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Corporate News
Sales up 2.9 percent to 12.663 billion euro, 8.4 percent increase in sales after adjusting for exchange rate effects
Operating profit* up 5.4 percent to 2.555 billion euro, 10.3 percent increase in operating profit after adjusting for exchange rate effects
Increase in ROCE to 12.4 percent (2007: 10.3 percent)
Proposed increase in dividend from 1.70 euro to 1.80 euro per share
Outlook for 2009: planning based on various scenarios for global economic trends
Accelerated implementation of programme for sustainable improvements in productivity
Munich, 16 March 2009 - The technology group The Linde Group achieved sales growth in the 2008 financial year, while operating profit increased at a faster rate than sales. "This really solid business performance, despite the onset of the financial and economic crisis, indicates that our Group reorganisation has proved worthwhile," said Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of Linde AG at the press conference on the annual results. "However, even we are not immune to the global recession. To stay on track even in this difficult economic situation, we will accelerate the implementation of our integrated programme to achieve sustainable improvements in our processes and increase productivity." For the rest of the current year 2009, against a background of continuing uncertainty, Linde is planning for future global economic development in a number of different scenarios. "It still looks possible from today's standpoint that Group sales and earnings will be slightly higher than or at the same level as in 2008. However, we have to consider the possibility of a decline in sales and earnings," explained CEO Reitzle.
Linde increased Group sales in the 2008 financial year compared to 2007 by 8.4 percent after adjusting for exchange rate effects and Group operating profit* by 10.3 percent after adjusting for exchange rate effects. On the basis of reported figures, i.e. if there is no adjustment for exchange rate effects, Group sales rose by 2.9 percent to 12.663 billion euro (2007: 12.306 billion euro). Group operating profit* of 2.555 billion euro on the basis of reported figures was 5.4 percent higher than the figure for 2007 of 2.424 billion euro.
Earnings before tax (EBT) were 1.006 billion euro, which was below the prior year figure of 1.375 billion euro. When comparing these two figures, it should be noted that in 2007 there was a profit on disposal of businesses of 607 million euro which was disclosed as a non-recurring item. In the 2008 financial year, Linde made a profit on the disposal of businesses of 59 million euro.
Earnings after tax in the 2008 financial year were 776 million euro (2007: 996 million euro, relating to continuing operations). The amount attributable to Linde AG shareholders was 717 million euro (2007: 952 million euro). This corresponds to earnings per share (EPS) of 4.27 euro (2007: 5.77 euro, relating to continuing operations). The profit on disposal of businesses in 2008 and 2007 also had an impact on these figures. On an adjusted basis, i.e. after adjusting for this effect and for the amortisation of fair value adjustments identified in the course of the purchase price allocation relating to the BOC acquisition, earnings per share rose by 8.8 percent from 5.02 euro in 2007 to 5.46 euro in 2008.
As a result of its good overall business performance, Linde again improved its cash flow from operating activities: by 7.7 percent to 1.876 billion euro (2007: 1.742 billion euro). ROCE (return on capital employed) also increased and at 12.4 percent was significantly higher than the prior year figure of 10.3 percent. Net financial debt, which stood at 6.423 billion euro at 31 December 2008, was almost the same as the prior year figure of 6.427 billion euro. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board of Linde AG will propose a resolution at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 15 May 2009 to increase the dividend from 1.70 euro to 1.80 euro per share.
Gases Division
The Gases Division achieved sales growth of 3.3 percent in the 2008 financial year to 9.515 billion euro (2007: 9.209 billion euro). After adjusting for exchange rate effects, the increase in sales was 9.3 percent. On a comparable basis, i.e. after also adjusting for changes in the price of natural gas and changes in the structure of the Group, the increase in sales was 6.8 percent. Operating profit rose again at a faster rate than sales, with a 4.5 percent increase to 2.417 billion euro (2007: 2.314 billion euro). After adjusting for exchange rate effects, the increase in earnings was 9.6 percent. The operating margin rose by 30 basis points from 25.1 percent in 2007 to 25.4 percent in 2008.
The following business trends were to be seen in the individual regions and product segments of the Gases Division:
In the Western Europe operating segment, our biggest sales market, sales increased by 2.7 percent to 4.133 billion euro (2007: 4.026 billion euro). On a comparable basis, sales rose 4.9 percent. Operating profit increased by 2.0 percent to 1.119 billion euro (2007: 1.097 billion euro). Business in Western Europe was characterised above all by increases in sales volumes and positive price trends in the cylinder gas product segment in the major markets, Germany and the UK.
In the Americas operating segment, we achieved sales of 2.207 billion euro, which was not quite as high as the prior year figure of 2.348 billion euro. This fall in sales was due not only to adverse exchange rate effects, but also above all to changes in Group structure. Included in the prior year figure were the US cylinder gas business sold in 2007 and the eight air separation plants which we were obliged to sell as a result of conditions imposed by the competition authorities. On a comparable basis, our gases business in the Americas grew by 6.4 percent. Against this background, operating profit in 2008 of 432 million euro was also somewhat lower than the figure for 2007 of 447 million euro.
It was in the Asia & Eastern Europe operating segment that we achieved the highest rates of growth in 2008, as in 2007. Sales increased by 19.7 percent to 1.936 billion euro (2007: 1.618 billion euro). It should be noted that some of the former joint ventures in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan were included in the consolidation for the first time in the 2008 financial year. On a comparable basis, sales rose by 9.5 percent. Operating profit rose at an even faster rate than sales. At 563 million euro, it was 20.6 percent higher than the prior year figure of 467 million euro.
In the South Pacific & Africa operating segment, Linde increased sales by 2.0 percent to 1.310 billion euro (2007: 1.284 billion euro). The slowdown in sales growth was due mainly to the depreciation of the South African rand and the Australian dollar. On a comparable basis, the rise in sales was 9.4 percent. Operating profit of 303 million euro was exactly the same as the prior year figure.
In the individual product segments, the Gases Division also achieved sales growth. On a comparable basis, sales in the cylinder gas business rose 9.2 percent to 3.820 billion euro (2007: 3.499 billion euro), while our liquefied gases business saw growth of 3.7 percent to 2.325 billion euro (2007: 2.241 billion euro). In the on-site business, where we supply industrial gases from plants situated directly on the customer's site, sales increased by 4.9 percent to 2.375 billion euro (2007: 2.265 billion euro). The Healthcare or medical gases segment achieved sales growth of 9.8 percent to 995 million euro (2007: 906 million euro).
Gases Division - Outlook
The expected weakness in demand this year has not caused us to change our original target for the gases business. We want to grow at a more rapid pace than the market and continue to increase our productivity. The scenarios for the forecast business performance of the Gases Division in the current year 2009 range from a slight rise in sales and earnings to a decline in sales and earnings.
Engineering Division
The Linde Group again achieved growth in sales and earnings in its engineering business in the 2008 financial year. Following on from a very successful year in 2007, sales increased by 9.7 percent to 3.016 billion euro (2007: 2.750 billion euro), while operating profit rose at a faster rate than sales, increasing by 11.3 percent to 267 million euro (2007: 240 million euro). This corresponds to an operating margin of 8.9 percent of sales. We therefore again clearly exceeded our 8 percent target, which was itself significantly above the industry average. The order intake in the Engineering Division was 3.057 billion euro, which also exceeded the 3 billion threshold, and was 4.3 percent higher than the prior year figure of 2.931 billion euro. The order backlog at 31 December 2008 was 4.436 billion euro (2007: 4.391 billion euro).
This good business performance is the result of high demand worldwide for our plants and technologies in all four main product segments: olefin plants, natural gas plants, air separation plants, hydrogen and synthesis gas plants.
Engineering Division - Outlook
The high order backlog is a good basis for a relatively stable business performance in the next two years. However, it is only to be expected that the award of new international construction projects involving large-scale plants may be postponed. In our weaker scenario, we assume that new orders in our Engineering Division will not be sufficient to achieve the same level of sales in the 2009 financial year as in 2008. On the other hand, the target for our operating margin remains at 8 percent.
Note: The 2008 annual report of The Linde Group is available on the Internet at www.linde.com.
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 52,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2008 financial year it achieved sales of 12.7 billion euro. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, please see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com
Further information:
Uwe Wolfinger
Telephone: +49.89.35757-1320
|Investor Relations
Thomas Eisenlohr
Telephone: +49.89.35757-1330
*Operating profit: EBITDA before non-recurring items, including the share of net income from associates and joint ventures.


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|Good morning quote sent by buddy colleague :)
Morning is the time where our mood decided our whole day happiness. Life can be rough sometimes. Even after a good night sleep, we still wake up with worry for what comes next.
|Grateful quote :)
And this, can be overcome by being grateful for the good health and positive spirit we have, and for everything that happens in our life's journey.
|Grateful beyond measure ^^
Apart from that, receiving good morning quotes from someone who cares and loves us is something that I've been feeling grateful.
|Be positive quote reminder :)
Like the above. It was sent by my buddy colleague. We both are new and together we face our challenge at work together.
She is too, my partner in crime. We both were scolded for laughing too loud, which disturbed others who were working. In fact, lunch was the only time we had to destress our mind. Now, we had to be aware to lower down our laughter during our lunch break :P
|Cute greeting sent by dear Mom :)
And the above picture was sent by my dear Mom :D She too, knows that I go through a challenging time and she would sent encouragement like the above to all of us, to motivate us, aside from her prayers everyday. Thank you Mom! Thank you dear friends! Thank you everyone who has made my morning positive and beautiful. And you too, can be one of them. Start today and make other's life beautiful!
|Never quit quote
|Hello weekend! By Heather Rosehill
And ladies, if you like the above drawing, you can follow her Instagram and check her website. She draws beautifully and her quotes are motivating, especially for ladies :) So, wish you all a wonderful weekend lah! Have a great one and take care! ^^

subset: commoncrawl


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Rocky's not so tough: Sly outnumbered by his girls
ROME (AP) -- Rocky's going soft.
Sylvester Stallone confessed Wednesday he's woefully outnumbered at home by his girls -- and couldn't be happier.
Presenting his latest film "Bullet to the Head" screening at the Rome Film Festival, he said Wednesday: "I came into my life like Rambo, like Rocky: Boom, boom, no problem. And then one girl, two girls, three of them."
He continued: "Then I realized in my house, you got three girls, a wife, two housekeepers and all the dogs are girls, five dogs. It's just me and my dog that was castrated."
Stallone struck a humorous tone, regaling reporters with the wisdom he's gained over the years in Hollywood: "Never give up."
He didn't mention the death of his eldest child Sage, who died in July at age 36 of a heart condition.


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As September approaches, many are savoring the last days of Summer, the beach trips, and the sun's warm rays. Within the middle of this particular month, the cool breeze of Fall will surely make us all scamper for our coats and scarves. Because of Summer's impending departure, many organizations and celebrities are reveling over festivities such as celebrity poker tournaments, that are guaranteed to warm our days and nights. Here are some poker matches for September that might keep you pumped and prepared for the upcoming colder months:
WAL Celebrity Poker Tournament and Party
WAL or We Are Limitless organization aims to help the citizens of Rwanda to get proper education, sufficient medical assistance, and suitable housing. WAL's president, Matt Leutwyler is a writer/director who produced several films like: The River Why, Lower Learning, Wonderful World, Every Day, and The Other Dream Team. Aside from making films, he serves as an adviser for other non-profit groups such as The Young Storytellers Foundation and The Fulfillment Fund. For the 2013 leg of the WAL Celebrity Poker Tournament and Party, he tapped the assistance of both Antonio Esfandiari and Robert Towne. Antonio or famously known as "The Magician," is a real-life former magician and professional poker player. He won several championships in partypoker's WPT Season 2 L.A. Poker Classic, WPT Season 9 Bellagio Five Diamond, and the WSOP 2012 Event #55: $1 Million Big One for One Drop. His skill and love for poker also lead him to appear with fellow winner Phil Laak in the reality television show, "I Bet On You." On the other hand, Robert Towne is a famous screenwriter and director in Hollywood. His works include: The Godfather, Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, and Mission Impossible. His Pacific Palisades mansion in California will be used as the venue for the said event which will be held on September 18. Aside from the Texas Hold'em tournament, a silent auction will be conducted as well.
Luc Robitaille Celebrity Poker Tournament - Frozen Fury
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Luc Robitaille was once a professional hockey player who was able to join teams like: the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Detroit Red Wings. After an illustrious career in hockey, he officially retired from the National Hockey League in April 2006. Due to his vast influence, he along with his wife Stacia who's the head of a record company, joined forces to put up an organization that promotes empowering and motivating people through integrity, compassion, advocacy, and holistic support for individuals. This charity called "Echoes of Hope" provides housing, health care, textbooks, and educational assistance for those in need. To acquire funds, the couple will hold the Luc Robitaille Celebrity Poker Tournament - Frozen Fury on September 28, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Third Annual Jeff Conine Celebrity Poker Classic
Washington-native Jeff Conine is a retired Major League baseball outfielder who played under the teams: Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets from 1990 to 2007. His career spanned almost two decades. The Baseball Writers Association of America - Miami Chapter has named an award after him called the "Jeff Conine Mr. Marlin Award" that will be given to players who value fairness and integrity. Many baseball fans have looked up to "Mr. Marlin" that's why he decided put up the Jeff Conine Celebrity Poker Classic to fund the Conine Clubhouse, a temporary shelter for families with their loved ones staying at the Joe DiMaggio Hospital. It will be held on September 29 at the Calder Casino & Race Course, Studz Poker Club in Miami Gardens.
So if you're not over the revelry of summer, why not join these celebrity poker tournaments for a cause in September?


text: The first of three Legends Nights with the Kings will be held Sunday, when the team honors former defenseman Jay Wells. The Kings will honor Wells, who played 604 games for the club between 1979-88, before Sunday's contest against the Edmonton Oilers. Other Legends Nights will be held to honor defenseman Larry Murphy before the Dec. 7 against the New York Islanders and forward Jim Fox before the March 13 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team will wear its purple-and-gold throwback uniforms for those games. Players tested out the helmets, pants and gloves Wednesday in practice.


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Delta Air Lines adds tropical destinations to Pittsburgh International Airport
Stops include Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Nassau, Bahamas
Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday it is adding two more international stops from Pittsburgh International Airport and the destinations are tropical.
Starting Dec. 21, Delta will fly non-stop to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Nassau, Bahamas.
Delta and Aeromexico have also joint-filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Mexican government to add scheduled non-stop service from Pittsburgh to Cancun, Mexico. That deal is pending.
Pittsburgh to Nassau:
Depart Pittsburgh at 8:30 a.m.
Arrive Nassau at 11:20 a.m.
Saturday Only:
Depart Pittsburgh at 12:00 p.m.
Arrive Nassau at 3:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh to Punta Cana:
Depart Pittsburgh at 8:30 a.m.
Arrive Punta Cana at 1:20 p.m.
Saturday Only:
Depart Pittsburgh at 2:20 p.m.
Arrive Punta Cana at 5:20 p.m.


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Neil Diamond's 1969 hit "Sweet Caroline" is seeing an unexpected surge in sales after a surprise performance by the legendary singer-songwriter at a Boston Red Sox game on Saturday (April 20).
The track sold 19,000 copies last week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, with Diamond announcing on Twitter Wednesday (April 24) that he will be donating royalties from the track to The One Fund Boston, which will benefit the victims of last week's marathon bombings.
Donating these royalties to #OneFund!RT "@nielsen_ent: 'Sweet Caroline' sales up by 597 percent, selling 19K after Boston bombings. — Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) April 24, 2013
"Sweet Caroline" holds a special meaning for Bostonians and Sox fans, who belt the song before the eighth inning of each home game. The decade-long tradition is a staple of Fenway Park, which was forced to close to the public in the wake of last week's events. Other sports teams around the country played "Sweet Caroline" all last week in solidarity with Boston community. Saturday's game in Boston though, marked the reopening of the stadium after several postponed outings.
Diamond reportedly showed up to the game unannounced and asked management if he could sing. He emerged from the Red Sox dugout, mic in hand, to 30,000 fans ready for the massive sing-along.
Read more about Neil Diamond's surprise Boston performance on Radio.com
Reblogged this on #LouisianaMultiverse.


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Interior installation
Mounting plates
Mounting plates as additions to enclosures and cases where a mounting plate is not included in the scope of supply. Partial mounting plates for enclosures on the TS 8 platform create additional mounting surfaces in the width or depth.
Rail systems
Any given point within the TS 8 frame may be accessed with rail systems. Additional mounting levels, different functions such as support rails or C-rails - individual configuration knows no limits.
Assembly components
Cage nuts, screws and different mounting components for user-friendly, efficient interior installation of the enclosure.
Component shelves
Stowage options and support surfaces are available on the enclosure frame or the 482.6 mm (19") level. Telescopic slides and handles complement the range of component shelves which may be installed in IT racks, server enclosures, wall-mounted distributors and industrial enclosures, some of them tool-free.
Protection of the standard enclosure against electrical, magnetic and electromagnetic fields may be further enhanced with the system accessories. Measures include improving the shielding effect with optimum potential equalisation or contacting cable shields as closely as possible to the point of cable entry.
Interior installation for areas at risk of earthquakes
TS 8 for earthquake zone 1, 2, 3 and 4 to Bellcore These versions have been tested and meet the requirements to Telcordia GR 63-CORE.


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Four semester hours.
Origin of sediments and sedimentary rocks; transport, deposition, and depositional environments for sediments; field and laboratory studies in description and interpretation of sedimentary rocks; principles of stratigraphy; geologic time and correlation; and sequence stratigraphy. Includes three hours of laboratory per week. Lab fee: $30.
Home - General Information - Student Services -
Academic Undergraduate Regulations -
Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
Graduate Degrees - Course Descriptions - Faculty -
Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D


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Population: 560,000
See Also:
|< Previous: Provo UT
|Next: Des Moines IA >
|1Measure of 4-year colleges in area with extra credit for highly rated schools.
2Index based on cost of labor, energy, taxes and office space.
3Index based on cost of housing, utilities, transportation and other expenditures.
4Crimes per 100,000 residents.
5Index based on museums, theaters, golf course, sports teams and other activities.
6Share of Population over age 25 with a bachelor's degree or higher.
* 5-year annualized figures.
NA: Not available, not applicable.
Sources: Economy.com; Sperling's BestPlaces; FBI Index of Crime.


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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Romero Osby scored 19 points, Cameron Clark added a season-high 17 points off the bench and Oklahoma beat former Big 12 rival Texas A&M 64-54 on Saturday in the All-College Classic.
Clark scored from the left block and then finished off a fast break with a finger roll to send Oklahoma (7-2) on a decisive 15-3 run midway through the second half. Osby finished it off with a two-handed dunk off of Steven Pledger's alley-oop to give the Sooners a 56-44 edge with 6:18 remaining.
Elston Turner led Texas A&M (7-2) with 17 points and Ray Turner scored 12. The Aggies matched their season high with 19 turnovers, including on four of five possessions after they'd rallied to tie it at 41. That allowed Oklahoma to take control for good.


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This I Believe-Angie Holbrook
Produced by: Angie Holbrook
School: Morehead State
District: Dataseam
This I Believe-Angie Holbrook
This I Believe is now an international organization encouraging individuals to write their own essays expressing their personal beliefs. These essays were composed by Eastern Kentucky elementary teachers during their two-week Kentucky Reading Project workshop, integrating materials from the This I Believe materials published by National Public Radio. For more information on the This I Believe project, please visit their website at http://thisibelieve.org/ . At this site you will find collections of earlier published essays, audio essays for streaming, educators' guides for early and upper grades as well as guides for houses of worship.


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One-Eyed Cat: Northern European (Germanic, Celtic and Slavic) Paganism
This is the magic of Freyja and I am her völva: a seer, priestess and oracle.
Sharing wisdom taught by the Norse Gods over twenty years of practice, I teach safer seiðr / seidhr (Norse trance work and fate-magic), reverent animism, and deeper workings with the Gods and land spirits through respect for all life and peoples. We'll also explore the wider Eurasian influences on central and northern European religion, including Norse, Slavic, Celtic, Baltic, Siberian, Mediterranean and ancient Indo-European beliefs and discuss how to apply them to contemporary practice.
What Odin Taught Me About Connection
This blog post also appears in print with more photos in Sacred Hoop Issue #85.
Central Albuquerque, New Mexico USA. Seen from the sky. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
"Look wide, and look far. Look upon your city. This is your community. These are your people, all of them. The people you know and the people you will never meet. Even the ones you don't like. Good or bad, rich or poor, status and class and family don't matter. Politics don't matter. They're still all your people.
"You are a part of this, and your wyrd is tied together, for as long as you live here..."
This was not the lesson I thought Odin was teaching me, one unseasonably warm February afternoon, when I climbed up into the Albuquerque foothills to get some exercise and solitude. Usually, by action more than words, he shows me the subtle ways of soul magic and healing, of seidhr craft.
My hiking lessons as a seidhkona, a Norse seer and shaman, started in November with Odin asking me, "What do you see?"
I sense more than see the King of Asgard, flickering impressions: hair the grey of a heavy sky roils about his shoulders. A wide-brimmed traveler's hat, tipped down over his face. Eyes clear and sharp, despite his apparent age. There's a lean muscularity to how he moves, even if I don't get a full mental image of his form. He looks nothing like a bass singer out of Wagner.
The Old Man, his voice jagged as a raven's croak, frequently walks by my side as I explore the wild space overlooking the city. His lanky strides are far longer than mine— for Odin is, as all the tales say, very tall— sometimes stepping a little ahead of me, sometimes hanging back to look up at the broad azure sky, or down at something I can't see. But mostly he shares the dusty path with me, keeping pace as my steps crunch along.
Funny that a God famous for being "one-eyed" and solitary would be the one to teach me to look closer at my surroundings, and in so doing grow closer to others.
What do you see? has become a frequent question, inviting me to stop climbing and sit on a warm, sunlit boulder or in the shade of a dry, rocky, brush-covered slope. I usually sip some water (a necessity in the desert) and catch my breath (the air up here is very thin) as I pause to more deeply bond with my surroundings.
In answer to that query, I've been amazed to see the energy trails that radiate up from bristling cholla, ground-hugging patches of prickly pear and wind-carved juniper after snowmelt. Bright, flickering streamers, shimmering like a heat waver, lance both skyward and to the ground in a straight line from their branches and leaves. I can't see auras. Couldn't, rather. They're subtle things, in my experience, very close to the skin, not at all the psychedelic color fields that New-agers and Kirlian photography enthusiasts describe.
Cholla after an early December snowfall in the Northeast Hills.
I think for a moment that I'm seeing a retinal shadow— the almost glowing afterimage burned by water-darkened trunks against a paler sky— but it doesn't follow the shape of the trees, and it's gone when I look away from them.
Odin shakes his head.
"That's the joy of the plants," he says, smiling quietly (for he is, also, a lord of green things in his youth). "They don't feel it in the same way as humans, but they feel deeply, too. They take joy in the warmth of the sun on their leaves and skin, the rain seeping into their roots, the taste of the soil and damp air. And the joy of their companions."
Happy cholla!
Who knew?
These last few months, under his mentorship, I've learned how to spot the paths that water takes down a mountain— not just by the physical grooves in the earth, the lines of clean-washed rocks dotting the hillsides, or the twisting ropes of greenery— but by seeing the energy trails, carrying a potent mix of the earth and the sky's power with them. I don't know how to describe it. It's not like they glow or obviously stand out. The eye is just drawn to them, in a quiet way, catches on them as you look across the landscape.
They're more present, somehow.
Most supernatural things are like this, in my experience.
"Shhhh," Odin whispers, as my boot comes down and scrapes a rock. "Stay very still."
No sound warns me. Just his words.
I look up carefully, sensing motion. First, a hint of downy antlers; then a gray flank disappearing silently amid dry, sage green brush above me.
"Ask the Earth for permission to approach. And the spirits of the deer. Thank Her and ask to see the deer without frightening them."
Them? There's more than one?
I kneel, touching the gravel, and quietly leave an offering of water from my bottle.
"Crouch down onto your hands and the balls of your feet." Is he playing a joke on me, promising a view of more wildlife? His sense of humor is wicked, and he's not above pranks— or playing the fool himself. In an area laced with cacti, the occasional piece of broken glass, and wickedly thorny goat head seeds, this is not an effortless task, and I choose my position carefully.
He waits.
"Stay low to the ground and move forward quietly."
As I do this, feeling the weight of my bag shift on my back, a change in consciousness sweeps over me. I move my gloved hands forward like paws, my knees bent and my head closer to the scent of the sand, my limbs configured to carry my body in a way I don't expect—
Careful, gradual movements—
And delight that I feel like a stalking cat. My pulse quickens, despite the slow pace.
How far do I climb like this, shifting from sand to scree to rock, paw over paw, knees and belly held downward? Not far. But far enough. I stalk over a little ridge, to rock and juniper, spotting faint cougar prints and pellets of old, grey deer spoor along the way.
I am not the only one to walk this path.
"Rise slowly. Keep your head beneath the cover of the bushes."
I am excruciatingly aware, in this altered state, of each and every tiny sound I make. My boots hissing on scree, the creak as I grip the rough holly branches for support on the steep incline.
Fifty feet. One Hundred.
I must be near the buck now, I think. But I don't see him.
A rustle. My head does not snap up. I stay still, remembering Odin's words. A doe, nestled among the scrub hollies, walks out into the open. More. A head. A flank. Four of them. A half-grown fawn, shaggy with its winter fur, shadows its mother.
"Say thank you. And move in slowly. You'll be able to watch them, now."
The deer look up, ears pricking, sensing me.
"Don't stare at them. Trust that they'll stay there."
This part is the hardest— so close, so close, I want so much to watch them. They're watching me.
"Thank you," I say, quietly.
I hear his wry, lopsided smile. "Believe me now?"
I grin, keeping the deer in my peripheral view as I approach. The herd shies away to another cluster of bushes, but it doesn't bolt. One of them— several does, in turn— always keeps an eye on me while the others cautiously graze. I sit on a nearby rock, gently lowering my backpack. Awed and thankful, I watch them for an hour.
Surprisingly, the herd is not led by the buck, so young his velvety antlers are sparsely pronged, but by a larger, elder female. He stands in the center of a loose circle, watchful but inexperienced, looking from doe to doe in turn, as if he's still learning something. All the women seem to guard him.
I think of the majestic stag, who is the sacrificial emblem of my God in his youth, as Frey. Another season under their watch, and this buck just might become one.
One day, as I come up around a bend in a canyon, I feel Odin grinning.
"Stop. Look up."
Standing in the shadow of a boulder, I see the massive stair steps of rock I longed to climb with the steadying help of my staff.
"Up. Uuuuuuuuup……."
I gasp.
Movement. Horns scrape against the sky. But not physically. Someone, his back turned to me, wades in the deep, golden pool of sunlight formed by the sheltered hollow of the canyon. And I mean wades. He's not sunbathing.
His head is the size of a massive boulder. Shaggy fur spills down between his shoulder blades, hair and mane, bison and man, inseparable.
"Ask if we can approach," Odin whispers.
"Hell-lo!" I venture, awkwardly, waving. (I'm talking to a giant. Naked giant! This is not a trance!) "Am I bothering you? Can we keep going?"
The Jotun, who I have met (but not seen naked), turns and blinks at me.
Looks at me pointedly.
"I'm bathing here."
"Oh. Right. Errr…" I frown. There's no water here. "How are you doing that, sir?"
He smiles down at me.
"In the sun!"
And, indeed… he is washing in the light, soaking up to his waist in it. Humming as he scoops it up and rubs it on his skin, glittering.
He has a good sense of humor, the Foothill Giant, but he still asked me to find another way out of the canyon. So I had to climb around him. Or up his physical body, the adjacent hill. I'm not sure which.
Would you like someone hanging around while you took a bath?
As I walk uphill, my back respectfully turned, the Giant calls out to me and asks for an offering, and teaches me how to give one, in kind, for the local Earth itself: water poured into the weathered hollow of a rock, spilling over, splashed three times on the hot stone.
I thank him and throw his share of my offering over my shoulder, without looking back.
Good manners make good neighbors, after all.
A change overtakes me that winter, as I become more intimately aware of the land. I frequently surprise doves and other birds along the trail, coming within a foot upon them. They flee loudly upward, however, at the approach of distracted joggers twenty feet away.
Another time, deep looking, I see why one of the great wights of this land had left. The short, strong oaks he belonged to, which once held water onto those dry slopes, had long been stripped away by settlers, leaving the mountains vulnerable. The irony is, my city is named for the old, Roman-descended Spanish duke of white oak. Very little of those native trees survive here. With no shade cover for the valley below, strong seasonal winds whip up gouts of sand and dust. In the trees' place grow thorny, nettled plants: cholla, sprawling nests of cacti, and tangled brush.
The Hills have been waiting quietly for Oak to return, when the environment heals. Our presence here does not matter: it can delay, but it won't prevent his coming back.
The answer to what do you see?, is rarely immediate, even as I catalogue the physical details— the character of the sky, the movements of wings and wind, the scars to the land— my observations and connections going deeper, layer by layer, as I continue to look.
Usually, just as I'm about to give up, I take one look back when I see something startling.
This was not one of those days.
I'm stiff and my ankles ache from the climb.
I wonder why I went up this short knob of a foothill now, instead of turning in the other direction, away from the development. It wasn't a wise choice at this time of day, around four in the afternoon. There are too many people out, having just gotten off work or school, trying to enjoy the last bit of winter sun. I sit on a summit among some big, rounded rocks, wanting to write in my journal, but it's too noisy here—
And the snacks I brought to bolster my walk are deeply unsatisfying.
Odin sits next to me, and I can barely stay conscious of his presence with all the sound and city-spawned motion below. This is not a very holy wilderness setting, is it?
He leans close to my ear. "What do you see, lass?"
I sigh.
Some jerk left a crushed Gatorade bottle up here. There's a faded, dirty oversized pint of beer wedged into a place I won't be able to safely reach to remove it. At least they didn't shatter a glass bottle. Some days I take an entire backpack of bagged trash out of here, my offering to the land spirits.
"Too many people," I say, bitterly. The city population is only growing, and the dwindling and polluted aquifer can't support us. I am one of those "too many", and I know it.
Odin says nothing, patient.
Traffic whooshes and blares half a mile away, too loud with rush hour, carried by the wind several streets down over the neatly gridded houses, disrupting my thoughts. Brakes squeal. Angry horns. What was I thinking, coming up here?
Movement pulls my gaze closer.
A pair of men in track suits jog the wide path that straddles the arroyo below me, talking. They look like they're from the Indian subcontinent, and while I can't understand a thing they're saying, the cheerfulness of their back-and-forth exchange doesn't need a translation—
For a moment, I smile.
A loud knot of teenagers, coming down the path from the other side, ragging on each other—
What do I see?
One of the teens shrieks laughter, the way kids do, mixed with howls of protest. I wince at the noise, compounded by an airplane's low path, circling into the "sunport", and a siren blaring off somewhere to the right. It's a hazard of climbing too close to the neighborhood below. I usually go up into the other foothills instead, deeper into the open space, or sheltered from the close view of houses by the bends in the hills.
Vapor trails cut the sky. A haze— dust mixed with smog— hangs over the horizon, smearing the western volcanoes and edge of the city a dull, burnt orange. The air smells dirty, too.
"I see a land that's ill-used."
"Keep looking."
Dog-walkers. Wandering the trails and neighborhood sidewalks, as if there is no difference. I like dogs, and it's their nature, like all animals, to leave poop. But I don't like the owners who know better and don't clean up after them, despite the city leaving signs about the health hazards, along with plenty of free bags and waste baskets at the parking lots. Sometimes they even bag the poop— and helpfully leave it right beside the trails. Ten feet from an empty garbage can.
Forget the friendly dogs and the irresponsible humans. The city stretches out, in neat grids of houses and broader, tree-rimmed roads. I pick out the house of a friend. A larger building with green around it that must be one of the local schools. The faster thread of movement— traffic along a highway.
There's a playground not too far from the arroyo, and it's late enough in the afternoon that both parents and children have come to use it.
"Generations of people living here, and it's too fragile to support all of us."
Gods, the noise really is putting me in a dark mood. So is my headache.
Odin doesn't put a hand on my shoulder, but he might as well have. The tone of his voice is like a cloak laid over my weary back by a friend. He lifts his head, craning toward the horizon, and I follow his serious gaze:
"Look wide, and look far. Look upon your city. This is your community. These are your < people, all of them. The people you know and the people you will never meet. Even the ones you don't like. Good or bad, rich or poor, status and class and family don't matter. Politics don't matter. They're still all your people.
"You are a part of this, and your wyrd is all tied together, for as long as you live here."
Wandering the Albuquerque foothills, I have met my neighbors— the fellow writer assembling a trail guide who I talked with at twilight, the wilderness steward up the street, the other hikers and dog-walkers— as well as the people of rock and rivulet, the animal people, the plant people. The majestic guardians of the hills themselves, much older than all the rest of us, who knew I walked with a God, long before I was aware of their gaze. Wights who I proved my worth to over time, through bravery and kindness, who became my protectors and friends.
In all the quiet contemplation and observation while hiking, I thought I was getting out alone to deepen my relationship with nature and myself, strengthening both my body and spirit along the way. But I wasn't going out to be alone. I was just spending time in (mostly) non-human company, out where I could see and hear surreptitiously prowling coyotes and shyly bobbing lines of quail, follow the hawks circling over places I would later reach adventurously by foot, and watch the ashy ravens glide from wild place to walled back yards with aplomb, chatting as they flew. The foothills teem with as many residents as the neighborhoods below. You just won't see them if you don't learn how to be a living part of the landscape, as they are, instead of just moving across it, earphones and fitness goals firmly plugged in.
And there was rarely a day, in all that walking, when I did not hear or sense Odin accompanying me, even if we did not speak much— usually, at a certain point along the path, there'd be the tap of a staff back behind my left shoulder, and I'd get a sense of a tall man tipping the brim of his hat down against the bright New Mexico sun. And at the same point, going back, he'd nod to me goodbye and remain along the trail as I walked on.
My utgard, the "outside place", always led back to the innangard: my friends' home and my own community— some days wiser, and some days simply tired from the walk and the drive back.
As a wandering God who can change into animal forms, and a master of human disguises, Odin's stories inevitably carry him along paths from lonely, wild places to company. Whether he appears on a promontory to a boatful of saga warriors, shows up at the hamlet of Otter's father, or bores his way into Gunlodd's isolated mountain room and escapes home to Asgard again by a hair's breadth, he's always in the thick of it.
In the end, solitary Odin always comes back to a community.
We think of community as something artificial and human-centered that we construct. But community is the relationship of all of the inhabitants of a place— the humans and animals, microorganisms and plants, the Gods and the dead and the very spirits of place— weaving together in a unique spiritual ecology. Whether we're aware of those other residents or not, we're linked to them in the causal and energetic web of wyrd: all that is, has been, and will potentially become.
Wherever you live, you're a part of it.
All of you.
All of us.
I'm writing a book about my close relationship with Odin-- patron of heroes, the God of story, wisdom and magic-- and what he's taught me directly as a seidhkona. This is one of the chapters.
You can find out more about what I do as a seidkona at staffandcup.com, and other journeys in the blog here and at Eternal Haunted Summer magazine.
All photos are by me except the opening aerial shot, courtesy of Wikipedia.
Friday, 18 April 2014
So beautiful!
Makes me think of my own journal entries about Cerridwyn· Shirl Sazynski likes this comment.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Thanks. I enjoyed the description of wandering in the hills near Albuquerque. I spent several years there and have hiked extensively in the Jemez and Sandia mountains. I spent a couple of weeks there last summer and attended a Wiccan wedding at the ABQ BioPark Aquarium. http://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/biopark/aquarium
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Chemical Information Call-In Frequently Asked Questions
what is the intent of the law?
According to the legislative history, the law reduces costs to state government by shifting the burden for the development of new analytical methods to those who manufacture or import chemicals.
Who is affected?
The law applies to: [1] individuals and companies who produce a chemical in California and [2] those who import a chemical into the state for sale in California.
what chemicals are covered by the law?
Chemicals include any organic or inorganic substance of a particular identity, as defined in section 2602 of Title 15 of the United States Code. Mixtures, pesticides, tobacco, nuclear material, food, food additives, drugs, cosmetics and certain other chemicals are excluded.
why were the chemicals selected for call-in?
DTSC selected the "call-in" chemicals because these are in use commercially and important data gaps exist regarding analytical methods, physicochemical properties, toxicity, fate and transport, and other key health and environmental parameters.
what information is requested?
DTSC searches publicly-available information and data sources and consults manufacturers about information for chemicals. The law identifies types of information that may be "called-in" including, but not limited to: analytical test methods (including metabolites and degradation products for chemicals in all relevant matrices), the octanol-water partition coefficient and bioconcentration factors for humans for the chemical, and information on the fate and transport of the chemical in the environment.
how will dtsc minimize inefficient duplication of effort in gathering the information?
To help minimize the burden and cost of gathering information, companies can participate in discussions throughout the chemical information call-in process. DTSC provides online resources, workshops and meetings, and other ways to facilitate efficient information call-in. We consult with manufacturers, research institutions, and government partners about the type, extent, gaps, and technical feasibility in developing the information to be called-in.
how will manufacturers and importers know what information dtsc already has?
Pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 57019(d)(2), DTSC compiles information on chemicals from publicly available sources in state, federal, and intergovernmental databases as well as published literature. DTSC maintains this bibliography for each of the chemicals for which information is subsequently called-in.
what if the information requested is not currently available?
Health and Safety Code section 57019(d)(2) provides that, upon request of a state agency, the manufacturer, within one year, shall provide the state agency with the additional information requested for a specific chemical.
how will trade secrets be protected?
If a manufacturer believes the information provided to a state agency pursuant to the call-in law involves release of a trade secret, the manufacturer shall make the disclosure to the state agency and notify the state agency in writing the specific information it believes is a trade secret and provide documentation supporting its conclusion. The state agency shall protect from disclosure a trade secret designated by a manufacturer.


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Heath Ledger's final film, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," premiered in London to a star studded audience on Tuesday night.
Jeremy Piven, La Toya Jackson and "True Blood's" Stephen Moyer were among the stars who stepped out to see the film, which Ledger was working on at the time of his death.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Johnny Depp: Hollywood's Man Of Many Faces
"saw Heath's final performance last night," Piven who was in London, Tweeted about the movie, directed by Terry Gilliam, who was also at the premiere. "wow what an artist."
Ledger's co-stars in the film, including supermodel Lily Cole, Verne Troyer and Tom Waits, also turned out for the showing.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: A Look Back At The Life Of Heath Ledger
Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose on January 22, 2008, while he was still in the midst of filming.
A plot twist in the film, however, allowed several of the actor's friends and admirers, including Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, to step in and play the same role.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Unstoppable Jeremy Piven
PLAY IT NOW: All Access: Heath Ledger, Part I
PLAY IT NOW: All Access: Heath Ledger, Part II
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Heath Ledger - La Toya Jackson - Jude Law - Movies - Stephen Moyer


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Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 20
Justice saw our boots, hats, and scarves and thought "don't leave me behind - I want to go out too (poor guy - we didn't go outside at that point)"
I had to share the above picture of the new ice cream in our house - doesn't it look too pretty to eat (well, not for us - it was given 2 thumbs up by Brenna). Below, my new fabric for Christmas (I did order these from the US) - can't wait to see if the projects come out as pretty as the fabric.
Hello All!!
Hope all is well out there! Things have been cold here - brrrr... With the colder weather, I obviously got out my crochet hooks and also my fleece - what else did the cold weather inspire - new fall/winter boots :-) Hope you enjoy our "photo shoot" today! One of the pairs (the pair Brenna was "modeling") have a super cosy wool lining in them :-) I have tested out there comfort the last two days - so far on school walking - thumbs up (although for running and chasing shadows, I need my running shoes on!). I'm hoping to hold off on buying Brenna snow boots until we are home at Christmas (or maybe a wonderful sister of mine could look for some good (even used) snow boots, winter coat, and winter pants?? (inexpensive too - I don't ask too much, lol)).
Brenna enjoyed the last two days of sunshine here - we have been chasing shadows on the walks home from school :-) (how do we chase our shadows you might ask - well there are several shady spots on the way home, so we have to run between those areas back into the sun to "find" our shadows - Brenna loves it - and I think it is probably good exercise for me too :-)
Brenna took a marathon nap yesterday - she napped in her room for about 2 hours and then came out on the couch and napped for another 1.5 hours - I can't believe she still slept last night! Poor Justice was getting very itchy to go outside by the time we got up and around (and then we needed a flashlight and Dustin had to join our "party" down to the park!). Of course, a long nap day should be followed by a no nap day - so Brenna had an early bedtime today. At least Dustin didn't have to worry about working late as he is in Turkey this evening :-( I am so glad that he comes back tomorrow night (even if it is late).
My muffins went over well with Dustin and me - we finished them all off before Monday morning - guess the recipe is a "keeper".
My new fabric came today for some Christmas projects - I really wish I could think of more projects to use this stuff for - it is too cute!!! (o.k. - I probably can't afford to think of too many projects to use the fabric - I feel like I am all about spending these last few weeks - Dustin is going to cut off my computer shopping here shortly!!!)
Well, I think that is it for today - I am turning in for an early bedtime!
Take Care!
Posted by DA&B at 10:37 AM | Permalink
Labels: Brenna Pic, Crafts, family pic, Justice
2 comments:
- mikaysmom said...
Sister to the rescue. I know I have a coat that's too small for the other princess and snow pants. You'll have to let me know what size boots to look for as Mikayla's from last year might still fit her (I think they're 10's) Love the modeling. Brenna looked so cute in her long dress and your boots and scarf. Very grown up! The boots look absolutely comfy and I'm seeing the need for me to get some too! Looking forward to seeing your projects with the christmas fabric-it's adorable!
- October 20, 2009 at 11:05 AM
- heathmamagam said...
What a room full of fun you have there! Playing and being happy, yum, yum with the ice cream pic. Sort of brings back some memories of silliness. .
- October 20, 2009 at 1:43 PM
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Flights to Rwanda with Qatar Airways
Rwanda has transformed itself in recent years into a vibrant, exciting and attractive beacon for African tourism. It's a main gateway to an exotic world of bamboo forests, rare mountain gorillas and a beautiful volcanic landscape. Travel to Rwanda with Qatar Airways and be enthralled by the timeless jungle in the 'Land of a Thousand Hills'.
Rwanda is perhaps best known for its stunning Volcanoes National Park, which is home to a great range of wildlife including elusive golden monkeys and, above all, the spectacular mountain gorilla. This vast park encompasses no fewer than four forested volcanoes including Mount Karisimbi, which soars to over 4,500 feet. Nature here is truly spellbinding, beautiful and captivating.
Rwanda is not just about dense jungles, volcanoes and gorillas, however. There are a great many cultural attractions to enjoy within the country's cities as well, most important of which are museums. The Natural History Museum near Kigali explores Rwanda's fabulous fauna and flora, whilst the National Art Gallery, also outside Kigali, is a showcase for contemporary artwork produced by Rwandans. It's a tribute to the creativity of the Rwandan people, and encompasses elements of tradition and natural history. In Huye you can enjoy a day at the Ethnographic Museum of Butare. Meanwhile, the Kings Palace Museum in Nyanze features reproductions of the old royal seat and displays memorabilia and artefacts.
Rwandans are welcoming and warm people. The now unified tribes are proud of their country and eager to show off their abundant assets to the world. As a result Rwanda has become a favourite destination for travellers who are looking for something a little different from the usual beach holiday. With such spectacular landscapes, an irrepressibly cheerful population and numerous exciting cultural attractions to explore, fly to Rwanda with Qatar Airways and discover a country that is the perfect introduction to Africa.


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It's always a great sign that a carrier prepping to release a device when images of the device arriving at one of their retail locations appears online.
If Virgin Mobile Canada is planning to follow big brother Bell Canada in launching this device, we will see it available as soon as December 2nd. Pricing is unknown at this time, but it's safe to say we will see similar prices as Bell in the $450 to $480 range without a contract.


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Talking about the German House for Research and Innovation(DWIH) to be inaugurated in New Delhi in 2012, Dr. Kleiner said, "The DWIH will serve as a 'one-stop shop' for interested students, researchers,and potential partner institutions and disseminate information about the German higher education and research landscape and funding sources."
"All the partners I have met and the meetings I have attended only confirm and highlight the dynamic partnership in science between India and Germany – especially with reference to the status and perspectives of DFG funding opportunities with special focus on science in Karnataka and Kerala," he said.
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is the central self-governing organisation responsible for promoting research in Germany. Currently DFG has three Indian partners, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).The idea of creating the German House for Research and Innovation is to bring all the German academic and scientific organizations and funding bodies under one roof and to present a concerted front to the Indian public at large, and in particular the academic and scientific community in India. Besides the funding organizations, a number of German universities as well as academic foundations have also expressed their keenness to be a part of this consortium. During the first week of November this year,the German Research Foundation , DFG, had released the results of a study entitled," Analysis of India's S&T Research Capabilities and International Collaborative Strength, particularly in the context of Indo-German collaboration". The findings of the study show that Germany, after USA, is the most productive partner in collaborative research with India in science and technology. During 2004-2009, the Indo-German overall scientific collaboration grew at an annual average growth rate of 6.8%. Thirteen percent of all Indian publications in international collaboration have been shared with authors from Germany.Kleiner said that DFG expects a higher publication performance in the future thanks to a more systematic approach to project cooperation through International Research Training Groups (IRTG) or Priority Programs supported by DFG.
"We are looking at very broad areas of cooperation. There are a wide variety of institutions in Bangalore, which we are very keen to develop partnerships with German universities," said Dr. Ingo Karsten, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bangalore. He gave the example of the Centre of excellence set up by Lapp at the R.V. College of Engineering in Bangalore.Prof.Dr. Ing Matthias Kleiner interacted with Prof. Dr. C.N.R. Rao, Chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India about the changing scenario of scientific and technical research landscape in India and the proposed reforms in research and higher education in India. "Much like DFG did during the French reform process of the science funding system we see our role in the initiation of a meaningful dialogue with the Indian side so as to provide some benchmarks for the possible design of funding programs. While we greatly admire the efforts of the Indian government on this front, we wish to start interacting with the Indian side at an early stage of these reforms so as to assist in creating a similar Indian body with corresponding structures – we hope that a better synchronization of mechanisms would benefit the scientific community on both sides," he said.Prof.Dr. Ing Matthias Kleiner was one of the chairs of the "Ethics Commission for a Safe Energy Supply", which was appointed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the end of March this year. The members – representing different fields of the German society and scientific disciplines – were asked to advise the German government about risks of nuclear power and societal estimation of the targeted nuclear power phase-out."It is important to note that the Ethics Commission did not come to a single and homogenous viewpoint and does not want to proclaim "the one right way". Without surrendering their fundamental positions, the members of the Ethics Commission have come to an agreement on the practical consequences which have been presented in the report," he said. Speaking about nuclear power he said that, Germany does not recommend a global phase-out, but of course wants to promote its solution and stand as a model for a successful transformation of energy systems. "The commission states that the German turning point in energy usage may be of great importance for Germany's role in international cooperation and in different fields such as foreign aid and climate protection. The commission does not explicitly recommend a global nuclear power phase-out. The authority ends at Germany's borders, but we do in fact hope that Germany might function as a model for other nations to follow the abdication of nuclear power."
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Fe Fi Fo Mum (8218) - 8 inch light - topped with hand dyed bamboo velour
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"Monger" was once used as a verb, but it now is typically only employed as the second element of compound words. My OED says examples of such formations are "unlimited", with examples beginning in the 13th century: hay-mongers, holy-water mongers, insect-mongers (?) etc. The most familiar would likely be cheesemonger, costermonger (fruit/veggies), fishmonger, ironmonger, and whoremonger.
As the last-named example suggests, the OED notes that from the 16th century onward, the term nearly always carries the implication of a petty, disreputable, or comtemptible trade in the material - as in the modern "rumor-monger" "gossip-monger" and "scandal-monger."
Here is a costermonger:
...and there is a fearmonger at the end of this brief [2008] video:
Reposted from 2008 to add this even-more-extreme political video -
- created by Winning Our Future (a SuperPAC). The video mixes homophobia and a generous dose of xenophobia into their apocalyptic vision. It has excellent production values and nicely defines "fearmongering."
Reposted again from 2012 to add yet another example:
Cartoon by Rob Rogers in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, via the political cartoon-laden Jobsanger.


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Mikasa MGV500 Setter Ball
Buy 24 for $34.89 each
Buy 72 for $33.16 each
- The setter is the most important and the smartest player on the court. With this heavyweight ball you can develop the featherweight touch you will need to set up the kill shot.
- Setter's training ball
- Strengthens wrists and hands
- Heavyweight 16 ounces
- Premium composite cover
- 1-year warranty
This heavyweight ball will quickly become a setter's heavy hitter during practice. The Mikasa MGV500 Setter Ball weighted practice ball develops hand and wrist strength for setting up the perfect kill. Weighing in at 16 ounces, and made with a premium composite cover, this is the ultimate setter's training tool.
This item is stocked at our St. Louis, MO facility.
Stocked items/orders placed before 1pm CST are shipped that day (business days only, Mon-Fri.).
Stocked items/orders placed after 1pm CST ship the next business day (Mon-Fri., no holidays).
Standard delivery time is between 1-4 days (see map below for delivery estimates).
We will notify you via email within 1 business day if there is any expected delay.
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Printing requires additional processing days. Please visit our Uniform Printing page.
For more information please visit our Shipping page and our Shipping Practices page.
Staff Review
Staff reviews powered by Our TeamThe Mikasa MGV500 Setter Ball is the optimum ball to help train a crucial player on the court; the setter. This ball helps to develop a setters wrist and hand strength, allowing them to push a ball to the far outside without any problem. Weighing in at 16 0z, compared to the average 9-10 oz of a standard game ball, you will develop the strength you are seeking or needing to improve your game and set you above the rest.
This ball is made of premium composite leather, so even with the added weight, each touch will be soft and easy. I truly believe and feel that if a setter wants to improve their game, this is one of the best places to start. As a hitter, I know how crucial it is for a setter to be exact with each set. With this ball, you can trust that you have the power and strength to set the ball exactly where you want it.
Another option if you looking for a ball to improve your setting is the Tachikara TB18 Setter Ball. Great for improving your setting skills, this ball is another great option. Or, if you are looking for a high quality standard ball, check out the Mikasa VQ2000 Volleyball. This ball is great for practice and games in comes in so many fun color options!


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Photo Credit: Alexandra Ledermann's picture is courtesy of Société Hippique de Cabourg. Photographic illustrations of Alexandra Ledermann are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Alexandra Ledermann is derived from astrological interpretation of Alexandra Ledermann's date, time, and place of birth.


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The Dockville Music Festival in Hamburg it the host of some pretty high concept art installations, such as this subterranean tiny town. Another piece on display this year was this eerie army of radiation workers, who spent the festival forever frozen and glowing.
Here's the project manifesto from designers Luzinterruptus:
The installation Radioactive Control was created for the Dockville Festival [...] which tried to demonstrate, in a humorous tone, the paranoia that we are suffering from since the escape of radioactive material in Japan, has brought into question the safety systems at the nuclear power plants.
With our mysterious army of 100 illuminated radioactive figures, which advanced threateningly on the natural environment of the festival, we wanted to invite reflection regarding the use and abuse of nuclear energy, cheap in economic terms, but which can cause grave secondary effects for the environment and health, forever irreversible.
[Gustavo Sanabria via The Wooster Collective]


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Bashing Through the Park @ MacRitchie Reservoir
Description: Each group class is an introduction to basic human movement skills such as crawling, balancing, running, climbing, lifting, carrying, catching, and throwing. Each class will focus on different skills to establish a solid foundation that will help you progress to more complex and intense applications.
Fee: S$30
per person. Discount if you bring friends. Bundled classes available
($25/class for 5 lessons; $20/class for 10 lessons).
Suggested attire: Comfortable
workout clothes (that can get dirty). Wear leggings if you might get
itchy from contact with the grass. Minimalist shoes (Vibram FF, Luna
sandals, etc) if you have a pair or even better, barefoot.
Wet Weather: We
will continue if the rain is light. We will postpone the full lesson or
part of it if the rain is heavy or if there is lightning.
Miscellaneous: Bring snacks and plenty of water. Be prepared to be outside for the entire session (i.e. wear sunscreen, if necessary).
Contact: Email email@example.com if you have any questions.
- Venue
- MacRitchie Reservoir (Grass patch beside Visitor Centre)
- Tickets
Standard SOLD OUT $30.00 Strong 2Gether (2 pax, $25/pax) SOLD OUT $50.00 Strong 4Longer (for students with bundled classes only) FULL
- Venue Address
- MacRitchie Reservoir Park Singapore


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A narcotic (also called opioid or opiate) is a substance that can
suppress perception of pain and calm the emotional response to pain by reducing
the number of pain signals sent by the nervous system. Narcotics produce a
feeling of well-being (euphoria) and cause mood changes, cloudy thinking, and
deep sleep.
Commonly prescribed legal narcotics include butorphanol, codeine, hydrocodone, meperidine,
and morphine. Heroin is an illegal narcotic.
Side effects of narcotics may include constipation and nausea. Frequent use of
narcotics may make a person dependent on them.
Last Revised:
January 9, 2013
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine & Nancy Greenwald, MD - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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call off the dogs
Also found in: Acronyms.
call off the/(one's) dogs
1. To stop disparaging or otherwise behaving aggressively toward someone. I know you wish I were a doctor, Dad, but call off the dogs for one night. I'll tell you anything you want to know, just call off your dogs!
2. To stop someone else from disparaging or otherwise behaving aggressively toward another person. Your mother won't stop interrogating me—can you please call off the dogs?
call off the dogsor
call off your dogs
If someone calls off the dogs or calls off their dogs, they stop criticizing or attacking someone or encouraging other people to criticize or attack someone. Lenders will be ordered to call off the dogs, especially for families struggling to pay their mortgage through unemployment. Maybe he'll call off his dogs now that he knows I'm not taking his money. Note: The dogs referred to here are dogs used for hunting.


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(pictured above are: Edward R. Murrow and "The Birth of Broadcast Journalism"; Walter Cronkite from Missouri; Mike Wallace and Hyperion; Huntley and Brinkley; Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw; Jack Anderson: Confessions of a Muckraker; Bill O'Reilly , "Woodstein" aka Woodward and Bernstein of The Washington Post and newcommer Matt Drudge. Other best "American" journalists include: Daniel Shore, Drew Pearson, Seymour Hersh, and Mike Royko.)
Best War Correspondents:
(pictured above: ABC's Bob Woodruff. Other best "American" war correspondents are: Daniel Pearlman, Molly Bingham, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather….and so it goes…which–was said by some female….).
Best Ballerina
(pictured above: The Great Moscow Ballet in "The Nutcracker")


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Vote here: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BD59JCQBT
Honestly, I want each of reading my blog to vote for our Pre-con(Full Day Business Intelligence Workshop). However, as with any voting process you have choices. Well....in most cases you do. We often feel or believe that our vote does not count. I really believe that this is going to be a little different. I am really excited about the SQL Rally and more excited that our Preconference seminar was selected as one of those that are now being voted upon. So, why should you vote for our Pre-con?
I have been referencing the pre-con as "Ours", that is because four individuals will be delivering the conference. The team of presenters/authors include Adam Jorgensen, Mike Davis, Devin Knight, and myself. I am not going to list the credentials for each person, but I will say that each presenter has taught full day courses in building Data Warehouses, SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS. In addition, we are all regular speakers at various SQL Server events, including SQL Saturdays, Users Groups, and PASS.
Still not convinced? Each member of this team has designed, created and delivered solutions that encompass each of the tools that will be presented during the Precon. First, we will spend time teaching you how to transform your Operational database to a data warehouse. Adam Jorgensen will take a deep dive into Dimensional Modeling and all the techniques required to create you data warehouse database. In the next three sections, which are all very demo-centric, you will learn from Devin Knight, Mike Davis and myself how to build SSIS Packages to load your data warehouse fully or incrementally, then we will show you how to create and maintain an SSAS cube and finally we will use SSRS to create visually appealing reports for your end-users.
This may seem like a lot to accomplish in one day, but we will be taking a very explicit and focused approach in regards to each technology. For example, we are not going to discuss every transform in the SSIS control and data flow toolboxes. However, we will provide detail explanations of the tasks that are vital when building and ETL solution. At the end of the day you will leave with the knowledge and tools needed to build a complete data warehouse solution. As an extra touch, we will not be using the traditional Adventure Works database for our demonstrations. We will be using some real world data that will enhance the discussions and potentially create a more engaging learning experience for all attendees.
So with that, I am not going to restate our abstract, nor am I going to talk about how good all the other sessions are. What am I going to say is that as a part of the community and a potential attendee of these Precons, go and vote so your can make a difference! Hey, I kind of sound like a politician, maybe I will run for the PASS board next year ;). See you all at the PASS Summit in two weeks and hopefully next year at our SQL Rally Preconference Seminar.
Go make it happen! There's a lot of good seminars, go read about them here:
BI Sessions: http://www.sqlpass.org/sqlrally/2011/PreConsforVotingBI.aspx
DBA Sessions: http://www.sqlpass.org/sqlrally/2011/PreConsforVotingDba.aspx
Developer Sessions: http://www.sqlpass.org/sqlrally/2011/PreConsforVotingDev.aspx
Misc Sessions: http://www.sqlpass.org/sqlrally/2011/PreConsforVotingMisc.aspx
Talk to you soon,
Patrick LeBlanc, SQL Server MVP, founder www.SQLLunch.com
Visit www.BIDN.com, Bring Business Intelligence to your company.


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So the hair store Burley has opened up a new side project called taketomi. It has some really cute styles, but what I really wanted to show y'all are two different color packs that they have. One is called Karafuru and the other is DippuDye! I did something really different in this post, but had alot of fun making this post. I hope y'all enjoy it and if so then maybe I'll be doing more like it in the future! Click on each one of the pictures that start with 1. and it will cycle through all the different hair colors there are to choose from in the packs!
taketomi In –
Hair – taketomi – Maggie Mesh – Karafuru
Hair – taketomi – Azu Mesh – DippuDye
Azu hair also comes with a HUD to change the beanie texture –


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Apologies as the post will be written with numbers through Saturday at 3:00 PM PST due to a scheduling conflict for myself this weekend.
You can become a fan of Jason's Baseball Blog on Facebook and can also follow me over on Twitter
If the Playoffs Started Today
New York Yankees (92-62) vs. Minnesota Twins (89-60)
Texas Rangers (85-68) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (92-61)
Atlanta Braves (87-68) vs. San Francisco Giants (87-67)
Cincinnati Reds (86-68) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (93-61)
League Leaders
Batting Average – Josh Hamilton (TEX) .361
Runs – Albert Pujols (STL) 111
Home Runs – Jose Bautista (TOR) 52
Runs Batted In – Miguel Cabrera (DET) 122
Stolen Bases – Juan Pierre (CHW) 60
Wins – C.C. Sabathia (NYY), Roy Halladay (PHI), Adam Wainwright (STL) 20
Saves – Brian Wilson (SF) 45
ERA – Josh Johnson (FLA) 2.30
Strikeouts – Felix Hernandez 227
WHIP – Cliff Lee (TEX) 1.02
Roster Movement
Return from the Disabled List: Kanekoa Texeira, Ian Stewart
To the Disabled List: Hector Ambriz,
Called Up: Andrew Brackman, Andrew Romine, Greg Halman, Mike Carp, Brandon Beachy
Other Roster Moves:
- The Cardinals released IF Felipe Lopez
- The Red Sox signed IF Felipe Lopez
- The Astros claimed Cesar Carillo off of waivers from the Padres.
Top Stories and Weekly Links
- Joe Torre got himself into a bit of trouble while in New York on Monday. He commented that he might be interested in the Mets job. Unfortunately, the person who currently holds this job, Jerry Manuel, did not particularly appreciate that, and Torre apologized on Tuesday.
- Torre had been in New York this week for the unveiling of the monument to George Steinbrenner on Monday night at the Yankees game.
- Ozzie Guillen made some headlines because he made a statement some interpreted to be a request for a contract extension. Guillen then came out and said "No, that's not what I meant" and essentially just wants to know where he stands going forward. Gotta love how the media works sometimes.
- Ichiro Suzuki set a record this week when he collected his 200th hit of the season. He now has at least 200 hits in each of his first 10 seasons of his career, and is the first player in the history of the game to have 10 consecutive seasons of 200+ hits ever. He's going to end up in the Hall of Fame, and he's going to get to 3000 hits in the US in all likelihood as well. What a player.
- The Diamondbacks hired their permanent general manager this week, tapping former Padres' GM Kevin Towers to run their organization. Honestly, the moves that interim GM Jerry DiPoto made seemed to be just to make a move and show that he could. Time will tell whether or not the trades he made will work out, but I wasn't that impressed with the moves.
- Friend of JBB Kristi Dosh of It's a Swing and a Miss wrote this week in response to an article stating that "Baseball is Broken." I agree with the entirety of the points Kristi made here, and the idea that baseball needs major fixing is, to me, ridiculous.
- Arne over at Misc. Baseball wrote about the last game of the Montreal Expos, and I have to imagine that being at that game was pretty surreal.
- Ken Burns has apparently finished an update to his documentary Baseball, and will air The Tenth Inning over the evenings of September 28th and 29th on PBS. H/T to the Baseball Journeyman for making note of it.
Upcoming Posts The Next Week:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: I will be doing my final review of the season of the prospects I reviewed back in January and February, starting with the first 10 players
Friday: I am tentatively planning on doing a month in review post for Friday, but I am more inclined to probably just wait until Monday of the following week so that I can include the last 3 days of the regular season.
One Other Thing
Lastly, I wanted to bring up a charity that the Baseball Bloggers Alliance has taken up. Here's the official word, and what you can do:
Pitch In For Baseball is delighted to have been selected to participate in State Farm's 'Go To Bat' campaign. Now we need your
'Go To Bat' was launched nationally during the State Farm Home Run Derby. 'Go To Bat' gives entrants a chance to win tickets to the upcoming World Series and selected charity partners the chance to receive significant financial support.
Here's how to play and how to help Pitch In For Baseball:
* Go to www.statefarm.com/gotobat to register for your chance to win World Series tickets.
* As you register, you will get a chance to designate a charity that could win up to $25,000/week.
* To designate Pitch In For Baseball as your charity, select PUBLIC GOOD as the charity category and then choose Pitch In For
Baseball from the drop down list.
* Revisit www.statefarm.com/gotobat each day and play the 'Go To Bat' online game to increase your chances for tickets and Pitch In For
Baseball's chance at financial support
Thanks to all the readers who help out with this. You can find a lot more information about Pitch In For Baseball at their website


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Go to the Market and Buy Some Apples bag
|Leather, magnet
Basic colours: black, light brown, dark brown.
In addition, you can choose from other colours (bordeaux, blue, yellow, green, raspberry red, grey etc.). More information about these by e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or come and see the selection in our studio store. Choosing from this selection the waiting time could be up to 3 months.
|40 x 30 x 12 cm
|Long shoulder strap
|Extra details:
|1 open pocket
1 zippered pocket
|This bag is made to order and will be shipped in 2 to 6 weeks (basic colours) or in up to 12 weeks (other colours).
For quicker order 10% addition to the price. Quick orders can only be made by e-mail email@example.com
Estonia 2-3 days – 4 EUR
Europe 3-9 days – 5 EUR
Rest of the world up to 21 days – 8 EUR
|Additional information:
|Read about the care instructions here.
Stella Soomlais studio, design shop & art gallery
Artisana OÜ, Telliskivi 62, Tallinn, Estonia
Call us on +372 56 997 214
Artisana OÜ, Telliskivi 62, Tallinn, Estonia
Call us on +372 56 997 214


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Every student at Gabby's Hebrew school was asked to do one mitzvot (good deed) before their bat/bar mitzvah. Gabby chose FORCE and sold reusable grocery bags with the breast cancer ribbon. (So a good deed for the earth too!). This project was very personal for Gabby. In her own words:
"I chose to raise money for your organization because my Grandma Arlene died of this horrible disease. I do not want anyone to go through what I had to go through. My grandma didn't even tell me that she had breast cancer because she didn't want to scare me. I found out when my mom talked to me and we both started to bawl. The life of my loved one was gone because of this horrible disease. I loved her so much and I hate to see people's lives come and go because they were not able to be cured."
"This mitzvah project means a lot to me for several reasons. First, my grandma died from this disease because they did not catch the cancer early enough to be cured. Second, I miss my grandmother so much and I do not want anymore people's lives to be gone because of breast cancer. Third, I have many friends who also have family members who have gone through cancer. Once a loved one is gone your life can change forever. I want breast cancer to be stopped. I hope my money donation will help you guys to find a cure!"


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Note to Maxtor: Designing return and warranty support is just as important as designing the product itself. Here's the story. I've got a new 300 GB Maxtor 3in1 network storage drive that my network can't find. I've done all the usual things such as disabling my firewall and my network still can't find it. I've concluded the drive is faulty because I can't shut it off without pulling the plug. The instructions say press the off/on button for five seconds and it should power down, but it doesn't.
So I ventured onto Maxtor's Warranty Services web page to generate an RMA number. My intent was to swap the malfunctioning unit for a healthy one. After all, I want to back up the thousands of digital photos I've taken. Everything was fine until Maxtor insisted I generate a diagnostic code by running, yes, you guessed it, diagnostics on the drive. But how would I do that if I can't find the drive on my network? For sure, Maxtor doesn't want folks sending in functioning drives that were not installed properly, but I am pretty savvy about such things. It worked initially and doesn't now. This leaves me with no other option than to call Maxtor support which opens in 10 minutes. That it took 15 minutes to find the support number didn't irritate me at all. NOT.
Stay tuned. If it's me, I'll eat crow. If it's Maxtor's fault, I'll do what I do best - yell and scream. BTW, I bought the drive from Amazon, whose customer service is usually unbeatable. It's advice? Call Maxtor.
|Stuck on and unrecognizable


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Indie game developer CUKETA is changing the online video gaming landscape with its latest release, Age of Defenders, a 2012 Mochis Award Finalist. The game is now a multiplatform, multiplayer tower defense game where the goal is to defend a player's fortified towers while simultaneously going on the offensive to attack the enemy – something that is not typically seen in standard multiplayer games.
Age of Defenders was created from scratch in about a year and delivered to desktop and mobile devices via Adobe AIR. The accelerated graphics optimization and easy deployment to Android tablets and the Apple iPad allowed CUKETA to deliver a unique quality gaming experience to a wide audience. Age of Defenders grabbed the attention of more than 5,000 players in the first month, who averaged one hour of gameplay each, and has only increased in popularity over time.
Check out the full success story here and visit http://gaming.adobe.com/ for more information about creating and playing groundbreaking Flash games.


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Members of the Wabash community came together Saturday night to honor the Class of 2006 and President Andrew Ford and his wife Anne.
The Senior Dinner is an annual tradition that this year was used as a formal goodbye to President Ford. The tributes came from all segments of the College community.
The evening crescendoed with a salute to Anne Ford. Jay Fisher '66, President of the National Association of Wabash men, honored Anne Ford and made her an honorary alumna for the Class of 2006. (Click here for photo album.)
"Anne personifies the spirit and commitment that sets a Wabash man apart," Fisher said. "Wabash has never had a first lady quite like Anne. Wabash men and their families feel honored and welcomed when they return to campus."
Jared Bogan, Struthers, OH., spoke on behalf of the Class of 2006 in honoring President Ford. Bogan, a history major, was honored May 11 by being named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District V Baseball Team. During Awards Chapel, Bogan won the John F. Charles World History Prize, Caleb Mills Teacher-in-Training Excellence Award, Pete Vaughan Outstanding Athlete Award and Indianapolis Alumni Student Athlete Award. He has accepted a teaching position at North Montgomery High School.
"There is no one who I have seen in my four years here look more at home at Wabash, or have more fire and passion to offer his students than President Ford," Bogan said. "From the first time we sat in front of him as he rang us in, throughout the highs and lows that we as a campus and community have experienced together, to now just one day away from receiving our diplomas, one man has been a constant flame of spirit, character, wisdom, and compassion. Each of us here tonight can take comfort in the knowing that we need not travel far in order to renew our flame should we ever experience hardships and find it extinguished."
Bogan noted that 2,225 Wabash men have graduated during Ford's tenure and that all shared the honor of calling Andrew Ford their president.
"Those loyal sons have shared the experience of being rung out by a man whose acts, accomplishments and efforts have paved the path for our many successes," Bogan said. "Long in our hearts shall we sing thy praises and bear the sweetest memories of you, President Ford. From all the men of the class of 2006, for the achievements you helped us reach and for those which await us in the years to come, we thank you."
The evening was drawing to a close but the President had the last word. He joked that "first and foremost in retirement I want to meet this guy you all have been talking about."
He then reflected on the words of the evening and outpouring of love and respect. "I can't tell you how moved I am and Anne is," the College's 14th president said. "This is a special community. It doesn't matter if you have been here a long time or a short time. I don't know how it happens. I don't have any idea how this happens - but it works. I know how you have changed our lives and for that we're grateful, deeply grateful."
Earlier Brett Gann '07, vice president of the Wabash Student Senate, read a resolution honoring President Ford. Gann noted how the student body gathered near the end of the school year and some 200 Wabash men marched to Elston Homestead and sang "Old Wabash" for the Fords.
The resolution saluted Ford's impact on students and alumni. "President Ford, in his respect and love for the students of the college, has been looked to as a father by numerous Wabash students, through his friendship and service, a brother to countless Wabash alumni, and through his devotion as a loyal son of Wabash."
Bill Doemel, Director of Operations Center of Inquiry, represented the Wabash faculty and read a resolution passed by the faculty during its Friday meeting.
Steve Bowen '68 opened the evening's program with a brief roast of the retiring President, but ended his remarks on a serious note. "Andy Ford has been a shining example of what good leadership and good stewardship is all about," he said.
Joe Barnette '61, Chairman of the Wabash Board of Trustees, presented President Ford with a Sagamore of the Wabash from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Horace Turner, retiring director of the Malcolm X Institute spoke briefly and presented Ford a plaque for his commitment to the MXI.
In homepage photo: Anne Ford, center, with Charlene and Joe Barnette.


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A group of high-profile political, academic, and military heavyweights will come together over the next 18 months to ponder the future direction of UK security strategy.
The independent Commission on National Security in the 21st Century will be co-chaired by two well-known peers of the realm. First up is former special-forces officer, MI6 spy, liberal politico, and UN satrap of Bosnia-Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown.
Lord Ashdown's co-chairman will be George Robertson (now Lord Robertson), ex-Labour defence minister and former-secretary-general of NATO. The two men will preside over a selection of fellow lords, professors, and assorted policy wonks, including ex-US Senator and majority leader Tom Daschle. Former head of the UK armed forces (and ex-SAS man) Charles Guthrie will also be on board, as will Chris Fox, one-time chief constable of Northamptonshire.
The commission is organised by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a noted thinktank which has advocated baccy-style climate-health warnings on airline advertising. The body has also suggested that all illegal huddled masses in the UK should be allowed to breathe free - but then made to register for ID cards. The IPPR has also taken the position that other criminals - to wit, iPod users - should be let off.
The new grouping reckon to take an integrated approach to UK security. As well as pondering on terrorist threats, WMD proliferation, energy security, public order worries, regional conflicts and so on, the security brain trust will look to root causes. Climate change, poverty, and better global cooperation are all on the agenda.
Two former special forces men, a top cop, an ex-NATO chief, more than one spook and a US Senator would seem to argue for a muscular set of recommendations emerging when the commission packs up in 2009. We might expect to see lots of expensive hardware advocated, more surveillance, more foreigners dealt with severely by the UK military and immigration authorities in future.
"It would be disastrous if the outcome of recent experience was a greater reluctance to intervene in conflict situations around the world," said Lord Ashdown.
That said, there are doves among the hawks. Mary Kaldor of the LSE and Prof Michael Clarke of King's are definitely in this camp, both being advocates of UK nuclear disarmament (though Clarke is much less obvious about this). There are other mellow peace-and-goodwill-to-all academics to counterbalance the fist-pounding cops and soldiers. And the government minister speaking at the launch last night was Hilary Benn, in charge of foreign aid, not the minister for spooks'n'cops or the defence minister (although that might be because it's easier to book the aid minister).
And there's an individuals' rights spokesman on the panel to resist the corridors-of-power mob and the academic action-through-government types. Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said:
"This is a golden opportunity to address serious security challenges...without sacrificing hard-won liberties."
You could be on your own in a group like that, Shami.
There's no doubt that the incoming Brown government will be watching the commission carefully and will take heed of its eventual recommendations. If, that is, such a diverse group can actually establish much common ground. There's one thing the assembled brains apparently agree on, though, which some might dispute.
"Britain has never faced so many risks," they say in their inaugural release.
Hmmm. ®


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Welcome! Please pardon the dust as we work to set the site up again
Re: Riverdale Reviewed by Tuxedo Mark
[June 26, 2020, 08:33:47 pm]
Re: I'm here. by Oldiesmann
[June 07, 2020, 07:04:41 pm]
Re: Sliding timeline by Tuxedo Mark
[May 31, 2020, 10:07:42 pm]
Archie Art Blogs by Captain Jetpack
[May 30, 2020, 12:33:52 pm]
Re: Archie Comics Digests... the origin story by ASS-P
[May 30, 2020, 08:08:06 am]
Vintage Archie Comics & Merch for Sale by archiecomicscollector
[May 07, 2020, 09:42:09 am]
Re: Possible issue--might need youre hekp by Tuxedo Mark
[May 01, 2020, 04:41:03 pm]
Hypothetical Highlights for May/June 2020 by DeCarlo Rules
[March 27, 2020, 02:42:30 am]
Re: New issue of Super 'Suckers has just debuted by DeCarlo Rules
[March 21, 2020, 12:47:01 am]
Re: Red Sonja & Vampirella Meet Betty & Veronica #9 by Amy Chu & Dan Parent by Tuxedo Mark
[March 18, 2020, 09:25:00 am]
What comics have you been reading?
Started by irishmoxie, March 30, 2016, 10:49:35 pmPrevious topic - Next topic
The Archie character names and likenesses are covered by the registered trademarks/copyrights of Archie Comic Publications, Inc. and are used with permission by this site. The Official Archie Comics website can be visited at www.archiecomics.com.


text:
SKU:9628Artist:Compatible Figures:N/ACompatible Software:Poser, DAZ StudioInstall Types:
- Daz Connect
- Manual Install
Optional License Add-Ons:$50.00
*Unless otherwise specified, no discounts or offers will apply to License Add‑Ons.SKU:9628Artist:Compatible Figures:N/ACompatible Software:Poser, DAZ StudioInstall Types:
- Daz Connect
- Manual Install
Optional License Add-Ons:$50.00
*Unless otherwise specified, no discounts or offers will apply to License Add‑Ons.
DetailsIn courts and palaces he also reigns,And in luxurious cities, where the noiseOf riot ascends above their loftiest towers,And injury, and outrage: and when nightDarkens the streets, then wander forth the sonsOf Belial, flown with insolence and wine
-John Milton, Paradise Lost.
Night World Fallen is a complete and stand alone figure for Poser and DAZ Studio. It includes a 100% original morphing demon figure, fully textured, and a anatomical elements conforming prop.
Night World Fallen, just because the Devil made me do it.
Add-ons for this product.
What's Included and FeaturesFeatures
- Night World Fallen (.CR2 and .OBJ)
- Clean and detailed geometry, with a shape similar to DAZ 3D's Michael 4, allowing you to use lots of Michael 4 clothes
- Superior UV layout, resulting on clear and clean textures, without distortion, even using extreme morphing. ZBrush friendly default UV configuration
- Versatile rigging, you can use any pose in the market on Night World: Fallen, even the most extreme ones, without losing a lot of time and work adjusting every single bodypart
- Conforming Anatomical Element figure
- 5 Full Body Morphs, including:
- Muscular (Abbadon)
- Female (Deumos)
- Skinny (Oriax)
- Emaciated (Samael)
- Heavy (Philatanus)
- Dozens of expressions and head-shaping morphs
- 14 phoneme mouth morphs
- Lots of Morphforms to control wings, arms, head, hands, tail and torso demeanor.
- Detailed textures, including:
- High quality diffuse, specular, translucence and bump maps (From 1024x1024 to 3072x3072 pixels of resolution).
- Unprecedented usage of displacement maps (3072x3072) in Poser and DAZ Studio.
- Get industry-quality results in your renders with a few clicks.
- Detailed shaders for both Poser 7+ and DAZ Studio 3, including:
- Figures loads with Poser 6+ compatible shaders
- Poser 7+ Shaders presets (.PZ2 and .MC6)
- DAZ Studio 3 standard material presets (.DSB)
- DAZ Studio 3 UberSurface material presets (.DSA)
- DAZ Studio 3 pwSurface2 material presets (.DSA)
NotesDAZ Studio Users: There is no longer a separate DAZ Studio installer for these Presets. DAZ Studio will automatically apply the DAZ Studio version of the Material Presets from the Poser libraries, giving you the correct DAZ Studio look.
Products used in promotional imagery:
- Shades of Atlantis Ankida Shaman
- Woodgod M4 H4
- Jungle Ruins
- Jungle Ruins 2>/a>
- Roxana Yaroslavna, Vampire Lady for V4
- Valeria for V4
- Shades of Atlantis Cobalt Hierophant
- Shades of Atlantis: Arcane Brotherhood
- Heart Of The Jungle
- By The Sword: Fantasy Poses for V4 and V4 Male
- Savage Sword Swordswoman Poses for V4 A4
- On A Certain Night
- The Beast Within Poses for V4.2 and Luthbel's Lycanthropos
- Wild Hearts Wildenlander for M4
- Night World Fallen (.CR2 and .OBJ)


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Job and Career Accelerator (LearningExpress)
LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator™ provides personalized, step-by-step job search assistance - from exploring and matching suitable occupations from over 1,000 detailed occupation profiles to finding available jobs from a database of over 5 million up-to-date job postings. With Job & Career Accelerator, you can easily create professional and effective resumes and cover letters, master interviewing and networking techniques, improve your work skills, and prepare for occupation-related exams. It also helps you plan, tailor, and track your progress for multiple job searches while providing expert advice and tips at every step of the way.
Database Provider: LearningExpress, LLC
• Database Tutorial: Video Tutorial
Express Link (bookmark): http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=zxca