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Camp Explorer Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Learn from talented writers. Discover the power within to create, innovate, and connect with others. Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Learn from talented writers. Discover the power within to create, innovate, and connect with others. Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Learn from talented writers. Discover the power within to create, innovate, and connect with others. Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Learn from talented writers. Discover the power within to create, innovate, and connect with others. Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Learn from talented writers. Discover the power within to create, innovate, and connect with others. Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Listed by Camppedia* Information about this camp has been collected by Camppedia from public sources. While we do our best to maintain accuracy please be aware that information might have errors or be out of date. The camp provider has not endorsed this information nor does this listing represent an endorsement by Camppedia of the camp provider. Please see our full terms for details. Claim your listing Outdoors baseball camp. Hitting and fielding stations followed by a game. 6:1 camper to coach ratio

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's basketball team opened its 2006-07 season today (Nov. 2) with an 85-51 exhibition win over Wayne State at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines used stifling defense to hold the Warriors to just 16 first half points, limiting to Wayne State to just 18.5-percent from the floor (5-for-27), and holding WSU scoreless for almost seven minutes. Michigan built up a 20-point lead by halftime, which was never relinquished as the Maize and Blue controlled play throughout the second half en route to the victory. Fifth-year senior Lester Abram(Pontiac, Mich./Northern HS) led a trio of double-digit scorers with a team-high 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-4 downtown and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Abram also collected two rebounds and a pair of assists in 24 minutes of action. Senior Dion Harris(Detroit, Mich./Redford HS) complemented Abram in the backcourt, with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting in addition to tallying six rebounds, five assists and a steal. Rounding out the double-digit scorers was freshman Reed Baker(Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) who finished with 13 points on 4-for-4 shooting, all coming from three-point range. He also had five rebounds and an assist. Senior Brent Petway(McDonough, Ga./Griffin HS) added five points, eight defensive rebounds, two assists and four blocks. After a slow start, featuring a pair of turnovers by both teams, the Wolverines entered the game's first timeout at 14:35 with a 10-3 advantage. Leading the charge for U-M was Abram, who connected on two three-pointers, including a long ball from the left-wing, during a 4-on-2 fast break situation at 16:54. The senior captain connected on the next trip down court with another three, this time on the opposite side of the court, giving the Wolverines a 6-3 lead at 16:15 in the first half. Petway and senior Courtney Sims(Boston, Mass./Noble & Greenough HS) completed Abram's hot outside shooting with a bucket apiece, giving Michigan the early seven-point lead and forcing a WSU timeout. Out of the break, Wayne State cut the U-M advantage to 10-8 on a Jason Saddler lay-up and a three-point field goal by guard Will Pierce. The Warriors' two-point deficit would be their smallest of the remaining first stanza, as the Wolverines began to mount an overwhelming 20-point halftime lead. The Wolverines' strong play continued, putting the defensive clamps on Wayne State with Petway keying the U-M intensity with four first half blocks, sparking a Maize and Blue 15-3 run over the next six and a half minutes to put the score at 29-11with 3:56 left before halftime. Harris produced eight points during the run, with two long range triples. His first three, at 8:45, came from NBA range, giving Michigan a 17-10 lead. The teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the first half, but a pair of free-throws by Abram, with just five-seconds left, gave Michigan a 36-16 advantage at the break. The second half picked up right where the Wolverines left off, as their swarming defense --balanced with good offensive execution -- was too much for the Warriors. U-M went on a 10-2 run to open the half, building a 28-point lead, 46-18. Wayne State tried to find a little breathing room, as the Warriors went on a 14-7 run over the next five minutes to trim the Wolverine lead to 21. The lead, however, was too much for Wayne State to overcome, as two triples from Baker, during a 14-0 U-M run, helped push the Michigan advantage to 67-32 with 7:51 left in the ballgame. Despite a small 7-0 spurt by Wayne State late in the contest, U-M closed out the Warriors as redshirt-freshman Kendric Price(Boston, Mass./Buckingham Browne & Nichols HS) finished with seven of the last 13 Maize and Blue points, including two rim rattling dunks off turnovers, solidifying a 85-51 Wolverine win. The Wolverines return to Crisler Arena on Sunday (Nov. 5), hosting Michigan Tech for their second and final exhibition game of the season, with tipoff at 2 p.m. To order tickets, call the Michigan Athletic Ticket Office at (866) 296-MTIX or (734) 764-0247, log on to mgoblue.com/tickets, or visit the U-M Ticket Office on the first floor of Weidenbach Hall.

Barbosa is pretty much just like George Hill. I suppose Barbosa is an upgrade over AJ Price but I'm not sure how Barbosa has been ever since he left Phoenix. It's not a bad deal for Indiana since it was just a 2nd rounder for him. I don't think this puts them up for contention though. Barbosa can still score. He can shoot, drive, has a floater, but that's about it. He is not a passer, his mindset is to score. He plays chancy defense; will go for the steals and surprise you with a block from time to time. Can still fill the 6th man role very nicely... Second, this guy is great. He's a scorer, not a bad defender, decent enough passer. He can shoot and he gets to the rim. Like George Hill, a combo style player. He needed to be traded because Toronto isn't any good and he's too valuable a piece for good teams. And Indiana is way way way under the cap anyway. AJ Price is now the 3rd guard off the bench. Maybe worth a trade from someone else. (Not that I think that whole progression of the trade means anything but I'll take any opportunity to rip into the man who has run the Raptors into the ground.) I'm glad Barbosa is gone though. He's not a good player anymore but sometimes he scored the Raptors back into games which was frustrating when the team should be tanking. He had no future in Toronto and was a waste of space and shot attempts. (Not that I think that whole progression of the trade means anything but I'll take any opportunity to rip into the man who has run the Raptors into the ground.) I'm glad Barbosa is gone though. He's not a good player anymore but sometimes he scored the Raptors back into games which was frustrating when the team should be tanking. He had no future in Toronto and was a waste of space and shot attempts. This. While I don't particularly care much for this deal it was painful to see Barbosa there every night chucking us into the game, this move (while very little return) will help us tank even more for the lottery.

I sold my Nexus 7 and I don't miss it Over the weekend, I sold my beloved Nexus 7. As BetaNews readers may be aware, the tablet has given me some trouble over the last year. I had complaints with the pre-order process and the tablet's performance. However, despite these complaints, I enjoyed the tablet very much. I definitely got my use out of it -- I used it to watch TV, read magazines and access social media like Twitter and Google+. However, while I loved the Nexus 7, I heard rumors that a next-generation Nexus 7 was soon to be announced. And so, I sold my cherished tablet on Craigslist while it still had value -- there will likely be a fire sale once the successor is announced. I expected to take the money from the sale and put it towards a new tablet. I really wanted a Galaxy Note 8.0 but decided to wait for Google’s next Nexus tablet announcement. Waiting proved to be the right choice. Something strange happened when I got home from selling the Nexus 7. I didn’t really miss it; even on an emotional level. My smartphone, a Motorola RAZR Maxx HD, has a big enough screen to look at comfortably while lounging on the couch or laying in bed. My Chromebook is enough for casual web surfing and writing while my desktop handles all the other heavy lifting. I even own a Kindle Paperwhite which is far preferable for late-night reading than an LCD-based tablet like the Nexus 7. There is no room or need for a tablet in my life. While my RAZR Maxx HD doesn’t have a screen as large as the Samsung Note 2, it is still quite large at 4.7-inches. If my smartphone was smaller, I might still still see value in a tablet. This makes me wonder -- are large screen smartphones (particularly phablets) actually cannibalizing tablets? This is not my idea nor a new one, many journalists have proposed the question. However, it took the loss of my Nexus 7 to truly consider that tablets may just be a passing fad. So now, I’m tabletless and at a cross-roads in my digital life. Where do I go from here? Should I buy another tablet? If yes, which one and why? Tell me in the comments.

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Brain shape predicts language learning success Publication date: Apr 7, 2006 5:00:00 AM Fast language learners have more white matter and a less symmetrical brain than slower language learners, according to UCL (University College London) research published today in the journal Cerebral Cortex. Dr Narly Golestani, of the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, said: “The bigger picture is that we're starting to understand that brain shape and structure can be informative about people's abilities or pathologies. Why people are good at some things and not others is evident from these scans, the differences can sometimes be seen just by looking. This might one day allow us to screen for language learning or for language disorders.” Sixty participants undertook ten blocks of twenty trials of training to learn to distinguish two different sounds - the French 'dental' 'da' sound and the Hindi 'retroflex' 'da' sound. Faster language learners recognised the differences in the 'da' sounds within a few minutes. Slower learners struggled even after the maximum twenty minutes of learning. The team took anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (aMRI) scans of the brain structure of the 11 fastest and 10 slowest learners and found a number of anatomical differences between them. This was followed up with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans, which allow finer measurements of white matter brain structure. The differences in language learning ability were not linked to grey matter but to white matter, which is involved in connectivity - linking parts of the brain. The scans show a greater white matter volume in the left auditory regions (Heschl's gyrus) in faster learners, and a difference in the position of Heschl's gyrus in the right hemisphere between faster and slower learners. There is also a greater asymmetry in the volume of the parietal lobes (which in the left hemisphere is thought to be involved in speech sound processing), in faster compared to slower learners, with faster learners having a more pronounced left-greater-than-right volume difference. The sounds that subjects were trained to distinguish were difficult to tell apart – the French sound is very similar to the Alveolar 'd' sound (an English consonant sound pronounced with the tip of the tongue near the upper teeth) i.e. dad. The Hindi sound is pronounced with the tongue curled upwards onto the roof of the mouth i.e. ardent. Both synthetic sounds were followed by the vowel 'a', so the participants heard 'da'. Subjects had to decide which of the two ‘da’ sounds they had heard and were told whether or not their response was correct. The training got harder as it went on. At first the most distinct versions of these two ‘da’ sounds were heard; with the Hindi ‘da’ at one end of the synthetic acoustic range and the French ‘da’ at the other. If a person identified 80 % or more of the sounds correctly, the next training block was made to be more difficult by presenting sounds that were more acoustically alike. Some of the faster learners learned to distinguish the most acoustically similar sounds within 3 or 4 blocks - this lasted about 6-8 minutes. The slowest learners were still guessing randomly with the most acoustically different sounds even after 10 blocks of training – around 20 minutes later. Dr Golestani said: “What is special about sounds such as the dental versus retroflex consonants is that the acoustic difference between them is only in the first 40 milliseconds, in other words, your brain needs to work quickly. We speculate that we find differences in white matter volume between faster and slower learners because more white matter (resulting either from more white matter fibres or from thicker fibres) would support more efficient transmission of neural signals between brain regions. Given that we found differences both in the auditory regions and in the parietal cortex of the left hemisphere, there may be anatomical connectivity differences in these regions in the left hemisphere between faster and slower phonetic learners too. I am currently doing analyses on the DTI scans to test for those differences. This body of research indicates how much we can understand about people’s behavioural differences just by looking at differences in brain structure. This type of work is very relevant to an understanding of the anatomical characteristics which underlie and support neural function.” Notes for Editors: 1. The paper 'Brain structure predicts the learning of foreign speech sounds' appears in Cerebral Cortex on the 3rd April 2006. GET TH E LINK

3-D dilemma: Getting Oscar voters to the theaters Imagine if Oscar voters in 1939 saw The Wizard of Oz only in black and white. Would they have nominated the film for best picture and best visual effects if the yellow brick road were just another shade of gray? The filmmakers behind this year's 3-D movies face just such a dilemma. Films in 3-D require academy members to drive to a theater, rather than just pop a DVD into their home players, to see the full depth of the work that went into them. But with a bumper crop of 3-D films up for award consideration, it's not clear how many Oscar voters will make that effort. "We came out of last year's award season having Avatar overshadow everything," says Jim Chabin, president of the International 3D Society, a nonprofit organization that gives its own awards to 3-D movies. "This year has been scrappy." Visually ambitious 3-D movies in release in 2010 include Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland, How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, and Tron. Whether in animation or live action, 3-D adds a level of difficulty for filmmakers, particularly in the category of special effects. Most critics agreed the 3-D was deployed with particular dexterity in How to Train Your Dragon, an animated film about a teenage viking who develops a special bond with a dragon. The movie's swooping, kinetic flying scenes earned praise from Los Angeles Times film critic Betsy Sharkey, who called them "a study in how nuance can actually complement the spectacle we've come to demand of 3-D animation." DreamWorks Animation released How to Train Your Dragon in theaters in March and began holding 3-D screenings for members of the academy and various guilds in mid-August. But its directors, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, must walk a fine line between exhorting their peers to see their movie in 3-D and just hoping they watch it at all. "If they have the chance to, we hope people will see it in 3-D," DeBlois says. "There was a lot of effort put into the 3-D experience and making it part of the storytelling and not just gimmickry." 3-D is still controversial among the industry's artistic elite, most of whom have yet to make a 3-D movie. "For the academy, there's some interest, but it's somewhat divided because there are too many projects that come out where 3-D is just used as a diversion," DeBlois says. Shoddy 3-D has tainted the perception of the format. Many academy members are old enough to remember movies such as Jaws 3-D (1983) or The House of Wax (1953), which relied on a more rudimentary technology to create the impression of objects jumping off the screen. "This digital 3-D today is a completely different technical standard, and the storytelling can be done far more subtly," says Chabin. "But people have those memories, and it's difficult to change those perceptions." More recently, the trend of conversions from 2-D to 3-D has raised hackles in the industry, with Clash of the Titans drawing criticism for its rushed, second-rate work. That kind of bad buzz can taint other conversions, like Alice in Wonderland, which underwent a much longer, more painstaking process. The year The Wizard of Oz was released marked a major change at the Oscars -- the creation of separate categories for color and black-and-white cinematography, a distinction that endured until 1967. It's unlikely, says Chabin, that the academy will introduce a 3-D-specific category any time soon. There is one development due in the next few years that could level the playing field for 3-D filmmakers. "Someday soon, academy screeners will come in 3-D versions, and you'll be watching them on your 3-D flat-screens at home," Chabin says. "Of course, the best way to see and experience 3-D, as with most motion pictures, is in a theater with people." Recommended for You Guidelines: Please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. If a comment violates these standards or our privacy statement or visitor's agreement, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report abuse. To post comments, you must be a Facebook member. To find out more, please visit the FAQ.

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Councillor claims walking routes are a ‘minefield of dog excrement’ CLLR MARY Jackman has hit out at dog owners who do not scoop up their dog’s doo doo. CLLR MARY Jackman has hit out at dog owners who do not scoop up their dog’s doo doo. Elderly people have slipped and mums and dads have to wash their buggies’ wheels when they get home, she said. The county councillor was speaking at a Castleconnell electoral area meeting where provision of dog fouling bins/disposal units on the Newtown/Monaleen/Castletroy walking routes were on the agenda. “There is a popular walking path there that is very well used and not just by residents. Consistently, when you go out walking there is dog fouling. “I’ve seen mums and dads pushing buggies, having to go through the dirt and then having to wash their buggies’ wheels when they get home. “I simply cannot understand how some dog owners don’t bring bags, collect their dog excrement and dispose of it properly,” said Cllr Jackman, who stresses that many dog walkers are civically minded but others are spoiling it for everybody. Walkers in the vicinity of Castletroy’s park have no excuse because Limerick County Council installed a pooper scooper there, she says. Along with the Demesne in Newcastle West they were the first ones in the county put in place. It has twin benefits as it provides dog owners with poop bags to enable them to clean up after their dogs and dispose of the waste, while at the same time safeguarding public health. Unfortunately no matter what you do some won’t use them, said Cllr Jackman “I walk that route regularly and do the full circle. It is a minefield of excrement. Elderly people have slipped and sometimes I’ve seen parents pushing buggies having to go out on the road to get away from it which is very dangerous too,” said Cllr Jackman, who has often raised the issue of dog fouling and the wider problem of littering. John Sheehan, executive engineer Limerick County Council, said new signs were to be erected with information of the fines for dog fouling. Meanwhile, Cllr Noel Gleeson said dumping of rubbish in the county is “rampant” while Cllr Eddie Wade said the dumping was “unreal”. He has seen everything from a dead pony to mattresses to black bin bags dumped near his home. You can contact us using the details below:Limerick Leader,54 O'Connell Street,LimerickEmail: [email protected]: 061 214500 This website and its associated newspaper are full participating members of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman. This scheme in addition to defending the freedom of the press, offers readers a quick, fair and free method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman go to www.pressombudsman.ie or www.presscouncil.ie Limerick Leader provides news, events, and sport features from the Limerick area. For the best up to date information relating to Limerick and the surrounding areas visit us at Limerick Leader regularly or bookmark this page.

December 14, 2017 Congressman seeks probe of chartered flights by U.S. energy secretary NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Democratic U.S. congressman is asking the Energy Department’s watchdog to investigate Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s travel on chartered aircraft, the congressman said at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday. U.S. Representative Frank Pallone said Perry’s trips on chartered planes need scrutiny in light of the “extreme” budget cuts the department faces in a 2018 federal budget proposed by Republican President Donald Trump. In a letter on Thursday to the Energy Department’s inspector general, Pallone cited a $35,000 trip Perry took from Washington to a private airport in Kansas that was within a 45-minute drive of Kansas City International Airport. “It is unclear why Secretary Perry would require such costly travel in instances where more economical options were readily available,” he wrote. Perry said in his opening statement in the hearing, being held by the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, that as a former Texas governor he understood the issue of travel oversight and the need to spend money on travel appropriately and thoughtfully. “I travel a lot to do my job. I do it in a way that I think is thoughtful,” he said. Perry’s charter flights have cost taxpayers more than $56,000, according to records the Energy Department released to Reuters on Friday. One of those flights – from a coal mine in Pennsylvania to a nuclear facility in Ohio – occurred just a day before former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned and promised to repay the government for some $52,000 worth of travel including private flights. Perry said on Thursday it would have been “very difficult” to take a commercial flight from the Pennsylvania site to the Ohio plant. Pallone’s letter, which Democratic Representatives Diana DeGette and Bobby Rush also signed, asked the inspector general to determine whether there was a “mechanism for Secretary Perry to reimburse taxpayers” for the flights if they failed to meet ethical and procedural criteria for government travel. Officials in the inspector general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Inspectors general for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Interior Department have opened similar investigations into charter travel by those agencies’ heads, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Reporting By Emily Flitter in New York and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis

We have all been told some story about some clever fellow who was smart enough to invest when the market was low, and then made a fortune when the market was high. Well, now may be an excellent time to consider an investment into your home, because just like the wise investor, you too will …

Superheroes are caught in hilarious and sometimes compromising positions in these photos by Edy Hardjo. The Indonesian photographer creates an amusing tableaux using Marvel and DC action figures. In an interview with photography website Shutterbug, he said he was never particularly interested in action figures until the release of new generation of 1/6-scale figures such as Hot Toys and Enterbay. They "have a very detailed and fine design, and almost look exactly like the real characters from the movies. I fell in love with these amazing figures," he said. In this gallery, we publish some of his amusing scenes. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook to see more.

Key Words to Suggest What Operation to Use Date: 12/08/2005 at 20:36:28 From: Sonya Subject: How do I explain which math operation to use? My daughter cannot decipher which operation to use in word problems. Key words like "in all" and "all together" let her know to use addition. Are there any key words or phrases that give her a hint when to use division? Date: 12/08/2005 at 22:47:27 From: Doctor Peterson Subject: Re: How do I explain which math operation to use? Hi, Sonya. There are lists of key words, but I prefer not to lean too heavily on them. In your example, there's a good chance that the operation will be multiplication (for example, if there are 4 girls and they have 3 apples each, how many apples do they have "in all"?) or division (there are 4 girls and they have 12 apples in all; how many does each have?). Of course, in these examples, the word "each" suggests that there is multiplication involved, and the division is just a multiplication in reverse, so keywords are not useless! I like to connect math operations to physical or mental ACTIONS, rather than just to words. Then the words of a problem just describe the actions, which tell us what operations to do. In my first example, we can picture the 4 girls each placing her 3 apples in a row; that action is repeated 4 times, and the repetition suggests multiplication. (The key word "each" suggests the repetition!) In my second example, we can picture the same actions, but this time we don't know how many apples there will be in each row, so the problem is to undo a multiplication: how many are in each group? And that question you ask yourself indicates division. Or, alternatively, we can imagine acting out an investigation to find how many each has: we take the 12 apples and divide them among the girls, giving each 1, then 2, then 3 until we've used up the apples. This action of parceling out is also represented by division. The key to this is to focus on MEANING: what does each operation mean, and what situations call for it? Then you can connect those situations with the appropriate operation. How to do this for a specific child may depend on her style of thinking. My suggestions have been partly visual and partly "kinesthetic" (involving motion, if only imaginary). There may be other ways to "visualize" the actions of a problem. But one way or another, I think she has to experience enough mathematical activities (counting things out, moving things around, and so on) to get a natural sense of what operations mean in action. Here is a discussion of some of the same ideas: Organizing a Word Problem http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/59203.html If you have any further questions, feel free to write back. - Doctor Peterson, The Math Forum http://mathforum.org/dr.math/

8283.200 Aidia Lour. Description of the genus Shrub or small tree (in ours). Leaves opposite, occurring in equal pairs at non-flowering nodes but with one reduced to a scale at flowering nodes. Inflorescences of pedunculate cymes, occurring at every other node. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous. Calyx with reduced lobes. Corolla tube cylindric with hairy throat; lobes overlapping to the left. Stamens exserted. Style exserted with a club-shaped apical stigma. Fruit spherical, with a circular scar left by the deciduous calyx limb. Worldwide: 13 species occurring in the Old World tropics extending to Australia

Norway’s Stoltenberg confirmed for NATO top job NATO ambassadors chose former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg as the next leader of the Western military alliance, NATO said today (28 March). He will take over as secretary-general from 1 October, succeeding Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO said in a statement. Rasmussen said on Twitter that Stoltenberg was "the right man to build on NATO's record of strength and success", and said the Ukraine crisis showed the need for NATO to have continued strong and determined leadership. Stoltenberg, who served for nearly 10 years in total as Norway's prime minister before losing power in elections last September, was backed by the United States, NATO's dominant power, and Germany. British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday that he also backed Stoltenberg. Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister who took office in 2009, is due to step down at the end of September, after a September 4-5 NATO summit in Wales which will mark almost the end of NATO's combat mission in Afghanistan. Stoltenberg is the leader of the Norwegian Labour Party, of social-democratic ideology, with observer status to the Socialist International. The Norwegian politician will take over at a time when NATO, seen by some as a Cold War relic, has gained new relevance because of Russia's occupation and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region [more]. NATO foreign ministers are expected to discuss at a meeting next week how they can reinforce NATO's military presence in eastern European countries such as the Baltics and Poland which are nervous about heightened tensions with Russia. Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Belgian defence minister Pieter de Crem, and former Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini, have previously been tipped for the NATO top job.

A man loses the woman he intends to marry.A woman loses her best friend. Retired Army Captain Liam Brosnan and US Marshal Chelsea Kilpatrick are forced to question what they know about a murder that forces them together. Uncertain connections from Liam’s military career rope them into a cloak-and-dagger investigation that offers more questions than answers. Being duty-bound while in the throes of grief is a dangerous mixture. They struggle with unexpected sparks of passion and question their loyalty to a woman they loved while a murderer closes in on his next target. Will the explosive solace Liam and Chelsea find in one another lead to a love neither expected? Or will it blind them to looming danger and death? Cristin Harber’s larger-than-life military/terrorism conspiracy plots often skirt closer to the edge of the unbelievable than many of the books I’ve gone through but then again, that’s part of the basis of the romantic suspense genre: the homing in on particular individuals upon whom the fate of the country or the world hangs, no matter how ludicrous the situation might be (even when the connections are far from water-tight). Yet ‘The Savior’ is an intriguing start to a new series that I’m curious enough to want to continue: the somewhat taboo attraction between a retired army captain and a federal agent, brought together ironically by the death of the death of his girlfriend (who also happened to be latter’s best friend). Chelsea Kilpatrick and Liam Brosnan do make a good pairing somehow, especially so after Liam learns that the tragedy they’d both lived through was in fact, premeditated…and carefully planned over a few years. Pile on the guilt, the hesitation, the electric sexual tension and a mite bit of push-pull. The icky dead-partner as the third party vibe isn’t altogether absent, nonetheless. We’re not quite given much of their history together however, only that they knew each other marginally through Julia, yet Liam and Chelsea ‘adulted’ quite well and I liked their inadvertent (and fairly mature) way of dealing with their burgeoning attraction to each other. What was strangely surprising was the lack of action that brought the steady pace to a sort of lull until the last quarter of the book as things pulled together. (I didn’t get the Vietnamese-sounding terrorist names, by the way.) Harber’s writing style did feel somewhat ‘off’ and uneven at times though: some collocations didn’t quite make sense logically if you actually think carefully about it, or the moments where more was needed but wasn’t given and vice versa. Some were even jarring enough to kick me out of the narrative; well, the whole point being, I did think a finer-toothed comb was necessary in weeding out these errors, developmental or otherwise. Being cautiously optimistic about this new series is what I’m left with by the end, abrupt as it seemed. Colin questioned his recruitment to Delta team from day one, but he's made sure to earn his accomplishments twice over. No one could accuse his diplomat father of pulling strings. Falling for Adelia is everything he never planned and always wanted. No complications. No agenda. Just a sweet girl who made him smile. But Adelia has spun a network of lies around the world to help save women from human traffickers, and she's stolen from Mayhem motorcycle club, the men who saved her life, to do it. Anonymous friends back her unseen good deeds—until a link snaps. Actions have consequences in the Mayhem MC world. The repercussions are deadly. Everywhere she turns, the fallout ripples. Friends become enemies. Family walks away. There's no one left to save her except for the man she's fallen in love with, and she'd do anything to keep him from Mayhem's ricochet. ‘Delta: Ricochet’ started out well enough, but this is my dislike for MCs-type stories speaking here, which Cristin Harber has integrated more and more into her Delta series with the longstanding topic of human trafficking taking priority in the last few of these books. I definitely prefer Harber’s Titan storylines that are more in the grain of the type of romantic suspense that I like to read, and clearly this preference is what’s partially accounting for my rating. Undoubtedly, the setup of Colin’s and Adelia’s story is an intriguing one and it works well enough as a standalone since Harber does drop hints of what happened before. The first quarter brings Colin’s and Adelia’s paths together in way that is easy to follow (and is in my opinion, the best bit about the story which I sailed through), though their slow, slow burn does stretch past this mark. ‘Ricochet’ is however, a way longer read than what Harber typically churns out. Topping at 400+ish pages on my reader, however, my doubts crept in after I hit the 30% mark and my reading process faltered badly. The funny thing about Harber’s characters is that they don’t necessarily behave the way and say the things you expect them to. ‘Ricochet’ isn’t too different, but the result here is one of meandering dialogues, character responses that don’t address questions head-on and a prolonging of the advancement of plot. The less-than-succinct delivery meant that a fair bit of editing—for structure, for the huge number of writing errors that really, really shouldn’t be there at this stage and for the roundabout dialogue—would have streamlined the ‘Ricochet’ into a read that had less stutters and abrupt lulls as action scenes built and simply dwindled away. Still, the amount of riddles, courtesy of the work of secondary characters (which happily ran interference both for plot and structure) and Adelia’s deliberate and frustrating-as-hell in-but-not-in stance with Colin tanked the whole story for me. If Adelia started out as a protagonist whom I admired, this soon changed after the extraordinary lengths she went to obfuscate what she’d been doing all along in Mayhem when it became clear at a certain point that full disclosure (to the right parties) was needed. I’m all for strong and independent heroines, don’t get me wrong. But having said this before, I think this merits it being said again: such a character isn’t afraid to ask for help, is brave enough to know when she is out of her depth and doesn’t play games when time is of the essence—all of which I thought Adelia fell alarmingly short of when the situation called for it. Calling for blind trust from Colin when she wouldn’t give hers stank of hypocrisy, not to mention the mind-boggling idiocy she showed when she stubbornly decided to go at things on her own without asking for the support she knew she so badly needed. Acting the martyr (yes, a goodbye note was included) was not only unnecessary at this point, but the stupidity of it threw me off so much that I stopped reading completely as ‘Ricochet’ neared its climax. From a fantastic start to a muddling finish that soured quickly, ‘Ricochet’ capped off what has been a disappointing series for me, more so because Harber’s earlier books had made me a stalwart fan of hers. Thus far, the later Titan books and the Delta series haven’t run any bells for me to the point where I’m almost wary to pick up another book of hers…for fear of being disappointed once again. Seven is an enigma. A motorcycle club princess. The daughter of a notorious gangster. The best friend of the deputy mayor. A coffee shop owner. The single mom of two young, adopted children. She’s colorful, in every way possible—from her attitude to her piercings and bright pink hair—and she’s a woman on a mission with the power to help broker a clean break between a powerful motorcycle club and a South American drug cartel. But not all players are ready for the game to change, including the ones she can’t see like the CIA. Jax Michaelson has a bad attitude and a good shot. The former Navy SEAL has been on Titan’s problem list for running his mouth since the day he showed up for work, but he does a hell of a job, and they’d never let him go. Call him cocky, that’s fine, because then you’d have to admit he’s the best at anything and everything—except diplomacy. When Titan is forced into the seedy drug world filled with cartel glitz and Harley-riding MCs, Seven and her family become an unexpected bargaining chip right after she and Jax find a way to stand each other—in bed. Will friends become lovers? Or are they too far gone to be opposites that attract? Is Jax nothing but a bad boy who leaves her hoping for a military hero when the burden of living as Mayhem royalty backfires and her children disappear. One consistent thing about Cristin Harber’s characters is that they do tend to behave in ways I’ll never expect. Jax and Seven are no exception to this general rule that I’ve come to learn of the Titan gang; neither is the direction that Harber takes in this book that completely surprised me. Characters whom you thought you can’t warm to can suddenly turn around and show that the notion of ‘heroism’ doesn’t always conform to some pre-determined idea that you have…though as much as I hate to say it, the opposite applies too. Titan’s ops thus far have been more paramilitary covert ops, so when Jax’s story came wrapped up in a MC’s dealings, I couldn’t say I was entirely enthusiastic about this turn, but it’s clearly my own sub-genre preferences speaking here. Jax, the known arse and the bastard-to-go-to in the past few Titan books, had a story and I was itching to uncover it, and this itch surpassed even my general dislike for MC stories. The result is an MC-centric book that I couldn’t really get into but for Jax’s and Seven’s dance around each other and the fact that they aren’t quite the stereotypical characters I tend to read in such stories. There is action, of course and Jared Westin’s mobilisation of his Titan troops is always an awesome thing to read about, but that only comes much later…past the talking, posturing and the laborious sifting through truth and lies. Above all, Jax made the story for me, as self-titled as this books is anyway, I didn’t expect anything different when Harber fleshed him out to be a protagonist who was so much more than his crusty, abrasive surface. I couldn’t quite say the same for the rest of the characters, who were simply varying shades of unlikable. In fact, I cheered Jax for giving it stubbornly to the Titan team who admittedly hadn’t been on his side to begin with and Jared/Sugar—a couple whom I’d adored when their book came out—behaved in fact, like idiots for most of this, tarnishing the sheen of the halo I’d initially put on them. Soon enough, it got just as hard to like Seven, whom I felt simply needed to grow a spine where Jax was concerned because she couldn’t decide where her loyalties were going to lie when it was all said and done. ‘Jax’ is a very different type of Titan book for which I needed a huge effort to suspend disbelief. That Jax’s so-called mortal enemy was dealt with all-too-easily—he was flitted in and out, appearing to play an important role but didn’t, and realising that he was ultimately, another plot device to help alter other characters’ perception of Jax tanked the read for me. But I’ll reiterate that my own response to the plot and characters is just that—a catalogue of issues that just didn’t work for me, which simply outweighed Jax as the shining star of his own book and explains my half-hearted rating of it. That was all that the woman would share when Delta team’s expert trigger man, an Australian named Ryder, pulled her from the pits of a human trafficking nightmare and took the gun from her hand. He didn’t mean to steal her revenge but survival was the priority. Now that Victoria was home? She had a past he was trying to understand while keeping a secret from her that might tear her apart. But he’s not the only one. When she goes missing, Delta team discovers that Victoria No Name was a one-woman vigilante force, taking on whoever crossed her path, from gun runners to a drug pushing motorcycle club. She was exactly who Ryder thought she might be, and now he was coming in to help—whether she wanted backup or not. Cristin Harber’s books used to be like crack for me, though I’ve got to admit that I’ve been disappointed in them as the Titan series grows. Harber does write good suspense; everything that involves Titan is typically drawn out, fairly complex and what they do actually rolls out hypothetical scenarios that aren’t too hard to envision coming true of late. ‘Delta: Redemption’ is Victoria/Ryder’s book, 2 secondary characters that I’d long forgotten about in Harber’s previous book, but it wasn’t hard to get caught up in the hostile Russian conspiracy in middle-America and the shady link to the brutal world of human trafficking. I liked the start of the story, as Cristin Harber portrayed a victim of circumstances and rape who’d lost her self-confidence and her perceived standing in her small-town community. Both Ryder and Victoria’s connection was…for the want of a better word…a sympathetic one which I thought I could relate to. Both had lost something/someone and Harber certainly writes that soul-deep connection between the both of them especially well as Victoria was recovering from her ordeal. But it went downhill for me from that point onwards and yes, was Victoria herself who rubbed me the wrong way. Upfront, I felt the problem was her TSTL behaviour that proved to be the costly catalyst that helped account for the action that happened in the rest of the book. Insisting on going at things alone when she knew full well that she needed help on this was stupidity of epic proportions; going ahead full steam while actually condemning herself–which shows some amount of perception that she wasn’t doing it right–for keeping things secret made it worse. The need for revenge is always explained away as a lone-wolf, bloodthirsty, cannot-be-ignored trait and it’s simply reiterated here with her PTSD seemed swept under the rug with a softly-softly approach that Titan gave her, as did her friend Seven, ironically proving exactly what she never wanted others to think of her from the start: helpless when it came to crunch time yet having no issues eluding and deceiving when it suited her, only to lead Titan/Delta to her rescue a second time. I’m all for assertion of independence, though all too often it’s done without thought, which then crosses the line straight into idiocy for me. ‘Delta: Redemption’ was to say the least, a read that didn’t go down too well, though clearly, what I ranted above has been one of my personal beefs for a long time. I couldn’t stop my eye-rolling for a long time, but as I’ve always said, just because it didn’t go too well for me, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t for others as well. In fact, I’m quite happy to say the opposite, in fact, happens. THE STOIC SPECIAL FORCES OPERATOR There’s only one person to blame for darkening the last years of Locke Oliver’s military career: Cassidy Noble. And damn if he doesn’t have to save her from the side of a frozen mountain. Even after the job is done, he can’t shake the woman from his thoughts. He blames her for the deaths in his Army unit so many years ago, and he’s not ready to let that go. It’s driving him to the point of distraction, and now his Titan Group boss says to get his act together or get out.THE FEISTY, FALLEN REPORTER Cassidy is a disgraced journalist, once accused of treason—Or she’s an American hero. It depends on who you ask. She’s on a mission to rebuild her name and started with a simple question but discovered a complex web of spies and possible human trafficking. Titan Group believes in her. Locke does not. Until he can’t deny the truth any longer about the past or what she’s uncovered in her investigation.BECOME AN INSEPARABLE TEAM Cassidy volunteers to go undercover. Locke would do anything to stay by her side as she slips into the network and is sold to the highest bidder. All is going right until everything goes wrong. Nothing is as they expect, including falling in love with the woman he thought he hated. It took me an extraordinarily long time to go through this book that I’m actually wondering whether it’s sort of the end of the Titan series for me right now. Having been a fan of Titan in the early days, I wondered how Cristin Harber was going to go on with the series after Jared Westin’s core team had found their respective HEAs. ‘Locke and Key’ is a book past that particular series arc but I’ve been struggling since the chapter closed on the core team. I’ve admittedly found myself lukewarm and half-hearted about the Titan series after Parker’s book came out as a dud for me but the biggest problem in ‘Locke and Key’ was that I couldn’t find any character likeable, despite them having been fantastic protagonists in their own time in previous books who have since undergone some personality transplants. Here, they came across as volatile idiots lacking compassion or any sense of kinship and that famous ‘brotherhood-in-arms’ spirit which I tend to read about in RS books seemed sorely lacking here. Instead, what I saw was loads of peacock strutting, macho posturing and too many over-the-top type of reactions that felt like petty and unnecessary squabbles. In essence, the volatility of the characters’ behaviours resulted in my own volatile reactions to difference scenes and dialogues. There were chapters that made me think I could get behind some characters and other chapters that had me rolling my eyes and ready to give up the book. The only things that kept me going were the secondary characters whose fight Titan inevitably became a part of to reunite their family and I read on, cheering for them alone. Obviously, it’s one of those books that grated on me, but I’m hoping at least, that the overall sense of dissatisfaction with the series might pass. Whether there’ll still be Titan or Delta in my to-be-read list however, well, that’s still something that’s up in the air for me. From Liliana Hart's New York Times bestselling MacKenzie family comes a new story by New York Times bestselling author Cristin Harber... When Luke Brenner takes an off-the-books job on the MacKenzie-Delta joint task force, he has one goal: shut down sex traffickers on his personal hunt for retribution. This operation brings him closer than he's ever been to avenge his first love, who was taken, sold, and likely dead. Madeleine Mercier is the daughter of an infamous cartel conglomerate. Their family bleeds money, they sell pleasure, they sell people. She knows no other life, sees no escape, except for one. Maddy is the only person who can take down Papa, when every branch of law enforcement in every country, is on her father's payroll. It's evil. To want to ruin, to murder, her family. But that's what she is. Ruined for a life outside of destroying her father. She can't feel arousal. Has never been kissed. Never felt anything other than disgust for the world that she perpetuates. Until she clashes with a possible mercenary who gives her hope. The hunter versus the virgin. The predator and his prey. When forced together, can enemies resist the urge to run away or destroy one another? In the mad, mad world of Cristin Harber’s Titan and Delta, very few things make sense in the logical realm, or at least that’s the lesson I’ve come to learn the further and deeper I get into the Titan books. A mercenary meets and falls in lust/love with the virgin daughter of a far-reaching human trafficker, and somehow thinks there is a common ground between his very unnatural addiction to pain and her own special brand of fighting back against her father. I’ve come to associate these peculiar oddities and plot weirdness only with Ms. Harber: there’re always switchbacks, unpredictable moves and odd behaviour patterns of the characters that I can’t ever put my finger on – and perhaps this is a turn-on for some. Yet the brevity of the book sadly, hugely contributes to the unbelievability of the tale; as much as Ms. Harber’s trademark, distinctive writing helps pad the surreal feel of the story, I was left sceptically scratching my head about Luke and Maddy’s tenuous connection and a plot so fantastically crazy it can only belong in a James Bond spoof. Parker Black wants the one woman he shouldn’t have—his buddy’s girl. She's sweet and smart, but clueless about how deep Parker lives in Titan’s virtual world. Everything is controlled. Chaos is mastered. Black and white data and risk analysis. That is the way he understands his world, how he plays his role to keep Titan teams alive. But he’s wrong. About everything. Lexi Dare lives two lives. She’s an unhappy fiancée stuck in a spiraling relationship, unsure how she ended up with a ring on her finger and an abuser in her bed. But she’s also elusive. Elite. A master hacker playing deadly stakes. When the lines blur and the truth comes out, Lexi’s only shot at survival is the trust of her rival—her equal—before it’s too late. Going into Parker Black’s world is like stepping into hacker central and BlackDawn, his virtual codename – unbeknownst to him – has actually been an anchor for another hacker named Silver Chaos for the past decade. But Silver Chaos is in fact, Lexi Dare, a woman who in real life, is a victim of abuse, and in the small world of Titan, Lexi also happens to be the fiancée of Parker’s friend Matt. Other Titan characters flit in and out of the story, but Black Dawn is really, a step away from an actual Titan op and into the fluid ethical boundaries of hacking and coding, a world that Parker has always believed is black and white. Parker’s professional and personal lives are set on a collision course when Lexi stumbles into his life; discovering her true virtual identity pushes them into unimaginable danger just as his attraction to her spikes along the way. I thought this latest Titan installment was just entertaining as the previous Titan books have been, even if the action is over-the-top and require way more than a tad bit of suspension of disbelief, even if there’re few principles of hacking and coding that I truly understand. Instead, I’ve always been drawn to Titan’s quirky characters, their funny names and their antics, especially the alpha men who are strangely unafraid to fall into their heroines’ arms and call time on their bachelor status. Parker Black might be the latest, but hopefully not last to do so, if his story truly signals the end of the Titan series.

What strings are taper wound? I went to the local store and I was going to try some different strings but they didnt have any taper wounds. All my basses are set for tapers so Id like to try out some different tapers before I change the set up. Thanks. I just got a set of fender taper wounds. UH DUH! on me - I wanted half rounds and didn't even realize i didn't know what taper wounds were. Yes, i thought they were smoother than roundwounds yet not quite flatwounds. Oh well - I put them on my fretless acoustic and they sound great. What's the advantage to these strings now that I know, after years and years of playing, what they are?

TRHS News Top News Give to the Tree of Life this holiday season 11/16/2017 A holiday tradition, the annual lighting of the Tree of Life at Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC) serves as a symbolic tribute to friends, family and lost loved ones while supporting the TRMC Oncology Center and Hospice of Tift Area. Sponsored by the Tifton Junior Woman’s Club, this year’s tree lighting ceremony will be held Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017 at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of TRMC. Kristy Daniels, Manager of Hospice of Tift Area, said this year’s event will prove to be one of the best yet. “We want everyone in the community to bring their families and friends,” she said. “Together we will enjoy a moving candle-lighting ceremony and wonderful, live holiday music. And, of course, we’ll have a visit from Santa Claus. Afterwards, everyone is invited to a complimentary meal provided by TRMC Food Services." Daniels said that purchasing a light for the Tree of Life in honor or memory of a person is a tax-deductible gift which will help the patients of Tift Regional’s Anita Stewart Oncology Center and Hospice of Tift Area with special needs. “Various giving levels are available,” she said. “If you are looking for a Christmas gift for family members, friends, co-workers or clients, purchase a light in their honor or in memory of someone close to them. You’ll be benefiting a great cause.” Daniels said the Tree of Life fund assists the hospital’s cancer or hospice patients who may have difficulty paying utility bills due to financial constraints or need special comforts while undergoing treatment. “These are just examples of how the Tree of Life helps our patients as they undergo a challenging time,” said Daniels. “It has really touched the lives of many people in our community.” Various giving levels are available and contributing is easy. Contributions are being accepted until Dec. 31. To contribute, visit www.tiftregional.com/TOL.

Giffords staffer remembered Gabe Zimmerman, the congressional staffer who was killed in the mass shooting in Arizona on Saturday, was known as a friendly and dedicated aide who had been with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords since the earliest point in her congressional career. His job was director of community outreach — the position which led him to organize the “Congress on your Corner” event that quickly turned from a run of the mill local town hall to a national tragedy in which six people were killed — including Zimmerman — and Giffords was shot in the head. Story Continued Below Zimmerman was remembered by friends and colleagues on Saturday night as friendly, dedicated and good humored. He was engaged to be married, according to media reports, and had served as a major point of contact for the congresswoman since 2007. Zimmerman, who worked out of the congresswoman’s Tucson office, was known by local interest groups for going above and beyond the call of duty. Several photographs on the Internet show Zimmerman, who was a former social worker, smiling with his arms around local community leaders. Among them was Pat Gould, a support group leader in the local chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation. With Zimmerman’s help, the group was able to garner Giffords’ support for legislation recognizing the disease. Gould broke down crying when POLITICO informed her of Zimmerman’s passing. “He was such a very nice man,” she said. “Very receptive, very attentive, very concerned. He expressed extra concern about this autoimmune disease because he had a relative who suffered with one too.” “Gabe was one of those rare people in high school who was nice to everyone. He was a friendly, outgoing, popular guy who was welcome in virtually every social circle. I can’t remember anyone ever having an unkind thing to say about him,” said Sommer Mathis, a high school friend who works at TBD, a local news Web site and sister publication to POLITICO. Zimmerman played varsity soccer and was known for taking a rigorous set of AP courses. “Have a great day!” signs off the cheerful recording on Zimmerman’s voicemail reached by POLITICO in the Congresswoman’s Tucson office. “He just had a heart for people,” said Doug Hart, president for the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans. “Everybody loved the guy, and that’s a hard thing for a young man to pull off with seniors. I remember telling him I’ve been married for 42 years and he said he hoped he could be married that long.” “We serve who walks into our office and we don’t even ask what party they belong to,” Zimmerman told the Tucson Citizen in 2007. Zimmerman was among 24 employees currently employed by the congresswoman, according to House salary disclosure information posted on Legistorm.com. The site listed Zimmerman as deputy scheduler as of the end of September. Gifford’s press secretary, C.J. Karamargin said that the Congresswoman had not received any recent threats and had no reason to fear for her or her staff’s safety. “She has always been very open and accessible. She’s never shied away from an opportunity to meet with her constituents, even when the topic was hot and heavy,” Karamargin said.

Photographer Anastasia Pottinger has a powerful photo series called Centenarians that reveals what the human body looks like at 100 years old. Pottinger writes: When I later reviewed the images on my computer, I knew I was looking at something very special. It was when I began exhibiting the work that the idea to continue the series was born. The response to the images has been remarkable. Viewers are visibly moved by what they are looking at. Whether it's wondering, "is this what I'm going to look like?" or remembering a loved one – the response seems to be universally emotional on some level.More images after more. "Since his first awakening, the radioactive, fire-spewing kaiju has grown 200 feet and put on more than 150,000 tons. Godzilla is now 30 stories tall and weighs as much as a cruise ship. No actual animal could take the pressure of being so massive: It would overheat, its organs would implode, and it would need to mainline butter to get enough calories. For fun, we surveyed scientists to help us break down the beast's biology. If Godzilla were real, he would be an incredible specimen. " (Photo by Stephanie Godot/Illustration by Andrew Rae) George R. R. Martin uses an archaic word processor—WordStar 4.0, running on DOS, no less—to write Game of Thrones. He explained why to Conan last night. First, it means that he has a computer dedicated to writing—obviously he doesn't check his email and browse the web on DOS, that'd be silly—which presumably allows him to concentrate better... Motorola is updating their popular Moto G with 4G LTE while still maintaing a very reasonable price of $219 unlocked and without contract. Featuring a 4.5″ 720p screen and comes with 8GB of memory – standard, a 5 megapixel camera, water-repellent coating, Android 4.4 KitKat and a 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. Ibrahim Hamato from Egypt has no arms, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming a top-notch table tennis player. Hamato lost his arms in an accident at age 10, forcing him to find a new way to compete in his favorite game. He now plays table tennis with a racket in his mouth, swatting at balls with a flick of his head.

Hodderscape Wants You! By Anne Perry You might recall that, not long after we launched Hodderscape.co.uk, we put out a call for contributors. Today we’re delighted to renew that call… but with a twist. From now on, we’ll be paying our contributors for original content. Whether you’re a writer, a blogger, a reviewer or just a keen reader – WE NEED YOU! We’re open to anything from opinion pieces to reviews of SF/Fantasy-related stuff to general musings. If you’d like to become a contributor, drop us a line at [email protected] or use our Contact Us page. Tell us a little about yourself and what you’re interested in writing about (or even include the full piece), and we’ll take it from there! GUIDELINES Who can write for us Anyone! Whether you’re an author, a reviewer, a blogger or just an avid reader, we’re open to your contributions. Basically, if you have something to share, we want to hear it! What to write We’re not setting any strict parameters regarding topics – we’re just looking for content that’s of interest to our community. So, it could be an opinion piece, a review, a general musing of any kind; it could be about SFF/Horror/speculative books (a piece on a specific author or genre, for example); or it could be something on a related topic such as film, TV, games or art. We can’t promise to publish your piece, but we will absolutely consider everything that is submitted. There’s no word limit, but somewhere between 500 and 750 words is ideal. Rights We require first publication rights, non-exclusive into perpetuity. What that means is, we’re looking for articles and essays that have never been published before. If, later on, you’d like to republish what you’ve written for us somewhere else, that’s fine! If you have any questions about the rights situation, please feel free to drop us a line. Please do… Write something that you feel is of interest to the wider SFF community. Feel free to run the subject of your piece past us if you would like our view on whether or not it’s a suitable topic. Proof-read! (Seriously, this is really important.) What you’ll get in return for your contribution We pay £10 per article and will send a bundle of Hodder books to anyone whose piece we publish. MORE Written by Anne Perry Anne Perry is an editor at Hodder & Stoughton. She spends much of her free time thinking about monster movies.

Sleek Business Card Holder Your staff will be eager and proud to whip out their business cards with this statement making sleek business card holder you present to each of them. It makes a signature presentation with its stylish polished silver finish in dimensions of 3.875" x 2.5" for storing approximately 12 business cards. The case cover features an intriguing design that makes a unique border for your personalization. Your individual message will be well remembered by those who receive this savvy business gift. Create your own unique message with our free engraving services. Comments: This is a really good case and lives up to the name of sleek. I'd recommend it highly. Rating: "Great Customer Service" Rosa Bajwa Comments: Memorable Gifts offers great customer service and great prices. Will definitely use them again for both professional and personal purchases. Rating: "business card case" Deborah Amos-Onwuegbuna Comments: The original order had to be changed,because it was out of stock.However they did a beautiful job engraving the second choice.Kudos! Rating: "Perfect. Just what I wanted." Maggie L Eike Comments: The website is very easy to use. Very quick delivery. The item was exactly what I ordered. Thank you! Rating: "Beautiful!" Holly Wilkison Comments: I ordered a silver business card holder for my fiance for Christmas. Not only did it arrive earlier than I expected, it was absolutely gorgeous and the engraving was perfect. It looks expensive and I couldn't be happier. I can't wait to give it to him!

With nearly $100 million in TIF funds being spent on the first phase of a massive development on the south lakefront, a community summit on Saturday will discuss strategies to win a community benefits agreement for the project. The Coalition for a Lakeside CBA meets Saturday, September 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 3200 E. 91st. Jennifer Epps-Addison of the Partnership for Working Families will discuss how community benefits agreements (CBAs) across the country have won opportunities for local workers and communities, and Tom Tresser of CivicLab will present an analysis of all TIFs in three local wards. The Coalition will also release results of a new survey of Southeast Side residents. Site developer McCaffrey Interests has been granted $96 million in TIF support from the city for the first phase of a vast new redevelopment of the former site of US Steel’s South Works (USX) plant, dubbed Chicago Lakeside. Ultimately McCaffrey plans over 13,000 units of housing, 17.5 million square feet of retail, 125 acres of parks and a 1,500-slip marina. The TIF subsidy will cover one-fourth of development costs for the first phase of the project, which will include 1 million square feet of retail and restaurants and 848 units of housing. The first phase is planned for the northwest corner of the 530-acre site, which runs south from 79th Street along the lakefront to the Calumet River. Concerns about displacement A major concern is that development could cause displacement in the adjoining area, as it has in other communities, with property tax increases as home values rise forcing longtime residents to leave, said Amelia NietoGomez of the Alliance of the South East, an organizer of the coalition. Categories By Stephen Franklin Community Media Workshop A 3-year-old child died on a plane from Chicago to Poland. This, Magdalena Pantelis instantly knew, was a story her readers would care about. But she needed more detail to write about it for the Polish Daily News, the nation’s oldest daily newspaper in Polish, founded Jan. […] Email Address:* First Name:* Last Name:* Organization Zip Code:* Country: CAN TV is a network that belongs to the people of Chicago. For updates on local programs, and live, timely coverage of community events, sign up at http://www.cantv.org

Directions For relish, in a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; set aside. Combine salt and pepper; sprinkle over fillets. Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 9-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Use a slotted spoon to serve relish with the fish.Yield: 4 servings. Originally published as Fish with Cucumber-Orange Relish in Light & Tasty August/September 2005, p58

International speed dating nyc Dating grannies sex A 2006 study in Edinburgh, Scotland showed that 45% of the women participants in a speed-dating event and 22% of the men had come to a decision within the first 30 seconds. It also found that dialogue concerning travel resulted in more matches than dialogue about films. Unlike many bars, a speed dating event will, by necessity, be quiet enough for people to talk comfortably. Participants can come alone without feeling out of place; alternatively it is something that women who like to go out in groups can do together. Because the matching itself happens after the event, people do not feel pressured to select or reject each other in person. Speed dating is a formalized matchmaking process of dating system whose purpose is to encourage people to meet a large number of new people. Its origins are credited to Rabbi Yaacov Deyo of Aish Ha Torah, originally as a way to help Jewish singles meet and marry. Speed dating, as two separate words, is often used as a generic term for similar events.Contact information cannot be traded during the initial meeting, in order to reduce pressure to accept or reject a suitor to his or her face.There are many speed dating events now in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.There have been several studies of the round-robin dating systems themselves, as well as studies of interpersonal attraction that are relevant to these events.Other studies found speed-dating data useful as a way to observe individual choices among random participants. One of Good Luck Chuck While playing seven minutes in heaven at a party in 1985, 10-year-old Charles "Chuck" Logan (Connor Price) refuses to kiss a goth girl named Anisha (Sasha Pieterse) who attempts to have sex with him. If you could see anyone perform live who would it be? For us people who got dealt a shit card in dating, most of these articles are really about being accepting single status forever, without the bitterness and resentment that goes with it.

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post2174112961949063228..comments2011-11-23T21:03:15.244-06:00Comments on A Mom Having Fun!!: More On Straight Talk!Jodihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post-6414733520185091752011-09-29T10:19:42.681-05:002011-09-29T10:19:42.681-05:00I love Straight Talk! Hi! New follower from the Th...I love Straight Talk! Hi! New follower from the Thirsty Thursday Blog Hop! I hope you follow back! Thanks! :) <a href="http://tigereyes2001reviews.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">Through the Eyes of a Tiger</a>TigerEyes2001https://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post-29492209037589239672011-09-27T19:07:17.975-05:002011-09-27T19:07:17.975-05:00TAG! You’re it!! Hi, I’m a new follower from Follo...TAG! You’re it!! Hi, I’m a new follower from Follow Me Back Blog Hop. It would be great if you stopped by for a visit and followed me back. Have a great week. http://mavesfaves.blogspot.com/Maves Faveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post-58635611413505525092011-09-27T12:14:50.832-05:002011-09-27T12:14:50.832-05:00LOVE your site! I&#39;m your newest follower from ...LOVE your site! I&#39;m your newest follower from the blog hop. Please stop by and follow me back at http://psbeautyblog.blogspot.com. <br /><br />I look forward to reading more of your posts :)Tiffany Boothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post-79984778103499572762011-09-27T10:18:59.235-05:002011-09-27T10:18:59.235-05:00Im your newest follower. I hope you get a chance t...Im your newest follower. I hope you get a chance to stop by at: <br />http://pacifierspumpstheworld.com/2011/09/27/move-it/Reluctant Writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post-58225736251941404552011-09-27T08:45:03.853-05:002011-09-27T08:45:03.853-05:00New follower here from the Tuesday Hop, http://bab...New follower here from the Tuesday Hop, http://babyfeetandpuppybreath.blogspot.com/ Hope you will stop by and follow me back, Thanks.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416437757130505918.post-78143990470038121612011-09-26T23:43:11.087-05:002011-09-26T23:43:11.087-05:00Should let my husband know about this. I am now fo...Should let my husband know about this.<br />I am now following your blog from the Follow Me Back Tuesday hop. Congrats on being a guest hostkewkewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

~ Preserving & Promoting our area history since 1975 Museum 2012 Exhibit Each room features a topic: natural history, forming of the village, home life and earning a living. Natural history focuses on the famous ledges with photos and paintings and a large display of fossils from the clay pits and ledges. Native Americans still visited “Big Rocks” into the 1840s to hunt and fish, make maple syrup, clay pots and form baskets from the reeds found along the creek in Oneida Woods. They had three temporary wigwam villages along the river. You will see a picture of Chief Okemos and a display of arrowheads. Edmund Lamson arrived in 1848. He was the first permanent resident and first village president. Big Rocks became Grand Ledge. in 1850. Meet Miss Sanders, the first teacher and see some of the early schools. The first churches were the Congregational, Baptist, Methodist and Lutheran. Circuit pastors performed baptisms in homes. View photos of the downtown area with the 1870 iron bridge and before the 1885 Opera House and Fire Station (now Ledge Craft Lane). Sign in at Mr. Rueban Wood’s desk. He built the first general store. See a recently donated and signed 1860 L. Harrington jug from his very early pottery. Enjoy the working replica of the Russell Coal Mine, one of at least 20 coal mines along the river west of the islands. Fancy yourself paddling Mr. Mudges 1880s canoe from the Seven Islands Resort. View early farm equipment, such as a grain cradle, hand corn and potato planters and a setting hen house. The home life area includes a rope bed with early quilts, a recenty donated Grand Ledge Chair Company rocking chair, early Betty lights, a spinning wheel and a table set with Rueban Wood dishes. See the equipment used to boil the sap into maple syrup, churn butter, make apple butter and saurkraut. The exhibit is open on Sundays between 2 and 4 p.m., and on festival days from 12 noon to 4 p.m. The museum is also open by appointment for tours for school groups and bus tours can be arranged by calling (517) 627-5170.

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Your on-site stock ›› {{supplyCenter.scName}}({{scProduct.stockOnHand}} In stock) ›› {{supplyCenter.scName}}(Out of stock) ›› {{supplyCenter.scName}} This item is not currently available on-site. Depending on your Supply Center settings you may be able to add the item to cart above else use the Order Non-Stocked Items' tab on the Supply Center home page. Description Fc gamma receptor II-a (FCGR2A/CD32a), recombinant human protein is supplied as a lyophilized powder. In general, recombinant proteins can be used as protein standard and in cell biology research applications. This recombinant protein was expressed from a DNA sequence encoding the extracellular domain (Met 1-Ile 218) of human FCGR2A (AAA35827.1) fused to the Fc region of human IgG1 at the C-terminus. Reconstitution: Dissolve the protein in sterile double distilled water to a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml or lower. It is recommended that the protein be aliquoted and be used as soon as possible. Store aliquots under sterile conditions at -20°C. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Expiration Date: Expires one year from date of receipt when stored as instructed.

On March 31, the USDA will release the quarterly Grain Stocks report containing an estimate of the stocks of corn that were in storage as of March 1. The information in that report may be over shadowed by the estimate of producer planting intentions released in the Prospective Plantings report on the same day. Still, the corn stocks estimate will be important as it allows a calculation of the magnitude of feed and residual use of corn during the second quarter of the marketing year. In turn, that calculation will provide the basis for evaluating likely feed and residual use for the entire year and the likely magnitude of year-ending stocks. Anticipating the magnitude of the March 1 stocks estimate begins with an estimate of the supply of corn available during the December 2015-February 2016 quarter. Stocks at the beginning of the quarter were estimated at 11.212 billion bushels in the December Grain Stocks report. Census Bureau estimates show imports during December 2015 and January 2016 totaling 14 million bushels. Imports for the quarter, then, may have been near 20 million bushels, resulting in a total available supply of 11.232 billion bushels. Next, an estimate of exports and domestic processing uses of corn during the quarter can be made based on weekly and monthly data available to date. An estimate of exports is based on cumulative weekly export inspection estimates available for the entire quarter and Census Bureau estimates for the first two months of the quarter. Cumulative marketing year export inspections through the first half of the marketing year totaled about 603 million bushels. Through the first five months of the year, cumulative Census export estimates exceeded cumulative export inspections by 34 million bushels. If that margin persisted through February, exports in the first half of the year totaled 637 million bushels. Exports in the first quarter were reported at 303 million bushels, leaving 334 million bushels as an estimate of second quarter exports. Domestically, the USDA's Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report estimated that a total of 893 million bushels of corn were used for ethanol and co-product production in December 2015 and January 2016. Based on weekly estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), ethanol production during February 2016 was 3.3 percent larger than during February 2105. The increase was aided by an additional day in 2016. If corn used for ethanol-and co-product production in February 2016 also increased by 3.3 percent, use for the month totaled about 407 million bushels. Use for the quarter, then, is estimated at 1.3 billion bushels. The USDA projects that 1.37 billion bushels of corn will be used to produce other food and industrial products during the 2015-16 marketing year. Typically, about 49 percent of that use occurs in the first half of the marketing year. If that pattern is followed this year, and the USDA projection is correct, use during the first half of the year likely totaled 671 million bushels. Use during the first quarter was reported at 331 million bushels, leaving the second quarter consumption estimate at 340 million bushels. For feed and residual use, the question is how large should use have been during the second quarter of the marketing year if use is on track to reach the USDA's projection of 5.3 billion bushels for the entire year? The historical seasonal pattern of feed and residual use should be helpful in answering that question, but that pattern has fluctuated over time. For example, during the 15 years ending with the 2009-10 marketing year, use during the first half of the year ranged from 61.6 percent to 70.3 percent of the marketing year total, with an average of 65 percent. For the four years ending with the 2013-14 marketing year, use during the first half of the year ranged from 72.9 percent to 75.6 percent of the marketing year total, with an average of 74 percent. Based on recent USDA revisions in the estimated amount of corn used for ethanol and co-product production during the 2014-15 marketing year, feed and residual use during the first half of that year accounted for about 69 percent of the marketing year total. What pattern is being followed this year? If last year's pattern is being repeated this year, and the USDA projection for the year is correct, feed and residual use during the first half of the year should have totaled about 3.657 billion bushels. Based on revised estimates of corn used for ethanol and co-product production during the first quarter of the 2015-16 marketing year, feed and residual use totaled 2.199 billion bushels during that quarter. Second quarter use, then would be projected at 1.458 billion bushels. Adding that use to the estimates of exports and domestic processing uses, results in a projection of total quarterly use of 3.432 billion bushels. That total would leave March 1 stocks at 7.8 billion bushels, 50 million bushels larger than stocks of a year earlier. The dilemma in interpreting the March 1 corn stocks estimate to be released on March 31 is that the seasonal pattern of feed and residual use for the current year will not be known until the year is over. Based on the historical fluctuation in that pattern, a stocks estimate within 150 million bushels of 7.8 billion bushels probably should not change expectations that feed and residual use is on track to reach 5.3 billion bushels for the year. Nevertheless, the corn market will likely react to a stocks estimate that reveals a pace of feed and residual consumption that is much different than that of last year. We request all readers, electronic media and others follow our citation guidelines when re-posting articles from farmdoc daily. Guidelines are available here. The farmdoc daily website falls under University of Illinois copyright and intellectual property rights. For a detailed statement, please see the University of Illinois Copyright Information and Policies here.

Bikini Kill — Yes, That Bikini Kill — Launches Record Label By Judy Berman July 18, 2012 Share: Children of the ’90s, get ready to feel old once again: Bikini Kill is almost 25 years old. We’re not saying that just to bum you out, though — we’re saying it because the Kathleen Hanna-fronted riot grrrl band is celebrating its upcoming anniversary by founding a record label. While physical releases aren’t quite ready yet (Bikini Kill’s self-titled Kill Rock Stars debut EP will be reissued in the fall), all of the band’s back catalog — as well as albums by The Frumpies and Casual Dots — is available for download via Bandcamp, iTunes, and eMusic. There’s also a fresh batch of Bikini Kill T-shirts for purchase. But perhaps the most exciting news is this last bit from the band: “We also plan to re-release our original demo tape, which contains songs that were previously unavailable and/or hard to find on vinyl & CD. We are currently going through our archive, which include photographs, practice tapes, live recordings, unreleased songs, films, video, writing, interviews, zines and flyers that we intend to feature on future releases and document on our website.” If you’re interested in getting updates on Bikini Kill Records, you can subscribe to their email list here.

Rescue crews prepare to go in the river after a man, seen in background, stuck on a rock in the middle of the river in Springfield. SPRINGFIELD - Rescue crews from Springfield and Hartford's swiftwater rescue team Tuesday morning saved a young man from the middle of the Black River, after he apparently jumped off the Fellows footbridge into the river and got stuck on a rock in the middle. Springfield's fire department does not have a swiftwater rescue team and thus called in Hartford. At one point a man who said he was the young man's father arrived at the scene and he was quickly interviewed by police. Firefighters were stationed on different islands nearby but this stretch of the river is treacherous ; rescuers were afraid the man may have hypothermia. The rescue was quick; the man was placed on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance. We will update this as soon as we have more information.

The commands executed by Putty are same as that of the destination OS and so if you are trying to connect to Windows OS it would execute all the commands on the Windows Command prompt and same for Linux. ls - to list files in a directory: cd - change directory (navigate to some directory): cp - copy a file: mv - move a file (also used to rename files): rm - remove a file: mkdir - make directory: pwd - show your current location: whoami - find out which user you are: wget - to download some url content to the current directory yum - To install any packages from the urls For most purposes, PuTTY can be considered to be an xterm terminal. PuTTY also supports some terminal control sequences not supported by the real xterm: notably the Linux console sequences that reconfigure the colour palette, and the title bar control sequences used by DECterm (which are different from the xterm ones; PuTTY supports both). By default, PuTTY announces its terminal type to the server as xterm. If you have a problem with this, you can reconfigure it to say something else; vt220 might help if you have trouble. Depending on the protocol used for the current session, there may be a submenu of ‘special commands’. These are protocol-specific tokens, such as a ‘break’ signal, that can be sent down a connection in addition to normal data. Their precise effect is usually up to the server. Currently only Telnet and SSH have special commands. The following special commands are available in Telnet: * Are You There * Break * Synch * Erase Character PuTTY can also be configured to send this when the Backspace key is pressed; see section 4.16.3. * Erase Line * Go Ahead * No Operation

~ Wallace's Attempt at Humanities Category Archives: EDUCATION MATTERS “No border, no wall, no USA at all”….Colleges and Universities are adjusting their academic campuses to seemingly hate machines. Many think our American community is now separated beyond repair. The political party’s hold disdain and malice for each other. Additionally, television journalism, printed media journalist, who used to fight fake or miss-guided news, now simply pretends it doesn’t exist. Graduating from college in 1960, national politics was deeply divided, yet there was the nonideological party system used as the route to a peculiarly American kind of consensus politics. It seemed to work. Clinton Rossiter, then a Cornell historian, referenced this in his Parties and Politicsin America: “the parties have been the peacemakers of the American community…the unwitting but forceful suppressors of the ‘civil-war potential’ we carry always in the bowels of our diverse nation. Blessed are the peace makers, I am tempted to conclude.” Television was certainly around, without color, but we did not suffer an electronic media bent on celebrating daily false news, creating crisis hourly. Recently, FNC (Fox News Channel) had a median viewer age of 68, compared to MSNBC’s of 63, and CNN’s 59. Changing demographics always rule – demanding obvious shifts. Joe Concha, The Hill’s trustworthy journalist, writes on media, consistently expressing disenchantment on how the cable propaganda seems never-ending. Their professional obligations to the American public for fact based reporting borders on empty. For me, it border on repulsive. “Catch me on #Kimmel TONIGHT @JimmyKimmelLive@JimmyKimmel#ABC”, Bret Baier excitedly tweets. How absolutely sad! If one network attempts a balanced, yet controversial news report, their competitors morph into Chesapeake crabs. You know: the crab who manages to climb out of the basket causes other crabs to pull him back down. That’s what crabs do. It is also what cable news networks do. To the sophisticated news view, it becomes a repulsive dynamic. All three networks had their strategies: Fox came available in the late 1990’s as a needed conservative antidote – simply offering a choice, and keeping the others honest. CNN came to Richmond in 1980 symbolizing balanced coverage. MSNBC appeared in an almost schizophrenic state where there was little consistency – just flopping around from ideology to ideology. Today’s treacherous business is simply blocking reports that are unsuitable for the ideology of said cable channel: the Rep. Keith Ellison (house member and vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee) alleged relationship abuse charges; Antifa’ s physical attack on a NBC reporter, and camera man – then unreported by NBC News; the heart-breaking return of human remains from North Korea as a result of the Trump – North Korea agreement –totally unreported except for FNC; non coverage of FISA court applications; even Trump’s positive economic accomplishments. Conclusion the news seems “fixed’. FNC (Fox News) finds its brand unsettling. Dropping talents like fly’s for the last several years – some no doubt for behavior transgressions – does not denote stability. Others suspect the network’s repositioning to an ideological center-left, which will join the others. FoxNews Sunday has been particularly provoking. Once commandeered by the wonderful Tony Snow – then Brit Hume, FNC finds itself in the lap of snarly, interruptive, Chris Wallace – the balance disappears. Yes, Fox & Friends IS averaging 1/5 million against the unwatchable Joe Scarborough. Unbelievably, Juan Williams shows up a half dozen times daily – one would think his jaded history at the Washington Post would have kept him off the set entirely. Google it if you must. CNN’s current status is hard, sad, bewildering to its veteran viewers. The once-crown jewel of Cable News Network does not even get the ratings of HGTV. CNN reporter, Jim Acosta, with his recent melt downs at both the Trump rally in Florida, and his remarkable bad behavior at the White House brings disgust. This network is saturated Hate Trump 24 hours daily. This was the network of the wonderful Kathleen Sullivan; John Holliman, Bernard Shaw, and Peter Arnett, who transmitted for CNN from a Baghdad hotel as the first bombs dropped in Operation Desert Storm, Jan. 20, 1991. Alas, the network of Robert Novak, Nick Charles, Stuart Varney, Sharyl Attkisson, Mona Charen…..what happened? MSNBC has long been the problem child and dumping ground for NBC News demotions. For example, once near- greats like Willie Geist, Chris Jansing, Chris Matthews (can one believe Matthews use to sub for Rush Limbaugh?); Brian Williams, Joe Scarborough, and Mika; Joy Ann Reid, who seems apologetic on a monthly basis for some earlier writings…..and a seemingly successful Rachael Maddow. Saturday, August 12, 2017, delivers deep sadness. Once one experiences life in Charlottesville, the place takes up a special place in one’s education and life. I find her recent defilement unacceptable. Professor Larry Sabato has tweeted the University of Virginia is closed. Attending the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences there – living on the corner of Madison and University Ave, diagonally across from the majestic Rotunda – was truly idyllic. Sitting in a classroom under Dr. Merrill D. Peterson (The Jeffersonian Image in the American Mind) was no minor academic challenge. Still, The anger on last weekend’s tragedy remains inconsolable. This charming university town is where young people come to learn, develop, grow-up, and become whole. Now, its tradition and purpose has been violated – thanks to ignorant “racist goons” on both sides (wacko alt-rightist and Black Lives Matter). These unhinged, ugly outsiders purposefully traveled there to bring civil unrest. With all due respect to the easy surface issues, honest diligence requires deeper consideration. Some leadership there perpetuated growing conflict by giving way to the obscenity of political correctness over the R.E. Lee statue, easily ignoring solid civil rights history. It was their Democratic party, who, by and large, maintained white supremacy, severe segregation in the first half of Virginia’s 20th century – not the Republicans. Virginians, under Republican Ted Dalton, Radford, Va. made certain it was unacceptable back in 1953. We should never forget that Republicans in Congress salvaged the Civil Rights legislation for the then Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson. Where have the editorialists been on that subject? Maybe it is time for Charlottesville’s leadership and others go back and crack a few solid history books. There is a lot more to all this. Then there is the local political leadership. With apparent University support – taking over Charlottesville’s political structure, with a group of self-assured, self-centered politicians bringing mockery and depriving Mr. Jefferson’s village of balanced government. By advocating a poisonous political correctness; they engineered a new definition of simple subversion. Realizing or not, this leadership dismissed the traditional culture of community. Mayor Michael Signer, oozing with condescension and total self-righteousness, exhibited himself for our entire nation to view, evaluate. Signer came to Charlottesville political service from the UVA classroom. Appearing first with Governor McAuliffe in a press conference, then on the ever-inviting CNN, Signer displayed an insufferable moral preening – playing a totally adopted heroic role vs. the irredeemable, with whom he is surrounded. One’s reaction: nothing more than UGH – stick-finger-down-the-throat time. Additionally, the mayor went so far as to blame the president after Trump’s very clear, solid statement about “all sides responsible”. It wasn’t good enough for him, nor the mainstream media. Surprise! No question we can count on Signer to be one of the Republican/Trump-hating extremist. Irony upon all ironies – David Duke stands with Michael Signer in their criticism of President Trump. These two stoke the “outrage machine” hand-in-hand. The deaths of Charlottesville native, Heather Heyer, a young paralegal from Greene County, and the Virginia State Policemen: Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates, Quinton, Va.; Lt. H. Jay Cullen, Midlothian, Va., was nothing short of obscene, and one must ask – for what? Now, Emancipation Park will carry its own history as a place where terrorism prevailed despite all the lofty intentions. The Richmond Times Dispatch clearly reported that both sides were militarized in some fashion. They both arrived to war –alt. rights vs. counter protesters. I cannot help but envision Robert E. Lee saddled up , looking down at the mob below….quietly saying: hey, I’ll leave quietlyso you can pursue your lives. He would be heartbroken – simply riding away to separate himself from the academic riff raff. As a Richmonder, it is required to end with a cautionary note: our Mayor Levar Stoney had better look out for his “fire bell in the night.” It is headed in his direction…the recent meeting at the Virginia Historical Society was ever so propitious. Charlottesville, mon amour – you deserved so much better from all sides – from all of us. Dr. Lewis H. Drew, retired Dean of Students – Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC), wrote a little book in 2016: Thoughts on the Inherent Connection among Education, Character Development, Leadership and the Formation of Good People. Earlier, German philosopher, George Wilhelm Hegel, wrote: Education is “the art of making man ethical.” If he was correct in the 19th century, would he be correct today? For me the above citations act as simple grace – in other words….don’t allow the culture rob you of your soul – with hand-picked moral equivalencies. To be any kind of educator, one must stand one’s ground. Yale professor allows student to skip exams due to shock over presidential-election results, November 9, 2016. Here in Richmond, VA, we see Virginia Commonwealth University students abandoning their studies…to protest the 2016 Presidential election results – dismissing their academic, learning responsibilities – and attempting to massively block I–95….a nearby interstate through the city. A testimony: “When I moved into my office at Darden a woman came around and asked me if I would place a ‘Safe Place’ hanging sign on the door-handle outside my office. ‘Why?’ I inquired. It tells students that if they’re feeling threatened they can find safety in your office, was the reply. ‘I don’t think I’m in a position to offer blanket sanctuary for everyone on campus,’ I replied. Especially, people I don’t know, or have never met. The woman walked away in a huff. I never saw her again”. And this…they KANT be serious! PC students demand white philosophers including Plato and Descartes be dropped from the University of London syllabus. Such seminal figures including Bertrand Russell should be largely dropped from the curriculum simply because they are white. The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)…demanded that examples should be from Africa and Asia. Other headlines: Wayne State University cuts Math – wants “Diversity” Requirements for General Education Curriculum…..The University of Wisconsin-Madison is now requiring all men to take gender identity class to “make sure” they are really men……George Washington University, a 25,000-student private university, located in Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – eliminated its American-history requirement for undergraduate history majors – making it theoretically possible to graduate from GW with a history degree without ever having had to take a college-level course in U.S. history…. Often an ill-defined integrity means staying with the ship, no matter what, even if it was veering in unscheduled directions that bring disaster of all its loyal passengers. Loyalty to a cause can be impressively touching – like deep friendship – but oh, so perverse – as the above items illuminate. So what about the enshrined status of Hampden-Sydney College (“Sydney”) after her recent years of reported clumsy leadership struggle? Alumni keep up – occasionally bombarded by the college’s despair with the Longwood University squabble; the apparent old nemesis – drugs and Honor Code violations (joining many Universities and Colleges) among some of her students. In years past, aberrant behaviors are addressed with strong Honor Code discipline, ridding the campus of those who attempted reward by dishonest means; we’ve learned to eschew such academic miseries. H-SC, nationally ranked, is lead by energetic John Lawrence Stimpert, her 25th president; and M. Peebles Harrison, new Board chairman. Working together, they have geared up for a professional examination, focusing on both Board governance, and Admissions…with a deep degree of seriousness. Remembering a challenging memorandum written by former H-SC board member, Bill Crutchfield, a good start is to address the decision to remain with single gender education. If the college is to remain single gender, it should aggressively leverage that unique differentiator. First steps need to be clear articulation of how a single-gender education truly benefits a specific sub-set of young men. Developing a very powerful case for all-male education easily communicated to laypersons, such as potential students and their parents, is paramount. As Crutchfield explained in 2013, On the other hand, if the college cannot develop a strong case for single-gender education that can be communicated to lay persons, we should seriously consider becoming coeducational. Dean Drew’s little book inspires. He quotes H-SC’s Walter Blair Professor of Latin, the late Dr. Graves H. Thompson: the four years a man spends at college should be like a hill in a plain. As he ascends the hill, he is able more and more to see back over the road that humanity has trod – the great things that have been thought, and said, and done, and believed, and created. Woody Allen said that 80% of celebrity is showing up; Saying and doing the courageous thing makes it 100%. Both Stimpert and Harrison seem to get that. While the plural form of “medium” is “media”, the term has regrettably become more than a regular noun. Instead, it has morphed into a dreaded anathema for serious news consumers, academicians; they’re use to absorbing information in earnest – both right and left. Ostensibly, “media” stood for the main means of accurate mass communication (especially television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet); collectively, it was regarded as positive. Historically, readers anticipated reliability, truth, and its fundamental role as the Fourth Estate. Now, many see it as vastly untrustworthy, agenda oriented, deceiving – finally, a sad hoot. Growing up in the 1940’s, radio became a trustworthy source for media news. It was clearly reported in the TheMurrow Boys, a group of CBS broadcast journalists, writers….closely associated with Edward R. Murrow, during and after World War II – into the fifties. Highly respected were William L. Shirer (The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich); Charles (Bonnie Prince) Collingwood; the beautiful laconic- like voice of Winston Burdett, in Rome; and the challenging Howard K. Smith. State-side if you wanted a leftist broadcaster: Elmer Davis, Edward P. Morgan, Robert Trout, and Eric Sevareid were reliable. For the conservatives: Fulton Lewis, Jr.; Morgan Beatty, Westbrook Pegler, George Sokolsky, and Gabriel Heater. Lewis’ influence was huge – right into the sixties. WLEE’s Harvey Hudson brought Fulton Lewis, Jr. to the Westwood Club on numerous occasions. Finally, for news amusement: Drew Pearson and Walter Winchell. Now “media” thrives with writers, columnists, recovering lawyers, political specialists…. those degreed from left wing journalism schools – immersing themselves as singularly redemptive for a troubled America. Their reporting reflects what images they determine should be promoted – nailing the imperfect, broken America they view – naturally inherited from racists, less talented generations. Oh, did I mention, they write from a perspective that carries condescension, well-put contempt, directed to those who view issues differently – always uniformly dismissed. For those who live in Realville, this contemporary journalistic group can be unrelenting in their elitism – reveling disdainfully our current political system. My reaction: it reminds one of trying to teach fishes of the sea….about fire. Do media reflect a high support for current leftist causes: big government; abortion on demand; politically correct victimology; massive debt; a foreign policy (leading from behind); reverse racism; energized sympathy for the Democrat over Republican? As Sen. Marco Rubio said, “The Democrats have the ultimate super PAC – it’s called mainstream media.” Further inquiry escalates: are these ideological views promoted by a designed media conspiracy – planned by a diabolic group of extreme leftist? I’m taking a “hall pass” on that one – here’s why. Peeved, as this writer remains, we are provided with a latch key into some reasons provided in Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind, by Tim Groseclose…which does entice. Kelly Riddell of the Washington Times cited this a half year ago. “There’s something in the DNA of liberals that makes them want to go into jobs like the arts, journalism, and academia more so than conservatives.” Groseclose concludes: “Even if you’re just trying to maximize profits by offering an alternative point of view, it’s hard to find conservative reporters”, particularly those debuting from journalism schools. So it’s natural the media is more liberal. For profits sake, Dr. David D’Alessio, communications science professor at the University of Connecticut at Stamford, admits to press bias. He goes on to explain it is best for business to even it out – to the middle – because that’s where the greatest market is for making money. D’Alessio continues: …their job is about making money. “If you look at where people’s opinions are, they are in the middle, so that’s where reporting should go because that’s where the eyeballs go.” The cultural choice of presentation is another subject entirely. Front pages which use to aspire to Herald Tribune quality…now seem to choose the allure of Police Gazette –purposefully. Sadly, trust in the news media is being eroded by perceptions of bias. Just 6 percent of people say they have a lot of confidence in the media – putting the news industry about equal to Congress – and well below the public’s view of other institutions. The American public wants news that is up to date, accurate, concise, and clearly honest. They know that they are not getting it. HOFFMAN…Dropping in again on William Hoffman, author, is an inspirational struggle, probably soulful in nature. Men in Trees and Men on the Water, wrote Maria Spalding Hadlow in her master’s thesis at James Madison University. The lure of Trees (mountains) – the Water (rivers and bay) became the invitation for Hoffman’s’ carefully constructed literature. It is striking how Hadlow’s scholarship harks back to friend, Don Gehring’s observation: “There’s a whole bunch of us ….in us.” Henry William Hoffman, born in Charleston, West Virginia, went to Charleston public schools. Serving in World War II (both Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge), he returned home on a hospital ship. Enrolling at Hampden-Sydney College, he received his degree in 1949; Hoffman would spend a post-graduate year at Washington & Lee University with Tom Wolf. His honorary doctorate there followed later. Hoffman’s character-development included deprivation of place – grasping justifications – unexpected virtues of simple resilience – desperately searching for an elusive integrity. As a 1950’s Hampden-Sydney College student, I witnessed the “early Hoffman” in that special place – cool, understated, wise-for-his-time, war-scarred young novelist, journeying to where his creativity would beach. We shared our membership installation to O D K Honorary Fraternity. In our retirement move to Westham Green condos, I carefully examined our new book shelves; the novels were lined up chronologically – 13 novels, four books of short stories. Recalling his awards: 1992 John Dos Passos Prize For Literature; O. Henry Prize, 1996; the Dashiell Hammett Award for his Tidewater Blood (1998), brought rekindled admiration. Students affectionately called him “shaky” with his occasional World War II shell- shock spasms. All took deep pride in having a novelist-in-residence. His stories reminded us that there’s a little bit of ostrich in all of us – never to abate. Daniel M. Hawks, Assistant Curator for Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, recalled his Hoffman Creative Writing Class: one morning each student in the class was required to read the opening paragraph of the “piece” he had been assigned to write. One of the men near the front of the class (whose name I cannot remember) began by saying, “The air was filled with excitement”. Hoffman immediately jumped out of his chair pointed his arms into the air as if he had a hunting rifle and yelled “Bang, bang, bang! I just killed excitement!” Much later a wonderful reunion of two old friends, Tom Wolf and William Hoffman, at Washington & Lee University, was recorded. They discussed a year in Virginia letters – their year – in Lexington, now six decades ago. Taking creative writing classes, Hoffman and Wolf helped launch W & L’s prestigious literary magazine: Shenandoah. Fascinating exchanges between these old friends brought published intricate insights. Each of them remembered the title, plot, even character names of the first story the other published. Tom Wolf observed that fictional characters had their ways. “I think clothes often are a give-away of who a person thinks they are…a kind of a little window that opens.” Hoffman laughingly agreed. Richmonder, Elizabeth Seydel Morgan, publisher of poetry, directed this awareness to Hoffman readers. “There they were, two Virginia gentlemen talking about the writing life, double-breasted suits, and their halcyon days at Washington & Lee.” Maria Hadlow’s concluding interview brought Hoffman’s assorted thoughts together: “I was brought up as sort of privileged character. My mother and father were poor, so we moved in with my grandmother….We went to Florida in the winter. I was sent to private schools and summer camps…my father lost his house and business – everything and his marriage broke up. So I’ve got these two things. I’ve got the side that had the money and the privileges; I’ve got the side that didn’t have anything….so I see it from both sides….” He wrote from multiple hearts – multiple places – innumerable spiritual susceptibilities, with deep agonies of an eternal soul. Robert Merritt once described him as a writer with eye for detail, simplicity of dialogue, allowing us in on not only a South as it was, but also a South as it is. This was evident in my Hoffman favorite: A Place For My Head (1960). Dr. John L. Brinkley, H-SC historian and classics professor, reminded us: Professor Hoffman could be blunt with his students, but the intent was always pure. Months ago, at Wesleyan University, “the student government voted to CUT funding for the 150-year-old campus newspaper after it (courageously) published a conservative op/ed.” This latest campus cultural affliction was reported by Washington Post’s columnist, Catherine Rampell. So, let me get this straight, this Wesleyan defunding followed Williams College’s earlier stunning scheme: addressing their atmosphere of free-speech intolerance – by extracting some concession – creating an “Uncomfortable Learning Speaker Series.” Three cheers…bring out the Tote Bags and stale nabs! Williams’ new policy was responding with an antidote to their super-intolerant, fantasizing left-leaning student body. Williams College – a $63,290.00 tuition annual bargain – wistfully, but briskly caved by disinviting one of their earliest speaker choices, Suzanne Venker, conservative writer, thinker. Seemingly, this falls in the vein of Groucho Marx’s Horse Feathers (1932) – his role as president of brainless Huxley College – (whatever it is, I’m against it). For me, this prompts back to Tonight’s Jack Paar, and his – I kid you not. All this ideological idiocy brings us to The New Criterion, November issue. Subject: Unfree Speech at university campuses across America. It should frighten all reasonably serious Americans – left or right – who’d deem these policies both dangerous and disastrous. Arthur C. Brooks (NYT), in a recent piece, cites a published paper in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences journal, detailing a shocking level of political (left) groupthink in academia. One of its authors, Philip E. Tetlock (University of Pennsylvania), summed it up: in researching “political charged topics form an ideologically incestuous community is downright delusional”. Yeats’ fire remains unlit. What now exists on college and university campuses is a slew of carefully directed grievance cultures, mixed with insistency on acute victimology. One can easily inquire of former Secretary of State Condi Rice; Ayaan Hirsi; Charles Murray; Christine Lagarde, first woman to head the IMF; columnist George Will on what they cumulatively experienced after receiving commencement-speaking invitations – a disinvite. This perfectly reflects an ingrained hostility to free speech and thought. Then there is the Michelle Obama example: At five Topeka, Kansas high schools, students learned they could invite six people to the commencement for students from five high schools, which was meant to honor the seniors and the 60th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Students petitioned….asking the school board to change the event. Getting their demands met, the graduations were broken up; Ms. Obama’s speech was moved to an additional venue – something called “Senior Recognition Day.” Criterion further reports results from the William F. Buckley Program at Yale. The survey (McLaughlin & Associates) covers 800 students of various colleges. Alarming is the word: *Students favor their schools having speech codes to regulate both students and faculty…51% to 31%; *Require professors to employ “trigger warnings” for students who may be sensitive to material that might be discomforting; *One third of the students polled could not identify the First Amendment as part of the United States Constitution dealing with free speech; *35% said the First Amendment does not protect “hate speech”; *30% of self-identified Liberal Students say the First Amendment is outdated, needing revision or elimination. Unfortunately, at all cost, solid dissension (opposition) must be devalued – even eliminated. Current issues such as climate change; abortion; race relations (Black Live Matter); feminism; even sex, are not open for debate. Cheerlessly, campus intellect-pursuit has fallen from a rich experience of dining….to simply eating. Meanwhile, it will lead to leftist ideology ruling over serious critical thought – without anyone realizing the difference. Proper scholarship is based on tolerance, openness and modesty. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of fire.” Soon, there will be days where such snark and contempt will drench campuses – where process and machinery will rule, smothering critical thought – without interruption. On a positive note, I met Hampden-Sydney College in the 13th grade, totally by blind dumb luck, immediately encountering serious liberal arts challenges. John McCandell, Vice Chancellor of Sewanee, the University of the South, was recently quoted: “The sense that there is a crisis among small liberal arts colleges for financial reasons doesn’t seem borne out by the evidence.” Continuing: “All of us are going to have to continue to take a good close look at how we allocate precious financial aid dollars, lest we see serious socio-economic effects.” It’s a good beginning. As a red-white-blue-garnet-gray Hampden-Sydney product, I deeply feel – for the health of our culture, and nation – smaller liberal arts colleges must not only thrive, but discover ways to accommodate academically deserving students (note the word, deserving), who need financial assistance. While the small liberal arts model seems “the most expensive model there is,” it can and does function as the jewel of higher education. It simply preserves/protects a solid, refined learning experience. For me, “Sydney” has been analogous to experiencing a life-long best friend. That’s special…but having this best friend almost your entire life is a rare blessing – something deeply held. And if that friend’s industry or business model begins to get wobbly, attention must be paid. Internal examination, if required, needs to begin yesterday. Thankfully, it’s unnecessary for me to remind the quintessential professional Anita H. Garland, Dean of Admissions at Hampden-Sydney College that many applicants, who are attracted to the small, nurturing, residential liberal arts environment, are now showing up from different socio-economic backgrounds. Following defining demographic changes in student populations, it’s neither surprising, nor shocking, this day has arrived. The student world is a changin. Choosing anonymity, a talented H-SC alumnus (in the higher education field), spoke about the “H-SC man” – as a liberally educated gentleman, well grounded, with his almost spiritual description: “one of servant leadership.” As lines between gender-roles thin further, with educated gentlemanliness swamped into perceived anachronism, are those brands proceeding to the cultural dumpster? Answer: no – despite the crushing heavy-handedness of a growing coarseness in American culture. We simply owe it to western traditions. Should veteran alumni be part of redefining the enticement of the school? Should the college create a renewed bent on Christian faith – particularly in the current climate? Promoting the campus location as a safety alternative to urban campus up evil would appeal. Sure, it’s possible an H-SC curriculum could benefit from tweaking. Many even consider including a newly cultivated “Hampden-Sydney man”….and ‘woman’. Small college creativity abounds: Wilson College – slowly went co-ed, and cut the tuition 17%, launching the nation’s first debt buy-back program; Sewanee adopted a tuition cut of 10%, locking the price in for the entire 4 years; Mary Baldwin College (soon to be University) buffets the core residential liberal arts program by launching health science programs as a separate college, and creating a graduate education program of its own. Baldwin has been creative for years; Hampden-Sydney could consider a non-residential, but authentic off-campus College location on the outskirts of Roanoke, or Richmond – building a first two year program – feeding into a completed campus experience…possibly creating classes in cyber security, health management, even political communication. Finally, for me, it looks like recruiting more and more students who need heavy financial aid is not a good idea. Realizing our current administration desires this, we’d better be “damn sure”, as Dr. Ned Crawley often roared. Betting most institutions have a clear “tipping point” for its discount rate, one wonders what it is for Hampden-Sydney. The economy and culture of America are testing all small private colleges, small universities. Future environments require heavily engaged, talented administrators, in this exacting academic age. Their success, survival, or demise, will result with the pathologies created inside them. Book it, Danno. Raymond B. Wallace, Jr. acknowledges UNIVERSITY BUSINESS for some of the material contained herein. Wallace’s new book ESSEX MEMORIES & BEYOND was recently nominated in the non-fiction category for the 18th annual Library of Virginia Literary Award, 2015. The much ballyhooed film, SELMA, is taking a hit which could and should have been avoided. The experience of my Advance Placement teaching days make this conclusion easy – sadly reluctant. Utilizing an important instrument, in my case teaching A.P. United States History, and accurately assessing the role of a white, politically Democratic president in the 1964 Civil Rights movement, is essential – particularly for young minorities. These students must have some solid foundation to comprehend this troubled racial world of today. The film missed the mark. It strayed and betrayed itself into a reverse racism platform, complying with current minority cultural demands. What a lost opportunity! Only in America: Glen Beck, national radio-talk conservative, and Michael Paul Williams, Richmond Times Dispatch’s predictable leftist columnist, stood hand-in-hand on the matter of SELMA. Both saw it as richly inspiring and a critical must-see – accompanied by others who believe it a personal spiritual requirement – to be in love, with loving this film. For those of us who were clearly around – remembering well the black and white TV coverage of Montgomery fire hoses – a couple years prior to the disaster on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL, I am absolutely baffled by the propensity to present spurious history regarding President Lyndon Banes Johnson’s role. Johnson’s pivotal and a supportive action for the protestors was very clear – backed up by released tapes of these discussions. Sadly, the film’s director chose to bring her audience a depiction both warped, and inaccurate – in an overtly dishonest presentation. Joylessly, I find myself in agreement with New York Times columnist, Maureen Dowd’s description of the SELMA’s message as: “artful falsehood.” Making it worse, Richmond VA’s leadership sponsored 10,000 Richmond high school students to see Selma, without any apparent teaching-moment follow up; they bought into a blemished version. One would think corporate leadership would know better! For both Glen Beck and, Michael Paul Williams, it makes little difference if the film presents bogus history regarding LBJ’s role in the event. Artistic license often purposefully distorts the truth; it clearly does in Selma’s case. The natural and protracted excuse enveloping those of us appalled and saddened with this production, is….that it’s simply a movie – and, hey, that’s really OK after all. If the presentation was contrived through ignorance (it wasn’t), or distorted with an “emotional history”, triumphanting over truth, the disgrace expands. Sadly this show borders on unforgivable because it was directed to vulnerable minds – totally bereft of a frame of reference or any comparative background. Because a white President Johnson was portrayed in a version the current minority culture demands, the consideration of truth seems non-existent. The heart breaking question rings loudly: what are we doing to ourselves? Americans: African-American and whites, must do better. I really speculate those 10,000 Richmond middle and high school students, under the local RVA’s sponsorship to free-see the film; will not be taught accurate history about their President – in 1960’s American history. Their impression will slowly morph into “knowledge”; it will be serving a dreaded and pleasing, growing ignorance and separatism further along racial lines. Histories tease; the discipline shakes, shifts, taking new forms – almost as predictably as the Earth’s crust – with nagging regularity. Embossed announcements, they are not. Deciphering, what should be learned, and in my case, what should’ve been taught in Henrico’s Mills Godwin U.S. History class rooms, becomes a paramount objective. Obduracy has no place. While the RTD editorial analyzed a recently published history – Edward E. Baptist’s The Half Has Never Been Told – other books, unabashedly scream for classroom usage: Ross Douthat’s Bad Religion; and James E. Ryan’s Five Miles Away, A World Apart (a Richmond analysis between two high schools – Douglas Freeman and an urbanized Thomas Jefferson). Adding to personal challenge is my celebrated membership in that first 1956 graduating class at Douglas Freeman H.S. – inducing an unwarranted, but inexact discomfort. Now, what to teach. *Douthat’s Bad Religion measured significant chronology of cultural changes from the Eisenhower years to George W. Bush’s election. It offended almost everyone who is bone-deep with religion. The text criticized an amazing variety of American religious pathologies – fair, but blunt in analysis. Douthat’s work brings light to the A.P. block: Religion In America. It was a time when Americans began believing in anything by labeling it spiritual. And yes, such spiritual gymnastics affected history. *Ryan’s Five Miles Away sparked local, social analysis. Using two local high schools as archetypes, examining the cultures of student bodies ( TJ – 82% minority; DSF – 73% white ), the text has a clear theme: central city vs. the suburbs. Ryan labels “Nixon compromise” as a new separateness – the issue of desegregating students was transformed into one of “desegregating dollars.” The new maxim: “urban schools should be helped in ways that do not threaten the physical, financial, or political independence of suburban schools.” Student discourse would jump for the “teaching moment” with that thesis? You bet. *The Half Has Never Been Told finds the application of Nixonian terminology, “the big enchilada”, spot on. Its conclusion requires rethinking, reteaching on how wretched Americanized slavery emerged into nationalized status – with energized complicity of American business. For instance: As early as the 1820’s, slave owners commanded the biggest pool of collateral in the United States – two million slaves worth more than $1 billion. It’s 20% of all the wealth owned by all U.S. citizens – irrespective of sectional background and culture. From 1824 to 1832, the Philadelphia-based Bank of the United States, the banker of the Federal Government, multiplied the amount of its loans to Mississippi Valley slave owners 16 times over – a massive investment. Baptist assures by 1832, at least one-third of the entire bank’s capital had been allocated to planters, slave traders, merchants, and local banks in the “slave frontier” of southwestern states. The depth of the bank’s commitment, in turn, gave EUROPEAN INVESTORS confidence to lavishly inject their own currency in American slaves. Slavery in the American South emerged into a worldwide investment. During the ante-bellum period, lists of participating American corporations intrigued: Lehman Brothers; Aetna, Inc.; JPMorgan Chase; New York Life; Wachovia Corporation (now owned by Wells Fargo); N M Rothschild & Sons Bank in London; Norfolk Southern; USA Today even found that their own parent company, E.W. Scripps and Gannett, has had links to the slave trade. History instructs The Civil War cost America about 640,000 lives; it would finally bring an end to the lucrative partnerships between the cruel machine of Southern slavery and the Northern roaring engines of slave capitalism. In the movie, Wall Street (1987), Gordon Gekko fabricated that greed is good…greed is right…greed works…and greed clarifies. It conveyed a contemptuous conclusion, wrecking American humanity for over two centuries, in unfathomable ways. Mr. Might-Have-Been ponders. Raymond B. Wallace, Jr. recently published his book, ESSEX MEMORIES& BEYOND. He can be contacted: [email protected]. Normally, when Henrico teachers, mostly retired by now, consider Dr. William C. Bosher, they simply understand he lacked the bureaucratic odor. He simply avoided the malady…he did not speak nor share inanities of bureaucratic vocabulary. No fabrications in his leadership. William (Bill) Cleveland Bosher, Jr. was in recent years Distinguished Professor Public Policy and Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. He came through the ranks, starting in Henrico County, VA where he taught and later became superintendent. Making my career change to the classroom in 1984, I was simply fortunate to work under him….he would later become dean of the VCU School of Education. Most importantly, he headed off silly far-fetched nationally educational trends, one after another, keeping the system straight and narrow. He would use imagery of English literature, mesmerizing both student and teacher. He could be forcefully blunt: “OBE (Outcome Based Education) in Virginia is dead.” We were so grateful. As a middle aged new-comer from the real corporate world, I early understood Dr. Bosher valued and understood his richest asset: the teacher – how fortunate for us.

PurpleSkyz terbo56 Posts : 3380Join date : 2012-02-10Age : 61Location : Florida There are STILL great and caring people in the world, and this little movie just solidified that- How great is it to have a child smile, be happy to see good things comfort them in the time of need- More people need to wake up and see what can be done for others that are caught up in a bad circumstance, and not to just think about themselves all the time-Everyone NEEDS to come together in good times, AND bad- :tree2:

Welcome to Talent Magnet Thank you for listing yourself on our system. We have a strategy to build a select group of freelancers who we place with specific agencies as the opportunity arises. we are different in that we negotiate with specific agencies, offering them your skill set and engage them to use your services. We believe that when you succeed we also do. Every creative agency you work at will have an opportunity to rate you as you will have to rate them. This rating will ensure that you get properly recognized for the great quality of work you present. We believe a CV and Portfolio’s are important, but we place a great deal of value on the trust and recommendation of people you have previously worked with. This may mean that one great recommendation by an Agency could go a lot further than an applicant with a sterling CV. This means that once you in our system and work for one of our partners, chances are that you become a more hire able individual.

Grand Tetons National Park Just south of Yellowstone is Grand Teton National Park, where the spectacular Teton Mountains jut abruptly from the valley floor with no gentle foothills. The Tetons are geologically young nine-million-year-old mountain range. Seven of the peaks exceed 3,600 metres, the highest Grand Teton is the state’s second highest peak at 4,197 metres. These classic triangular peaks which stretch for fifty miles between Yellowstone and Jackson as every bit as dramatic as those of Yellowstone. A string of lakes are set at the foot of the mountains; beyond them lies the broad, sage bush covered Jackson Hole, broken by the winding Snake River. No road crosses the Tetons but routes that run along the eastern flanks offer stunning views at every turn. Call Bon Voyage to discuss your holiday plans around Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons. There is so much incredible scenery here, we’d hate you to miss out!

Hundreds of cars towed overnight December 1, 2009 3:18:49 PM PST December 1, 2009 (CHICAGO) -- It happens every year- but still many Chicago motorists are caught off guard when winter parking restrictions go in effect.Snow or no snow, overnight parking is banned on certain city streets after December 1so it was a busy morning for tow trucks around the city. More than 200 cars were ticketed and taken to city lots Tuesday morning. Between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. from December 1 to April 1, the city enforces parking restrictions on several main streets, regardless of snow. Ignoring the signs, which are posted year-round, can add up: $50 parking ticket $150 for towing and a $10 daily storage fee "Help us. We need somebody to help us against bullies like this right here," said Lora Roberson, car owner. "It was either stolen or towed. Called 311 and got it taken care of," said Christian Walker, car owner. According to a release from Department of Streets and Sanitation, 234 cars were towed. "We saw a lot more vehicles that we could have towed but we ran out at 7a.m. of time because we don't tow past 7 and we have to come back the next day at 3 a.m. And the irony is a lot of signs for violations of the overnight parking and a lot of the cars were right under the signs," said Matt Smith, streets & sanitation spokesman. The restriction is meant to speed the plowing of the streets in the event of an overnight storm. Enforcement of the routes will continue until April 1, 2010. "People should know this is the one ban we're very serious about enforcing, more than any others because it protects 107 miles of the most critical, arterial streets of the city and without those, the city could shut down," said Smith. One man, who asked not to be indentified, ran outside half-dressed to plead with the tow truck driver early Tuesday morning. "They're heartless," said the man, "They're paid from the city, and I even told him, I'm like, 'Listen, I'm not doing very good in this economy, please have the decency, you know, as a citizen.' " Car owners should also get ready to observe parking restrictions when there is more than 2 inches of snow. "Last winter when the streets were icy and snowy, they couldn't clean the streets but yet the first chance they get, they'll tow our cars at $160 a pop," said Rob Stein, car owner. "Makes you want to move out of the city. It doesn't make it easier for us to live in Chicago at all," said Melissa Alvarez, car owner. Tow trucks will be out again Wednesday morning. "You might see the overnight parking ban and a 2-inch ban sign in the same general area. The best thing to do is observe both of them because we'll be enforcing both of them," said Smith. "I just spent $1,100 to get my car fixed and it wasn't like that last night. Look at that big dent they put on my car," said Michael Chapman, car owner. If a car is damaged during the towing process, Smith said the owner should put in a claim immediately with the towing company. Last year the city had more than 140,000 cars towed and 1,100 claims were filed.

To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website ·,;':?~ -:;}:;~ ""~ <;'j C \ .. , ( c f c·.,.: c ... . - .!- \.: _. .. . ... DR AFT MINUTES· OF THE 31ST MEETING RED RIVER.COMPACT COMMISSION KINGSTON. OKLAHOMA - 9-10 SEP 611 The 31st· meeting of the Red River Compact Commission was held at Texoma Lodge, (Kingston·, Oklahoma) .on9-10 September 19611. Attached is a list of those present. (Incl 1). Minutes.ofthe 30th meeting were approved subject to the following changes: a. 12th line. chll;Ilge "II states" to "states affected". b. lilth line. after the word "involved". insert a new sentence: "The other states of the· Compact .took the proposals under advisement" • During the meeting. each of the 9 reaches was discussed. The proposed Central Oklahoma Project was also discussed to determine the views of the Commissioners .relative to diversion of waters from the Red River basin to Oklahoma City. The pertinent points of the discussions and ~;:~clusicns .~c~~::'~d Z!!"!;; giY:l!l ':n t:hg .::'!:7.zched "General Sta~n~":=-:~t It (Incl 2). A tabular summary of reaches and the action required is attached. (Incl 3). The 32nd meeting of the Commission will be held at the Southland Hotel in Dallas, Texas beginning 9:00 a.m., II November 19611. 3 Incl 1. Attendance List 2. General Statement 3. Tabulation

The unique Labor of Love Rolling Yarn Store will carry our bags from October 12th to 26th. Their shop is located at 246 N. Main, Romeo, MI 48065 and is open from Tuesday through Saturday. www.laborofloveyarn.com/location.html We will finish out the month of October with our new friends at The Wool & The Floss. They will be carrying our bags from Octover 19th to November 2nd. Their shop is located at 397 Fisher Rd., Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Princess Luna, Perhaps you want to hear the story of how I came here, and became known as a serious writer, and then met Lunatic Hell. Well, your majesty, I can't tell you how I got here, without first telling you the story about how I met my partner, and editor, Lunatic Hell. He introduced me to my fiancee, Grave Mind, who on the Equestria Daily IRC, goes by Night Wisp,or something like that, and we are both happy, because we are both Autistic, and we haven't figured out what Lunatic Hell's problem is yet, maybe he is just crazy. But, I am just so that I found Lunatic Hell, and I him so much, because he is so talented. It was just fate that we found each other on the EQD IRC, and that he is such a good editor, and friend, I think that I will keep him, for as long as I am on Fimfiction.

- Skinny Dip are closing their store on the Hayes Arcade. Their final day trading will be May 8th. Designer watch brand Daniel Wellington are expected to open their 5th UK store from this unit (KLG04). This will be the brands first UK venture outside of London. - Yankee Candle are rumoured to be opening in unit LG91, which is the unit previously occupied by Crocs. I just read this. My opinion on marketing/comms people has taken a knock recently after seeing some shoddy work (not where I work incidentally). But this is pretty shocking given this is an asset worth upwards of £600 million. Here are some quotes: brochure wrote:A new train station has beenconfirmed for Bow Street, Wales anda total investment of £3.95m from theDepartment for Transport which is setto be complete by March 2020. First of all, that sentence isn't proper English. Second, why are they telling us about a small station in Ceredigion, around 100 miles or so from Cardiff? brochure wrote:Works are progressing on phasestwo and three of the 265,976 sq ftscheme which will include a new£120m headquarters for BBCCymru Wales, and are scheduledfor completion by 2018 Erm, what scheme? I know what it is, but the brochure just says this without saying the scheme... brochure wrote:After 10 years of deliberation, Cardiff’sbus station plans have been approvedand works are due to start in April 2018.The mixed use development is set toinclude a 14-stand bus station, retailspace as well as offices and apartments. Who on earth thought it would be good in a marketing brochure to talk about 10 years of deliberations being required for a bus station? Did noone at Intu spot this? Noone at St Davids management team? Its just shoddy and if I were an investor at Intu, I'd be disappointed. And a manager, ashamed. Following the successful arrival of Stradivarius, Inditex are opening their sixth UK Bershka store in Cardiff. At present Bershka currently operates four stores in London and one in Brighton. Bershka is one of Inditex's key facias in Europe and is most certainly a coup for Cardiff. A planning application has been submitted for the unit previously occupied by Mothercare (UG01/02). A great location for the brand directly opposite Stradivarius and alongside New Look & H&M! Sadly, Bershka will not be making use of the Mezzanine floor and therefore the store will be over one level. LandSec/Intu have done a great job developing their relationship with Inditex in order to secure these brands in Cardiff. It would be great to see a Zara Home store in one of the units outside John Lewis on the Upper Grand Arcade and potentially Pull & Bear in the unit once occupied by DV8. The lease for unit LG39 (Fossil) is currently being advertised. The unit comprises of 2,179 sq ft of retail space and there's 5 years left on the lease. The adjoining unit LG40 (which Godiva was once negotiating) is also still available.

Samhain Publishing On a hunt to save her sister, the last thing Beri O’Dell needs is love. Aren’t demons bad enough? Beri O’Dell is investigating paranormal creatures because she wants to know what she is. Taller and stronger than most men, she astral projects and can peel through dimensional layers to see the creatures and spirits beyond.he once helped her foster sister, Detective Elsa Remington, track down killers in Jacksonville, Florida, but stopped when a nasty fire elemental turned her strength against her. Now, she finds herself pulled back when something steals Elsa’s soul and puts her into a coma. With little time to spare, Beri searches for the reason behind her sister’s coma. She has help in her spirit guides Fred and Phro, but others come along for the ride, including a pyro-nervous witch, and an androgynous necromancer. The last thing Beri needs is to fall in love with a mysterious stranger. But the handsome Minoan warrior Nikolos knows what creature she’s after because he’s battled it before. It’s bad. Really, really bad. He calls it the Dweller on the Threshold. Warning: Contains a worried heroine with no time, a witch with fire problems, a pissed-off necromancer, a trapped goddess, and a damned sexy, but scary, warrior. Throw in bloody battles, mass-murderer history lessons and a bit of sexy time and you get the start of Beri’s new life. Review: After my success with Erica Hayes Redemption, I decided to dive into another Paranormal/UF book. Dweller on the Threshold looked like an interesting blend of creepy and magical, and it was. The romance is kept on the back burner, and instead the focus is on finding and taking down the dreaded Dweller on the Threshold. There are people dropping like flies as their souls are sucked out of their bodies, demon battles galore, and an ancient Minoan warrior who possesses both brawn and good-looks. I liked the Greek mythology that was incorporated into the story, as well as the concept of guardians, ghostly protectors who watch over their charges, usually invisible and undetected for normal people. Beri, the protagonist, isn’t normal. I found Beri an interesting protagonist. She knows that she’s different, but she doesn’t know why. She can see her guardians – the serious Fred, who was killed in a fire when he was on the cusp of manhood, and Phro, who claims to be the Goddess of Love. Yes, that Goddess of Love. Beri wonders what motivates both of them to stay with her, especially the beautiful Phro. Surely she has better things to do than follow a towering, streaky haired freak of a woman around year after year. I am still wondering what Fred’s deal is, because it’s obvious there is more to him being with Beri than meets the eye. Maybe we’ll find out what’s going on with him in the next book of the series? Where does he keep disappearing to, and can he be completely trusted? With so many dangers popping up to threaten her life, I believe these are questions that Beri needs to have answered stat. Beri has been searching for other answers for her entire life. Who is she? What is she? After being bounced around from foster home to foster home, she’s developed a thick skin, and she prefers to keep others at a safe distance. The only person she is close to is Elsa, whose parents took Beri in before weird things started happening and they became too terrified of her to keep her round. Now, the two women consider themselves sisters, and when Elsa interrupts a paranormal hunting trip in the swamp, Beri is obligated to help her sister, a police detective, with the case she’s working on. Even though things ended disastrously the last time she tried to help, and Beri ended up bathed in blood and detached body parts. Ugh. Back in the city, Beri learns that Elsa is in a coma, and things don’t look good. When she can’t see Elsa’s soul, Beri knows that she has to figure out what she was working on. As danger mounts, and more mysteries are revealed, Beri has no choice but to trust Blyth, a flaky witch, and Nikolas, an old, old being who is surrounded with the darkness of hundreds and hundreds of trapped souls. And, oh, yeah, even though he’s older than dirt, he’s a handsome, hulking warrior, and Beri can’t help but be attracted to him and all of his secrets. I loved Nicolas’ tragic past, and all of the references to Greek mythology. While some of the world-building was confusing or non-existent, there was enough demon slaying and demon attacking action to distract me from most of my hang-ups about the world Beri resides in. Just throw some magic, some ugly monsters, and a kick-ass heroine into the mix, and I’m a pretty happy camper. The action and the quest to find and defeat the Dweller drive this story, more so than the romance or any other element, and I didn’t mind one bit. What did kind of bug me? The non-ending! [Rinda Elliott] Let’s see, I’ve been married forever to my best friend. I’m crazy about my kids and I love to read above all things. I prefer genre fiction—mostly urban fantasy and romance. My other loves are movies and shows like The Walking Dead, Lost Girl, Veronica Mars, Buffy and Firefly. (Yeah, the last three are long gone, but I still miss them!) I love to cook and have a sincere respect for red wine. Hobbies? Making wine (I share the process in photographs on my website.) and sometimes playing video games. Last year, I took up gardening because of the cooking and my love for fresh vegetables. [Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Dweller on the Threshold? [Rinda Elliott] Here’s the official blurb: Beri O’Dell is investigating paranormal creatures because she wants to know what she is. Taller and stronger than most men, she astral projects and can peel through dimensional layers to see the creatures and spirits beyond. She once helped her foster sister, Detective Elsa Remington, track down killers in Jacksonville, Florida, but stopped when a nasty fire elemental turned her strength against her. Now, she finds herself pulled back when something steals Elsa’s soul and puts her into a coma. With little time to spare, Beri searches for the reason behind her sister’s coma. She has help in her spirit guides Fred and Phro, but others come along for the ride, including a pyro-nervous witch, and an androgynous necromancer. The last thing Beri needs is to fall in love with a mysterious stranger. But the handsome Minoan warrior Nikolos knows what creature she’s after because he’s battled it before. It’s bad. Really, really bad. He calls it the Dweller on the Threshold. [Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story? [Rinda Elliott] I started Dweller on the Threshold years ago. I had written quite a few romances and though editors seemed to like them, most told me my heroines were too strong. Beri, the heroine of Dweller on the Threshold, sort of stormed into my life. I started writing about her for fun and everything really gelled when I came upon this theosophical concept of the dweller on the threshold. People who follow theosophy believe that a person is reincarnated over and over until they learn all life lessons. When they reach their last incarnation, they can only discover true enlightenment when they vanquish the karmic gathering of all their past lives. I thought what if that karmic gathering came from many evil lifetimes and it found a way to physically manifest? Then, I thought about Beri and how she’d deal with such a thing. Dweller on the Threshold was born. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Beri? [Rinda Elliott] Unique, impatient, and caring. [Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Nikolos is never without. [Rinda Elliott] I can name two. His ankh and his dagger. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Beri’s bedroom? [Rinda Elliott] She regrets losing control to a fire elemental and killing someone in a horrific manner. He was a bad guy, but knowing she’s capable of that kind of violence terrifies her. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences? [Rinda Elliott] Other writers I admire, music and art. I make collages of images for every book. I also put together soundtracks. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write? [Rinda Elliott] This one is tough. I was going to say laptop, but I can sometimes fill up notebooks. I was going to say music, but occasionally, quiet is best. I don’t have rituals because I believe it’s better to write whenever and wherever you can. Think this comes from being a mother. I do like to have a cup of coffee or tea somewhere close. Okay… and lip balm. I admit that’s weird, but dry lips bug me, so I keep a tube next to anyplace I might write. I also like lit candles. Doesn’t matter what time of day or year, I keep a bunch on my desk and love to have them flickering behind my laptop. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off? [Rinda Elliott] I have to be honest. It was my critique partner’s latest project. I can’t say anything about it other than I loved it. She has several other series out people can read until this gem is available. Her name is Rachel Vincent and the series are Soul Screamers, Shifters and Unbound. [Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be? [Rinda Elliott] Just one? As a kid, I read everything. My earliest favorite book memory is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I went on to devour all the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Then Judy Blume came into my life. Everything changed one summer when I was living in the Ozarks, bored out of my mind, and a nice woman gave me a box of Harlequin Presents novels. The first one I picked up was called Living with Adam by Anne Mather. My young heart went crazy and a love for romance novels was born. My husband tracked that book down for me again many years later and I reread it. Had to laugh. My taste in heroes and heroines has changed dramatically, but that book was the start. The start of my love for paranormal books? Wizard of Seattle by Kay Hooper. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? [Rinda Elliott] Hang out with my family, watch movies, make wine or read. Sometimes, I’m reading while doing all those other things. [Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you? [Rinda Elliott] I have too many websites right now, but hope to streamline them soon. I have a Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc, but the best place is http://relliott4.wordpress.com. I’m also a member of a group of fantastic writers called The Deadline Dames. You can check out all our books at http://www.deadlinedames.com . [Manga Maniac Café] Thank you! You can pre-order Dweller On The Threshold from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the link below: Rinda Elliott loves unusual stories and she credits growing up in a family of curious life-lovers who moved all over the country. Books and movies full of fantasy, science fiction and horror kept them amused, especially in some of the stranger places. For years, Rinda tried to separate her darker side with her humorous and romantic one. She published short fiction, but things really started happening when she gave in and mixed it up. When not lost in fiction, she loves making wine, collecting music, gaming and spending time with her husband and two children. Asprey Charles has always assumed he would one day take his place in the family art appraisal and insurance firm. “His place” meaning he plans to continue to enjoy his playboy lifestyle, lavish money on his Cessna, and shirk every responsibility that dares come his way. But when a life of crime is thrust upon him, he is just as happy to slip on a mask and cape and play a highwayman rogue. After all, life is one big game—and he excels at playing. Poppy Donovan vows that her recent release from jail will be her last—no more crime, no more cons. But when she learns that her grandmother lost her savings to a low-life financial advisor, she’s forced to do just one more job. It’s all going smoothly until the necklace she intends to pawn to fund her con is stolen by a handsome, mocking, white-collar thief. A thief who, it turns out, could take a whole lot more than money. If she’s not careful, this blue blood with no business on her side of the tracks could run off with the last thing she can afford to lose. Her heart. Warning: This book contains masked crusaders, a remorseless con woman, and plans to boost a ten-million-dollar painting. Expect high speeds and fast hands. Review: Confidence Tricks is a fun, fast-paced romance with a likable ex-con protagonist. I loved Poppy. She is different from most romance heroines, and she’s brutally honest about her prospects for the future. After she falls for rich guy Asprey, she understands the reality of their relationship, as in, there can’t be one. How can a guy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who has never wanted for anything, understand that a future with Poppy, a poor girl who has been living on the edge for years, is out of the question? It was the difference in their social status that really attracted me to this story, and by the end of the book, I was convinced that Poppy and Asprey would find their HEA. It wouldn’t be easy, but, dang, they deserved to be happy! Together! The story starts out with Asprey completely at Poppy’s mercy. She’s got a stiletto heel jabbed against his throat, and she’s not afraid to use it! She’s already dislocated his shoulder, and she’s not going to hesitate to inflict more bodily harm. How dare he interfere with her mark? She has been hanging around with slimeball Todd for weeks, all in an effort to steal back the money he stole from her grandmother. How dare these amateur thieves try to steal her thunder. I enjoyed the power imbalance between Poppy and Asprey. She is hard as nails and can open a can of whoop ass on him without even thinking about it. Asprey, on the other hand, is like a genteel Robin Hood, stealing back jewelry and art from their owners so they can collect on insurance policies. Why? Because everything that he and his older brother are stealing are fakes. Oops! The cons are very convoluted in Confidence Tricks, and there were several times when I had to throw away everything I thought I knew was going on, because Tamara Morgan had me totally bamboozled. Clueless. It was fun watching as the web of deception unraveled, leaving the characters second guessing themselves. I was entertained by Asprey and Poppy’s unusual courtship. They try to steal an espresso machine in a bet for answers to the burning questions they have for each other. They don’t quite trust each other, but as they are thrown from one dangerous adventure to the next, they find that they don’t have anyone else to rely on but each other. When Poppy’s less than shining history is finally revealed, Asprey doesn’t seem phased at all. He can put her past mistakes in the past where they belong, though he constantly questions why she would act as she did by turning herself in. The romance is hot and flares quickly out of control, and I thought that the two made a great couple. Even better, Asprey’s older brother is disapproving and trying to find ways to drive the two apart. Stupid brothers! I did think that the action lagged during the poker games. Poppy and Asprey just can’t compete with Paul Newman and Robert Redford; I don’t think any characters could. How do you pull off a better sting than those guys? I don’t think you can, so these scenes didn’t work for me. The rest of the cons did, though, and I was caught up in the rest of the intrigue and suspense. And again, I loved the stark contrast between Poppy and Asprey’s backgrounds. If you enjoy suspense, danger, and cons in your romance, I think you will like Confidence Tricks. Not sure? Check back later today for the opportunity to win a copy for yourself. [Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about A Patch of Darkness? [Yolanda Sfetsos] A Patch of Darkness is the first book in my urban fantasy series about a spook catcher. It’s set in Sydney, but it’s an alternate version of our world, where ghosts are an accepted part of society and have certain rights. There are other supernatural creatures as well, but they’re still a secret—well, except for the people who know about them. [Manga Maniac Café] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story? [Yolanda Sfetsos] I’ve always loved ghost stories. They’re spooky, intriguing, and always make me wonder about what’s really out there. When I set out to write this story, I wanted to explore a world where everyone knew that ghosts exist, but only a select few can actually interact with them. I also wanted a large cast of characters with different backgrounds and problems, all forced to work together. Oh, and a complicated love life for the heroine. After I had all of those ingredients, the concept was born and the world was full of characters. [Manga Maniac Café] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book? [Yolanda Sfetsos] The most challenging aspect was—and still is—keeping all the details consistent. There’s so much, and it’s easy for me to forget a small detail that can make a huge impact. So I keep a Sierra Fox Bible, where I write down as much info, research, and details as I can. [Manga Maniac Café] What are three things Sierra would never have in in her bedroom? [Yolanda Sfetsos] A jinxed amulet, demons and shadows. You’ll know exactly what I mean if you read the book. 😉 [Manga Maniac Café] What are your greatest creative influences? [Yolanda Sfetsos] The world around me is often my biggest creative influence. It doesn’t take much to get my mind wandering and eventually coming up with either a character and/or story. Then, when I’ve got something that fits into everyday life, I like to throw in the supernatural. I’m pretty obsessed with supernatural creatures and phenomena, and if I think about them often enough my muse starts buzzing. [Manga Maniac Café] What three things do you need in order to write? [Yolanda Sfetsos] I need my computer/laptop, story notes, as well as pen and paper. Oh, wait, isn’t that really four things? [Manga Maniac Café] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be? [Yolanda Sfetsos] I would have to say Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton. After I read that in school, I couldn’t get other books fast enough. [Manga Maniac Café] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? [Yolanda Sfetsos] When I’m not writing I love spending time with my family. I also enjoy going for walks, and working out with my hubby. Oh, and watching my fave TV shows—especially Castle, The Walking Dead, and Jon Stewart. I also love to read. [Manga Maniac Café] What do you enjoy most about urban fantasy? [Yolanda Sfetsos] Definitely the freedom to include so much of what I love in storytelling—blending the supernatural into a contemporary existence, a touch of horror, complicated relationships, love triangles, mystery, suspense, monsters… that type of thing. 😉 A Patch of Darkness hits stores May 15. You can purchase A Patch of Darkness from your favorite bookseller, or by clicking the widget below: Synopsis: All it takes is one weak seam for everything to fall apart. Sierra Fox, Book 1 In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council. Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way. As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, Sierra finds herself the target of a power-sucking duo intent on stealing her mojo. And realizing she holds the key to the last hope of sealing the widening rift. Warning: Spook catching: may contain traces of ectoplasm and otherworldly nasties. Not recommended for those with allergies to ghosts, demons, and with boyfriends who think your power is theirs. While reading, avoid dark patches and stay to the light. [Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Love is a Battlefield? [Tamara Morgan] Love is a Battlefield is a modern take on two of my favorite romance tropes: Regency England and Highlanders. Kate Simmons is a Jane Austen re-enactor with a love of history and romance. Julian Wallace is a professional Highland Games athlete who adheres to the time-honored traditions of Scotland. Sparks between them fly until they realize they both want the same plot of land for their annual conventions. Basically, it’s a land feud between re-enactment groups with a Renaissance fair, a wood-fired hot tub, and a rich Duke with his own agenda thrown into the mix. [Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story? [Tamara Morgan] This book has been such a long process it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where everything came from. But I’m a total sucker for historical costumes, and my family goes every year to our city’s Highland Games event, Renaissance Fair, and Civil War re-enactment. I couldn’t think of anything better than to find a way to bring these types of characters to life, especially since it gave me an excuse to write modern-day men in kilts. Since I decided to play with romance tropes and timelines, I needed characters who would be just at home in a historical novel as a contemporary one. Kate is your typical feisty bluestocking, and Julian is the fierce Highland warrior out to protect his clan. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book? [Tamara Morgan] Walking that fine line between comedy and farce is something I’m continually working on improving. Humor is such a subjective thing, and I know my approach to romantic comedy isn’t for everyone. I did my best to create a fun, entertaining story that gets a few laughs but also tugs a few heartstrings. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Kate? [Tamara Morgan] Feminine, Romantic, Determined [Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Julian would never hide under his kilt? [Tamara Morgan] Defeat, Fear, Support Hose [Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences? [Tamara Morgan] My husband definitely gets kudos for his sense of humor. Whether I’m borrowing stealing his jokes for my characters or relying on him to pull me out of a writerly funk, he can always be counted on to make me laugh. That’s probably why my characters are always laughing with each other—I consider it the foundation of any good, long-term relationship. [Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write? [Tamara Morgan] COFFEE, my little pink netbook, Twitter [Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off? [Tamara Morgan] Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. She’s got a good handle for humor, and I fell in love with her hero, Lincoln, almost immediately. It’s also a total geek book (Dungeons & Dragons! Information Technology!), which should never be underestimated. [Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be? [Tamara Morgan] You’d have to ask my aunt. Every year for Christmas, she would give me books specially designed to cultivate my tastes and turn me into a romance reader. Every year, she nailed my interests and tastes. The first one I remember (but not the first one I got) was Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. Predictably, it features a thirteenth-century love story aimed at kids. I’ve always loved historicals! [Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? [Tamara Morgan] Read! People are always asking me what my hobbies are outside of reading and writing, but the truth is that I don’t have many. If I don’t have my computer in hand, I have my Kindle—and I rarely travel anywhere without them both. Every few years I try to blog, but I get very lazy at updating, so for now I have a plain old ordinary website at www.tamaramorgan.com. And if you want to spend more time with Julian, he’s in the (sort of) flesh and waiting for you to pick out his kilt. Love is a Battlefield is available now! You can order a copy from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the widget below: About Love is a Battlefield It takes a real man to wear a kilt. And a real woman to charm him out of it. It might be modern times, but Kate Simmons isn’t willing to live a life without at least the illusion of the perfect English romance. A proud member of the Jane Austen Regency Re-Enactment Society, Kate fulfills her passion for courtliness and high-waisted gowns in the company of a few women who share her love of all things heaving. Then she encounters Julian Wallace, a professional Highland Games athlete who could have stepped right off the covers of her favorite novels. He’s everything brooding, masculine, and, well, heaving. The perfect example of a man who knows just how to wear his high sense of honor—and his kilt. Confronted with a beautiful woman with a tongue as sharp as his sgian dubh, Julian and his band of merry men aren’t about to simply step aside and let Kate and her gaggle of tea-sippers use his land for their annual convention. Never mind that “his land” is a state park—Julian was here first, and he never backs down from a challenge. Unless that challenge is a woman unafraid to fight for what she wants…and whose wants are suddenly the only thing he can think about. Warning: The historical re-enactments in this story contain very little actual history. Battle chess and ninja stars may apply. About Tamara Morgan Tamara Morgan is a romance writer and unabashed lover of historical reenactments—the more elaborate and geeky the costume requirements, the better. In her quest for modern-day history and intrigue, she has taken fencing classes, forced her child into Highland dancing, and, of course, journeyed annually to the local Renaissance Fair. These feats are matched by a universal love of men in tights, of both the superhero and codpiece variety. Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren’t beating down her door. Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet’s feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He’s wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Only Violet understands him. And she knows he’s not what he seems. She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable… Love. Warning: The heroine packs a pistol, the hero curses in multiple languages, and together they steam up a cold winter’s night. Review: Once Upon a Winter’s Eve is the first Samhain title that I’ve read, and it’s also one of the growing number of novellas that I have read in. After recently discovering the appeal of shorter length stories, I have been snapping them up as I see recommendations from bloggers I follow. I can’t remember where I learned about this particular one, but I’m happy I gave it a try. At under a dollar, it was a fun read, and a great introduction to both Tessa Dare and Samhain. I’ll have to go back and read the first Spindle Cove book, A Night to Surrender (which is an Avon release, go figure). Violet Winterbottom has retreated to Spindle Cove, where she is nursing a broken heart. The love of her life, who she now refers to as The Disappointment, loved her and left her, with hardly a word. Ruined, she is trying to come to terms with her feelings, and is resigned to heed her parents’ demands to return to London. They are determined to find a match for her, unaware of Violet’s turmoil and her unrequited love for their young neighbor. When an injured stranger bursts into the Christmas Eve ball she is attending, she’s stunned when the man collapses at her feet. His incoherent babbling slowly begins to make sense to her. Gifted in several languages, Violet is tasked with quizzing the man – is he a spy? What is he doing in Spindle Cove? This is a fun, fast-paced read with an abundance of action and adventure. After Violet decides to assist the stranger, she is sent on the adventure of her life. She is an intelligent and capable young woman, and I quickly began to like her. And to dislike the man who kicked her to the curb and left her and her bruised heart to fend for themselves. When Violet is drawn into intrigue by the handsome stranger, she is given the spark that her life has lacked for the last few months. She embraces the danger and the adventure, and becomes a willing participant in the suspected spy’s attempts at escape. While there’s not a lot of depth to this story, there is a lot of fun, and for 79 cents, you can’t beat that.

Marin County Water District Pits Neighbors Against Each Other To See Who Uses Less Water During Drought Water pours out of a hose after a worker washes the sidewalk in front of a business in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. on Friday, July 18, 2014. The California State Water Resources Control Board passed an emergency measure that sets fines of as much as $500 a day on residential and business property owners if they overwater lawns to the point that runoff flows onto streets or sidewalks. Photographer: Kevork Djansezian/Bloomberg via Getty Images(Kevork Djansezian/Bloomberg via Getty Images) MILL VALLEY (KPIX 5) — Water wasters have faced warnings, fines, and even restrictions during California’s drought emergency. But, some residents in Marin County are going even further, competing against each other to see who uses the least water. 5,000 water customers picked at random are having their water use compared to their neighbors. The water district is working with Watersmart Software, which is monitoring homeowners and sending them a bi-monthly report. A sad-faced teardrop on the report is bad news. “We actually can compare notes and give the stink eye to somebody,” Marin Water District customer Natalie Carpenter said. The county wants to conserve the water they have, despite reservoirs being at 91-percent capacity. Still, residents are embracing the challenge. “It taps into the fundamental and dynamic of the human psyche, which is wanting essentially to compete, and outdo others,” Marin Water District customer Sam Keller. The water district is testing the program for one year before it decides whether to expand it to all 51,000 households.

Activities at Gateway Green How do you want to play today? Gateway Green will offer many different types of experiences to locals and visitors, from a natural play area for the very youngest park goers to an advanced jump line within the bike skills area for advanced cyclists. The park is now open. Hours are from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, every day except Friday when it opens late (10:30 am) due to weekly maintenance. For information on how to get to the park, check out Park Access. Cycling Gateway Green will be Portland’s first desginated bike park! The park will offer fun and challenging environments for all levels of riders - from youngsters just learning bike skills to advanced riders and racers. Included in the current design of the bike park will be multi-use paved trails, unpaved singletrack trails, a bike skills area, a gravity area, and a cyclocross course. We envision the site becoming a major focal point of the local off-road riding scene! Running, Walking and Hiking Soft surface trails will wind through the site to allow for more intimate experience with the restored habitat. In addition, paved multi-use trails will allow people to access larger portions of the site and create regional connections to the existing 40-mile loop and future Sullivan’s Gulch Trail. Observing and Learning from Nature Interpretative signage about the site’s habitat restoration, stormwater management, the volcanic origins of Rocky Butte and the effects of the ice age floods will provide passive environmental education opportunities. In addition, area schools and nonprofit groups will have access to the park for environmental curriculum. A field shelter will be built for picnicking and to provide a gathering space for classes and groups. As the habitat enhancements mature, there will be increasing opportunities to observe plants and wildlife. Nature Play Area The nature play area will use natural materials to create a playground that stimulates children’s imaginations while teaching them about natural processes. Rocks, logs, sand, soil and plants will be integrated and available to be touched and manipulated. It will be located near the forested part of the site to take advantage of the existing and restored tree canopy allowing children to make their own adventures.

Plan a College Visit Why Visit a College? There’s no substitute for experiencing a college firsthand to discover if it’s the best fit for you. Schedule a college visit and see for yourself what it’s like to sit in a college classroom or try the food in the dining hall! You can also often set up meetings with coaches or professors to get a better idea of what you might experience as a student there. Need ideas for questions to ask on your visit?

Gingrich Ponders Response to Negative Ads ATLANTIC, Iowa — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Saturday that his campaign will have to take a more aggressive approach in combating the onslaught of negative ads that have deflated his poll numbers here. But with just three days until the Iowa caucuses, the strategy still appears to be a work-in-progress. “We haven’t figured out how to deal with the ads that are dishonest without doing anything stupid ourselves,” Mr. Gingrich told a town-hall audience at a Coca-Cola distributer’s warehouse here. He told reporters later, “We may go to a much more clear contrast, but we’re not going to respond in kind.” Mr. Gingrich said such a strategy shift would not come until after the Iowa caucuses, which he compared to the opening three minutes of the Super Bowl… This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

The Blackhawks’ roster has changed a few times since the start of the season. Some players have left. Some have come in. With so many new arrivals, it seemed like a good time to update our series on why the Blackhawks wear their jersey numbers. Here’s the latest version: Duncan Keith, 2: That was the number I got when I had it in my stall in Norfolk (AHL) when I got sent down when I was 20. Stuck with me ever since. No idea. Connor Murphy, 5: There’s a couple. Nick Lidstrom was always my favorite player. And then my dad (Gord Murphy) wore No. 5. He played 14 years in the NHL and always wore it, so I followed that. Brent Seabrook, 7: I wore it as a kid. I always liked the No. 7. I was 77 and 27 in summer hockey. I always liked 7, and I was lucky enough to have it. I always just sort of stuck with it. It was the jersey they gave me in juniors, which I was pretty pumped about, and the jersey that they gave me here. It’s pretty...

Many people add a disclaimer that their beliefs do not reflect those of their agency. Mine do. I represent the Aurora (IL) Police Department and I strive to keep my values aligned. Here are some of my thoughts. Total Pageviews Monday, October 28, 2013 I got my @$$ handed to me in the boxing ring. Forgive the vulgarity, but it is the only way to adequately describe what occurred. When a sergeant from my department asked me if I would be interested in participating in an exhibition boxing match for charity against a female commander from another jurisdiction, I happily agreed. The words “charity” and “exhibition” drowned out the words “boxing match” in my head. I was expecting oversized clown gloves and putting on a fun show for the crowd. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I heard much trash talking from the other side of the county but I really thought it was just hype to generate ticket sales for the event. Since I’d never boxed before, I sought out a boxer, MMA fighter and overall “badass” to help me with some basics so I would, at the very least, punch and move properly. In hindsight, I should have trained much earlier than 2 weeks out because my opponent was doing just that. When I stepped into that ring, I was prepared to entertain the crowd.When she threw the first punch into my face, I knew it wasn’t for fun.Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, right?I don’t remember much from my bout.In fact, my trainer was apparently screaming from my corner telling me to “get out” and “block” and I can honestly say I didn’t hear a word.I never felt pain, either.I could see her fists coming at my face and I knew she was making contact, but it didn’t hurt at all in the moment.That’s the beauty of adrenaline. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to talk myself out of a lot of fights over the course of my career. For the ones I couldn’t, the scenario always ended the same way: the bad guy ended up in handcuffs. If I started alone in a fight, I knew there were more of my brothers and sisters in blue on the way to assist. In the ring, I couldn’t call for back up. At one point, she hit me so hard that I reverted back to my police training and I instinctively turned to find cover. In a ring, there is nowhere to go but back into the fight. I held my own. I stayed on my feet. I endured 3 rounds. I lost by majority decision. But I learned a few things for which I am grateful. The first of which is to be prepared. I think if I’d have taken this bout as serious as my opponent, I might have prevailed in at least one of the rounds. I have no one to blame but myself for making the assumption that this was a game. Those who prepare don’t need luck. They win because they put in the time on the front end so they are ready for the moment. This isn’t as much about boxing as it is about life. For police officers, you can never know when you will find yourself in a dark alley with a bad guy who is ready to sacrifice it all to get away and hurt you in the process. You must train for those moments where life meets circumstance. Train for the unpredictable so you get to control the outcome. Those who are unprepared will find themselves wishing they’d have trained harder for the fight that really matters - if they live to tell about it. For those who don’t face criminals in dark alleys, life it still about preparation. It’s about committing yourself to constant self improvement. Take the classes you’ve been putting off, read the book that will make you better at what you do, start training your body. Take on a new challenge that moves you out of your comfort zone because when you come out on the other side, you will be better. Never miss an opportunity to improve yourself because you can never know when it will pay off. That was my second lesson. I had never boxed before and as the fight grew near, I was legitimately terrified. But I committed to the event and I asked myself the question I ask every time I get nervous about an upcoming challenge: “What is the worst thing that could happen?” I came up with the following answers: I could lose. I could get publicly humiliated in the process. I could actually get hurt. The funny part is that getting hurt played the least part in the equation. I’m not sure why but I’m not scared of getting injured or being in pain. I’ve endured pain before and I know it’s temporary. I wasn’t even particularly worried about losing. I knew going into this bout that my opponent was bigger and stronger and thus, I had no delusions or false confidence. So public humiliation was the only lingering barrier and I figured I could live with that! Once I formulated the answers to the questions and accepted the worst case scenario, I was able to move forward. I stepped far outside my comfort zone and in the moment, it really sucked. I wanted to revert back to my safe place. But I’m glad I stayed in and endured. And now that I’m on the other side, I’m better for having done it. Even with the loss and the humiliation. I’m better because I tried. Photo by Ed Corral Photography I couldn’t give up because it would render pointless every lesson I’ve ever taught my children about failure and resilience. Much of life is showing up and if you end up taking a beating, that’s okay as long as you get up again. It’s about perseverance and staying in the fight. And finally, I learned that the people in your corner are the ones who matter most of all. The actual fight is a blur to me but one thing I do recall is looking out to see the faces of my friends and family cheering me on.The ones who showed up are the ones who will still be there without a winning title and when the rest of the crowd goes away, they’re still in my corner. They don’t make trophies for that. Wednesday, October 23, 2013 I entered this profession in 1991 at a time when it was progressive enough that women in policing had already secured a place, but not progressive enough that women held leadership positions. In my state, we were accepted into the thin blue line but we would maintain our positions within that line for awhile and not out in front leading the line. By the very nature of human adaptation, we sought to “fit in” so much so that we bartered away our uniqueness for a place at the table. When I was a brand new police officer, I acted the way I thought I was supposed act and I emulated those around me. This was a stretch from the person I actually was. I was a chubby kid throughout my childhood and I’m kinda grateful for my parent’s lack of knowledge about nutrition because with every slice of pizza I shoved into my face, I learned to be funny to compensate for my husky waistline. The summer before my senior year of high school, I discovered exercise and health and lost the weight. But I was still funny. I was voted “Class Clown” by my fellow classmates because I had mastered quick-wit and humor as a way to draw others in. I was usually the loudest person in the room, and quite frankly, I don’t know how to be any other way. So when I fulfilled my dream of becoming a cop, I stifled that part of me and applied my proverbial mask that I dubbed my "street personality”. My small stature magnified my insecurity so I overcompensated by being over the top. I used to believe that this phenomenon was exclusive to women but I’ve since realized that it is not gender-specific. We all spend much of our time watching social cues and emulating others so we don’t stand out too much. We are innately designed so that we adapt to our environment. For the first year on the job, I was a poser. I pretended to be tough and I talked a big game. That is, until a criminal-type ran from me on a traffic stop. I got a much needed lesson that my skills and stature were nothing against a 6’3’” muscle-man. I gave chase but failed to consider my gift of being pretty fast when I needed to be. As the gap between he and I was closing, I recall having the semi-conscious thought: “What am I going to do when I catch him?” So I formulated a plan to to pounce and tackle him to the ground, then cuff him. I got within 3 feet and sprung on him with Tigger agility and grabbed his shoulders. But.he.didn’t.fall. His footing wasn’t in the least bit affected by my acrobatic feat. I didn’t have a “plan B” because it never occurred to me that my “plan A” would be thwarted by physics. I never made a conscious decision to hang on to him - it just happened. So as I was riding this guy’s back through the backyardsof a neighborhood on the east side of Aurora, my “tough guy” act fell away and I said to him: “We both know you could really hurt me if you wanted to. But you won’t -- because it won’t increase your street cred given my obvious proportion. And it certainly won’t help my reputation among my fellow officers. So let’s just end this and I’ll arrest you for your warrants which is inevitable sooner or later anyway. I won’t charge you with fleeing and we’ll call it a day.” He stopped. Just like that, he stopped abruptly. I slid down his back and handcuffed him with no issue whatsoever. He said, “Ma'am, no one has ever been real with me like that.” He also said, “You dropped something back there” which turned out to be my radio that had bounced out of it’s holder. So we walked together and he showed me where I dropped it (no kidding). I picked it up and said in my most confident voice over the air, “Subject in custody”. I ran into that guy many times throughout my career and he never gave me a problem. He gave other cops a problem -- but not me. After that incident, I started being me. I brought MY personality to my job and I started making great successes. I learned that when you treat people with dignity and respect and never look down on them (even when they are literally laying in the gutter), they will cooperate and even help you. I was a successful police officer because I stopped trying to be what I believed I was supposed to be and started being authentic. I diffused situations with humor and I didn’t withhold compassion like I thought I was supposed to do. I was me. Then I got promoted to sergeant and the same thing happened again. I started acting the way my bosses over the years acted because I thought that was how authority was supposed to look. Fortunately, I was conscious of it and I forced myself to remember the lesson I learned 9 years earlier. It’s a struggle to go against the “norm” and it’s much easier to attempt to live in the contrived notion of what others believe a Chief, a Captain, a Lieutenant, a President, a Board Member (insert any title here) should be. Whose template are we trying to fit? We should be more concerned with results. Are we getting the job done? That should be the litmus test and should matter more than anything else. What’s wrong with adding personality to the process? When it’s time to put our game faces on, we always do. It’s so counter-intuitive but the fact is that when we start using the skills and the gifts that are unique to us (humor, passion, compassion, creativity) -- when we begin being more of who we really are -- this authenticity makes us better at leading people. It does so because we aren’t borrowing power from our position. It does so because we don’t have to try and remember to be a different person at work. Humans aren’t built to compartmentalize the different facets of our lives. I’m always astounded when people tell me they are a different person at home than they are at work. That must be exhausting to try and remember who to be based on where you are! I know what stops us from being who we really are. We are worried what will "THEY" will think. What will EVERYONE think? The best moment of my life came after I finally asked myself, “Who is this THEY that I’m so worried about and why do I give them so much power?” The answer is actually really simple. I keep a list of the “they’s” in my life whose opinion really matters to me. I call them my “Personal Board of Directors” and they are comprised of my family, friends, and mentors with strong values and high expectations of me. When I begin to worry or the criticism starts to get to me, I refer to my list and as long as I’m doing right by them, the noise falls away. If there is a time where I know that my “THEY” would not be proud, I know that I have to make some changes. And if you find yourself on the other side as one of the critics or the one who stands in judgement, stop. Check yourself. Be introspective enough to question your own judgments of others and instead of criticizing, seek understanding. I have found that my biggest critics are usually people who don’t even know me. You are never going to satisfy all the critics (especially the higher you ascend in an organization). That’s okay -- that’s where COURAGE comes in. You could be the ripest, juiciest apple in the world, and there’s going to be someone out there who hates apples. There are those moments when I struggle and am tempted to fall prey to the criticism that suggests I don’t act (or even look) “Commanderly”. And then I think of the men and women in my department and the results they produce and the relationships I have with them that are based on mutual respect and I realize I’m doing something right. I’ve gotten this far in my career by being me and I’m proud of that. And I’m not going to change to fit someone else’s template. We all need to find the courage to be authentic and even vulnerable at times. Vulnerability is not for the weak -- it’s for the strong. It takes courage to stand out because it’s much easier (and safer) to fit in. You will have critics and people will judge you but as long as you are right with the “they” in your life and as long as you are doing the right thing, for the right reasons, and at the right time, you should be YOU as much as you possibly can. Thursday, October 10, 2013 Do you think leaders should be loved or feared? This leadership question has been debated over the years with different surveys and trends that reveal many opinions on the matter. Some believe that fear is a motivator and that people, when left to their own devices, will not perform without the threat of discipline or punishment. Instilling fear then, is a motivator unto itself. The fearful leader rules with an iron fist and order is achieved through the genuine belief that discomfort will result should they not perform. Police officers can sometimes fall back on their position of authority and use their badge to motivate through fear. Parents do this by using the “Because I said so” approach. The problem with being feared is that people don’t develop intrinsic motivation to perform (motivation that comes from within us). When people perform out of fear, they soon become resentful and that results in a revolt against authority over time. When a police officer instills fear when they could have used influence, defiance occurs. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the leader who is loved. This leader gains the admiration of his or her people based on affection. This leader typically craves being looked upon favorably by those they lead. A leader who is loved may become so accustom to the feeling of admiration that it clouds their thinking. It feels good to be loved and it’s easy to get caught up in the warm and fuzzy throes of positive emotion. As result, the loved leader will make decisions based on the need to hold onto that feeling and thus, will attempt to appease their people rather than risk upsetting them. The consequence is that these loved leaders will soon turn to others to make the tough decisions so they don’t have to be the “bad guy”. In parenthood, this results in being more of a friend than a parent. Many say that leaders should be both loved and feared. I disagree and argue that they should be neither. Instead, they should be respected. Respect is born out of high regard and is elicited by a persons abilities, qualities and achievements. It is an esteemed reverence for skill but the overarching characteristic for respecting a leader is based on reciprocity. That is, they genuinely hold their people in high regard and honor them for their contribution to the organization. Leaders who are respected follow a simple formula when making any decision -- whether it be about policy or personnel: Am I doing the the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reasons? If the answer to any component of this question is “no”, they re-evaluate and formulate a response that is in proper alignment. A respected leader will always be able to give transparent reasons for the decision they made and will never feel ambushed or insulted when asked to do so. A respected leader understands that they will not please everyone all of the time and makes peace with that concept because they have followed the formula. I firmly believe that you can buy a person’s back, but you cannot buy their heart. Quite simply, I can force someone to do what I want by threat of punishment (fear) and that method will be effective; but only in the short term. However, when the heart is fully engaged and people believe that they are valued and respected, they will perform because their purpose and their passion persuades them to do so. It takes time to build an environment where values and expectations are communicated clearly and where people are appreciated for their skills. This is no easy feat because it requires honest and open dialogue and transparent policies with constant communication. Perhaps we shouldn’t focus on the leaders at all. Maybe the answer is finding the “why” in what we do so that we perform not for someone but for something bigger than ourselves. About Me I am the Chief of the Aurora Police Department in Illinois. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Aurora University and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Boston University. I am a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (Senior Executives in State and Local Government) and am a proud graduate of the FBI National Academy #249. I am currently pursuing a 2nd Master's Degree in Homeland Security and Defense at the CHDS Naval Postgraduate School. I've been with the Aurora Police Department since 1991 where I started as a police cadet. During my 20+ year career, I've worked in various divisions including Community Oriented Policing, Domestic Violence Reduction Unit, Field Training and Patrol. Prior to my promotion to Chief, I served as the Patrol Commander and the Investigations Commander. My passion is public speaking and teaching. I helped found "Blue Courage" which is a 2 day training course for police officers (see BlueCourage.com).

TDG Amendment 7: Tanks, But No Tanks NIAGARA FALLS, New York—September 17, 2007—For those who transport dangerous goods by ground in Canada, cargo transport units such as highway tanks, portable tanks, cargo compartments, multi-unit tank car tanks and containers seem ordinary. Individuals who transport these dangerous goods have probably heard of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations, and are somewhat familiar with its rules and regulations. But, how familiar are you with Transport Canada's latest amendment to the TDG Regulations, Amendment 7? CSA-B622, Selection and Use of Highway Tanks, Multi-Unit Tank Car Tanks, and Portable Tanks for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Class 2 Each of these CSA standards provides clarification of existing requirements, removes other requirements, and introduces retro-fit requirements. Special Requirement 23 is a new item and contains a grandfather provision for non-spec tanks for UN1999, TARS, LIQUID. Two other items, Special Requirement 54 and Special Requirement 73 require existing highway tanks and portable tanks for agricultural purposes to be brought into compliance. ICC Compliance Center offers consulting and training services in accordance to Canadian, US and international transport regulations. Companies and individuals involved with transporting dangerous goods are encouraged to receive consulting and training to increase safety awareness and accident prevention. At ICC Compliance Center, we specialize in transportation, health and safety consulting, and label printing. We offer a wide range of training and regulatory services, and transportation accessories to help industry comply with regulations. Contact our friendly customer relations center or ask a business development manager how we can help you stay in compliance.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's regretful that it DOES happen on occasion, but good, quick thinking on your part. You probably would have been waiting forever in the ER, just for the same outcome. We're all still thinking of you and your family, so let us know how it's going.

Arrogant Princes POLITICAL relationships need to be nurtured and handled with care and affection. There is no place for arrogance. This dictum isn’t present in the books of the opposition leaders. Former Chief Minister of UP, Akhilesh Yadav and Congress’s Rahul Gandhi are out of power, but they behave like ruling princes. The duo went Bengaluru for the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. The event should have brought them closer, but reports indicate that the gap between the two has widened. In fact, Tejashwi Yadav, Sitaram Yechury and Arvind Kejriwal were staying in the same hotel. Akhilesh personally held long discussions with them. Sources disclosed that Rahul’s man Friday, Kaushal Vidyarthi, called on Akhilesh and conveyed his boss’s wish for a meeting at the former’s hotel. Akhilesh, who normally controls his anger, was miffed: “Bhaiya (Rahul) wants to meet me and then issues an order. After all, I am also the President of my party, so why can’t Bhaiya come over to my hotel?” Rahul, who thinks he is the President of a larger, national party, could not digest such a reply from a junior partner. Since then, there is an eerie silence between the two leaders.

OMORE is only good for ice lollies and then its just simple. Not the best. 54Thrifty This is one of the best ice cream brands ever! It should be in the top 10! Thrifty Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is the best. It can be bought in Rite Aid drugstores.I once at an entire carton of it at on sitting and loved each and every bite!Once you try it you will absolutely love it.

Lens On: Jeremy Kost The photographer talks us through his new photobook, Like One of Your French Girls. His photographs of scantily clad men have gone down a storm on Insta – amassing nearly 300k followers of those seeking to soak up the male form – but for his latest project, US based photographer Jeremy Kost has put the lens on drag queens in all their unique and outlandish guises. Shooting his subjects on Polaroid and smearing the images with paint to serve up a unique textured effect, Kost has been photographing the stars of the drag scene since 2001, snapping some even before they became household names as a result of RuPaul induced fame. The result of this on-going project is Like One of Your French Girls, a perfectly produced photo book featuring archive imagery dating back to 2009 and featuring the likes of Sharon Needles, Detox Icunt and Alaska Thunderfuck, a.k.a. all your fave queens. Following the book’s London launch at The Edition, hosted by our fave UK queen Jodie Harsh, we caught up with Kost to talk about the creative process behind his latest work. What inspired you to create Like One of Your French Girls? It happened by mistake to be honest. I was working on a painting on the wall of my NYC place and took it too far. Out of frustration, I swiped a Polaroid of a dude through the oilstick on the canvas and loved the mistaken result! I’ve continued to refine the idea both in application and conceptual focus; I’m making progress all the time. With drag queens, there really is an amazing relationship between makeup and paint. In fact, queens often say that they’re “painting” their faces! It also has to do with masking, concealing, revealing, colour, mixing, contrast… It’s a perfect conceptual balance I think! And what led you to choose drag queens – as opposed to men, for example – as the subject for the book? To be honest, I’ve sort of been a bit burned out shooting dudes for the last year or so. I didn’t shoot anything else between fall of 2012 and spring of 2016 and have been looking for inspiration again; I found that in my return to drag queens and I’ve been making new work with them since. 90% of the Polaroids in this book are from my archives (largely between 2009 and 2012). They were either extra portraits made for a larger collage (earlier work) or a single Polaroid that I made for posterity, given that the iPhone camera wasn’t what it is today. This specific book came as a direct result of knowing that I wanted to make a book of the painted work with drag queens, and revisiting these images was a way to give it breadth and diversity of subject, place, and such. It also allowed me a golden opportunity to connect the dots between my older work and where I’m going with the new painted works I’m making in the studio now. You touched on it before, but can you talk to us specifically about the paint on the Polaroids? With this specific body of work, they were all individually considered. I’d mix different colours on palettes and then look at their relationship to each other. Once I was happy with a relationship and the way things felt, I’d find a Polaroid in the archive stacks that “worked” with the paint that I’d laid down. Sometimes it would work in an opposite direction… I knew I wanted to include a specific Polaroid in the body of work and I’d make something that felt right. The images of Amanda Lepore with Tommy are a perfect example of that sort of reverse process! Some of the images date back to 2009, was a book always in the pipeline? Not at all to be honest. They were things in my archives that I didn’t have any grand plans for. As I mentioned, they were made when I was making other works. They really are the perfect way of connecting the dots between where I’m going and the work I made previously in my career. Why do you think drag is important? After seeing things like DragCon in LA and The Mighty Hoopla in London, it’s amazing how the mainstreaming of drag has given people so much freedom. It’s incredible to see people more liberated than ever, with drag seemingly giving them license to express themselves much more confidently. It also has such an amazing historical reference to fashion, presentation, masking, layering… In a world that is so digitally led and focused on perfection, what attracts you to shooting on film? It really is amazing to see the difference between the interaction from fans on digital/iPhone images versus Polaroids on Instagram on both accounts… For me, the Polaroid is the more sophisticated part of what I do. The followers totally engage more with the digital image, but there is something to be said for being able to hold the moment in your hand, be it with paint or not! Shooting drag queens is quite a departure from the male portraits you usually shoot. How do the two compare? Well, lest you forget that I’ve been shooting drag queens since 2001! When my Instagram first started, it was a hybrid! So, I don’t think about this as much of a departure, but rather, a homecoming. And what direction do you see yourself taking in the future. I’m steadily working in LA on new paintings, along with new Polaroids of dudes and drag queens all over the world. I hope to work on another book of men to come out next fall and possibly a follow up to French Girls with all of the new work that I’ve been making as well. Like One of Your French Girls is available online here. Limited run of 400 copies, each with unique painted doodle on the back-cover.

Two images from a fire truck dashboard camera show a firefighter pointing out the location of an Asiana plane crash victim and the same spot covered in firefighting foam. (SFFD via San Francisco Chronicle) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A new report is challenging the conclusions about how a victim of the Asiana Airlines plane crash at San Francisco International Airport died. The report filed with the National Transportation Safety Board by San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera and released Wednesday claims there is evidence that firefighters did not run over and kill a teenage crash victim, and that she was already dead from the crash. The report acknowledges the city’s firefighters ran over 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan – twice – after she had been ejected from the plane in the crash on July 6. But the city attorney adamantly denies she was still alive at the time of those rollovers. The report disputes what the San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault said previously, that she was alive at the time she received multiple blunt force injuries consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle. The city attorney report indicated Foucrault found “no dust, dirt, debris, or fire fighting foam in the trachea or lung tissues of the deceased.” If she were alive, according to the report, she would have breathed in one or more of those items. SF City Attorney: Asiana Plane Crash Victim Already Dead When Run Over The report also noted that she was ejected from the plane, just like two other passengers who were right next to her; both of whom died. Wednesday, Foucrault issued a statement to CBS News standing by his original report: ““This is the drama of litigation. It’s not surprising that the San Francisco City Attorney is taking this position. My office is independent, I don’t have a dog in this fight. My report was true and scientific; I am sure the attorneys for the passenger’s family will look at these reports and choose one, and the attorney for the city will choose the other.”

Category Archives: Business models Jisc is working in collaboration with publishers to make digital archival collections of primary source materials more affordable so researchers, teachers and learners can enjoy access to a wider range of resources and libraries can achieve further efficiencies. We are currently running phase two of the Digital Archival collections group purchasing pilot from November 2017 … Read more EBSCO has joined Adam Matthew Digital, Brill and ProQuest to offer over 70 digital archival collections to the higher education sector as part of the ‘Digital archival collections group purchasing pilot‘ phase two. As with the initial pilot, the project leverages institutions’ collective purchasing power to lower the cost of acquiring digital archival collections around … Read more Following on from the success of our initial pilot, Jisc has now launched phase two of ‘Digital archival collections group purchasing pilot.’ Phase two of the pilot begins on 20 November, 2017 and will run through to the end of the academic year, 31 July, 2018, offering institutions’ maximum opportunity to review the products on … Read more Between March and July 2017 Jisc ran the ‘Digital archival collections group purchasing pilot’ in collaboration with three publishers (Adam Matthew Digital, Brill and ProQuest) in order to make digital collections of primary source material more affordable for institutions to purchase, so that researchers, teachers and learners can enjoy access to an even wider range of resources. … Read more Jisc is working in collaboration with three publishers, ProQuest, Adam Matthew Digital and Brill, in order to make digital collections of primary source material more affordable for institutions to purchase, so that researchers, teachers and learners can enjoy access to an even wider range of resources. Digital collections of primary source material such as texts, … Read more At the event “Why pay for content?” organised by the Publishers Association, representatives from the publishing sector, JISC, and academics, put across opposing views on whether we should pay to access content on the internet or it should be freely and openly accessible to everybody. The content in question referred mainly to textbooks and research/reference … Read more Share and Enjoy Today Google announced that they are launching: “an initiative to make more old newspapers accessible and searchable online by partnering with newspaper publishers to digitize millions of pages of news archives.” This adds to the large amount of existing online newspaper content, by publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, that … Read more Share and Enjoy During a recent meeting on digitisation in the EU, the JISC Digitisation Programme came across this interesting digitisation model from the Rotterdam Central Record Library The library in Rotterdam owns 300,000 CDs (including mainstream stuff) They are digitising every CD CDs are then lent digitally, ie via Internet, to library users (for free) Users can … Read more Share and Enjoy Thanks to a public-private partnership between the Bodleian Library and ProQuest, thousands of images from one of the world’s most important collections of printed ephemera are being made freely available to all UK universities, further education institutions, schools and public libraries. The John Johnson Collection: An Archive of Printed Ephemera, part of the JISC Phase … Read more Share and Enjoy The JISC-funded 19th Century Newspapers digitisation project was highlighted in today’s Guardian as part of a growing number of online newspaper archives which constitute an invaluable resource for historians and researchers. Stephen Hoare commented: “The digitisation of the British Library’s 19th-century newspaper collection – the most comprehensive archive ever to go online – was launched … Read more Share and Enjoy Next week (6 December) will see the launch of the beta version of Electronic Ephemera: Digitised Selections from the John Johnson Collection at Online Information 2007, London. This new e-resource is part of the JISC Phase Two Digitisation Programme and features selections from the Bodleian Library’s John Johnson Collection, one of the most important collections … Read more Share and Enjoy More than 150 years of Guardian and Observer back copies have been made available online with the launch of the paper’s digital archive. The archive allows users to search for free the full text of the newspaper from 1821 to 1975 and the Observer from 1900 to 1975 (a second phase early next year will see … Read more Share and Enjoy Another National Archives/geneology.co.uk digitisation project makes the news today. The Guardian reports that the pension records of almost a million soldiers who served in the first world war have for the first time been made available on the internet, allowing descendants to access a wealth of information about anyone who was injured or discharged due … Read more

The gay dating app is moving from a 3,400-square-foot office in Hollywood to a 18,000-square-foot office in West Hollywood. It signed a long-term lease to move its headquarters into the 14th floor of developer Charles S. Cohen’s RedBuilding at Pacific Design Center at 8687 Melrose Avenue. Terms of the lease were not disclosed but asking rates at the RedBuilding place its value at roughly $1.1 million a year. The company will leave its office at 6725 West Sunset Boulevard behind in favor of the classier (and historically LGBT friendly) WeHo address. Ryan Harding of Newmark Knight Grubb Frank, who represented Grindr in the lease deal, said the move comes as Grindr plans to expand beyond its dating app functions to become more of a lifestyle brand. “It will always be a dating app but they are hoping to do more of what Playboy did…and expanding into other elements of pop culture that matter to the LGBT community,” Harding said. Grindr could not be reached for comment. The firm recently acquired the means to expand. Chinese firm Beijing Kunlun Tech bought a controlling stake in the startup for $93 million in a deal announced last week. “We are pleased to welcome Grindr to the RedBuilding where they join a prestigious roster of creative tenants,” Cohen said in a statement. “Our West Hollywood location puts Grindr at the center of the LA region’s thriving and creative epicenter.” The RedBuilding is becoming a media hub. Cohen recently signed Clique Media and Whalerock Industries, which makes Kim Kardashian’s app. Marc Horowitz of Cohen Brothers Realty represented Cohen in the lease deal, along will JLL’s team led by Josh Wrobel.

Pearls symbolize purity, spiritual journey, charity, honesty, wisdom and integrity. They can also heighten our ability to receive spiritual guidance. They are undeniably sensual and feminine. I currently have some lovely white and gold pearls on-hand. I can order them in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. I also feel similar energy from shell beads, and I have a variety of mother of pearl and oyster shell beads as well.

Every Preacher Is A False Prophet? The acid test of a true prophet of God is this: He will never once get it wrong. If he does then we can know without doubt he is false. End of story. Since God is never wrong; it follows his spokesperson will not be wrong……ever. Never will he get it wrong. All the prophet needs to do is miss it just once and he is toast. Why? Because God vindicates his prophets. Prophets are special to God; very special. They are never wrong in what they preach or in what they predict. God is with them for sure. Prophets are his mouthpiece. He speaks through his prophets. They know the word of the Lord according to What Says the Scripture. Not according to impressions or feelings or imaginations. Everything God says through a prophet will agree with the written record: the Bible. Saying Thus saith the Lord and then speaking your own mind, then saying it is God is what many do. Not all speak for God as we can see when what they predict fails to come to pass. I was at a few sites where every preacher since the apostle Paul is a labeled a heretic. They are called false prophets and heretics. Other names also. The sites even have preacher photos there with the word HERETIC or FALSE PROPHET in big bold letters. You can scroll down and see photos of preacher after preacher. All of them are accused of being false or a heretic. Granted some are. But not all are false. There are among us true prophets of God. It cannot be that all of them are false. Anyone who asks constantly for money to give themselves outrageous salaries is a false prophet no doubt. God said he would do as he told us in Philippians 4:19supply all of our need. Since he already said he would why ask? Why continually beg for money when the Lord already said in his written word that he would meet your needs? Not your wants and desires to consume it upon your lusts. But he shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory.Not your riches but HIS riches. God is responsible to meet the need. The manna will fall be sure. But to call every minister false is false in itself. They are not all false. I laughed when scrolling down seeing photo after photo of smiling preachers and stamped across their face is HERETIC. I didn’t laugh because it is funny. I laughed because we laugh at the absurd. When one says to send money to buy a certain book that will show you HOW to open heaven’s windows to get money, then know you are listening to a false prophet. You don’t have to be a Christian to sell books on how to get rich. The Gospel is about salvation. It is about healing and restoration. It is all about Jesus and how to follow him. So that when he returns which will be soon, one will be ready to meet him in the air. i like your explanation about faulse prohet,lots of this pastors called themselve prophets.prophet is like a sacred word that many people use loosely,a prophet is never wrong,because God is never wrong,i agree with you that once a prophet is wrong, he’s disqualified to be a prophet,he should demote himself to a pastor,or evangelist,or reverend,because,all this titles give you room to make mistakes,but not a prophet,a prohet should always tell us the mind of God,and he’s supposed to be always,i mean always,and i say it again, “ALWAYS” right……Amen …..Joshua Sanusi. Yes a prophet cannot be wrong because God is never wrong. The scripture also says if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound who will prepare himself for battle? False prophecy is rampant as you know. They say God said such and such when in reality it was them who said such and such not God. Thanks for stopping by. Top Posts & Pages Prayer is the Key IT is time to pray for our families as never before. I have dedicated my life to praying for my family. Someone asked what would we do with the rest of our lives if we could choose only one thing to do. I answered PRAY for my family. Jesus REALLY is returning!

Friday, July 28, 2017 I'm experimenting with a new style* for my portfolio this week. It's based on the painting process of three of the art for fun images I blogged about last week (umbrella boat, cats, and sheep and giraffe). Even though they're all very different, I used some of the same processes to make the picture (amazing how art can be so similar and yet turn out so different). Still working on how I want the new style to look, but I like the pieces this week better than the ones last week. Here's the progression of paintings: Finally, I painted a cow with a moo-stache for Colour Collective (the color this week is Portland Orange): So far I'm liking the new style, even if it's not completely there yet. I think it's getting close though (or at least I hope so)!What are you working on this week? Have you ever changed your art style? How did it go?*This is not the first time I've changed my art style. It's never easy, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it! It's always been worth it in the past for me. Fingers crossed it will be this time too! Friday, July 21, 2017 A: Art that's just for fun might be in a different style, use a different medium, or it could even be a doodle! Art for fun is just for you. It's not part of a project or for your portfolio (though it could be in the future. Q: Why is it important to take time away from other projects to make art that's just for fun? A: It can be hard to keep your creativity if you're schedule is full, or if you feel obligated to create only a certain type of art for a project, or your portfolio. Art for fun doesn't have an agenda, so there's no pressure. You can create what you want. It can help you stay creative (and avoid burnout) and the things you learn could help you make art for books or other projects. You never know what's going to happen when you make art without a plan*. * Not having a plan and doing it for fun doesn't mean you can't be inspired by an illustration prompt, or try new materials to change up your style. (If you've visited my blog before, you might have noticed that I do a lot of art for illustration prompts. This is why.) What it means is that nobody is expecting you to make the art. You can experiment! You can make mistakes!** ** Mistakes are part of the creative process, but sometimes it seems like we don't have room to make mistakes. You don't have to turn in art for fun, or show it to anyone, unless you want to. I don't show all the art for fun on my site, but it's fun to be able to show a few of the pieces I like.Q: Do you have any examples of art for fun? A: Yes! Here four pieces of art for fun I made this week (notice how different each of these pieces are). Two of them are for illustration prompts. If I were making these for my portfolio, I wouldn't feel like I could experiment with style and medium as much as I did with these: 2. The color for Colour Collective this week was a blue color - Pantone 292 C, to be exact, which is harder to create in traditional mediums when you can't "pick" the color like you can digitally. I experimented with watercolor, watercolor crayons, and sponge painting to come up with an umbrella boat with a bear and two birds, and lots of blue: 3. This image is a character study of 3 Cats meowing, but mostly it's another experiment in sponge painting (I love sponge painting, but I can't control it, which is part of the fun and also part of the frustration): 4. Last but not least, I experimented with not using black line for my giraffe and sheep (with a little sponge painting in the background): These are all very different, and I learned things from each one that will help me make art in the future, even if it's digital art. If I were only making art for a book or my portfolio, none of these images would exist. If I weren't making art for fun, I wouldn't grow as an artist, and eventually, that would catch up with me. Q: What does your regular art look like? A: If you're not familiar with my art, you might not realize how different this art is from what's in my portfolio. Here are my two latest pieces for comparison, one color, one black line:I. Roberta and Bailey (the robot) at the Beach: [Note - even this is different than the art for the book I illustrated (EWE AND AYE) - it's important to keep growing as an artist, IMO.] Author/illustrator Stephanie Ruble has been making art ever since she could hold a crayon, and making up stories since she learned to talk. She's currently working on new picture books, images for her portfolio, and drawing art for unusual holidays. Thanks for visiting! Picture Book: Ewe and Aye written by Candace Ryan, Illustrated by Stephanie Ruble - in bookstores now.

Blog Tuesday, January 24, 2017 As you know the spectrum requirements of plants change during their life cycle. The Kind LED K5 series gives you complete control of the exact spectrum and quantity of light your plants are going to receive. By understanding how best to tune your Kind LED grow light you can maximise your results while using the least amount of power possible. .. Thursday, August 06, 2015 The STASH awards have just been posted by High Times magazine. What does STASH stand for you ask? Significant Technological Achievements in Secretive Horticulture which is featured by High Times, it celebrates advances made by the cultivation community as well as tried-and-true products that have stood the test of time. These include lighting products, organic and hydroponic nutrients, new additives and practically anything else that helps increase yields or reduce hassles. .. Friday, May 22, 2015 Kind LED recently conducted a thorough examination of the major LED grow lighting companies’ products. They did this in order to create a Kind LED Comparison by obtaining scientific data regarding the PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) readings and spectral output at a variety of heights, distances, and positions below the fixtures. .. Friday, April 24, 2015 Vertical farming applications for LED grow lighting are rare and impressive. In many places around the world, space is very limited, and those are precisely the conditions in which food prices are highest. If a creative grower can take advantage of a vertical farming strategy, they can yield an incredible amount of produce per square foot on that land, for which they are paying only by the horizontal area. ..

Featured Slideshow In a Dallas courtroom on Thursday, writer and activist Barrett Brown was sentenced to 63 months in prison and was ordered to pay a little more than $890,000 in restitution and fines, according to reports. Upcoming Live Events Be sure to stay tuned for breaking news on our 2015 conference and expo, which promises to deliver even more innovative programming and an enhanced showcase of the latest cyber security solutions you must see. In a security bulletin, Adobe said that all users of Flash Player version 9.0.124.0 and earlier should upgrade to version 10. Users can upgrade by running the auto-update in the program when prompted, or visit Adobe's Player Download Center. “Clickjacking is an issue in multiple web browsers that could allow an attacker to lure a web browser user into unknowingly clicking on a link or dialog,” Adobe said in its security advisory. “This update helps prevent a clickjacking attack on a Flash Player user's camera and microphone.” The update also addresses other security issues. It prevents privilege escalation attacks against web servers hosting Flash content and cross-domain policy files, fixes a potential port-scanning issue and prevents potential attacks to the clipboard API, Adobe said in its security advisory. "We recommend all users upgrade to Adobe Flash Player 10 in order to mitigate the potential issues as outlined in the Oct. 15 Security Bulletin," Brad Arkin, director, Product Security and Privacy at Adobe, told SCMagazineUS.com Thursday in an email. Customers who cannot upgrade immediately due to IT restrictions or other reasons can change their settings to mitigate the potential for falling victim to clickjacking exploits. The workaround is outlined in an older Adobe security advisory. Arkin said there will also be a security update for Flash Player 9 available next month. Jermiah Grossman, founder of WhiteHat Security and Robert Hansen, founder and CEO of SecTheory notified Adobe of the potential for clickjacking exploits against Flash Player last month. These two researchers had been researching clickjacking since the middle of the year. SC Magazine arms information security professionals with the in-depth, unbiased business and technical information they need to tackle the countless security challenges they face and establish risk management and compliance postures that underpin overall business strategies.

Log in to JacketFlap What is JacketFlap JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans.Join now (it's free). JacketFlap Sponsors Bad Baby Average rating 5 out of 5 Based on 4 Ratings and 4 Reviews Book Description Jack was having another perfect day. In fact, you could say that his whole life was perfect, except that he wanted someone to share it with. That someone arrives in the form of a new baby sister who keeps growing...and growing...until she's about ten stories tall, wreaking havoc with every step she takes. Of course, Jack gets the blame. Full of the sly, raucous humor that marked Ross MacDonald's p... More Jack was having another perfect day. In fact, you could say that his whole life was perfect, except that he wanted someone to share it with. That someone arrives in the form of a new baby sister who keeps growing...and growing...until she's about ten stories tall, wreaking havoc with every step she takes. Of course, Jack gets the blame. Full of the sly, raucous humor that marked Ross MacDonald's previous books, this is the ultimate book about sibling rivalry, and one that will soon have readers young and old guffawing in recognition. About Ross Macdonald (Author, Illustrator) : Ross Macdonald is a published author and an illustrator of children's books. Some of the published credits of Ross Macdonald include Goodbye Look, Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, Bye-Bye, Cri... moreView Ross Macdonald's profile Videos You must be a member of JacketFlap to add a video to this page. Please Log In or Register.

The X-Kettle is a tiny addition to your kit collapsing to 35mm. A 1.0L safe boiling capacity is perfect for a cup of tea or cocoa on the trail. With the increasing popularity of freeze dried food the kettle is all you need for two warm meals in one boil. If you prefer fresh rice… The Sea to Summit X-Pot is a fully featured cooking pot that combines the heat-distribution of aluminum with the flexibility of silicone. The hard anodized aluminum base offers a fast boil time and the stainless steel ring embedded in the rim lends a rigidity to the silicone walls for easy lifting and stirring. Big when you need it and small when you don't. This is the ultimate bottle for the serious adventurer as well as the practically minded city dweller. Collapsible into three parts, the Pack-Up-Bottle is easy to fill up and clean. A standard-size neck allows you to add other accessories, such as a water filter, while… The 600 million left-handed people in the world now have a Spork to call their own. Spork lefty has the same sleek Scandinavian curves, ruggedness and versatility as the original Spork, only now specially designed to be used left-handed. The Delta Series by Sea to Summit is designed to be the ultimate expedition and/or outdoor dinnerware. Our patented Protex™ hex pattern base reduces surface heat so food and drink are never too hot to handle. The food grade, BPA free Nylon 66 material has an incredible strength to weight ratio. It is impervious to… The Delta Series by Sea to Summit is designed to be the ultimate expedition and/or outdoor dinnerware. Our patented Protex™ hex pattern base reduces surface heat so food and drink are never too hot to handle. The food grade, BPA free Nylon 66 material has an incredible strength to weight ratio. It is impervious to… Sea to Summit's X-Mug hold warm or cold liquids and are freestanding with flexible silicone sides. The X-Mug has a flat rigid ring around the rim to keep it sturdy and easy to drink from. The rigid ring maintains the shape of the X-Mug yet still allows it to be collapsed to a disk that… Designed with a unique roll top closure that accepts a disposable plastic garbage bag liner, the Trash Dry Sack is used as a soft garbage bin in the field or in your car. Roll the closure shut to prevent any liquids leaking out while transporting and open it up to throw your rubbish in. Fitted… Sea To Summit have now designed a Kitchen Sink light enough to carry on every bushwalk. The Ultra-Sil® Kitchen Sink is 63% lighter than their standard 10L Kitchen Sink! Ideal to uphold “Leave No Trace” ethics of washing dishes at least 100m away from water sources.

Fish Tacos Fish tacos have never been more popular. In fact, among U.S. restaurants that serve tacos, fish is the 2nd most popular protein featured in the tacos¹ – beating out even beef and pork. How can you maximize your fish taco sales? It’s easier than you think: use wild-caught, sustainable seafood from Alaska in your fish tacos. And don’t forget to call it out! 94% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase a seafood item when the word “Alaska” is used as a menu descriptor¹, and consumers prefer wild-caught seafood to farmed by a 3-1 margin¹.

MLM System You need an MLM system for success in your network marketing business. If you’ve been struggling up to this point, I am glad you are here to learn the 4 key components of an MLM system. Without an MLM system, you don’t have a stable business. Do you agree? Is your home business where you want it to be? If not, ask yourself why. Usually, it’s because you don’t have an MLM system for success. In this article I give you the 4 key components that are the foundation for any thriving home business. For any Internet marketing business to succeed, you must learn a variety of skills like leadership, generating online leads, and how to stay accountable to you. CLICK HERE to learn about an MLM system that you can participate in regardless of which company you work with. Home Business MLM System Once you learn the foundation skills of an MLM system, you will be on your way to true success. Most of the time, our network marketing sponsor tells us to talk to a few people we know. That won’t create a profitable business for you and being stuck is not where you want to be. You need to go way beyond as described below: Mindset. Without a strong mindset, it will be difficult to build a successful network marketing business. It’s crucial that your MLM system includes personal development to help you get your mind in the right place. Only then will you have a greater chance of success. Many people ignore this and I guarantee that they don’t succeed or just quit. Be a winner in your business and develop the success mindset you need. Skill Development. Has your upline told you that your “WHY” is the most important thing you need for MLM success? Well, what if you have a strong WHY but no skills? How will you ever get to where you want to be? A success-oriented MLM system should provide you with a step-by-step blueprint of the skills you must development so you can profit for a long time. These skills include online marketing, prospecting, closing, and more. Tracking and Accountability. Going from employee to business owner is a big change! Don’t you agree? It can be a challenging transition because there is no one telling you what to do. That is why you need an MLM system that also provides you a way to track and be accountable. Results that are tracked can expand into bigger and better things. If you don’t track, how will you ever move forward? Partnership and Support. Have you ever felt alone in your home business? I know I did! It makes all the difference when you have people to partner with who are also facing the same online challenges as you. If you have any hope of success in your network marketing business, you need an MLM system formula that will help you master these 4 key components. The Biz Builder 100-day Challenge does just that. The best MLM marketing systems are not magic bullets, instead they should provide you with the true skills that will last a lifetime and create momentum in your home biz! This MLM system is a step-by-step blueprint that focuses on all this and more. Don’t take it from me, CLICK HERE and learn more about it. If you are tired being stuck without results, CLICK HERE for the same MLM system I use to give you the foundation you need for success. 7 Figure Earners Reader Interactions Comments Having a system is important, but it doesn’t have to be online and it doesn’t have to be complicated. A system might be calling 10 people a day, or having one people a week, or emailing 10 people a day. I used to be a big fan of systems, but I don’t believe in a one size fits all approach. People have different skills and personalities and you need to be able to offer a strategy that matches their personality and skills. Otherwise, they won’t do it. I appreciate your great article and hope you have a happy new year!

* Ludendorff's police cars are based on the Albany Esperanto and the Declasse Rancher XL. The use of 1980s era police vehicles during the 2000s may indicate that Ludendorff's police force is severely underfunded. * Ludendorff's police cars are based on the Albany Esperanto and the Declasse Rancher XL. The use of 1980s era police vehicles during the 2000s may indicate that Ludendorff's police force is severely underfunded. Equipment Trivia Their Esperantos are the only ones seen in Grand Theft Auto V. Ludendorff's police cars are based on the Albany Esperanto and the Declasse Rancher XL. The use of 1980s era police vehicles during the 2000s may indicate that Ludendorff's police force is severely underfunded.

From Awe to Awful and Back — Advocacy for Animals is pleased this week to publish this article by M. David Feld, who is cofounder and National Program Director of GeesePeace, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to devising nonlethal and environmentally sound solutions to problems created by the presence of geese and other wildlife in human communities. From Awe Loyalty, fidelity, cooperation, heroism, and sacrifice: the mother goose and gander mate for life. They will never abandon their goslings, even under intense pressure and threats to their lives. If the parent geese do fly off, it is only a strategic ploy to allow the goslings to escape by taking advantage of their speed, agility, and ability to hide in small places. The parent geese always return. In the spring, migrating Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway travel 1,000 or more miles to the Hudson Bay in Canada to nest in their birthplaces. It is a biological imperative that they cannot break, just as salmon must swim upstream to spawn. By April, most migrating geese are flying north. And then in October, they fly south before the northern water bodies freeze over. There are three other flyways in the United States for migratory birds like Canada geese: the Mississippi Flyway, the Central Flyway, and the Pacific Flyway. Canada geese fly in a V-formation. The lead goose in the formation reduces the air resistance for the rest and so expends more energy than the other birds. The geese change positions in the formation, taking turns at the lead so that all bear the burden of leadership. When a goose is injured or exhausted, its mate leaves the formation and stays with the injured or exhausted goose until it recovers or dies. On the migration south this may result in the mate’s own death, because a single goose will not have the advantage of flying in formation to conserve energy and therefore may not reach the temperate areas before the water bodies freeze over. In my hometown of Brooklyn, New York, migrating geese were the only noncaptive wildlife we ever saw. I remember waiting for the heralds of spring and winter each year: the sound of honking geese. Sometimes they flew low enough for me to hear the whoosh of their powerful wings as they passed overhead in magnificent V-formations, wave after wave. That was in 1956, the year the Brooklyn Dodgers finally won the World Series. To Awful Today some Canada geese are staying all year in urban and suburban areas. They seem never to migrate, and each year there are more of them. Many people in these areas consider Canada geese to be a pest. They fear that geese droppings are harmful to humans and that geese make parks, playgrounds, and beaches unusable. They believe that geese are aggressive and noisy and are destroying their lawns,sparks, and golf courses. It is a fact that they have become a danger to aircraft. What happened? Why are the resident geese not joining their migratory cousins in Canada during the great migrations? Are they just too lazy? Do they stay for the abundant sweet, freshly clipped grass and fresh water we provide in our parks and golf courses? Understanding what happened is the first step toward becoming an advocate for the Canada geese living in our urban and suburban areas. Today’s resident Canada geese are the descendants of migratory geese who were captured in the early 1900s. The flight feathers of these birds were clipped to keep them from escaping. Commercial hunters then used them as live decoys to increase their take of migratory geese. Because the captured geese were made flightless, their immediate offspring and later descendants never learned how to migrate (migratory behavior in geese is learned). Thus resident geese have no choice about whether or not to migrate—they are biologically trapped in the human communities in which they live. Some resident geese in urban and suburban communities are descended from geese that were resident in rural areas. The rural geese came to the towns and suburbs because people began to feed them or because some of them learned that they were safer in human communities than in the wild. Their goslings then treated the town or suburb (or nearby islands or marshes) as their refuge. After decades of hunting using live decoys, the migratory geese flocks were nearly gone. In the 1930s, however, the practice of using live decoys was made illegal in the United States, punishable by large fines and prison sentences. Still, by the mid 1960s, U.S. federal and state wildlife managers had become so alarmed by the continued failure of the flocks to recover that they joined conservationist, sportsman, and water-fowl groups in an extraordinary effort to increase the Canada goose population through artificial incubation of eggs in hatcheries, the use of nesting tubs to reduce predation of the nests, and relocating geese to better and safer breeding grounds. By 1990 this effort seemed to have been a great success, and wildlife managers were rightly proud of their accomplishment. Little did they know that the Canada goose would eventually be reviled as a “pest” species in some American communities. In some urban areas, where hunting is not an option (and for good reason), human residents have resorted to capturing geese and their goslings while they are flightless during the molting season (June and July) and killing them one by one by putting them in air-tight boxes which are then filled with carbon dioxide gas. This is not an acceptable way to treat innocent wildlife. And Back: The GeesePeace Approach Advocacy is not just wishful thinking. It is a process that begins with knowledge, empathy, and leadership. It ends with communities resolving the wildlife conflict and being happy about the way they did so. To advocate for Canada geese one must first understand why the Canada goose is revered by many people as a symbol of wildlife appreciation and protection. (The Canada goose is still the symbol of the US Fish and Wildlife Services Refuge System.) Then one must understand why some of these same geese are now resident all year in urban and suburban areas and coming into conflict with people. Then one must find a respectful and humane solution to the community’s problem. And then, finally, one must implement the solution in partnership with community leaders, people who wish to protect the geese, and people who find them a nuisance. This is the general approach developed by GeesePeace, a nonprofit organization that I cofounded in 1999 in my community of Lake Barcroft, Virginia, a lakeside suburb of Washington, DC. The specific elements of the GeesePeace program include: stabilizing the resident-goose population by oiling or addling goose eggs, thereby preventing them from hatching (this practice also makes it easier to flush out parent geese and other adults from nesting areas, since there are no goslings to protect); establishing a “geese-exclusion zone” by posting border collies on each body of water in an area where geese cannot be tolerated; enhancing the border collies’ effectiveness by planting tall grasses or other high vegetation, which the geese perceive as a hiding place for land predators; using chemical repellants for short periods to prevent geese from feeding in particularly sensitive areas; and establishing a no-feeding program, which may include the use of colorful and attractive signage that people are more likely to read. Collies are not used during molting season and from mid-November to mid-March, when the weather is cold, and from mid-March to mid-May, when geese are nesting. The GeesePeace solution will work in any community in which there are conflicts with urban wildlife. We simply take the “lethal option” off the table and at the same time commit ourselves to solving the problem for everyone involved, including the geese. In an instant, the negative energy of controversy is converted into the positive energy of cooperation, as everyone works together toward the same goal. In the 10 years since its founding, GeesePeace has become an organization of national and international scope. All GeesePeace programs are managed by local communities, some of which form partnerships to share resources and coordinate activities. In addition to its program for dealing with resident Canada geese, GeesePeace has also developed strategies that address the presence of deer in suburban communities and the very important problem of bird strikes with aircraft. Protecting geese from extinction is everyones obligation and protecting geese from themselves and over population is an added reponsibility. As noted, we have brought many geese back from possible extinction to “pest” status. Collies and oiling eggs are partial options that are not working in all areas. Where they do, they certainly should be employed. Fish and Game have been extremly sucessful in returning turkeys, coyotes, black bears, deer and geese and hunting is no longer working for them in keeping excess populations under control for various reasons. A bow hunter told me this week in Warren County, NJ he now sees more black bears then deer and there is virtually no limit on the number of deer that can be taken. Emotionally protecting excess animal populations does not make sense. The Govenor of NJ stopped bear hunting two years ago and a dangerous bear-people confrontation is now in the making, same as geese and airplanes. Until otherwise developed and implemented, hunting and listening to State and Federal Fish and Game authorities is our and the animals best option. commonsenseforanimals.org actually, you are incorrect about Geese never abandoning their young offspring. I was heart broken and did the wrong thing in trying to bring 3 (5-day old) gosslings back to their mom on at least 6 occasions in two days. She only wanted 2 offspring and began abandoning three right away. I was able to capture the three and return them to her, but what I saw in the next two days was terrible and I’m sorry I did not know more about what to do. I should have brought the ones she kept abandoning to a rehab center- but I didn’t know how to. Three of her goslings died within three days and I found one of them today. THey were beaten up by other geese they tried to bond with when their mom left them alone. I saw this with my own eyes and like I said, am heart broken that I didn’t figure out what to do sooner. That is sad. You did the very best you could, though, according to what you thought was right. There are a lot of wildlife rescue organizations that will help people deal with situations like this, so hopefully people reading this will learn from your sad experience. Thanks for trying, and thanks for helping increase awareness about the geese we might encounter in everyday life. We have 4 geese families on our property this year. One of the pairs only had 1 gosling. Now we are seeing a gosling all by itself and I haven’t seen the pair with the 1 gosling in a few days. The single gosling tries to join up with the other families but is chased off by an adult goose. Did the gosling’s parents abandon it? Is there something we should be doing for it? It is eating and growing normally but we feel so bad that it’s by itself. The other pairs have 8, 6, and 5 goslings so we have quite the crowd. We have a 4 acre pond and mow about 10 acres so they love it here. We have a Bird Sanctuary which protects birds in the summer. Today we found 2 goslings wandering around, shivering and calling for their mamas. Whenever they tried to find an adult momma she would chase them away and peck at them. No mamma ever showed up. We watched this for more than an hr. Then made a decision to take them to a wildlife rescue. It’s hard to know if one did the right thing. I feel that if “momma” was interested, she would have turned up. I would not have been able to sleep the night, had we not stepped in. I advocate for Canada geese in an area of Massachusetts. I need your opinion, please. Many Canada geese have made a big city park their home for about 15 years. I love them. Some people harass them and I keep defending them, contact park authorities about it, but it’s sometimes so heartbreaking to see the apathy to protect these amazing birds. I learned that park authorities want to use trained dogs to “relocate” the geese. How come can they do that if these geese don’t have the ability to migrate because they are urban Canada geese? Please, could you give me your opinion about this method to “relocate” the geese by making trained dogs to harass them for them supposedly to migrate? Is that possible? I’m concerned for these birds I am so fond of. Thanks in advance for your opinion Hi, Gonzalo, I found this information on the GeesePeace website. http://www.geesepeace.com/geesepeaceprogram/siteaversion.html They use border collies. Canada geese may not migrate, but that doesn’t mean they can’t move to a less contentious area if the dogs make it uncomfortable for them. It just means that they don’t move seasonally from one place to another. Thanks for caring about the geese, by the way. I looked at this site because I was wondering under what conditions goose parents would abandon their offspring. Last summer I captured an approximately 2-month-old gosling after it had been attacked by a snapping turtle and one of its feet and legs had been severely mangled. I took it home, as my iintention was to take it to a wildlife rehab clinic with which I was already familiar, but it was over an hour away and past closing time. I planned a trip there for the next morning. So I put it in a large box with water in a dark, quiet area of my house, but it died in my arms the next morning. This has been bothering me since. I am haunted by wondering if it would have somehow survived if I’d left it there at the pond, unable to walk, nearly unable to swim, and weeks away from flight. And why had it been abandoned by its family? I thought Canadian geese never abandoned their offspring.

2013's problems shredded in New York New Yorkers cast off the bad memories of 2013 by shredding them in Time Square during the annual 'Good Riddance Day' 3:09PM GMT 29 Dec 2013 The parents of a young boy stricken with cancer joined crowds of New Yorkers and visitors in Times Square in New York on Saturday to ceremoniously bid farewell to their bad memories of 2013. Bodey Johnson and his parents were hoping for good health in 2014, now that his tumour is in remission. They were among hundreds who had gathered by a shredding truck to destroy unwanted memories of 2013 ahead of News Year's eve on Tuesday. "Our son Bodey here was diagnosed last year with a tumour in his kidney and went through about seven months of chemotherapy and he's in remission now, so we were saying good riddance to cancer," said Bodey's mother Amy Johnson. The Johnson family were winners of a 'Good Riddance Day' contest, organised by Cintas document shredding company, who had installed one of their mobile shredding trucks in Times Square for the event.

How about you call Student finance tomorrow morning? They will tell you about it. I don't think it would influence since it is based on your parents' income, but still don't take my word and call them up. (Original post by muffingg) How about you call Student finance tomorrow morning? They will tell you about it. I don't think it would influence since it is based on your parents' income, but still don't take my word and call them up. hmm.. i guess i'm just a bit worried at losing out on quite a large sum of money (Original post by Superman_Jr) Serious question guys. What day is it today? I have my phone, watch and laptop saying it's the 9th Saturday but my TV and TSR saying it's the 10th April? Sorry for hijacking this At least not on this planet. Everywhere on Earth it's either 10th or 11th April 2011. (Original post by Superman_Jr) Serious question guys. What day is it today? I have my phone, watch and laptop saying it's the 9th Saturday but my TV and TSR saying it's the 10th April? Sorry for hijacking this

LISD iViSiOn iPad Initiative iViSiON 1:1 Student iPad Program In an effort to provide students the opportunity to utilize technology as a tool for learning, Lackland ISD has made it a goal to offer students 24/7 accessibility to their learning with the 1:1 iPad program for 6th through 12th grades. As a district, we view this initiative as a way to move towards being more innovative in our classroom instruction, to integrate 21st century skills into our curriculum, and to provide inspiration and motivation to increase student engagement in and out of the classroom. Students and parents will need to sign and return the Responsible Use Guidelines/iPad Loss Loan Agreement prior to being issued an iPad. We also request that parents and students entering school after the initial parent orientation watch a 15 minute orientation video and answer some simple questions in an online course. Please email our Instructional Technologist, Lesley Denny (7-12) or Dana Kickler (PreK-6th), to receive the link to the course. If you have questions about the program, please call or email Ms. Denny. The 8 Worst Apps for Your Kids"Do you really know what your child is up to on the computer or smartphone? Technology, especially if you're a little behind the times, is deceptive; some of the worst apps and games appear as innocent ways to keep in touch with friends, but can turn into venues for inappropriate behavior." ~ www.education.com Students use texting and other forms or digital social media to communicate. Texting and online networks can be a positive experience when used appropriately. Students and parents need to understand the serious consequences that can result when digital technologies and devices are used inappropriately.

Today I start with a new series, which is very important to me. It is about healthy weight loss. I myself, as you have already noticed, is a heavyweight. Unfortunately, I am very much overweight and that is exactly what I need to do. Because I’m getting sick…. The Rock the Blog Event at the Cebit in Hannover is over. Many impressions could be collected. I was able to listen to cool contributions from Blogger, was allowed to learn good tips from companies. I could take a look at the work of Blogger and was allowed to… For too long I have unfortunately not published here. But this time really has the reason that I worked too much and I therefore came to nothing. You probably also noticed that I was in Copenhagen and could not do anything on weekends. Then I had health problems, but… We start with the next month. Every month I would like to introduce you a blog which I find pretty cool and which you just have to visit. Here are really no limits of what area these blogs come from. I visit either because I like the personalities, the… Again and again persons asked me why I wear a beard. Every time I ask myself why this question is asked. Why we shoudn’t wear a beard? Nobody knows this. Either you like beards or you do not like beards. In order to answer these questions, I have picked… Every man who has a beard loves to have it too. But most people do not know the right care. One of the most important care pillars is beard oil. Why do I need it? The beard is nice and good and even I do not want to miss it any…

Diane von FurstenbergCatherine printed silk shirt dress The Catherine dress from Diane von Furstenberg is an easy, elegant and even somewhat sensual shirt dress. The buttoned front allows you to show a hint of skin, while the wide leather belt pulls you in at the waist for a flattering silhouette. The ruffled hem falls playfully to mid-thigh length.

E-mail this article Sending your article The Bruins have signed Benoit Pouliot to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. RDS was among the first to report the signing. The 24-year-old was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft. Minnesota traded Pouliot to Montreal for Guillaume Latendresse on Nov. 23, 2009. This past season, Pouliot scored 13 goals and 17 assists in 79 games. Pouliot was a healthy scratch for four games in the first round against the Bruins. "He's been a healthy scratch in Montreal," acknowledged GM Peter Chiarelli. "He certainly has shown some flashes. He's got to earn a spot, as will everyone else. He's anxious to come here and prove himself. We think he's got a pretty good package." The 2005 draft included Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, Bobby Ryan, Jack Johnson, Marc Staal, Anze Kopitar, Paul Stastny, and Keith Yandle. Framed against those players, Pouliot has been a major disappointment. In 183 games, Pouliot has scored 37 goals and 35 assists. The left-shot forward will be a reclamation project for the Bruins, who like his size (6-foot-3, 199 pounds) and skill. In Boston, Pouliot is best known for one-punching David Krejci during the regular season. In the playoffs, Pouliot took a run at Johnny Boychuk, which brought Andrew Ference calling. Pouliot becomes the third former Canadien that GM Peter Chiarelli has signed upon the opening of free agency. On July 1, 2008, the Bruins signed Michael Ryder. A year later, they signed Steve Begin. * The Bruins have signed Trent Whitfield and Anton Khudobin to two-year extensions.

Wounded, destitute and sick people in one of the cities worst affected by the conflict in Syria are to receive emergency aid from international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) amid worsening reports of crisis as winter bites deep across the region. The aid packages totaling just over $256,000 being sent out by ACN this week will provide medical help for the wounded, repairs to the war-damaged homes of Christians and basic aid, such as heating, food and rent money, for people in need. This latest emergency help means that, since the Syrian crisis broke nearly three years ago, ACN urgent aid for the region has now topped $3.6 million, making it one of the largest aid packages of its kind since the charity began in 1947. Amid continuing dire reports from Syria, ACN pushed through this latest aid after a desperate S.O.S. appeal from Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, who described “the bombing of many Christian homes” and the urgent need to help “many wounded people” in his city, in the north of the country. Working under Bishop Audo’s authority, Aleppo-based Sisters of Jesus and Mary are being entrusted with $121,700 to help up to 500 families in urgent need of gas and electricity for heating and cooking as well as rent money, medical assistance, food and clothing. A further $67,600 will fund repairs to war-damaged homes, shops and other businesses of Christians in Aleppo who are determined to stay in the country. Bomb-blasted windows and doors are being given top priority for repairs. At Bishop Audo’s request, another $67,600 is going to help wounded people receiving treatment at St Louis Hospital, Aleppo. In her letter of last week requesting ACN help, Sister Annie Demerjian from the Sisters of Jesus and Mary described the urgent need to increase help for suffering families both in Aleppo and in another northern Syrian city, Hassake, also receiving aid from the charity. At a time of increasing reports of a widespread breakdown of schools and employment in Aleppo with bombing of factories and key services, Sr. Annie said: “We feel the massive need to carry on providing assistance to our Christian families threatened with the loss of morale. “The assistance will enable us to erase the families’ pain.” This aid for Aleppo comes on top of earlier ACN aid sent through the Jesus and Mary Sisters a year ago. Since then, the help needed has drastically increased and the number of people receiving emergency assistance from the Sisters has more than doubled. Appealing to ACN for help, Sr Annie wrote: “Unfortunately, life has become very expensive due to the lack of materials, particularly energy. To obtain gas and diesel fuel, especially in the harsh winter, is like a dream.” Echoing the words of Bishop Audo, she said that a key aim is to help Christians to stay in the region. She said: “Despite the dramatically difficult situation, people still do not want to leave their homes.” “So that they are not forced to emigrate, we are trying to help them survive until hopefully this present crisis is overcome.” Thanking ACN for its help, Sr. Annie wrote: “Many people in Aleppo and Hassake, particularly women, children and elderly are expecting us, as workers of Christ, to give a helping hand.” “Without your help, we cannot alleviate their suffering in this misery that we actually undergo in Syria.”

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Thoof: Personalize Your Web Experience (Assuming You Use It Enough) Thoof is a new service that aims to bring you news stories and blog posts custom-tailored for you. It might be easiest to think of it as a similar idea to how Netflix or iTunes gives you personalized movie and music recommendations based on your rental and purchase histories – Thoof does the same thing with stories but does so by keeping track of what you’ve clicked on to read in the past on the site.When you click on a link on the Thoof site, a new window opens to follow the link. When you are done reading it or if you determine right away that you don’t like it, you simply close this window to return to Thoof where you can either mark the story as ‘not interesting’ (which means that it won’t be used in calculating what stories the service will think that you will like), ‘improve’ the story by suggesting edits for Thoof elements such as the summary of the story or the tags for it, or you can do nothing and Thoof will simply keep track of the fact that you read the story and appeared to have liked it.In this way, Thoof seems much more in line with StumbleUpon and Reddit than Digg. In StumbleUpon of course you either mark a site as ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ and then stumble on to the next one being served up to you based on your likings. With Thoof however you don’t preset specific categories that you are interested in, instead Thoof is completely relying on your reading habits. This approach could help serve up stories to you that you may find a lot more interesting than stories on the front page any purely socially driven site. It’s also refreshing that instead of giving a submission a vote like Digg, the action of you clicking on and at least presumably reading the story is your vote for it. There is no blind-Digging going on here and really there is no reason for it as every person has their own tailored page.The service worked pretty well after just my initial tests. For example, I clicked on a story entitled ’10 Reasons to Drink More Water’. When I came back to Thoof and reloaded the page, there waiting for me was another story ‘5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water’. Certainly this leads to a question about ‘gaming’ of Thoof, after all, any member can submit any link and give it any title they want. So if I click on and read an iPhone article, someone could have submitted a eBay auction page with the name iPhone in the title even though it has nothing to do with an iPhone. Luckily though the aforementioned ‘improve’ link is in place to hopefully curb some potential abuse like this.Thoof certainly has some potential as a personalized website/news source as it has created a recommendation engine that is different and somewhat more versatile than those of StumbleUpon or Reddit. Its greatest strength, however, might also be a major weakness: the fact that the site gets better the more you use it means that there is a training curve and the usability from the start will vary from person to person.Thoof has a very helpful post on their blog on ‘How to Read Thoof‘ outlining some good practices for using the site.

Segments in this Video Multiple Myeloma's Effects (07:14) FREE PREVIEW Paul Nicholls is diagnosed with a blood cancer called Multiple Myeloma which caused him to have fragile bones; his illness attacks his bone marrow and is closely related to leukemia. Before returning into remission, doctors told Paul he would become paraplegic. Thalidomide Returns(03:57) Thalidomide was once a drug given to pregnant woman to treat morning sickness and as a sleep agent; it has returned as a way to treat blood cancer. Freddie Astbury, a surviving victim of misuse of the drug, explains how regulation of the drug is important. Thalidomide's new Form(08:17) Laureen Campbell suffers from blood cancer which has made her bones so fragile any movement puts her at risk of death; after her thalidomide treatment she went into remission and lives a quality life. Paul founded the charity Team Continuum which raises support for cancer patients like himself. Description The "bête noire" of Big Pharma is making a comeback—this time as a treatment for blood cancers. Thalidomide is the drug best known for causing deformities in thousands of children in Europe and the U.S., but in May 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved thalidomide for use in combination with another drug, dexamethasone, to treat newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Other stage 3 trials should soon lead to new licenses for more cancers. Drug dosage is the key issue. We film with Paul Nichols at the New York marathon. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 and entered the Revlimid trial in January 2006. He has been in full remission since then and now takes the drug on a monthly prescription. For Paul, thalidomide is a miracle drug.

Stop Zoo's Plan to Kill a Second Healthy Giraffe Recent comments directly from Jyllands Park Zoo affirm that there is no immediate plan to kill Marius, due in part to the fact that the zoo has only been participating in the EAZA European breeding programme for one year and breeding is not allowed in the first year. This is a slightly different statement than EAZA's official statement, according to which EAZA has said they did not know about Jyllands' plans to breed its giraffes with females and kill Marius, and that they did not consider Jyllands to have the appropriate facility to breed giraffes. It must again be stressed that, should Marius become surplus with the arrival of a female giraffe at the zoo after its first year in the breeding programme, and alternative accommodation is not found, Jyllands Park Zoo's plan would still be to kill Marius. Just three days after Copenhagen Zoo's decision to kill Marius, a healthy 18-month-old giraffe, sparked international outrage, The Guardian Newspaper reported on February 12, 2014, that Jyllands Park Zoo in Denmark is also considering killing a young, healthy 7-year-old giraffe, who is ironically also called Marius. It is reported in the article that Marius may be killed again due to being surplus to breeding requirements, in the event that another female giraffe is acquired by the zoo. Tell Jyllands Park Zoo that this must not happen again, and that should Marius become surplus to the needs of the zoo's breeding program, to transfer him to alternative accommodation and spare his life. Update #32 years ago Thanks for your support. The first 100,000 signatures were sent to Jyllands Zoo some hours ago. Although one media report yesterday suggested that Jyllands do not plan to kill a second giraffe, Marius's future remains uncertain, and the petition is still active. Please keep signing and spreading the word.

Monday, September 24, 2012 The "marriage" slippery slide I have recently written about one brave Australian politician who was crucified by the media and even fellow colleagues for daring to speak the truth in public. For his efforts, Cory Bernardi has been pilloried and viciously attacked, and has been forced to resign from one of his positions. See my write-up here. But for suggesting that redefining marriage out of existence can possibly lead to others demanding their “rights” such as the polyamorists, and even those into bestiality, he is still being hounded and viciously attacked by the PC forces of tolerance and diversity. This is all about the censorious stranglehold of political correctness, a secular left pro-homosexual MSM, and gutless politicians who refuse to support their own. It is also about shooting the messenger. The truth is there are all sorts of folks calling for the acceptance of bestiality, both within and without the homosexual community. Indeed, one of the world’s ‘greatest ethicists,’ who even wrote the article on ethics for the Encyclopaedia Britannica is quite in support of it. So while Professor Peter Singer gets a Companion of the Order of Australia for his work, Cory Bernardi gets tarred and feathered and run out of town for his. Go figure. BTW, you can see Singer defending bestiality here, on the ABC show Q&A with the host and most folks just joking about it, thinking this perversion is all just good fun. The more radical the homosexual activists get, the more they embolden other sexual activists to push their agendas. It is happening big time with group marriage rights campaigners, incest rights campaigners, paedophile rights campaigners and bestiality rights campaigners. So let me offer just a small sample of those pushing for their rights to ‘human-animal love’. I present them in no particular order, but it should be clear that a cumulative case can be made here. -Headline: “Indiana Woman Wants to Marry Her Pet Dog – Tries to Rally Support From Gay Rights’ Activists”. The story begins: “Cassandra White of Northern Indiana has petitioned her local government to allow her to marry her dog Brutus. White has sent several letters to gay rights activists to help her lead the march to stop discrimination against her and those like her who should get to ‘marry whomever they want’. Ms. White has made several unsuccessful attempts to get a marriage license after listing only “Brutus” in the section asking for FULL NAME OF PARTY B on marriage certificate form.” It concludes: “Ms. White applauded President Obama for announcing that he is in support for gay marriage and quoted the president saying, ‘I was so happy to hear President Obama yesterday comment on gay marriage.’ Ms. White is asking the state of Indiana to recognize what the president said and change their perspective on allowing her to marry Brutus. White has also received support from ‘Freedom To Marry Our Pets Society’ who plan to organize a protest in Washington to change definition of marriage to include pets.” -A woman in Ghana has married her dog. The bride, Emily Mabou, 29 said this: “For so long I’ve been praying for a life with a partner who has all the qualities of my dad. My dad was kind, faithful and loyal to my mum, and he never let her down.” She claims that her relationships have all been with “skirt-chasers and cheaters.” The priest who performed the ceremony told people not to mock the wedding, but instead “rejoice with her, as she has found happiness at last.” -“Zoophiles” are now coming out of the closet. A very lengthy article on this entitled “Those Who Practice Bestiality Say They’re Part of the Next Sexual Rights Movement” has gone into quite a bit of detail on this. It begins this way: “During his sophomore year in high school, Cody Beck finally got fed up with hearing homophobic cracks. If his classmates thought being gay was weird (Beck was openly bisexual), he had a confession that would blow their minds. He told them he is sexually attracted to dogs and horses. “‘I just couldn’t keep it in anymore, Beck says. Just for the hell of it, I figured I’d throw it out there and have them make fun of me even more. Which they did. An 18-year-old from Arizona who graduated from high school this past year, Beck says classmates taunted him by calling him Bestiality Dude. Being a ‘zoophile’ in modern American society, Beck says, is ‘like being gay in the 1950s. You feel like you have to hide, that if you say it out loud, people will look at you like a freak.’ “Now Beck believes he and other members of this minority sexual orientation, who often call themselves ‘zoos,’ can follow the same path as the gay rights movement. Most researchers believe 2 to 8 percent of the population harbors forbidden desires toward animals, and Beck hopes this minority group can begin appealing to the open-minded for acceptance.” And of course these folks will tell you it is an orientation – they just can’t help it. Where have we heard all this before? “Among the seven zoophiles I consulted for this article, all say that theirs is an orientation and that to meet the definition, one must not harm an animal. For this reason, a man who has sex with chickens, for instance, is not a zoophile because the act is sure to hurt if not kill the chicken. Zoophiles I spoke with say they are as opposed to forcing sex upon animals as the rest of society is opposed to the rape of humans.” -A homosexual pride march in Spain was quite happy to have their bestiality mates along for the ride. As one report states, “‘I like dogs, I like apples, in my bed I sleep with whomever I want,’ was one of the principal chants in the Gay Pride Parade last week in Madrid, where hundreds of thousands marched through the streets to advocate ‘gay rights’ and homosexualist ideology, according to local media reports.” -And this just in from Florida: it seems legal loopholes are allowing folks to share the love with their animal friends. As one news item says, “Eric Antunes, 29, was arrested in May on charges of child pornography and bestiality. Prosecution has now dropped the bestiality charges due to a ‘loophole’ in Florida law. One man’s unique case may have uncovered a loophole in Florida law that allows for certain forms of oral sex between humans and animals. “Eric Antunes, 29, was arrested in May on charges of child pornography and bestiality. After allegedly finding images of child pornography on his home computer, investigators say they searched his cell phone and discovered photos of Antunes engaged in sexual acts with his girlfriend’s three-legged dog. Florida outlawed bestiality in October 2011. When Antunes was first arrested, many believed he would be among the first few people to be prosecuted under the new law.” These are just a few of many examples which I can present here. I presented more such cases of this in my earlier article on Bernardi. Once we allow marriage to be destroyed by the sexual militants, then anything goes. And all the various sexual activist groups know it. A few decades ago pro-family forces were mocked, ridiculed and treated with contempt when they said that allowing de facto unions full marriage rights would open the door to homosexual marriage rights being demanded. They were derided and scorned as hysterical, fear-mongering extremists holding repugnant views. THE Opposition has questioned the motives of 5000 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia, as new figures show boat arrivals from the country have overtaken those from war-torn Afghanistan. As 16 Sri Lankan asylum seekers agreed at the weekend to return home instead of facing detention on Nauru, Opposition Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said the move "calls into question" the processing of every application since the country's 25-year civil war ended in 2009. "As asylum seekers, I assume that they were seeking to flee from persecution," Ms Bishop told the ABC. She questioned why the group would therefore choose to return home, rather than go to the "safe haven" of Nauru. The number of Sri Lankans arriving has soared this year to 3536, up from just 211 arrivals last year, and exceeding the 2996 Afghan arrivals. It's the biggest number of arrivals ever recorded by Sri Lankans, including during the years in which a violent civil war killed more than 70,000 people and hugely damaged the economy. Government figures show just 163 Sri Lankans arriving by boat have been granted humanitarian visas this year, but it is understood many of the arrivals are still being assessed. It follows Opposition suggestions earlier this month the Government strike a deal with Sri Lanka to send asylum seekers intercepted at sea back to their home country "before they set foot on Australian soil" as most were economic refugees. The Government said such a move would break international responsibilities. Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Nick Riemer said the civil war may be officially over, but conditions for Tamils were still "very dire". "There are reports of disappearances ... there are reports of torture by the Sri Lankan authorities," he said. "The fact that there are 16 people who have consented, or who have been pressured, into returning doesn't tell us anything about the overall situation of all of the other Sri Lankans who are still in the Australian system, who are still coming here, and who are still evidently desperate to get out of the country." Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said more boats have arrived in the first quarter of the financial year than the Government budgeted for 12 months. Mr Morrison said boats continued to arrive daily, in spite of the new offshore processing regime, including 25 boats in the first 23 days of this month. A SERIES of anti-Islamic protests planned for every Australian capital city and promoted by members of marginal, anti-immigration political groups were effectively suppressed by police yesterday. Despite trying to organise co-ordinated protests, demonstrators ultimately took to the streets only in Melbourne and Perth, with Sydney -- scene of the previous weekend's running battles between police and young Muslim men -- remaining quiet. In Melbourne, members of the right-wing Nationalist Alternative were among a small crowd, which also included Muslims and atheist groups, who gathered outside the state library. Speaking to the crowd through a microphone, one of these men said the former Victorian attorney-general Rob Hulls had gone too far when he changed the laws to make religious vilification illegal. Under the gaze of dozens of police officers, the demonstration eventually ended without incident. In Sydney, two men were arrested on Friday for allegedly using social media to incite violence over the weekend. The pair was reportedly trying to whip up anti-Islamic sentiment, following the previous weekend's protests in the city against an online film, Innocence of Muslims, that ridicules the Islamic faith. Eleven people have been charged over this violence, in which four people were taken to hospital. NSW Police commanders will continue to investigate those involved. A number of other protests had been planned for Sydney, police said, with supporters of the anti-immigration Australian Protectionist Party among those who said they would demonstrate outside the NSW parliament. A petition on Facebook had called for protests in every state and territory capital, saying the previous weekend's violence "once again shined a light on the darker side of Islam". "It is time that we as Australians stand up and defend our land from this extremist behaviour," it said. With hundreds of extra police in the Sydney CBD, however, no such demonstration took place. The NSW Premier, Barry O'Farrell, said the extra police had "exerted control". "I think they've told people that this sort of extremism, this sort of violence, is unwelcome in any community," he said. Police also outnumbered protesters in Perth, with less than a dozen turning up to an anti-Islam demonstration outside parliament house. One of those, who gave his name only as Tony, said he was concerned that Australia was being too influenced by Islam. "This is a country where people are free to express religious beliefs, but when you have one group of people that want to impose their religious and political beliefs, the average Australian should be concerned about it," he said. "This country has accepted people of all races, creeds and colours but the violence people are prepared to use is unacceptable. If it was a group of Catholics, I would still be here." West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said the violence in Sydney represented a dark day for Australia. "One of the great things about Australian society is people from all different races and backgrounds and religions have been able to live happily and peacefully together," he said. "I will always support the right for people to protest . . . so long as they do it in a peaceful way. Unfortunately, in Sydney last weekend, it got out of control." A DECISION to hire an expert in "nudge theory" to advise the state government on innovative ways to influence people's behaviour has been called into question by suggestions it may be of limited use. The initiative is inspired by the British government's "nudge unit", formally know as the Behavioural Insights Team, which was established in 2010. The unit seeks to achieve social change without the need for government regulation by employing behavioural science techniques. For example, it might use peer influence to increase energy efficiency by telling one person how their power use compares with their neighbour's. A senior member of the British team, Rory Gallagher, will be seconded to the NSW government for a year from November to assist the Department of Premier and Cabinet in formulating a local approach. But last year the British minister for government policy, Oliver Letwin, told a House of Lords committee the nudge unit was experimental and there was no concrete evidence it would work. "It is, of course, an open question as to whether any of this will have any effect whatsoever," he told the committee. Mr Letwin defended the Behavioural Insights Team by saying it was low cost, with "almost zero risk". The unit, which employs seven people, costs £520,000 ($806,400) a year to run. The admission followed a National Audit Office report that said it had been unable to convince government departments to consider any of its ideas. Earlier this month the president-elect of the British Science Association, Lord Krebs, said nudge techniques should not be seen as a replacement for traditional government regulation. However, the Cabinet Office says it has saved British taxpayers at least £300 million. 1 comment: Paul said... The question arises: are the Tamil Tigers reconstituting here in Australia under the guise of being "refugees"? I seem to recall many years of them making life in Sri Lanka rather "dire" for anyone who wasn't a Tamil. I think of them more as fugitives rather than refugees. Background Postings from Brisbane, Australia by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.) -- former member of the Australia-Soviet Friendship Society, former anarcho-capitalist and former member of the British Conservative party. Most academics are lockstep Leftists so readers do sometimes doubt that I have the qualifications mentioned above. Photocopies of my academic and military certificates are however all viewable here For overseas readers: The "ALP" is the Australian Labor Party -- Australia's major Leftist party. The "Liberal" party is Australia's major conservative political party. In most Australian States there are two conservative political parties, the city-based Liberal party and the rural-based National party. But in Queensland those two parties are amalgamated as the LNP. Again for overseas readers: Like the USA, Germany and India, Australia has State governments as well as the Federal government. So it may be useful to know the usual abbreviations for the Australian States: QLD (Queensland), NSW (New South Wales), WA (Western Australia), VIC (Victoria), TAS (Tasmania), SA (South Australia). For American readers: A "pensioner" is a retired person living on Social Security "Digger" is an honorific term for an Australian soldier Another lesson in Australian: When an Australian calls someone a "big-noter", he is saying that the person is a chronic and rather pathetic seeker of admiration -- as in someone who often pulls out "big notes" (e.g. $100.00 bills) to pay for things, thus endeavouring to create the impression that he is rich. The term describes the mentality rather than the actual behavior with money and it aptly describes many Leftists. When they purport to show "compassion" by advocating things that cost themselves nothing (e.g. advocating more taxes on "the rich" to help "the poor"), an Australian might say that the Leftist is "big-noting himself". There is an example of the usage here. The term conveys contempt. There is a wise description of Australians generally here Another bit of Australian: Any bad writing or messy anything was once often described as being "like a pakapoo ticket". In origin this phrase refers to a ticket written with Chinese characters - and thus inscrutably confusing to Western eyes. These tickets were part of a Chinese gambling game called "pakapoo". Two of my ancestors were convicts so my family has been in Australia for a long time. As well as that, all four of my grandparents were born in the State where I was born and still live: Queensland. And I am even a member of the world's second-most condemned minority: WASPs (the most condemned is of course the Jews -- which may be why I tend to like Jews). So I think I am as Australian as you can get. I certainly feel that way. I like all things that are iconically Australian: meat pies, Vegemite, Henry Lawson etc. I particularly pride myself on my familiarity with the great Australian slanguage. I draw the line at Iced Vo-Vos and betting on the neddies, however. So if I cannot comment insightfully on Australian affairs, who could? My son Joe On all my blogs, I express my view of what is important primarily by the readings that I select for posting. I do however on occasions add personal comments in italicized form at the beginning of an article. I am rather pleased to report that I am a lifelong conservative. Out of intellectual curiosity, I did in my youth join organizations from right across the political spectrum so I am certainly not closed-minded and am very familiar with the full spectrum of political thinking. Nonetheless, I did not have to undergo the lurch from Left to Right that so many people undergo. At age 13 I used my pocket-money to subscribe to the "Reader's Digest" -- the main conservative organ available in small town Australia of the 1950s. I have learnt much since but am pleased and amused to note that history has since confirmed most of what I thought at that early age. I imagine that the the RD is still sending mailouts to my 1950s address! I am an army man. Although my service in the Australian army was chiefly noted for its un-notability, I DID join voluntarily in the Vietnam era, I DID reach the rank of Sergeant, and I DID volunteer for a posting in Vietnam. So I think I may be forgiven for saying something that most army men think but which most don't say because they think it is too obvious: The profession of arms is the noblest profession of all because it is the only profession where you offer to lay down your life in performing your duties. Our men fought so that people could say and think what they like but I myself always treat military men with great respect -- respect which in my view is simply their due. The kneejerk response of the Green/Left to people who challenge them is to say that the challenger is in the pay of "Big Oil", "Big Business", "Big Pharma", "Exxon-Mobil", "The Pioneer Fund" or some other entity that they see, in their childish way, as a boogeyman. So I think it might be useful for me to point out that I have NEVER received one cent from anybody by way of support for what I write. As a retired person, I live entirely on my own investments. I do not work for anybody and I am not beholden to anybody. And I have NO investments in oil companies or mining companies Although I have been an atheist for all my adult life, I have no hesitation in saying that the single book which has influenced me most is the New Testament. And my Scripture blog will show that I know whereof I speak. The Rt. Rev. Phil Case (Moderator of the Presbyterian church in Queensland) is a Pharisee, a hypocrite, an abomination and a "whited sepulchre". English-born Australian novellist, Patrick White was a great favourite in literary circles. He even won a Nobel prize. But I and many others I have spoken to find his novels very turgid and boring. Despite my interest in history, I could only get through about a third of his historical novel Voss before I gave up. So why has he been so popular in literary circles? Easy. He was a miserable old Leftist coot, and, incidentally, a homosexual. And literary people are mostly Leftists with similar levels of anger and alienation from mainstream society. They enjoy his jaundiced outlook, his dissatisfaction, rage and anger. Would you believe that there once was a politician whose nickname was "Honest"? "Honest" Frank Nicklin M.M. was a war hero, a banana farmer and later the conservative Premier of my home State of Queensland in the '60s. He was even popular with the bureaucracy and gave the State a remarkably tranquil 10 years during his time in office. Sad that there are so few like him. Revered Labour Party leader Gough Whitlam was a very erudite man so he cannot have been unaware of the similarities of his famous phrase “the Party, the platform, the people” with an earlier slogan: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer". It's basically the same slogan in reverse order. Australia's original inhabitants were a race of pygmies, some of whom survived into modern times in the mountainous regions of the Atherton tableland in far North Queensland. See also here. Below is a picture of one of them taken in 2007, when she was 105 years old and 3'7" tall Julia Gillard, a failed feminist flop. She was given the job of Prime Minister of Australia but her feminist preaching was so unpopular that she was booted out of the job by her own Leftist party. Her signature "achievements" were the carbon tax and the mining tax, both of which were repealed by the next government. The "White Australia Policy: "The Immigration Restriction Act was not about white supremacy, racism, or the belief that whites were higher up the evolutionary tree than the coloured races. Rather, it was designed to STOP the racist exploitation of non-whites (all of whom would have been illiterate peasants practicing religions and cultures anathema to progressive democracy) being conscripted into a life of semi-slavery in a coolie-worked plantation economy for the benefit of the absolute monarchs, hereditary aristocracy and the super-wealthy companies and share-holders of the northern hemisphere. A great little kid In November 2007, a four-year-old boy was found playing in a croc-infested Territory creek after sneaking off pig hunting alone with four dogs and a puppy. The toddler was found five-and-a-half hours after he set off from his parents' house playing in a creek with the puppy. Amazingly, Daniel Woditj also swam two creeks known to be inhabited by crocs during his adventurous romp. Mr Knight said that after walking for several kilometres, Daniel came to a creek and swam across it. Four of his dogs "bailed up" at the creek but the youngster continued on undaunted with his puppy to a second creek. Mr Knight said Daniel swam the second croc-infested creek and walked on for several more kilometres. "Captain is a hard bushman and Daniel is following in his footsteps. They breed them tough out bush." A great Australian: His eminence George Pell. Pictured in devout company before his elevation to Rome There are also two blogspot blogs which record what I think are my main recent articles here and here. Similar content can be more conveniently accessed via my subject-indexed list of short articles here or here (I rarely write long articles these days) NOTE: The archives provided by blogspot below are rather inconvenient. They break each month up into small bits. If you want to scan whole months at a time, the backup archives will suit better. See here or here About Me I am a 5'10" tall, jocular former university teacher aged 70 at the time of writing in early 2014 who still has a fair bit of hair. I am Australian born of working class origins and British ancestry. My doctorate is in psychology but I taught mainly sociology (Research Methods) in my 14 years as a university teacher. In High Schools I taught economics. I have taught in both traditional and "progressive" (low discipline) High Schools. My main interests are blogging, classical music, history, the stockmarket, current affairs and languages. I have been married four times to four fine women with whom I am still on amicable terms. I have one son born in 1987. I am totally non-sporting and have never owned a firearm. My brother has enough guns for the whole family. I did however enjoy my weapons training in the Army. Fuller biographical notes here

Now Commenting On: Nats looking to bolster pitching staff for '14 Nats looking to bolster pitching staff for '14 9/20/13: Jordan Zimmermann pitches a complete game two-hitter, allowing just one walk and striking out nine for his NL-leading 19th win By Bill Ladson / MLB.com | WASHINGTON -- Dating back to Aug. 9 until the end of the 2013 season, the Nationals owned the best record in baseball, going 32-16. But it wasn't enough to help them go to the postseason. Injuries, lack of offense in the first half of the season and not having quality lefties in the bullpen were the reasons the Nationals struggled this season. Missing Bryce Harper for more than a month because of a left knee injury was a big blow. He was the guy they missed in the middle of the order. 2013 season wraps 2014 outlooks Now, general manager Mike Rizzo starts the offseason looking for a manager to replace Davey Johnson, who retired after Sunday's game. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Rizzo names a skipper after the World Series. Randy Knorr, Trent Jewett and Matt Williams are managerial candidates. "The manager is going to have an input on what we do with the roster," Rizzo said. Once they find their manager, the Nationals must fix a couple of things. They need some lefties out of the bullpen. Letting Tom Gorzelanny and Michael Gonzalez go after the 2012 season turned out to be a big mistake. Washington must improve its bench. Steve Lombardozzi was the only productive player when it came to pinch-hitting appearances. It must fix the back end of the rotation. The team may not need to go out and find a veteran pitcher to help the young pitching staff. It will be interesting to see what the Nationals do during the offseason. Rotation: As of now, the front end is settled with Strasburg, Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez. The trio won a combined 38 games. However, the back end of the rotation needs work -- big time. Haren will not be back because of his inconsistency on the mound. It's still unknown if Ross Detwiler is healthy. He didn't pitch after July 3 because of back problems. Tanner Roark and Taylor Jordan looked impressive during their brief time with the team, but it's not a given they will be in the rotation next year. Rizzo could go out and get another veteran pitcher to help guide the rotation. At the same time, Strasburg, Zimmermann and Gonzalez are not rookies anymore and should be able to lead a pitching staff by next year. Bullpen: What made the bullpen average? Johnson had a tough time finding quality lefties out of the bullpen. The Nationals started the season with Zach Duke as the long man before he was released in June. Then, they went with Abad and Ian Krol, but they were inconsistent. It took until September to realize that Cedeno was a quality left-hander out of the bullpen. Look for Rizzo to look for some quality lefties for 2014. The back end of the bullpen is fine with Rafael Soriano as the closer and Storen and Clippard as the setup men. Clippard was clearly the best reliever on the Nationals. Johnson even thought he overused Clippard during the season because he didn't have a left-hander who could get left-handed hitters out on a regular basis. Craig Stamman is expected to be back next season. Ryan Mattheus has to have a great Spring Training to make the team next year. Catcher: If only Ramos stayed healthy this year, his numbers would be unbelievable. Ramos dealt with hamstring issues during the first half of the season. But when he came back, he was one of Washington's best power hitters. The Nationals still don't know who their backup catcher will be next year. Jhonatan Solano and Sandy Leon both had bad years with the bat in the Minor Leagues and weren't given much of a chance in the Major Leagues. It wouldn't come as a surprise if Rizzo tried to acquire a backup catcher via free agency. First base:Adam LaRoche had one of the toughest seasons of his Major League career, hitting .237 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs. Those numbers are not even close to the MVP-type numbers he put up for Washington last year. It didn't helped that LaRoche lost 15 to 20 pounds in recent months. It was believed, at first, that LaRoche was losing the weight because of the flu he caught right after the All-Star break. But LaRoche revealed that the weight loss was caused by the medication he was taking for attention deficit disorder (ADD). LaRoche is expected to fix the problem during the offseason. There was a possibility of trading LaRoche in order to put Ryan Zimmerman at first base. But with Zimmerman's throwing problems behind him, LaRoche will be the first baseman in 2014. Second base: It will come down to Anthony Rendon and Lombardozzi fighting for the second base job. For right now, it looks like Rendon has the edge because of the power numbers he could potentially put up. A third baseman by trade, Rendon also was above average with the glove at second. Lombardozzi was the team's best pinch-hitter and could be in that same role next year. When he played often, Lombardozzi was an asset in the top or bottom of the batting order. Rizzo insists that Danny Espinosa is in the mix for the starting second base job, but he will likely be traded before Spring Training. If he isn't traded, he will be no more than a backup infielder. Shortstop: Desmond seems to get better every year. Besides having steady hands at short, Desmond was among the team leaders in home runs and RBIs. The Nationals are hoping that they can sign Desmond to an extension, but he is not taking a team discount to get it done. Third base: For a while, it looked like the Nationals needed a new third baseman for the first time since 2005. Zimmerman had a tough time throwing the baseball because he was still recovering from shoulder surgery. However, during the month of September, Zimmerman was the Zimmerman of old -- making great backhanded catches and making strong throws to first base. Rizzo said he is not planning to make any changes at third base. Left field: Can you imagine if Harper stayed healthy? His numbers would probably be off the charts. He missed more than a month of the season after crashing into the right-field wall in Dodger Stadium. He also had some left hip issues. As of now, Harper doesn't believe he needs surgery to repair his knee or hip. Center field:Denard Span played outstanding defense the entire season. He didn't make an error and should win his first Gold Glove. But it took him a while to get use to National League pitching. Span would put up respectable numbers, thanks to a 29-game hitting streak, the highest in the Major Leagues. Right field:Jayson Werth staved off injuries and was the MVP of the team. He led the team in almost every major offensive category including home runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and OPS.

Music Scholar masterclass with sublime soprano Dame Emma Kirkby 14 May 2018 Haileybury’s Music Scholars had the chance to be coached by skilful soprano Dame Emma Kirkby in a vocal masterclass on Friday 11 May. English soprano Dame Emma Kirkby is one of the world’s most renowned early music specialists. She has sung on more than 100 recordings and was awarded a DBE in 2007 and the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2011. During the masterclass, some of Haileybury’s current and future music scholars performed a piece for Dame Emma Kirkby, who then offered her experience and expertise on how they could refine and improve it. The pieces included Handel’s Cara Sposa and Lascia Ch'io Pianga, as well as Faure’sLes Roses d’Ispahan. Haileybury’s Director of Music, Andrew O’Brien, said: “It was a privilege to welcome one of the UK’s national treasures, Dame Emma Kirkby, to Haileybury. The way she spoke to the pupils was outstanding and she really brought the best out of every individual, both on a performance and on a deeper intellectual level.” With a theme of music being for everyone, pupils enjoy a rich and varied musical life at Haileybury, There are plenty of opportunities to get involved and to perform, including choirs, orchestras, wind band, concerts, recitals and musicals. Over the past school year, pupils have had the opportunity to take part in masterclasses with members of the Regimental Band of H.M Irish Guards as well as the Principal Trombone for the London Symphony Orchestra, Dudley Bright. Next month, classical pianist Stephen Hough will hold a piano masterclass at Haileybury in conjunction with the Hertfordshire Festival of Music.

Updates Appearances Codex text "Remember that our strength lies in commitment to tradition and to each other." Every alienage has a hahren, an elder. It falls to the hahren to arrange marriages for those without family, to negotiate with the guards when there's trouble, and to act as a sort of mayor and surrogate uncle to the people of the alienage. The title, like so many things, is a holdover from the time of Arlathan, for hahrens are not necessarily the oldest person in their community, or even all that old. Tradition gives the role to the oldest soul, the wisest, cleverest, and the most level-headed. Valendrian has been hahren of the Denerim Alienage since he was in his thirties. “We now have a dog and Alistair is still the dumbest one in the party.” — MorriganThis article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins. Click here to reveal them. After "Unrest in the Alienage" if The Warden is a city elf: He was taken across the sea by Tevinter slavers. His whereabouts are now unknown. After "Unrest in the Alienage" if The Warden is not a city elf: He was nearly shipped to Tevinter by slavers, but was returned to the Alienage by The Warden.

Archives Follow me on Facebook Facebook outage I did a little Twittergram shortly before noon just as Facebook was coming back up off of a 1.5-hour outage. Twittergrams are 30-second audio messages that I can send to my followers on Twitter. I talked with one of the engineers inside Facebook (we were trying to get him to come down to lunch) and they said that they had a problem with a code update that they rolled up last night — the way they were talking I don’t think it was a hack, but rather an update that didn’t go well. Folks over on TechMeme are saying that Facebook might have been hacked, though. UPDATE: Facebook PR’s Brandee Barker has posted an official statement, which I’ve printed below. By the way, the first place I go to get news is on Twitter now. The flow there is incredible and generally stories get discussed there long before they do on blogs. Oh, and Facebook PR has a group that they’ve invited some of the press and bloggers into. Here’s an official statement that was just posted to that group: This morning, we temporarily took down the Facebook site to fix a bug we identified earlier today. This was not the result of a security breach. Specifically, the bug caused some third party proxy servers to cache otherwise inaccessible content. The result was that an isolated group of users could see some pages that were not intended for them. The site has now been restored and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.” Published by Robert Scoble As Startup Liaison for Rackspace, the Open Cloud Computing Company, Scoble travels the world looking for what's happening on the bleeding edge of technology for Rackspace's startup program. He's interviewed thousands of executives and technology innovators and reports what he learns in books ("The Age of Context," a book coauthored with Forbes author Shel Israel, has been released at http://amzn.to/AgeOfContext ), YouTube, and many social media sites where he's followed by millions of people. Best place to watch me is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RobertScoble View all posts by Robert Scoble […] that Facebook were fixing a technical issue regarding proxies, and nothing to do with security, according to the Scobleizer blog which has some sort of access to Facebook’s PR team. Facebook is now alive again, and […] I can tell you that I was logging into other peoples profiles the whole day. I could read their inbox messages amongst other things. I also realized that every time I refreshed the profile page, it would be logged in as a different user. I can tell you that I was logging into other peoples profiles the whole day. I could read their inbox messages amongst other things. I also realized that every time I refreshed the profile page, it would be logged in as a different user. I was with Dan Farber this morning when he got the exact same message on his Blackberry. Funny, it wasn’t a planned meeting, we just bumped into each other randomly in the bar of my hotel. He was passing down the street and saw me in the window, and came in. Small world. This is something I’ve noticed; maybe there’s a future blog post in it: Anything to do with Web 2.0, whether we’re talking about something big [Google], medium [Twitter, Facebook] or tiny [gapingvoid, The Assimilated Negro blog] has an Achilles heel. I have yet to find an exception to the rule. I was with Dan Farber this morning when he got the exact same message on his Blackberry. Funny, it wasn’t a planned meeting, we just bumped into each other randomly in the bar of my hotel. He was passing down the street and saw me in the window, and came in. Small world. This is something I’ve noticed; maybe there’s a future blog post in it: Anything to do with Web 2.0, whether we’re talking about something big [Google], medium [Twitter, Facebook] or tiny [gapingvoid, The Assimilated Negro blog] has an Achilles heel. I have yet to find an exception to the rule. One more passive-aggressive schmuck who’s afraid to stand for to the name his parents, in their love, gifted him Sorry to be an asshole, Robert, but “Strong Opinions+Anonymity=Scum of The Earth @15: [hugh macleod] Anything to do with Web 2.0, whether we’re talking about something big [Google], medium [Twitter, Facebook] or tiny [gapingvoid, The Assimilated Negro blog] has an Achilles heel. I have yet to find an exception to the rule. This- all in response to @4 [One more VC]: What you Facebook PR now? Awfully amusing. I do not get your point Hugh. Are you saying that Robert’s latest post on Facebook – something close to his 100th in the last 14 days – isn’t close to PR? You chose to slam the poster without addressing the post. So… I haven’t a clue to your point. Yes Robert. This is me. The guy who – jeez, are you somehow forcing sound effects on me? One more passive-aggressive schmuck who’s afraid to stand for to the name his parents, in their love, gifted him Sorry to be an asshole, Robert, but “Strong Opinions+Anonymity=Scum of The Earth @15: [hugh macleod] Anything to do with Web 2.0, whether we’re talking about something big [Google], medium [Twitter, Facebook] or tiny [gapingvoid, The Assimilated Negro blog] has an Achilles heel. I have yet to find an exception to the rule. This- all in response to @4 [One more VC]: What you Facebook PR now? Awfully amusing. I do not get your point Hugh. Are you saying that Robert’s latest post on Facebook – something close to his 100th in the last 14 days – isn’t close to PR? You chose to slam the poster without addressing the post. So… I haven’t a clue to your point. Yes Robert. This is me. The guy who – jeez, are you somehow forcing sound effects on me? @15 “This is something I’ve noticed; maybe there’s a future blog post in it: Anything to do with Web 2.0, whether we’re talking about something big [Google], medium [Twitter, Facebook] or tiny [gapingvoid, The Assimilated Negro blog] has an Achilles heel. I have yet to find an exception to the rule.” Doesn’t that apply to any software? If we are to believe Facebook’s PR is sounds like they had a breakdown in regression testing and/or overall testing and QA. Happens in almost any software development project at one time or another. I don’t see how what happened to Facebook is unique to “Web 2.0″ Unless you are suggesting these Web 2.0 companies have poor testing procedure as a whole. In which case, then yes, that is their Achilles heal. @15 “This is something I’ve noticed; maybe there’s a future blog post in it: Anything to do with Web 2.0, whether we’re talking about something big [Google], medium [Twitter, Facebook] or tiny [gapingvoid, The Assimilated Negro blog] has an Achilles heel. I have yet to find an exception to the rule.” Doesn’t that apply to any software? If we are to believe Facebook’s PR is sounds like they had a breakdown in regression testing and/or overall testing and QA. Happens in almost any software development project at one time or another. I don’t see how what happened to Facebook is unique to “Web 2.0″ Unless you are suggesting these Web 2.0 companies have poor testing procedure as a whole. In which case, then yes, that is their Achilles heal. […] at the CTV studios, apparently they were able to access Facebook. I understand that Scoble and a few others in the valley are back up also. But here in the Canadian hinterlands of Manotick, Facebook is a definite no-show, […] […] that Facebook were fixing a technical issue regarding proxies, and nothing to do with security, according to the Scobleizer blog (which has some sort of access to Facebook’s PR team). Facebook is now alive again, and […]

The biggest stars in music history came out to celebrate Berry Gordy's journey from Detroit to Broadway when 'Motown: The Musical' hit the stage last night. See Tracee Ellis Ross,Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and other MOTOWN Legends walk the red carpet inside.... Before Diddy, Jay-Z, Baby, Master P,Jermaine Dupri or any other hit-making record label owner you can name check....there was Berry Gordy. And last night, Mr. Gordy watched his life come full circle as the story of him turning Detroit aka The Motor City into "Motown" made its debut on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in NYC. "Motown: The Musical"is about the history and love-story style legacy of Motown AND the musical acts it turned into international superstars. Though reviews about the musical have been mixed, there's no denying the contribution of Motown and acts like The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations and others and beyond. So it's best you go see it for yourself! On the red carpet..... Fashion hottie Tracee Ellis Ross came out to support both Berry and her mom. And she looked amazing...even though we're trying to figure out that bra(less) situation up top... Berry Gordy proudly posed on the red carpet with his former muse Diana Ross (who's also the mother of his daughter Rhonda Ross) and his new muse and arm candy Eskedar Gobeze. Diana, whom most folks would call was Motown's First Lady, also posed with Berry and Stefan Kendal Gordy (Berry's son and a part of LMFAO) and Jada Grace (one of Stefan's new artists). Then Miss Ross posed with cast members from the musical. Mary Wilson (who was one of the original members of The Supremes) posed on the red carpet. Does Tracee Ellis Ross have a glass eye? Just asking..... Did she get that dress from the back of her Diana's closet? That dress is all wrong. I must say that the old school Motown artists look GREAT for their age (i.e. Gladys Knight, Mary Wells, Smokey Robinson). Sorry, but I have to squint to look at Diana's son-in-law (Rhonda's husband). LAWD. WTF is going on with Tracy's dress. I know Diana don't like like Rhonda's husband. Diana don't like nothing black unless you own a record company. I think all her daughters are rebelling against her & finding jet black men. I have to make a trip to NY to see the play These are indeed some FABULOUS-BLACK folk! Not feeling most of the outfits but these folks are so talented, fashion is a non-issue. Diana Ross is the FIRST d-i-v-a! Gladys Knight & Mary WIlson look GREAT! Love Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Jesse J & Berry Gordy. Cuba couldn't bother to change OUT of his hoodie??? SMH... The only sista that was natural there was Rhonda Ross and the sista LOOKEDDD BEAUTIFULLLL, Gorgeous sista!!!!!!!!! The other older sistas got all that silly ass shit in they head, perfume extra loud and shit, brothas got on them cheap ass 1970 suits. But sistas please take that shit out yall head PLEASE !!!!!!IF NOT NOBODY ELSE DOOOOOOO IT FOR MEEEE!!! The white woman is no longer the standard of beauty you don't have to put that shit in your head to feel good Look like the elder brotha and sistas had a good time, although it may have been a little tension between some people in the building they still keep it old skool. Alot talented people there unlike today where the singers are mediocre and don't really have soul and niggas be loving that shit. Times are surely changing when these folks are gone , and we're old we gone have niggas saying Beyonce was the greastest and Chris brown made the best music. funny thing about time is that it changes! these people are legends but they will also die therefor making room for others to be great! as well as more music! duh! And Beyonce is already on her way to be the greatest...its already happening!ill wait for you to tell me who else would it be... Well sista, there's a ton of artist better than Beyonce in my opinion!! But hey when it comes to popularity and a majority more people like beyonce. Jill Scott alone is better than beyonce IN MY OPINION, Kem, i mean most neo soul artist sound better than the mainstream artist IN MY OPINION!!!So when it comes to popular culture ok you can give it to herrr but i don't like pop so there it is.

This is the story of a teenager named Gracie Bowen, who lives in South Orange, New Jersey, is crazy about soccer, as are her three brothers and former soccer star father. Although Gracie wants to join her brothers and father in the nightly practices, she is discouraged by everyone except her elder brother, Johnny. Her father does not believe that girls should play soccer and tells her that she is neither tough enough nor talented enough to play with the boys team. Undeterred, Gracie finds reserves of strength she never knew existed, and persists in changing everyone's beliefs in what she is capable of, including her own. She faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer. But as the beautiful and strong person that she has always been but she also brings her family together in the face of their own tragedy.

A moment of transitionUNHCR's Global report 2018 In the course of 2018, conflict, persecution and civil strife continued to uproot millions of people, in harrowing circumstances. By the end of 2018, the number of people of concern to UNHCR around the world—asylum-seekers, refugees, returnees, the internally displaced and stateless—had reached 74.8 million people, the highest figure ever. Over the year, with the support of host countries, committed donors, and other partners, UNHCR worked to provide lifesaving support, safeguard fundamental rights and build better futures for millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced people and stateless persons. Lifesaving support Responding to emergencies Over the course of 2018, UNHCR and its partners responded to the needs of millions of displaced people affected by multiple and simultaneous emergencies worldwide. Meeting basic needs Over $34 million-worth of core relief items were dispatched from global stockpiles to 39 countries in 2018 reaching 5.2 million people. Expanding cash-based interventions UNHCR delivered $568 million in cash assistance to some of the most vulnerable people of concern, providing them with more choice in how to meet needs and prioritize expenditures, such as clothes, hygiene, communications, transport and school supplies. Shelter and settlement assistance UNHCR provided shelter to more than 3.4 million refugees in planned settlements. Water sanitation and hygiene In 2018, UNHCR supported 8.7 million people across 59 countries to access safe water and sanitation services. Safeguarding rights Identity management, registration and profiling Biometric records for 2.4 million people of concern were captured, raising the total number of individuals with biometric records in BIMS and IrisGuard (the iris scanning equipment used across operations in the Syria situation) to 7.2 million across 60 operations. Preventing and ending statelessness A reported 56,400 people who were formerly stateless or of undetermined nationality acquired nationality or had their nationality confirmed in 2018. Building better futures Access to quality education With the combined efforts of governments, UNHCR and partners succeeded in enrolling over 500,000 children in school in 2018, allowing refugees like Rihanna Siraj, a young refugee student who lives in Kakuma Refugee Camp, a chance to pursue her dreams of one day becoming a doctor. Livelihoods and economic inclusion UNHCR focused on ensuring the sustainability and efficacy of its economic inclusion and livelihoods initiatives across 75 countries, which benefited some 1.8 million people of concern and host community members. Resettlement and humanitarian admissions In 2018, 1.2 million refugees were in need of resettlement; more than 81,337 resettlement submissions were made to 29 resettlement States; but only 55,680 refugees were actually resettled to 27 countries—a 14% decrease compared to equivalent 2017 figures. Emergency Transit Mechanism UNHCR successfully evacuated over 2,200 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers out of Libyato the Emergency Transit Mechanism in Niger for individual processing for resettlement; from there, some 1,000 people were resettled to third countries. Comprehensive solutions UNHCR facilitated voluntary repatriation—the preferred solution of many refugees—to countries including Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan. However, the number of returnees decreased from 667,400 in 2017 to 593,814 in 2018 – a 11% decrease compared with 2017. Local integration To support countries in providing options for local integration, UNHCR and partners contributed with financial and technical support to ensure that integration programming took into account the needs of both refugees and host communities. This was also a year of transformation. 2018 came to a close with the historic affirmation by the United Nations General Assembly of theGlobal Compact on Refugees, presenting a new set of opportunities to translate the principle of responsibility-sharing into concrete action. The Global Compact's four key objectives are to: (1) ease pressure on the host countries involved; (2) enhance refugee self-reliance; (3) expand access to third-country solutions; and (4) support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity. Despite the many challenges, long-standing host countries stood firm in their commitment to protection principles and humanitarian values. UNHCR is equally grateful for the generous and unyielding support of our donors. Without your trust, the urgent needs of the most vulnerable people of concern would remain unmet. By the end of 2018, UNHCR’s final budget reached $8.220 billion. All told, UNHCR received $4.184 billion in contributions, including $422.7 million from the private sector. When added to carryover and other amounts, UNHCR had funds available to it of $4.710 billion but In the face of growing needs, UNHCR was nevertheless left with a funding gap of 43%. Expenditure reached $4.226 billion with an implementation rate (expenditure over total funds available) of 90%. To maintain an effective response to refugee situations around the world, increasing the percentage of unearmarked funds is more vital than ever before. With the affirmation of the Global Compact on Refugees, we now have a framework to transform our response to major refugee situations around the world, including by broadening the base of support beyond traditional host, donor, and resettlement countries. The first Global Refugee Forum, to take place in December 2019, will offer an unprecedented opportunity to showcase, and further galvanize, innovative and tangible ways of applying the principles of solidarity and equitable burden- and responsibility-sharing in practice. "At this moment when division and intolerance have gained ground in many parts of the world, it is critical that we are able to demonstrate, in practical, meaningful ways, that international cooperation and multilateralism still work. By giving substance to the Compact, and working together to translate its promise into action, we can do just that—and help strengthen cohesion and build opportunities for millions of uprooted people and hosting communities worldwide." - Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner for Refugees Learn more about how UNHCR's work in 2018 impacted the lives of millions asylum-seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced and stateless persons by reading UNHCR's Global Report 2018 or visiting the Global Focus website.

Four-D Ultrasounds Show Videos of Unborn Children Ultrasounds have long been a thorn in the side of abortion sellers.This is because the images of hearts beating inside the womb, and of children sucking their thumbs or reacting to outside stimuli, have gone a long way in undercutting the "mass of cells" or "bundle of DNA" theories abortionists pawn to ease the consciences of prospective clients. And this is why pro-abortion forces demonize the 24 states that require an ultrasound before an abortion -- they know that mothers who look upon their children's faces will have a harder time looking the other way while an abortionist stops a beating heart. With this understood, abortionists have to be more than a little concerned with the growing number of next-generation ultrasounds, which are taking images and video from inside the womb to unimagined levels. Four-D ultrasound scans, the latest variants of which were released last year, can be found at hospitals throughout the country and are being used by researchers to watch the development of children in real time. One group of researchers is currently using 4D to record 24-week-old babies yawning in the womb. These scans are so advanced that they not only detect and record the yawns, but actually record how long the yawns last and the frequency at which they are occurring. According to 4D researcher Nadja Reissland, "4D ultra-sound scans are to 3D scans as video footage is to still photos: they are in 3D but also have a time dimension, allowing doctors and researchers to measure how long the behavior they are observing lasts." As Reissland and other researchers watched the yawns in their testing, they were able to establish habits and patterns that could "serve as an index of health in unborn babies." If seeing 3D images of babies discouraged mothers from aborting their children, what will 4D videos do? If seeing the face of her child had a positive impact on the mother, how much more will watching the child yawn and move? The old storylines of a "mass of cells" or a "bundle of DNA" keep becoming a harder sell for doctors of death. They, together with some courts and activist groups, may move slowly in admitting that children in the womb are children nonetheless, but ultrasound technology has not proven to be so lethargic. Steven H. Aden is senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org), a legal alliance employing a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty and the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family. Aden heads Alliance Defending Freedom's work to defend the sanctity of life in court from its Washington, D.C., regional service center. Ultrasounds have long been a thorn in the side of abortion sellers. This is because the images of hearts beating inside the womb, and of children sucking their thumbs or reacting to outside stimuli, have gone a long way in undercutting the "mass of cells" or "bundle of DNA" theories abortionists pawn to ease the consciences of prospective clients. And this is why pro-abortion forces demonize the 24 states that require an ultrasound before an abortion -- they know that mothers who look upon their children's faces will have a harder time looking the other way while an abortionist stops a beating heart. With this understood, abortionists have to be more than a little concerned with the growing number of next-generation ultrasounds, which are taking images and video from inside the womb to unimagined levels. Four-D ultrasound scans, the latest variants of which were released last year, can be found at hospitals throughout the country and are being used by researchers to watch the development of children in real time. One group of researchers is currently using 4D to record 24-week-old babies yawning in the womb. These scans are so advanced that they not only detect and record the yawns, but actually record how long the yawns last and the frequency at which they are occurring. According to 4D researcher Nadja Reissland, "4D ultra-sound scans are to 3D scans as video footage is to still photos: they are in 3D but also have a time dimension, allowing doctors and researchers to measure how long the behavior they are observing lasts." As Reissland and other researchers watched the yawns in their testing, they were able to establish habits and patterns that could "serve as an index of health in unborn babies." If seeing 3D images of babies discouraged mothers from aborting their children, what will 4D videos do? If seeing the face of her child had a positive impact on the mother, how much more will watching the child yawn and move? The old storylines of a "mass of cells" or a "bundle of DNA" keep becoming a harder sell for doctors of death. They, together with some courts and activist groups, may move slowly in admitting that children in the womb are children nonetheless, but ultrasound technology has not proven to be so lethargic. Steven H. Aden is senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom (www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org), a legal alliance employing a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty and the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family. Aden heads Alliance Defending Freedom's work to defend the sanctity of life in court from its Washington, D.C., regional service center.

Well, I always thought Jacob would make a good Eli. I don't know why.I like the name Esme but her personality always reminded me of a Charlotte. I don't know why these sort of things pop into my head. But it comes in handy to make up code names for the characters. When my friends and I talk TW around "non-believers" we don't look so weird because they don't recognize the names. So when I first read Twilight I couldn't really see Bella as a Bella. But after a while I got used to it, and now I can't imagine her having another name. Though I wish Jasper's name would be different still, because Jasper is one of the dog catchers on 101 Dalmations. He should be William or something. Team Edward&Esme~SBS Assistant 2 the Cobosses~APPCSt Cullens Head of Neurology~TetrarchNeed something to read? Tryhttp://www.jennacooper.com I would think that they would always keep the same first names and just change their last names as needed. I remember Edward saying that he was glad that his name fell out of favor with parents.Like others, I can't imagine them with any other names. To think of Rosalie as Carol just doesn't fit, I am glad that SM decided to change it. "But you see, just because we've been...dealt a certain hand...it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above -- to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted." I think Renesmee is the silliest name ever. I mean noone can pronounce it, it doesnt roll off the tongue...in fact people call her nessie because its easier to pronounce instead. Its like if you named me JackDavid (as first name). SO I think that a good first name for her would be...anything normal! Here are a few hints:

Artist and teacher Paul Heussenstamm’s vibrant sacred art incorporates principles of many religious traditions, among them Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. His signature motif is the mandala, a mystic symbol many see as a doorway to the soul. Heussenstamm (American, b. 1949) believes that soul patterns are manifested in mandalas, which have played a role in Eastern spiritual development for centuries and are widely favored as meditational focal points. In his own words, the Mandala Tree of Life “represents each individual’s divine place in the universe. The roots connect you with your ancestors, and the tree reaches up to connect heaven and earth. Every place and every person that the tree connects you with is in a meditative harmony.” Heussenstamm, whose artist parents “met at the easel,” grew up in a highly creative, spiritual environment that helped form the pattern of his life and work. So that others may discover their own spiritual paths through art, he teaches mandala-painting workshops around the world. Contains five each of the four color variations on Mandala Tree of Life

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(7:30 p.m. EST) -- Part of the U.S. Navy's core mission is to deliver humanitarian aid for those in need -- be that a capsized boat off the coast of Africa or a cruise ship carrying 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew. Passengers on the ill-fated Carnival Splendor Mexican Riviera cruise learned that firsthand on Tuesday, when the U.S. Navy undertook a mission to deliver 60,000 pounds of food and supplies -- including bottled water, Pop-Tarts and the much-publicized Spam -- to the stranded cruise ship. The mission kicked off Monday after the 113,000-ton, 952-foot-long Carnival Splendor was crippled by an engine room fire and set adrift west of Baja California. The Coast Guard responded first to Splendor's distress call, dispatching the Cutter Edisto and a C130 to survey the scene. A larger ship, the 378-foot Cutter Morgenthau, then arrived alongside the cruise ship Tuesday at 2 a.m., tasked with the job of escorting Carnival Splendor safely into port. With the ship running on auxiliary power and the reality of losing a large amount of perishable food setting in, Carnival Cruise Lines asked the Coast Guard to help deliver provisions. However, "given the size and logistical challenge of this mission, the Navy stepped in [on Monday afternoon] to help and expedite the process," says Petty Officer Pamela Manns. The most obvious candidate for the mission was the 1,092-foot-long USS Ronald Reagan, a Pacific-based aircraft carrier engaged in "comp training exercises," naval jargon for pre-deployment training for combat missions. Bringing aid to the stranded ship now took precedence, and the aircraft carrier and its roughly 5,000 crew chartered a course just south of Carnival Splendor, motoring some 80 nautical miles to reach a workable position. But before the Navy could deliver a single Pop-Tart to hungry passengers, Carnival had to secure the provisions, then rent out the semis to deliver them to appropriate naval bases. From there, C-2A Greyhound logistics aircraft were loaded and directed for the USS Ronald Reagan. The menu -- and the bill -- was Carnival's responsibility. Provisions included bread, canned milk, disposable cups and utensils, croissants, sandwich meats, Pop-Tarts, canned crab and plenty of bottled water. "Anything in a box or a can that be easily moved, doesn't have to be refrigerated, and can be served cold," said Hicks. Carnival was unavailable for comment. Once onboard the USS Reagan, supplies were again offloaded, then tethered to HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopters, which would carry goods from aircraft carrier to cruise ship. The first shipment arrived at around 7 a.m., said Hicks, with teams from the Coast Guard and Navy assuring safe delivery zones (the ship's running track, for instance) so choppers could hover over and slowly lower the pallets onto Splendor. The operation, which remains unnamed, continued until sundown, when the last Sea Hawk headed back to its floating base. Mission now accomplished, the Ronald Reagan has since returned to its original position, where combat training will recommence. The Navy will be keeping an eye on the situation. "We're standing off, but ready to respond," notes Hicks.

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Thursday, January 6, 2011 Texas Stars "On The Ice" report on ESPN Austin: Greg Rallo Texas Stars forward Greg Rallo joined ESPN 104.9 The Horn after a lengthy delay. The Adams Theory delayed Greg's appearance by 40 minutes to discuss Vince Young's release from the Titans, a story which had no breaking news at the time. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

At approximately 8:35 a.m. the Tallahassee Police Department responded to a shooting which occurred near the 600 block of Dent Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered one victim suffering from a gunshot wound. TPD and Emergency responders immediately provided medical attention to the victim, who was later transported to a local hospital with life threatening injuries. Officers are asking anyone with information about this case to please call them at (850) 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 574-TIPS. This is currently an active investigation and TPD will provide updates when they are available. Updates: As the Tallahassee Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit continues to investigate this case, they are releasing the name of the victim. At this time, investigators are interviewing all known witnesses and processing the evidence collected from the scene. Investigators are asking anyone with information about this case to please call them at (850) 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 574-TIPS. This case is an active investigation, and updates will be provided as they become available.

About Banks_87 Favourite Team Currently Managing Does the playmaker have a bigger say in matches than the Enganche? Currently using Asensio in the first WOF 4312, but I think another role, like an advanced playmaker, would make better use of his ability and mobility Hi Mr Rosler I've started tinkering between the two alot more, trying to get myself out of the bad spell i'm in, like you say it's all about managing the form and sustaining it wherever possible. I'm mid table at the moment, that's as good as it's got for me so far. Teams have sat in a little deeper against me this season though, I've gone a little more direct at times and tbh a lack of quality finishing up top has really cost me at times. The most frustrating thing is literally almost every game the opposition is having 2/3 shots and scoring 2/3 goals. Just gotta ride it out This has really faltered for me second season. Started really well and I thought we had cracked it, winning the first three of the season. Since then we've lost the next four. I averaged around 25 shots on goal in each game, really frustrating. I'm noticing a lot of long shots, although I think thats to do with the personnel rather than the tactic. Not sure at the moment whether to stick or twist, because I have suffered injuries to key players early on. Another thing, dont know if you experience the same Mr Rosler, It seems as though my striker can never really find any kind of space in and around the box, when he does he scores, but its a rarity Thought at much with the 4411, you can see the AMC drop in...I ran the 4231 for about the last 15 games of the season, it did a job, as you say we can't expect a diablo tactic, FM is too advanced now. I had a run of about 5 games where I just couldnt win, it was what cost me an automatic slot ultimately. Funny you should mention the Striker ratings, Yakubu was generally very good for me, but as you say if he wasn't performing at half time I was subbing him for one of my young lads, who did the business on a number of occasions in the run in. I'm living off free transfers and loans at the minute, dont really have the funds or the interest in spending, such are the financial restrictions at Coventry, but I feel a better quality striker would see me win the league comfortably This tactic creates so many chances, went on to get third in League One, only to lose in the play off final to Scunthorpe. Very difficult to take, we missed a pen at 0-0 in the 91st minute. So its another year in League One for us. One criticism (not of the tactic) is for the amount of chances we create, we werent scoring nowhere near enough, the play off final for example, 25 shots only 6 on target and we ended up losing 2-0. Gonna go with this and the tweaked 4411 next season, hopefully we can secure automatic promotion this time. In regards to the 4411 Mr Rosler, you think going 2 up to to make it a 442 would have a detrimental effect, or equally, i've been considering to move one of the CAM's in this to ST and make it a 4312? I have been using a similar set-up, in between your 4411, its been giving me some decent results, gonna switch to this one as I like the solidity its produced in the Championship, which should hopefully be our stomping ground next season! Just before I decided pack in with the 4411, I changed the IWB's to WB's, i was sick of seeing the opposition get in behind me with relative ease, it was costing me too many points. Since swapping i've got 5 unbeaten, couple of unlucky draws in there but its kept us in the Play-off hunt with 12 to play. i'd just started a Coventry save and had a 442 set up, not really producing anything. So i plugged your 4411, got off to a great start, beating Fleetwood 3-0, but since then result have just plummeted, I never get a chance to use the hold version, as we're never in the lead. I've got the 3 atb almost fully fluid so gonna give that a whirl, as it's be solid for me on another save. Mr Rosler, your FM16 tactics were some of the best i've ever used and ever will use, i think. Great work

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Playing hooky has never been for a nobler cause. Tens of thousands of students across the country skipped school on Friday in an organized effort to protest the government's action—or inaction, rather—around climate change policy. The movement, which is called the "U.S. Youth Climate Strike," is led by 12-year-old Haven Coleman, 16-year-old Isra Hirsi, and 13-year-old Alexandria Villaseñor and has kids in more than 100 cities nationwide standing up for the planet. You can sense the frustration in their words: "We are striking because our world leaders have yet to acknowledge, prioritize, or properly address our climate crisis. With our futures at stake, we call for radical legislative action to combat climate change and its countless detrimental effects on the American people." These protests couldn't be more timely. The world has been slowly waking up to the idea that if we want to reverse the harmful effects of climate change, we need to act fast. According to an October 2018 report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we need to make drastic changes, or the natural world as we know it will be damaged beyond repair as soon as 2030. Increased global temperatures are at the root cause of floods and droughts across the world, threatening our food supply and even increasing the likelihood of food contamination. With the world population increasing at a rapid rate, our food supply is something we can't mess around with. Aside from wreaking havoc on the planet, climate change can also have disastrous effects on your personal health. From air pollution that can worsen asthma or cause pregnancy complications to limiting outdoor activity for exercise to even causing some cases of depression, climate change goes far beyond just affecting the weather. We should all be taking a page from these kids. It's one thing to sit around and talk about climate change, but it's another to get up and do something about it.

Forum for European Philosophy The Forum is an educational charity which organises and runs a full and varied programme of philosophy and interdisciplinary events in the UK. Our events take various forms but we studiously avoid academic papers. Formats we like include dialogues, panel discussions, public lectures and provocations, all of which are open to the public and most of which are free. Chair: Geoffrey Hawthorn, Emeritus Professor of International Politics and Emeritus Fellow, Clare Hall, University of Cambridge Is politics the instrument of moral ideals and values? Is it something like ‘applied morality’? In recent years there has been a revival of approaches which give greater autonomy to distinctively political thought, which can be called ‘political realism’, in contrast to ‘political moralism’. The panel discussion will explore this contrast, and ask whether political legitimacy is ultimately a question of one's moral conception. Dominic Johnson, Alastair Buchan Professor of International Relations, University of Oxford Ryan McKay, Reader in Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London Chair: Tali Sharot, Director of the Affective Brain Lab and Reader in the Department of Experimental Psychology, UCL and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow The human mind produces countless biases, illusions and predictable errors. Are such false beliefs adaptive? Had they evolved for a reason? From overconfidence to the illusion of control, the speakers will argue that false beliefs can provide the individual with an advantage in domains ranging from war and politics to health and finance. But how do such beliefs affect us as a society? The Good Life Monday 11 May, 6.30 – 8pm Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE Amber Carpenter, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Yale-NUS College and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of York Josh Cohen, Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London and a practising psychoanalyst Chair: Danielle Sands, Lecturer in Philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of London and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow What makes a life good? Is the ‘good life’ a happy life? Does the ‘good life’ name an individual experience or a social goal? In what ways have alterations in our perception of the human changed the notion of human flourishing? In this event, three thinkers will address the meaning and significance of the ‘good life’ today. The Enlightenment philosopher David Hume tells us that ‘a wise man proportions his belief to his evidence.’ And according to W.K. Clifford, ‘it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to believe anything on insufficient evidence’. But is believing without evidence really wrong, and if so what are we to make of religious beliefs? To answer these questions, we will bring together an epistemologist and a philosopher of religion. Recent events have provoked a public debate about the right to free speech. In a continuation of this debate, we will bring together philosophers and campaigners to examine the philosophical underpinnings of free speech, and how recent events should affect our thinking about it. ‘The fate of our times is characterised by rationalisation and intellectualisation and, above all, by the “disenchantment of the world”’, declared Max Weber in 1917. These themes have occupied Akeel Bilgrami over many years, and his reflections on them have now been brought together in a collection of essays, Secularism, Identity, and Enchantment. In a change to the original programme, Bilgrami will be with us to discuss his work, alongside Max De-Gaynesfordand Joanna Hodge. Chair: Danielle Sands, Lecturer in Philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of London and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow Are humans exceptional among living beings? How should we understand our relationship with the natural world? Current ecological crises have led to new conceptions of this relationship, increased focus on human responsibilities, and changing environmental practices. In this panel, two speakers will address both the theoretical questions raised by these issues and assess some of the practical responses which have been advanced. In the wake of the fifth IPCC Report, we know that tackling climate change is crucial for human well-being. So why has the international community been faltering on effective climate action? What prospects are there for improvement at the forthcoming Paris conference? And how should we frame responsibilities and opportunities so as to break through the collective-action impasse? This panel discussion will draw on expertise from philosophy, political science and climate policy. Mind sharing, crowdsourcing, online ratings – in our modern world we are constantly exposed to the opinion of the group. We are told that crowds are wise (‘Two heads are better than one’ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) and are cautioned against the madness of the mobs (‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’). When is the crowd wise and when is it prone to madness? Use of this website is subject to, and implies acceptance of, its Terms of use (including Copyright and intellectual property, Privacy and data protection and Accessibility). The London School of Economics and Political Science is a School of the University of London. It is a charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Reg no. 70527).The registered office address of the School is: The London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 7686