a "Card-carrying Atheist" and prove it by handing them one of my calling cards with "ATHEOS" under my name. Be loud, make them cringe, challenge them full time! Have the strength of your convictions, it puts them off-balance as you now know. Good on ya'!
I work for the local school system, where the superintendent sends us lovely prayers in our e-mails. If I didn't need this job so badly, I would scream it at the top of my lungs. "You people are deluded! Grow up!!"
I am, and fortunately so, self-employed and have been for about 85% of my professional life. I can't stay employed and working under someone else, and it's just because of such reasons. Also, I can't bear idiocy or suffer a fool, especially of the religious variety or persuasion, so I'm far better off not immersed in situations where I have to choose between BS from above or suicide I suppose. I don't know how to deal with situations of the nature under which you work. I've always found that such people as your superintendent tend to take rejections of such BS very personally. I'll be 70 on 2/23/14, so I have a long history of non-conformity, but I am untouchable in my workplace and occupation; good luck.
I may have never heard that atheists "aren't really atheists" and "are just mad at god." myself.
However, as an aside, I do see a definite pattern in atheism to only address faults in judeo-christian notions of "god" and ignore the presence of the plethora of other beliefs about the divine. Atheist one may call themselves, but whenever I see them debate, all I see is one who refutes only Yahweh as if all theists think that is what "God" is.
Most atheists I know arrived at their atheism on a slow trek to disbelief during which every step, especially large ones, out of the trap of "belief" was open to debate of varying intensity. Most of the debate is with one's self, with an occasional foray into open, perhaps acrimonious debate with believers attempting to keep that person in the fold as it were. Lurking along the path of one's personal walk to that ultimate decision or state/stage of belief/disbelief there are many one-bit decisions; do I believe what I just heard or saw; yes or no? Does what I'm hearing from believers agree with what I'm seeing with my own eyes; yes or no? Do any of the circular arguments and twisted rationalizations one hears from various religions or pulpits make sense; yes or no? Personally and clearly the vast preponderance, if not all, of those one-bit decisions registered in the negative.
On my own path from early life skepticism to young adult agnosticism, to midlife full-blown Atheism I experienced a great many internal mental debates that I kept entirely to myself. I made my own decisions about religious matters based on personal observations of reality. I suppose that's normal for any person whose primary objective in life is to cut one's own trail, and that defined me from earliest age to the present. So, yes, I am a full-on Atheist and feel neither desire nor intent to debate absurdities with any or all of mankind's various supernatural religious and other ridiculous paranormal pursuits. More to the point, I can't be convinced that any of the fifteen-thousand or so of man's gods have any reality outside of those minds that are infested with or perverted by the religion virus, much less converted thereto. Why debate?
I saw the appearance of an 'approach/avoidence' conflict in much of my thinking, along with watching how people and myself relate to each other.
Sadly, inspite of the beliefs to the contrary, I never saw 'god' when people talk about it. I only saw people 'talking' about 'god'. All the commentaries, buildings, writings etc, are artifacts of this 'talk'. While some of this productive work has been useful, I can't say the same thing about 'god' as a concept. If 'god' as a concept has been helpful with humans learning 'how to do abstract thought', maybe it has atleast served its purpose.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Art historian Melinda Tóth passed away in January 2013, at the age of 74. Melinda Tóth spent a lifetime researching Hungarian Romanesque art and was one of the leading scholars of the field. She worked until her retirement at the Art History Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Her research concentrated on two fields: Romanesque sculpture and Romanesque wall-painting, in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. She was the author of the most recent monograph on wall-painting in Hungary in the Árpád-period (1974, a revision in the form of an article was published in 1995). In the field of Romaneque sculpture, she concentrated mainly on the study of Pécs cathedral. It was largely due to her efforts that the magnificient stone carvings from the medieval cathedral found a permament home in the new cathedral museum, which opened in 2004. Unfortunately, the catalogue of the carvings and the accompanying study on the cathedral sculptures was not finished until the death of Melinda Tóth. However, she published numerous studies on the subject in various journals and exhibition catalogues. I could not find a bibliography of her works online, but a query in Kubikat gives good results.
I had a chance to work together with Melinda Tóth at the mid-1990s, when she worked on the survey and cataloguing of the Pécs sculptures. This material was at the time kept at an abandoned movie building in a village in the hills above Pécs. The situation there was so appaling that even the World Monument Fund was alerted. Restoration of the pieces then began with their support. However, it took another ten years for the new museum to be built according to the plans of Zoltán Bachman.
|Stone carvings from Pécs cathedral in storage, 1990s
|Detail from the story of Samson; 12th c. relief from Pécs cathedral
My Hungarian-speaking readers can read a new study on Pécs cathedral written by Gergely Buzás, and made available online in memory of Melinda Tóth. I also wrote about Pécs cathedral in a previous post.


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The Patriarch of Romania Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral on the First Day of the New Year
On 1 January, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Circumcision of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea of Cappadochia, and the new civil year. His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral assisted by a group of priests and deacons in the presence of many faithful.
After reading the Evangelical pericope (Luke 2:20-21: 40:52), His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel delivered a sermon in which he emphasised the teaching rendered in the fragment: "The text of Luke we read today shows us that when 12 years old, Jesus went to the Temple together with the Mother of God and Righteous Joseph and on their way back, he remained at the Temple. They looked for Him for three days till they found Him, because they first thought that He had left together with other children to go back to Nazareth in Galilee. But He was not there, but in the Temple. So, the Gospel shows us that Jesus who was circumcised when 8 days old was growing, with the help of God's grace, not only biologically, but also theologically. He was growing in wisdom, age and grace, namely in His relationship with God. This relation is very important because it shows us that rather often the spiritual growth is faster than the biological one".
Then, the Patriarch of Romania showed the significance of the feast of the circumcision of the Lord: "The circumcision of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, on the eighth day of His life is a proof of lowliness first of all. As our religious service says on the eighth day of His life He was circumcised according to the Jewish tradition. He, the God-Man accomplished the Old Law and later on He would improve and complete this law. So, the circumcision is obedience and lowliness, the observance of the fatherly tradition. Once the circumcision done, the name was given too. The name Jesus received when eight days old was not chosen by His Parents, neighbours or relatives, but decided by God and conveyed by Archangel Gabriel on the Annunciation day. (...) His name had His work in it from the very beginning, namely to save the world through faith, the salvation in Jesus Christ, because in the Hebrew language Jesus means God saves or God is the Saviour".
To end with the Divine Liturgy, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church eulogized the personality of Saint Basil the Great: "Today we celebrate Saint Basil the Great who lived in the 4th century, born in 330 and passed away on 1 January 379. He lived only 50 years, but from 370, when he became bishop of Caesarea of Cappadochia, till 379, he worked a lot and made much effort. He taught the Gospel of Christ through words and deeds and remained in the conscience of the Church as one of her greatest saints. It is form him that we have the Liturgy that we celebrate today and tradition says he celebrated it four times a week".
Source: Romanian Orthodox Church


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Allure Angie
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Feeling like, how hard u want me and tease me with your words! I know, u like to do that for me :)
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I love teasing and dancing, my flexible body is all that u need if u like to enjoy passion and beauty
Additional Info
please! Don`t cuss out. Don`t ask me to show something for free. Don`t be rude (ask to show something and then u join me for pvt). Don`t be destroying
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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Do you want to study abroad in a stimulating academic and cultural environment and also be able to travel to numerous countries? Or, how about studying abroad at the same cost as a semester at Champlain's Burlington campus? Then explore, immerse, and engage with Champlain Abroad Dublin!
Dublin is an active, energetic, capital city with a young population and a friendly town feel. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, Dublin is a hub for global corporations as well as small start-up companies. Founded in the 9th Century as a Viking settlement, Dublin is now the political, cultural and economic center for Ireland.
Champlain Abroad Dublin gives you professional, cultural and dynamic experiences, including:
- Exploring Dublin's museums and art galleries along with Ireland's historical landmarks and rich cultural heritage through field trips with your classmates
- Enhancing your resume by interning internationally.
- Taking experiential courses that teach you about Ireland's economy, music, cultural heritage, and history.
- Full time local staff to provide a safe and supportive atmosphere, and to help guide cultural immersion.
For more information, contact Office of International Education at email@example.com
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Palmarosa grass is steam distilled to produce an oil with an aroma that can be stimulating and soothing when diffused.
In Aromatherapy it can be used topically or inhaled:
Please refer to specific label instructions for how to use tips and information.
Click here to view Palmarosa label.
100% pure, YLTG Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini) leaves essential oil


text:
by Xeno
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =332088703
Features: Revive, AI, Ranked version, extDB3 support and many moreYour goal is it to free randomly picked targets (up to 34) from all enemy forces.
Resolving side missions will get you better vehicles (tanks, helicopters, planes).
- Randomly picked main targets
- Many side missions
- Custom made revive
- Dynamic weather
- Many parameters can be changed by an admin in the server lobby (enable AI version or ranked version for example)
- Ammo boxes can be loaded into some vehicles (Ammo point at base)
- Uses MHQs for respawn (once deployed)
- Teleport from one deployed MHQ to another
- Vehicles can be lifted by the lift chopper (MHQs for examples)
- Some wrecks can be lifted by the wreck lift chopper and can get repaired at the wreck point at base
- Uses BIS Virtual Arsenal for ammo boxes
- Parajump from main targets (once cleared)
- Engineers can repair and refuel damaged vehicles (needs Toolkit)
- Engineers can load static weapons into engineer trucks
- Artillery operators can mark artillery targets with a laser designator and can call in artillery strikes
- Team leaders of Alpha, Charlie and Echo can also mark artillery targets and they can call in air drops
- Mission dialog to change viewdistance, gras, etc.
- Squad management dialog
- Save player stats and mission progress to a SQL database (if extDB3 is configured)
- and lots of features more...


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TOKYO — Japan, with no more than 1,000 Jews at any time, reminds one of the joke about a Jewish man stranded on a desert island, and who builds two synagogues. One he uses, and the other, "I wouldn't set foot in."
Tokyo, a sprawling metropolis of 13 million residents and 10 million daily commuters, has not one but two Chabad centres – and they are not on speaking terms.
Rabbi David Kunin, spiritual leader of Tokyo's only non-Chabad shul, located in the Jewish Community of Japan building in the city's leafy Shibuya district, takes no pleasure in describing the animosity between the rival Chabads.
The New York-born Rabbi Kunin, who's fresh in Tokyo, having only recently arrived from Edmonton, where he served at Beth Shalom Synagogue for a decade, put it discreetly: One Chabad is part of the movement that believes its late leader, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who died in 1994, is the messiah. The other one does not.
"They don't talk to each other," says Rabbi Kunin, leaving it at that.
When we attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Tokyo JCC, Rabbi Kunin presided before about 50 worshippers on day one (with kids in the basement), and maybe 20 on day two. Both were warm, inclusive and familiar, and honours were freely handed out to newbies (we carried and dressed the Torah).
The sole concession to our location was the customary prayer to the host country. Instead of Canada, a prayer for the welfare of Japan was recited – in Japanese. Everything else could have come from any fully egalitarian North American synagogue.
Worshippers were mainly from English-speaking countries: Canada, the U.S., Britain and Australia. Some ex-pats live here full time but most Jews are transient: Teachers, diplomats, business people, military types, and young backpacking Israelis. There were some Israelis in attendance, including the chazzan.
There were a few Japanese faces, the results of inter-marriages. The loudest and most mellifluous voice belonged to a middle-aged Japanese lady who recited every verse, prayer and hymn in impeccable Hebrew.
The building has a very Japanese esthetic. Simple beech-coloured strips of wood arch over the walls onto the ceiling in the sanctuary. The rest of the three-storey structure is elegant, with clean lines. There are meeting rooms, a lounge, mikvah, classrooms, gift shop and a rooftop terrace. The "JJBA" – the Japanese & Jewish Business Association – is advertised.
The site on which the building stands was acquired in 1952 and a synagogue was established the following year. (The opening ceremony was attended by Japan's Prince and Princess Mikasa). The structure was torn down in 2008 and a new modern building, designed by renowned architect Fumiko Maki, was inaugurated in 2009.
Jewish traders and merchants came to Japan at least around the 17th century, but the first confirmed community was in Yokohama in 1861. Synagogues were established in Nagasaki in 1894, in Kobe in 1937 (it was damaged in the 1995 earthquake and restored with the help of Vancouver's Jewish community), and finally, in Tokyo.
Rabbi Kunin is not the only rabbi with a Canadian connection to Japan: Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose of Winnipeg served here in the late 1990s.
Following services, we lunch with the rabbi, who has mostly fond memories of Edmonton, a young man from aboard the carrier USS George Washington, and Capt. Bruce "Skip" Walker, military attaché at Canada's embassy and his family. The rabbi's wife was to follow as soon as their dogs had cleared quarantine. The chicken soup and kosher chicken, flown in from the U.S., tasted like home.
Asked what Japan's relations with Israel are like, and people shrug. "Mostly benign neglect," someone says. That may be true at the highest levels, but the two countries routinely exchange missions in technology and agriculture. Following the 2011 tsunami and earthquake, Israel sent emergency medical teams for which Japan was grateful, even more so after the Israelis left behind all their equipment. The Israelis here point out that Japan is highly dependent on Arab oil.
Anti-Semitism is virtually non-existent, especially in a land where people routinely meld Buddhist traditions with Shinto, the native religion, and with Christian weddings and Christmas celebrations thrown in.
On leaving, we hear "Shana Tova" mixed with domo arigato, Japanese for "thank you."


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"Great LezBritian" is a fortnightly stroll through the very best of British lesbo-centric entertainment and culture. Plus there will be some jolly good interviews with the top ladies who are waving the flag for gay UK.
So here we are finally watching Lip Service after months and months of full on c–k-teasing by the BBC. It's like we've been having a long-term online relationship with Lip Service and we're finally meeting for the first time. We've dressed up and we're a little bit drunk.
While we waited, we watched Anne Lister — which was really very good — but we'll be glad of some modern day action. We also watched bits of The Real L Word so we'll be glad of something that doesn't make us feel violently sick.
The first scene opens on a sunny street.
Lee: But this doesn't look like Glasgow? It looks like New York?
So Frankie is in New York, being a photographer and being a lesbian with her tattoos, chain on her jeans, short tousled hair and of course vest-top-with-no-bra. One minute in and we're already seeing the absence of bra *joint fist pump*.
She's taking photos of a model or a singer or something who checks Frankie out at every opportunity – and Frankie has the smirky face of someone that knows in a few moments she's going to be having sex against a wall. The model keeps blah blah blahing about her boyfriend but stops when Frankie says:
In the blink of an eye Frankie moves in for the kill, two minutes in and we've already got a hand down some pants *second joint fist pump*
Just then a woman named Karen calls and ruins the party. Bugger you, Karen, and your ill-timing.
Frankie's aunt has died and when she gets off the phone, Frankie tells the model that her uncle and aunt brought her up when her parents died. The model says she's sorry, but Frankie's acts like she is not sorry at all.
Takes top off and resumes position with model.
Frankie is dark.


text:
BlackBerry just released OS 6 Simulators for the Bold 9650 and Curve 9330. This is exciting news for Bold and Curve owners hoping that Blackberry releases OS 6 officially for these devices.
Given that both simulators are built for OS 126.96.36.1997, this may well be the official OS build when and if it is released.
BlackBerry® Smartphone Simulators were designed to view and test how BlackBerry® device software, screen, keyboard and trackpad or trackball will work with your application. With a BlackBerry Smartphone Simulator, you can run and debug applications as if they were on an actual BlackBerry smartphone.


text:
Flights to Beirut from Tehran
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text:
Twenty years ago, the largest bioterror attack in American history took place 80 miles east of Portland.
The mastermind behind this mass poisoning--which sickened 751 people--is not behind bars or hiding in the mountains of Tora Bora. Rather, she runs two homes for the elderly and disabled in Switzerland.
Her 20 employees know her now as Sheela Birnstiel, but during the mid-1980s she bore a different name. Some 350,000 followers around the world addressed her as Ma Anand Sheela--the right hand of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
The story began in 1981, when the Bhagwan fled persecution in India, bought a ranch outside the tiny Oregon town of Antelope (population 47) and established a commune he christened Rancho Rajneesh.
Over the next four years, thousands of "sannyasins," or followers, flocked to the 64,000-acre commune. The Bhagwan spent $30 million to build a shopping mall, a school, an outdoor disco, and other amenities for the 3,000 disciples who lived there at any given time.
The Bhagwan preached a radical detachment from the world, and his sannyasins engaged in daily group bouts of "dynamic meditation" exercises. (For example: "With raised arms, jump up and down, shouting the mantra, 'Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!'")
But detachment did not equal poverty. By 1985, the Bhagwan had amassed $1 million worth of personal jewelry, and performed a daily drive-by at the commune in one of the dozens of Rolls Royces he owned, slowly idling past throngs of cheering followers--all of them clad in red and orange robes with pictures of their guru dangling from their necks.
In 1983, when the Bhagwan surrendered to the void and took a vow of silence, Sheela stepped in and took over the day-to-day running of the commune. She became the movement's increasingly strident voice, denouncing Oregonians as bigots and rednecks. During a nationally televised debate, she gave Nightline's Ted Koppel the finger when he cut off her mike after she kept shouting, "Bullshit!" over the air.
Sheela's growing allergy to criticism led to tension with local authorities in Wasco County--especially after the Rajneeshees took over the government of Antelope and renamed the city Rajneeshpuram.
As Rancho Rajneesh swelled with sannyasins--a mixture of well-educated enlightenment seekers and street people--Sheela became convinced the county and state government were trying to bring the Bhagwan down. She stepped up security, stockpiling guns and a quarter-million dollars' worth of ammunition. She began taping all the commune's incoming and outgoing calls. All sannyasins wore identification bracelets.
Just before the 1984 elections, Sheela hatched a two-pronged plot to seize power in Wasco County. First, the sannyasins bussed in 4,300 homeless people to vote in local elections (a sting operation by Oregon Secretary of State Norma Paulus halted all illegal voting, however). Second, the Rajneeshees sought to impede native voters from reaching the polls--and what better way to do this than to poison them?
Sannyasins slipped salmonella bacteria into salad bars and coffee creamer at 10 restaurants in The Dalles. Soon, 751 people fell ill with food poisoning, 45 of whom were hospitalized.
Sheela and the sannyasins also made attempts on the lives of several of the cult's "enemies," including U.S. Attorney Charles Turner, who fell ill after drinking from a cup of coffee he left unattended in a courthouse where sannyasins were roaming about.
As pressure mounted from the state police, the FBI, U.S. marshals and the National Guard, the Bhagwan broke his vow of silence and accused Sheela of exerting totalitarian control over the commune--as did many other sannyasins.
It was too late. The commune imploded. The Bhagwan fled, was arrested in Charlotte, N.C., on his way to the Bahamas, and was ultimately deported to India (where he renamed himself "Osho" and died in 1990).
Sheela fled to Germany in September 1985, only to be extradited back to the U.S. and convicted of attempted murder and illegal wiretapping, among other crimes. She served 29 months in federal prison.
After her release, Sheela married Swiss Rajneeshee Urs Birnstiel, giving her a Swiss passport and immunity from extradition to the U.S. on any future charges, such as the unresolved attempted murder of U.S. Attorney Turner. Urs Birnstiel died of AIDS in 1992.
Sheela, 55, now tends to 34 mentally disabled patients at her homes in Maisprach and Lausen, Switzerland, which she opened in 1990.
"I call them 'communes,' not 'nursing homes,' because 'nursing homes' has a feeling of people you want to put aside," she says. "The same love I had for people at Rajneeshpuram, I bring to my patients now."
Sheela lives with her patients and her two black Labradors, Lalla and Rajab, at her commune in Maisprach, a village near Basel renowned for its fine pinot noir grapes. She integrates the patients' care into her daily life, treating them more like family members than invalids.
"I live with my people in the same house, I eat with them and dance with them," Sheela says. "People respect what I do."
Sheela says the Bhagwan's religion is still "inside me, in my heart," but she doesn't preach to her patients--or wear the saffron robes anymore.
"I was never a clothes person anyway," she says. "I'm into comfortable, baggy clothing now."
Sheela still maintains that she was innocent, and simply became a convenient scapegoat for everything that went wrong at Rajneeshpuram. Nevertheless, she didn't blame the Bhagwan; though the two never met again, she says they still had an unspoken bond. While she has no regrets, Sheila says she'd never want to go through it again.
"I don't miss anything about Oregon," she says. "I would have to miss the hate, that's all. I don't forget anything that happened in my life; everything is best. I have a wonderful past, a wonderful present and I know I'm going to have a wonderful future."
Intro | Tonya's Mob: Tonya Harding, Jeff Gillooly & Shawn Eckardt | The Crusader: Gordon Shadburne | The Meteor: Billy Ray Bates | Satan's Pilgrim: Rex Diabolos Church | The Firebrand: Ron Herndon | The Bad Boy: Frank Peters | The Broken Halo: Michael Stoops | The Crack Mother: Anita Nichols | The Veejay: Kennedy | The Girl from Electra: Treva Throneberry | The Perfect Victim: Azalea Cooley | The Grappler: Dutch Savage | Wonder Boy: Pat Gillis | The Ex-Files: Marcia & Steve Moskowitz | The Witness: Dave Mazzella | The Prankster: Igor Vamos | The Intern: Monica Lewinsky | The Runaways: Diane Walden & Peter | Top Cop: Mark Kroeker | Sprawl Kitten: Kate Schiele | Authority Figure: Rocky Balada | The Hulk: Dry Dock 4 | The Candidate: Gail Shibley | The Super: Ben Canada | The Organ Grinder: Dr. William J. Brady | Pillars of the Community: The Lovejoy Columns | The Survivor: Giles Thompson | The Contender: Andy Minsker | Space Invader: The Phantom Dialer | The Red Menace: Ma Anand Sheela


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DETROIT (AP) -- A man who admitted to assaulting another man at a Detroit gas station because he believed the victim was gay has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The Justice Department says Everett Avery of Detroit was sentenced last Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit. He earlier pleaded guilty to a hate crime.
A message seeking comment was sent last Friday to a lawyer for Avery.
Authorities say Avery punched Justin Alesna in the face in March 2011. Alesna says he was in line to buy cigarettes when a man told him he was standing too close and directed anti-gay slurs toward him.
Alesna says he told the man he was gay and was punched twice. Alesna later posted an Internet video showing his facial injuries from the attack.
Published: Mon, Feb 11, 2013


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By Julie Jargon
Hostess Brands LLC, the new owner of Twinkies, CupCakes and Zingers, officially brought back the iconic products on Monday. But some retailers, after agreeing not to start selling the products until midnight on Sunday, jumped the gun.
The fresh frenzy over the cream-filled confections left one Rhode Island woman with minor injuries last week, according to Hostess co-owner and Chief Executive C. Dean Metropoulos. As the woman was leaving a store with several boxes of Hostess goodies, she got jostled as other customers grabbed them from her, Mr. Metropoulos said in an interview after a kick-off event at a Schiller Park, Ill., Hostess bakery on Monday.
Hostess President Rich Seban, speaking before television cameras, said not all Hostess products will be available at all stores in the first week of the re-launch and advised people not to storm retailers and bother store managers if they can't find what they're looking for.


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Creepy Doll Costume Photo 6 of 6
Rate this costume:
3 votes
|add a comment
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Women
This homemade costume for women entered our 2014 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Destinee, the 'Creepy Doll' costume creator:
this idea unfolded & came together in less than a week after our original idea fell through last minute . with the little time we had , the costumes turned out great ! Read more »


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Careers at Connectivity Source
Sprint 6572 E Grant Rd Ste 110
Connectivity Source is part of the amazing and innovative wireless industry. Our team consists of ambitious, hardworking and friendly people who have a passion for connecting our customers to the world.
When you join the Connectivity Source team you'll have access to ongoing professional training on wireless devices and mobile services. Other benefits include earned bonuses and promotions, and the satisfaction of working for a company that truly values its employees.
Ready to come on board? If you're looking for a fun and rewarding pace to grow, consider applying for one of our available jobs. Please note, this is not an offer for Sprint employment.
Connectivity Source is a Sprint Authorized Retailer looking for team players.
If you are considering a career in wireless retail, here are some of the great benefits we offer:
- Uncapped commission plans
- Annual top performer trip
- Additional year-round incentives
- Opportunities for advancements
- Work in a fun, collaborative environment
- Onsite training and development
As a Sprint Authorized Retailer, we're committed to the highest level of customer service.
Since we already have the best customers, we want to make sure we have the best employees too! Here are three featured positions that are currently available:
Retail Store Managers: Drive sales, gain customer loyalty, develop a team, build your knowledge in the latest technology and have an owner's mentality.
Assistant Store Managers: Sharpen our sales floor behaviors, coach a team to win, pursue a manager in training certification and develop leadership skills.
Retail Sales Reps: Make the most of unlimited sales incentives, learn something new and share it with others, strive for excellence every day and create magic moments for our customers.


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GUNG HAY FAY CHOY!!! Yesterday was the start of the Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Dragon! We celebrated the occasion by reading a story and making paper lanterns to decorate our classroom. The children chose either yellow or red construction paper and decorated it however they wished.
They folded the paper in half and traced lines with a ruler. The next step was to cut on the line, without cutting all the way through. This year's group has really struggled with cutting skills, so this was great practice.
We stapled them together to make a cylinder shape.
They turned out pretty cute! Later, we punched holes in the top and ran string through the top so we could hang them up in our classroom.
I discovered this wonderful little lift -the- flap book, "Dragon's Dance" by Joan Holub. It has great illustrations, easy to understand text and is quite informative, giving the reader a nice glimpse of families celebrating Chinese New Year. It was a great way to introduce the holiday traditions some children celebrate!
Gung Fat Hay Choy! Happy Year of the Dragon!


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(Reuters) - Michael Corbat, Citigroup Inc's new chief executive, is a survivor.
In a three-decade career that started at Salomon Brothers, the former offensive lineman for Harvard has endured countless mergers and succeeded in coming out on top.
He has run multiple units at Citigroup that allowed him to get to know the bank's board of directors, including wealth management and Citi Holdings, where the bank put bad assets it was looking to shed.
But Corbat, 52, whose athletic build and eyeglasses have earned comparisons with Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent, among colleagues, has a tough job ahead.
He must now reshape Citigroup in a new financial order, pulling back from products and geographical areas that are seen as "non-core" and negotiate with banking regulators. Citi needed three government rescues to make it through the financial crisis of 2008.
In a memo to employees after the announcement on Tuesday, Corbat said he believed the bank was on the right path.
"However, the environment is a challenging and dynamic one. Regulatory, legislative and economic changes around the world present headwinds as we redefine our relationships with all of our stakeholders."
Some experts who know Corbat said they were convinced that his no-nonsense approach is well suited to the bank's next chapter.
"I applaud the decision the board has made to name him CEO," said Sanford "Sandy" Weill, the tycoon who built Citigroup into a financial conglomerate. "He has been a great manager for Citi in all of the important positions he has held. He is respected by the people within the company and he will be a good leader for the team in the future."
Corbat's work for Citi Holdings sealed his reputation at the third-largest U.S. bank, executives said.
The task of extricating the bank from more than 40 businesses, including the initial public offering and sale of Citi's remaining stake in life insurer Primerica Inc, would have been seen as a poisoned chalice by many in the banking industry during such a turbulent period. But he sold more than $500 billion of assets while still getting high enough prices to build up much-needed capital.
Corbat appeared to relish the task. He even described his job as "the easiest job in the world," because so many companies and funds were looking to buy Citigroup assets, according to one banking source, who declined to be named.
"He's really polished and measured," the source said, adding that Corbat showed an exceptional ability to forge successful alliances within the firm.
Corbat was rewarded for his success with his appointment at the start of this year as CEO of Europe, Middle East and Africa, overseeing all of Citi's business operations in the region.
In that role, he steered the company through a raging euro crisis while also pursuing new business opportunities in the Gulf and Africa.
"He has great leadership capabilities. I think he will probably be in a better position to get regulatory approval for the return of excess capital," said Anthony Polini, analyst at Raymond James.
With the world economic picture still looking far from certain, Corbat will be able to make good use of the experience he gained from his involvement in sorting out the bankruptcy of Orange County, California and sovereign debt restructurings in Latin America as well as corporate clean-ups.
That is likely to require all the team building abilities he honed on the football field back at Harvard — and likely give him less time to go fly fishing, a sport he is also known to enjoy.
"Everyone is important in their own way, but when you're in the game and a part of it, that day, you know you made a contribution," Corbat told the Harvard Crimson in the early 1980s.
Reporting by Dan Wilchins and David Henry in New York, Alex Chambers and Sudip Roy of IFR and Dasha Afanasieva in London; Writing by Alex Smith in London; Editing by Steve Orlofsky


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Carson CityHome Menu
Carson City Public Works
Utility Billing (Water, Sewer and Storm Water)
Office Hours:
Receive your utility bill
Pay Your Utility Bill
The Carson City Utility Billing Division maintains records of water consumption, sewer use and payment histories for each utility customer and performs the monthly billing for these services.
Form A-2
Rates: Water Rates | Sewer Rates | Storm Water Service Charges | Water Connection Charges
Final Report for Water & Sewer Rate Study (October 2013)
Utility Billing Regulations:
Carson City Utilities is municipally owned and operated, governed by the rules and regulations set forth in Title 12 of the Carson City Municipal Code.
Carson City is divided into three billing cycles per month. We are sorry cycles cannot be changed to accommodate the customer.
Payments: Customers may pay either by mail or in person at the Utility Collections Division of the Treasurer's Office. Please write your account number on your check and make it payable to Carson City Utilities. Payments are not accepted at the Public Works office.
Billings: All customers must be the owners of the property for which service is established. If the property is a rental, the account shall be established in the property owner's name and billing must go to the property owner. The owner will be held responsible for payment of all outstanding balances.
Service Establishment and Re-establishment Charge: An establishment fee will be billed for each new account or any time service is re-established at an existing location, and will appear on the first or second bill. If service is turned off because of nonpayment, the total balance due plus a reconnection charge must be paid and credit re-established before service will be restored. A lien on the property will be filed for all unpaid accounts.
Right to Access: The City shall have the right of access to and from the customer's premises for any purpose connected with the service of water to the customer. Water meter boxes must be kept unobstructed at all times. If we are unable to read your meter(s) because of circumstances beyond our control, we will bill you based upon estimated usage for that billing period.
Stopping Service: Please notify us at least one business day in advance of the date you wish service to be disconnected. Also, please provide us with your new address so we can forward your closing statement and any applicable refunds.
Water Service: Water meters are read approximately the same time each month and customers are billed on a per thousand gallon use basis (Tgal = thousands of gallons).
Sewer Service:
Commercial sewer use charges are based on each thousand gallons of water that registers
through the water meter.
Residential sewer use charges are a flat monthly rate.
There is a monthly service charge whether or not any water or sewer is used.
Storm Water Utility: The storm water utility rate is used to fund many different aspects of Carson City's community-wide program to provide flood protection and information, storm water infrastructure, facility maintenance and water quality protection. The monthly rate is based on a residential unit, which is then multiplied by a factor for other higher storm water generators.


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If you qualify for free or subsidized health care, enroll through Washington Healthplanfinder at www.wahealthplanfinder.org. People qualify for help if their income is less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($45,960 for an individual and $94,200 for a family of four in 2013). If your income exceeds that threshold, you may wish to contact an insurance broker or agent directly.
Those who qualify for Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) may continue to enroll throughout the year. There are also certain events that allow you to enroll or change your enrollment throughout the year. Read more about qualifying events.
With a few exceptions, people who do not purchase an ACA-compliant health insurance plan will pay a penalty when they file their 2014 federal income taxes. The penalty is 1 percent of your income or $95, whichever is greater. The penalty increases yearly through 2016, when the penalty will be the greater of 2.5 percent of your household income or $695 per adult and $347 per child. If you lacked coverage for part of the year, your penalty will be prorated.
There are exemptions to the penalty:
- People who cannot afford coverage because the cost of premiums exceed 8 percent of their household income.
- People whose household income is below the minimum threshold for filing a tax return.
- People who are incarcerated.
- Members of federally recognized tribes.
- People who are eligible for care through the Indian Health Service.
- People who live in the United States illegally.
- People whose religious beliefs prohibit having health insurance and are recognized as such by the Social Security Administration.
- People who belong to a health care sharing ministry.
- People who experienced a health insurance coverage gap of fewer than three months.
- U.S. citizens who live outside of the country for at least 330 days during a 12-month period. However, once they return to the U.S., they need to purchase health insurance within three months.


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Two men suspected of selling an iPhone 4 prototype that was lost last year in a Redwood City bar pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges in San Mateo County Superior Court this morning.
Brian John Hogan, 22, and Sage Robert Wallower, 28, are suspected of selling the leaked phone to a techonology blog, Gawker Media's Gizmodo, after it was found at the Gourmet Haus Staudt restaurant on March 18, 2010.
The men were each charged with one count of misappropriation of lost property after they allegedly arranged to sell the device for $5,000 to the blog, which then disassembled it and posted details about the prototype on its website.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said the two men did not appear in court this morning but that Hogan's attorney, Jeffrey Bornstein, and Wallower's attorney, Elizabeth Grossman, entered not-guilty pleas on their clients' behalf.
At this morning's court hearing, a pretrial conference was scheduled for Oct. 11 and a trial date was set for Nov. 28, Guidotti said.
No charges were filed against Gizmodo employees.
News reports surfaced Wednesday that an iPhone 5 prototype was recently lost by an Apple employee at a San Francisco bar.
According to a CNET report, the phone was lost in late July at Cava 22, a restaurant and bar in San Francisco's Mission District. The article goes on to say that San Francisco police and Apple employees visited a home in Bernal Heights where the phone had apparently been traced.
Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said the company is declining to comment on the matter.
San Francisco police spokesman Albie Esparza said he has not been able to find a record of a police report filed by the company for its loss. Esparza said this morning that police were awaiting a response from Apple.
The restaurant's manager did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Bay City News


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A CAD Manager's Letter to IT26 Jul, 2011 By: Robert Green
Educate your IT department about what you really need to do your job right.
The following is an open letter from a frustrated CAD manager who is experiencing some common IT headaches. Although the CAD manager is imaginary in this case, these problems are all too real; I get letters from readers about them quite often.
I tried to have a little fun with this, while giving you some talking points with which to approach your IT department if these problems are plaguing you. I realize that many of you also serve as IT managers, so you might not face these issues — but you may enjoy reading through this anyway. I also realize that most folks working in IT departments want to do a good job, but simply don't understand CAD — thus the letter.
Here goes.
Dear IT Department:
It's me, the CAD manager. You know, the guy — or gal — who's always dealing with plotters and printers and screaming users. The one who slows our wide-area network (WAN) to a crawl by sharing all those 40-MB scanned aerial images with our branch offices. The one who has to juggle 2D, 3D, BIM (building information modeling), schedules, budgets, senior management demands, and software licensing. Yeah, that's me.
I've got a few things I'd like to explain about my job and how you could help me to help you (with apologies to Jerry Maguire), if you'll just hear me out and try to feel my pain.
Grant Me Access
I'm not like every other computer user in the company, so shouldn't my login privileges reflect that reality? Why restrict me with insufficient privileges so that I have to come crawling to you every time I need to fix something? I don't want to bother you, but you leave me no choice.
I'm expected to provide user support and problem fixes right away. Project schedules and deliverables depend on my ability to make things happen promptly. Project managers yell at me when things go wrong, and they don't like hearing that I can't resolve issues because my security status doesn't allow me to. Therefore, I need to be able to do the following, without contacting IT for approval each time:
- Overwrite/delete files, install drivers, uninstall/reinstall software, apply software service packs, update Java consoles, etc. (which means that I require administrative-level permissions).
- Access all network drives at all our offices.
- Manage printer/plotter file queues.
- Add peripherals (portable drives, scanners, etc.) to user computers.
The long and short of it is that any problem I can fix without contacting you means one less problem for IT and one more happy CAD user. Every problem you don't allow me to fix will result in an angry phone call and an unhappy user. I promise I won't abuse the privilege — I just want to get things done.
Trust Me
Trust goes hand in hand with security. If you won't provide me with the privileges mentioned above, I must assume that you don't trust me to perform these tasks. I ask you to consider the following:
- Management trusts me to see all our CAD work through to completion.
- Management trusts me to interact with clients and vendors to finish projects on time.
- Management trusts me to set budgets, purchase software, and perform training.
- Users trust me to help them complete their CAD projects.
If management and users alike trust me to manage huge projects with all sorts of client and financial liability, why can't you trust me to manage some file directories and install printer drivers?
Communicate with Me
When it comes to my job, I don't like surprises. Remember how that "simple printer switch to a new system driver" you performed last week was supposed to be transparent to the users? It wasn't! All my CAD plotting scripts and configurations assumed the old server driver parameters, so nothing worked right after the switch! Getting 15 phone calls complaining that "the plotter doesn't work" was not a fun way to start my morning.
And how about when you moved all the CAD files to a new server box, keeping the same X: drive letter mapping and thinking nobody would ever notice? We noticed! Because our CAD tools use UNC pathing (not drive letters) to communicate with our branch offices (which don't have consistent drive letter mappings), all our file relationships stopped working. Going through a directory of 300 project files to re-path reference files was even less fun than the plotter debacle.
Please consider the following:
- CAD printers and plotters are often customized, and often do not use system devices like Microsoft Office users.
- CAD files often reference other files, so pathing changes can cause major problems.
- CAD is highly customized, so any changes to the above items may cause automated functions to stop working and create serious workflow problems.
So before you move printers, reallocate server storage, or update drivers for network devices, could you please give me a warning?
Involve Me
Want to know how to size your servers and plotters, anticipate file storage requirements, measure the bandwidth required to support remote offices, or understand how cloud computing might affect our network? Ask me!
I support CAD users all the time, and I can assure you that they do certain things better than anyone else:
- Tax servers and print devices.
- Create big files.
- Eat up WAN bandwidth (due to those large files).
- Push the envelope of cloud technology.
In short, why wonder how things might work when you have a CAD department right here that can help you benchmark and understand how things do work right now and could work in the future? I'm ready to help you figure out these issues, because these factors slow my CAD users down. In fact, I want our systems and networks to better serve our users, so I'm motivated to do anything I can to make that happen.
If we work together to build a better user environment, everyone — CAD users and general office users alike — will benefit.
I Can Help You Too
I'm often at users' machines, so I can keep an eye out for problems or help you update configurations as needed. Why not use me as an adjunct IT staffer if I'm already at the user's machine anyway? And while you're getting me up to speed on IT issues, you might learn more about CAD in the process.
Wouldn't it be great if we could cross-train? We'd get a more IT-aware CAD manager and a more CAD-aware IT department at the same time!
Thanks for Hearing Me Out
I didn't mean to go on a rant, but these issues really have been a barrier to me becoming a more effective CAD manager. I hope you'll take my letter in the spirit it was intended, which is simply to raise the issues, state my case, and respectfully request your help in giving me the IT resources I need to do my job better.
Let's open a dialog and see how we can help each other. What could it hurt?
The CAD Manager
About the Author: Robert Green
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: CobraCommander
on: July 27, 2011 - 1:28pm
|You must deal exclusively with the enterprise elite in the AEC world: the "CAD Guys" I've ever met are barely capable of getting their home PCs networked together. IOW, your bullet list of Permissions Requests are essentially IT matters, NOT a CAD Manager's responsibility. If that is what you are doing as a CAD Manager then your company has very poor delineation of responsibility and THAT is the first problem to address. If that is what you are doing as a CAD Manager AND you and IT are fine with that, THEN you have legs to stand on. Otherwise this comes across to IT as being out of your element.
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: MBA
on: July 27, 2011 - 3:41pm
|How apropos!
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:53pm
|Grant Me Access
We understand that you want it now, but just as you have permits, applications, regulations and other items you must follow to satisfy your projects we too have certain guidelines that we need to meet.
Ideally all of the software you would like to install we be absolutely perfect and would never cause a problem. However out of the hundreds of software titles on the workstation this is not the case. Often when you demand an immediate response from the IT Department to meet your production schedule you must believe that we are all idle and that we too to do have a process to follow or schedules to meet.
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:54pm
|It is not uncommon for today's workstations to have several dozen if not a hundred software titles installed, not including all of the updates and fixes that are also applied. Ideally all of this software would be perfect and work in perfect harmony. Unfortunately this is not the case. Before we apply an update the software is obtained and tested. You may be surprised to learn that many of the software titles or updates may not install or work properly. For these applications we are typically on hold for hours, and waiting weeks to get a fix to the problem. It is not uncommon for the information from the vendor to be wrong or inaccurate. You may remember for the past decade AutoCAD users have been to install all of the memory possible into their computers, meanwhile for the past decade IT has been telling you that the system is NOT CAPABLE of using the memory. Recently you have learned from Autodesk that this is true and now you have to have a 64 bit workstation. Will you believe us now when we tell you many titles will not work properly on a 64 bit machine. We know and have been testing them for the past year or two. (This is one of those projects we have been working on while we are idly waiting on your call).
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:54pm
|In addition to these challenges we are working to support several hundred/thousands of workstations throughout the company. While it may appear to be faster to have everyone fix their own computer and call us when they can't, we have found it faster to have all the computers be the same and to fix the problem one time and to deploy it to everyone.
This same benefit also means that the virus, spyware, and other malware that you did not also stands a better chance of not being installed, along with the games, ESPN, news feeds, and other widgets.
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:54pm
|I don't think Human Resources, Payroll, Sales, and the other departments would agree that you need access to all network drives at all of your offices. Even if this request is limited to just CAD across the offices you will find that many CAD Managers do not want the other CAD Managers in their content. Worse simply having access to this content will bring about several problems; first opening this content over a WAN link is about the worst thing you can do. It is far slower than coping the content locally, and you stand a good chance of corrupting the content when you try to abruptly close the content when it takes forever or if there is a problem with the link. Secondly as you mention later in this same article we do know about UNC paths and drive letters and we also know about fonts, plotters and other items that may be stored in the file you are trying to open that may also cause problems. For all of these reasons it is best to communicate with the people at the other site and to obtain a copy. When you talk with them they can also let you know that an update will be forthcoming or that they just received a change order and everything in building X is obsolete.
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:55pm
|It is not uncommon for people to have the permission to manager their documents in the printer/plotter queues. However this feature is under document management in the queue, and not in printer management. Printer management would give one the authority to manager other people's documents in the print queue.
Removable drives are highly problematic for companies. Just as you have processes you must follow, IT needs to insure the integrity of the companies intellectual property. This includes securing, backup/restore, virus scanning, archiving etc.. One common misconception is that drive space is cheap. While disk space is cheap, "managed disks" are not. Content that is maintained under the policies defined FOR IT, not by IT fall under "managed disks".
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:55pm
|The long and short of it when we don't have to explain this to you each and every time and if you would contact us when you receive the request and not two months later when you need the tool, (yes we see the date on the message they send you) it can make the process smoother.
Trust Me
IT Trusts no one by definition. It is the nature of the times. Building a computer system, network today includes security. These protections are vast and diverse and come encompass those you know such as virus and spyware, but it also includes several you may not think of to include integrity, legal, financial and regulation/compliancy.
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:56pm
|For the sake of this, if you want to limit the scope to the CAD area, will still have guidelines we need to meet. Some of these include indexing the content, similar to the flat files days. The flat files typically have a single index structure, and only the required content was stored. Content was not filed by name by one engineer, and by number by another. The files also did not contain my files, my backup files, old files, bad files, good files, other files, and who knows files. Just as the CAD Manager had rules as to what was stored in the "flat files" these same rules need to apply to the "server files.".
|Re: A CAD Manager's Letter to IT
|by: ITManager
on: September 26, 2011 - 12:56pm
|Communicate with Me
Communication is a two way street. IT works hard to notify users of the changes. In fact you indicated in your message that you know of the changes in advance. However, IT apparently did not know about the scripts and configurations you made that were hard coded.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
Dr. Phil Potty Train in One Day Method
5 comments:
This absolutely works! The girls was taking a bath with the pee pee dolly. After the bath I simply said let me show you how the dolly goes pee pee. She loved it. We kept giving her water and letting dolly go pee pee in real toilet.
Then I asked, "You want to try?"
She did and that was it for pee pee! Then on she wanted to go pee pee on the potty!!
It works great!
Sarah's Nanny in NJ
- November 19, 2009 at 8:48 AM
I agree that these are the best potty training tips I have ever tried. I like the tips you incuded from from Sears, Spock, child orientated and Dr Phil. All encourage enthusiasm and make it fun.
Best thing I heard Dr Phil say was that you need to motivate the child to use potty or why do it? It is much easier to sit back and let mommy or adult do all the work of changing, wiping, cleaning, discarding diapers. So easy for the child. Going potty requires a lot more work for the child. So, encourage him any way you can!!
Yes, using the potty party and potty dolly worked great for me and my charges!
Melanie M
- November 19, 2009 at 9:05 AM
It works it definitely works! Nannies just keep up the encouragment and excitment!!! This definitely works!
Meggy Thompson
Boston MA
- November 19, 2009 at 10:35 AM
- Fiona Littleton said...
Yes this method of parties and the first methods described earlier in the week work the best. The dolly works wonders if the child is old enough.
Forcing too early or any negative vibe about the process (yelling or punishing) do not work.
- November 19, 2009 at 2:10 PM
I have potty trained 5 children in my career. Each child is an individual. Any method might work better than the other depending on the child. Any book is as good as any other if it works for each individual child.
I have had most success with Dr Phil's method. Perhaps because I could watch the video of how to do it. But, I think it might be because I approached the child with more enthusiasm when I tried using Dr Phil's approach. Also I used it on the 5th child so I probably was more relaxed.
Extended family members would tell me what to do, but I typically do whatever my Mom Boss or Dad Boss want me to do.
Potty training is a huge part of development and best advice is to be patient and have fun with it. Yelling, punishing, getting frustrated slows down the development. Why would anyone use potty if they were to be scolded?
Sandy G.
21 Years Experience
Professional Nanny
Household Manager
Darien CT
- December 6, 2009 at 8:30 AM


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The end of daylight saving time this year means an an extra hour of Halloween festivities over the weekend or just some much needed sleep.
Whether you're going to bed at your regular time or still partying at your friend's spooky Halloween bash Saturday night or early Sunday, don't forget to move your clocks back one hour. The change happens at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Here are five things to know about daylight saving time before you adjust your watches, alarms and microwaves (most cell phones adjust on their own):
U.S. & World
How It Affects Your Health:
The change can disturb your sleep pattern and taking advantage of the extra hour to stay up a bit longer over the Halloween weekend may add to the problem.
According to David Earnest, a professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at Texas A&M University, the time change can have different effects on people, depending on their age, work schedule and their eating and sleeping routines.
"Our internal clocks have to shift, be it only an hour, and the ability to do that varies from individual to individual," Earnest told USA Today, adding that most people should adjust to the new time change within a day or two.
When Was DST Implemented
Before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which established a uniform daylight saving time, local governments could start and end daylight saving time as they desired. For five weeks a year Boston, New York and Philadelphia were not on the same time as Washington, D.C., Cleveland or Baltimore. Different daylight saving times also caused confusion for travelers going from the Midwest to Northeast.
In 2005, President George W. Bush extended the daylight saving time for an extra four weeks through an energy bill. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday of March, ending on the first Sunday of November.
Not All States Observe DST
Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. Indiana did not observe the practice until 2005. The American territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate.
Some states have tried to get rid of daylight saving time but haven't been successful. In the last year alone, 14 state legislatures have debated bills aimed at revising how we keep time. In March, the Utah state legislature rejected a bill that would have ended daylight saving time.
Founding Father Did Not Come Up with DST
According to the History Channel, Benjamin Franklin did not come up with the idea of daylight saving time; he only suggested a change in sleep schedules.
Englishman William Willett is the one who suggested in 1905 that the United Kingdom move its clocks forward by 80 minutes between April and October, so people could enjoy the sunlight. He published "The Waste of Daylight" and spent much of his fortune and time promoting the idea.
DST is Singular Not Plural
By the way, it's "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time."


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Although a day late due to a personal weekend away from the political world, I feel it is never too late to express appreciation for America's heroes. Veteran's Day was yesterday, although many observe it today. The county itself has a tradition of selflessness and sacrifice, one which has always helped protect our freedoms when they have needed honorable souls to fight for it.
In my life, I have come in contact with veterans from all branches who have served in numerous conflicts and wars. Many who I will never forget. One instance that I will never forget is when I worked at a retail store a couple years ago and in helping an older gentleman, I discovered he was a World War 2 veteran. For well over an hour, we stood outside his truck talking, as he reminisced about his life. It was a true honor to get to know this individual, who lived a good life with no regrets, an existence that included putting on the uniform for his nation.
Also, my family has a solid background of service. My great grandfather served in World War 2 for the United States Army. His son, my grandfather, also served in Vietnam for the Navy. Both of these individuals are on my mother's side of the family. On my father's side of the family, I also have a few who have served. My grandfather served in the United States Marines Corps, as did his grandson and my cousin, who enlisted upon graduating from high school. My grandfather served in Korea and Vietnam. I also have a great uncle who served in the Army during Vietnam.
All of these individuals who I have had the privilege to know in my life are great individuals. It is to these individuals, as well as my friends and extended family who have served in uniform, that I send my deepest appreciation to. Without the people who stand up for our country, just as the revolutionary generation did when they secured our freedom in the country's beginning, we may not enjoy the America we do today.
Although disagreements certainly exist about all the conflicts and fights abroad, there is one thing for certain, and that is the integrity of those who put on the uniform. While the politicians back home may be questionable, our soldiers and veterans are not. These individuals enlist full well knowing that they could be deployed and their lives placed on the line. Even if they survive their service, there is always the possibility of extended time away from their families. This is the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
Always remember to say a thank you to a veteran. Not only on Veteran's Day, but every single day before and after the 11th of November. They have made the honorable sacrifice for America.


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Adidas canceled plans for a sneaker with a shackle-like ankle cuff Monday night after some critics said it too closely resembled a symbol of slavery.
The JS Roundhouse Mid, a high-top sneaker with an orange plastic cuff, was made in collaboration with fashion designer Jeremy Scott.
The sneaker "is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott's outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery," Adidas said in a statement. "Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace."
The sneaker was supposed to be a reboot of a classic high-top sneaker with a strap across the middle. A preview was offered months ago and generated little chatter, but the company recently started promoting it on its Facebook page.
Scott is known as one of fashion's more outrageous characters. Adidas said he is heralded for a style that is "quirky and lighthearted."
The Roundhouse Mid was inspired by a furry toy called My Pet Monster. "My work has always been inspired by cartoons, toys & my childhood," Scott said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.
Previous collaborations between Scott and Adidas include sneakers with Mickey Mouse and panda bear themes.
Adidas cancels Jeremy Scott 'shackle' sneaker
Adidas canceled plans for a sneaker with a shackle-like ankle cuff Monday night after some critics said it too closely resembled a symbol of slavery.


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Following a two-and-a-half hour special debut episode, "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" returns to its familiar one-hour format this week. However, unlike past seasons, the episode starts with taped content created from the previous week's events before airing a live elimination fight.
Episode No. 2 of "TUF: Live" starts with a live look into the locker rooms of the "TUF" gym, with one fighter warming up from each team. With the team selections yet to be revealed, the fighters' identities remain a mystery. This past week's elimination fights are recapped while a countdown clock to this episode's live elimination flight is debuted.
As the taped portion of the episode starts, the 16 fighters are shown making their way into the "TUF" house. After scrambling to claim their beds, a few of the fighters elect to celebrate their wins with a few cocktails.
The next morning, it's time for team selection. Urijah Faber wins the coin toss but elects to allow Dominick Cruz first draft pick in order to pick the season's first round-of-16 fight.
The teams alternate picks, and the teams fill out as follows:
Team Cruz
1. Justin Lawrence
2. Sam Sicilia
3. Myles Jury
4. Mike Rio
5. James Vick
6. Vinc Pichel
7. Chris Tickle
8. Jeremy Larsen
Team Faber
1. Al Iaquinta
2. Cristiano Marcello
3. Daron Cruickshank
4. Joe Proctor
5. Mike Chiesa
6. John Cofer
7. Andy Ogle
8. Chris Saunders
And with that, the teams are set.
Team Faber goes immediately into a training session. Chris Saunders, the final draft pick of the season, admits it's a dream to work with Faber, and the rest of the team seems to be just as confident in their coach and appear to be developing an early chemistry.
Shortly afterward, it's time for Team Cruz to hit the mats. Cruz allows his assistant coaches to take the reins of the practice while choosing to largely observe the activities. The lone difference is with Chris Tickle, who admitted he wanted to be on Faber's team, and Cruz wants to know why. After a little special attention, Tickle says he's just fine with the way things ended up. Ditto for the rest of the team, who say they're comfortable working for the UFC bantamweight champ.
After a commercial break, it's time for this week's fight announcement. Beforehand, Faber confronts Cruz about a magazine article where the champ claims Faber's parents helped him set up his gym. Faber makes it very clear it's not cool to talk about family, but Cruz is quick to apologize to Faber's parents – though not to Faber himself.
Faber then takes to the mat to announce Team Faber's Daron Cruickshank will face Team Cruz's James Vick. Vick has a substantial height advantage, but Faber believes the stylistic matchup favors his fighter. Cruickshank concurs, stating that reach alone is not enough to win the fight.
We move to Sunday, where Mike Chiesa is pulled from a Team Faber practice, where he finds out his father has passed away after a long battle with a form of cancer. Chiesa is obviously devastated and apologizes to his mom for not being there. It turns out his father held on just long enough to see his son win his way into the house before passing away. Chiesa doesn't know what's going to happen next, but Faber says he hopes his fighter will stay in the competition.
Back at the house, Chiesa tells his real-life training partner Sam Sicilia what's happened. On opposing teams in the house, the two embrace in an emotional moment. Sicilia tries to comfort Chiesa, reminding him that his father was able to see his son win on national TV. Chiesa takes solace in the fact that his father's spirit will now be with him daily.
Chiesa is forced to make a difficult decision: stay and follow your dream or go home and be with family.
After a brief commercial break, we're less than 20 minutes to the live fight, and Vick and Cruickshank are warming up in the locker room. But for now, it's back to taped action.
UFC president Dana White meets with Chiesa and tells him he's OK to fly home and attend his father's services without giving up his spot on the show. Chiesa confides in White that his father knew the risk of his son leaving but wanted nothing more than for him to follow his dreams.
Sicilia says he's proud of his friend, and Chiesa departs the house to go home and, in his words, "bleed it out." It's tough sailing for Chiesa, but the rest of the house carries on, and we meet Vick and Cruickshank up close.
Cruz admits Vick is likely the underdog in the first fight, but he does see a path to victory. Both Cruz and Vick admit the fighter must stay busy and stay active on the feet in order to succeed. Still, Vick also works closely with Lloyd Irvin on a plan should the fight hit the floor.
After another commercial, it's less than 10 minutes to fight time. It's time for an in-depth look at Cruickshank, who says he came from a martial-arts background, as his mom was a third-degree black belt in tae kwon do.
Cruickshank works extensively on the ground, preparing for a potential barrage of submissions with his lengthy limbs. Still, Cruickshank thinks Vick is a one-dimensional boxer ripe for a beating.
Back at the house, it's later in the week, and Chiesa has returned to the house. Chiesa is motivated by his father's struggle to stay alive for his elimination fight, and after saying goodbye, the lightweight is ready to shine in the tournament.
It's weigh-in time, and Vick comes in at 154 pounds to Cruickshank's 155.5. The fight is official, which brings us up to date on the week's activities, and we're treated to a live glimpse into the locker rooms for some last-minute advice from both coaches. One final commercial break, and it will be time to fight.
Unlike the debut episode's one-round fights, tonight's fight is a two-round affair, with one sudden-victory frame available in case of a draw. Another new feature is debuted, as "Keys to Victory" are revealed for both fighters before they square off. Vick enjoys a six-and-a-half reach advantage according to the tale of the tape.
Round 1 – Referee Herb Dean starts the action. Cruickshank does a good job of moving in and out in the early going while Vick looks to work from the center of the cage. Vick looks a little tentative, but Cruickshank isn't exactly cashing in during the early going. The pace picks up as the round wears on, and a confident Cruickshank looks to shoot in. Unfortunately, he walks right into a huge right knee, and he's out cold. Incredible finish, and the gym goes crazy.
James Vick def. Daron Cruickshank via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 2:16.
Jon Anik interviews both fighters, and Cruickshank admits he doesn't really remember how the finishing sequence played out. In one impressive moment, Team Cruz has eliminated Team Faber's No. 3 pick, as well as seizing control of the fight selection.
With control of the board, Cruz takes top pick Justin Lawrence from his squad. In a bizarre twist, he allows Faber the option to choose who he wants to represent his team. When Faber and his fighters balk, control returns to Cruz, who selects veteran and Team Faber No. 2 pick Cristiano Marcello, and that's your lightweight matchup for week three.
Catch new episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" every Friday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on FX. MMAjunkie.com recaps each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on "The Ultimate Fighter: Live" page.


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First Time Homebuyer Class
This class provides a wide range of information about purchasing a home and is open to anyone whether just starting out or about to close.
It is a requirement for many different programs.
To register for a class:
1. Select the Register button below
2. Submit one registration for each individual that will be attending the class
Date - Thursday, 03/19/2020
4:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Location670 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO, 80204
Register For This Class
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Gorgeous singing, fantastic staging and costumes are superbly designed!
"The Stone Guest" was of exceptional importance in the development of the Russian national opera. Dargomyzhsky's music in its expressiveness is worthy of Pushkin's verse.
The Stone Guest is an opera in three acts by Alexander Dargomyzhsky from a libretto taken almost verbatim from Alexander Pushkin's play of the same name which had been written in blank verse and which forms part of his collection Little Tragedies.
It was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg, 16 February 1872.
According to the composer's wishes, the last few lines of tableau 1 were composed by Cesar Cui, and the whole was orchestrated by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Many years later, Rimsky-Korsakov revised his own orchestration of the opera, rewrote a few of Dargomyzhsky's own original passages, and added an orchestral prelude. This version, completed in 1903 and first performed in 1907 at the Bolshoi Theatre, is now considered the standard version.
A medieval 'Whodunit' about Real LoveThe story about the
Seville aristocrat, Don Juan Tenorio, is one of the most popular subject matters
in theatre. To count all the stage variations on this theme is simply
impossible! The Don Juan myth was to become an all-time favorite, and the
character of its hero an all-embracing model. Each age would find in it
something of their own. From a madcap prankster he evolves into a philosopher,
from a sceptic into a neurasthenic, from a rebel into a passionate lover. Cursed
and forgiven, now cocking a snook at the universe, now repentant – this hero
became a litmus paper of a sort for each age. And sometimes his appearance
indicated a new watershed in art, and for many authors to turn to this subject
matter was in a way a manifesto.
And this was the case with Dargomyzhsky's The Stone Guest – one of the
boldest of innovatory operas in the second half of the 19th century. It was in
1863 that Dargomyzhsky conceived of the idea of The Stone Guest, however he
didn't start composing the opera until three years later – because, as he put
it, the ground-breaking originality of the idea frightened him. Work on the
opera proceeded slowly: there was a rapid deterioration in the composer's
health."My bad health notwithstanding, I have embarked on my swan song…You will
understand what is involved when I tell you I am writing music to the Pushkin
text, without changing or adding a single word. The majority of our music-lovers
and newspaper hacks refuse to acknowledge that I have inspiration. Their routine
outlook seeks for melodies which are pleasing to the ear and this is not my
goal. Music, in my view, should not be reduced to entertainment. I want sound to
act as a direct vehicle for the expression of the word. I want truth". On 17
January 1869 Dargomyzhsky passed away, he died with the open manuscript of The
Stone Guest in his hands. All that remained to be written were the last eleven
verses of Scene One. In accordance with the composer's will, the opera was
completed by Cui and Rimsky-Korsakov. It was given its first performance at the
Mariinsky Theatre on 16 February 1872. The Stone Guest immediately gave rise to
conflicting opinions: it was both sharply criticized and praised to the skies.
It was too unusual to meet the tastes of the average opera goer. Dargomyzhsky
was attempting something quite new, he was suggesting a totally different model
for opera - the classical operatic forms were jettisoned. In The Stone Guest
there are neither arias, nor duets, nor ensembles. Instead we get live human
speech with all that this entails, intonations, mood changes etc. We get subtle,
well constructed dialogue and an incredibly accurate psychological portrait of
each role. This experimental chamber opera may be described as the first Russian
'musical play'.
The present Bolshoi Theatre production of The Stone Guest is produced by the
young director Dmitry Belyanushkin. It is Belyanushkin's third work for the
Bolshoi (his two preceding productions for the Theatre The Story of Kai and
Gerda and The Fables of the Vixen, the Duckling and Balda were for children).
The well-known designers Viktor Shilkrot and Irena Belousova are responsible for
the scenography and costumes. Evgeny Vinogradov - for the lighting. Anton
Grishanin (at the Bolshoi he has several productions to his name - the operas
The Story of Kai and Gerda andIolanta, the ballet – A Hero of Our Time, and the
musical play The Fables of the Vixen, the Duckling and Balda), conducts.
Dmitry Belyanushkin: we decided to return to the sources,
the origins of this myth. To establish who was the prototype for Don Juan, how
it all took off. And it turns out there was a real man by the name of Don Juan
Tenorio, a Seville aristocrat and friend to the king. Together they led an
utterly immoral way of life, indulging in all possible forms of pleasure and
sin, including rape and murder. And when Don Juan killed the Commandant,
Franciscan monks (at that time the Church in Spain was very powerful) acting via
an unknown female arranged a rendez-vous with Don Juan in a church and had him
murdered. And then put the rumor round that the statue of the Commandant had
dispatched Don Juan Tenorio to hell. I decided to consider The Stone Guest via
the prism of this real life story. And suddenly many things became clear, the
motives for certain actions and the cause-and-effect relationship were
immediately established and everything fell into place. Who were Laura's
visitors? Why did a monk appear in Scene l? Why did he speak about Donna Anna?
We are left with a medieval detective story. Probably even a 'whodunit'. And the
opera, incidentally, lends itself to this. Dargomyzhsky had an extraordinary
sense of timing. He had written an opera with an ideal time study scenario.
Added to which the plot is incredibly gripping and the concentration of events
is such that the action unfolds at an extremely rapid pace. Our 'whodunit' is
one layer of the story. But, there is another layer, the human aspect. This is a
story about how the cynical, skeptical Don Juan, who knows everything there is
to know about life, suddenly falls in love. And love effects a cardinal change
in him. Dargomyzhsky has a simply brilliant, very poetical moment –Donna Anna's
fainting-fit. An awesome metaphor, this. It is no ordinary fainting-fit, it is a
moment of change in her consciousness, awareness of the world. Suddenly the
world which, up to then, had seemed so crystal-clear and rational, was
transformed. It is at this moment that a new Don Juan and a new Donna Anna are
Act I
Scene One
Don Juan, banished from Madrid for killing the Commander de Solva, has secretly returned. Accompanied by his servant Leporello, he hides near a monastery outside Madrid. Remembering his past affairs, he plans to get in the city to continue his adventures. The Monk tells him that Doña Anna, the widow of the Commander, visits the cemetery every day. Don Juan sees Doña Anna and feels an urge to get to know her.
Scene Two
Laura is having a party; many of the guests are people she never met before. She entertains them with singing. One of the songs is based on a poem by Don Juan, Laura's former lover. The quick-tempered Don Carlos gets enraged, which almost ruins the conspiring guests' plan. Laura resumes her singing, but it it clear to her that the guests did not come to hear her songs. Laura makes everyone but Don Carlos leave. Him she seduces and thus learns that there is a conspiracy against Don Juan. Presently Don Juan appears.
Don Carlos insists that the inevitable duel should take place on the spot. Don Juan kills Don Carlos. Laura shows Don Juan a list of conspirators. Their privacy is violated by the conspirators's assault, but Don Juan manages to escape.
Act II
Don Juan hides in the monastery disguised as a hermit. Doña Anna comes there every day to visit her husband's grave. Don Juan introduces himself to her as Don Diego. Doña Anna agrees to receive him at her place the next day. Leporello tries to warn his master by hinting that the Commander's death was not forgiven and that the trap is set. Don Juan challenges his fate: he invites the Commander, an embodiment of the tyranny and total control, to join him on his next day's rendezvous. Leporello begs forgiveness for his betrayal, because it is clear for him now that Don Juan knows it was he who brought the conspirators to Laura's.
Act III
A room at Doña Anna's. She spent a night with Don Juan, but now he has to leave her. Unable to conceal the truth any longer, he confesses that he killed her husband and that he loves her with all his heart. Doña Anna cannot hate him; instead she realizes that she loves him in return. Don Juan aspires for a new rendezvous, but the men of 'the stone guest' have already tracked him down. Not surrendering, Don Juan extends his hand to them as a token of love and freedom. They kill him.


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Shepherd's Pie, Thanksgiv-ified Recipe
Although this Brit comfort food is typically made with minced lamb, it's a dish that rolls with the punches. When replaced with ground beef, it's cottage pie. In New Zealand, spuds are the key ingredient so it becomes the potato pie. In our red-white-and-blue nation, we've got one with corn called the cowboy pie. (Yee-haw) The meat-hating crowd does a vegetarian shepherdess pie. And the Midwest? They've got one, too, with cream of mushroom soup and green beans.
So along comes Thanksgiving with all its leftovers: a perfect chance for a seasonal shepherd's pie. Emeril has a fussied-up version and Martha does a more basic one. Either way, the bottom line is to throw leftovers (turkey, green beans, cornbread, stuffing, and cranberries) into a casserole dish. Bake at 400°F for about 30 minutes, until bubbling. For fun, throw the sweet potatoes into a pastry bag, and as if they were icing, dress the dish with some frilly designs.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Selena Gomez Will Take Justin Bieber Back If 'Spring Breakers' Flops
Is there still hope for Justin? HollywoodLife has EXCLUSIVE shocking details suggesting that the Selena-Justin romance might depend on the success of her sexy new movie. If it flops, her self-esteem might be extremely low. Read on for all the surprising info!
Selena Gomez has looked totally over her ex Justin Bieber lately, but is it really over?
Selena Gomez's Self-Esteem Could Suffer If 'Spring Breakers' Flops
A source very close to the Spring Breakers actress tells HollywoodLife.com exclusively that Selena loved the fame dating Justin brought her, and if Spring Breakers bombs, she might just turn back to the Biebs in her time of trouble: "Selena loved being in the celebrity scene when she was with Justin, it was just a completely different level."
While she was dating Justin — whether it was because of him or not — Selena truly did achieve a new, high level of attention. Spring Breakers has arguably given her even more fame, but actresses always fear that they won't live be able to up to the hype. If her racy new movie, which seems to have unbelievably high expectations, flops, Selena "is back to the drawing board," our source tells us.
Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber: Is There Still A Chance?
Her self-esteem could take a huge hit from too many negative reviews and a box office flop. "If it fails, she would do anything to get back to the level where she is now."
Feeling down in the dumps like this could open the door for a reconciliation with Justin, the source assures us.
And it makes sense — ever since Selena and Justin split she has been the one on top. Justin has struggled and at times seemed desperate, while Selena has looked hotter and more confident than ever. If that dynamic changes, who knows how Selena will be feeling! Maybe her whirlwind Spring Breakers trip has let her avoid actually getting over her breakup — what if she has to face the music?
What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Is there still hope for Justin and Selena? Let us know!
Watch: Justin Bieber Meltdown – Selena Gomez Moving On
— Andrew Gruttadaro, Reporting by Russ Weakland
More Selena Gomez News:
- Selena Gomez Spotted With A Sexy New Guy — New Boyfriend?
- Selena Gomez: Why She's Not Answering Justin Bieber's Calls
- Selena Gomez Not Impressed By Justin Bieber's Weird Behavior


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- Title: The Flash #9
- Comic Vine: link
- Writers: Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato
- Artist: Francis Manapul
Writer and artist Francis Manapul (along with co-writer Brian Buccellato) gives us the Flash vs. Gorilla Grodd, Round One. Honestly, given the early teases we'd seen of the New 52 versions of Grodd and Gorilla City this was better than I expected. I'm not sure I like the change from Gorilla City from an advanced scientific race of apes into a more magical religious group but this certainly wasn't the total disaster which I feared.
The Flash shows up in Gorilla City at a loss as to how he arrived there and who he is and learns from a group of elder Gorillas that the secret tribe worship the Lightning (the Speed Force) and the prophesied appearance of the Runner (the Flash). Although awkward in places, the comic picks up after the Flash regains his memory and puts down Grodd's rule and plans of world conquest.
The issue has several important small plotlines including Iris still stuck in limbo, the Pied Piper deciding to come out of retirement when Central City is left without a hero, Dr. Elias mounting a protest against the scarlet speedster, and a teaser for the introduction of another of the Flash's Rogues next month – the Weather Wizard.